Healthcare News

RSS

Twenty nations meet in Montreal to discuss Haiti recovery; Haitian officials increase Port-Au-Prince death toll estimate

Officials from 20 countries are meeting in Montreal, Canada, Monday "to discuss long-term reconstruction and arrangements for a donor conference to be held in March," the U.N. said, Bloomberg reports (Gaouette/Craze, 1/25). "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and others will examine eventual debt forgiveness and" a strategy for rebuilding Haiti at the one-day gathering, according to Reuters (Palmer, 1/25).

27 Jan 2010

Hoyer: Options to advance health reform have 'pluses and minuses'

The Washington Post / Reuters: In a National Press Club speech today, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., outlined various options including that of not passing a bill. "The Democratic leader said another option would be to try to pass a scaled-backed measure 'that will make modest improvements for Americans, assuming Republicans want to work with us.'

27 Jan 2010

Regrouping Democrats consider next steps on health overhaul

Democrats are trying to regain health reform momentum during the week of the president's State of the Union address.

27 Jan 2010

APHA urges Congress to press ahead and send comprehensive health reform legislation to the president

The American Public Health Association today urged Congress to press ahead and send comprehensive health reform legislation to the president in the coming weeks.

27 Jan 2010

Number of Americans in excellent or good health has declined

The New York Times reports on health in the U.S. "The percentage of people who reported having excellent or very good health declined to 66.6 percent in the 2009 period, from 69.1 percent in 1998.

27 Jan 2010

Democratic leaders still pondering reconciliation pros and cons for health bill

Congressional Democrats are facing a critical decision about whether to use the procedural maneuver known as budget reconciliation to pass a health care reform bill, The New York Times reports.

27 Jan 2010

Doctors react to recent health overhaul developments

Some doctors are already living in a post-health-reform world because of their own initiatives, including efforts to control costs and improve the quality of care, reports The (Riverside, Calif.) Press-Enterprise.

27 Jan 2010

Commissions to examine paring costs from Medicaid, Medicare

Medicaid payments are coming under review by a new commission, American Medical News reports. "MACPAC was created by a provision of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, signed by President Obama in February 2009. The act instructs the panel to examine the effect of Medicaid pay and other factors on the access and quality of care received by Medicaid and CHIP enrollees." Kaiser Family Foundation executive Diane Rowland will chair the panel. The panel has not yet gained federal funding (Trapp, 1/25).

27 Jan 2010

Bayh urges Dems to move to the center; Nelson says he cannot support national exchange

The Wall Street Journal: "Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, the very embodiment of calm understatement, seems an unlikely character to play the role of scold. But in recent weeks—particularly after last week's Massachusetts mauling—he has been scolding his Democratic Party, and sternly.

27 Jan 2010

Health IT money secured, but program faces challenges

Washington has channeled billions of dollars to help hospitals and doctors adopt electronic medical records, but obstacles remain on the horizon. One possible challenge is that no entity has yet been named to "test and certify" the records, Modern Healthcare reports. Nonetheless, one group, The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, will begin taking applications Feb. 12 from health IT vendors to do just that. The group fulfilled the certifying function for much of the Bush administration and gained the confidence of then-HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt.

27 Jan 2010

Doctors delay talking about end-of-life care

A study published this month finds doctors delay talking about end-of-life care, which often proves very costly. The Los Angeles Times reports: "Most doctors don't talk about end-of-life issues with their cancer patients when those patients are feeling well, a new survey has found." Physicians also tended to delay these conversations "until treatments have been exhausted. Those delays mean patients might not be able to make truly informed choices early in their treatment.

27 Jan 2010

As state legislatures gear up, federal health overhaul is on their agenda

The New York Times Prescriptions Blog: "The question of equality, or inequality, among states is a major reason President Obama's overhaul of the health care system, and the legislation in Congress to make it happen, seemed to reach the brink of collapse last week." The issue also reflects "one of the biggest challenges" the President and Congressional leaders face in their efforts to overhaul the health care system. The key question: "how to devise a national solution for a problem that varies sharply from state to state."

27 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 25, 2010

Today's news begins to set the scene for the President's upcoming State of the Union address, and provides continuing coverage of Democrats' efforts to regroup on health reform.

25 Jan 2010

Beyond Pay-for-Performance: A free Webinar to help hospitals improve patient care

Attend the free Webinar, "Beyond Pay-for-Performance," and learn how today's national performance improvement efforts are helping hospitals improve patient care and reduce costs - and discover the tactics and strategies behind top-performing hospitals and health systems.

25 Jan 2010

American Red Cross, NECN and Comcast team up for blood drive campaign

For the sixth year in a row, the American Red Cross, NECN and Comcast have joined together to help patients in need by increasing the blood supply and raising awareness about the ongoing need for blood donors.

25 Jan 2010

CEO Cancer Gold Standard: Four organizations receive accreditation

The American Cancer Society’s Mid-South Division, LiDestri Foods, MDU Resources Group, Inc. and WCA Hospital have received CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ accreditation, recognizing the commitment of these organizations to taking concrete actions to reduce the cancer risk of employees and their families through screenings, early detection, and healthy changes in lifestyle.

25 Jan 2010

Ministerial Preparatory Conference on Haiti: Canadian Red Cross announces participation

Canadian Red Cross Secretary General and CEO Conrad Sauvé is pleased to represent the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) at the Ministerial Preparatory Conference on Haiti in Montreal on Jan. 25, 2010.

25 Jan 2010

Blood donors extend their life-saving gifts to help Haiti's earthquake victims

New York Blood Center (NYBC), serving New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, will donate one dollar to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for each blood donation made from January 25-31.

25 Jan 2010

Low-cost ventilators for healthcare emergencies

A group of UK anaesthetists have designed and tested three prototype low-cost ventilators that could provide vital support during major healthcare emergencies involving large numbers of patients or casualties. The devices, detailed in a paper published online by Anaesthesia, could also be used where resources are limited, such as in developing countries, remote locations or by the military.

25 Jan 2010

Proposal for NHI to be the most significant development in South Africa's healthcare sector in 2010

The proposal for a National Health Insurance (NHI) was without doubt the most significant development in South Africa's healthcare sector in 2010. The aim of the NHI is to create universal healthcare coverage for all the country's citizens.

25 Jan 2010