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Two pioneering hospital systems to pilot Unity Medical's Medical Video jLog for Apple iPad

Unity Medical, Inc. a premier provider of digital health tools that enhance the patient experience today announced that two pioneering hospital systems will pilot the company's new Medical Video jLog™ for the Apple iPad™, an innovative application that utilizes short form interactive video to explain common medical procedures such as CT scans, cardiac stent placements, and physical rehabilitation treatment.

6 Apr 2010

New health law will ban future physician-owned hospitals; The trauma and cost of patient "dumping"

One of the more obscure components of the landmark health care reform bill passed by Congress includes a provision to ban future physician-owned hospitals and crimp the growth of this rising market niche. Northwest Indiana is home to five hospitals owned wholly or partly by doctors practicing here.

6 Apr 2010

CMS aids Medicare counseling programs

In the latest healthcare reforms there was a mandatory freeze in payments of $130 billion over the next decade. This was criticized by President Obama as a corporate giveaway. Initially Medicare had proposed a preliminary increase of 1.28% in February. Since this was vetoed due to the new health care law that mandates the rates remain unchanged, an announcement under the Medicare Advantage program from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was made yesterday. Under this program it was expected that it would be 14% of the total earning in 2011 at Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth and 42 percent for Louisville, Kentucky-based Humana, Dave Shove.

6 Apr 2010

Hospitals overflowing and ambulances turned away, Libs reveal

The Liberal opposition has come up with dismal figures for the July-September period of 2009 related to inadequate emergency services, bed shortages and overflowing emergency departments. According to reports that they obtained under the Freedom of Information, only one in six hospitals had acceptable performance standard for ambulance cases.

6 Apr 2010

Comprehensive cardiac health study provides superior results

Kenneth "Buddy" Conant hit some clothing stores for a little shopping spree recently, but it wasn't because he'd suddenly become enthralled with the latest fashions. The truth was, he was starting to resemble a kid wearing a grown man's clothes.

6 Apr 2010

Healthcare groups to rollout two new PHR Quick Reference Guides

Several groups across the healthcare sector will rollout two new "Personal Health Record Quick Reference Guides" in an effort to educate consumers and clinicians about how PHRs can be useful tools for making more informed healthcare decisions and enhancing care coordination.

6 Apr 2010

Rush University Medical Center seeks LEED certification for new buildings

Rush University Medical Center is taking the lead in adopting environmentally friendly and sustainable design, construction and operation practices that not only promote the health of the environment, but also the health of patients and staff.

6 Apr 2010

KHN column: Why Americans should support an individual mandate

In his latest Kaiser Health News column, done in collaboration with The New Republic, Jonathan Cohn writes: "Imagine for a moment that you work in a hospital emergency room. And just outside the door, a man has collapsed from a heart attack.

6 Apr 2010

People who create a sense of home at residential care can cope with stresses better

Many elderly people in residential care feel insecure during relocation or renovation work - but there are ways of handling the situation. Those who manage to create a sense of home where they live are in a better position to cope with the stresses that go with change, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy.

6 Apr 2010

Toughbook Preferred Partners to sell Toughbook C1 product: DataSource Mobility

DataSource Mobility is pleased to announce that it is one of a select group of Toughbook Preferred Partners to sell the Toughbook C1—the newest healthcare specific product from Panasonic, the world leader in rugged mobile computers.

6 Apr 2010

HHS grants $1.84 billion through Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program for HIV/AIDS care and medications

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced the release of more than $1.84 billion to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS continue to have access to life-saving health care and medications.

6 Apr 2010

Medical billing errors create significant costs for patients

The Denver Post reports on billing errors and the experience of Mike Dziedzic, who was charged with more than $100,000 in medical claims while caring for his dying wife because of a transposed pair of digits in a medical identification number.

6 Apr 2010

Humana adopts radiology benefit management programs to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure

Humana Inc. has reduced unnecessary radiation exposure for its members by the equivalent of more than five million chest x-rays since 2004, demonstrating how health benefits companies can lead the way in improving the quality and safety of health.

6 Apr 2010

Preventive care, illegal immigrants and other health law notes

Reports continue to explore elements of the health reform debate such as the politically contentious issue of illegal immigrants' coverage, health care coverage for young adults, disease prevention and the next tanning-salon tax.

6 Apr 2010

Web-based version of Point of Care Guidelines launched

The Clinical Practice Model Resource Center, an Elsevier company and leader in developing clinical practice guidelines for healthcare, today launched its first Web-based version of Point of Care Guidelines(TM).

6 Apr 2010

Officials focus on inequalities in medical research

"After years of individual cancer centers exploring ways to recruit more people from minority populations for cancer studies, $3.8 million in federal stimulus money has been awarded to five institutions — including M.D. Anderson (Cancer Center at the University of Texas) — to work on the issue together for the next two years. The National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health, funded the project."

6 Apr 2010

World Health Day to focus on making cities healthier

As part of this year's World Health Day, the WHO on Wednesday will launch a program to encourage cities to become more healthy to help mitigate the health risks associated with rapid urbanization, Agence France Presse/Inquirer.net Global Nation reports.

6 Apr 2010

Some Democrats facing resistance at home - from both sides - for health reform votes

Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., "a first-term Democrat in a Republican district, was one of just eight House members who switched their votes from 'no' to 'yes' when President Obama's health-care bill finally passed Congress.

6 Apr 2010

APHA survey: 85% Americans are taking steps towards healthier living

Eighty-five percent of Americans characterize their lifestyle as somewhat or very healthy, according to a survey released today by the American Public Health Association.

6 Apr 2010

Health IT funding raises security concerns; Some hospitals face barrier to funding

"Two big questions yet to be answered with electronic health records are: Do they save money? And can they be made 100 percent secure? The verdict is still out on both. The thought of one's personal medical information being just a computer click away does not sit well with many consumers." The paper reviews several surveys from last year to note that "security is on everyone's mind" (Smith, 4/5).

6 Apr 2010