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Clout of drug industry seen in MD residency programs and in health reform

News outlets report on the pharmaceutical industry's involvement in doctor training and its role in shaping the health care overhauls pending in Congress.

24 Feb 2010

Obama builds on Senate health bill in hopes of broader support

President Barack Obama's health care proposal, an effort to resuscitate the debate, merges the separate legislation passed in the Senate and House "into a final version that could pass muster in both chambers," The Washington Post reports.

24 Feb 2010

The White House weighed political risks in health plan calculation

The Washington Post: "The president's proposal is striking for the extent to which it hews to the basic scale and framework of the bills on which Congress has toiled for months. That decision -- to go big one last time, rather than small -- emerged quickly inside the White House after senior advisers to President Obama concluded privately that his goals for comprehensive changes to the health-care system could not be done piecemeal" (Kornblut and Shear, 2/23).

24 Feb 2010

InfoLogix, CareTrends Systems join to deliver advanced patient care and decrease costs for hospitals across North America

InfoLogix, Inc., a leading technology provider of enterprise mobility solutions for the healthcare and commercial industries, and CareTrends Systems, a leading vital sign integration and intelligence software company, today announced a strategic partnership to help deliver advanced patient care and decrease costs for hospitals across North America.

24 Feb 2010

Doubts, questions loom over planned bipartisan health summit

More reactions to President Obama's health proposal are trickling in from Capital Hill, as the White House attempts to parry Republican criticism by asking GOP lawmakers to put their own plan on the table.

24 Feb 2010

Government, with billions in loans, bets electronic medical records can improve care

The New York Times reports that electronic health records hold potential for major improvements in health outcomes for patients as the federal government puts a renewed emphasis on implementing and digitizing patients' information. "President Obama's economic stimulus included $19.2 billion for health information technology, and a number of hospital systems around the country are taking advantage of this financial incentive and investing their own money to foster the creation and use of electronic records that are expected to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of medical care."

23 Feb 2010

Jobs bill missing Medicaid money for states, governors call for change

The $15 billion jobs bill that passed the Senate Monday does not include additional matching funds for state Medicaid programs, but governors are continuing to ask for its inclusion as they look for other ways to plus state budget holes made from Medicaid liabilities.

23 Feb 2010

Timely treatment and rehabilitation key to proper healing

Sometimes athletes can be their own worst enemy especially when they continue to play following an injury to a foot or ankle. Surgeons presenting at the Annual Scientific Conference of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) today are discussing athletic injuries and the importance of proper diagnosis, prompt treatment, and full healing and rehabilitation.

23 Feb 2010

EHSI: Health stocks gain after federal decision on payments

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. voiced encouragement from the climb of healthcare stocks on Monday after a federal announcement on Medicare payment rates - helping offset any worries about a White House proposal to regulate premiums.

23 Feb 2010

Trial for lawsuit against Anthem Blue Cross begins in California

The insurer "refused to pay for" customer Ephram Nehme "to get a liver transplant in Indiana because the company wanted to save money, a lawyer for the patient told jurors Monday," the Los Angeles Times reports. "But a lawyer for the state's largest for-profit insurer argued that the patient, Ephram Nehme, was not sick enough to qualify for an exception to his policy's requirement that transplants be performed in Blue Cross-contracted hospitals in California.

23 Feb 2010

AMA calls for fix to Medicare's doctor payments

With a sizable cut to Medicare physician payments taking effect in just one week, the American Medical Association is seeking clarity from Congress on its plan of action to stop the 21.2% reduction.

23 Feb 2010

Access Systems awarded $3.5M contract to support HHS FTS2001-Networx Transition Program Management Office

Access Systems, Inc. (ACCESS), an information technology (IT) solutions provider, has been awarded a $3.5M contract by GSA's National Capital Region to support the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) FTS2001-Networx Transition Program Management Office. ACCESS and team partner, BCCP Consulting, LLC, will assist HHS to conduct Fair Opportunity for selecting the Networx vendors that will provide telecommunications and associated professional services to the HHS OPDIVs.

23 Feb 2010

NCC, Pfizer provide over 10M units of ReFacto Antihemophilic Factor to underserved hemophilia patients

The National Cancer Coalition (NCC) is pleased to announce its recent collaboration with Pfizer, Inc to provide hemophilia medicines to underserved patients in the developing world. To date, NCC has received more than 10 million international units of ReFacto® Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), a therapy used for the treatment and prevention of bleeding in people with hemophilia A, to assist patients who otherwise would have little opportunity for adequate treatment. The value of this donation is more than $13 million, and it will help many hundreds of hemophilia patients around the world.

23 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 23, 2010

Today's headlines focus on President Obama's revamped health reform proposal, what it includes and how Democrats, Republicans and the insurers are reacting to it.

23 Feb 2010

Connecticut policy makers providing cost effective dental care to children, says report

Connecticut is a national leader in addressing the dental health needs of its children, according to a report released by the Pew Center on the States. The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children, released with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the DentaQuest Foundation, grades each state's policy responses to the urgent challenges in dental health among America's children.

23 Feb 2010

Prevention of preterm birth and stillbirth: Global collaborative efforts needed

A new report identifies the enormous global impact of preterm birth and stillbirth—and what can be done to decrease it. Globally, an estimated 13 million babies are born preterm each year. Newborn deaths now account for more than 42 percent of mortality in children under the age of five, a rise from 37 percent in the year 2000. Additionally, an estimated 3.2 million are stillborn each year, and many of these losses are linked to maternal deaths.

23 Feb 2010

USPSTF mammography recommendations: Avon Foundation for Women survey confirms states denying coverage

A recent Avon Foundation for Women survey confirms what the American College of Radiology and other experts warned would happen: states are using deeply flawed and widely discredited U.S. Preventative Services Task Force mammography recommendations to deny women coverage for mammograms, and many women are foregoing long proven, life-saving mammography care based on the mistaken USPSTF recommendations.

23 Feb 2010

Senior-services funding needs a higher priority, finds Pennsylvania Poll

In a new statewide poll released by PANPHA, which conducted a head-to-head comparison of the state's most important issues, Pennsylvanians believe senior care services should be one of the top funding priorities, placing it ahead of roads and bridges, environmental programs and the arts.

23 Feb 2010

Healthland's EMR solution product enhancements to be showcased at 2010 HIMSS Conference

Healthland, America's market leader of healthcare information solutions for small community and critical access hospitals, today announced it will exhibit at the 2010 Annual HIMSS Conference and Exhibit, March 1- 4, 2010, in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center. At the event, Healthland will conduct product demonstrations including its new Emergency Department Information System and Healthland Analytics, report results from a recent customer survey about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and meaningful use, and announce recent client success stories.

23 Feb 2010

Innovative 3-D interactive anatomy learning tools

Elsevier, the world's leading content provider of science and health information, today announced the availability of the InteractElsevier Series. Powered by CyberAnatomy, an Iowa-based company that creates interactive learning systems for students, the innovative 3-D interactive anatomy series applies advanced gaming technology to reviewing, learning and teaching anatomy. InteractElsevier has two levels of offerings - Web interactive (online) and virtual reality (stereoscopic).

23 Feb 2010