Healthcare News

RSS

DOJ arguments against Fla. ruling emerge in U.S. District Court filings

The Department of Justice takes the position that the Florida judge's ruling in which he threw out the health law is "indefensible."

6 Apr 2011

Politics continue to play out around Planned Parenthood funding

As 41 senators vow to filibuster any spending bill that includes an amendment to delete this funding, an anti-abortion group touts the opposite position taken by possible GOP 2012 presidential candidates.

6 Apr 2011

CMS: Medicare advantage rate increases will be lower-than-expected

The payments will be lower than initially projected because of lower-than-expected spending on doctor visits.

6 Apr 2011

ABAM accredites 10 new addiction training programs for physicians

The American Board of Addiction Medicine Foundation today accredited 10 training programs, the nation's first post-graduate addiction medicine residencies for physicians. The Foundation also released its Program Requirements and Curriculum Objectives, national guidelines for addiction medicine residencies.

6 Apr 2011

Comprehensive book on chronic pain and addiction

Up to date and comprehensive, this book is relevant to all professionals engaged in the care of patients with chronic pain or addiction and all others interested in these contemporary issues, particularly non-clinicians seeking clarity in the controversy over the best approach to patients with chronic pain.

6 Apr 2011

Study finds marked increases in teen use of marijuana and Ecstasy

Following a decade of steady declines, a new national study released today by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation indicates that teen drug and alcohol use is headed in the wrong direction, with marked increases in teen use of marijuana and Ecstasy over the past three years.

6 Apr 2011

Gender gap in general surgery specialty shrinking

The gender gap among United States Medical Graduates (USMG) in the traditionally male-dominated specialty of general surgery is shrinking, according to study results published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. These findings align with the overall trend of increasingly equal gender enrollment of medical students.

6 Apr 2011

Bill Gates travels to Europe to promote global health investments

Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is in Europe this week "in an effort to persuade Europeans not to cut aid budgets in the face of austerity - and in particular not to reduce spending on vaccinations and agriculture," the Wall Street Journal reports.

6 Apr 2011

New medical guidelines for diabetes care

Today the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists released new medical guidelines for developing comprehensive care plan for management of diabetes mellitus.

6 Apr 2011

Mass. hospital system continues efforts to buy community hospital

Steward Health Care System yesterday unveiled its second deal in four days to buy a Massachusetts community hospital, saying it had signed a letter of intent to purchase Saints Medical Center in Lowell and convert it to a for-profit institution.

6 Apr 2011

MCH: HyGreen Hand Hygiene Reminder System reduces infections by 89%

Xhale Innovations, a leading provider of patient safety technology, announced today the results of a study presented by Miami Children's Hospital at the Annual Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Conference on the HyGreen Hand Hygiene Reminder System.

6 Apr 2011

Book examines impacts of social and environmental change on children

In our fast-changing urban world, the impacts of social and environmental change on children are often overlooked. Children and their Urban Environment examines these impacts in detail, looking at the key activities, spaces and experiences children have and how these can be managed to ensure that children benefit from change.

6 Apr 2011

Milliman Care Guidelines honors Sound Physicians with prestigious award

Sound Physicians, a leading hospitalist organization focused on driving improvements in quality, satisfaction and efficiency of inpatient healthcare delivery, today received the Doyle Award for Innovation and Leadership in Healthcare.

6 Apr 2011

State roundup: Report urges Mass. city employees to pay more health costs

Officially, Minnesota doesn't pay for an intensive type of autism therapy. Yet it has -- but only for some families. Two years ago, a single mother in the Twin Cities asked the state Medicaid program to pay for an intensive type of autism therapy for her 2-year-old son. She was turned down. State officials said the treatment -- known as Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA -- is "not now, and never has been,'' a covered service.

6 Apr 2011

Senate plans Tuesday vote on 1099 provision repeal

If the vote occurs according to the schedule, the Senate will likely send President Barack Obama the first piece of legislation officially repealing part of the health law.

6 Apr 2011

VA plans to move its ground-breaking VistA EHR system to open source platform

The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced plans to move its ground-breaking VistA electronic health record system to an open source platform.

6 Apr 2011

Two reports show drastic increase in opioid prescriptions in America

Two reports by addiction researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the National Institute on Drug Abuse show a drastic shift in prescribing patterns impacting the magnitude of opioid substance abuse in America.

6 Apr 2011

Ryan budget plan would reshape Medicare, Medicaid

The blueprint advanced by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would attempt to rein in the long-term costs of Medicare and Medicaid while squeezing $6.2 trillion dollars from the nation's deficit over the next 10 years. The plan, which will be released today, comes as congressional leaders continue to face an impasse on short-term budget negotiations to avert a government shutdown.

6 Apr 2011

Viewpoints: Ryan on his budget plan; Maryland, Wash. state making tough budget choices

The open-ended, blank-check nature of the Medicare subsidy threatens the solvency of this critical program and creates inexcusable levels of waste. This budget takes action where others have ducked. But because government should not force people to reorganize their lives, its reforms will not affect those in or near retirement in any way.

6 Apr 2011

LA County introduces new HIV/AIDS advertising campaign

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS Programs and Policy announces today the launch of its multi-media advertising campaign aimed at fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS in Los Angeles County. Beginning this week, the bi-lingual Erase Doubt campaign will be seen throughout LA County on bustails, at community events, in bars and nightclubs, and online.

6 Apr 2011