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Preventive care, illegal immigrants and other health law notes

Reports continue to explore elements of the health reform debate such as the politically contentious issue of illegal immigrants' coverage, health care coverage for young adults, disease prevention and the next tanning-salon tax.

6 Apr 2010

Web-based version of Point of Care Guidelines launched

The Clinical Practice Model Resource Center, an Elsevier company and leader in developing clinical practice guidelines for healthcare, today launched its first Web-based version of Point of Care Guidelines(TM).

6 Apr 2010

Officials focus on inequalities in medical research

"After years of individual cancer centers exploring ways to recruit more people from minority populations for cancer studies, $3.8 million in federal stimulus money has been awarded to five institutions — including M.D. Anderson (Cancer Center at the University of Texas) — to work on the issue together for the next two years. The National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health, funded the project."

6 Apr 2010

World Health Day to focus on making cities healthier

As part of this year's World Health Day, the WHO on Wednesday will launch a program to encourage cities to become more healthy to help mitigate the health risks associated with rapid urbanization, Agence France Presse/Inquirer.net Global Nation reports.

6 Apr 2010

Some Democrats facing resistance at home - from both sides - for health reform votes

Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., "a first-term Democrat in a Republican district, was one of just eight House members who switched their votes from 'no' to 'yes' when President Obama's health-care bill finally passed Congress.

6 Apr 2010

APHA survey: 85% Americans are taking steps towards healthier living

Eighty-five percent of Americans characterize their lifestyle as somewhat or very healthy, according to a survey released today by the American Public Health Association.

6 Apr 2010

Health IT funding raises security concerns; Some hospitals face barrier to funding

"Two big questions yet to be answered with electronic health records are: Do they save money? And can they be made 100 percent secure? The verdict is still out on both. The thought of one's personal medical information being just a computer click away does not sit well with many consumers." The paper reviews several surveys from last year to note that "security is on everyone's mind" (Smith, 4/5).

6 Apr 2010

60 Minutes examines PEPFAR in Uganda

CBS News' 60 Minutes reports from Uganda about how PEPFAR has helped people living with HIV/AIDS throughout the country and the challenges Uganda still faces in fighting the spread of the virus. The show includes interviews with Peter Mugyenyi of the Joint Clinical Research Center in Kampala, Uganda, and other doctors on the ground, who discuss how HIV-positive children and adults are alive today as a result of PEPFAR and how the program has helped to improve the way Africans view the United States.

5 Apr 2010

Mass. municipalities could be hard hit by Cadillac tax

The Boston Globe: "Massachusetts municipalities that offer employees, retirees, and elected officials the most generous and costly health insurance plans will feel the squeeze of the new national health care law's tax on 'Cadillac' insurance plans. A family health plan that costs more than $27,500 would be subject to a 40 percent tax on every dollar spent above that threshold.

5 Apr 2010

Traces of many medicines found in fish swimming in treated waste water

Researchers at Ume- University and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered that traces of many medicines can be found in fish that have been swimming in treated waste water. One such medicine, the hormone levonorgestrel, was found in higher concentrations in the blood of fish than in women who take the contraceptive pill. Elevated levels of this hormone can lead to infertility in fish.

5 Apr 2010

ASN, Autism South Africa partner to promote autism education and support

Autism Support Network and Autism South Africa today announced a partnership to foster autism education and support across South Africa and internationally. Autism Support Network will promote Autism South Africa's ongoing informational programs across the nine South African provinces and highlight its resources.

5 Apr 2010

Ameritas Group adds over 22,000 access points to dental network

Ameritas Group announced today it has added more than 22,000 access points to the Ameritas dental network, bringing the total network size to more than 130,000 access points.

5 Apr 2010

States, hospital systems puzzling over possible effects of health reform

The Los Angeles Times: "Over the next decade, many of [the new health law's] consequences will play out at places like St. Joe's, a 431-bed nonprofit hospital founded by the Sisters of Providence in 1943, and in surrounding community clinics."

5 Apr 2010

Health law may worsen primary care doctor shortage

NPR: "The new health bill signed by President Obama includes an incentive for doctors to serve the poorest patients by increasing their federal Medicaid payments. This could be quite a significant inducement, as an additional 16 million people are expected to join the Medicaid rolls in the next 10 years."

5 Apr 2010

Washington, D.C, hosts 7th Annual World Health Care Congress

With the most sweeping changes to national health care policy now law, the 7th World Health Care Congress will feature the first post-reform gathering of the nation's top health care executives from all industry sectors.

5 Apr 2010

Today's Opinions and Editorials: Implementation of reform, questions of constitutionality and more on the individual mandate

The wisest course now is to replace the new health care law with immediate insurance reforms and step-by-step reductions in health care costs so that more Americans can afford to buy insurance (Sen. Lamar Alexander, 4/3).

5 Apr 2010

Aris Global introduces solution suite for integrating data from EDC and clinical safety

Aris Global, a leading provider of software solutions for the life sciences industry, today introduced Total Clinical 2.0, an integrated solution suite designed to help life science organizations enter clinical safety data once and share seamlessly across their enterprise. Total Clinical is available on a hosted, managed platform and includes a full range of delivery and support services.

5 Apr 2010

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota announces opening of new Cardiovascular Center

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is opening a new world-class Cardiovascular Center—the only one of its kind in the Upper Midwest—that integrates all pediatric cardiac services in one location. The new Cardiovascular Center reflects Children's dedication to family-centered care with all private patient rooms with the latest in technology for both the patient and care team, a state-of-the-art hybrid operating room, and 24/7 access to specially trained cardiac intensivists to ensure the best possible care for patients.

5 Apr 2010

Few veterans seek review of disability rating, panel finds

"Only a small fraction of wounded veterans who could get better benefits have applied in the two years since Congress, acting on concerns the military was cutting costs by downplaying injuries, ordered the Pentagon to review disputed claims," The Associated Press reports.

5 Apr 2010

Conference to combat health care fraud

With estimates of annual losses as much as $230 billion and legitimate costs also skyrocketing, the US health care industry is now looking to better control the impact of fraud. And with the ever-growing amount of data involving health care claims, new automated fraud-fighting capabilities are absolutely required.

5 Apr 2010