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Union members file suit as officials refuse to hold elections after 18 months

Nine members of SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West have filed a lawsuit against SEIU International and Trustees Dave Regan and Eliseo Medina for refusing to hold elections to return control of the local union to its members.

30 Jul 2010

Ontario's hospitals applaud Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's ER Wait Times Program expansion

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is encouraged by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's announcement to expand its Emergency Room (ER) Pay for Results Program. The OHA considers this expansion a positive step forward in improving both access to care and health system accountability.

30 Jul 2010

Medical Mutual of Ohio to provide online applications for High Risk Pool health insurance program

Beginning Sunday, August 1, Medical Mutual of Ohio will provide online applications and enrollment information for the state of Ohio's temporary High Risk Pool health insurance program.

30 Jul 2010

New health reform guidelines now available to business owners in California, free of charge

A new booklet designed to help California employers understand and prepare for the dramatic changes being brought about by health reform is now available to business owners throughout the state, free of charge. It can be obtained by contacting [email protected].

30 Jul 2010

Wash. regulations would restrict pain killer prescriptions; Texas Lt. Gov. bemoans costs associated with health law; Fla. insurance pilot project shows early success

The New York Times: "In an unusual move, a state government is developing regulations meant to stop doctors from prescribing higher doses of powerful — and often dangerous — pain killers for patients who are not benefiting from them. The effort, in Washington State, represents the most sweeping attempt yet to stem what some experts see as the excessive use of prescribed narcotics, and it is being closely watched by medical professionals elsewhere.

30 Jul 2010

New health reform law to benefit 30 million women: Commonwealth Fund report

Thirty million women will benefit from the new health reform law over the next decade, either through new or strengthened insurance coverage, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund. In the first analysis of its kind, the authors report that the law will stabilize and reverse the growing exposure to health costs that women now experience by subsidizing health insurance for up to 15 million currently uninsured women, and strengthening existing coverage for 14.5 million women who are considered underinsured-those who have health coverage that does not adequately protect them from high medical expenses.

30 Jul 2010

Graymark Healthcare adds two new sleep centers in Texas, Nebraska

Graymark Healthcare announced that it has added two new sleep centers in Texas and Nebraska with the signing of agreements to provide on-site services to Goodall-Witcher Medical Center in Central Texas and Henderson Community Hospital in Nebraska. These agreements continue to execute on Graymark's strategy to expand the availability of sleep medicine in rural communities that otherwise might not have access to comprehensive sleep care.

30 Jul 2010

Treating back problems cost Americans more than $30 billion in 2007: AHRQ

Treating back problems, one of the most bothersome medical problems, cost Americans more than $30 billion in 2007- up from $16 billion in 1997 (in 2007 dollars), according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

30 Jul 2010

CPF announces nationwide advertising campaign to increase awareness about PF

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis announced today a nationwide advertising campaign to spread the word about Pulmonary Fibrosis is underway in an untraditional setting – on the nation's interstates. Together, a billboard ad and truck ads are part of a nationwide campaign to raise eyebrows and awareness of the deadly lung disease.

30 Jul 2010

IRIN examines Global Humanitarian Assistance report, maps percentage of African budgets spent on health

"[H]umanitarian watchdog Development Initiatives outlines some of the needs, responses and funding trends" in humanitarian aid over the past decade in its 2010 Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) report, IRIN writes in an article that examines the organization's findings.

30 Jul 2010

MSP announces enhancements to EHR Selector

Medical Strategic Planning announces enhancements to the widely-used EHR Selector, which empowers Regional Extension Centers to quickly qualify EHR products and individually track thousands of practices deploying critically-vetted electronic health record solutions.

30 Jul 2010

ISMPP and MPIP initiative launches new web page

On July 29, 2010 the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) and the Medical Publishing Insights and Practices (MPIP) initiative launched a new web page highlighting various MPIP initiatives (http://www.mpip-initiative.org). The web page is a valuable resource providing information on the overall MPIP initiative, updating viewers on new or planned activities, and providing access to previous MPIP publications and resources.

30 Jul 2010

Funding for electronic medical records expected as early as May, already stimulating business

Modern Healthcare: Funding to help doctors and hospitals buy electronic medical records could begin to flow through the Medicare program as early as May 2011, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services official said Wednesday. But, the final shape of the program remains unclear as CMS works to implement 800 pages of new regulations. "We're now working toward actually making all of this a reality, and we have less than six months to do it," the official said (Conn, 7/28).

30 Jul 2010

Securian Foundation awards 60 grants to civic, healthcare, education and arts organizations

The Securian Foundation awarded 60 grants during the first half of 2010 worth a total of $428,555 to Twin Cities civic, healthcare, education and arts organizations.

30 Jul 2010

Company health plans may increasingly demand proof of family

"Think your whole family is covered by your company health plan? Get ready to prove they're actually your kin." Under the new health overhaul law, starting next year "employers will have to provide coverage for dependents of employees [until] age 26. That will further inflate coverage costs for companies at a time when employers are already bracing for a 9% jump in their health care plan expenditures in 2011."

30 Jul 2010

Hospitals accomodate obese patients by purchasing new, larger equipment

Hospitals are accommodating the increasing number of obese patients by buying larger medical equipment, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

30 Jul 2010

Support for health law remains steady while opposition drops

"The percentage of people who view the new health bill unfavorably dropped 6 points to 35 percent in the past month, but that has not translated into a significant increase of supporters, according to the July tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Overall support remained stable since the June survey, with about half the public expressing a favorable view of the overhaul, the poll found" (Verdon, 7/29).

30 Jul 2010

EHNAC honors HERAE with Crystal Recognition Award

HERAE, one of the nation's largest healthcare payment services providers, was honored with the Crystal Recognition Award from the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission. EHNAC's accreditation recognizes excellence in healthcare, and indicates compliance with industry-established standards and HIPAA regulations.

30 Jul 2010

Insured Americans are using fewer medical services while employers consider wellness incentives

Insured Americans are using fewer medical services, raising questions about whether patients are consuming less health care as they pick up a greater share of the costs. The drop in usage is showing up as health-care companies report financial results. Insurers, lab-testing companies, hospitals and doctor-billing concerns say that patient visits, drug prescriptions and procedures were down in the second quarter from year-ago levels. Others say that consumers are beginning to forgo elective procedures like knee replacements.

30 Jul 2010

Republicans take on cost-cutting panel backed by budget chief Orszag

Several Senate Republican leaders are now pushing a new, partial health-overhaul repeal bill that targets a Medicare cost-cutting panel, The Hill reports. The panel, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, would make cost-cutting recommendations whenever spending exceeds set benchmarks. Congress would have to adopt them, or come up with its own plan.

30 Jul 2010

Healthcare News

Union members file suit as officials refuse to hold elections after 18 months

Ontario's hospitals applaud Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's ER Wait Times Program expansion

Medical Mutual of Ohio to provide online applications for High Risk Pool health insurance program

New health reform guidelines now available to business owners in California, free of charge

Wash. regulations would restrict pain killer prescriptions; Texas Lt. Gov. bemoans costs associated with health law; Fla. insurance pilot project shows early success

New health reform law to benefit 30 million women: Commonwealth Fund report

Graymark Healthcare adds two new sleep centers in Texas, Nebraska

Treating back problems cost Americans more than $30 billion in 2007: AHRQ

CPF announces nationwide advertising campaign to increase awareness about PF

IRIN examines Global Humanitarian Assistance report, maps percentage of African budgets spent on health

MSP announces enhancements to EHR Selector

ISMPP and MPIP initiative launches new web page

Funding for electronic medical records expected as early as May, already stimulating business

Securian Foundation awards 60 grants to civic, healthcare, education and arts organizations

Company health plans may increasingly demand proof of family

Hospitals accomodate obese patients by purchasing new, larger equipment

Support for health law remains steady while opposition drops

EHNAC honors HERAE with Crystal Recognition Award

Insured Americans are using fewer medical services while employers consider wellness incentives

Republicans take on cost-cutting panel backed by budget chief Orszag

Fourier 80: bringing benchtop NMR systems to the laboratory

How industrial hygiene flow calibration supports defensible exposure data

How electrical engineering ensures accurate calibration and patient safety

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