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A quarter of patients admitted to Scottish ICUs have alcohol problems

A quarter of patients admitted to Scottish intensive care units have alcohol problems and the majority of those have chronic alcohol disease, with particular problems among men and younger people.

19 Jul 2012

State officials stake out positions on implementing health law

Virginia's Republican attorney general, the first to file suit against the health law, takes a hardline position against expanding Medicaid, while Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell, a Republican, signals his state will pass on setting up a state-based health exchange. In Kentucky, Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat, issues an executive order to authorize such an exchange.

19 Jul 2012

Opponents see possible avenues to send health law back to court

But in related news, a federal judge in Nebraska rejected a suit filed by seven states to block the measure's contraception coverage mandate, saying the states did not have standing to file it because they failed to prove they would suffer "immediate harm."

19 Jul 2012

Adolescents and young adult cancer patients more likely to report unmet need

A cancer diagnosis for adolescents and young adults can be especially challenging, and new research shows the social, psychological and informational support these patients need might be going unmet.

19 Jul 2012

Better methods needed to diagnose and treat HIV, TB in children

Jennifer Furin, an infectious diseases physician and medical anthropologist who specializes in the management of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV in resource-poor settings, writes in a post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog that "when it comes to the great advancements made in global HIV and TB care, children are being left behind."

19 Jul 2012

Geographic adjustments not optimal tools to tackle larger national policy goals

Changing the way that Medicare payments are adjusted to account for regional variations in the cost of providing care as recommended by a previous report from the Institute of Medicine would result in payment increases for some hospitals and practitioners and decreases for others, concludes the Phase II report from the IOM study.

19 Jul 2012

Escalating Miss. abortion fight could be blueprint for similar challenges

State health inspectors inspect Mississippi's only abortion clinic -- the first step towards shutting it down-- while a judge considers whether to let the law stand. Meanwhile, anti-abortion activists hone in on other states with single abortion providers to see if they can use similar approaches to shut them down, Politico Pro reports.

19 Jul 2012

Targets reached in Haiti's pilot cholera vaccination program, NPR reports

NPR's "Shots" blog reports on the results of a "high-visibility pilot project to vaccinate 100,000 Haitians against cholera." The blog writes, "Almost 90 percent of the target population -- half in Port-au-Prince and the other half in a remote rural area -- got fully protected against cholera, meaning they got two doses of the oral vaccine."

19 Jul 2012

Africa's new partnership for sustainable health development 'makes sense'

With Africa's "emerging position in the global order, ... astute African leaders are striving to ensure that this realignment delivers a new paradigm of partnership for sustainable health development -- a partnership that is led by Africa, for Africans, through African-sourced solutions," UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe writes in a Huffington Post "Impact Blog" opinion piece.

19 Jul 2012

Dementia patients allowed to live at home thanks to new research program

A Johns Hopkins research program that brought resources and counselors to elderly Baltimore residents with memory disorders such as dementia significantly increased the chance they could continue to live successfully at home, a preference for most of them.

19 Jul 2012

States opting-out of health law's Medicaid expansion likely to see downside

After several state officials announced their intention to reject the expansion -- and the federal funds that come with it -- news outlets report on possible implications, including costs to county taxpayers, businesses and people who would go without health benefits.

19 Jul 2012

IOM: Paying providers more in some parts of county won't solve access problems

In a new report, the Institute of Medicine concludes that raising Medicare reimbursements for some areas of the country will not necessarily address the physician shortage.

19 Jul 2012

House GOP advances Labor-HHS appropriations bill that blocks health law funding

The proposed spending bill includes language preventing the use of federal dollars to "implement, administer or further" the Affordable Care Act. A number of other programs and agencies -- including the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality -- are targeted for termination.

19 Jul 2012

Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht to establish Virtual Institute

In collaboration with the university hospitals of Hamburg, Hannover and Graz, as well as further partners, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht will establish a Virtual Institute, whose focus will be set on degradable magnesium implants. One aim of the research association coordinated from Geesthacht is to develop first prototypes of orthopedic implants.

19 Jul 2012

Seasonal firefighters now eligible for federal health coverage after Obama directive

Seasonal firefighters -- many working on containing wildfires in the West -- became eligible for federal health insurance coverage Tuesday after President Obama issued an executive order last week.

19 Jul 2012

U.N. warns Somalia remains in need of assistance one year after famine declaration

The U.N. warned Tuesday that more than 2.5 million people in Somalia remain in need of assistance despite international aid efforts and the situation could worsen unless more effort is made to build on gains since famine was declared in July 2011, Agence France-Presse reports.

19 Jul 2012

Only 63% of New Yorkers on Medicaid with chronic conditions are adherent to drug regimens

A new study published online this month in the Journal of Urban Health conducted by researchers in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Medical Center, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the New York State Department of Health found only 63 percent of New Yorkers on Medicaid with chronic conditions including hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol are adherent to medication regimens.

19 Jul 2012

Blog examines potential repercussions of CIA's fake vaccination campaign in Pakistan

In this post on her blog, "The Garrett Update," Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), examines the potential implications of a fake hepatitis vaccine campaign carried out by the CIA in Pakistan last year in an attempt to gather DNA from Osama bin Laden's family.

19 Jul 2012

U.S. News names Dana-Farber/ BWH Cancer Center among 2012 America's Best Hospitals

U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals guide has ranked Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center the top cancer center in New England and fifth overall in the country.

19 Jul 2012

Autism Speaks to hold National Conference for Families and Professionals in Columbus

Autism Speaks will hold the National Conference for Families and Professionals, "Treating the Whole Person with Autism: Providing Comprehensive Care for Children and Adolescents with ASD," August 3 - 4, 2012, at the Hilton Columbus in Columbus, Ohio.

19 Jul 2012