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Majority of Canadians living with diabetes do not receive all clinical tests from health providers

While most Canadian adults living with diabetes get regular care, they are not always getting all of the clinically recommended tests they require to prevent health complications.

4 Dec 2009

AAHSA commends the Senate for passing Sen. Michael Bennet's amendment

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) commends the Senate for passing Sen. Michael Bennet's (D-Colo.) amendment, which reassures seniors by protecting guaranteed benefits, and strengthens Medicare by keeping savings within the program.

4 Dec 2009

Caregivers are not choosing low cost plan option, says new study

A new study from Caring.com has revealed at least a third of its members are caring for aging parents or loved ones enrolled in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan and among this group, only half are aware of how and where to enroll in the program and less than half (40%) are aware of what it covers.

4 Dec 2009

The Cancer Center at Harrington receives approval to treat its first patients

The Cancer Center at Harrington has received approval to treat its first patients, Harrington Hospital announced today.

4 Dec 2009

Text messaging technology has important implications for public health initiatives, finds study

A recent study conducted by the Center for Connected Health, a division of Partners HealthCare, found that text messaging is an innovative, low-cost and effective way to improve the daily use of sunscreen, and this technology may have important implications for larger-scale public health initiatives.

4 Dec 2009

RemedyMD launches first nationwide Pediatric Diabetes Registry

RemedyMD (www.RemedyMD.com), the leading provider of Disease Registry software, today announced the first nationwide Pediatric Diabetes Registry. The new registry was developed to help clinicians and researchers identify which interventions are most appropriate for specific patient populations.

4 Dec 2009

Geisinger Medical Center opens new ‘Vestibular and Balance Center’

Geisinger Medical Center recently opened a new Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery - Vestibular and Balance Center to help patients who are affected by vertigo, dizziness or balance problems.

4 Dec 2009

Opinions: Media coverage of HIV/AIDS; WTO and global health; G8, HIV/AIDS; stopping syringe reuse

In a New Republic/NPR opinion piece, Harold Pollack, an associate professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, looks at the media's coverage of World AIDS Day. "Almost six thousand people died of AIDS [Tuesday]. ... That it happened to be World AIDS Day was almost incidental. AIDS was certainly incidental to much of the mainstream media.

4 Dec 2009

Geisinger Health System and Philips VISICU team up to launch eICU Program

Geisinger Health System recently signed an agreement with Philips VISICU, to launch an eICU Program® that will enhance physicians' ability to care for Geisinger's sickest patients.

4 Dec 2009

Malaria campaign kicks off, will coincide with 2010 World Cup Soccer

The United Against Malaria (UAM) campaign, which will work in collaboration with the 2010 Soccer World Cup, was launched Wednesday in Johannesburg, South Africa, SAPA/IOL reports (12/2).

4 Dec 2009

Senate votes to reject Medicare cuts; Reid discusses next anticipated amendments

The Associated Press reported: "Senators voted 58-42 to reject an amendment by Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona that would have stripped more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts from the health care bill. The measure would have sent the bill back to the Senate Finance Committee for a redo" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/3).

4 Dec 2009

Senate approves women's screening amendment in first health bill vote

The Associated Press: The Senate voted 61-39 Thursday "to safeguard coverage of mammograms and preventive screening tests for women under any health care overhaul legislation." The revision, which was advanced by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, "would allow the Health and Human Services secretary to require insurers to cover preventive health screenings free of charge" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/3).

3 Dec 2009

American Pain Society supports FDA drug disposal guidelines

Calling it "an important first step in attempting to reverse an escalating public health menace caused by diversion of prescription opioid pain medications," the American Pain Society today announced its support for a new FDA initiative to encourage consumers to remove unused pain drugs from home medicine cabinets.

3 Dec 2009

Also in global health news: U.S. aid to Philippines, Swaziland, Guyana; Uganda Bills; Botswana HIV/AIDS

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney said the U.S. will give the country an additional $10 million worth of food aid for people affect by the recent typhoons, the Manila Bulletin reports. This brings "the total amount of its disaster relief and recovery assistance to US$30 million" (Sabater, 12/3).

3 Dec 2009

Senators prepare to debate abortion treatment in Senate bill

The Associated Press: "Senators debating health care legislation are headed for a clash over abortion, the issue that threatened to derail the bill in the House. Anticipating the showdown, hundreds of abortion rights supporters gathered on Capitol Hill Wednesday to call on senators to keep new abortion restrictions out of the health care bill.

3 Dec 2009

Will 'Cadillac tax' push employers to trim health insurance costs

Kaiser Health News staff writer Julie Appleby examines the potential reach of the Cadillac tax.

3 Dec 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

Defenders of the status quo in health care would happily let the drive for reform bog down amid a debate over President Obama's new war strategy. Democrats can't let this happen (12/3).

3 Dec 2009

Senate leaders say health bill amendment votes to start today

The Wall Street Journal reports that "after three days of debates without a vote on a single amendment ... Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin, (D., Ill.) announced Wednesday evening that" Republicans and Democrats had "come to agreement" on how to proceed. The first two votes will occur today "on amendments aimed at requiring health plans to cover preventive services for women's health.

3 Dec 2009

Medicare cuts in Senate health bill get support from seniors' groups

Bloomberg: Senate Democratic leaders, who are battling Republican attempts to "block Medicare spending cuts, face an even bigger headache: overcoming concern among members of their own party about the program's future funding."

3 Dec 2009