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House Republicans offer health overhaul plan

Their alternative health care bill "would reward states for reducing the number of uninsured, limit damages in medical malpractice lawsuits and allow small businesses to band together and buy insurance exempt from most state regulation," The New York Times reports.

4 Nov 2009

Health care jobs plentiful but tough to get

While health care jobs are plentiful, "getting one is hard work," The Associated Press/The News-Sentinel reports. "Many people who have lost jobs to the recession may find a cure for unemployment in the health care field," and the demand for nurses, specialists and technicians is strong

4 Nov 2009

SCMG and Graybill Medical to develop PM and EHRs implementation strategies

Sharp Community Medical Group (SCMG) and Graybill Medical Group have signed an Enhanced Partnership Agreement to jointly develop practice management and electronic health records implementation strategies.

4 Nov 2009

Small business group lobbies for reform while trade groups see cuts in business

Small business owners lobby Congress while trade associations and a seniors' group worry about what lawmaker's efforts to overhaul the nation's health care system could mean for them.

4 Nov 2009

Cancer patients want strong relationship with their radiation oncologist

What do patients want from their radiation oncologists? The most significant preference is that more than one-third of female cancer patients (37 percent) prefer to have their hands held by their radiation oncologists during important office visits, compared to 12 percent of men, according to a randomized study presented November 4, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

4 Nov 2009

Abortion not the only sticky issue in health care debate - news outlets examine others

News coverage focuses on some of the sticky issues in health reform, including immigrants' coverage, long term care for the disabled, CHIP and insurance discounts for healthy habits.

4 Nov 2009

GOP frames election outcome as rebuff of Dems' health overhaul, but Pelosi paints a rosier picture

"Republican victories in two gubernatorial elections are casting a shadow on House Democratic efforts to secure support from wavering members for health-care legislation," Dow Jones Newswires/The Wall Street Journal reports. "The GOP is framing the outcome as a rejection of Democratic proposals including the health-care bill, and some conservative and vulnerable Democrats seem inclined to agree, as they keep an eye on 2010 elections" (Vaughan, 11/4).

4 Nov 2009

Abortion continues to snag health reform legislation, divide lawmakers

The divisive issue of abortions, a lingering hurdle to health reform legislation, is plaguing both House and Senate Democratic leaders, the Los Angeles Times reports. "The delays in both houses reflect the fact that even though Democrats hold solid majorities, significant divisions exist below the surface.

4 Nov 2009

Veterans Administration leads in e-health exchange, too

The Veterans Health Administration was at the avant-garde of electronic medical records in the 1980s, and more recently, it's blazed the trail for exchanging health information between providers, the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World reports in the third of a 3-part series on EMRs.

4 Nov 2009

Health bills don't go far enough in cutting costs, experts say

"Democrats in Congress are embracing the spirit of President Obama's call to slow the runaway rise of health-care costs but are shying away from some of the most aggressive techniques for achieving that," The Washington Post reports. "Instead of revolutionizing how care is delivered and paid for, experts say, the legislation being shaped takes a cautious approach to reining in costs."

4 Nov 2009

Conflicts of interest examined between doctors and medical industry, AARP and reform

Health care reform bills include provisions to examine the financial relationships between doctors and the medical industry while some are questioning the AARP's role in reform.

4 Nov 2009

PAH patients face life-threatening risks from medication errors

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients using infused drugs have suffered serious injury or in some cases died from medication errors in hospitals and other inpatient settings, according to a peer-reviewed study by Accredo Health Group and several university hospitals that surveyed doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

4 Nov 2009

Over 425 hospitals implement Capsule's medical device connectivity solution

Capsule (www.capsuletech.com), the leading provider of medical device connectivity, today announced recent additions to its rapidly expanding list of hospitals that have implemented their solution.

4 Nov 2009

AHDI and MTIA support healthcare reform package

As health information managers and professionals across the country celebrate the health information & technology industry this week, the Association for Health Care Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA) announced their support for a healthcare reform package that improves electronic health records (EHRs) as well as patient safety.

4 Nov 2009

New pediatric simulation center launched by Texas Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital opened the doors of its brand new Simulation Center today, where healthcare teams will be trained in the management of rare, complex, and complicated patient care through a simulated clinical environment. The facility is the only center of its kind in Texas, and one of the largest among the twelve pediatric simulation centers in the United States.

4 Nov 2009

CMS releases WellCare Health Plans from the previously disclosed sanctions

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. today announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the Company from the previously disclosed sanctions, except as noted below. The Company will resume marketing its Medicare Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage coordinated care plans over the coming days.

4 Nov 2009

Dental marketing campaigns from Patient News Publishing

As the calendar year comes to an end, businesses of all kinds are organizing their marketing plans for 2010 -- and dentists should be no exception, says Patient News Publishing, a leading dental marketing company.

4 Nov 2009

MCERS implements Vitech's web-based customer self-service solution

Vitech Systems Group, Inc., a leading provider of software solutions for benefits administration, announced today that the Milwaukee County Employees' Retirement System (MCERS) has gone live with Vitech's web-based customer self-service solution. This new self-service system will allow the almost 15,000 active and retired employees of Milwaukee County to receive real-time information and to perform real-time transactions related to their retirement and healthcare benefits via the internet.

4 Nov 2009

Medicare patients face problems accessing medical equipment and supplies in certain areas of Montana

In an email sent to Montana home equipment suppliers on October 30th, a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) official admitted there are "areas within Montana, a Medicare beneficiary may experience supplier access issues in obtaining certain" durable medical equipment and supplies.

4 Nov 2009

SAVE THE PATIENT hosts "Community Health" live call-in show

Continuing its efforts to educate, inform and empower the people of Chicago, SAVE THE PATIENT, a not-for-profit patient-focused organization, is hosting its 25-minute live call-in show, "Community Health," on Chicago Access Network (CAN-TV) on Monday, November 16, at 6:00 PM, CDT, on Channel 21.

4 Nov 2009