Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Health Discovery receives MICO Award from MDB Capital at Bright Lights Conference

Health Discovery Corporation announced today it received the prestigious MICO Award presented by MDB Capital Group, San Francisco, Calif., at its invitation-only Bright Lights Conference held May 11-12, 2010. Health Discovery Corporation was chosen from among 1,600 publicly traded, small cap companies.

18 May 2010

Insurance groups seek to limit health law damage with medical-loss ratio definitions

Insurance groups are wrangling with regulators on defining a few key terms that will significantly alter how they do business under the new health reform law.

18 May 2010

Democrats strategize by touting early benefits but in some areas party is facing tough fight

Democrats enlisted a reliable strategy by "front-loading their legislation with consumer-friendly, insurance industry reforms and other fixes they hope will generate support for the new law in the run-up to the pivotal midterm elections." Democrats are hoping that a skeptical public will come around to their side of the equation, but Republicans say voters will remember all the legislation, not just part of it, when they vote in November.

18 May 2010

WaferGen Biosystems first-quarter revenues increase to $389,785

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., a leading developer of state-of-the-art genome analysis systems, today reported performance results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

17 May 2010

Health law's affect on ERs, doctors' panel, young adults examined

Officials and stakeholders are examining the new health reform law for changes that the reform will mean for their organizations and industries.

17 May 2010

First Edition: May 17, 2010

Today's headlines highlight stories about efforts to advance the implementation of federal health reforms as well as the sweeping measure's political impact in primary races across the country.

17 May 2010

Polypill to be tested in new heart disease trial

Researchers will be exploring whether a new, very low cost, one-a-day combined 'polypill' could reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular problems across the world, in a major new international trial that launches today.

17 May 2010

Halozyme Therapeutics announces delivery of notice of breach to Baxter Healthcare

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the delivery of a notice of breach to Baxter Healthcare Corporation due to Baxter's failure to provide HYLENEX (hyaluronidase human injection) in accordance with the terms of the parties' existing development and supply contracts.

17 May 2010

High fat diet linked to exacerbation of asthma

In a new study researchers have found a connection between exacerbation of bronchial asthma and high calorie burgers and fries. Diet and lifestyle have been linked to asthma for some time now but this is the first real evidence. With the advent of unhealthy diets the incidence and prevalence of asthma is on the rise. In 2007, about 34.1 million Americans had asthma, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. From 1980 through 1994, the prevalence of asthma increased by 75 percent.

17 May 2010

UHS reaches definitive agreement to acquire PSI for $2.0 billion

Universal Health Services, Inc. and Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. announced today that they have reached a definitive agreement whereby UHS will acquire PSI for a price of $33.75 per share in cash, or approximately $2.0 billion.

17 May 2010

Small business lobby, others join states' lawsuit against health law

"A national business lobbying group on Friday joined 20 U.S. states in a lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama's overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system. The joint lawsuit led by Florida and now grouping 20 states was filed on March 23 by mostly Republican attorneys general." The suit claims the law "violates state government rights in the U.S. Constitution and will force massive new spending on hard-pressed state governments" (Brown, 5/14).

17 May 2010

Novel internet-based strategy effective in patients with severe prednisone dependent asthma

Patients with severe asthma who use an internet-supported strategy and daily monitoring of exhaled nitric oxide were able to control their asthma with lower overall dosing of oral corticosteroids than patients who underwent usual care, according to research from the Netherlands.

17 May 2010

Indigenous Australians at higher risk of diseases: studies

Central Australia ranks first in incidences of pneumonia among children with alarming figures like 78.4 cases per 1,000 children annually. This is much higher than even South Africa, Uruguay, Gambia, Fiji or Pakistan.

16 May 2010

Soliant Health opens up voting for 20 Most Beautiful Hospitals contest

Soliant Health, a leading specialty healthcare staffing provider and part of Adecco Group, has opened up voting for its second annual 20 Most Beautiful Hospitals contest.

15 May 2010

United Spinal Association and ICS co-sponsor first annual conference to empower women with disabilities

United Spinal Association and Independence Care System (ICS), are co-sponsoring the first annual conference to improve the lives, health, and well-being of women with disabilities.

15 May 2010

CPSI applauds Ontario government's proposed Excellent Care for All Act

The Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) applauds the Ontario government's proposed Excellent Care for All Act, which aims to lay the necessary groundwork for continuous quality improvement in healthcare.

15 May 2010

Web seminar for hospitals considering central archive for MRIs, X-rays, CT scans, patient data

Iron Mountain Incorporated, the information management company, will hold a Web seminar May 18 for hospitals considering a central archive for MRIs, X-rays, CT scans and other patient data that is spread across separate technology systems.

15 May 2010

New 2010 Cumulative Supplement to Managed Care Litigation for practitioners who handle disputes

The new 2010 Cumulative Supplement to Managed Care Litigation is a practical reference written specifically for practitioners who handle managed care disputes to help them rapidly focus on key issues and expertly advise their clients. The supplement and its main volume are published by BNA Books, a division of specialized news and information publisher BNA, in conjunction with the American Bar Association Health Law Section.

15 May 2010

Amended class action complaint against Pfizer

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP ("Robbins Geller") today announced that an amended class action complaint will be filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The amended complaint will be on behalf of purchasers of Pfizer Inc. publicly traded securities during the period between January 19, 2006 and January 23, 2009.

15 May 2010

Gentiva Health Services to cooperate with Senate Finance Committee's requests

Gentiva Health Services, Inc., a leading provider of home health and hospice services, announced that it is reviewing a letter that it has been sent by the Senate Finance Committee to all of the publicly traded home healthcare companies and were mentioned in a recent Wall Street Journal article.

15 May 2010