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Hospice company accused of Medicare fraud

A national for-profit hospice care company that is partially owned by a San Francisco private equity firm has allegedly bilked Medicare of millions of dollars, according to a legal complaint filed this week by the U.S. Department of Justice.

7 Jan 2012

ACAAI allergist available to discuss importance of immediate access to epinephrine

This week a seven-year-old elementary school student in Chesterfield County, Virginia, died after suffering an allergic reaction at school. Allergist Dr. Stanley Fineman, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, (ACAAI) is available to discuss the importance of immediate access to epinephrine, the first-line treatment for an allergic emergency or anaphylactic reaction.

7 Jan 2012

Illegal drug use may be affecting health, death rates worldwide, Lancet report says

"About 200 million people around the world use illegal drugs every year, and that may be taking a toll on health and death rates in various countries, says a report released Thursday in the Lancet," the Los Angeles Times' "Booster Shots" blog reports.

7 Jan 2012

Dems hit GOP lawmakers on efforts to repeal health law, 'privatize' Medicare

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has gone on the offensive, criticizing Republicans for focusing on health issues instead of job creation. In related action, House Democrats signaled they would support using Medicare and Medicaid savings only as an offset for other health care provisions in a bill to extend expiring tax breaks and jobless benefits.

7 Jan 2012

WHO confirms bird flu cases in Egypt, China

The WHO on Thursday "announced the deaths of two men from H5N1 avian influenza, one from Egypt and another from China whose death was reported earlier in the media," CIDRAP News reports. Both men are suspected to have contracted the virus from avian sources, although an investigation into the man from China's exposure to the virus is ongoing, according to news service.

7 Jan 2012

Prospective surveillance model can reduce treatment costs for breast cancer-related lymphedema

Early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema by a physical therapist can significantly reduce costs and the need for intensive rehabilitation, according to an article published in the January issue of Physical Therapy (PTJ), the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.

7 Jan 2012

Report: Hospital employees don't recognize, report most errors

Hospital employees recognize and report only one out of seven errors, accidents and other events that harm Medicare patients while they are hospitalized, federal investigators say in a new report.

7 Jan 2012

ARC commits additional $3.6M to support Project Medishare program in Haiti

The American Red Cross has committed an additional $3.6 million to underwrite operating expenses at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare Critical Care Trauma and Rehabilitation Program in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

7 Jan 2012

Investing in smoking cessation programs can save money for Medicaid

New research by the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services indicates that including comprehensive tobacco cessation benefits in Medicaid insurance coverage can result in substantial savings for Medicaid programs.

7 Jan 2012

HHS Secretary Sebelius discusses agency's global health strategy at KFF/HHS briefing

Speaking at a briefing on Thursday sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to explore the department's role in global health and its Global Health Strategy, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed the agency's "first global health strategy ..., which explains the Obama administration's priorities during an era of budget-cutting," CQ HealthBeat reports.

7 Jan 2012

Examining BBC report on Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

"The BBC has done an extensive (40 minute) report on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation titled 'Fortress Bill,'" which "is available for four more days online and will be rebroadcast on Sunday, Jan. 8," KPLU 88.5's "Humanosphere" blog reports.

7 Jan 2012

Street News Service/IPS examine challenges of fighting HIV/AIDS in a Senegalese prison

Street News Service/Inter Press Service examines how Senegal is addressing HIV/AIDS among prisoners in a Dakar maximum-security facility. "Prisons are high-risk environments for the transmission of the disease, due to the prevalence of hard drugs, violence and sexual relations," the news service writes and discusses how addressing such issues can present challenges in the majority-Muslim country.

7 Jan 2012

Insurance status does not affect quantity of imaging services received by hospital in-patients

Insurance status doesn't affect the quantity (or value) of imaging services received by patients in a hospital, in-patient setting, according to a study in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

7 Jan 2012

Some employers move to ban smokers

As bans on smoking sweep the USA, an increasing number of employers - primarily hospitals - are also imposing bans on smokers. They won't hire applicants whose urine tests positive for nicotine use, whether cigarettes, smokeless tobacco or even patches.

7 Jan 2012

CBC News examines Canadian aid agencies', government's roles in post-earthquake Haiti

CBC News examines the roles of Canadian humanitarian organizations and the government in helping Haiti rebuild nearly two years after a massive earthquake rocked the country. "Haiti needs long-term solutions, says Nicolas Moyer, a spokesman for the Humanitarian Coalition," which includes Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, CARE Canada, Plan Canada and Save the Children, the news service notes.

7 Jan 2012

Smokers conceal smoking status from health care providers

New results from a national survey show that one-in-ten smokers (13%) in the United States did not disclose their smoking status to their health care providers (HCP), who are among the most important resources that a smoker could have in quitting successfully.

7 Jan 2012

Brown unveils frugal Calif. budget: Cuts to in-home services, plans for Medi-Cal managed care

Governor Jerry Brown unveiled his proposed state budget today for the next fiscal year, and the event had a familiar look. Brown proposed big cuts to welfare and other safety net programs - and that's assuming voters approve tax hikes slated for the November ballot. ... there is a very small fee increase in this budget that helps fund health care for kids in low-income families.

7 Jan 2012

Healthcare News

Hospice company accused of Medicare fraud

ACAAI allergist available to discuss importance of immediate access to epinephrine

Illegal drug use may be affecting health, death rates worldwide, Lancet report says

Dems hit GOP lawmakers on efforts to repeal health law, 'privatize' Medicare

WHO confirms bird flu cases in Egypt, China

Prospective surveillance model can reduce treatment costs for breast cancer-related lymphedema

Report: Hospital employees don't recognize, report most errors

ARC commits additional $3.6M to support Project Medishare program in Haiti

Investing in smoking cessation programs can save money for Medicaid

HHS Secretary Sebelius discusses agency's global health strategy at KFF/HHS briefing

Examining BBC report on Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Street News Service/IPS examine challenges of fighting HIV/AIDS in a Senegalese prison

Insurance status does not affect quantity of imaging services received by hospital in-patients

Some employers move to ban smokers

CBC News examines Canadian aid agencies', government's roles in post-earthquake Haiti

Smokers conceal smoking status from health care providers

Brown unveils frugal Calif. budget: Cuts to in-home services, plans for Medi-Cal managed care

Fifi Delish, 50,000feet introduce ViviLeDish for young children

Political cartoon: 'The Great And Powerful?'

Humana to lead community well-being initiatives in La Quinta, Calif

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

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