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BBC News examines HIV/AIDS in Iran

BBC News examines HIV/AIDS in Iran, writing, "In the 2000s, Iran became known as the region's leader in the fight against AIDS. Each year, the government allocates millions of dollars to prevent and manage the disease, and government-sponsored clinics across the country help battle it."

5 Dec 2012

Inserm prizes for medical research to be awarded on Dec. 3

The 2012 Inserm prizes for medical research will be awarded at a ceremony at the Coll-ge de France on Monday 3 December 2012. This year, the grand prize will be awarded to Philippe Sansonetti in the presence of Marisol Touraine, France's Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Genevi-ve Fioraso, France's Minister of Higher Education and Research, and Professor Andr- Syrota, Chairman and CEO of Inserm.

5 Dec 2012

Software to curb hospital readmissions?

Stung by a multimillion-dollar penalty for failing to meet new patient readmissions standards set by Medicare, UMass Memorial Health Care is using transaction analytics software to reduce frequent and costly readmissions for patients with heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia.

5 Dec 2012

National Radiation Oncology Registry program for quality assessment and improvement

The National Radiation Oncology Registry (NROR) pilot program will serve as the basis for the creation of a nationwide electronic registry to capture reliable, population-based information on radiation treatment delivery and health outcomes and will be supported by an innovative information technology (IT) infrastructure that will maximize efficiency through the automated collection and electronic transfer of data, according to research presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium.

5 Dec 2012

U.S. working with Namibia on AIDS response

U.S. Ambassador to Namibia Wanda Nesbitt writes in the State Department's "DipNote" blog, "Here in Namibia, the United States, through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), is working closely with the people and Government of Namibia to prevent new HIV infections, provide lifesaving HIV treatment to those who need it, and help put an end to AIDS in the country."

5 Dec 2012

UMHS named on Leapfrog Top Hospitals list

Patients who choose the University of Michigan Health System for their care have one more reason to be confident in their choice. Today, an independent national group once again named UMHS among the safest and highest-quality hospitals in the United States. Only 66 other hospitals earned the Top Hospitals designation from the Leapfrog Group, a national leader in evaluating hospital care based on a wide range of criteria.

5 Dec 2012

Trouble spot in fiscal talks: The down payment

Although there appears to be general agreement about tax code and entitlement changes that would begin next year and tally more than $1 trillion over 10 years, the initial installment of deficit reduction has become a sticking point between the White House and GOP leaders. Meanwhile, the Washington Post checks the facts on entitlement "spending cuts."

5 Dec 2012

Reflecting on global health challenges, opportunities

Writing in the BMJ Blog, George Alleyne, director emeritus of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), reflects on global health challenges and opportunities, writing, "There have been massive changes not only in the basic health problems, but also in how we have addressed them."

5 Dec 2012

Senior adviser to President reflects on World AIDS Day

"This week, as we gathered in the White House with key scientists, policymakers, and community stakeholders to commemorate World AIDS Day, I was so proud to help highlight the progress we've made in the fight against HIV/AIDS," Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to the President, writes in the AIDS.gov blog.

5 Dec 2012

USAID introduces 'first-ever' guidance on building resiliency

On Monday, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah "announced the launch of the agency's first-ever policy and program guidance on Building Resilience to Recurrent Crisis during an event in Washington, D.C.," according to an USAID press release.

5 Dec 2012

Patient-centered relationship increases pain tolerance: Study

A doctor-patient relationship built on trust and empathy doesn't just put patients at ease - it actually changes the brain's response to stress and increases pain tolerance, according to new findings from a Michigan State University research team.

5 Dec 2012

Report examines international funding for neglected diseases

"International financial support aimed at counteracting the world's 'neglected diseases' increased by nearly a half-billion dollars over the past five years, according to new research released Monday, but changing funding dynamics could already be having a negative impact on the development of cures for diseases that affect a substantial proportion of the world's poor," Inter Press Service reports.

5 Dec 2012

Tennessee nursing-care company charged with Medicare fraud

A Tennessee-based nursing-care company systematically defrauded Medicare of millions of dollars by pressuring therapists to perform expensive, unnecessary treatments, according to a recently unsealed federal complaint.

5 Dec 2012

GOP counteroffer includes raising Medicare's eligibility age to 67

The Republican marker, which was almost immediately rebuffed by the White House, includes cuts to federal safety net programs, but does not meet the president's "test of balance" because it rejects tax increases for the wealthy.

5 Dec 2012

Stakeholders focus on addressing Medicare physician payment issues

Stakeholders worry that, although a "doc fix" is likely to be included in a broad deficit-reduction deal, steps also need to be taken immediately to prevent scheduled Medicare physician payment cuts from kicking in.

5 Dec 2012

Converting 'moral entitlements' into life-long AIDS treatment commitments

"Many currently believe that U.S. domestic entitlements are too large, but disregard the fact that the PEPFAR program has created a new class of moral entitlements overseas -- in the form of four million and counting people receiving U.S.-supported life-sustaining AIDS treatment in low- and middle-income countries around the world," Mead Over, a senior fellow at the CGD, writes in the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Global Health Policy" blog.

5 Dec 2012

PRI's 'The World' features weeklong series on cancer in developing nations

PRI's "The World" this week features a series examining the challenges of addressing cancer in the developing world. The series, produced in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, includes radio stories, multimedia features, an interactive map, and infographics, according to the main page.

5 Dec 2012

Affected countries, communities should conduct global health priority-setting

"Global health is changing -- both in policy and practice," Alanna Shaikh, a development consultant and blogger currently working on a USAID-funded health project, writes in an opinion piece in the Guardian's "Global Development Professionals Network" blog, adding the field is getting "far more attention in the past decade than in the years before," which "also creates challenges."

5 Dec 2012

HHS says health law changes to Medicare drug program saved seniors $5 billion

The administration announces that almost 2.8 million people have saved an average $677, because the law is closing the prescription drug doughnut hole.

5 Dec 2012

Roundup: Building more Texas medical schools; Calif. mental health care for children

Recommendations in a new draft report on Texas undergraduate medical education caution against rushing to build any new medical schools, which may irk those that are pushing to do exactly that. The report was prepared by the staff of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and posted on the agency's website on Monday in preparation for an upcoming meeting of their Task Force on Graduate Health Professions.

5 Dec 2012