Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

First Edition: October 20, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Julie Appleby reports One of the nation's largest health insurers said today it is testing a new way to pay for some cancer treatments, aiming to identify the best medicines and limit profits doctors make by dispensing in-office chemotherapy drugs.

20 Oct 2010

Elsevier / MC Strategies partners with AORN to develop latest module for Perioperative Collection

Elsevier / MC Strategies a pioneer in providing e-learning solutions to more than 1,300 healthcare organizations, has partnered with the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) to develop the latest module for Mosby's Nursing Skills Perioperative Collection, the only perioperative-specific set of nursing skills approved by AORN to be consistent with the Standards and Recommended Practices.

20 Oct 2010

New CIMIT Accelerator program spins out HanGenix

A recently formed Boston-based start up called HanGenix is the first company to be spun out of the new CIMIT Accelerator program. HanGenix is focused on reducing hospital acquired infections (HAI) by installing comprehensive hand hygiene solutions that remind clinicians to perform proper hand hygiene and document their compliance.

20 Oct 2010

HHS announces new $30 million Consumer Assistance Grants program awards

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced new Consumer Assistance Grants program awards of nearly $30 million to help states and territories put patients in charge of their health care. These grants will support states' efforts to establish or strengthen consumer assistance programs that provide direct services to consumers with questions or concerns regarding their health insurance.

20 Oct 2010

EPO grants new patent to Silence Therapeutics’ RNAi structural modification technology

Silence Therapeutics plc announces that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted a new patent that provides broad protection on novel aspects of the RNAi structural modification technology known as the Zamore Design Rules.

20 Oct 2010

Cataract surgery also reduces car crashes

Cataract surgery not only improves vision and quality of life for older people, but is also apparently a way to reduce the number of car crashes. The research will be presented today's at the Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) - Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting.

20 Oct 2010

Beryl Institute awards $1,000 grants to health care organizations

As part of its commitment to supporting efforts to improve the patient experience in healthcare, The Beryl Institute has awarded $1,000 grants to ten health care organizations that are exploring effective methods for addressing patient experience issues.

20 Oct 2010

Vitro signs contract with HemoGenix to manufacture, distribute stem cell analysis tools

Vitro Diagnostics, Inc., dba Vitro Biopharma, announced that it signed an amendment to its contract to jointly manufacture and distribute stem cell analysis tools with HemoGenix, Inc., a leading firm known for its pioneering HALO analysis platform for stem cells.

20 Oct 2010

Experts at Ninth International Symposium discuss health effects and safety of S-equol

The latest research into the health effects and safety of a soy-based compound called S-equol was described in talks and presentations by experts at a special session on Tuesday, Oct. 19 during the Ninth International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment, held Oct. 16 to 19 in Washington, D.C.

20 Oct 2010

Salix acquires rights to colon cancer screening agent from Photocure

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that the Company has acquired rights to Lumacan™ from Photocure, a Norwegian specialty pharmaceutical company. Lumacan is a novel agent designed to assist in the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions in the colon.

20 Oct 2010

Sysmex America enters contract agreement with Amerinet

Sysmex, a global leader in medical diagnostic testing equipment and information systems technology, today announced a three-year, dual source hematology contract agreement with Amerinet.

From Sysmex America, Inc. 20 Oct 2010

Studies explore efforts to measure, improve hospitals' surgical outcomes

Hospital Compare, an HHS website that allows patients to compare hospitals online using various indicators of quality, is intended to help them choose better facilities for their medical care. But a new report in the Archives of Surgery says the website doesn't help Medicare beneficiaries in need of certain high-risk surgeries find better facilities.

20 Oct 2010

NHLBI launches multicenter study of body cooling treatment in infants and children after cardiac arrest

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has launched the first large-scale, multicenter study to investigate the effectiveness of body cooling treatment in infants and children who have had cardiac arrest. The Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest (THAPCA) trials total more than $21 million over six years.

20 Oct 2010

DOJ sues Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield over pricing deals

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and alleging that it violated antitrust laws by forcing hospitals to charge higher prices to rival insurers.

20 Oct 2010

New 3D Body Volume Index measurement calculates obesity risk

A new obesity measurement for the 21st Century, which can help identify individuals at risk of illness such as heart disease, strokes and diabetes, has been officially launched.

20 Oct 2010

Pearl announces $69 million Series C financing round

Pearl Therapeutics Inc., a privately held company developing clinically differentiated combination therapies for the treatment of highly prevalent chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), today announced a $69 million Series C financing. The financing round was led by Vatera Healthcare Partners and included existing investors, Clarus Ventures, New Leaf Venture Partners and 5AM Ventures.

20 Oct 2010

Candidates continue to clash over health care law

Candidates around the nation are increasingly focusing on what they'll do with the new health law if they're elected as clashes over the overhaul's usefulness and future continue to occur on the campaign trail.

20 Oct 2010

State Roundup: Md.'s heath info exchange; LA to cut retiree health benefits; N.Y.'s mental health building boom

The Washington Post: "A Maryland health information exchange that will allow hospitals, physicians, labs and radiology centers to share patient information within the state went live last week. Three hospitals, three radiology centers, Quest Diagnostics and the Laboratory Corp. of America are already participating in the exchange."

20 Oct 2010

HIV/AIDS status grim in Australia: Experts

Reports show that most Australians are complacent about getting AIDS. They feel that unless a person is homosexual or an injecting drug user or a sex worker, they are not at risk.

19 Oct 2010

Agendia establishes contract with Humana for coverage of MammaPrint breast cancer recurrence test

Agendia, a world leader in molecular cancer diagnostics, announced today that it has established a contract with leading insurance provider Humana to reimburse for the company's MammaPrint test. Agendia's contract with Humana expands the coverage for MammaPrint by more than 17 million lives. In November 2009, Palmetto GBA, California's Part B Medicare administrator, established coding guidelines for MammaPrint, allowing healthcare providers from across the United States to submit claims for the test.

19 Oct 2010