Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

AMA removes support for ‘sin tax’ on sugary drinks

The American Medical Association (AMA) Tuesday afternoon removed its support from taxes on sugar-sweetened soft drinks, saying the concept needs more study. The AMA's policy-making House of Delegates this week debated the idea of supporting state and local taxation of “beverages with added sweeteners” as a way of fighting the nation's obesity epidemic and improving related education of the public.

22 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: GOP Reps. on health law; Medicare & life expectancy; Georgia insurance exchange progresses

After a recent meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama and Republican House Members, we asked the president to meet with the GOP Doctors Caucus to discuss concerns that we have about how the health care law will affect our patients.

22 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 21, 2011

In today's headlines, the latest on the debt-reduction talks, the next chapter in the saga surrounding a McKinsey insurance survey and the details of the Obama administration's effort to tout the health law's prreventive care benefits.

22 Jun 2011

Millennium Labs founder receives Ernst & Young award in Life Sciences category

Millennium Laboratories, a leading provider of medication monitoring services to physicians and staff treating chronic pain, announced today that James Slattery, CEO and founder, has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 San Diego Award in the Life Sciences category.

21 Jun 2011

Benefis selects NextGen Ambulatory EHR, Health Information Exchange as technology foundation

NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. and a leading provider of healthcare information systems and connectivity solutions, announced today that Benefis Health System has selected NextGen Ambulatory EHR, NextGen Practice Management and NextGensm Health Information Exchange as its technology foundation.

21 Jun 2011

Every second counts when performing cardiac arrest resuscitation

A new study has found the number of people who survive after suffering a cardiac arrest outside a hospital drops significantly if the pause between stopping CPR and using a defibrillator to administer an electric shock is longer than 20 seconds.

21 Jun 2011

Hybrid model for hospital supply chains

University of Cincinnati analysis of hospital supply chains - how hospitals stock nursing stations with the hundreds of medicines, materials and even office supplies needed - holds promise in helping to make supply and re-supply efforts leaner and more cost effective.

21 Jun 2011

CDT biomarker poor, inaccurate method for detecting unhealthy drinking in HIV-infected adults

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that among HIV-infected adults with alcohol problems, measuring their carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) biomarker was a poor and inaccurate method for detecting unhealthy drinking.

21 Jun 2011

The Hormone Foundation releases 'SaveMyFertility' website for cancer patients

For the first time ever, young adults and the parents of children diagnosed with cancer—and the physicians who treat them—have a comprehensive, bilingual resource to give them critically important guidance about preserving their fertility before and during cancer treatment.

21 Jun 2011

Merge completes $52M Senior Secured Notes offering

Merge Healthcare Incorporated today announced the successful completion of its previously announced private offering of $52 million in aggregate principal amount of its 11.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2015.

21 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Compromises on fixing Medicare?; 'progress' on AIDS; working families falling behind

Fixing Medicare should not compromise patient care. The president's health care bill created the controversial Independent Payment Advisory Board. This panel of unelected bureaucrats, whose sole purpose is to decide whether to offer Medicare benefits based on a budget, could lead to government rationing of care.

21 Jun 2011

Amylin to present data on investigational diabetes drug candidates at ADA annual meeting

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the Company will present data for its two first-in-class diabetes drugs, BYETTA injection and SYMLIN injection, and its investigational diabetes drug candidates BYDUREON and exenatide once monthly at the 71st Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) being held in San Diego, CA from June 24 to June 28.

21 Jun 2011

bioMD (BOD) announces new MD, new Chairman and Board

bioMD Limited (ASX:BOD), a company with assets in regenerative tissue engineering technologies today announced the appointment of a new Chairman, a new MD and other changes to its Board. This follows shareholder approval for the acquisition of Allied Medical Ltd., a company that specialises in the sales, distribution and commercialisation of medical technologies.

20 Jun 2011

Medicare targets 5 Fla. hospitals for patient readmissions; Task force suggests changes for Jackson Memorial in Miami

Five of Florida's major public and non-profit hospitals scored so poorly on return rates for Medicare patients that they will get preference this summer in a grant program to fix the problem, government documents show.

20 Jun 2011

Baptist Health System to open four new emergency hospitals in Alamo City

Baptist Health System, San Antonio's healthcare leader for more than a century, plans to open four new emergency hospitals in the Alamo City, bringing emergency medical care closer to home for many residents. The hospital system is partnering with emergency medicine pioneer Emerus to manage the facilities based on the company's successful model in other cities throughout Texas.

20 Jun 2011

Capario earns EHNAC HNAP accreditation for sixth consecutive time

Capario, Inc., a leading provider of revenue cycle management solutions that connect healthcare payers and providers nationwide, today announced it has once again achieved full accreditation with the Healthcare Network Accreditation Program (HNAP) from the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC).

20 Jun 2011

GOP fight against Planned Parenthood expands as Wis. prepares to cut funding

What started out as an amendment on the House floor to defund Planned Parenthood has made its way to key battleground states in the 2012 presidential election, with Wisconsin poised to become the fourth state to choke off funding for the women's health provider.

20 Jun 2011

Endo acquires American Medical Systems for $2.9 billion in cash

Endo Pharmaceuticals announced today the completion of its acquisition of American Medical Systems, Inc. (AMS). Endo announced on April 11, 2011, that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AMS, a leading provider of world-class devices and therapies for male and female pelvic health, for approximately $2.9 billion in cash.

20 Jun 2011

September will mark the end of HHS mini-med waiver program

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that it will stop accepting applications for waivers from the health law's minimum coverage requirements.

20 Jun 2011

The complexities of Medicare's doctor pay dynamics

The Medicare physician payment formula is often attacked as a budget gimmick that holds down federal spending on paper, even though everyone knows the cuts it imposes will never come into effect.

20 Jun 2011