Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Republicans' committee plans take shape amid health reform questions

The Hill: "House Ways and Means Chairman-to-be Dave Camp (R-Mich.) is making his case for repealing and replacing the healthcare overhaul, touting his own version of a bill that he says would reduce premiums." Camp made his case in a USA Today editorial and says the GOP plan would reduce premiums by up to 10 percent. Camp says his plan would reform medical malpractice lawsuits, allow Americans to buy health insurance across state lines, and gives "states the flexibility to make changes that best meet the needs of their residents."

10 Nov 2010

Survey says majority of voters want some or all of health law repealed

The Washington Post: "A new Kaiser Family Foundation post-election poll suggests that a majority of people who voted on Nov. 2 favor repealing some or all of the health-care legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress and signed into law by President Obama earlier this year. ... Political strategists continue to debate just how much of an impact healthcare had on the 2010 midterms.

10 Nov 2010

Emergent BioSolutions awarded five grants totalling $1.2 million under QTDP Program

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. today announced that it has been awarded five separate grants under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) Program to support continued development of its therapeutic programs in oncology and autoimmunity. The grants, with a total value of over $1.2 million, will fund Emergent's TRU-016 Small Modular ImmunoPharmaceutical (SMIP™), DRACO anti-CD3 SMIP, X1 TNF-based SCORPION™, X2 CTLA4-based SCORPION, and T-Scorps-based SCORPION therapeutic programs.

10 Nov 2010

Doctors urge Congress to delay pay cuts — again

Doctors are renewing their campaign to get Congress to block a 23 percent cut to Medicare reimbursements that would begin Dec. 1, the Los Angeles Times reports. The cuts — part of a 1997 law designed to control Medicare costs — are a lingering issue that Congress and doctors typically address at least once a year.

10 Nov 2010

Phytomedics awarded $244,000 QTDP grant for development of RA drug

Phytomedics, Inc., a transformational healthcare company developing a novel portfolio of drugs and consumer products solely derived from plant sources, announced today that it has been awarded a grant in the amount of $244,000 under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) Program to advance the development of its lead product PMI-001 for Rheumatoid Arthritis. PMI-001 is presently in Phase 2b/3 development.

9 Nov 2010

Nursing homes fear Medicaid cuts under GOP-led House

The nursing home industry is concerned about pending Medicaid cuts, news outlets report.

9 Nov 2010

Baxa launches ExactaMix 1200 Automated Compounding Device

Baxa Corporation, a leading provider of medical devices and systems that automate pharmacy operations, today introduced the ExactaMix 1200 Automated Compounding Device (ACD) for small- to mid-sized hospital pharmacies in need of an automated approach to compounding large-volume parenteral doses.

9 Nov 2010

Health advice on NHS website saves £44 million per year

The latest study has shown that as more people self diagnose using the NHS Choices website, Britain’s national healthcare service saves millions of pounds every year. The website was launched three years ago. Last year more than 100 million visits were recorded at the site which offers patients a quick reference guide to illnesses, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Overall, there was a 10% increase in the number of visits to the website in 2010 compared to 2009. Some 19 million people logged on to NHS Choices for information on swine flu.

9 Nov 2010

ARIAD reports $20.4 million net loss for third quarter 2010

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2010 and provided an update on corporate developments.

9 Nov 2010

Gentiva third quarter total net revenues increase 38% to $387.8 million

Gentiva Health Services, Inc., a leading provider of home health and hospice services, today reported third quarter 2010 results.

9 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 9, 2010

Today's news includes reports about the Supreme Court's decision regarding an early challenge to the health law.

9 Nov 2010

Data breaches of patient information cost healthcare organizations $6 billion annually

The latest benchmark study by Ponemon Institute, sponsored by ID Experts®, finds that data breaches of patient information cost healthcare organizations nearly $6 billion annually, and that many breaches go undetected. The research indicates that protecting patient data is a low priority for hospitals and that organizations have little confidence in their ability to secure patient records, putting individuals at great risk for medical identity theft, financial theft and embarrassment of exposure of private information.

9 Nov 2010

American Specialty Health wins Silver California Fit Business Award for fourth time

Health and wellness company American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) announced that it had received a Silver California Fit Business Award for the fourth time from the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness.

9 Nov 2010

Patented cover for stethoscopes will curb hospital-acquired infections

Saints Medical Center is pleased to announce that Richard H. Ma, M.D, chair of its hospitalist department, has received a patent for a lightweight plastic cover for stethoscopes that will dramatically reduce hospital-acquired infections.

9 Nov 2010

RadNet third quarter revenue increases 5.0% to record $140.1 million

RadNet, Inc., a national leader in providing high-quality, cost-effective, fixed-site outpatient diagnostic imaging services through a network of 192 fully-owned and operated outpatient imaging centers, today reported financial results, including record revenues, for its third quarter of 2010.

9 Nov 2010

Exempla Healthcare selects ProVation MD for streamlined procedure documentation and coding

Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced today that Exempla Healthcare has selected its ProVation® MD software for gastroenterology and pulmonary procedure documentation and coding. ProVation MD will be deployed across three hospitals in the nationally recognized Exempla Healthcare System.

9 Nov 2010

Endeca, eHealth Ontario partner to implement chronic disease management system

Endeca Technologies, Inc., a search and business intelligence (BI) company, today announced that eHealth Ontario, an agency of the Government of Ontario, has selected Endeca and commenced work on the chronic disease management system (CDMS) and portal project previously announced in August 2010. Endeca, working with its partners, will assist with the design, build, and implementation of the system that will be used initially to better manage diabetes care throughout the province.

9 Nov 2010

Dorland Health launches Professional Patient Advocate Institute

Dorland Health today announced the launch of The Professional Patient Advocate Institute (PPAI), a membership organization and community aligned around the common cause of providing advocacy for consumers as they strive to secure their healthcare needs and cover complex insurance and financial matters.

9 Nov 2010

DHA improves memory function in older adults with mild cognitive impairments

A study published in the November edition of Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association suggests that taking docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may improve memory and learning in older adults with mild cognitive impairments. This is promising news for many aging Americans who are searching for options to maintain memory and support overall cognitive health.

9 Nov 2010

Abbott, CHAI enter agreement to provide HIV testing to infants

Abbott and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) have joined forces to provide HIV testing to infants in all countries working in partnership with the CHAI. A key focus of this cooperation will be sub-Saharan Africa, which the World Health Organization estimates to account for 90 percent of global HIV infections in children.

9 Nov 2010