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FDA announces new initiative program to reduce risks from inappropriate medication use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the Safe Use Initiative, a program aimed at reducing the likelihood of preventable harm from medication use.

5 Nov 2009

False Claims Act lawsuit filed against Virginia Medicaid providers

The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia have intervened in a False Claims Act suit in the Western District of Virginia against the Medicaid providers Universal Health Services Inc., Keystone Marion LLC and Keystone Education and Youth Services LLC, the Justice Department announced today.

5 Nov 2009

Pediatric physicians more likely to accept salve of religion when medicine fails the patient

Do pediatric oncologists feel that religion is a bridge or a barrier to their work? Or do they feel it can be either, depending on whether their patients are recovering or deteriorating? A novel Brandeis University study examines these questions in the current issue of Social Problems.

5 Nov 2009

Health care reform bills fail to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing taxpayer funded health benefits: FAIR

Current versions of both the House and Senate health care reform bills contain inadequate verification measures that will fail to prevent millions of illegal aliens from accessing taxpayer funded health benefits, charges the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). And in a radical change from current law, both versions of the bill grant immediate health care benefits to immigrants currently subject to a 5-year waiting period before they may access most federal benefits.

5 Nov 2009

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital establishes first co-generation plant in Manhattan

Demonstrating its commitment to clean energy and cost savings, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has switched on the first hospital-based co-generation plant in Manhattan. Located at 70th St. and York Ave. and unveiled today in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the plant promises to reduce the emission of 20,000 tons of pollutants each year, the equivalent of taking 3,600 automobiles off the road, while adding millions of dollars in annual cost savings.

5 Nov 2009

Employers sign up for first-of-its-kind health plan to control escalating health care costs

Employers are signing up for a first-of-its-kind health plan by UnitedHealthcare designed to help control the escalating costs of insuring diabetic and pre-diabetic employees and their families while improving their health.

5 Nov 2009

Poor housing conditions can lead to chronic disease and premature death

Being warm enough at home might lead to better health, according to a new review appearing online in the American Journal of Public Health.

5 Nov 2009

HHS Secretary kicks off the nation’s largest campaign to find and enroll uninsured children

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today called on states and communities to join with HHS to redouble efforts to find and enroll the 5 million children who are currently eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but are not yet covered. The Secretary issued this call to action as she opened the National Children’s Health Insurance Summit in Chicago, kicking off the nation’s largest campaign to find and enroll uninsured children in over a decade.

5 Nov 2009

OHA disapproves wage award; says award may increase operating costs of hospitals

The Gray Board of Arbitration awarded OPSEU 2.5% wage increases in 2009 and 2010, as well as certain enhancements to benefits. The wage increases awarded are significantly higher than recent settlements in the public sector, including the Ontario Public Service Settlement with OPSEU, the City of Toronto settlement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and hospital settlements with CUPE and the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW).

5 Nov 2009

Savvis incorporates Vitality's wellness program to help improve employees’ health challenges

The Vitality Group today announced that Savvis, Inc. has selected its incentive-based wellness program to motivate and support Savvis associates as they take ownership of their personal health.

5 Nov 2009

AAHC urges Senator Harry Reid to incorporate its recommendations in the health reform legislation

Dr. Steven A. Wartman, president and CEO of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC), urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to ensure that health reform create an integrated, coordinated national health workforce policy by incorporating four AAHC recommendations into Senate health reform legislation.

5 Nov 2009

New Merck set to begin global health care operations

Merck & Co., Inc. today outlined its global plans following the completion of Merck's merger with Schering-Plough Corporation announced yesterday. The new Merck is a global health care leader aimed at providing innovative, distinctive products and services that save and improve lives, while satisfying customer needs and creating long term shareholder value.

5 Nov 2009

House legislation seeks 5 days of sick leave for workers

In an effort to rein in the spread of the H1N1 Flu, Representative George Miller, the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, introduced legislation on Tuesday that would guarantee five paid sick days for workers sent home by their employers with a contagious illness. Mr. Miller, Democrat of California, voiced concern that more than 40 million workers did not have paid sick days and that many workers coming into contact with public — like restaurant or school cafeteria employees — would go to work with H1N1 and spread the virus if they could not afford to stay home.

5 Nov 2009

House Dems unveil 'managers amendment,' setting stage for health bill votes

"House Democrats have cleared the way for a pivotal floor vote on health care overhaul as early as the weekend, after tweaking their 1,990-page bill to crack down harder on insurance companies," The Associated Press reports.

5 Nov 2009

Health reform timeline appears to be slipping

ABC News: "Senior Congressional Democrats told ABC News today it is highly unlikely that a health care reform bill will be completed this year, just a week after President Barack Obama declared he was 'absolutely confident' he'll be able to sign one by then reports that senior Congressional Democrats said it's unlikely Obama will get a bill this year."

5 Nov 2009

Symposium on H1N1 and seasonal flu

With the looming threat of both the H1N1 flu (also known as "swine flu") and the regular seasonal flu, area health officials fear that the worst may be in store this coming flu season.

5 Nov 2009

Studies find U.S. children face health quality issues

U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News reports: "Uninsured children in the United States are three times more likely to die from trauma injuries than children with private insurance, according to a new study.

5 Nov 2009

Study examines campaign to increase use of zinc to prevent childhood diarrhea

Scientific American reports on a multiyear PLoS Medicine study, published on Monday, which "followed a nationwide public health campaign to increase zinc use for childhood diarrhea in Bangladesh."

5 Nov 2009

Insurers' pricing practices targeted by Senate health committee

Senate health committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, asked four of the nations largest health insurers - Aetna, Humana, Wellpoint and UnitedHealth - to explain their pricing policies after small-business owners testified Tuesday that insurance premiums were crushing their businesses, the Des Moines Register reports.

4 Nov 2009

Key moderates influence the shape of health overhaul bills

The Washington Post: "Moderates have raised numerous concerns about aspects of the bill, including the public insurance option that liberals persuaded Reid to add last week. Although (Senate Majority Leader Harry) Reid included an 'opt out' provision for states that don't want to participate, many moderate Democrats prefer a "trigger" mechanism, proposed by their lone Republican ally, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine)." Resolving differences could take weeks some say (Murray and Montgomery, 11/4).

4 Nov 2009

Healthcare News

FDA announces new initiative program to reduce risks from inappropriate medication use

False Claims Act lawsuit filed against Virginia Medicaid providers

Pediatric physicians more likely to accept salve of religion when medicine fails the patient

Health care reform bills fail to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing taxpayer funded health benefits: FAIR

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital establishes first co-generation plant in Manhattan

Employers sign up for first-of-its-kind health plan to control escalating health care costs

Poor housing conditions can lead to chronic disease and premature death

HHS Secretary kicks off the nation’s largest campaign to find and enroll uninsured children

OHA disapproves wage award; says award may increase operating costs of hospitals

Savvis incorporates Vitality's wellness program to help improve employees’ health challenges

AAHC urges Senator Harry Reid to incorporate its recommendations in the health reform legislation

New Merck set to begin global health care operations

House legislation seeks 5 days of sick leave for workers

House Dems unveil 'managers amendment,' setting stage for health bill votes

Health reform timeline appears to be slipping

Symposium on H1N1 and seasonal flu

Studies find U.S. children face health quality issues

Study examines campaign to increase use of zinc to prevent childhood diarrhea

Insurers' pricing practices targeted by Senate health committee

Key moderates influence the shape of health overhaul bills

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

Evolving spectrophotometry for modern biopharma workflows

Scaling B-cell cloning workflows for antibody development

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