Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Roundup: Poll finds growing support in Mass. for health law

Support for the Massachusetts universal health care law has increased since 2009, according to a poll of the state's residents -- even as the law has become the subject of blistering attacks in national and presidential politics, and health care costs soar.

6 Jun 2011

Pivotal health law challenge heads to 11th Circuit Court of Appeals

A three-judge panel in Atlanta will hear oral arguments in the lawsuit brought by 26 states. At issue is whether a Florida judge's ruling to strike down large portions of the sweeping overhaul should be reversed.

6 Jun 2011

Merge Healthcare, Ophthalmic Imaging Systems enter definitive merger agreement

Merge Healthcare, a leading provider of healthcare enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, and Ophthalmic Imaging Systems, a leading provider of digital imaging and informatics solutions for ophthalmology and other medical specialties, today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Merge Healthcare will acquire OIS.

6 Jun 2011

Medicare, Medicaid continue to play central role in budget debate

As the standoff over raising the nation's debt ceiling continues, congressional efforts to cut entitlement programs appear increasingly likely to be pushed off until after the next election. In the background, though, both parties are focusing on Medicare and Medicaid as key to their future prospects.

6 Jun 2011

Commentary on 30th anniversary of AIDS

"Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, we are faced with a choice. Are we content to tinker at the fringes of the epidemic, spending untold billions to treat a fraction of those in need for decades into the future? Or can we summon the political will to effectively deploy the prevention interventions that are already available to us and to make the necessary investments in research that could end this epidemic in our lifetime?"

6 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Reps. on Medicare politics, policies, community pharmacies; Reflections on AIDS

The [Ryan] privatization proposal overlooks the fact that when it comes to rising health costs, Medicare is part of the solution, not the problem. ... Together with health care reform, Medicare can be the driver of innovation due to its sheer market share.

6 Jun 2011

Medizintechnik acquires BSD-2000/3D/MR integrated hyperthermia system

BSD Medical Corporation, a leading provider of medical systems that utilize heat therapy to treat cancer, today announced that Dr. Sennewald Medizintechnik GmbH (Medizintechnik) has purchased BSD Medical's BSD-2000/3D/MR Hyperthermia System (BSD-2000/3D/MR).

6 Jun 2011

FDA grants 510(k) clearance to 3DISC for FireCR Medical Scanners and QuantorMed Imaging Software

3DISC, a manufacturer of high-quality, affordable computed radiography solutions, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its line of FireCR Medical Scanners and QuantorMed Imaging Software in the United States.

6 Jun 2011

Ohio's Adena Health System chooses eClinicalWorks EHR solution for physicians

eClinicalWorks, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announced that Ohio's Adena Health System has chosen the eClinicalWorks comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) solution for its 150 employed physicians.

6 Jun 2011

VHA honors Medical Action with 2011 service excellence award

Medical Action Industries Inc., a leading supplier of medical and disposable surgical products today announced that VHA Inc., the national health care network, honored Medical Action Industries as the Non-Pharmacy Supplier of the Year at its Annual Leadership Conference, May 15-17, in San Diego, Calif. Medical Action is a long-time supplier of Novation, VHA's health care supply contracting company.

6 Jun 2011

PING, HP partner to reduce malaria through mobile health monitoring technology

On the heels of the United Nations Social Innovation Summit, HP and nonprofit organization Positive Innovation for the Next Generation (PING) are launching a collaboration to improve the quality and efficiency of disease surveillance in Botswana through mobile health monitoring technology that can enhance protection and prevention against major malaria outbreaks.

6 Jun 2011

New blog aims to help dispel many myths behind cervical smear test

In the UK, 20 per cent of women still do not attend smear tests, putting themselves at risk of leaving pre-cancerous cervical cells undetected. A new blog, entitled, 'my diary from down under', aims to help dispel many of the myths surrounding having a smear with the aim of putting women at ease and encouraging more women to attend their cervical screens when invited.

6 Jun 2011

National survey to examine whether student nurses receive alcohol training and education

Nurses are often on the frontline when patients are brought into hospital with alcohol-related illnesses or injuries but how prepared are they for dealing with cases of this kind? A researcher at The University of Nottingham is launching a national survey today to establish whether student nurses are receiving the alcohol training and education which is so vital to their job.

6 Jun 2011

The Ensign Group to acquire nine skilled nursing, assisted living facilities from Careage

The Ensign Group, Inc. announced today that Ensign operating subsidiaries have agreed to acquire nine skilled nursing and assisted living facilities from Sioux City, Iowa-based Careage Management, LLC. The acquisition is expected to become effective in July, 2011.

6 Jun 2011

Bayer's radium-223 chloride Phase III trial in CRPC, bone metastases meet primary endpoint

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that the Phase III ALSYMPCA trial evaluating Bayer's investigational compound, radium-223 chloride, which is exclusively licensed from Algeta ASA, in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and bone metastases met its primary endpoint by significantly improving overall survival.

6 Jun 2011

ImaginAb, GE Healthcare sign master research deal to develop new PET diagnostic imaging agents

GE Healthcare Ltd. and ImaginAb, Inc. have executed a master research agreement around the development of new PET (Positron Emission Tomography) diagnostic imaging agents based on ImaginAb's antibody fragment technology. The agreement is launched with an initial exclusive collaboration around a novel cardiovascular target.

6 Jun 2011

ACP strongly supports ACO proposed rule on primary care

The ACP strongly supports the intent of the proposed rule, and believes that an ACO model has the potential of supporting such important care delivery goals as enhancing quality, efficiency, integration, and patient-centeredness.

4 Jun 2011

Recommendations on new cancer drug review process fall short in several ways: CCAC

While the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada congratulates Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc on the recommendations of the report of the Working Group on the evaluation process of new anti cancer medications (Rapport du Groupe de travail sur le processus d'évaluation des médicaments anticancéreux) recently issued, the CCAC notes that the recommendations fall short in several important ways.

4 Jun 2011

Indiana officials say they will defy federal order on Planned Parenthood

State lawyers say they must obey a law signed by the governor last month that bars funding to clinics offering abortions. Medicaid officials warned this week that denying payments for covered health services was illegal and could endanger all federal Medicaid payments to the state.

4 Jun 2011

Newly diagnosed cancer patients face hurdles in receiving oncologist's appointment

Newly diagnosed cancer patients frequently face hurdles in obtaining an appointment for care with an oncologist, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennnsylvania that will be presented Saturday, June 4 at the 2011 annual meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology.

4 Jun 2011