Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

AHRQ: Primary care experiencing 'diminishing economic margins'

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality notes in an upcomping installment of its "Facts and Stats Series" that, despite primary care's importance to the health care system, the discipline is facing a number of challenges.

19 Nov 2011

New website helps small business owners to review health insurance plans

A greatly expanded website to give small business owners an unprecedented detailed review of their health insurance plan choices was announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

19 Nov 2011

Victory for seniors: Calif. Adult Day Health Care center lawsuit resolved

Senior advocates had sued the state because of Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to shut down the ADHC program to save money.

19 Nov 2011

Oxford closes $5M revolving line of credit with Mason Health

Oxford Finance LLC, a specialty finance firm that provides senior debt to life sciences and healthcare services companies, today announced that it closed a $5 million revolving line of credit with Mason Health. Proceeds of the loan are being used to refinance existing debt and to support the operation of multiple skilled nursing facilities throughout Texas.

19 Nov 2011

Republican senators press to repeal health law's insurance fee

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., are battling to undo this annual fee, which is expected to raise $8 billion in 2014 and $14.3 billion by 2018. Also, some Senate Democrats are warning that a provision in the health law could undermine farmers' ability to obtain health insurance and some consumer advocates are warning that a tax rule needs to be re-written.

19 Nov 2011

OhioHealth selects athenaCommunicator to manage patient interactions

athenahealth, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based business services for physician practices, today announced that OhioHealth, a family of not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare organizations consisting of more than 900 physicians serving patients throughout a 40-county area in Ohio since 1891, has selected athenaCommunicator, athenahealth's patient communication service.

19 Nov 2011

CDA, Elsevier partner to publish Canadian Journal of Diabetes

The Canadian Diabetes Association is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Elsevier to publish the Canadian Journal of Diabetes (CJD) beginning in January 2012.

19 Nov 2011

UVA develops new and faster method to track superbugs

University of Virginia Health System researchers are the first in the world to develop a new and faster method to track major infection-causing "superbugs" - a major key in preventing the spread of deadly infections.

19 Nov 2011

Mobile robots need to be part of a 'whole-product solution'

Aldo Zini, president of the nation's leading developer of autonomous mobile robots in healthcare, told his fellow executives that mobile robots must be part of a "whole-product solution" if they are to gain relevance and acceptance in the market place.

19 Nov 2011

Top Connected Healthcare Facilities utilize Nuance's radiology solutions

Nuance Communications, Inc. announced today that 20 of the Top 25 Connected Healthcare Facilities, as recognized by Health Imaging & IT magazine, use radiology solutions from Nuance.

19 Nov 2011

Pfizer receives 2011 Business Civic Leadership Center's Corporate Citizenship Award

Pfizer Inc. today announced that it has received the 2011 Business Civic Leadership Center's Corporate Citizenship Award in the Best International Ambassador category for Pfizer's Global Health Partnerships program.

19 Nov 2011

Overlake acquires Issaquah Medical Group

Overlake Hospital Medical Center is continuing to grow its network of primary care medical clinics on the Eastside with the acquisition of Issaquah Medical Group, now named Overlake Medical Clinics Gilman.

18 Nov 2011

First Edition: November 18, 2011

In today's health policy headlines, reports indicate that the super committee continues to face difficulties and may not make its fast-approaching deadline.

18 Nov 2011

New Jersey HITEC reaches 5,000 primary care providers member milestone

The New Jersey Health Information Technology Extension Center (NJ-HITEC) announced today that it has reached the 5,000 primary care providers member milestone in support of the healthcare evolution to transition to patient Electronic Health Records (EHRs).

18 Nov 2011

Press Ganey recognizes The Methodist Hospital with patient satisfaction award

The Methodist Hospital in Houston is one of three academic medical centers in the country to win a top patient satisfaction award from Press Ganey, a national consulting firm focused on improving health care performance.

18 Nov 2011

Survey finds health care costs a key issue in presidential campaign

Healthcare and the national deficit tied as the second-most important issue after job creation in the 2012 U.S. presidential election, a new survey said. Forty-two percent of the 1,000 adults nationwide surveyed by PwC's Health Research Institute said they would prefer lower healthcare costs over an economic rebound. Nearly half said they made the decision to not seek healthcare or pay for medication at least once in the past year because of how much that care cost.

18 Nov 2011

Study: Health insurance premiums soar in all 50 states

A new study confirmed a national trend in employer-sponsored coverage -- higher costs for skimpier benefits.

18 Nov 2011

Schwartz presses super committee to advance her 'doc fix' proposal

The plan, advanced by Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., would prevent a 27.4 percent cut in Medicare physician payments from kicking in Jan. 1, phase out the current outdated formula and transition to a new one. Though some physician groups are lining up behind her approach, the American Medical Association has not yet "on board."

18 Nov 2011

Medicaid expansion will be key part of Supreme Court's health law consideration

The high court's announcement that it would review the law was not a surprise, but the specific issues it will examine have triggered some shockwaves. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court attention to the health law also has moved the issue of the overhaul back to the forefront of many campaigns.

18 Nov 2011

University of Haifa leads new computerized medical information systems research project

University of Haifa leads a new international computerized medical information systems research project, funded by the EU with total budget of €6 million.

18 Nov 2011