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Telemedicine plays important role in providing access to care for Medi-Cal members

According to US Department of Health and Human Services, compared with urban Americans, rural residents have higher poverty rates, have fewer doctors, hospitals, and other health resources, and face more difficulty getting to health services. Beginning 2014, when health care reform becomes effective, an estimated 2.4 million Californians will be newly-eligible for Medi-Cal.

13 Jul 2010

Debt unsustainable, Obama commission chairs say; Orszag's successor to be left with a tough job

The Associated Press: The two chairman of President Obama's debt commission told the National Governors Association Sunday that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are sucking up the entire federal discretionary budget.

13 Jul 2010

Manila Bulletin reports on WHO's efforts to address migration of global health workers

The Manila Bulletin reports on how the WHO is working with countries that have high rates of migrating health workers to maintain and expand the health workforce in areas with the greatest need, expecially low-income rural communities.

13 Jul 2010

Amity Foundation to break ground for Dragonfly Village children and family center

The public is invited to attend the official Ground Breaking Ceremony for Amity Foundation's state of the art children and family center, Dragonfly Village. The event will take place on Thursday morning 8:00 a.m. sharp August 19, 2010. The site is located on the campus of Amity's Circle Tree Ranch 10500 E. Tanque Verde Road, Tucson, Arizona 85749 (just east of Houghton Road.) The event will proceed indoors by 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. for more information and refreshments.

13 Jul 2010

Texas doctors bristle at Medicaid cuts as Congress to consider extending funds; State pinpoints high prescribing docs

Despite states' warnings that they will face massive budget cuts without help from Washington, Congress has not yet moved to provide $24.2 billion in additional Medicaid funding that many statehouses had anticipated would be included in a failed June bill, American Medical News reports. "Lawmakers return to Washington from their Independence Day break on July 12, but Democratic leaders have not offered a clear path forward on the issue" (Trapp, 7/12).

13 Jul 2010

APIC survey uncovers barriers in adoption of best practices for CRBSI prevention in hospitals

Hospitals still struggle to prevent avoidable healthcare-associated infections, according to a survey of infection preventionists released today by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. Half of those surveyed agree that catheter-related bloodstream infections continue to be a problem in their facilities and cite lack of time, resources, and the commitment of hospital leadership as hindering their ability to combat these infections more aggressively.

13 Jul 2010

Molina Healthcare signs definitive agreement to acquire Abri Health Plan

Molina Healthcare, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Abri Health Plan, a provider of Medicaid managed care services to BadgerCare Plus and SSI Managed Care enrollees in Wisconsin. The purchase price for the acquisition is expected to be approximately $16 million, subject to adjustments, and will be funded with available cash and/or the Company's credit facility.

13 Jul 2010

News outlets examine Haitian rebuilding effort six months after major quake

"Six months to the day since a magnitude-7.0 earthquake leveled 60% of [Port-Au-Prince's] buildings and killed 230,000 people, there are few visible signs of improvement," USA Today reports.

13 Jul 2010

U.S. lags in keeping workers safe from toxic drugs

In many countries, there are strict regulations and inspections regarding workers who handle chemotherapy drugs. "In the U.S., however, neither environmental monitoring nor exposure tracking is mandated. And neither is routinely taking place, said Tom Conner, a research biologist with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

13 Jul 2010

Seniors face unexpected medical bills amid disputes between hospitals and Medicare auditors

Elderly patients caught between U.S. hospitals and Medicare auditors pushing to cut costs are increasingly facing tens of thousands of dollars in unexpected medical bills.

13 Jul 2010

Wall Street Journal essay examines historical efforts to control malaria

In a Wall Street Journal essay, Sonia Shah, the author of an upcoming book on malaria, outlines the historical efforts to control malaria - from the Roman Empire through today.

13 Jul 2010

Governors press Washington for more help, Mass. municipalities seek new authority to cut health care plan costs

The National Governors Association, meeting in Boston, pressed Washington for more help to states. The "NGA renewed its bipartisan appeal for Congress to pass stalled jobs legislation. ... [Last month,] the House and Senate failed to complete legislation that would have extended, through June 2011, important parts of the federal stimulus program enacted last year to provide unemployment insurance and help offset recession-driven cuts to education, health care and public safety.

13 Jul 2010

Government report questions double use of CT scans at Illinois, Florida hospitals

Chicago Tribune: Doctors at Illinois hospitals are coming under closer scrutiny after a report questioned the use of "double CT scans," which subjected patients to higher radiation. For some procedures, doctors scanned once using a dye once and once without at a rate higher than in other states. "The hospital launched an investigation, and physicians began to focus on curbing use of the scans.

13 Jul 2010

Affygility Solutions releases new version of Affytrac EH&S software with multi-corrective action functionality

Affygility Solutions, LLC, a global leader in providing environmental, health and safety solutions to the life sciences industry, announced today the launch of its newest version of its environmental, health, and safety software, Affytrac, with multi-corrective action functionality. Users can now create an infinite amount of corrective actions for a single parent issue.

13 Jul 2010

Obesity crisis in the spotlight as FDA reviews weight loss drugs

The Washington Post explores the obesity epidemic by reporting from Manchester, Ky., which has an obesity rate as high as 52 percent in a nation where the obesity rate is 24 percent. "The residents of this town of 2,100 — 95 miles southeast of Lexington and deep in the Appalachian foothills — indeed appear to celebrate the joys of community closeness.

13 Jul 2010

BCN launches Healthy Blue Living Rewards to improve overall health

Introducing Healthy Blue Living Rewards, an extension of Blue Care Network's successful Healthy Blue Living product. This new product is an innovative outcome-based HMO health care plan that takes personal accountability to the next level by lowering insurance costs for people who succeed in improving their health and thereby making health care more affordable.

13 Jul 2010

Changes for employers, health insurers coming with health reform implementation

Starting in September, changes to health insurance could significantly alter how insurers operate and how employers provide coverage for workers.

13 Jul 2010

Obama administration prepares to announce first national HIV strategy

Kaiser Health News: "Federal officials plan to announce Tuesday a national strategy designed to ramp up and better coordinate the government's attack on the country's HIV/AIDS epidemic." Many HIV/AIDS advocates "say many more resources need to be committed to fight the disease, especially considering it doesn't get the attention it once did.

12 Jul 2010

AMA finds lobbying power eroding; Payment rates vary

Three months the health law passed, the American Medical Association is finding itself "itself with fewer friends on Capitol Hill and more critics questioning its lobbying savvy," Politico reports. "Its troubles couldn't come at a worse time: It is more dependent than ever on having allies in Congress, thanks to the growing number of Medicare patients.

12 Jul 2010

Equation, PAA partner to offer consulting, educational programs

Equation, a healthcare consulting firm, is pleased to announce that it has partnered with Physicians' Alliance of America, Inc. (PAA), a non-profit group purchasing organization, to offer consulting and educational programs to PAA members. PAA seeks to help medical practices save money on the goods and services they regularly use. Now members can benefit from Equation's analytical tools, scientific methodologies and proven operational expertise to optimize the financial and operational health of their practice.

12 Jul 2010

Healthcare News

Telemedicine plays important role in providing access to care for Medi-Cal members

Debt unsustainable, Obama commission chairs say; Orszag's successor to be left with a tough job

Manila Bulletin reports on WHO's efforts to address migration of global health workers

Amity Foundation to break ground for Dragonfly Village children and family center

Texas doctors bristle at Medicaid cuts as Congress to consider extending funds; State pinpoints high prescribing docs

APIC survey uncovers barriers in adoption of best practices for CRBSI prevention in hospitals

Molina Healthcare signs definitive agreement to acquire Abri Health Plan

News outlets examine Haitian rebuilding effort six months after major quake

U.S. lags in keeping workers safe from toxic drugs

Seniors face unexpected medical bills amid disputes between hospitals and Medicare auditors

Wall Street Journal essay examines historical efforts to control malaria

Governors press Washington for more help, Mass. municipalities seek new authority to cut health care plan costs

Government report questions double use of CT scans at Illinois, Florida hospitals

Affygility Solutions releases new version of Affytrac EH&S software with multi-corrective action functionality

Obesity crisis in the spotlight as FDA reviews weight loss drugs

BCN launches Healthy Blue Living Rewards to improve overall health

Changes for employers, health insurers coming with health reform implementation

Obama administration prepares to announce first national HIV strategy

AMA finds lobbying power eroding; Payment rates vary

Equation, PAA partner to offer consulting, educational programs

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich

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