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COGCare chooses UPMC Health Plan as exclusive insurance provider

UPMC Health Plan has been chosen as the exclusive provider of a health care benefits program for COGCare, an insurance cooperative representing 40 Councils of Government that include over 400 municipalities, county governments and other local governmental agencies in western Pennsylvania.

26 Apr 2011

World Malaria Day opinion pieces

Andrew Mitchell, Britain's secretary of state for international development, discusses the U.K.'s approach to combating malaria around the world in a post on the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog."

26 Apr 2011

Tai chi exercise linked to improved quality of life in CHF patients

Tai chi exercise appears to be associated with improved quality of life, mood and exercise self-efficacy in patients with chronic heart failure, according to a report in the April 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

26 Apr 2011

African-American couples with HIV can benefit from health promotion interventions

Interventions to promote healthy behaviors, including eating more fruits and vegetables, increasing physical activity, and participating in cancer screenings, as well as prevention of HIV/sexually transmitted diseases, appear beneficial for African-American couples who are at high risk for chronic diseases, especially if one of the individuals is living with HIV.

26 Apr 2011

Unintentional prescription opioid overdose deaths have reached epidemic proportions in the U.S.

Unintentional overdose deaths in teens and adults have reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. In some 20 states in 2007 the number of unintentional drug poisoning deaths exceeded either motor vehicle crashes or suicides, two of the leading causes of injury death.

26 Apr 2011

High non-overtime RN staffing can reduce patient readmission rates

Higher non-overtime staffing levels of registered nurses lower the probability of patient readmissions to the hospital, a new study finds. However, higher levels of RN overtime increase the likelihood of unplanned visits to emergency departments after discharge.

26 Apr 2011

Simple radar system can diagnose traumatic brain injuries in soldiers, athletes

Walking and thinking at the same time can be especially difficult for persons who've suffered concussions, and scientists hope to use that multitasking challenge -- measured by a simple radar system -- to quickly screen individuals who may have suffered brain injuries.

26 Apr 2011

Patients of orthopedists are more apt to undergo back surgery

When doctors own or lease MRI equipment, their patients are more likely to receive scans for low back pain. Patients of orthopedists are more apt to undergo back surgery as well, according to a study published online in Health Services Research.

26 Apr 2011

In the statehouses: Localities vs. unions in Mass.; supporters to rally for SustiNet in Conn.

Massachusetts House lawmakers kick off a busy week on Beacon Hill Monday with full chamber negotiations over the state budget. ... The biggest point of contention in the budget is the DeLeo-backed provision giving cities and towns the ability to alter employee health plans without union approval. At least 50 Democrats have reportedly signed on to an amendment that would soften that provision.

26 Apr 2011

Study: More couple-based HIV counseling needed in South Africa

A new study of sexual risk behaviors within long-term couples in South Africa finds that HIV-positive people take almost as much risk in their sexual behavior when they know their partner is HIV-negative or don't know their status, as when they know their partner is already infected.

26 Apr 2011

ACC/AHA release consensus document to help clinicians reduce risk of hypertension in older adults

Hypertension is very common among older adults. 64 percent of older men and 78 percent of older women have high blood pressure, placing them at heightened risk for heart disease including heart failure, stroke, coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation, as well as chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus.

26 Apr 2011

NetGuarantee's inaugural transaction to help save lives from malaria

NetGuarantee, a new innovative finance facility, announces its first transaction with Zurich in North America, part of the Zurich Financial Services Group, to celebrate World Malaria Day today, April 25.

26 Apr 2011

BCBSMA develops goals to support four Massachusetts community areas

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, a locally-based, community-focused health plan, today announced its goals for advancing the company's four community focus areas - developed to support those living and working in Massachusetts.

26 Apr 2011

Aquilent launches new vaccine government site to help citizens stay healthy

Aquilent, the recognized leading provider of Web-based solutions shaping the next generation of technology for the federal government, today announced its development support role in the newly launched Vaccines.gov site, under contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

26 Apr 2011

State roundup: Fla. hospitals divided public/private oversight; generous health benefits for Calif. elected officials

Hundreds of part-time elected officials throughout the Bay Area received full-time health care benefits in 2010 at taxpayer expense, with individual policies sometimes costing tens of thousands of dollars, according to government compensation data acquired by Bay Area News Group and published on its websites Sunday.

26 Apr 2011

Study: 80% of blacks more likely to spend all personal finances for cancer care

People in minority groups, especially black Americans, are more willing than their white counterparts to exhaust their personal financial resources to prolong life after being diagnosed with lung or colorectal cancer, according to a University of Alabama at Birmingham study published April 26, 2011, online in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society.

26 Apr 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius on medical mistakes; Stockman on solving deficit; Fox on Medicare's political history

A recent study found that as many as one out of three hospital patients is harmed by his or her care. And the Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 100,000 Americans die each year from preventable medical errors in hospitals. That's about the number of annual deaths caused by auto accidents, AIDS, and breast cancer combined.

26 Apr 2011