Healthcare News

RSS

How the Medicaid expansion is playing in certain states

In New Jersey, advocates are making a case for the state to pursue this part of the health law, but Wisconsin's governor is pointing to its complexity as an argument against it. The Washington state legislature is also giving an expansion a long look.

29 Jan 2013

Have scientists thoroughly addressed avian flu research concerns?

Noting that a nearly yearlong moratorium on H5N1 avian influenza research, put in place "because of safety and terrorism concerns," was lifted recently, a New York Times editorial states, "We wish we could be as sanguine as they are that all the earlier concerns have been dealt with."

29 Jan 2013

Democrats defend safety net, propose modest adjustments

That partisan gibe was telling. He defended two programs, Medicare and Medicaid, begun nearly a half-century ago, and a third, Social Security, that dates from the Great Depression. The federal welfare commitments that Mr. Obama praised in observing that "a great nation must care for the vulnerable" also date back to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's time.

29 Jan 2013

Birth control coverage mandate triggers numerous legal challenges

Lawsuits have been filed by Catholic dioceses as well as private employers who say this provision of the health law conflicts with their religious beliefs.

29 Jan 2013

State leaders seeking cash, legislation to improve mental health care

Minnesota, Florida, Illinois are directing money to provide more mental health care as Massachusetts is taking another look at background checks for gun sales.

29 Jan 2013

Novel experiment illuminates importance of doctor-patient relationship

A patient's relationship with his or her doctor has long been considered an important component of healing. Now, in a novel investigation in which physicians underwent brain scans while they believed they were actually treating patients, researchers have provided the first scientific evidence indicating that doctors truly can feel their patients' pain - and can also experience their relief following treatment.

29 Jan 2013

African heads of state meet to address maternal mortality, MDG 5 goal

African "heads of state gathered in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa for the African Union Summit met at a side event on Sunday, Jan. 27 to renew their commitment to reducing the maternal mortality rate on the continent," Inter Press Service reports.

29 Jan 2013

Polio eradication must fit into larger public health, development goals

"The tragic murders of nine anti-polio workers in Pakistan last month, followed by the New Year's Day killing of seven more local community development workers, was both a wake-up call to the global polio eradication effort in its current form, and a 'canary in the mine' regarding the deteriorating state of development and security in the country," Heidi Larson, a senior lecturer and principal investigator at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, writes in a SciDev.Net opinion piece.

29 Jan 2013

Opinion pieces examine role of private sector investment in global health

The following opinion pieces were published Saturday as the World Economic Forum, held last week in Davos, Switzerland, came to a close.

29 Jan 2013

News outlets examines Bill Gates' commitment to fighting disease globally

"This week the billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates" -- co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation -- "will deliver the annual BBC Richard Dimbleby Lecture in which he will spell out his commitment to ridding the world of polio which can cause paralysis and even death within hours," BBC News reports.

29 Jan 2013

Focus water, sanitation investments on cholera risk zones, aid groups say

"Aid groups are urging donors to invest in water and sanitation in areas known as hotbeds for cholera," saying "while such projects might directly affect a relatively small population, the indirect impact in terms of cholera reduction could be immense," IRIN reports.

29 Jan 2013

Oklahoma pushes back against feds' rebuttal in state's health law challenge

The Oklahoma attorney general argued that the Internal Revenue Service does not have the power to implement the health overhaul.

29 Jan 2013

New tweet-screening method effectively tracks flu cases

Sifting through social media messages has become a popular way to track when and where flu cases occur, but a key hurdle hampers the process: how to identify flu-infection tweets. Some tweets are posted by people who have been sick with the virus, while others come from folks who are merely talking about the illness. If you are tracking actual flu cases, such conversations about the flu in general can skew the results.

29 Jan 2013

Shelters for abused elderly take hold, long-term care ombudsmen questioned

The Associated Press examines the rising use of shelters for the elderly who have been abused, and Kaiser Health News reports that long-term care ombudsmen face questions about their independence.

29 Jan 2013

Gottlieb Memorial Hospital introduces Epic electronic medical record system

Gottlieb Memorial Hospital today introduced the Epic electronic medical record system for patients in the hospital. This new system will offer many benefits to patients and physicians.

29 Jan 2013

Feb. 4-8 designated ‘Pride in Foodservice Week’ by ANFP

February 4-8 is designated "Pride in Foodservice Week" by the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP). Now in its 22nd year, this recognition week applauds nutrition and foodservice professionals and other members of the nutrition service team for their hard work and dedication to client care.

29 Jan 2013

Common myths about flu from Mayo Clinic

It seems you can't go anywhere these days without hearing "the flu this" or "the flu that." Unfortunately, this season's influenza outbreak is one of the worst in years. And it's not just the flu virus that's causing problems; there are also many myths about the flu that are keeping people from doing more to prevent it.

29 Jan 2013

WHO Executive Board meeting discusses consensus on R&D for neglected diseases

Intellectual Property Watch reports on discussions at the ongoing WHO Executive Board meeting "over legal and political aspects of a consensus reached by a small number of member states in November on implementing a plan to address the global lack of research and development [R&D] for neglected diseases predominantly afflicting poor populations."

29 Jan 2013

In fight against hunger, 6 principles to increase resilience in food-insecure communities

"As we grow more interconnected, a range of complex risks, including climate change, environmental degradation, population growth, conﬂict, and food and fuel price volatility, are exacerbating the challenges faced by vulnerable communities," Ertharin Cousin, executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP); José Graziano da Silva, director general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); and Kanayo Nwanze, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), write in the Huffington Post's "World Economic Forum" blog.

29 Jan 2013

Mary Ann Liebert to launch new LGBT Health journal

Over 4 million adults in the United States identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual and approximately 700,000 identify as transgender. An NIH-sponsored investigation by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that the health status and healthcare needs of this sizable population are poorly understood and likely inadequately met. A journal is urgently needed to support, promote, and address the unique healthcare needs of each population that comprises the LGBT community, in the United States and worldwide.

29 Jan 2013