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Five Loyola employees donate kidneys to complete strangers

Loyola University Medical Center is believed to be the first organization in the country, and perhaps the world, in which five employees have each donated kidneys to complete strangers with no strings attached.

28 Apr 2011

Current savings fall short of what will be needed to meet retiree health costs

States are on the hook for about $600 billion in retiree health benefits promised to public employees — but they've set aside only about $31 billion, or around 5 percent, according to a study released Tuesday by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

28 Apr 2011

Panel speakers to discuss hepatitis C prevention, treatment at Mayes College event

Mayes College of Healthcare Business and Policy at University of the Sciences is hosting a panel discussion on hepatitis C prevention and treatment, on Thursday, April 28, 2011, from 5 to 7 p.m.

28 Apr 2011

UTHealth's education program helps nurses to gain extra skills in geriatric care

Houston nurse Sandra Thornton has 20 years of experience as a registered nurse. However, much of those years have not included learning about the special needs of geriatric patients.

28 Apr 2011

Detailing the 'Village Movement' in senior living

KQED: 'Village Movement' Trend in Senior Living Leads Agenda at Aging Conference.

28 Apr 2011

Calls for improvement of hospital food by Australian Medical Association

According to the Australian Medical Association (AMA) the standards of meals must improve in public hospitals in South Australia or more patients will be discharged in a malnourished state. It says nutrition is being addressed but the overall standard of meals is not high enough. They added that for elderly patients there are simple obstacles such as hard-to-open food packaging.

28 Apr 2011

Legislative approaches needed to address obesity epidemic in Canada

With the increase in numbers of overweight children and young adults, Canada and other developed countries are facing an obesity epidemic and legislative approaches are required to address this issue, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

28 Apr 2011

Non-communicable diseases responsible for more than half of deaths worldwide, WHO report says

Chronic and non-communicable illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, are at epidemic proportions and cause more deaths worldwide than all other diseases combined, the WHO said in a report released Wednesday, Reuters reports.

28 Apr 2011

ASTRO develops new thoracic radiotherapy guideline

The American Society for Radiation Oncology has developed a guideline for the use of external beam radiation therapy, endobronchial brachytherapy and concurrent chemotherapy to palliate thoracic symptoms caused by advanced lung cancer. The guideline will be published in Practical Radiation Oncology, an official journal of ASTRO.

28 Apr 2011

IAHF, Global Bridges launch tobacco treatment training for Mexico health care providers

Global Bridges, a healthcare alliance for tobacco dependence treatment based at Mayo Clinic, and its regional partner, the InterAmerican Heart Foundation in Dallas, Texas, announced today the first of a series of training courses for health care providers in Latin America on how to successfully treat tobacco users.

28 Apr 2011

Nursing environment linked to improved patient outcomes

Better working conditions and better staffing of nurses can significantly improve the care of patients with serious conditions, according to the latest nurse labor study by the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

28 Apr 2011

Report: Health law will make insurance more affordable to most

Meanwhile, CQ HealthBeat reports that the Department of Health and Human Services is bracing for a significant number of public comments regarding the health law's essential benefits provision.

28 Apr 2011

GOP Medicare plan may put 'elderly vote in play'

Political push back surrounding the Paul Ryan budget plan continues to feed the Democrats' view that they may have a 2012 opportunity with older voters. For instance, at home in their districts this week some Republicans are facing voter anger. And House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, says he is "not wedded" to the Ryan approach to reduce Medicare spending by transforming the program.

28 Apr 2011

Baby doll can serve as effective therapy for geriatric patients

What parent hasn't watched their young child in amazement as they pick up a baby doll, tenderly cradling and stroking it as though the child were mimicking the way their own parent held them? As quintessential as these toys are for young children, research has found that baby dolls are also effective tools in soothing geriatric patients.

28 Apr 2011

Five-minute screening program can help track children with autism

A five-minute checklist that parents can fill out in pediatrician waiting rooms may someday help in the early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

28 Apr 2011

Medicaid managed care under the microscope

News outlets explore the challenges states face as they increasingly try to move recipients into managed care plans in order to control costs and brace for upcoming expansions.

28 Apr 2011

Novel strategy for physicians to detect Autism Syndrome Disorder in babies

A novel strategy developed by autism researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, called "The One-Year Well-Baby Check Up Approach," shows promise as a simple way for physicians to detect cases of Autism Syndrome Disorder, language or developmental delays in babies at an early age.

28 Apr 2011

Arthritis poses significant health and economic burden in U.S. adults

A new study reports that the health-related quality of life for U.S. adults with arthritis is much worse than for those without this condition. Both physical and mental health are affected by arthritis, which poses a significant health and economic burden as the number of those diagnosed continues to climb.

28 Apr 2011

State roundup: Conn. Gov. says no 'public option' this year

Gov. Bobby Jindal's chief budget adviser defended the administration's plan to sell a state-run health insurance plan to a private company, rebutting a chorus of critics Tuesday who said the move would result in higher premiums and lower benefits for state workers and retirees.

28 Apr 2011

Viewpoints: Medicare options and politics; high costs of care; health disparities

The Democratic Party is urging Americans to choose Medicare as we've always known it rather than a new plan by Rep. Paul Ryan that would enroll seniors in private health insurance beginning in 2022.

28 Apr 2011