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CMS plans to increase Medicare hospital payments by 0.8%

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the proposed increase Friday, which will raise payments for services that elderly and disabled patients receive after being admitted to hospitals.

30 Apr 2013

First Edition: April 29, 2013

Today's headlines include a report that hospitals are questioning Medicare's rules on readmissions.

29 Apr 2013

DaVita Hospital Services receives Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation

DaVita, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. and a leading provider of kidney care services, today announced that DaVita Hospital Services, the company's inpatient kidney care services, has received Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation from The Joint Commission.

29 Apr 2013

SLU study reveals that access to dermatologists limited for Medicaid-insured children with eczema

A recent Saint Louis University study revealed that Medicaid-insured children with eczema, an inflammatory skin condition that affects 20 percent children in the United States, do not have easy access to dermatologists.

29 Apr 2013

Providing commodities not always best solution in food security crises

In a New York Times "Opinionator" piece, journalist Tina Rosenberg examines the Obama administration's proposed changes to the U.S. food aid program, which would provide more flexibility to allow for cash purchases of food locally or from U.S. farmers, as well as end monetization.

29 Apr 2013

Baby boomers need to get tested for hepatitis C

If you were born during 1945-1965, talk to your doctor about getting tested for hepatitis C. Baby boomers are five times more likely than other adults to be infected. In fact, 75 percent of adults with hepatitis C were born during these years.

29 Apr 2013

USAID report highlights need for better water management in agriculture

"With its recently released Water and Development Strategy, USAID highlights some practical and potentially powerful initiatives both to improve health by expanding access to clean water and sanitation and to improve food security through better water management in agriculture," Isobel Coleman, a senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy and director of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative at the Council on Foreign Relations, writes in the council's "Democracy in Development" blog.

29 Apr 2013

Study examines health issues of residents living nearby drilling operations

Residents living in areas near natural gas operations, also known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, are concerned their illnesses may be a result of nearby drilling operations.

29 Apr 2013

Proposed legislation in Congress would improve U.S. global health R&D

Writing in the Global Health Technologies Coalition's "Breakthroughs" blog, GHTC Policy Officer Ashley Bennett describes the recently introduced "21st Century Global Health Technology Act, which would make several important and welcome changes to global health research and development programs" at USAID.

29 Apr 2013

Opinion pieces address World Malaria Day

On Thursday, the international community recognized World Malaria Day, observed annually on April 25. This year's theme was "Invest in the future. Defeat malaria."

29 Apr 2013

Practice Greenhealth recognizes Virginia Mason with 2013 Partner for Change, with Distinction Award

Virginia Mason Medical Center has been recognized with the 2013 "Partner for Change, with Distinction" Award by Practice Greenhealth, the nation's leading health care membership community that empowers its members to increase their efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care.

29 Apr 2013

Upcoming symposium to offer highlights of 150-year history of Hospital for Special Surgery

An upcoming symposium will offer highlights of the 150-year history of Hospital for Special Surgery and at the same time provide a fascinating look at the evolution of medicine from the "Dark Ages" of the Civil War period to modern medicine as we know it today.

29 Apr 2013

Mayo Clinic captures top two awards for Innovative Services in Health Management

Mayo Clinic captured the top two prizes for Innovative Services in Health Management, one of twelve categories presented by the Edison Awards at the ceremony in Chicago.

29 Apr 2013

GWCI research focuses on real needs of adolescent, young adult cancer survivors

New research out of the George Washington University Cancer Institute focuses on the difficulties of transitioning to adulthood while dealing with the long-term and late effects of cancer and its treatment.

29 Apr 2013

UAB expert offers simple strategies to tackle summer allergy season

Sneezing, wheezing and coughing are just some of the symptoms that seasonal allergies can stir up. One sinus expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham said despite a late spring, the summer allergy season will be strong.

29 Apr 2013

ABA honors Richard L. Gamelli with President's Leadership Award

Richard L. Gamelli, MD, FACS, senior vice president and provost of the Health Sciences Division at Loyola University Chicago, has been given the President's Leadership Award from the American Burn Association.

29 Apr 2013

Continued political, financial support needed to reduce global malaria incidence

"With the globally agreed target of reversing the incidence rate of malaria by 2015 now in sight, top United Nations officials [on Thursday] urged the international community to stay committed to protecting people from this preventable disease and to scale up key interventions such as the provision of insecticide-treated mosquito nets," the U.N. News Centre reports, noting April 25 marked the annual World Malaria Day, with this year's theme, "Invest in the future. Defeat malaria."

29 Apr 2013

LifeBridge Health honored for commitment to protect environment, human health

LifeBridge Health has been honored for a third straight year with three Partner for Change Awards for its commitment to protecting the environment and human health.

29 Apr 2013

White House chief of staff holds budget meeting with Senate Republicans

Earlier this week, the White House considered trying to assemble a group of interested Republicans for further talks, according to Democratic congressional aides. But the administration rejected that approach, and is encouraging Republicans to choose their own negotiating party.

29 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: David Brooks sees growing concerns about health law implementation; Congress should stick to requirement to join the exchanges

It was always going to be difficult to implement Obamacare, but even fervent supporters of the law admit that things are going worse than expected. Implementation got off to a bad start because the Obama administration didn't want to release unpopular rules before the election.

29 Apr 2013