Healthcare News

RSS

New data shows high sexual violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo

A new study based on examination of government-collected and nationally representative data from the Democratic Republic of Congo shows that levels of rape and sexual violence against women in the country are 26 times higher than official United Nations estimates.

13 May 2011

PAF, Breakaway from Cancer partner for awareness campaign

The Patient Advocate Foundation – a national non-profit organization that provides professional case management services to tens of thousands of patients every year who are unable to obtain access to care because of financial or insurance denials - is pleased to partner with Breakaway from Cancer, a national fundraising and educational initiative founded by Amgen in 2005 as a complementary component to the company's sponsorship of the Amgen Tour of California, a world-class professional cycling competition, to raise awareness of the important resources available to cancer patients including prevention, education, patient care, advocacy, financial support and survivorship.

13 May 2011

Comprehensive report finds many U.S. children lack insurance duration, quality health care

A comprehensive report based on the National Survey of Children's Health conducted by children's health researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau finds insurance duration, consistency and adequacy, and the corresponding access to health care, are lacking for many U.S. children and have a detrimental effect on their health and well-being.

13 May 2011

HHS dual-eligible program seeks to lower states' Medicaid costs

The centerpiece of the program, which HHS says could result in savings of billions of dollars a year, would give states access to data detailing how Medicaid populations use Medicare services.

13 May 2011

Jamaican organizations will receive PEPFAR grants to fight HIV/AIDS stigma

Five Jamaican organizations on Tuesday signed agreements with the U.S. Ambassador's HIV Program to receive PEPFAR-funded grants totaling $58,000 for projects aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS-related stigma, the Jamaica Observer reports.

13 May 2011

Nine nurses earn UC Irvine recognition for patient care, education and guidance, teamwork

Each year during National Nurses Week, UC Irvine Medical Center honors nurses who demonstrate excellence in patient care, education and guidance, mentorship, and teamwork.

13 May 2011

Next stop for health law appeal includes two GOP-appointed judges

The next appeals court to hear challenges to the law will be the 6th Circuit Court in Cincinnati on June 1. The judges have a much different ideological make-up than the Richmond trio: While Circuit Judge Boyce Martin, Jr. was appointed by Jimmy Carter, Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton is a George W. Bush appointee and District Judge James Graham was appointed by Ronald Reagan.

13 May 2011

Debt talks continue with Medicare losing prominence in discourse

But GOP plans for the 2012 federal budget set the stage for significant cuts in health discretionary spending — which are among the programs that make up the core of President Barack Obama's domestic agenda.

13 May 2011

Increase in public health spending linked with reduction of pandemic influenza mortality

Pandemic A (H1N1) 2009 mortality rates exhibited wide diversion between countries. Based on data from a total of 30 European countries, a study published in the journal PLoS ONE found that the greater the state financial "generosity" to health sector the lower the pandemic influenza mortality.

13 May 2011

PBS' NewsHour reports on Ukraine's efforts to fight HIV/AIDS

PBS' NewsHour on Wednesday featured a story on HIV/AIDS in the Ukraine, which has Europe's highest HIV/AIDS rate, increasing fears that the epidemic could spread to neighboring countries. The story focuses on attempts to implement drug substitution therapy programs for injecting drug users and prevent the virus from moving into the general population.

13 May 2011

Federal health law pushes insurers to retool

Major U.S. health insurers, including Aetna Inc., Humana Inc. and WellPoint Inc., are retooling to become more than just health plans, in the wake of the federal health-care overhaul that is changing the rules for the industry's core business.

13 May 2011

Spouse caregivers may have high risk of cognitive impairment or dementia

An older individual who cares for a spouse with dementia may be at an increased risk of developing cognitive problems because of the lifestyle that was shared with the spouse and because of the stress of caring for a loved one who is ill.

13 May 2011

Opinion: Ending female genital mutilation

"Is it cultural imperialism for Westerners to oppose [female] genital mutilation? Yes, perhaps, but it's also justified. But it is clear that the most effective efforts against genital mutilation are grass-roots initiatives by local women working for change from within a culture".

13 May 2011

Romney uses speech to take on his political vulnerability: Health reform

Mitt Romney, GOP presidential hopeful, delivered a speech today detailing what was right about the Massachusetts health reform plan that became law while he was governor, what is wrong with the federal health law that was enacted last year and what he would do to bring change to the health system. He spoke at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.

13 May 2011

Opinion: Three-pronged approach needed to fight malaria

A closer look provides a valuable reminder that sustained gains against malaria must be built upon a three-legged 'stool'.

13 May 2011

People with sudden cardiac arrest at District libraries now have access to Automatic External Defibrillators

People who suffer sudden cardiac arrest at District libraries now have access to Automatic External Defibrillators at all locations thanks to a partnership between the Federation of Friends of DC Public Library, Mended Hearts, Inc. and The George Washington University Cheney Cardiovascular Institute.

13 May 2011

AHRQ: Rural Americans more likely to be treated in emergency departments for eye injury

Rural Americans were five times more likely than urban residents to be treated in emergency departments for eye injuries in 2008, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

13 May 2011

Opinion: Haiti's cholera epidemic endures

"The United Nations' overall appeal to respond to the [Haiti cholera] epidemic, for $175 million, is 48 percent financed. Haiti's continuing health emergency may have been overlooked in a crush of world events, but while the sick and dying are waiting for the world to respond, the disease is not".

13 May 2011

Leading public health experts agree: Menthol ban could save thousands of lives

Today, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to weigh a potential menthol ban, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, Center for American Progress and Legacy called for menthol cigarettes to be taken off the market, citing key findings published today in the American Journal of Public Health.

13 May 2011

Republicans feel heat over Medicare budget votes, seek to craft new message

GOP lawmakers hope to get back on the offensive in the Medicare debate. Ads will begin airing later this week that target a Democrat from Northern California, but some say the party needs to focus on a long-term strategy to regain its footing in this debate. Meanwhile, some House Democrats are pointing to a special congressional election in New York as proof that House Republican's Medicare vote is backfiring.

13 May 2011