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MHI launches new research program in heart failure

The Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) and its Foundation (MHIF) launched today the Carolyn and Richard J. Renaud Research Chair in Heart Failure, the first of its kind in Québec.

14 Dec 2009

Analysis of mortality and quality of life in ICU patients

An unavoidable question in Intensive Medical Care is how many improve or recover the quality of life they had prior to admission to an Intensive Medical Care Unit (ICU) and how many disimprove and to what degree.

14 Dec 2009

Maine-based EMHS recognized for creating system-wide culture of safety

A poor economy in a rural area might seem like overwhelming obstacles to creating a sophisticated culture of safety in a health care system that serves the largest aging population in the country, but leaders at Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS) beat those odds in 2009.

14 Dec 2009

VHI introduces 2009 industry report on efficient hospitals and nursing care facilities

Virginia Health Information (VHI) released its 2009 Industry Report: Virginia Hospitals and Nursing Facilities, which identifies the most efficient and productive hospitals, nursing facilities and other health care providers. The report contains important information for businesses and health care purchasers including data on providers' costs, profits and charity care.

14 Dec 2009

Study finds racial disparities in breast cancer care

Black women are less likely than white women to receive radiation therapy after a lumpectomy, the standard of care for early stage breast cancer, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

14 Dec 2009

Anthropologists create framework for measuring nutrition and health in violence-prone regions

For nearly two decades, Ivy Pike, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona, has been studying ethnic groups in rural northern Kenya to understand how violence shapes the health of those eking out a living there.

14 Dec 2009

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh officially opens HB4Life Center for caregivers

When the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's HB4Life (Healthy Behaviors for Life) Center officially opens today, visitors will see a state-of-the-art fitness center for the hospital's caregivers.

14 Dec 2009

MultiCare Health Systems contracts Skanska to expand Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup

Skanska has been contracted by MultiCare Health Systems for the final phase of construction management work for a hospital expansion. The contract amounts to USD 71.4 M, about SEK 500 M, which is included in order bookings for the fourth quarter.

14 Dec 2009

Physician's counsel can make a difference in reducing sudden death syndrome

The advice of a pediatrician to place infants on their backs to sleep appears to be the single most important motivator in getting parents to follow these recommendations and a key reason that the rate of sudden death syndrome (SIDS) has plummeted since the "Back to Sleep" campaign was launched in 1994, says a UT Southwestern researcher.

14 Dec 2009

Senator Arlen Specter proposes new amendment to current healthcare reform bill

Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) today proposed a new amendment to the current healthcare reform bill which will preserve access to care for millions of Medicare patients seen by a medical specialist.

14 Dec 2009

National Vaccine Plan aims to protect Americans from vaccine-preventable illnesses

While vaccines help prevent many diseases in the United States, we lack immunization protection against several serious illnesses, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine that identifies priority areas for updating the National Vaccine Plan.

14 Dec 2009

Senate plan may raise costs and cut healthcare access for senior citizens, says new report

A new report released by the Medicare Chief Actuary, Richard Foster, and the Center for Medicaid Services, the federal agency that oversees Medicaid, says that the proposed health care overhaul plan will dramatically increase health care costs and senior citizens will suffer from Medicare cuts.

14 Dec 2009

UnitedHealthcare completes previously announced acquisition of Health Net

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company, and Health Net, Inc. today announced that UnitedHealthcare has completed the previously announced acquisition of Health Net of the Northeast’s licensed subsidiaries and has obtained rights to renew Health Net’s membership in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

14 Dec 2009

Case Western Reserve University grants option to startup Thermalin Diabetes

Case Western Reserve University has granted an 18-month, exclusive option to startup Thermalin Diabetes Inc. regarding a portfolio of insulin analogs. The company must reach certain milestones in order to exercise its option to obtain an exclusive license on therapies designed to help patients with diabetes.

14 Dec 2009

Workers and employers anxious for COBRA extension

Writing for Kaiser Health News, Andy Miller explores the current circumstances surrounding COBRA subsidies. "Congress faces mounting pressure to decide the future of a popular but temporary health insurance subsidy program -- and not just from unemployed Americans who would benefit.

14 Dec 2009

VNA of Greater Philadelphia expands its home health and specialty services in Bucks County

The Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Greater Philadelphia is expanding its traditional home health and specialty services to patients who reside in lower Bucks County.

14 Dec 2009

Wellpoint stock surges as public plan struggles

Indianapolis Star: "As the health-care reform debate boiled over this week, so did WellPoint's stock price. Shares of the Indianapolis-based health insurance giant surged to a 52-week high Thursday as the prospects for a new government-run 'public option' health plan faded amid intense Senate debate.

14 Dec 2009

Some Democratic Senators raise red flag on Medicare expansion idea

The possibility of allowing some 55-64 year olds to buy-in to Medicare is in the news today.

14 Dec 2009

New Hill-Rom's Advanta 2 Bed for hospitals and home care facilities

Hill-Rom today announced the introduction of Hill-Rom's Advanta(TM) 2 Bed for use in medical-surgical areas of hospitals and care facilities. The new bed brings together ease of use with key safety features and the flexibility to use a variety of care surfaces as needed.

14 Dec 2009

Some rural communities concerned reform provisions could hurt Medicare services

Newspapers in Alaska and Washington state explore how health reform provisions might affect Medicare services in rural areas, while a Colorado newspaper looks at one senator's efforts to increase the number of doctors in rural areas.

14 Dec 2009