Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

NCQA awards Commendable Accreditation to Centene's Florida subsidiary, Sunshine Health

Centene Corporation today announced that its wholly-owned Florida subsidiary, Sunshine Health, was elevated to Commendable Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its Medical Managed Assistance and Child Welfare programs.

18 Sep 2014

Providence Service to acquire CCHN Group Holdings

The Providence Service Corporation, a leader in the management and provision of human social services, innovative global employment services and non-emergency transportation through a variety of government-sponsored programs, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire CCHN Group Holdings, Inc. ("Matrix Medical Network" or "Matrix"), a Scottsdale, Arizona provider of in-home health assessment and care management services and a portfolio company of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe XI, L.P. ("Welsh Carson").

18 Sep 2014

3D Systems unveils new robotic surgery training system at ERUS exhibition

3D Systems announced today the addition of the Simbionix RobotiX Mentor™, a new robotic surgery skills and procedural training simulator, which is being shown for the first time at the ERUS exhibition in Amsterdam, The Netherlands from September 17 to 19 (booth #7).

18 Sep 2014

Zimmer, MiMedx ink distribution agreement

MiMedx Group, Inc., an integrated developer, processor and marketer of patent protected regenerative biomaterials and bioimplants processed from human amniotic membrane, announced today that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Zimmer, Inc.

18 Sep 2014

WealthEngine hosts inaugural WE Partner Summit 2014

WealthEngine, the leading provider of wealth intelligence, prospecting solutions, and marketing services for higher education, healthcare, luxury, and financial services, hosts its inaugural WE Partner Summit 2014.

18 Sep 2014

Common type of hospital-associated infections can be prevented with vaccine

The most common type of hospital-associated infection may be preventable with a vaccine, new research in mice suggests.

18 Sep 2014

State highlights: Report: Hospitals ill-prepared for Sandy; Iowa Supreme Court lets teleabortion go on while it decides

When Superstorm Sandy slammed into the Northeast nearly two years ago, hospitals found themselves dealing with surges in patients, lost power supplies and employees who couldn't get to work -- problems that a new federal report finds they were not prepared to handle (Mulvihill, 9/17).

18 Sep 2014

Coordination pays off for about a quarter of ACOs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported that 64 of 243 accountable care organizations -- a new health care delivery model created by the health law -- earned bonuses by saving the Medicare program money. Four ACOs overspent and now owe the government money.

18 Sep 2014

GAO warns of security risks in HealthCare.gov

Despite improvements, the federal health insurance website has continuing security holes that put consumers' personal information at risk, the nonpartisan watchdog agency said in a report Tuesday.

18 Sep 2014

Medicaid expansion, uninsured coverage issues continue to simmer in Virginia

More than six out of 10 Virginia voters support an expansion of Medicaid benefits to cover the estimated 400,000 state residents in the coverage gap, according to a new survey released on the eve of a special session of the Virginia General Assembly to discuss the issue. But nearly half of Virginians surveyed have doubts that the federal government would fully fund its share of the program, according to the poll, conducted by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University (Nolan, 9/17).

17 Sep 2014

Vercise DBS System receives CE Mark approval for treatment of essential tremor

Boston Scientific Corporation has received CE Mark for the Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System for the treatment of tremor, including the most common form of this movement disorder known as essential tremor (ET).

17 Sep 2014

Fast release drug delivery capsule launched by Medimetrics

Medtech innovator Medimetrics continues its expansion into the global medical devices sector with official recognition of its full design and product development capabilities and the launch of a new, fast release, drug delivery capsule.

17 Sep 2014

UTMB researchers analyze whether monitors reflect practices used by health care providers

Wearable electronic activity monitors hold great promise in helping people to reach their fitness and health goals. These increasingly sophisticated devices help the wearers improve their wellness by constantly monitoring their activities and bodily responses. This information is organized into companion computer programs and mobile apps.

17 Sep 2014

Home health care nursing lowers hospitalizations and transfers to nursing homes

In the largest study of its kind, a University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing investigation shows that home health agencies providing organizational support to their nurses get better outcomes.

17 Sep 2014

New study sheds light on relationship between schizophrenia and smoking stems

Schizophrenia is associated with increased rates and intensity of tobacco smoking. A growing body of research suggests that the relationship between schizophrenia and smoking stems, in part, from an effort by patients to use nicotine to self-medicate symptoms and cognitive impairment associated with the disease.

17 Sep 2014

Soldiers deployed to sunny climates face increased risk of skin cancer

Soldiers deployed to tropical and sunny climates are coming home with increased risk factors for a threat far from the battlefield: skin cancer.

17 Sep 2014

Training program for nurses can help address knowledge gaps related to AHCDs, end-of-life care

An educational program for nurses can help address knowledge gaps related to advance health care directives (AHCDs)-thus helping to ensure that patients' wishes for care at the end of life are known and respected, reports a paper in the October/December Journal of Christian Nursing, official journal of the Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

17 Sep 2014

Zebrafish may hold key to unlocking a leading cause of respiratory diseases

A small freshwater fish found in many tropical aquariums may hold the key to unlocking one of the leading causes of respiratory diseases in humans.

17 Sep 2014

Missing paperwork puts coverage at risk for tens of thousands of people

According to the Obama administration, as many as 115,000 people could lose the new insurance they obtained under the health law because they did not prove they were legal immigrants or U.S. citizens who were eligible for that coverage. Another 363,000 people must submit documentation to verify their incomes by Sept. 30 or lose their subsidies. These two numbers combined represent about 10 percent of the people who signed up through the online insurance marketplaces.

17 Sep 2014

Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group named recipient of 2014 AMGA Acclaim Award

The American Medical Group Association today announced that the recipient of the 2014 AMGA Acclaim Award is Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group for an innovative and integrated method to drive population health using a collaborative, team-based approach.

16 Sep 2014