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State highlights: Washington state commitment appeals bill divides officials, families; Va. lawmakers disagree on emergency mental health custody; new Wis. mental health board

A selection of health policy stories from Washington state, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Florida. The proposal, numbered 2725 in the House and 6513 in the Senate, would create a new appeal process for when county officials decline to order an involuntary commitment. In those situations, immediate family members could ask a Superior Court judge about the case (Rosenthal, 2/3).

5 Feb 2014

Viewpoints: Drop in abortion rates may have something to do with better contraception; GOP health law alternative 'designed to fail'

A new study released on Monday finds that the abortion rate among American women declined to its lowest level in more than three decades in 2011. ... Notably, though, the decline in abortions from 2008 to 2011 was mirrored by a decline in pregnancy rates that the researchers say may reflect stricter adherence to birth control methods during recession, and the growing use, especially among younger women, of reliable long-term contraceptives, like the intrauterine device, or IUD.

5 Feb 2014

New portable mini-lab performs faster and more efficiently than traditional laboratory

Researchers in Freiburg, Germany have invented a new device that revolutionizes lab analysis - the portable mini-lab performs faster and works more efficiently than a traditional laboratory.

5 Feb 2014

Mayo Clinic, Minnesota Timberwolves, Lynx partner to extend Mayo Model of Care for patients

Mayo Clinic and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx today announced a partnership which extends the Mayo Model of Care for patients in sports medicine to the Twin Cities.

5 Feb 2014

AACN recognizes 122 units from 101 hospitals nationwide that earned Beacon Award for Excellence

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recognizes 122 units from 101 hospitals nationwide that earned the Beacon Award for Excellence between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2013.

5 Feb 2014

House GOP crafts debt-limit strategy -- one version involves repealing a health law provision

The Washington Post reports that some House Republican lawmakers are considering a play that would trade a one-year extension of the debt limit for a repeal of the overhaul's risk corridors. This provision will be the subject of a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing this week.

5 Feb 2014

New cholesterol guidelines to prevent cardiovascular disease

Clinicians and patients should use shared decision-making to select individualized treatments based on the new guidelines to prevent cardiovascular disease, according to a commentary by three Mayo Clinic physicians published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

5 Feb 2014

Researcher finds 42% of U.S. hospitals use some type of "telehealth" approach

In the first national look at how broadly web-based technologies are being used to provide health care, a University of Michigan researcher has found that 42 percent of U.S. hospitals use some type of "telehealth" approach.

5 Feb 2014

Washington's insurance exchange is winning, too; N.Y. and Calif. see strong Obamacare enrollment numbers

More than 33 percent of eligible Washington residents have signed up for care on the state's health law online insurance exchange. In New York and California, exchanges see big sign-up numbers. Finally, lawmakers in Florida and Virginia ready plans for insurance exchanges that aren't part of the health law.

5 Feb 2014

Sebelius urges Kansas, Missouri to expand Medicaid

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appeared in Missouri and Kansas to urge officials to accept federal expansion funds, calling it a moral and financial imperative. Meanwhile, a new poll finds support for the expansion in Virginia and news outlets cover developments in Florida and South Carolina.

5 Feb 2014

HEALTHGRAIN gives definition for "whole" grain in food products

The most comprehensive definition of whole grain termed to date has been published this week in the journal Food and Nutrition Research. The effort to create the definition, which is intended to assist in the production and labeling of foods rich in whole grains, was born of the HEALTHGRAIN EU project, the largest project ever focusing on cereals and health; and was led by a multi-disciplinary team from some of Europe's leading universities and food research institutes.

5 Feb 2014

Pleasant auditory representations can help blind "see" colors and shapes

Using auditory or tactile stimulation, Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs) provide representations of visual information and can help the blind "see" colors and shapes. SSDs scan images and transform the information into audio or touch signals that users are trained to understand, enabling them to recognize the image without seeing it.

5 Feb 2014

For people who faced enrollment issues with healthcare.gov, appeals hearings to begin soon

But news outlets report that the computer and phone systems designed to address those appeals have yet to be launched. So far, an estimated 22,000 requests for fixes have been submitted via the mail.

5 Feb 2014

Telemedicine used at nursing homes is a viable way to reduce avoidable hospitalizations

Telemedicine used at nursing homes during hours when doctors are not typically present is a viable way to reduce avoidable hospitalizations, according to research published in February's issue of Health Affairs.

5 Feb 2014

FDA targets teens in new anti-smoking campaign

The $115 million multimedia effort, which includes ads highlighting yellow teeth and wrinkled skin to show the costs of smoking are not just financial, is scheduled to be unveiled Tuesday.

5 Feb 2014

95% of adults die annually from vaccine preventable diseases

While adults make up 95 percent of those who die annually from vaccine preventable diseases, a new study from the University of Colorado School of Medicine shows their vaccination rates remain stubbornly low, representing a growing public health concern.

5 Feb 2014

Healthcare News

State highlights: Washington state commitment appeals bill divides officials, families; Va. lawmakers disagree on emergency mental health custody; new Wis. mental health board

Viewpoints: Drop in abortion rates may have something to do with better contraception; GOP health law alternative 'designed to fail'

New portable mini-lab performs faster and more efficiently than traditional laboratory

Mayo Clinic, Minnesota Timberwolves, Lynx partner to extend Mayo Model of Care for patients

AACN recognizes 122 units from 101 hospitals nationwide that earned Beacon Award for Excellence

House GOP crafts debt-limit strategy -- one version involves repealing a health law provision

New cholesterol guidelines to prevent cardiovascular disease

Researcher finds 42% of U.S. hospitals use some type of "telehealth" approach

Washington's insurance exchange is winning, too; N.Y. and Calif. see strong Obamacare enrollment numbers

Sebelius urges Kansas, Missouri to expand Medicaid

HEALTHGRAIN gives definition for "whole" grain in food products

Pleasant auditory representations can help blind "see" colors and shapes

For people who faced enrollment issues with healthcare.gov, appeals hearings to begin soon

Telemedicine used at nursing homes is a viable way to reduce avoidable hospitalizations

FDA targets teens in new anti-smoking campaign

95% of adults die annually from vaccine preventable diseases

Tele-emergency services can successfully extend emergency care in rural hospitals

Obamacare deductibles, not premiums, cause sticker shock

Simple training can encourage friends, family and acquaintances to stop smoking

New rule allows patients direct access to lab results

Membrane proteins in focus: Turning high-risk targets into routine workflows

How metabolic phenotyping can detect viral infections in minutes

Directed enzyme evolution and the Nobel Prize: Making enzymes evolve in the lab

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