Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Primary care-based patient navigation can reduce healthcare disparities

A new research study conducted by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that patient navigation services significantly improve biennial mammography screening rates among inner city women. The results, published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, indicate the importance of patient navigation in reducing health disparities in vulnerable patient populations.

22 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 22, 2010

Today's headlines detail the National Association of Insurance Commissioners vote on recommendations regarding a key provision of the health law.

22 Oct 2010

NIH grants $ 3.2 million to promote reproductive science research

Scientists from Johns Hopkins Children's Center and Morgan State University have received a $ 3.2 million National Institutes of Health grant designed to promote racial, ethnic and socio-economic diversity in reproductive science research.

22 Oct 2010

Hospira announces launch of piperacillin and tazobactam injection in the US

Hospira, Inc., the world leader in generic injectable pharmaceuticals, today announced the launch of piperacillin and tazobactam for injection in the United States. The medication is a generic version of Zosyn, the world's leading injectable antibiotic, from Pfizer. Piperacillin and tazobactam injection posted 2009 U.S. sales of more than $855 million.

22 Oct 2010

HFMA reviews 3M DRG Assurance Program using Peer Review Process

The Healthcare Financial Management Association recently reviewed the 3M DRG Assurance Program using the Peer Review Process. After undergoing the rigorous review, 3M DRG Assurance Program from 3M Health Information Systems has been granted the "Peer Reviewed by HFMA" designation.

22 Oct 2010

Canadian hospitals' contracts with consultants scrutinized

Cerberus Capital Management is poised to purchase Caritas Christi Health Care. This morning, at a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court hearing, Caritas and Cerberus face the final hurdle in an approval process that began in the spring.

22 Oct 2010

Experts agree on key policy recommendations for management, prevention of rheumatic, MSKD

On 19 October 2010, experts from academia, scientific societies, patient organisations, Member States' government and social security institutions as well as EU bodies agreed upon a number of key policy recommendations for improving the management and prevention of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

22 Oct 2010

LA. drops plans for quickly setting up new health plan for poor; national health insurer accused on providing "junk insurance" in Calif

In the face of mounting opposition, the Jindal administration dropped plans late Wednesday to expedite approval of rules needed to implement a new health-care delivery system for the poor.

22 Oct 2010

Malaria deaths in India 13 times higher than WHO estimate, study says

"Malaria kills around 205,000 people in India each year, more than 13 times the estimate made by the World Health Organization, researchers said on Thursday," Reuters reports.

22 Oct 2010

State races take on health care tone as candidates talk overhaul

The health overhaul is making itself felt in political races around the country.

22 Oct 2010

Insurance commissioners to vote on spending requirements

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners will make a final vote on its recommendations for regulating how much insurers must spend on medical services, a key health law provision, Kaiser Health News reports.

22 Oct 2010

Dicerna secures $4 million in second closing of Series B equity financing

Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a second generation RNA interference (RNAi) company developing novel therapeutics utilizing its proprietary Dicer Substrate Technology and Dicer Substrate siRNA (DsiRNA) molecules, today announced a second closing of its Series B equity financing, securing an additional $4 million and bringing the total capital raised in this round to $29 million.

22 Oct 2010

Zyvox achieves higher clinical success rate than vancomycin in MRSA nosocomial pneumonia study

Results of a new international phase 4 study of patients with nosocomial pneumonia due to proven methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) demonstrated that the antibiotic Zyvox® (linezolid) achieved a statistically significantly higher clinical success rate compared with vancomycin for the primary endpoint. The ZEPHyR (Linezolid in the treatment of subjects with nosocomial pneumonia proven to be due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) study was the largest ever conducted in this population.

21 Oct 2010

Bruker installs BioSpec 170/25 system at CEA NeuroSpin research center

Bruker announced today that it has successfully installed its BioSpec® 170/25 system at the CEA NeuroSpin research center near Paris, France. The world's first horizontal ultra-high magnetic field 17.2 Tesla MRI system features a magnet bore diameter of 25 cm. It is equipped with a novel Bruker BGA-S™ gradient system with unsurpassed amplitude and slew rate specifications for cutting-edge preclinical in vivo imaging on small animals.

21 Oct 2010

Baxter third quarter net income increases 12% to $595 million

Baxter International Inc. today announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2010, and provided its fourth quarter and updated full-year 2010 financial outlook.

From Baxter International Inc. 21 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 21, 2010

Today's headlines include news about how opponents of the health law are steering the educational efforts that surround it, as well as poll results that suggest continued Republican inroads at the polls.

21 Oct 2010

UHCMC improves workflow using Toshiba's suite of systems

One of the top priorities for healthcare facilities today is improving operational efficiency. To help address this issue, University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) in Cleveland, Ohio, rated among the best hospitals in the nation, recently purchased a suite of systems from Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., including an Aplio MX, two Xario XGs and two Aplio XG systems.

21 Oct 2010

Highlights of Frontiers in Optics 2010/Laser Science XXVI Meeting

Scientists and engineers from around the world will gather on the shores of Lake Ontario in Rochester, N.Y. next week to discuss some of the latest breakthroughs in lasers and optics and their applications to cutting-edge science, the development of new materials, and medicine.

21 Oct 2010

Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index rises for second month

Americans' confidence in their ability to obtain and afford healthcare rose for the second consecutive month in September, reversing a downward trend that had prevailed in the first half of the year, according to a consumer sentiment index produced by Thomson Reuters.

21 Oct 2010

Nonprescription drug manufacturing and marketing costs increase: Kline

A number of costs associated with nonprescription drug manufacturing and marketing have increased over the past two and a half years. Certain material costs for plastic bottles and blister packs have risen by double digits during this time, increasing packaging expenses.

21 Oct 2010