Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

First Edition: March 31, 2011

In today's news, reports on continuing congressional efforts to reach a deal on the current-year budget and on a move by Medicare to cover Provenge, a prostate cancer drug.

31 Mar 2011

PSTX closes common stock financing for $7.1 million

Patient Safety Technologies, Inc. today announced the closing of a $7.1 million common stock financing. The investors, led by a new institutional investor, together with several existing shareholders and certain members of senior management, purchased 9.48 million shares of common stock at a price of $0.75 per share.

31 Mar 2011

Pacira reports net loss of $7.0 million for quarter ended December 31, 2010

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2010, provided an update on the execution of its pre-commercial and launch strategies for EXPAREL and established 2011 financial guidance.

31 Mar 2011

New report examines MSIS feasibility to fulfill requirements outlined in CHIPRA

A new report, published in Perspectives in Health Information Management, by The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services Department of Health Policy, examines the feasibility of using the Medicaid Statistical Information System, an existing data source, to fulfill some of the requirements outlined in section 401 of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009.

31 Mar 2011

McKesson releases Horizon Cardiology 12.2 cardiovascular information system

With its new 12.2 software release, McKesson's Horizon Cardiology™ is the industry's only cardiovascular information system (CVIS) system that offers a single database, including hemodynamics, and presents the entire patient history from fetal to adulthood.

31 Mar 2011

Foundation for nationwide consensus on access to genetic information

Health privacy is a serious concern, but as genetic testing becomes more common, access to your genetic information raises questions the healthcare industry has never faced before. It is particularly important that we begin to address these questions now that genomic information is being collected to improve the diagnosis and treatment of children.

31 Mar 2011

Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine create Texas Children's Center for Global Health

Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) today announced the creation of the Texas Children's Center for Global Health and the appointment of renowned physician-scientist Dr. Russell E. Ware as director.

31 Mar 2011

International experts meet to focus on impact of vaccines on global health at a time of public scepticism and complacency

International experts gather in Prague today for a three day meeting focused on the impact of vaccines on public health, at a time of increasing concern that public scepticism and complacency could undermine the positive impact of current and future vaccine campaigns.

31 Mar 2011

EPA approves Clorox DISPATCH disinfectant towels registration to fight against C. difficile

The Clorox Company announced today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the registration of DISPATCH Hospital Cleaner Disinfectant Towels with Bleach to kill Clostridium difficile spores in five minutes, the fastest C. difficile contact time available.

31 Mar 2011

Cellectis 2010 total operating revenues increase 55% to EUR 15.8M

Cellectis, the genome engineering specialist, has announced its consolidated financial results for the financial year ended December 31, 2010.

31 Mar 2011

Bipartisan senate bill would set process to review future Medicare provider cuts

The measure would bar any cuts from taking place before the Health and Human Services secretary determines they are necessary. Meanwhile, in other Medicare news, ProPublica reports that federal regulators are in the process of making kidney dialysis clinic data more accessible to the public.

31 Mar 2011

Revenues grow, but states wrestle with shortfalls in Medicaid needs

A new Census Bureau report find revenues for local and state governments are growing but many states are still having difficulty funding Medicaid programs. In Conn., the governor says he has reservations about a proposal to create a new entity to oversee state health care. California and New Jersey officials are having trouble finding cuts to balance the budget. And hospital officials in Texas are urging lawmakers to not trim health care.

31 Mar 2011

CardioNexus to launch Panasonic CardioHealth Station at American College of Cardiology 2011 Annual Scientific Sessions

CardioNexus Corporation an affiliated company of Panasonic Healthcare Co. Ltd., will introduce Panasonic CardioHealth® Station at the 2011 Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology.

From PHC Europe B.V. 31 Mar 2011

California State Controller calls upon Abbott, BI, BMS & Genentech to reduce AIDS drug prices for ADAPs

Today AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced that California State Controller John Chiang has sent letters to the CEOs of Abbott, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and Genentech, asking the companies to reduce the price of their HIV/AIDS medications for California and its AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).

31 Mar 2011

CCAC National Survey finds 82% of Canadians with cancer

The Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada today announced findings from the Weighing Quality of Life in Cancer National Survey showing that an alarming 82 per cent of Canadians have been touched closely by cancer and have had a close friend or family member battle cancer, or have done so themselves.

31 Mar 2011

Senate likely to vote Wednesday on 1099 provision repeal

The measure is being offered as an amendment to a small-business bill being considered this week. It could be voted on as soon as Wednesday morning and, if passed, go straight to President Obama for his signature.

31 Mar 2011

Target parents to tackle childhood obesity: Study

A new study has shown that educating parents on healthy eating could be more effective at reducing childhood obesity than physical activity. The study came from researchers from the universities of Newcastle and Wollongong who found that targeting parents rather than children is the key to combating childhood obesity. The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

30 Mar 2011

Allscripts ED 7.0 receives Complete EHR certification

Allscripts announced today that Allscripts ED™ 7.0, the company's standalone Emergency Department Information System (EDIS), is 2011/2012 compliant and was certified as a Complete EHR on March 2, 2011 by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, an ONC-ATCB, in accordance with the applicable hospital certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

30 Mar 2011

McNeil takes voluntary action against certain OTC products in the U.S.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., is recalling one product lot of TYLENOL 8 Hour Extended Release Caplets 150 count bottles distributed in the United States.

30 Mar 2011

In Calif., nurses to take greater role in providing primary care

While the LA Times reports that nurses are poised to help meet the requirements of the health law, The Chicago Sun-Times reports that more young doctors are choosing primary care careers.

30 Mar 2011