Healthcare News

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First Edition: August 8, 2011

Kaiser Health News staff writer Marilyn Werber Serafini reports: "GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty has scorned the health plans engineered by President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, even linking them with the term Obamneycare. Instead, the former Minnesota governor is brandishing a health plan his state passed in 2008 as a model for the nation".

8 Aug 2011

Brits do not trust care homes for elderly relatives: Research

THREE quarters of Brits would rather take on the burden of caring for elderly relatives then put them into a home - because they don't trust care homes.

8 Aug 2011

Share A Smile program for kids in need of major orthodontic care

An Orange County-based charity that puts smiles back on the faces of underprivileged kids in need of major orthodontic care is the first charitable organization featured as part of a unique social media campaign designed to inspire people to get involved with nonprofits.

8 Aug 2011

FDA clears Toshiba's patient-friendly 3T MR system

In the 3T MR marketplace, patient compliance often impacts image quality and patient throughput. As the only 3T MR system designed to improve patient compliance and comfort while offering advanced radiology capabilities, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.'s new Vantage TitanTM 3T open bore MR has received FDA clearance.

8 Aug 2011

Dell, NextGen to market and deliver advanced health IT solutions for hospitals

NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. and a leading provider of healthcare information systems and connectivity solutions, announced today an agreement with Dell to market and deliver advanced technology solutions and services to medical practices of all sizes, rural and community hospitals and physician networks.

8 Aug 2011

Proact supplies storage systems to Sint Franciscus hospital

The Sint Franciscus Gasthuis is a major hospital with a rich history and offers care covering a wide range of specialisms. As a team its 100 medical specialists and 2000 staff aim to respond positively to the needs of the patient, with high-quality care and a service-oriented attitude.

8 Aug 2011

Los Angeles' otolaryngologist to receive AAO-HNS Distinguished Service Award

John House, MD, of Los Angeles, CA, will receive the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Distinguished Service Award at the opening ceremony of the 2011 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in San Francisco, CA, September 11-14, 2011.

8 Aug 2011

S&P downgrade puts pressure on 'super committee' to fix entitlements

"S&P sees the debt agreement as falling short of what's necessary to fix the nation's finances. The spending cuts Democrats and Republicans agreed on were relatively modest".

8 Aug 2011

Turning from debt debate, some GOP House members renew health law attack

Healthcare reform still loomed large in voters' minds last week as members of Congress began their traditional series of recess town hall meetings. The issue had drifted down the political agenda after the 2010 midterm elections.

8 Aug 2011

Proposals to reduce nation's debt would harm major scientific projects: APS

The American Physical Society, the nation's leading organization of physicists, is deeply concerned that proposals to drastically reduce the nation's debt would do serious harm to major scientific projects.

6 Aug 2011

Panel discusses global health approaches and sustainable results

The Center for Global Health Policy's "ScienceSpeaks" blog describes a panel discussion, which took place at last week's Society for International Development 2011 World Congress, that focused "on vertical and integrated approaches to global health [and] addressed the question of how best to achieve sustainable results in the field."

6 Aug 2011

Students of FAU's new Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine receive first white coats

The 64 students who make up the inaugural class of Florida Atlantic University's new Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine will receive their first white coats at a ceremony today to symbolically confirm their commitment to the profession of medicine.

6 Aug 2011

Patient perceptions don't match Medicare hospital data

More than 120 hospitals given top marks by patients for providing excellent care also have a darker distinction: high death rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia, a USA Today analysis of new Medicare data has found (Sternberg and Schnaars, 8/5).

6 Aug 2011

Medicaid changes rile advocacy groups in Calif., N.C. and Fla.

As states seek to find ways to curb costs in their Medicaid programs, many are getting opposition from patients and providers.

6 Aug 2011

Study finds connection between public health spending and population health

A groundbreaking new study published in the journal, Health Affairs, suggests that increases in public health spending result in healthier people, especially in communities with fewer resources.

6 Aug 2011

New edition of ACOEM's Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines released

Meniscal tears of the knee (aka, torn cartilage) are extraordinarily prevalent and become universally present as one ages. Treatment often involves surgery, but is surgery the best option? Not necessarily according to scientific evidence presented in the newly published 3rd edition of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines, knee disorders chapter.

6 Aug 2011

Mass. hospitals get Medicare funding lift, lots of criticism

The state's hospitals will get $275 million more a year in Medicare payments because of a special provision inserted in the health law. Critical reactions are coming from both inside and outside of Massachusetts.

6 Aug 2011

Lancet reports on Global Fund donors that have held back contributions

Several donors to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria "continue to hold back their contributions for this year … adding up to more than $500 million that the Global Fund had been counting on for this year out of a total budget of about $3 billion," the Lancet reports.

6 Aug 2011

St. Jude hosts Sibling Star Day event for brothers and sisters of cancer patients

When a child is battling cancer or other serious illness, the entire family is affected, including siblings. Recognizing the important role brothers and sisters play in the healing process, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital recently hosted Sibling Star Day, an event dedicated to celebrating the brothers and sisters of St. Jude patients.

6 Aug 2011

Providers, patients worry about debt deal

Though the initial phase of the debt deal doesn't include immediate provider cuts, analysts say the next phase — the work of the 'super committee' — could make significant reductions in spending for entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid. Even some elements of the health law and scientific research could be on the chopping block.

6 Aug 2011