Occupational Health News and Research

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MEDTOX Scientific second-quarter total revenues increase 18.1% to $25.2 million

MEDTOX Scientific, Inc. today announced results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010. MEDTOX achieved a significant increase in new clinical laboratory business for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, and laboratory drugs-of-abuse testing showed a net positive increase in revenues of 5.6% for the second quarter of 2010, compared to a decrease of 10.6% in the prior year quarter.

15 Jul 2010

Finalists for Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards announced

URAC announced today that a distinguished panel of judges has selected 30 finalists for its Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards. The competition drew entries from across the nation. The finalists will be honored during URAC's 11th Annual Quality Summit, October 5-7, 2010 in Chicago, IL. The awards honor programs in two areas: Consumer Decision-Making and Consumer Health Improvement.

13 Jul 2010

Sperian Respiratory Protection awarded VHA contract for 65,000 special configuration half-mask respirators

The U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has awarded Sperian Respiratory Protection USA a contract to purchase 65,000 special configuration modified Sperian Blue1 half-mask respirators with speaking diaphragm for use in VHA hospitals nationwide. VHA is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States with over 150 hospitals and 130,000 healthcare workers. This award is a result of Sperian's emphasis on developing respiratory products that enhance speech intelligibility when worn by healthcare workers.

13 Jul 2010

CompuMed secures extended contracts with Oklahoma and Arizona's departments of corrections

CompuMed, Inc., a medical informatics and telemedicine services company, has secured extended contracts to provide its signature CardioGram™ electrocardiogram (ECG) remote interpretation systems and over-read services for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (OKDOC) and Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) at selected facilities throughout both states. The OKDOC rents 21 CardioGram systems, and the ADC owns 45 CardioGram systems.

8 Jul 2010

Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy causes permanent genetic damage in newborns

Newborns of non-smoking moms exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy have genetic mutations that may affect long-term health, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study published online in the Open Pediatric Medicine Journal. The abnormalities, which were indistinguishable from those found in newborns of mothers who were active smokers, may affect survival, birth weight and lifelong susceptibility to diseases like cancer.

1 Jul 2010

Greenway to provide physician's infrastructure solutions to St. Cloud Medical Group

Greenway Medical Technologies, Inc. is partnering with St. Cloud Medical Group to provide its single-database electronic health record (EHR), practice management and interoperability solution PrimeSuite®, online portal PrimePatient® and remote clinic PrimeMobile™ to St. Cloud's primary care, urgent care, occupational health, surgical, pediatrics, pain management, and OB/GYN services.

28 Jun 2010

Study: Free-range eggs may not be healthier than regular eggs

Contrary to popular belief, paying a premium price for free-range eggs may not be healthier than eating regular eggs, a new study reports. Scientists found that free-range eggs in Taiwan contain at least five times higher levels of certain pollutants than regular eggs. Their findings appear in ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

17 Jun 2010

InGenesis president named finalist in business services category of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards

Veronica Edwards, president and CEO of InGenesis, Inc., is the only San Antonio finalist in the business services category of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards for the Houston and Gulf Coast Area. Ernst & Young LLP recently announced 36 area finalists selected by a panel of independent judges.

17 Jun 2010

U.S. HealthWorks announces acquisition of Sierra Occupational Services healthcare center

U.S. HealthWorks, the leading operator of occupational healthcare centers in California, today announced the acquisition of the Sierra Occupational Services healthcare center at 1429 West Fremont Street in Stockton. The acquisition of this center expands the number of U.S. HealthWorks operated medical centers to 66 in California and 134 nationwide.

14 Jun 2010

CSTE 2010 Annual Conference to focus on public health challenges

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists 2010 Annual Conference will be held June 6-10 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. An array of experts representing federal, state, and local health departments will discuss issues ranging from last year's flu pandemic, obesity, food safety, health care reform, information technology, and the global response to disasters such as the Haiti earthquake.

5 Jun 2010

Study measures effects of BPA on male reproductive system

Increasing Bisphenol-A levels in urine are associated with worsening male sexual function, according to a Kaiser Permanente study appearing online in the Journal of Andrology.

28 May 2010

Workplace wellness programs improve employer's bottom line

"Who has time?" is a frequent question in response to the suggestion of a medical check-up. Job demands aren't becoming easier to meet in this challenging economy. And there is always a "to-do" list waiting at home. Naturally employees feel these pressures.

26 May 2010

Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District purchases QuadraMed CPR EHR solution

QuadraMed® Corporation today announced that Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District in Brawley, Calif., has selected the QuadraMed CPR (QCPR™) electronic health record (EHR) solution and several other QuadraMed applications to help improve the quality of patient care, increase operational efficiencies and enhance revenues. Also included in the purchase are QuadraMed's identity management, enterprise scheduling, revenue management and nurse-staffing management solutions.

25 May 2010

Exosure to organophosphate pesticides associated with increased risk of ADHD in children

Following closely on the heels of the President's Cancer Panel Report exhorting consumers to choose food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, and growth hormones to help decrease their exposure to environmental chemicals that can increase their risk of contracting cancer, a study published in today's issue of the journal Pediatrics concludes that exposure to organophosphate pesticides at levels common among U.S. children may contribute to the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in these children.

18 May 2010

Overtime workers at 60% higher risk of heart-related problems

Working overtime is bad for the heart according to results from a long-running study following more than 10,000 civil servants in London (UK): the Whitehall II study.

11 May 2010

Dietary MSC can help reset cell's biological clock to prevent development of breast cancer: Study

Usually when all else fails with a technical device, a "reset" button can be pressed, preventing a glitch from going any further. What if that could be done with threats to a person's health? Investigators from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute which is jointly administered by UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, have discovered that a form of a dietary trace element known as selenium can help reset a cell's "biological clock" when it is disrupted by a chemical cancer-causing agent (carcinogen).

28 Apr 2010

3M first-quarter worldwide sales up 25% to $6.3 billion

3M today reported first-quarter earnings of $1.29 per share on sales of $6.3 billion. Operating income margins were 22.8 percent, up 7 percentage points year-on-year. Sales and per-share earnings increased 24.7 percent and 74.3 percent, respectively, versus the first quarter of 2009.

27 Apr 2010

New research shows mercury levels are higher in some tuna species

New research showing that that mercury levels are higher in some species of tuna could help consumers minimize their consumption of the silvery metal in their sushi and provide a powerful new tool for regulatory organizations.

21 Apr 2010

Sentry Air Systems announces equipment compliance with OSHA's hexavalent chromium regulation

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is enforcing strict regulations regarding worker exposure to hexavalent chromium in several industries. Hexavalent chromium, a volatized and oxidized form of chromium, has been identified as a carcinogen. OSHA has subsequently established stringent regulations for workers who are potentially exposed to it in the general, construction, shipyard, and marine terminal industries.

19 Apr 2010

Study reveals increased risk for cancer among Latino populations

New findings from epidemiology and observational studies show an increased risk for cancer among Latino populations, but unique demographic characteristics suggest the problem may be worse than currently known.