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New U.N. efforts aim to help Haitians obtain 'secure housing'

"The head of the U.N. mission in Haiti Edmond Mulet unveiled new efforts Tuesday to provide secure housing to thousands of people made homeless by January's devastating earthquake," Agence France-Presse reports.

20 May 2010

Texas prison health care system to lay off nearly 12 percent of workforce

The state institution that provides health services to Texas state prisoners will lay off 363 workers because of budget cuts. "The announcement is expected to ramp up concerns over a growing state budget crisis — and how Texas can continue to pay for a massive prison health care system that gobbles tens of millions of additional taxpayer dollars each year.

20 May 2010

Abbott named one of Best Workplaces in Europe

The Great Place to Work Institute today named Abbott one of the Best Workplaces in Europe at its European Conference in Madrid. The company was specifically honored for workplace leadership in Denmark, Ireland and Norway.

20 May 2010

MHAUS to discuss how medical facilities can best prepare for MH emergency

Preparation is the best plan for Malignant Hyperthermia emergencies, and The Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States will be at the Ambulatory Surgery Center Annual Meeting, May 19-22, to answer questions about how medical facilities can best prepare for an MH emergency.

20 May 2010

CMS to spend $73 million over 5 years to improve public websites

Washington Business Journal: "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has awarded Fairfax-based CGI Federal Inc. a five-year contract worth $73.2 million to continue its modernization, application management and maintenance efforts on three external websites that provide information to 44 million beneficiaries and millions more health care providers."

20 May 2010

Lancet special series examines TB worldwide

The Lancet released on Wednesday a special series on tuberculosis, which includes a series of papers and comments highlighting the need for new tools, the threat posed by drug-resistant strains, results of current control efforts and other issues about TB worldwide, Agence France-Presse reports.

20 May 2010

Kansas State University researcher awarded NIH grant to study antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming a growing problem around the world, and are a particular worry in hospital-acquired infections.

20 May 2010

Hospitals under pressure from flagging budgets, regulators

The Washington Post reports on one suburban Maryland health system: "A special panel in charge of finding a company to take over Prince George's County's ailing health-care system has been unable to complete a sale of the system after a two-year search ... Bidders have been interested in separate parts of the system. But the panel's mandate is to ensure the facilities are sold at the same time to prevent buyers from cherry-picking ...

20 May 2010

KHN and WSJ reporters discuss health overhaul

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey and The Wall Street Journal's Janet Adamy discussed the many ways the health overhaul law will affect health care consumers young and old, and especially people with Medicare coverage on NPR's Talk of the Nation yesterday.

20 May 2010

Mass. Senate approves health costs bill to help small biz pay health costs and other state news

The Massachusetts Senate Tuesday approved a bill that would make wealthy hospitals pay $100 million in a one-time contribution to help small businesses ease insurance premiums. "The bill would let businesses with 50 or fewer workers form cooperatives to purchase insurance at a lower cost. Another provision presses insurers to spend at least 90 percent of premium dollars on care and 10 percent or less on administrative costs.

20 May 2010

Health care high school to open in Chicago

Crain's Chicago Business reports that, in the fall, the city will open its "first charter high school specializing in health care, a move local hospitals hope will help relieve chronic workforce shortages. ... Juniors and seniors will be able to earn credits by shadowing hospital workers and interning as assistant nurses and in other professions."

20 May 2010

Loyola University Chicago introduces new online doctorate degree program in bioethics

Classes have begun for Loyola University Chicago's new online doctorate degree program in bioethics, designed to provide advanced training in the ethical issues surrounding the complexities of modern medical research and clinical care.

20 May 2010

Health care votes may have influenced primaries

News outlets report on how health reform may have influenced Tuesday's primary elections. The Washington Post says that the Democratic primary election for Arkansas' Senate seat was influenced by labor unions who campaigned for Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, in part because of incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln's vote on health care.

20 May 2010

New online diagnosis tool offers prescriptions in a hurry

News outlets report on the expanding online relationship between doctors and patients.

20 May 2010

Today's Opinions and Editorials: Childhood obesity, the interworkings of the FDA, the constitutionality of 'Obamacare'

The White House report offers recommendations related to early childhood, parenting, food in schools, access to healthy and affordable food and physical activity. Taken individually, none of these is a silver bullet (Tom Newton, 5/19).

20 May 2010

Federal employee unions pressing for bill to cover young adults

Roll Call reports that "labor unions representing federal employees are pressing for temporary health insurance coverage for college-age students who will otherwise be thrown off their parents' health insurance plans when they turn 22 years old." The new health law has a provision guaranteeing such access but that isn't scheduled to take effect for federal health beneficiaries until January, even though a number of private plans are moving to implement the coverage earlier.

20 May 2010

Fraud and abuse cases come to conclusions

Los Angeles Times: "A man who recruited destitute HIV patients to be straw purchasers in a prescription drug scheme was convicted by a federal jury Tuesday in Los Angeles. Nathaniel Newhouse, 53, showed no expression as the verdict was read in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson." Newhouse was caught with 29 bottles of powerful painkillers two years ago. Investigators said they had a street value of up to $80,000. HIV patients arranged for doctors to prescribe the drugs, which were passed on to Newhouse (Glover, 5/19).

20 May 2010

Democrats debating how to handle Medicare 'doc fix,' COBRA subsidy extension

Some Democrats are concerned that adding a Medicare physician payment "fix" to tax legislation will add to the debt and are considering dropping the provision.

20 May 2010

Queensland nurses to protest the still continuing payment errors

In a new development regarding the recent Queensland Health payroll errors the department's payroll services director Janette Jones was reportedly moved out of her role following complaints about her handling of the whole issue. There has been massive payroll bungles that have lead to thousands of health care staff underpaid, overpaid or not paid after the introduction of a new computerized system of payment this March.

19 May 2010

Lawsuit fears hinder physician adoption of medical innovations

According to a new national survey on defensive medicine by Jackson Healthcare, the threat of a lawsuit causes many physicians to delay the adoption of medical innovations. More than half (53%) of survey respondents reported they had delayed adopting medical innovations such as new pharmaceuticals, procedures and medical devices due to fear of litigation.

19 May 2010