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Senate Committee: Indian Health Service hired cons, let workers steal drugs, excessive time off

The Associated Press: "The federal Indian Health Service has hired convicted criminals, failed to stop employees from stealing narcotics and allowed workers to take paid leave for more than a year while being investigated for misconduct, a federal investigation has found.

30 Sep 2010

Malaria experts focus on RTS, S as Malaria Vaccines for the World Conference begins

Scientists and physicians from around the world gathered in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday for the start of the second Malaria Vaccines for the World Conference, SAPA/News24 reports.

30 Sep 2010

New 'innovation' chief comes from 'model' health care system

Kaiser Health News staff writers Mary Agnes Carey and Christopher Weaver report: "Dr. Richard Gilfillan, the new acting director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, has quite a juggling act to perform, says Gail Wilensky" (Carey and Weaver, 9/28).

30 Sep 2010

COE on Brain Aging at NYU Langone establishes Lewy Body Disease Center

The Center of Excellence (COE) on Brain Aging at NYU Langone Medical Center has established a specialty center for the diagnosis and treatment of Lewy Body Disease, a multi-system disease involving disturbances of cognition, behavior, sleep and autonomic function. Lewy Body Disease, or LBD, affects an estimated 1.3 million individuals in the United States and is widely misdiagnosed because LBD symptoms closely resemble those of other more commonly known diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

30 Sep 2010

Senate Democrats defeat GOP effort to reopen health care debate over HHS regulation

"Senate Democrats held together and beat back an attempt from Republicans to begin a piece-by-piece repeal of the healthcare law, defeating a resolution that would roll back an HHS rule on how new regulations apply to health insurance plans that existed before the overhaul bill was signed into law," Congress Daily reported.

30 Sep 2010

UC Berkeley Extension offers new options for career development in biotechnology

Biotechnology professionals in the Bay Area have three new options for career development from UC Berkeley Extension. The professional programs in Regulatory Affairs, Biopharmaceutical Product and Process Development, and Bioscience Manufacturing and Supply Chain join the education leader's lineup of programs and certificates designed to meet the biotechnology industry's demand for trained professionals.

30 Sep 2010

U.N. agencies' report examines global progress in fight against HIV/AIDS

"A record 1.2 million people in low- and middle-income countries started antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS in 2009" - a 30 percent increase from the previous year and a 13-fold increase in six years, according to a joint report released Tuesday by the WHO, UNICEF and UNAIDS, Reuters reports. In total, the report found that 5.25 million people received antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2009, three-quarters of them living in Africa (Migiro, 9/28).

30 Sep 2010

NABP seeks to educate public about rogue Internet drug outlets, counterfeit medications

Earlier this year, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) was introduced to the AWARxE campaign, which was created and implemented by the Minnesota Pharmacists Foundation in 2007. Moved by the power of the campaign, NABP obtained the AWARxE program so that its message could be shared on a national level.

30 Sep 2010

Obama challenged on health care in Iowa meeting

The Washington Post: "Back in Iowa, President Obama got an earful Wednesday from voters about two of his key policies: health care, and his desire to roll back Bush-era tax cuts. ... Standing in the back yard of a resident, Obama stood patiently as one woman described, at length, her fears that the U.S. health-care system will soon resemble that of Great Britain. ... The official topic in Iowa was 'challenges currently facing the middle class,' part of a series of similar economy-driven stops" (Kornblut, 9/29).

30 Sep 2010

Stock prices of home health companies fall after DOJ requests Medicare documents

Home health companies have come under investigation this year by Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission over Medicare reimbursements for therapy visits,The Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Sep 2010

Health law's medical loss ratios, exchanges scrutinized

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which is working with the Department of Health and Human Services on implementing key parts of the health law, is still considering how to determine the kinds of insurers' expenses that are considered medical care.

30 Sep 2010

Study: Racial disparities in end-of-life care

A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine finds that black patients and white patients may not receive the same quality in end-of-life care.

30 Sep 2010

Stress-factors leading to mental problems and burnout in IT-industries

According to health insurances, employees in IT-industries are very fit. By using an online-survey, Technische Universität Dortmund monitored this statement in cooperation with some freelancer-networks. Results indicate that this is due to the phenomenon "presentism"- meaning IT-employees do not appear in health insurance statistics as they continue to work even when they are ill. Actually, the sample reported on distinct health problems- predominantly musculoskeletal problems and mental afflictions.

30 Sep 2010

Grants seek to bolster, expand primary care workforce

CQ HealthBeat: "Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday announced $320 million in grants to bolster and expand the nation's primary care workforce as part of the health care overhaul law. … Of the $320 million, $253 million will go to six programs administered by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration The money will be used by states to deal with current and expected labor shortages.

30 Sep 2010

Health Alliance/Burbank Hospital to close inpatient psychiatric Acute Care Unit

Registered Nurses who are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association were told in a meeting on Tuesday that Health Alliance/Burbank Hospital will be closing the inpatient psychiatric Acute Care Unit. The hospital plan is to close the unit no later than December 31, 2010. The Burbank unit is the only inpatient locked unit in the area.

30 Sep 2010

Campaign fear themes: GOP picks Medicare; Dems take Social Security

"Democrats and Republicans are waging an intense fight for the loyalties of older voters, who turn out reliably in midterm elections and whose fears have been stoked this year by the battle over health care," The Wall Street Journal reports. Republicans are telling the the health law "will cripple Medicare by cutting $500 billion from the program," while Democrats say the GOP plans to "gut Social Security." Seniors rely on one program as the payer for much of their health care, and the other for financial support.

30 Sep 2010

Federal appeals court rules NIH can continue to fund stem cell research

The Wall Street Journal: "A federal appeals court said Tuesday the Obama administration can continue to fund embryonic stem-cell research, reversing for the time being a trial judge's injunction barring the funding. The one-page order by a three-judge panel of the U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the administration met the legal standard for a stay of the injunction, but didn't discuss the case in detail.

30 Sep 2010

Opinions: U.S. aid to Pakistan; MDGS; GHI and Global Fund

The U.S. military has been working hard to provide flood assistance, but most of that is invisible to Pakistanis, David Ignatius writes in a Washington Post opinion piece. The article examines the views of Pakistani flood victims, including criticism of their own government's response.

30 Sep 2010

Health IT Blotter: Extension center choices, Medicaid meaningful use, 'build or buy' shift

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has selected the final two of 62 regional extension centers (REC), which will help small, rural hospitals and private physicians with the nationwide rollout of electronic medical records (EMR) systems.

30 Sep 2010

Today's Opinions: Health law leaves children behind; growing fear of accountable care organizations

The child only market is used mostly by poor families who can't afford to insure everybody in their household, or whose peculiar circumstances make it inconvenient for them to cover a child under a parent's plan.

30 Sep 2010

Healthcare News

Senate Committee: Indian Health Service hired cons, let workers steal drugs, excessive time off

Malaria experts focus on RTS, S as Malaria Vaccines for the World Conference begins

New 'innovation' chief comes from 'model' health care system

COE on Brain Aging at NYU Langone establishes Lewy Body Disease Center

Senate Democrats defeat GOP effort to reopen health care debate over HHS regulation

UC Berkeley Extension offers new options for career development in biotechnology

U.N. agencies' report examines global progress in fight against HIV/AIDS

NABP seeks to educate public about rogue Internet drug outlets, counterfeit medications

Obama challenged on health care in Iowa meeting

Stock prices of home health companies fall after DOJ requests Medicare documents

Health law's medical loss ratios, exchanges scrutinized

Study: Racial disparities in end-of-life care

Stress-factors leading to mental problems and burnout in IT-industries

Grants seek to bolster, expand primary care workforce

Health Alliance/Burbank Hospital to close inpatient psychiatric Acute Care Unit

Campaign fear themes: GOP picks Medicare; Dems take Social Security

Federal appeals court rules NIH can continue to fund stem cell research

Opinions: U.S. aid to Pakistan; MDGS; GHI and Global Fund

Health IT Blotter: Extension center choices, Medicaid meaningful use, 'build or buy' shift

Today's Opinions: Health law leaves children behind; growing fear of accountable care organizations

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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