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Health companies criticized for deceptive marketing while Anthem rate hikes continue to draw attention

"Minnesota's attorney general on Wednesday sued two Texas companies she said falsely represented their discounted health care plans as medical insurance to thousands of customers," The Associated Press/Washington Post report.

11 Feb 2010

WellPoint defends 39% premium hike in letter to Sebelius

The Associated Press/Washington Post: WellPoint, the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross "is blaming the Great Recession and rising medical costs for its planned 39 percent rate increase for some California customers of its Anthem Blue Cross plan. But Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius isn't buying the explanation proffered in a letter delivered to her" today.

11 Feb 2010

Coalition group calls for bigger FDA budget

The Los Angeles Times reports that when the president's budget was announced, calling for an increase in the FDA's budget, "a coalition of public interest advocates, patient groups and healthcare industry interests regulated by the FDA had a swift response: It's not enough. 'We are disappointed in the president's budget request and ... will seek to increase' the budget, said Steven Grossman, deputy executive director of Alliance for a Stronger FDA.

11 Feb 2010

Calif. budget cuts will hit adult day care centers, prison health care; Texas and Kansas weigh Medicaid cuts

Under the most recent cost-saving budget proposals, 327 adult day healthcare centers throughout California would be eliminated. Cuts could save the state $135 million in fiscal 2011, state projections show.

11 Feb 2010

AMA unhappy with Senate plan for Medicare 'doc fix'

The American Medical Association is criticizing "a Senate plan for avoiding a proposed 21 percent cut in government payments to physicians who treat the elderly, calling the proposal a 'Band-Aid' measure," Bloomberg/BusinessWeek reports.

11 Feb 2010

Lack of provider status denies radiation oncologists authority to make decisions based on patient safety and treatment accuracy

Our members deeply regret the needless tragedies outlined in the Times articles and express our sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones and witnessed their suffering. Our hearts also go out to all others whose lives have been impacted by these tragedies including therapists, physicians and physicists. We feel that, as radiation oncology professionals, we are all, directly or indirectly, responsible for these disastrous treatment errors and we therefore must, in future, take a more active role to assure episodes like these are never repeated.

11 Feb 2010

Nurse files anonymous complaint with medical board against doctor: Jury hears evidence over misuse of complaint process

Today a jury in West Texas is hearing evidence that a nurse, acting in bad faith, tried to run a doctor out of town by filing an anonymous complaint with the Texas Medical Board. The case is Texas v. Mitchell, No. 5612 (Andrews County, Texas, presiding Judge Jim Rex).

11 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 11, 2010

Today's headlines raise interesting questions for health reform, including whether Sen. Judd Gregg can play an important role in finding bipartisanship.

11 Feb 2010

Akron Institute of Herzing University introduces bachelor's degree programs on health care and health information management

The Akron Institute of Herzing University announced today that it is launching its first bachelor's degree programs in its 40-year history.

11 Feb 2010

Oral hygiene: Insights

Oral health is often the window to your overall health. Evidence has supported the link between poor oral health and such conditions as stroke, premature birth and diabetes. Other conditions, such as HIV/AIDS and osteoporosis may show preliminary signs in your mouth, before other areas of the body are affected. Also, some of your daily activities or habits can affect your oral health. Therefore, it's wise to pay attention to your teeth and gums.

11 Feb 2010

Toshiba America Medical Systems' cardiovascular X-ray service receives top ranking

As health care facilities today seek the best value in imaging and customer service, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.’s Service organization strives to deliver top-tier service and customer satisfaction. The result of this dedication was once again confirmed by IMV, Ltd., which provides independent analysis of service trends in the imaging industry. In IMV’s 2009 ServiceTrak™ Imaging report on cardiovascular X-ray system service, Toshiba received more top rankings than any other imaging vendor.

11 Feb 2010

MHQP: Massachusetts primary care physicians achieve measurable improvements in health care quality

Massachusetts primary care physicians continue to achieve measurable improvements in important aspects of health care quality as reported by Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP). Today, the organization released its sixth annual Quality Insights: Clinical Quality in Primary Care report, comparing the performance of more than 150 medical groups across the state.

11 Feb 2010

HBA panel to discuss changing landscape of healthcare

“The Changing Landscape of Healthcare”—panel discussions presented by the Southern California HBA—will feature many of the region’s healthcare industry leaders. Separate panel discussions will be held in Orange County (Feb. 15) and San Diego (Feb. 18).

11 Feb 2010

Healthcare for detained immigrants: Language barriers, costs, and government and institutional perceptions

Over 300,000 immigrants a year are detained by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE), a branch of the Department of Homeland Security. These immigrants are held at facilities run by, or under contract with, USICE. In recent years, studies by community-based organizations, the government, and the media have identified systemic deficiencies in the provision of healthcare to immigrant detainees and have described incidents of inadequate medical treatment, suffering and, in some cases, death.

11 Feb 2010

Nontraditional companies to help reshape healthcare marketplace

Information technology (IT) companies, large retailers, and telecommunication firms are strategically poised to capitalize on rapid changes taking place in health care, and pharmaceutical companies are increasingly looking for innovative ways to collaborate with these new players to reach and improve outcomes for patients.

11 Feb 2010

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Foundation to transform junk food culture and reduce incidence of obesity

Celebrated British chef and food activist Jamie Oliver announced his 2010 TED Prize "wish to change the world" moments ago on the first day of the annual TED conference.

11 Feb 2010

Altarum Institute re-vamps Health Policy Forum “blog” for 2010

Altarum Institute, a nonprofit health systems research and consulting organization, has re-vamped its Health Policy Forum “blog” for 2010. With a fresh look and new content, the blog is now tailored to the interests of journalists and health policy experts looking for thought-provoking commentary and analysis of the most pressing issues in health care today.

11 Feb 2010

Sermo physician community discusses refusal to accept Medicare pricing

Sermo, the world's largest online community for physicians, today announced its weekly hot topic. More than 500 physicians participated in a Sermo post "FTC - Refusal to accept Medicare pricing = Price Fixing." The discussion focuses on a complaint from the FTC that the Roaring Fork Valley Physicians IPA, by refusing to accept Medicare price controls, violated anti-trust laws. The announcement prompted strong reaction among many physicians who argue they should be able to accept or decline payment terms, like any other profession.

11 Feb 2010

Registered nurses conduct joint informational picketing to protest against changes in RN staffing levels

The registered nurses of Boston Medical Center's East Newton Campus and Tufts Medical Center, who are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, are taking the unprecedented step of conducting joint informational picketing outside their respective facilities on Feb. 11, 2010 to protest what they believe are dangerous changes in RN staffing levels, which will result in nurses caring for too many patients at one time and could compromise the quality of patient care.

11 Feb 2010

McKesson releases latest version of Lytec EHR and practice management solutions

To help physician practices improve workflow, cash flow and patient care, McKesson has released the latest and fastest versions of its trusted Lytec® electronic health record (EHR) and practice management solutions, used by thousands of doctors nationwide. The updated Lytec® MD is a seamlessly combined CCHIT-certified EHR and practice management system that features Bright Note Technology™, a proprietary chart automation function. It also features Lytec® Connect, designed to enable the secure electronic delivery of patient data across care settings.

11 Feb 2010

Healthcare News

Health companies criticized for deceptive marketing while Anthem rate hikes continue to draw attention

WellPoint defends 39% premium hike in letter to Sebelius

Coalition group calls for bigger FDA budget

Calif. budget cuts will hit adult day care centers, prison health care; Texas and Kansas weigh Medicaid cuts

AMA unhappy with Senate plan for Medicare 'doc fix'

Lack of provider status denies radiation oncologists authority to make decisions based on patient safety and treatment accuracy

Nurse files anonymous complaint with medical board against doctor: Jury hears evidence over misuse of complaint process

First Edition: February 11, 2010

Akron Institute of Herzing University introduces bachelor's degree programs on health care and health information management

Oral hygiene: Insights

Toshiba America Medical Systems' cardiovascular X-ray service receives top ranking

MHQP: Massachusetts primary care physicians achieve measurable improvements in health care quality

HBA panel to discuss changing landscape of healthcare

Healthcare for detained immigrants: Language barriers, costs, and government and institutional perceptions

Nontraditional companies to help reshape healthcare marketplace

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Foundation to transform junk food culture and reduce incidence of obesity

Altarum Institute re-vamps Health Policy Forum “blog” for 2010

Sermo physician community discusses refusal to accept Medicare pricing

Registered nurses conduct joint informational picketing to protest against changes in RN staffing levels

McKesson releases latest version of Lytec EHR and practice management solutions

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The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

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