Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

SynerMed announces achievement of Elite status on 2010 SOE assessment

SynerMed, Inc., the largest Medicaid managed service organization in the country, today announced the achievement of "Elite" status on the 2010 Standards of Excellence assessment administered by the California Association of Physician Groups, the nation's largest professional association representing physicians practicing in the managed care model.

15 May 2010

US Oncology Specialty passes VAWD accreditation program

US Oncology, Inc.'s Fort Worth, Texas distribution facility, US Oncology Specialty, LP, has once again successfully passed the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors program's comprehensive criteria review and on-site inspection.

15 May 2010

Welch Allyn honors four sales and marketing professionals with outstanding performance awards

Welch Allyn, a leading manufacturer of frontline medical products and solutions, recently honored four North American sales and marketing professionals with outstanding performance awards at its 2010 Sales Meeting in Naples, Florida.

15 May 2010

Futuremed Healthcare Income Fund unitholders approve conversion into corporation

Futuremed Healthcare Income Fund is pleased to announce that on May 13, 2010, at its annual and special meeting of voting unitholders, unitholders overwhelmingly approved the proposed conversion of the Fund into a corporation to be called Futuremed Healthcare Products Corporation.

15 May 2010

Winners of 2010 IADR/GSK Innovation in Oral Care Awards announced

The International Association for Dental Research and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare today announced the 2010 winners of the annual IADR/GSK Innovation in Oral Care Awards. The three prestigious awards recognize research in innovative oral care technologies that may maintain and improve oral health and the quality of life.

15 May 2010

Hospira's I.V. administration set product line to be standardized to non-DEHP

Hospira, Inc., a leading global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, will expand its commitment to non-DEHP products by transitioning customers to its portfolio of non-DEHP intravenous administration sets.

15 May 2010

Research roundup: Whistleblowers, spreading best practices, Medicare's growth-limiting strategy

The Impact Of Removing Financial Incentives From Clinical Quality Indicators: Longitudinal Analysis Of Four Kaiser Permanente Indicators - The researchers found the removal of pay-for-performance incentives "was associated with a decrease in performance of about 3% per year on average for screening for diabetic retinopathy and about 1.6% per year for cervical cancer screening" (Lester et al., 5/11). More details about the study and related news coverage are in the May 12 Morning Report.

15 May 2010

Northstar Healthcare reports net loss of $1.4M in first-quarter 2010

Northstar Healthcare Inc. today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010. All dollar amounts are in United States currency; percentage calculations are based on the numbers in the financial statements and may not correspond to rounded figures presented in this release.

15 May 2010

States consider joining Medicaid expansion early to take advantage of federal money

Despite budget squeezes, some states are considering expanding Medicaid , due to the new health law.

15 May 2010

CAPG releases results of fourth annual SOE survey of its medical group members

The California Association of Physician Groups released the results of its fourth annual Standards of Excellence survey of its medical group members. The SOE survey is the first known voluntary large scale, critical self-assessment for medical groups in the United States.

15 May 2010

Dehaier Medical Systems first-quarter net income increases 54% to $0.52 million

Dehaier Medical Systems Ltd., an emerging leader in the development, assembly, marketing and sale of medical products in China, today reported financial results for its first quarter 2010 ended March 31, 2010.

15 May 2010

MTBC launches free medical billing software for healthcare industry

MTBC, a Unique Healthcare IT company, has announced the launch of Billing Pro, the only 100% free medical billing software offered in the healthcare industry today.

15 May 2010

Zargis Cardioscan device, 3M Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 recognized with Gold Award

Zargis Medical Corp., a majority-owned subsidiary of Speedus Corp., today announced that its Zargis Cardioscan device and the compatible 3M Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 were the joint recipients of a Gold Award on April 29th at The Edison Best New Products Award gala, presented by Discovery Channel in New York City.

15 May 2010

National study of factors related to unmet health needs among homeless people

The vast majority of homeless adults surveyed in a national study had trouble accessing at least one type of needed health care service in the preceding year, according to a study that will appear in the July American Journal of Public Health and is now available online.

15 May 2010

U.S. healthcare practitioners can resume use of Rotarix, says FDA

GlaxoSmithKline announced that the Food and Drug Administration has determined that U.S. healthcare practitioners can resume the use of Rotarix (Rotavirus Vaccine, Live, Oral), effective immediately. This action supersedes the FDA's recommendation from March 22, 2010 and reflects the agency's assessment that the presence of porcine circovirus type 1 in the vaccine poses no safety risk.

15 May 2010

GOP launches new challenge to health law with coordinated messaging

Republicans are starting a new bid to undermine Democratic attempts at touting a new health law. The GOP effort includes attacks on both President Barack Obama's pick to run Medicare and on claims that implementation is going smoothly.

15 May 2010

Democrats weary of health changes, mull new health bills, 'doc fix'

Democrats are feeling health care "fatigue" and are doubting that Congress will consider any more health-related legislation this year. "Measures in jeopardy include bills that would require more information on healthcare prices, empower federal regulators to sign off on premium increases and strip insurers of their exemption from anti-trust laws."

15 May 2010

BioMS reports consolidated net income of $6.5M for first-quarter 2010 compared to net loss of $3.8M in 2009

BioMS Medical Corp., today announced financial and operational results for the three months ended March 31, 2010.

15 May 2010

Obama administration cracks down on health care fraud

Modern Healthcare: "The government's efforts to rein in Medicare fraud and abuse recovered $2.5 billion for the program in fiscal 2009, up 29% from $1.9 billion the previous year, according to a new annual report. ... The $2.5 billion collected in fiscal 2009 is attributed to judgments and settlements in previous years as well as 2009, according to the report of the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program.

14 May 2010

Hospitals plan joint efforts to increase efficiency

An association of California hospitals has proposed creating a foundation to supply doctors to at least 20 of its 160 members, with more likely to join if the project takes off, The Wall Street Journal reports. The foundation "would own clinics and centralize administrative matters including billing and electronic medical records," and it shows another step in efforts to align "doctors and hospitals, a trend expected to be accelerated by the health overhaul."

14 May 2010