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Fighting gender-based violence this Valentine's Day

On Valentine's Day, celebrated Thursday, "we will dance in protest of gender-based violence as part of a worldwide movement, One Billion Rising," Kylin Beeson, a member of the Young Global Leaders Program (YGLP) with One By One; Emily Kase, a YGLP intern; and Lindsey Youngquist, a former a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, write in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

15 Feb 2013

Examining electronic medical records and over-billing

The Obama administration is forging ahead with a multi-billion dollar plan to shift from paper to electronic medical records, despite continuing concerns the program may be prompting some doctors and hospitals to improperly bill higher fees to Medicare.

15 Feb 2013

Integrating NCD efforts into larger 'sustainability agenda'

"The time has come for the '[non-communicable disease (NCD)] agenda' to be integrated with the broader 'sustainability agenda,' and this was the focus of a joint meeting this week between the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Lancet," Richard Smith, director of the United Health Group's chronic disease initiative, writes in the BMJ Group Blogs.

15 Feb 2013

Post office seeks to revamp health plan and retiree funding

The postmaster general asks for congressional permission for post office to run its own health plan for employees and retirees and modify the mandate that the agency pay $5.5 billion annually to fund future health benefits.

15 Feb 2013

Public health, social policies can positively affect children's lives

"Specific calls for global action on health and other social issues can have a major effect on children's life chances, concludes a report that compared data on laws and public policies affecting children in 191 countries," BMJ reports.

15 Feb 2013

China's new first lady has ability to influence public health activism

In an opinion piece published on contextChina, Robert O'Brien, a PhD candidate in international relations at the University of Oxford, examines how China's new first lady, acclaimed folk singer Peng Liyuan, might influence public health activism in the country.

15 Feb 2013

Epic Wound Care enters beta test agreement with Ryan Network for UEEC's hemostatic gauze

United Health Products, Inc.'s www.unitedhealthproductsinc.com wholly owned subsidiary, Epic Wound Care, Inc., which develops and markets products and technologies in the healthcare sector, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a beta test agreement with the distinguished Ryan Network for UEEC's hemostatic gauze. The gauze is registered and branded in the USA under the trademark HemoStyp.

15 Feb 2013

IOM proposes state, FDA actions to stop growth of counterfeit drugs

The Institute of Medicine Wednesday urged a series regulatory changes to help protect the public against buying fake or poorly made drugs.

15 Feb 2013

Kitchen table health assessments improve outcomes of Medicare Advantage members

A study by Matrix Medical Network and MVP Heath Care indicates that Medicare Advantage members who receive "kitchen table" health assessments have improved outcomes, including fewer hospital admissions, lower cost of claims and a higher level of satisfaction with their health plans.

15 Feb 2013

Wider use among young women drives higher use of 'morning-after' pill

Growth in use among 20-somethings has doubled the use of the "morning-after" contraceptive pill in recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

15 Feb 2013

Weekend reading: What your doctor should tell you, new stages of grief

Dr. Jim Dougher climbs into his white SUV, plugs the address of his next patient into the GPS, and he's off. The SUV is well stocked: He has a large Tupperware bin in the back full of bandages and wound cleaning supplies; he has a variation on the old-time doctor's bag with a stethoscope and blood-pressure cuff; and he has a dedicated cellular wifi hotspot and a laptop that can communicate with HealthCare Partner's electronic medical record.

15 Feb 2013

House GOP chairman seeks permanent solution to Medicare doc pay problem

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told physicians this week that he hopes to send "doc fix" legislation to the House floor this summer. Meanwhile, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., plans hearings for President Barack Obama's pick to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

15 Feb 2013

Relief efforts in Syria trying to keep pace, U.N. humanitarian aid chief says

"Relief efforts are failing to keep pace with the scale of the emergency in Syria, where the death toll has risen to nearly 70,000, the U.N.'s head of humanitarian operations said on Wednesday," the Guardian reports.

15 Feb 2013

Illinois is 3rd state approved to run insurance market in partnership with feds

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius joined Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn Wednesday to announce the state had become the third to receive conditional approval to run a health insurance exchange in partnership with the federal government. Other states are also taking steps to develop their exchanges -- or, at least, mulling what to do next.

15 Feb 2013

Improving tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis: an interview with Professor Madhukar Pai, MD, PhD

TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nearly 9 million people develop TB every year, and TB kills nearly 1.4 million individuals each year. While the incidence of TB has steadily declined in the west, it remains a huge public health problem in many developing countries, with India having the highest burden.

15 Feb 2013

Treasury pick says he will work to reduce Medicare spending, but offers few specifics

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama's references in his State of the Union address to modest changes to Medicare continue to generate examination.

15 Feb 2013

India announces plans to improve adolescent health, evaluate progress on child survival

"India's health ministry has announced plans to improve the health of adolescents and also to evaluate progress of states and districts on child survival under a fresh package of initiatives to reduce mortality among children under five years old," BMJ reports.

15 Feb 2013

Effective approaches to prevent and control obesity among Latino children

Guided grocery store trips, menu labeling at restaurants, community gardens, and video-game-based exercise programs are among several promising, culturally appropriate ways to prevent obesity among Latino children, according to a new collection of studies from Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children published in a supplement to the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

15 Feb 2013

State officials worry that doctors may not accept upcoming wave of new Medicaid patients

More than 7 million people are expected to gain insurance through Medicaid under the federal health law next year. In other news about implementation of the health overhaul, the trade group representing Catholic hospitals reserves judgment for now on latest administration policy on requiring contraception coverage.

15 Feb 2013

Pivotal Response Treatment improves brain activity in children with autism

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for before-and-after analysis, a team of researchers including a UC Santa Barbara graduate student discovered positive changes in brain activity in children with autism who received a particular type of behavioral therapy.

15 Feb 2013