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New assessment shows continued serious fuel and water shortages at Lebanese health facilities

A newly-published assessment of health facilities in Lebanon shows that a quarter of those examined are not functioning due to physical damage, lack of staff or lack of accessibility, and that water and fuel shortages remain a serious concern.

6 Sep 2006

When it comes to surgery EU official says shop around

The European Commission's (EU) top health official has said that patients in the EU should have the right to be reimbursed by their national authorities for treatment taken anywhere in any of the 25 member countries.

6 Sep 2006

Strikes, staffing shortages result in hospitals paying more for replacement nurses

As the "number of strikes at hospitals inches up this year and a shortage of nurses create a supply crunch," many hospitals "are paying replacement nurses as much as $50 an hour in some cases and as much as $90 an hour for overtime," the Wall Street Journal reports.

5 Sep 2006

Increased demand for assisted living creates waiting lists, higher prices for care

Increased demand for assisted living facilities has made waiting lists "increasingly common" and has led to higher prices, the Wall Street Journal reports.

5 Sep 2006

Bush Administration, Republicans 'refuse' to acknowledge success of VA Health System

The Department of Veterans Affairs health care system "is a stunning success -- but the [Bush] administration and the Republicans in Congress refuse to build on that success because it doesn't reflect their conservative agenda," columnist Paul Krugman writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

5 Sep 2006

Missouri to receive five-year, $14 million federal grant to improve mental health services

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt (R) on Thursday announced that the state will receive a five-year, $14 million federal grant to improve mental health services, the AP/Kansas City Star reports.

5 Sep 2006

The critical role of medical schools and teaching hospitals

Although advances in biomedical research have given new insights into the causes of disease, insights that could be translated into better medical treatments, such "translational science" faces major obstacles in the U.S., say authors from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

5 Sep 2006

Effective method of multidimensional work sampling in nursing homes

A study to develop an effective method of multidimensional work sampling (MDWS) in nursing homes has found that, initially, the proportion of time pharmacists spend in non-professional or semi-professional activities compared with professional activities is 3:1.

4 Sep 2006

Georgia Medicaid, PeachCare beneficiaries enroll HMOs despite concerns over partial rollout

Georgia's Medicaid and PeachCare programs has enrolled hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries in HMOs "despite complaints that the program has become an administrative and medical nightmare in areas where it has been tried so far," the Florida Times-Union reports.

4 Sep 2006

Debate over specialty hospitals will continue

"The battle over so-called specialty hospitals is set to make headlines again" because of a recent CMS decision, a Washington Times editorial states (Washington Times, 8/31).

4 Sep 2006

Pennsylvania starts the Pace Plus Medicare program

Pennsylvania on Friday began the Pace Plus Medicare program, under which the Medicare prescription drug benefit will provide primary coverage for low-income residents and the state PACE and PACENET programs will fill any gaps in coverage, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

4 Sep 2006

U.S. Magistrate recommends end of oversight of Hawaii adult mental health division by Federal Court

U.S. Magistrate Kevin Chang last week recommended in his 12th and final report to U.S. District Judge David Ezra that the court end oversight of the Adult Mental Health Division of the Hawaii Department of Health because of significant improvements in mental health services provided by the division.

4 Sep 2006

Washington Post examines 'Natural Family Planning' Centers

The Washington Post on Thursday examined "natural family planning" centers, which "tailor" the type of care provided with the religious beliefs of the physicians.

1 Sep 2006

Sen. Durbin, Rep. Davis criticize plan to end Medicaid reimbursements for special education services

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) on Tuesday warned that a plan to end Medicaid reimbursements for transportation and special education administration would affect the ability of schools to provide mandated services to low-income students with disabilities, the Chicago Tribune reports.

1 Sep 2006

U.S. health care system offers good value in terms of life expectancy gains despite rising costs

U.S. residents have benefited from increases in health care costs since 1960 through increased life expectancy, according to a study published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.

1 Sep 2006

Next Massachusetts Governor will be responsible for implementing law requiring health insurance coverage

While Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has earned "widespread praise" for the state's "first-of-its-kind" law requiring all state residents to have health insurance by July 2007, the next governor will "shoulder much of the responsibility for whether the law succeeds," the Boston Globe reports.

1 Sep 2006

UNC Health Care announces new efforts to inform low-income patients about financial assistance

The UNC Health Care system in North Carolina on Tuesday announced plans to begin new efforts to inform low-income patients about financial assistance through a revised telephone message, signs and a financial aid hotline, the Raleigh News & Observer reports (Stancill, Raleigh News & Observer, 8/30).

1 Sep 2006

Md. Senatorial Candidate Mfume touts single-payer health care system

Former Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), a candidate for Maryland's Democratic Senate nomination, on Wednesday touted universal health insurance during an event at the University of Maryland Medical Center, at which he gained endorsements from Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Albert Wynn (D-Md.), the Baltimore Sun reports.

1 Sep 2006

Researchers analyze increases in medical expenses versus improvements in health

Despite dramatic increases in health expenses since 1960, the return on medical spending is high, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University and the University of Michigan.

30 Aug 2006

Report questions CMS Cancer Care Research Program

HHS inspector general Daniel Levinson in a report released on Wednesday questioned the legitimacy of a one-year research program conducted by CMS in which the federal government and Medicare beneficiaries paid oncologists a total of about $275 million to report information on chemotherapy side effects that might lead to improved care for cancer patients, the AP/South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

30 Aug 2006

Healthcare News

New assessment shows continued serious fuel and water shortages at Lebanese health facilities

When it comes to surgery EU official says shop around

Strikes, staffing shortages result in hospitals paying more for replacement nurses

Increased demand for assisted living creates waiting lists, higher prices for care

Bush Administration, Republicans 'refuse' to acknowledge success of VA Health System

Missouri to receive five-year, $14 million federal grant to improve mental health services

The critical role of medical schools and teaching hospitals

Effective method of multidimensional work sampling in nursing homes

Georgia Medicaid, PeachCare beneficiaries enroll HMOs despite concerns over partial rollout

Debate over specialty hospitals will continue

Pennsylvania starts the Pace Plus Medicare program

U.S. Magistrate recommends end of oversight of Hawaii adult mental health division by Federal Court

Washington Post examines 'Natural Family Planning' Centers

Sen. Durbin, Rep. Davis criticize plan to end Medicaid reimbursements for special education services

U.S. health care system offers good value in terms of life expectancy gains despite rising costs

Next Massachusetts Governor will be responsible for implementing law requiring health insurance coverage

UNC Health Care announces new efforts to inform low-income patients about financial assistance

Md. Senatorial Candidate Mfume touts single-payer health care system

Researchers analyze increases in medical expenses versus improvements in health

Report questions CMS Cancer Care Research Program

How industrial hygiene flow calibration supports defensible exposure data

How electrical engineering ensures accurate calibration and patient safety

The importance of ketones from a clinical and medical perspective

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