Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Atrium responds to Bard's ePTFE prosthetic vascular graft patent lawsuit

Atrium Medical Corporation was recently named as a defendant, along with Endologix, Inc., of Irvine, CA, in a lawsuit brought by C.R. Bard in U.S. District Court in Arizona. The suit involves a patent, U.S. No. 6,436,135, issued to Bard in 2002 related to prosthetic vascular grafts made of ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene). Atrium has been involved in discussions with Bard management regarding this patent for several years.

18 Aug 2010

Luminex donates new MAGPIX system to Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research

Luminex Corporation, the worldwide leader in multiplexed solutions, today announced it has donated the first commercial unit of its newly launched MAGPIX® instrument to Professor Peter Siba and his scientific team at the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research. The instrument will be used onsite in Papua New Guinea to progress malaria research led by Dr. Peter Zimmerman, Professor of International Health, Genetics and Biology at the Center for Global Health and Diseases at Case Western Reserve University.

From Luminex 18 Aug 2010

Emerson Ecologics announces exclusive distribution of EcoNugenics' ProstaCaid supplement

Emerson Ecologics, LLC, the leading provider of professional-grade nutritional supplements to the healthcare practitioner market, announces the exclusive distribution of EcoNugenics' newest product ProstaCaid™ to healthcare practitioners. A professional dietary supplement based on the latest in prostate research, ProstaCaid is specifically formulated to promote and maintain prostate health.

18 Aug 2010

Alliance HealthCare Services offers to exchange series B senior notes due 2016

Alliance HealthCare Services, Inc.,a leading national provider of outpatient diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy services, announced today that it has completed its offer to exchange (the "Exchange Offer") up to $190 million aggregate principal amount of its 8.00% series B senior notes due 2016 which have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for any and all of its outstanding 8.00% senior notes due 2016 which were issued in a private placement (the "Private Notes").

18 Aug 2010

Anesthesia Business Consultants designated as AQI Preferred Vendor

Anesthesia Business Consultants, LLC (ABC) is pleased and proud to announce that they are one of the first companies to meet the criteria for designation as an Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI) Preferred Vendor.

18 Aug 2010

ProMedica to implement Amerinet Diagnostix's AccuPrice daily price auditing solution

Amerinet Inc., a leading national healthcare group purchasing organization, recently partnered with ProMedica Health System to implement AccuPrice®, a daily price auditing solution from Amerinet Diagnostix®, in its laboratory to quickly identify and resolve more than $8,000 in pricing errors.

18 Aug 2010

HHS awards $1 million grants to state insurance regulators

The Los Angeles Times: "The Obama administration is sending $1-million grants to state insurance regulators to help increase oversight of rising health insurance premiums, a key step in implementing the new healthcare law. The grants announced Monday, which went to all but five states, will enable many to expand public access to information about rate hikes and to hire experts to review what insurers want to charge.

18 Aug 2010

Gentiva closes acquisition of Odyssey HealthCare

Gentiva Health Services, Inc., a leading provider of home health and hospice services, today announced the closing of its acquisition of Odyssey HealthCare, Inc. in an all cash transaction for a price of $27 per share of Odyssey common stock, without interest, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.0 billion, including fees and expenses.

18 Aug 2010

New Superbug emphasises ill-preparedness across Europe to meet this emerging public health challenge

Research just published that identifies new highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria reinforces the frequency with which similar strains of so-called “superbugs” are being discovered across Europe, according to the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).

17 Aug 2010

HealthGrades honors Eastern Long Island Hospital with Outstanding Patient Experience Award

Eastern Long Island Hospital (ELIH) is among the top 15 percent in the nation for patient experience based on an analysis of patient surveys from 3,775 hospitals across the country by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. By placing in the top 15 percent, ELIH received the 2010/2011 HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award(TM).

17 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 17, 2010

Today's headlines include news about new federal funding to help states regulate rising health insurance premiums and more information about the costs of cancer.

17 Aug 2010

Hospitals save $284 million through Premier's Quality Connect quality improvement program

Hospitals participating in a Premier healthcare alliance quality improvement program have saved more than $284 million over the past year through improvements in clinical performance and enhancements in professional practice evaluation.

17 Aug 2010

Emdeon and Noridian Mutual Insurance enter strategic relationship

Emdeon Inc., a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management solutions, today announced a strategic relationship with Noridian Mutual Insurance Company (NMIC), doing business as Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, and Noridian Administrative Services, LLC (NAS). NMIC provides quality health care coverage and additional supplemental coverage for those seeking medical, life, disability, long-term care and related insurance coverage.

17 Aug 2010

Black AIDS Institute launches BTAN program to care for Black Americans with HIV

The Black AIDS Institute, with support from Merck, announced the launch of the Black Treatment Advocates Network. BTAN, the first collaborative Network of its kind, will train and mobilize a team of treatment advocates with a mission to link Black Americans with HIV into care and treatment; strengthen local and national leadership; raise HIV science and treatment literacy in Black communities; and advocate for policy change and research priorities.

17 Aug 2010

Ancient discovery holds key to joint tissue regeneration

Osteoarthritis is a crippling disease worldwide, with an estimated eight million sufferers in the UK alone. It has been described as like "wearing a suit of rusty armour," with unrelenting, razor-like pain.

17 Aug 2010

Medical Protective and AAFPRS create new insurance program for facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons

Medical Protective has teamed up with the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) and created The AAFPRS Medical Protective Insurance Program.

17 Aug 2010

Capario releases Portal 3.6 revenue cycle management solution

Capario, a leading provider of revenue cycle management solutions that connect healthcare payers and providers nationwide, today announced it has launched Portal 3.6, which includes the most significant advances to its exclusive online portal application to date.

17 Aug 2010

Hospitals address slashed payments, technology investments and rehospitalizations

Boston Herald: Massachusetts hospital officials say that reduced federal and state payments may destabilize health care delivery. The state's combined Medicaid and CHIP program, known as MassHealth, plans to cut hospital reimbursements "by $75 million in its main contract between hospitals and MassHealth, according to the Massachusetts Hospital Association, which cited 'discussions' with the state in outlining the proposed cut to its members over the weekend.

17 Aug 2010

Emerging Healthcare Solutions announces new website of Stand-By Systems

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. disclosed today that Stand-By Systems (SBS) has established an Internet presence by launching a website that describes their company and its ground-breaking products. EHSI is currently moving to finalize a Definitive Agreement with SBS and has already executed a term sheet for the deal, which was announced on August 2nd.

17 Aug 2010

States scrambling to ensure they comply with health reform law

The New York Times reports that some states are scrambling to ensure they can comply with the new federal health law. "Insurance commissioners in about half the states say they do not have clear authority to enforce consumer protection standards that take effect next month. Federal and state officials are searching for ways to plug the gap. Otherwise, they say, the ability of consumers to secure the benefits of the new law could vary widely, depending on where they live."

17 Aug 2010