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NGOs, IAOMT urge to ban mercury-containing products, including dental amalgam

Mercury, the main ingredient in "silver" or amalgam fillings, will be the subject of a United Nations conference to be held in Chiba, Japan on January 24-28. Members of various non-governmental organizations, as well as dentists and scientists from groups such as the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, will be attending and urging a ban on products containing mercury, including dental amalgam.

21 Jan 2011

Viewpoints: Endorsing - and repudiating - health law repeal; Gov. Brewer on Ariz. Medicaid; Medical devices 'red tape'

The reason the GOP never got around to proposing a serious plan to expand coverage and control costs is because doing that is excruciatingly hard and politically dangerous. Look how long Democrats struggled to craft a measure and what happened to them after they passed it.

21 Jan 2011

After vote, GOP's real work begins

Although the House repeal vote was a big-ticket item that gained a lot of media attention, the real work in the Republican effort to undo the health law will involve hearings, testimony, funding cuts and targeted legislative attempts to change specific provisions. The GOP will also work on crafting an alternative health plan. So far, specifics have been scarce.

21 Jan 2011

Health law: Filling in some policy details

News outlets flesh out specific provisions of the health law, including how some aspects of the measure impact small businesses, state implementation efforts and the individual mandate.

21 Jan 2011

South Dakota earns 'B' grade for smokefree air from American Lung Association

Last year, the American Lung Association's annual State of Tobacco Control Report gave the state a rare "I" or incomplete grade for smokefree air, as voters had not yet approved Referred Law 12, the statewide smoking ban. This year, South Dakota earned a "B" grade for smokefree air and a special "thumbs up" to voters who overwhelmingly voted in favor of the ban during the November 2010 election.

21 Jan 2011

Roundup: Medicaid cuts and waivers; Mental health care; Mass. immigrant care; Minn. medical errors

Local hospitals facing a possible 10 percent cut in Medicaid fees plan to pressure commercial health insurers for better rates, which could drive up costs for everyone. Texas House Republicans unveiled a budget this week that takes aim at Medicaid, the state's second-largest program, behind public education.

21 Jan 2011

Employees with heart attack, ACS are major source of health costs

Employees with myocardial infarction and other types of acute coronary syndrome are a major source of direct and indirect health costs, reports a study in the January Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

21 Jan 2011

Porter Adventist Hospital offers tips for healthier eating habits

It's now been a few weeks since we have made our New Year's resolutions to eat better and finally lose those last five pounds or more. It's time to check in and see if you've set yourself up for success this year. Brittany Glassett, registered dietitian at Porter Adventist Hospital has a few tips to keep in mind when setting - and keeping - new goals.

21 Jan 2011

Elizabeth Glaser foundation awarded $45M grant to address pediatric HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe

The Government of Zimbabwe's national program to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS has received a significant boost with an award by the London-based Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF).

20 Jan 2011

First Edition: January 20, 2011

Today's headlines feature reports about yesterday's House vote to repeal the health overhaul and about the GOP's next steps in its effort to undo the sweeping law.

20 Jan 2011

American Lung Association releases 2010 State of Tobacco Control Report

The American Lung Association released its State of Tobacco Control 2010 report today, which tracks progress on key tobacco control policies at the federal and state level, assigning grades based on whether laws are adequately protecting citizens from the enormous burden caused by tobacco use.

20 Jan 2011

Significant portion of U.S. population does not have access to trauma care

A significant portion of the U.S. population does not have access to trauma care within an hours' drive, with certain vulnerable groups at higher risk of worse access, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

20 Jan 2011

Message of health benefits of moderate drinking are hazardous and extremely dangerous

A Letter to the Editor entitled "What should we advise about alcohol consumption?" was recently published by Maurizio Ponz de Leon in Intern Emerg Med.1 Dr. de Leon argues that the message of health benefits of moderate drinking "seems to me hazardous and extremely dangerous to diffuse in the general population."

20 Jan 2011

American Academy of Dermatology's position statement on vitamin D reflects IOM's findings

The American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) has updated its position statement on vitamin D based on the results of a review of the increasing body of scientific literature on this vitamin and its importance for optimal health recently conducted by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM).

20 Jan 2011

Model guides creation of more patient-centered personal health records

Personal health records have great potential to help patients manage their health, but technology needs to be designed with the patient in mind - which means doing more than helping patients access health information, according to an editorial by two Virginia Commonwealth University family medicine physicians published in the Jan.19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

20 Jan 2011

Practical Radiation Oncology first issue published

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is pleased to announce it has published its first issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), a new medical journal whose mission is to improve the quality of radiation oncology practice. Published by leading scientific publisher Elsevier, the issue is both available in print and online at www.practicalradonc.org.

20 Jan 2011

Precedent Health announces formal launch

Precedent Health, Inc., a healthcare company focused on aligning physicians, hospitals and payers by building innovative provider networks, today announced the formal launch of the company. Funding was provided by Heritage Group, LLC, TEXO Ventures, LLC and members of the founding executive team. The company will have its headquarters in Nashville, TN along with a satellite office in Austin, TX.

20 Jan 2011

U.S. Physical Therapy launches Fit2WRK to provide solutions for prevention of injuries in workplace

U.S. Physical Therapy, a national operator of outpatient physical therapy clinics, announced that it has successfully launched a workers compensation and disability initiative called Fit2WRK. Fit2WRK provides an integrated solution for the management and prevention of injuries in the workplace.

20 Jan 2011

Party, policy leaders take key positions in fight over health overhaul's future

In a battle that has near- and long-term implications, party leaders flex their muscles. Meanwhile, centrists launch a new program to advance the development of state exchanges.

20 Jan 2011

Covidien launches Puritan Bennett 520 ventilator in Europe

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products and recognized innovator in mechanical ventilation and respiratory care devices, today announced that the Puritan Bennett™ 520 ventilator is now available in the European Union.

20 Jan 2011