Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

JU launches new curriculum for online RN to BSN degree program

Registered nurses choosing to complete a bachelor's degree need a program that prepares them to take leadership roles within their organizations. To address this need, U.S.News & World Report-ranked Jacksonville University (JU) is launching a new curriculum for its online RN to BSN degree program.

1 Oct 2011

OCC applauds political parties for introducing policies to support caregivers

With just a week to go, the Ontario election is making history. All three major parties (Liberals, New Democratic Party and Progressive Conservatives) have named policies in their election platforms to support caregivers.

1 Oct 2011

Texas data breach affects medical records of 4.9 million patients

The breach, which involved the personal and medical records of military patients and their families, happened when backup tapes from an electronic health care record were stolen from a data contractor's car.

1 Oct 2011

Researchers identify protein-based blood biomarkers in patients treated with EPO

Biomarkers in the bloodstream could provide a rapid assessment of therapeutic intervention in ischemic stroke and allow patient stratification

1 Oct 2011

MDC Partners acquires majority stake in Concentric Pharma

Concentric Pharma Advertising, one of the largest and fastest-growing healthcare advertising agencies in the country, announced today that MDC Partners, Inc., has acquired a majority stake in the company.

1 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius on improving care; Samuelson on health costs; Durenberger on exporting U.S. system

Far too many Americans still go without the best care. That's why the Obama administration has joined with Truman Medical Centers and more than 2,500 other hospitals nationwide, along with thousands of employers, health insurers, provider organizations and patient advocates, to launch the Partnership for Patients … Over the next three years, we will reduce preventable injuries in hospitals by 40 percent. And we will cut hospital re-admissions by 20 percent, targeting the return trips that should never have occurred.

1 Oct 2011

TerraMedica changes company name to Fortel Analytics

Effective today, TerraMedica has changed its name to Fortel Analytics to reflect their focus on managing healthcare fraud and abuse prevention through advancing new and innovative predictive solutions, analysis methods and analytical technology.

1 Oct 2011

Express Scripts launches suite of services through HealthBridge Pharma & Biotech

Express Scripts has launched a suite of services for pharmaceutical and biotech companies through HealthBridge Pharma & Biotech, providing a single-solution approach to patient care.

1 Oct 2011

Nutrition experts participated in PN Safety Summit to discuss safety of PN therapy, patient care

Recent safety concerns in the preparation and delivery of parenteral nutrition, commonly referred to as intravenous nutrition, prompted leaders from several major organizations to participate in a PN Safety Summit on September 23, 2011.

From Baxter International Inc. 1 Oct 2011

Poll: 21.4% of Americans believe vaccines can cause autism

More than one-quarter of Americans are concerned about the value and safety of vaccines and 21.4 percent believe vaccines can cause autism, according to the Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll.

1 Oct 2011

Funding for health law is again on GOP chopping block

House Republicans released a draft 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education spending bill on Thursday. The measure, which is currently deadlocked in committee, would block funds necessary to continue implementing the 2010 health law.

1 Oct 2011

Health Management acquires assets of Mercy Health Partners

Health Management Associates, Inc. today announced that a subsidiary of Health Management has completed its acquisition of the assets of Mercy Health Partners, which is a subsidiary of Catholic Health Partners, Inc.

1 Oct 2011

General Dynamics acquires Vangent

General Dynamics today completed its acquisition of Vangent Holding Corp., the parent company of Vangent, Inc., a leading provider of healthcare information technology and business systems to federal agencies.

1 Oct 2011

Patients enrolled in consumer-directed health plans have control over health care spending

The historic RAND Health Insurance Experiment found that patients had little or no control over their health care spending once they began to receive a physician's care, but a new study shows that this has changed for those enrolled in consumer-directed health plans.

30 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 30, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about how new and old health policy positions are playing on the campaign trail.

30 Sep 2011

Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson celebrates two decades of caring and collaboration to beat cancer

From October forward, the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson (KCC), a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, is celebrating 20 years of service to the community and the groundbreaking cancer research from the scientists and physicians who've provided an invaluable contribution to medical science and healthcare.

30 Sep 2011

Obama administration asks high court to rule on health law

The Justice Department's formal appeal puts to rest speculation about the administration's legal strategy. In addition, Republican state attorneys general separately asked the Supreme Court for a verdict early next year. Many observers say the new timeline will make the court's ultimate finding a factor in the presidential election.

30 Sep 2011

Analyzing the health law's tax credits and the CLASS Act's future

This round-up of health law implementation news also includes a report that the comment period for state health exchanges has been extended and news that Catholic organizations have stepped-up their opposition to the measure's requirement that contraceptive services be covered.

30 Sep 2011

Initiative pays primary-care docs for coordinating Medicare patients' care

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday a new initiative created by the health law that will ask physicians to focus on patients with chronic conditions. The program will be tested in five to seven markets across the country.

30 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Rising health costs and the health law

Even a slow economy can't stop healthcare costs from rising. A new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust shows that the cost of employer-provided insurance rose 9% this year - even as workers and their families were cutting back on trips to the doctor's office - and has more than doubled over the last decade.

30 Sep 2011