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State roundup: Model insurance brings 'modest' savings

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts' alternative quality contract, which Governor Deval Patrick has held up as a potential model for controlling health care costs, produced "modest" savings in its first year while yielding improved quality of care in some areas, according to a new study in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

15 Jul 2011

Outreach Services receives Riverview Hospital Association contract

Outreach Services, a leading provider of patient eligibility and healthcare financial services to U.S. hospitals, announced today a new contract to provide Riverview Hospital Association in Wisconsin Rapids with Medical Assistance Advocacy for uninsured patients.

15 Jul 2011

OSI Systems introduces Sonicaid Encore to track fetal heartbeat

OSI Systems, Inc., a vertically-integrated provider of specialized electronic products for critical applications in the Security and Healthcare industries, today announced the introduction of the Sonicaid Encore, a high performance fetal and maternal monitor that uses advanced technology for patient monitoring in labor and delivery.

15 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: Teaching hospital cuts; Medicare & debt deal politics; end-of-life care

Teaching hospitals educate the next generation of physicians—who are clearly essential for our future. But the importance of academic medical centers and teaching hospitals goes far beyond delivering care.

15 Jul 2011

NHS facing heavier loads as waiting times rise

According to Sir Richard Thompson, President of the Royal College of Physicians, health service providers are struggling to cope with rising demand especially among the elderly, with the result that planned tests and operations are being delayed. He made his statement as Department of Health statistics showed the proportion of inpatients waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment has risen by 29 per cent since the general election, with those needing orthopedic or brain surgery experiencing the worst delays.

14 Jul 2011

First Edition: July 14, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about how tempers are flaring in the midst of debt-ceiling negotiations, and how failure to reach an agreement could lead to tough choices about which of the nation's obligations will be left unpaid.

14 Jul 2011

New survey on access to HIV prevention and treatment among MSM

A new survey (.pdf) of more than 5,000 men who have sex with men (MSM), conducted by the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF), "has shown that less than half of MSM around the world have easy access to lifesaving HIV prevention and treatment services," according to an MSMGF press release.

14 Jul 2011

Global health community reacts to CIA's faux vaccine operation in Pakistan

After the Guardian broke the story that the CIA organized a fake vaccination program in Pakistan in an effort to confirm the location of Osama bin Laden and obtain DNA from his family members, several writers and health experts reacted to the situation, noting the possible implications for health.

14 Jul 2011

Eli Lilly makes charitable contribution to Patient Advocate Foundation

Eli Lilly and Company announced that it has made a charitable contribution to the Patient Advocate Foundation.

14 Jul 2011

Safety guidelines for preventing injuries from gasoline

Summer is in full swing and injuries from gasoline and other accelerants are on the rise. The University of Michigan Health System's Trauma Burn Center saw 14 such burns in the past month.

14 Jul 2011

Hopes dim for debt-limit deal

As President Barack Obama issued dire warnings about what will happen if lawmakers fail to raise the debt ceiling, one GOP leader advanced a "last-choice option" to avoid the consequences of failing to come to terms on a deficit-reduction package. Meanwhile, other news outlets offer advice on how to break the impasse.

14 Jul 2011

Mary Ann Liebert launches new journal on games, human health

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. announces the launch of Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications (G4H), a new, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the development, use, and applications of game technology for improving physical and mental health and well-being.

14 Jul 2011

Insurance commissioners back away from supporting broker bill

State insurance regulators won't vote any time soon on whether to endorse a bill that would exempt insurance agents from part of health care reform. A task force of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently recommended endorsing the bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Rogers, that would carve out agents' and brokers' commissions from a section of the new law that limits how much insurance companies can spend on administrative costs.

14 Jul 2011

Sebelius takes to the Hill to defend IPAB

During a Capitol Hill hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius criticized the House-passed budget plan and its Medicare provisions and also defended the potential effectiveness and constitutionality of the health law's Independent Payment Advisory Board.

14 Jul 2011

Children's Hospital of Alabama purchases iRISecure tissue tracking system from Mobile Aspects

In an effort to insure JCAHO compliance and continue its tradition of providing the highest quality of care to its young patients, the Children's Hospital of Alabama has purchased the iRISecure tissue tracking system from Mobile Aspects.

14 Jul 2011

Religion, spirituality boost hospital patients' satisfaction

Hospitalized patients who had conversations about religion and spirituality with the healthcare team were the most satisfied with their overall care. However, 20 percent of patients who would have valued these discussions say their desires went unmet, according to a new study by Joshua Williams from the University of Chicago and his colleagues.

14 Jul 2011