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Picis introduces LYNX C/Point revenue management solution for chemotherapy clinics

Picis today announced the immediate availability of an enhancement to its Picis LYNX C/Point® revenue management solution designed specifically for hospital-owned chemotherapy clinics.

9 Feb 2010

Anthem Blue Cross raises premium by 39%: HHS Secretary calls for detailed public justification

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today sent a letter to Anthem Blue Cross and called on the company to publicly justify its decision to raise premiums for its California customers by as much as 39 percent. In her letter, Sebelius notes that the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross, WellPoint Incorporated earned $2.7 billion in the last quarter of 2009.

9 Feb 2010

P4P reimbursement program does not necessarily translate to patients, says RAND study

Although the idea of pay-for-performance (P4P) is popular among healthcare policy makers and private insurers, the results do not necessarily translate to the patient.

9 Feb 2010

HCPRA seeks entries for Hollobon Award

The Health Care Public Relations Association (HCPRA) is pleased to announce this year's Call for Entries for The Hollobon Award.

9 Feb 2010

Racial disparities continue in U.S. cancer screening practices

The incidence of advanced breast cancer diagnosis among black women remained 30 percent to 90 percent higher compared to white women between 1992 and 2004, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. In addition, the disparity in the incidence of advance colorectal cancer actually widened over this time period as rates fell among whites but increased slightly among blacks.

9 Feb 2010

NPSF leads nationwide effort to strengthen partnerships between patients and healthcare providers

The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) will kick off Patient Safety Awareness Week on March 7, 2010, in a concerted effort to raise awareness of patient safety initiatives, improve the quality of health care, and strengthen alliances between patients, families and their healthcare providers.

9 Feb 2010

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center receives $300,000 grant for program delivering healthcare to underserved children

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center announced a $300,000 grant from OneWest Foundation to support the Community Outreach Assistance for Children’s Health (COACH) program. The grant will fund the delivery of free, high-quality healthcare in a mobile medical clinic that reaches out to underserved children and their families in Los Angeles.

9 Feb 2010

PM vows to provide better preventive care for cancer patients

The prime minister has pledged to introduce one-to-one support at home for all cancer patients if the government stays in power after the forthcoming general election.

9 Feb 2010

Doctors do not follow evidence-based guidelines for treating low back pain, says report

Australian general practitioners often treat patients with low back pain in a manner that does not appear to match the care endorsed by international clinical guidelines, according to a report in the February 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Feb 2010

New report identifies similarities and differences in educational preparation among nursing professions

Today, the three Colleges that regulate nursing in the Province of Alberta, the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA), the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA) and the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA), released Knowledge and Education at Entry to Nursing Practice in Alberta (2009), a report that identifies the similarities and differences in educational preparation among the nursing professions.

9 Feb 2010

Texting-on-the-go can cause fatal accidents

Siobhan Wicks was texting her roommate while walking down the stairs in her Aurora home when suddenly her world turned topsy turvy.

9 Feb 2010

New nursing education modules now available from March of Dimes

For nurses seeking up-to-date and cost-effective continuing education on the care of mothers and babies, the March of Dimes is now offering three new publications (modules).

9 Feb 2010

Poor handgrip strength linked to premature mortality, disability and other health complications in older people

Poor or declining handgrip strength in the oldest old is associated with poor survival and may be used as a tool to assess mortality, found an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj091278.pdf. The fastest growing segment of the elderly population is the group older than 85 years, classified as the oldest old.

9 Feb 2010

The anti-trust exemption for health insurers: Meaningful or not?

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jenny Gold writes about legislation to repeal this exemption. "With comprehensive health care legislation foundering in Congress, the House is turning to a narrower piece of legislation that lawmakers hope has widespread, populist appeal: repealing the antitrust exemption for health and medical liability insurers.

9 Feb 2010

Broad coalition supports inclusion of new bill in the Minnesota legislature

A measure to make roads safer and more accessible for all Minnesotans – regardless of age or ability or whether traveling by car, bus, bike or on foot – was introduced into the Minnesota legislature today. The "Complete Streets" bills, SF 2461 and HF 2801, are supported by a broad coalition of health, family, environment, senior, and transportation advocates who attended an afternoon press conference.

9 Feb 2010

Study indicates pain treatment may vary in Latino and white children post surgery

Differences might exist in the amount of pain medicine given to Latino and white children after surgery, found a new, small study in which Latino children received 30 percent less opioid analgesics (morphine or morphine-like drugs) than white children did.

9 Feb 2010

Seven-day exercise plan for reducing cancer risk

Being active for at least 30 minutes every day reduces your risk of developing some types of cancer. Fitness experts at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have designed an exclusive exercise plan based on this evidence that will fit into almost anyone's lifestyle.

9 Feb 2010

Analysts: If health reform fails, expect more industry mergers

BusinessWeek: "With Congress' sweeping overhaul of the health system stalled, industry will seek its own answers to a push by government and the private sector to rein in costs, said Curtis Lane, senior managing director at MTS Health Partners, a New York-based equity fund."

9 Feb 2010

State health policy developments: Doctor shortages, hospital taxes, California insurance crackdown

The Los Angeles Times: "At a time when nearly 7 million Californians are uninsured, state regulators are trying to rein in discount health and dental plans that officials say frequently overstate benefits, offer little if any savings and promise access to doctors who aren't part of the system. Some of the discounters fraudulently market themselves as insurance, while preying on the poor, the elderly and others who urgently need care, officials say. ... Plan executives bristle at such criticism. They say a few bad apples have tarnished an industry that offers reliable -- and relatively inexpensive -- services.

9 Feb 2010

Texas court case and Florida web site raise questions about effectiveness of physician oversight

A Texas court case reveals gaps in physician oversight, The New York Times reports. "It was beyond [Anne Mitchell's] conception that she would be indicted and threatened with 10 years in prison for doing what she knew a nurse must: inform state regulators that a doctor at her rural hospital was practicing bad medicine." Mitchell was first jailed in June and will stand trial this week for "misuse of official information, a third-degree felony in Texas," after reporting a physician for using unorthodox procedures - some of which went awry - and practicing in an operating room where he did not have privileges.

9 Feb 2010

Healthcare News

Picis introduces LYNX C/Point revenue management solution for chemotherapy clinics

Anthem Blue Cross raises premium by 39%: HHS Secretary calls for detailed public justification

P4P reimbursement program does not necessarily translate to patients, says RAND study

HCPRA seeks entries for Hollobon Award

Racial disparities continue in U.S. cancer screening practices

NPSF leads nationwide effort to strengthen partnerships between patients and healthcare providers

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center receives $300,000 grant for program delivering healthcare to underserved children

PM vows to provide better preventive care for cancer patients

Doctors do not follow evidence-based guidelines for treating low back pain, says report

New report identifies similarities and differences in educational preparation among nursing professions

Texting-on-the-go can cause fatal accidents

New nursing education modules now available from March of Dimes

Poor handgrip strength linked to premature mortality, disability and other health complications in older people

The anti-trust exemption for health insurers: Meaningful or not?

Broad coalition supports inclusion of new bill in the Minnesota legislature

Study indicates pain treatment may vary in Latino and white children post surgery

Seven-day exercise plan for reducing cancer risk

Analysts: If health reform fails, expect more industry mergers

State health policy developments: Doctor shortages, hospital taxes, California insurance crackdown

Texas court case and Florida web site raise questions about effectiveness of physician oversight

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

Bioprocess Efficiency with Cell Density Monitoring

Exploring electron microscopy for plant and microbial imaging at the John Innes Centre

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