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Tea party steeps on Capitol Hill

The Washington Post reports: "Newly emboldened after Republican victories in Tuesday's elections, 'tea party' protesters and other demonstrators from across the country converged on the Capitol's West Lawn to wave flags, ring cowbells and deliver a blunt message to lawmakers: 'Kill this bill!'"

6 Nov 2009

Dems tout AMA, AARP endorsements of house health bill

ABC News: "Even as a wave of conservative protestors took over Capitol Hill, House Democrats' health care bill picked up the support of several influential organizations that could turn the tide in their favor among the most concerned groups: medical professionals and senior citizens.

6 Nov 2009

KFHP/H and their subsidiaries report total operating revenue of $10.5 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2009

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (KFHP/H), and their subsidiaries reported today a combined total operating revenue of $10.5 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, compared to $10.2 billion in the third quarter of last year.

6 Nov 2009

House health bill has controversial CHIP provision

The $894 billion health reform bill working its way toward a House vote this week would repeal the Children's Health Insurance Program, shifting some low-income kids into Medicaid and others into private plans that would both cost more and guarantee fewer benefits," The Washington Independent reports.

6 Nov 2009

Issues related to illegal immigrants could threaten health bill

The Hill reports that the "illegal immigration issue is emerging as the biggest threat to passing healthcare reform in the House." Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are upset with a last-minute threat to "bolster the House bill's immigration restrictions to match those included in the Senate Finance bill."

6 Nov 2009

House health bill: Texas lawmakers seek to protect hospitals, Hawaii gets an exemption

Employers in Hawaii are required to pay 98.5 percent of the health insurance costs of full-time workers, an arrangement that has earned the state an exemption from the employer mandate in health reform bill being considered by the House of Representatives, the Associated Press reports.

6 Nov 2009

AARP urge Idaho's U.S. Representatives to support health care reform legislation

As the debate over health care reform reaches a fevered pitch and the House readies to vote on critical health care reform legislation in the coming days - AARP is calling on Idaho's U.S. Representatives to support the bill. The AARP-backed Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), which will close the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole" and tackle soaring insurance premiums, serves to help hundreds of thousands of Idahoans.

6 Nov 2009

Dingell plays powerful and historical health care role

NPR examines the historical role that Rep. John Dingell has played in health care policy, including the establishment of Medicare: "When people think of health care and Congress, often the first name that springs to mind is the late Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts.

6 Nov 2009

Facet Solutions announces Archus Orthopedics acquisition

Facet Solutions, Inc. announced today that it has acquired all of the assets of Archus Orthopedics. The acquisition creates an undisputed leadership position in product offerings, intellectual property and clinical experience in posterior motion preservation. "This is a win for patients suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis," stated Facet Solutions' President & CEO, Geoff Pardo. "This consolidation further strengthens Facet Solutions' position in lumbar spine motion preservation surgery, which is the fastest growing sector of the surgical spine marketplace."

6 Nov 2009

Open EC Technologies, AxSys Healthcare sign Teaming Agreement

Open EC Technologies, Inc. ("Open EC" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:OCE) is pleased to report the signing of a Teaming Agreement with AxSys Healthcare Corporation ("AxSys") for its subsidiary, SoftCare EC Solution Inc. ("SoftCare") www.softcare.com.

6 Nov 2009

Californians who lose jobs find health care safety net badly frayed

In this article for Kaiser Health News, Janet Wilson focuses on California and reports on how the safety net is fraying as economic woes take their toll on state budgets. "With a nip here and a slash there, California's budget crisis is now affecting health care for millions of residents, from wealthy Orange County to the struggling city of Oakland.

6 Nov 2009

Thermal Energy receives $10 million in federal stimulus funding

Thermal Energy Corp. (TECO) in Houston announced today that it will receive $10 million in federal stimulus funding for its new combined heat and power project at the Texas Medical Center, where TECO provides district heating and cooling service to 18 institutions.

6 Nov 2009

Bill to extend COBRA subsidies introduced in Senate

Senators introduced legislation Thursday to extend COBRA to help unemployed workers and their families with health coverage. WKYC-TV, a NBC affiliate in Ohio, reports. "U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Robert P. Casey (D-PA) introduced a bill Thursday to extend the 'COBRA' subsidy which helps unemployed workers and their families afford temporary health care [coverage].

6 Nov 2009

First Edition: October 6, 2009

Today's headlines highlight activity on different fronts -- with House Democrats scrambling to hold together fragile support for tomorrow's health bill vote while Republican lawmakers and other health reform opponents intensify their attack.

6 Nov 2009

UTSA releases its newest research numbers

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) released its newest research numbers today, reporting a 34% increase to $46,521,487 in total research spending for the Sept. 1, 2008 – Aug. 31, 2009 fiscal year (FY 09) over the previous fiscal year, when research spending totaled $34,601,444. The statistic is up 97% from just five years ago, when UTSA’s total research expenditures were $23,605,844.

6 Nov 2009

One in three asthma patients are hospitalized, reveals new national survey

In the past year, an estimated more than one million patients were hospitalized and nearly three million visited emergency rooms in the United States as a result of asthma, according to a new comprehensive national survey.

6 Nov 2009

New book available online addresses health care disparities

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins is proud to announce publication of LGBTQ Cultures: What Health Care Professionals Need to Know About Sexual and Gender Diversity, written by Michele J. Eliason, PhD, Suzanne L Dibble, DNSc, RN, Jeanne DeJoseph, CNM, PhD, and Peggy Chinn, RN, PhD.

6 Nov 2009

"Doctor's Orders" to explore trends in health and medicine

The partnership between ABC News and MedPage Today entered a new phase with the November 1 premiere of "Doctor's Orders," a featured series on Good Morning America Weekend.

6 Nov 2009

Health researchers speak about PTSD in light of Remembrance Day

They've seen horrors, experienced constant threats and survived traumatic events. Canada's military personnel often come back home with memories they'd rather forget. It's not scientifically understood why some soldiers develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while others don't. However, many veterans simply don't ask for psychological help.

6 Nov 2009

Journal of Public Health Management presents new ideas for building better public health workforce

A recent special supplement to the Journal of Public Health Management calls attention to the country's pressing need for a larger and fully capable public health workforce. The supplement, written by the leading academic voices in public health and published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), also sheds light on the challenges the U.S. faces in adequately meeting public health needs.

6 Nov 2009