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AstraZeneca contributes $1M for expansion of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children

Surrounded by over 100 Nemours Associates, Rich Fante, President, AstraZeneca, U.S., presented Nemours President David J. Bailey, MD, MBA with a ceremonial check for $1 million, announcing AstraZeneca's contribution to the expansion of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware.

15 Apr 2010

Opinions: Health and living conditions; H1N1, one year later; global water shortages

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford write in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution opinion piece about the need to "address the constant crisis families face daily in deplorable living conditions."

15 Apr 2010

Earplugs and eye masks could help intensive care patients get better night's sleep

Eye masks and earplugs could help hospital patients get a better night's sleep. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care investigated their effect on sleep quality in a simulated intensive care environment.

15 Apr 2010

Partners HealthCare offers $40 million to control health insurance costs in Massachusetts; Neb. Gov. signs new abortion law

Partners HealthCare, whose Boston teaching hospitals have been blamed for helping to drive up medical spending, is offering $40 million toward reducing double-digit health insurance rate increases for small businesses, part of a broader package that will be unveiled today by Senate President Therese Murray.

15 Apr 2010

The nuts and bolts of reform's new policies

The New York Times: "In a new report, the Congressional Research Service says the law may have significant unintended consequences for the 'personal health insurance coverage' of senators, representatives and their staff members." Lawmakers agreed to depart from their existing health plans in order to join new health insurance exchanges, something they have made available to many of their constituents. But, while the exchanges don't start up until 2014, the law is silent on when lawmakers must ditch their current benefits.

15 Apr 2010

Phase Forward's European Users Conference to be held in Budapest, Hungary

Phase Forward, a leading provider of data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety, will host its eighth annual European Users Conference (EUC) April 21 - 22 at the Corinthia Hotel in Budapest, Hungary.

15 Apr 2010

People with disabilities may be unable to afford Medicare Advantage plan under healthcare provisions

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 are the most powerful developments in decades affecting healthcare coverage for people with disabilities, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare plan selection services.

15 Apr 2010

HHS officials to discuss new healthcare disparities and quality reports

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard K. Koh, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Director Dr. Carolyn Clancy will host a conference call and discuss new reports on health care quality and health care disparities faced by racial, ethnic or income groups.

15 Apr 2010

HHS quality report 2009 shows increase in hospital-acquired infections

"The Health and Human Services department's 2009 quality report to Congress found 'very little progress' on eliminating hospital-acquired infections and called for 'urgent attention' to address the shortcomings — first brought to light a decade ago." Specifically, the report found that, for three out of the five major types of serious hospital-related infections, the rate of illness increased.

15 Apr 2010

Obama administration officials reflect on details, implementation of Global Health Initiative

Three senior Obama administration officials with global health-related portfolios spoke about the details and implementation of President Barack Obama's Global Health Initiative during a forum Wednesday at the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C.

15 Apr 2010

CHPPR survey: 58% of Americans support repealing health care reform legislation

Fifty-eight percent of Americans (96 percent of Republicans, 10 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of Independents) support repealing the health care reform legislation that was signed into law by President Barack Obama in March, according to a new national survey conducted April 6 - 10 by researchers from Indiana University's Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research.

15 Apr 2010

2010 Decontamination Research and Development Conference

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Homeland Security Research Center will hold its 2010 Decontamination Research and Development Conference on April 13-15, 2010 at the Hilton Raleigh-Durham Airport Hotel in North Carolina.

15 Apr 2010

Campaign for Better Care focuses on older adults with multiple health problems

"Will you help her?" That's the question the Campaign for Better Care, led by the National Partnership for Women & Families, Community Catalyst and the National Health Law Program, is asking policymakers today in new print and banner ads running in The Hill, Politico and Roll Call.

15 Apr 2010

Senate Democrats eye COBRA subsidy extension through Memorial Day

Democrats are trying to get Republicans to extend jobless benefits -- including a program to subsidize health insurance coverage for laid-off workers -- through Memorial Day, The Associated Press reports.

15 Apr 2010

North Carolina lawmakers consider medical tax; Georgia insurance commission says state should reject high-insurance pools

The North Carolina legislature "socked it to retail customers, smokers, drinkers and big earners with higher taxes last year to help close a budget gap calculated by Democrats at more than $4 billion. Could hospitals or doctors' offices be next? Legislative leaders are returning to Raleigh early to begin adjusting the second year of the state's two-year budget and they're intrigued by a hospital or provider tax or fee because it could draw down three times as much extra money in federal matching funds for Medicaid.

15 Apr 2010

Penn State professor proposes new strategy to improve adult malnutrition

A new consensus statement on adult malnutrition suggests classifying patients in three categories related to the cause of malnutrition, according to an international committee of nutrition researchers. This approach could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition.

15 Apr 2010

CDHP applauds dental coverage in health care reform legislation

The Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP) today applauded the historic dental health care provisions that were recently enacted as part of the health care reform legislation signed into law by President Obama. The provisions contained in the legislation represent an unprecedented investment in the oral health of all Americans, especially children.

15 Apr 2010

New version of FICO Insurance Fraud Manager now available

FICO, the leading provider of analytics and decision management technology, today announced the general availability of FICO™ Insurance Fraud Manager 3.1. With this newest version, FICO continues to build upon and strengthen its proven solution for detecting healthcare claim fraud, abuse and errors before claims are paid, and also for identifying suspicious providers as soon as aberrant patterns emerge.

15 Apr 2010

Massachusetts judge denies insurers' requests for double-digit rate hikes

The Boston Globe: "A Suffolk Superior Court judge yesterday denied a request that would have let six Massachusetts health insurers go forward with double-digit rate hikes for tens of thousands of small businesses and individuals, setting up a protracted battle that could become a test of government's role in controlling health care costs.

15 Apr 2010

CWRU School of Medicine becomes OHIP's REC for Ohio

Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine has received $7,942,500 million in federal stimulus funds from the Ohio Health Information Partnership (OHIP), the state designated entity for health information exchange development. The funding will position CWRU School of Medicine as a regional extension center (REC) which allows it to help 1,765 health care providers in Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties advance the use of health information technology (HIT) in their practices.

15 Apr 2010