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Canada commemorates National Nursing Week

The theme of this year's National Nursing Week - Nursing: You Can't Live Without It! - reflects the value of the profession to the health system and celebrates the largest group of health-care providers in Canada who, each day, make important personal and professional contributions to the health and lives of Canadians.

10 May 2010

AARP and coalition group urge Governor to enact legislation

Legislation that will bring a sweeping reform to the way in which for-profit nursing homes operate in Illinois and that will greatly improve the quality of care and safety for institutionalized residents passed the State Senate today, and is on its way to the Governor's desk.

10 May 2010

New e-health scheme could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars: report

In an analysis just released it is revealed that with an effective health IT system in place Australia would save up to 5,000 deaths and prevent two million GP and outpatient visits and 310,000 hospital admissions. This can also save up to $7.6bn in health costs annually. The savings would include $2.6 bn each year in medication errors, $2.3bn from improved care and prevention. There will be a reduction in unnecessary lab tests by more than 7.3 million, X rays by over 3 million.

9 May 2010

GP practices to get funds to employ full time nurses

There are nearly 40 percent GP practices in Australia who do not employ the services of a trained nurse. Authorities believe that there are 441,000 unnecessary hospital admissions each year only because of inability of patients to manage their chronic diseases due to lack of knowledge, or their inability to get adequate follow up care.

9 May 2010

Texas CHIP program faces budget uncertainties while Arizona Governor restores funds for health care programs for the poor

Seven years ago, state leaders working to close a $9.9 billion budget gap took a hatchet to government health insurance for children of the working poor. Thousands of children paid the price when officials tightened eligibility rules and whacked dental, vision and mental health benefits. Gradually, benefits were restored to the Children's Health Insurance Program and, this month, enrollment reached roughly the same level as in 2003.

7 May 2010

PCMA releases statement on PBM Audit Reform and Transparency Act of 2010

Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have pioneered tools - including incentivizing the use of generic medications, e-prescribing, and mail-service pharmacies - that improve savings, access, and safety for consumers and payers. Since the key to access is affordability, payers and policymakers alike should explore broader use of PBMs' cost-savings tools and reject approaches that make prescription drugs more expensive.

7 May 2010

States consider action on health care reform

State leaders around America are considering their options in complying with or challenging the new health law.

7 May 2010

IBM to analyze best way to cut childhood obesity

IBM "will put computer models to work analyzing the reams of available data on the different factors that might affect obesity - things such as consumer behavior, the location of grocery stores, the availability of physical activity facilities and even community transportation options - and see how those factors interact.

7 May 2010

New report: Evaluation of Biomarkers and Surrogate Endpoints in Chronic Disease

Claims about the health benefits of foods and nutritional supplements have proliferated in recent years, most of them based on studies measuring ingredients' effects on biomarkers as substitutes for actual clinical outcomes.

7 May 2010

Guidance on selection of POCT devices based on patient care setting, clinical needs

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recently published "Selection Criteria for Point-of-Care Testing Devices; Approved Guideline". This document provides guidance on selection of point-of-care testing devices based on the patient care setting and clinical needs.

7 May 2010

Hospitals' financial woes cause shake-ups in three cities

"Some doctors from St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan fear they won't be covered for malpractice insurance for care they provided while on staff before the hospital's demise. They believe the failed institution has a legal obligation to continue to provide the coverage. The doctors fear they may have to buy their own medical malpractice coverage for the next several years, policies they say can cost $40,000 a year when purchased individually" (Sataline, 5/7).

7 May 2010

Guardian, MHA collaborate to raise awareness about depression, disability

In the face of historically high unemployment, record home foreclosures and a volatile economy, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, an industry leader in group and individual disability insurance, is collaborating with Mental Health America in a groundbreaking effort to raise awareness about depression as a common cause of disability.

7 May 2010

Physicians saying no more often to drug reps

A report out Thursday on the accessibility of doctors to pharmaceutical reps showed that fewer physicians are letting reps visit them. "The number of physicians who were 'rep-accessible,' defined as meeting with at least 70% of salespeople who come calling, dropped by 18% from last year, according to sales and marketing consultants ZS Associates."

7 May 2010

S2S hosts students from Newark Science Park High School for a day of hands-on science

Students 2 Science, Inc. hosted students from Newark Science Park High School for a day of hands-on science as part of its year-long "Supercharged Science" program.

7 May 2010

Today's opinions and editorials: Health reform's paperwork and accountability in Medicare

Without the support of the AMA it is quite possible that the health-care reform initiative would have failed. So why the effort to silence other doctors? (Hal Scherz, 5/7).

7 May 2010

ONA's registered nurses, allied health professionals to celebrate Nursing Week 2010

The Ontario Nurses' Association's 55,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals will be celebrating Nursing Week 2010 with a range of events and activities to recognize their special contributions to health care.

7 May 2010

House panel may stall action on health pricing disclosure bills

Proposals to make the price of health care services and products more transparent to consumers has attracted bipartisan support on a House panel, but the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., would not say whether he would allow such legislation to move forward. Having just passed the health overhaul legislation, Pallone said he thought Congress should devote energy to initiatives "outside of health care" (McCarthy, 5/7).

7 May 2010

Health overhaul proving to be difficult issue for Democrats and Republicans

Regardless of a candidate's party, "health care reform is treacherous campaign territory." Voter opinion, in a series of polls from Quinnipiac University Polling Center, shows the difficulties for both Democrats and Republicans.

7 May 2010

Kent State University receives four-year, $2.7M grant to study cognitive status of heart failure patients

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $2.7-million grant to Kent State University for a collaborative research project with Case Western Reserve University School of Nursing, Summa Health System in Akron and University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland to study cognitive impairment in heart failure patients.

7 May 2010

MFA reports continued growth in number of new policies issued

The latest Medicare Supplement membership figures show continued growth in the number of new policies being issued, according to Mark Farrah Associates. The number of policies issued in the last three years increased by 1.25% in 2009 when compared to the 2008 base. Growth slacked off somewhat compared to 2008 when carriers had experienced 2.67% growth in new policies. Nonetheless, this is encouraging as Medigap carriers are positioning to introduce new Plans M and N on June 1, 2010.

7 May 2010