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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

Congress must stop Medicare cuts in November

The AMA, along with medical societies representing 50 states and the District of Columbia and 65 national physician organizations, united to send a strong message to Congress – immediate action is needed to stop the drastic 30 percent Medicare payment cuts looming at the end of this year to protect seniors’ access to health care.

29 Sep 2010

Dems expect 9/11 'first responders' bill to pass today

CongressDaily: "At the urging of what one aide called 12 'pushy' New York lawmakers, House Democratic leaders plan to bring to the floor today legislation that would extend healthcare aid to 9/11 first responders. ... The $7.4 billion measure would provide health monitoring and treatment benefits to first responders and survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

29 Sep 2010

Political cartoon: 'Witchcraft?'

Kaiser Health News provides this fresh take on health policy developments with "Witchcraft?" by Nate Beeler.

29 Sep 2010

Kaiser Permanente donates Convergent Medical Terminology for open access

Kaiser Permanente is donating its Convergent Medical Terminology (CMT) for open access to help facilitate the nation's transition from paper-based medical records to Electronic Health Records (EHR). CMT was designed by clinicians to facilitate the use of EHRs by clinicians and patients. Kaiser Permanente has the world's largest private sector electronic health record.

29 Sep 2010

Centric Health acquires two pharmacies on Southlake Regional Health Centre campus in Ontario

Centric Health Corporation, Canada's leading diversified healthcare company, today announced that it has acquired, in partnership, two pharmacies located on the Southlake Regional Health Centre campus in Newmarket, Ontario.

29 Sep 2010

TeleHealth Services extends partnership with SVHC to enhance patient education initiatives

TeleHealth Services, the nation's leading provider of healthcare-grade televisions and interactive patient education solutions, today announced an extension of a seven year partnership with St. Vincent's HealthCare (SVHC) to further enhance the hospital's patient education initiatives. The health system will utilize TeleHealth's technology in St. Vincent's Medical Center and new addition, St. Luke's Hospital.

29 Sep 2010

First Edition: September 29, 2010

In today's headlines, reports about the continuing politics surrounding the health overhaul, as both parties vie for the loyalty of older voters and First Lady Michelle Obama steps up efforts to promote the new law.

29 Sep 2010

Report shows continuing progress in scaling up global HIV/AIDS interventions

The 2010 report on universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment released today by WHO, UNAIDS, and UNICEF shows continuing progress in scaling up global HIV/AIDS interventions.

29 Sep 2010

Inability to access EMRs at time of need a prime concern among patients

As the healthcare industry rushes to implement electronic medical records (EMRs) in order to increase efficiency and prevent errors, data shows that less than 1 in 10 Americans utilize electronic records. However, when asked about their primary concerns regarding medical records, patients' top response is that they won't be able to access their records when they need them.

29 Sep 2010

Patients' right to be involved in own medical care

Twelve years ago, then 28-year-old graduate student Brian Zikmund-Fisher was forced into the toughest choice of his life: Die from a blood disorder within a few years or endure a bone marrow transplant that could cure him or kill him in weeks.

29 Sep 2010

Increased drug use linked to father's incarceration

In a recently published study in the journal Addiction, researchers from Bowling Green State University report evidence of an association between father's incarceration and substantially elevated risks for illegal drug use in adolescence and early adulthood.

29 Sep 2010

Report explores connection between quality of worklife and patient safety in Canadian health organizations

Accreditation Canada's 2010 national report on health care in Canada explores the connection between quality of worklife and patient safety in health organizations. The report also examines the relationship between health care staff perceptions of work climate and patient safety culture in their own organizations, and how those perceptions are useful in identifying patient safety issues.

29 Sep 2010

Lawsuit seeks to stop Blue Cross from limiting provider networks and restricting members' access to health care

A lawsuit filed against Anthem Blue Cross, on behalf of thousands of California doctors, is asking the court to stop Blue Cross from limiting their provider networks and restricting plan members' access to health care, solely for the sake of increasing profits. The lawsuit seeks to enjoin Blue Cross from preventing any physician who is willing to accept the terms of Blue Cross contracts, and meets Blue Cross' eligibility criteria, from becoming a Blue Cross provider.

29 Sep 2010