Healthcare News

RSS

New policy guidelines on appropriate use of social media by physicians

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) House of Delegates adopted new policy guidelines on the appropriate use of social media and social networking sites by physicians during the FSMB's 2012 Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 28.

7 May 2012

Obama features health care law, contraception efforts in campaign kick-off speech

News outlets report that the president attacked his likely GOP rival, Mitt Romney, while highlighting his own health care record.

7 May 2012

Mass. house releases plan to curb health costs

Massachusetts House leaders released a major proposal to curb health care costs Friday, calling for new limits on the fees charged by hospitals and doctors and for creation of an independent agency to monitor medical spending.

7 May 2012

Ariz. Gov. signs law aimed at abortion providers; Court orders Texas to keep paying Planned Parenthood

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on Friday signed into law a bill banning abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from receiving money through the state, her office said in a statement.

7 May 2012

Hot water pasteurisation reduces amount of E. coli on meat

Following the E. coli case in Norway in 2006, when 17 people fell ill and one child died after eating mutton sausages, the meat industry introduced a number of measures in order to reduce the risk of food poisoning from meat. Clean animals and good hygiene during slaughtering are essential preconditions for food safety.

7 May 2012

UAB experts suggest meal guidelines for summer

It's already May. The heat is rising in the South, and the rest of the country soon will follow. Of course this means swimsuit season, and a plan to arrive at a healthy weight will help you look good at the pool and make you healthier overall, say University of Alabama at Birmingham experts.

5 May 2012

NFID to host 15th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research from May 7–9

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases will host the 15th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research, May 7–9, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD.

5 May 2012

AHA recognizes HHS’ Charla de Lupus program with HAVE

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has recognized Hospital for Special Surgery's Charla de Lupus (Lupus Chat) program with its Hospital Award for Volunteer Excellence.

5 May 2012

For U.S., preventable health conditions a gathering storm

The current generation of American children may be the first not to live as long as their parents. Much of this projection is linked to the increase in obesity and health conditions. These and other medical deficits in the U.S. health system were highlighted Thursday at an Atlanta conference and in national media reports.

5 May 2012

Early well-child check-ups can help identify children at risk of emotional, behavioral problems

A new study suggests clinicians might be able to identify children at risk of later emotional or behavioral problems by paying attention to a few key signs during early well-child check-ups. Researchers found that boys with early sleep problems and girls with language and speech delays tended to have more emotional problems in adolescence.

5 May 2012

HCA's profits up, Cigna's down, as patients use more services

Earnings were slightly below the level analysts expected in the quarter, despite a boost from claims reserves that weren't needed in prior periods, although Cigna said it topped its own forecast. ... Like other insurers, Cigna has been projecting patients will start using health care services more after a long slump. The company in its release noted its latest guidance reflects, in part, an "expected increase in medical services utilization during 2012."

5 May 2012

Dengue fever costs Puerto Rico nearly $38M a year, study shows

"The costs of treating and coping with dengue fever in Puerto Rico total nearly $38 million a year, a new study," published Wednesday in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, finds, according to U.S. News & World Report.

5 May 2012

American voters say U.S. support for WHO important, poll shows

"Nine in 10 U.S. voters say it's important for the United States to support the global health efforts of the U.N.'s World Health Organization, according to a United Nations Foundation/Better World Campaign poll released Thursday," The Hill's "Global Affairs" blog reports.

5 May 2012

Survey: First-year medical school enrollment expected to increase

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the number of students entering medical school will show an increase of nearly 30 percent from its starting point in 2002 to projections for 2016.

5 May 2012

Reining in Medicare costs: Lots of talk but little action

News outlets report on how efforts to control Medicare spending often get lost in political messages and campaign posturing.

5 May 2012

Parents can have significant impact in reducing children's sedentary behaviors

Parents can have a significant impact in steering young children away from too much time spent in sedentary pursuits. This new study, in the American Journal of Health Promotion, found this effect in Hispanic families, whose children are more likely to be sedentary than non-Hispanic white children and who are also especially vulnerable to becoming overweight or obese.

5 May 2012

U.N. adopts resolution on young people's sexual and reproductive rights

This RH Reality Check post by the International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region (IPPFWHR) examines a "resolution in support of young people's sexual and reproductive health and human rights" adopted recently by member states at the 45th Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development.

5 May 2012

State legislative news: Mass. legislature poised to consider cost control plan

Meanwhile, in Connecticut, the legislature approves a bill giving collective bargaining rights to home health care workers and goes against leadership to gut a bill that would loosen requirements for suing a health care provider.

5 May 2012

Cigna presents three scholarships at NFBPA annual conference

Cigna presented three scholarships - two for $5,000 and one for $10,000 - to full-time students at the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Annual Conference at the Virginia Beach Conference Center. The scholarship recipients excel in leadership and communications and all are pursuing degrees in public administration.

5 May 2012

Guardian examines launch of GAVI-sponsored immunization campaign in Ghana

Ghana's recent "rollout of the rotavirus vaccine and, to much acclaim, a new vaccine against pneumococcal infections, makes it the first country in sub-Saharan African to introduce two new vaccines at the same time," the Guardian reports.

5 May 2012