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NPSF creates new membership program for patient safety professionals

The National Patient Safety Foundation, a nonprofit specializing in advancing safe patient care, is creating a groundbreaking new membership program for patient safety professionals that will provide a unique opportunity for sharing of best practices and the unification of the growing patient safety community. New members can join the American Society of Professionals in Patient Safety at NPSF starting in January 2011.

23 Dec 2010

Values-based approach for making more effective New Year's Resolutions

Dr. Richard Blonna, author, life coach, and stress management expert, offers a simple, values-based approach for making more effective New Year's Resolutions.

23 Dec 2010

Dieting trends in 2011

As the hectic holiday season comes to a close and a new year approaches, many consumers are once again vowing to adopt weight loss goals to shed those unwanted pounds. But with obesity increasing at alarming levels across the globe, a number of health experts are urging a new approach to help fight the nation's burgeoning weight problem.

23 Dec 2010

Columbia Asia opens new hospitals in India and Malaysia

Columbia Asia, a fast-growing hospital company with Pacific Northwest roots, has opened hospitals in two cities near New Delhi, India, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

23 Dec 2010

Pelosi supports James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act on the House floor

Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor this afternoon in support of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which passed the House by a vote of 206 to 160. Below are the Speaker's remarks.

23 Dec 2010

Congress approves stopgap spending measure; Some funding for federal agencies, global health programs delayed

Congress Tuesday "approved a temporary spending bill [.pdf] that will fund the federal government for another 10 weeks through March 4 in order to avoid a government shutdown," Agence France-Presse reports.

23 Dec 2010

EPA to clean up vector-breeding site to eliminate dengue epidemic

To control the severe dengue epidemic, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said the first priority is to locate diagnosed patients and eliminate virus-carrying mosquitoes, the vectors of Dengue fever, and called on all people to clean up mosquito breeding sites.

23 Dec 2010

AADR testifies at FDA Advisory Panel meeting on dental amalgam

On December 14-15, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened an Advisory Panel to discuss several scientific issues that may affect the regulation of dental amalgam. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Panel voted to recommend that the FDA conduct further review of the material's safety.

23 Dec 2010

Northstar Healthcare reports successful syndication of MicroSurgery Institute of Houston

Northstar Healthcare Inc. today announced the successful syndication of its newly formed operating partnership MicroSurgery Institute of Houston ("MSI") with an initial seven physician partners. Northstar will participate in the MSI partnership by leasing the surgery center assets and staff of The Palladium for Surgery - Houston, Ltd. partnership ("Palladium") to MSI for an ownership interest of 25%.

23 Dec 2010

Funding bill passed; Food safety measure sent to President; 9/11 worker legislation still held up

Although Congress gave approval to a short-term funding measure for the federal government, the bill doesn't contain money to pay for enforcement of new health law regulations. Meanwhile, work continued on other pending proposals.

23 Dec 2010

U.S. Physical Therapy acquires mid-Atlantic six clinic physical therapy group

U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc., a leading national operator of outpatient physical therapy clinics, has acquired a majority interest in a six clinic physical therapy group located in the mid-Atlantic region. The practice presently sees approximately 55,000 patient visits per year and produces approximately $4.8 million in annual revenue.

23 Dec 2010

New York Times reports on Gates Foundation's Grand Challenges in Global Health grant program

The New York Times examines the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Grand Challenges in Global Health program, which gave a total of $450 million to 43 research projects over five years. "On drawing attention to ways that lives might be saved through scientific advances, I'd give us an A," Bill Gates, co-founder of the foundation, said of the program in an interview with the newspaper. "But I thought some would be saving lives by now, and it'll be more like in 10 years from now," Gates said.

23 Dec 2010

Vatican issues communique to clarify Pope's statement on condoms

"The Vatican on Tuesday issued its most authoritative clarification on Pope Benedict XVI's recent remarks that condoms could sometimes be used for disease prevention, saying that the pope in no way justified their use to prevent pregnancy," the New York Times reports (Donadio, 12/21).

23 Dec 2010

New method predicts outcome of bleaching treatment for teeth

Researchers at the University of Granada have developed a new method for predicting the precise shade that a bleaching treatment will bring about for a patient's teeth.

23 Dec 2010

USAID official discusses agency's efforts to address cholera in Haiti

A USAID official said Tuesday that potential violence following the release of Haiti's final presidential election results could interfere with efforts to contain the country's cholera epidemic, CBC News reports. "What we all worry about is if there is violence again and it disrupts for a couple of days," said Mark Ward, acting director of USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. "That's my biggest headache right now," he added.

23 Dec 2010

New Regs: Health insurers will be required to justify large rate increases

New, proposed regulations — which result from the health overhaul — were issued yesterday by the Department of Health and Human Services and would require health insurers to justify proposed double-digit premium increases. In addition, administration officials signaled their plan to step-up their reviews of insurance rates if state regulators are not adequately protecting consumers.

23 Dec 2010

In State budgets, Medicaid goes under the knife; Costs high for Florida Medicaid's doctor-immunity plan; N.J. practices to launch ACOs

Governors nationwide are taking a scalpel to Medicaid, the jointly run state and federal health-care program for 48 million poor Americans, half of whom are children. The single biggest expense for states, Medicaid consumes about 22 percent of their total $1.6 trillion in expenditures, more than what is allocated to elementary and secondary education, according to a National Governors Association report.

23 Dec 2010

Medicare pays out big bucks for questionable treatments

News outlets report on various activities related to fraud and abuse in Medicare.

23 Dec 2010

Genetic variant of brain receptor molecule may contribute to impulsive behavior

A multinational research team led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health has found that a genetic variant of a brain receptor molecule may contribute to violently impulsive behavior when people who carry it are under the influence of alcohol.

23 Dec 2010

Health biz sector ripe for action

Reuters reports that analysts are predicting "a robust year of dealmaking" for health businesses ranging from scientific tool makers to hospital companies.

23 Dec 2010