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First Edition: April 2, 2010

Today's headlines highlight President Obama's speech yesterday in Maine, during which he continued stumping for the new health reform law and urged patience as the measure kicks in.

2 Apr 2010

PIH to acquire DRMC, signs non-binding letter of intent

Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital (PIH) and Downey Regional Medical Center (DRMC) today announced they had each signed a non-binding letter of intent with plans to execute a definitive agreement calling for PIH's acquisition of DRMC. This will bring together two not-for-profit hospitals both with long standing histories of being dedicated to providing quality care to the communities they serve. The nonbinding letter of intent would allow for the continuation of a nonprofit hospital serving the greater Downey community.

2 Apr 2010

No doughnut hole in global mail-order pharmacy

Thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010, Medicare enrollees who enter the dreaded "doughnut hole" -- the Medicare Part D coverage gap that has made seniors responsible for all their drug costs between $2,830 and $6,440 -- will save $250 in 2010. But Betterthanmedicare.com is already saving seniors thousands of dollars, because the global mail-order pharmacy has no doughnut hole.

2 Apr 2010

Findings support value of advance directives, living wills and other means of making end-of-life treatment preferences known

One in four elderly Americans require someone else to make decisions about their medical care at the end of their lives, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

2 Apr 2010

Pfizer shares details of financial relationships with U.S. healthcare professionals and researchers

Pfizer Inc. today released detailed information about how and why the company works with a range of healthcare professionals and researchers to advance patient care and develop lifesaving medicines. The information reflects payments or exchanges of value received by licensed U.S. healthcare professionals who consulted with Pfizer about the development and marketing of new medicines and helped to educate other healthcare professionals about the safe and appropriate use of its products.

2 Apr 2010

Larger taxes on soft drinks may help reduce consumption among children

Small sales taxes on soft drinks in the range currently in force in some states are insufficient to reduce consumption of soda or curb obesity among children, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

2 Apr 2010

American Career College offers new training program in health IT

American Career College President Al Nederhood today announced that it will offer an Associate of Occupational Science Degree in Health Information Technology at its Anaheim campus beginning May 2010.

2 Apr 2010

MinuteClinic launches health condition monitoring services for diabetes, asthma and high cholesterol patients

MinuteClinic, the largest provider of retail-based medical clinics in the United States, has introduced a series of convenient health condition monitoring services to help patients previously diagnosed with diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol and high blood pressure overcome the challenges of living with their conditions. Health condition monitoring is available at MinuteClinic locations in CVS/pharmacy stores in 20 states and the District of Columbia. MinuteClinic is the retail health care division of CVS Caremark (CVS).

2 Apr 2010

Passage of health reform bill promotes clinical and community prevention plans

The passage of HR 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, introduces important funding and provisions that could transform the nation's illness-oriented, reactive medical care model to a more proactive, wellness-oriented approach.

2 Apr 2010

Substantial number of older Americans need others to make decisions about end of life care

More than one in four elderly Americans lacked the capacity to make their own medical care decisions at the end of life, according to a study of 3,746 people to be published April 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

2 Apr 2010

Wireless healthcare system could reduce treatment costs and improve quality of life for diabetic patients

Online communities could easily be used to offer people with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes , wireless healthcare services via mobile phones and the internet. The approach, outlined in the International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, would reduce healthcare costs and empower many patients to manage their condition more effectively.

2 Apr 2010

DNA resources coupled to EMR systems hold potential as valuable tools for clinical research

A new study reveals an exciting potential benefit of the rapidly accumulating databases of health care information, the ability to make unprecedented links between genomic data and clinical medicine. The research, published by Cell Press in the April issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, supports the idea that large scale DNA databanks linked to electronic medical record (EMR) systems provide a valuable platform for discovering, assessing and validating associations between genes and diseases.

2 Apr 2010

'Prior approval' regulation of health insurance rates needed to ensure fair charges by insurers

Consumer Watchdog said Massachusetts' rejection today of excessive and unreasonable health insurance rate increases shows the need for effective "prior approval" rate regulation in every state to ensure that health insurers charge fair prices under national health reform legislation, which is modeled on Massachusetts' mandatory health insurance law. Massachusetts regulators recently adopted emergency prior approval regulations in anticipation of large insurance premium increases.

2 Apr 2010

Challenges facing all health professions highlight need for comprehensive policy

Now that the Administration and Congress have enacted historic health reform legislation, they must work together to establish a comprehensive and coordinated national health workforce policy to ensure health reform's successful implementation, according to Dr. Steven A Wartman, president and CEO of the Association of Academic Health Centers.

2 Apr 2010

HealthPort offers money-back guarantee for EHR software

HealthPort, a top-25 company in the healthcare information technology industry, today announced that it is providing a money-back guarantee that its Electronic Health Record (EHR) software, HealthPort EHR, will meet certification requirements for Meaningful Use as set forth in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

2 Apr 2010

University of Kentucky alumni generate $6.3 billion into Kentucky's economy

In total, 2,730 University of Kentucky College of Medicine alumni are currently practicing across the Commonwealth, generating $6.3 billion annually into Kentucky's economy and creating at least 49,140 jobs, according to UK's Office of Health Research and Development.

2 Apr 2010

2010 Internal Medicine conference at Toronto Convention Center

More than 5,000 internists (adult medicine specialists), subspecialists, medical students, and allied health professionals will meet in Toronto, Canada, for Internal Medicine 2010, the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Physicians (ACP), April 22 - 24 (Thursday - Saturday), at the Toronto Convention Center.

2 Apr 2010

Stellaris Health Network announces expiry of contract with Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield

Stellaris Health Network said today that its contract with Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield expired at midnight March 31st ending a long-standing relationship with the prominent health insurance provider that is owned by WellPoint Inc., one of the nation's largest health insurance conglomerates. The expiration follows several months of unsuccessful efforts to reach a new agreement giving the hospitals reimbursement rates that are consistent with those being paid by other health insurers in the market.

2 Apr 2010

CARF re-accredits Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's Comprehensive Acute Rehabilitation Unit

The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International recently announced that the inpatient rehabilitation program and stroke specialty program of the Comprehensive Acute Rehabilitation Unit of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital have again been re-accredited for a period of three years. The accreditation extends through February 2013.

2 Apr 2010

Loyola University Medical Center launches 'Pay-it-Forward Kidney Transplant Program'

It's extremely rare when someone asking for nothing in return steps forward at a hospital and offers to donate a kidney to a complete stranger.

2 Apr 2010

Healthcare News

First Edition: April 2, 2010

PIH to acquire DRMC, signs non-binding letter of intent

No doughnut hole in global mail-order pharmacy

Findings support value of advance directives, living wills and other means of making end-of-life treatment preferences known

Pfizer shares details of financial relationships with U.S. healthcare professionals and researchers

Larger taxes on soft drinks may help reduce consumption among children

American Career College offers new training program in health IT

MinuteClinic launches health condition monitoring services for diabetes, asthma and high cholesterol patients

Passage of health reform bill promotes clinical and community prevention plans

Substantial number of older Americans need others to make decisions about end of life care

Wireless healthcare system could reduce treatment costs and improve quality of life for diabetic patients

DNA resources coupled to EMR systems hold potential as valuable tools for clinical research

'Prior approval' regulation of health insurance rates needed to ensure fair charges by insurers

Challenges facing all health professions highlight need for comprehensive policy

HealthPort offers money-back guarantee for EHR software

University of Kentucky alumni generate $6.3 billion into Kentucky's economy

2010 Internal Medicine conference at Toronto Convention Center

Stellaris Health Network announces expiry of contract with Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield

CARF re-accredits Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's Comprehensive Acute Rehabilitation Unit

Loyola University Medical Center launches 'Pay-it-Forward Kidney Transplant Program'

Flow chemistry, AI, and NMR: A next-gen approach to scalable API production

Digital pathology and the PathoVerse: A conversation with Dr. Singh

Bioprocess Efficiency with Cell Density Monitoring

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