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Medicaid funds may not come through, leaving states in a lurch

If increased federal support for Medicaid isn't extended, states will have to fill budget holes next year that many legislatures have not anticipated.

19 Jun 2010

Hospitals work to reduce wait times, readmission rates

The Baltimore Sun writes about hospitals working to reduce emergency room wait times and then advertising the results. "St. Joseph Medical Center [in Towson, Md.] posts the anticipated wait time on its website. Harbor Hospital in South Baltimore has put up billboards and handed out brochures door-to-door to tell residents about its 'quick' emergency room experience.

19 Jun 2010

Equatorial Guinea strengthens health facilities to boost access to reproductive health services

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial, along with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is working to strengthen and equip health facilities throughout the country to boost access to reproductive health services. The rebuilding process includes the construction and renovation of health centers and maternity units as well as proper training for medical students.

19 Jun 2010

Federal agencies will establish a 'do not pay list' to prevent fraud

President Obama will order federal agencies Friday to establish a national 'do not pay list' to prevent the government from paying benefits, contracts, grants and loans to ineligible people or organizations, according to senior administration officials. The moves are part of a series to cut government waste and fraud and come amid calls for more fiscal restraint from Republicans and moderate Democrats.

19 Jun 2010

Survery: Most respondents don't really get health IT

Only one in ten respondents to a Harris Interactive survey use electronic medical records or interact with their doctors by e-mail, HealthDay/Bloomberg Businessweek reports. Half were unsure whether their doctors even use these technologies. "Still, most of those polled said they would like their doctors to access their medical records with the click of a mouse. On the other hand, only about a third (30 percent) believe their insurer should have that same access."

19 Jun 2010

Health care issues major factors in Utah, Florida races

Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, is facing an angry progressive base as he pushes for re-election after his "no" vote on health reform legislation, Politico reports. "The pushback against Matheson took its fullest expression in early May, when a restless Democratic base delivered the lawmaker a surprisingly narrow 55 percent to 45 percent victory at this spring's party convention — an unimpressive result for an incumbent that fell short of the 60 percent necessary to avoid a primary for the nomination."

19 Jun 2010

Friday Opinions: Uwe Reinhardt, Reps. Ron Paul and John Sarbanes, Minnesota nurses' strike

Alas, the penalties baked into the bill for disregarding the mandate, though not trivial, are low enough that many younger and healthier individuals are likely to find paying the penalty cheaper than owning up to the mandate. If that happens in significant numbers, as well it might, the premiums that private insurers will have to charge for the mandated coverage in the small-group market will be driven correspondingly higher (Uwe Reinhardt, 6/18).

19 Jun 2010

Lawmakers want crackdown on drug agreements that keep generics out

Democrats are looking at proposals to crack down on licensing agreements between drug companies that keep generic drugs out of the market, Politico reports. In the agreements, pharmaceutical companies pay generic manufacturers to "delay introduction of generic drugs, which are often cheaper than brand-name drugs.

18 Jun 2010

ActiveCare, Vista Therapeutics announce strategic relationship to develop Nano Biosensors for seniors

ActiveCare, Inc. and Vista Therapeutics, Inc. announced today a strategic relationship to develop Nano Biosensors for ActiveCare's products and services to be utilized by the elderly. These Biosensors will allow ActiveCare to continuously monitor specific chronic diseases commonly occurring in the elderly and thus preventively predict and avoid acute medical events. "This technology is designed to prolong and improve the quality of life of our senior population," stated James Dalton, President of ActiveCare.

18 Jun 2010

National Cheng Kung University Hospital's Outpatient Building inaugurated

The Outpatient Building of National Cheng Kung University Hospital was officially inaugurated on June 12th to provide excellent medical service and to further ensure the health of people in Southern Taiwan.

18 Jun 2010

General practitioners exchange knowledge, experience via e-mail list started in 1999

Urban Carlén, Department of Applied Information Technology, has studied how a large group of general practitioners interact via an e-mail list. The list started in 1999 and serves as an online community for exchange of knowledge and experience. The submitted e-mails are distributed to all members of the community.

18 Jun 2010

AHRQ: Only 57% of U.S. men see doctor for routine care compared to 74% of women

Just over half of U.S. men (57 percent) see a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant for routine care, compared to nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of women, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Routine care is typically defined as a visit for assessing overall health rather than one prompted by a specific illness or complaint.

18 Jun 2010

9th INT'L BIO FORUM & BIO EXPO JAPAN from June 30 - July 2, 2010

9th INT'L BIO FORUM & BIO EXPO JAPAN, organized by Reed Exhibitions Japan, will come back again as Asia's largest bio-event from June 30 - July 2, 2010. "Gene diagnosis" is one of the featured topics for this year.

18 Jun 2010

PCPCC welcomes Obama's announcement to promote primary care workforce training

The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative welcomed the announcement today by the Obama administration that some $250 million in new funding will be put towards funding of primary care workforce training.

18 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 18, 2010

The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance Committee reached agreement [Thursday] evening on a six-month Medicare "doc fix" that could open the way for the tax extenders bill to pass as early as Friday, a source tells The Hill. Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) hope to pass the tax extenders bill by unanimous consent (The Hill's Healthwatch Blog).

18 Jun 2010

Labor Board dismisses SEIU charges to block union elections

The federal National Labor Relations Board's Office of Advice has issued a directive to the NLRB's four California offices, recommending the final dismissal of charges that the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has used to block fair union elections for more than 16 months. As a result of this decision, long-delayed elections may now be scheduled within a matter of weeks for thousands of California healthcare workers.

18 Jun 2010

Family Research Council calls for FDA transparency, honesty on "Emergency Contraceptive" Ella

This afternoon the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Panel, considering the new "Emergency Contraceptive," Ella, which can also act as an abortifacient, voted against recommending ANY precautions or labeling that would inform women of the drug's abortifacient capabilities as well as health risks.

18 Jun 2010

Researchers recommend involving teachers in nutrition education policy making

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, 2004, requires that all school districts have a Wellness Policy if they participate in federal school meal programs. As part of the Wellness Policy, schools are mandated to include nutrition education activities which promote student wellness. A study in the July/August issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior evaluates elementary teachers' overall acceptance and implementation of nutrition competencies in the classroom as part of their School Wellness Policy.

18 Jun 2010

Antwerp ITM calls for change in WHO guidelines on Buruli ulcer

Buruli ulcers, one of the 'neglected tropical diseases' left aside by big pharma and governments alike, are reasonably well treatable, also in poor regions. But then more attention has to be paid to early diagnosis and correct treatment. This means the rules of the World Health Organization urgently need to be changed. So say scientists of the Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), based on ten years of research in Congo.

18 Jun 2010

ASH selects 14 participants for 2010 MMSAP

The American Society of Hematology announces the selection of 14 participants for its 2010 Minority Medical Student Award Program, which encourages minority Medical students to purse an interest in hematology research. Award recipients will each receive the support of a research mentor and a career-development mentor, travel stipends to attend the ASH annual meeting, and a subscription to the scientific journal Blood, the official journal of ASH.

18 Jun 2010