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Models show complex changes in payment system, revenue for hospitals in Medicare

Modern Healthcare: Health reform has left "industry executives scrambling to project what will happen to revenue and expenses in the coming decade." Some are using models to guess what will happen when payments change for Medicare and Medicaid. "The models, released or under development by trade groups, including the American Hospital Association, Greater New York Hospital Association, and Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, don't produce reliable projections, but rather a best guess — or many guesses

2 Sep 2010

Indiana reports fewer preventable medical errors; Kansas struggles to meet oral health needs

The Indianapolis Star: "Indiana's hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers reported a decrease in preventable medical errors last year -- including a 33 percent drop in the number of bed sores. Overall, 306 facilities reported 94 preventable medical errors in 2009, according to a report released Monday by the Indiana State Department of Health. That's down from 105 errors reported each year in 2008 and 2007. The 22 pressure ulcers, also called bed sores, reported for 2009 were the fewest since the state's medical-error reporting system began four years ago" (Lee, 8/31).

2 Sep 2010

National Health Information Resource Center honors Interstitial Cystitis Association for special publication

The Interstitial Cystitis Association, the only nonprofit health association dedicated solely to improving the lives of those affected by interstitial cystitis (IC), was recently honored with an award from the National Health Information Resource Center. The organization received honors for a special issue of its ICA Update – a quarterly magazine focused on current IC research, treatment, and lifestyle issues.

2 Sep 2010

FDA launches performance management system in support of open government initiative

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today launched an innovative performance management system designed to advance the President's commitment to transparency, public participation, and collaboration in the work of government.

2 Sep 2010

New research clinic in Edinburgh to improve outcomes for multiple sclerosis sufferers

A research clinic for multiple sclerosis patients is being set up with a -10 million donation from the author J K Rowling.The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic at the University of Edinburgh will place patients at the heart of research to improve outcomes for multiple sclerosis sufferers.

2 Sep 2010

ESC announces new Clinical Practice Guidelines on Atrial Fibrillation

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) today announces the release of new Clinical Practice Guidelines covering Atrial Fibrillation. These are the first guidelines to be prepared solely by the ESC on this very important topic.

2 Sep 2010

CDC launches new online video to provide information on Assisted Reproductive Technology

Reproductive health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have launched three new online videos to provide science-based information for anyone considering Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

2 Sep 2010

Physicians assistants, nurse practitioners take on more primary care duties

In the final part of a three-part series on primary care, NPR reports on physicians assistants and nurse practitioners taking the place of physicians as deliverers of primary care. "Unlike physicians in primary care, the number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners are on the rise. According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, there were 74,100 physician assistants in practice in 2008, the most recent census available.

2 Sep 2010

Companies increasingly use wellness programs to promote health, cut down on costs

Chicago Tribune reports on the rise of wellness programs at various companies that have led to a boost in productivity: "As companies increasingly get creative about holding the line on health care costs, more are turning to inexpensive wellness programs.

2 Sep 2010

Healthy eating impacts long-term success in workplace

Eating healthy and living well is about more than your waistline. Most people think about the visible impacts that healthy eating have on our lives, yet fail to consider what poor dietary habits can do to our careers.

2 Sep 2010

Hospitals ill-prepared for move to electronic medical records, survey finds

Government requirements for hospitals to get cash rewards for the "meaningful use" of electronic medical records may be too stringent for many facilities, which lack the tech savvy to meet them, according to Mass Device, a New England-based medical device business newsletter. "A small fraction of U.S. hospitals reported using electronic medical records software last year and even fewer would have met new requirements for 'meaningful use' of the systems in 2009, according to an American Hospital Assn. survey."

2 Sep 2010

Support falls for health overhaul as Obama administration prepares for midterms

Kaiser Health News: Public support for the new health law slipped in August, "a development sure to stir concerns among the Obama administration and congressional Democrats seeking to shore up support for the law in the months leading up to the mid-term elections." The latest poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found 43 percent of Americans viewed the law favorably, which is down from 50 percent in July.

2 Sep 2010

Preterm infants born in lower-level hospitals show high mortality rates: Study

An analysis of data from previously published studies indicates that very low-birth-weight and very preterm infants not born in highly specialized, level III hospitals have an associated higher likelihood of neonatal and predischarge death compared to similar infants born at level III hospitals, according to an article in the September 1 issue of JAMA.

2 Sep 2010

Health leaders gather to discuss WHO's work in Africa

Health leaders from 46 African WHO member states gathered in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Monday for the 60th session of the Africa Committee of the WHO, Agencia AngolaPress reports. According to the news service, meeting attendees will discuss a report on the WHO Africa's activity in the region during the 2008-2009 period to evaluate the success and challenges associated with efforts to improve health outcomes in Africa (8/30).

2 Sep 2010

Media examine floods' impact in Pakistan

News outlets reported on the effects of major flooding in Pakistan and described the situation on the ground.

2 Sep 2010

VA prepares to expand Agent Orange related claims for Vietnam veterans

The Washington Post: "The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing for more than 150,000 Vietnam War veterans to apply for benefits in the next 18 months thanks to new regulations making it easier to compensate for health problems caused by exposure to the Vietnam-era defoliant Agent Orange. Changes set for publication in Tuesday's Federal Register could result in payouts of about $42 billion in the next decade, VA said.

2 Sep 2010

Support slips for health reform law, new KFF poll shows

In this Kaiser Health News short take, Laurie McGinley writes: "Public support for the health overhaul declined in August, a development sure to stir concerns among the Obama administration and congressional Democrats seeking to shore up support for the law in the months leading up to the mid-term elections" (McGinley, 8/31).

2 Sep 2010

More health overhaul policies settling in

The Wall Street Journal: "Almost 2,000 employers and unions will be eligible to submit retirees' medical bills for reimbursement by a $5 billion federal fund, the Obama administration will disclose Tuesday, suggesting the fund will be spread widely but thinly." General Motors, Pepsi, Alcoa and Pfizer are among the major employers that are said to be signing up.

2 Sep 2010

Michigan, New York roll out high-risk pools

In Michigan, enrollment begins today and is open to adults 19 to 64, the Detroit Free Press reports. The pool "will provide comprehensive but not necessarily cheap coverage for people who can prove they have been denied health insurance in the past six months" and is "intended for any uninsured people in the last six months and who had been turned down by an insurer because of a pre-existing health problem.

2 Sep 2010

Insuring your health: Regulators probe allegations of fraud in health credit cards

In this Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "These days, you may leave your dentist's office with more than a toothbrush and dental floss in your bag. Thousands of dentists are offering patients health-care credit cards to cover the work that needs to be done, with seemingly hard-to-resist repayment terms.

2 Sep 2010

Healthcare News

Models show complex changes in payment system, revenue for hospitals in Medicare

Indiana reports fewer preventable medical errors; Kansas struggles to meet oral health needs

National Health Information Resource Center honors Interstitial Cystitis Association for special publication

FDA launches performance management system in support of open government initiative

New research clinic in Edinburgh to improve outcomes for multiple sclerosis sufferers

ESC announces new Clinical Practice Guidelines on Atrial Fibrillation

CDC launches new online video to provide information on Assisted Reproductive Technology

Physicians assistants, nurse practitioners take on more primary care duties

Companies increasingly use wellness programs to promote health, cut down on costs

Healthy eating impacts long-term success in workplace

Hospitals ill-prepared for move to electronic medical records, survey finds

Support falls for health overhaul as Obama administration prepares for midterms

Preterm infants born in lower-level hospitals show high mortality rates: Study

Health leaders gather to discuss WHO's work in Africa

Media examine floods' impact in Pakistan

VA prepares to expand Agent Orange related claims for Vietnam veterans

Support slips for health reform law, new KFF poll shows

More health overhaul policies settling in

Michigan, New York roll out high-risk pools

Insuring your health: Regulators probe allegations of fraud in health credit cards

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

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