Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Florida obstetricians collaborate to lower premature and Cesarean birth rates

Much has been published of late, in medical journals as well as in the general media, concerning the national rise in both the Cesarean section and premature birth rates. While not directly connected, the two medical concerns have many interrelated variables. Nationally, the Cesarean section rate has risen to 32 percent of all births, while the rate of premature birth has climbed to just over 12 percent.

24 Jun 2010

Minn. Gov. decides to not expand Medicaid early; Ohio wrestles with increased Medicaid costs in overhaul; Kansas officials worry about 25% cut in health policy operating budget

"As expected, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has declined the opportunity for Minnesota to get an early shot at expanding Medicaid eligibility. The federal health plan calls for all states to expand Medicaid eligibility to low-income adults without children in 2014, but Minnesota was among a few states offered a chance to do it earlier." The legislature, however, passed a measure that would allow Pawlenty's successor next year to reverse his ruling (Kimball, 6/22).

24 Jun 2010

New hospital gown ensures patient privacy, dignity

Patients seeking to conserve privacy and personal dignity - i.e. anyone who's ever been forced to wear a traditional hospital gown that often reveal too much - may soon bid adieu peek-a-book hospital garb. Indeed, researchers from the University of Montreal have designed a revolutionary healthcare garment that preserves modesty.

24 Jun 2010

States face less federal Medicaid money, more demand

The Wall Street Journal reports that state legislatures are grappling "with deficits totalling $127 billion over the next two fiscal years, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. ... Of immediate concern to states is the hit they will take if Congress doesn't approve an additional $24 billion to help defray the cost of Medicaid, the federal-state insurance program for the poor. Cost concerns prompted the House to jettison the Medicaid funding this month, and the Senate also is considering stripping out the provision."

24 Jun 2010

Obama to insurers: Health reform no excuse for big rate hikes

President Barack Obama warned a dozen large insurers not to use the new health law as an excuse for boosting premium rates at a White House meeting Tuesday, The Washington Post reports. After acknowledging that insurers weren't solely responsible for rising medical costs, the president said, "we've got to make sure this new law is not being used as an excuse to simply drive up costs.

24 Jun 2010

GOP continues attacks on health law, Boehner issues critical report

"Employers could lose their ability to change health plans or negotiate better rates and benefits under new healthcare reform regulations, the top GOP staffer on the Ways and Means Committee's health panel said Wednesday. Dan Elling, the Republican staff director for the health subcommittee, raised the issue during a CQ-Roll Call policy forum."

24 Jun 2010

Americans spend more on health and get poorer care: Report

According to a Commonwealth Fund report released this Wednesday, Americans spend nearly twice as much as people from other developed countries on healthcare but get lower quality of care, less efficiency and have the least equitable health care system. The comparison was drawn with six other countries, Britain, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand, and the United States ranked last. The report collected data from nationally representative patient and physician surveys in these seven countries in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

23 Jun 2010

Several hospitals seek buyers or mergers to strengthen their bottom lines

The Boston Globe: Massachusetts officials are holding public comment sessions on a proposed sale of chain of hospitals in the state, and "scores of local officials, state representatives, community leaders, and employees and retirees of Caritas hospitals in Eastern Massachusetts have paraded to the podium to praise Caritas management and the private equity firm, Cerberus Capital Management, that has pledged to preserve the chain of six hospitals, at least for three years."

23 Jun 2010

New study of homicides reveals seasonality of child abuse as a myth

A new study of homicides of 797 children younger than age five has found that these deaths occur uniformly throughout the year, dispelling the widely held anecdotal notion that the winter months, and especially winter holidays, are a time of increased child abuse.

23 Jun 2010

InfoLogix engages KPMG as independent registered public accounting firm

InfoLogix, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise mobility solutions for the healthcare and commercial industries, announced today that the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has engaged KPMG, LLP to serve as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2010.

23 Jun 2010

California Providence hospitals select Allscripts for new homecare automation systems

Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center of Burbank, Calif., and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center of Torrance, Calif., announced they have selected Allscripts for their new homecare automation systems.

23 Jun 2010

Grant introduces new range of digital, analogue ultrasonic benchtop baths

Grant Instruments, a world-renowned supplier of scientific, life sciences and data acquisition products, has unveiled an advanced range of high quality, robust, fully-featured digital and analogue ultrasonic benchtop baths. The baths are designed to meet the growing need for reliable ultrasonic cleaning in laboratories and across pharmaceutical, medical, healthcare and industrial applications.

23 Jun 2010

MDI raises $1.4M as part of follow-on to its $3.3M Series C financing round

Molecular Detection Inc., a company developing Detect-Ready assays designed to increase the speed and accuracy of infectious disease diagnosis, today announced the first close of a new financing. The financing was led by MentorTech Ventures II, LP and included Robin Hood Ventures, Elm Spring Holdings and the Mid-Atlantic Angel Group Fund I and II, LP, all existing investors. The company raised $1.4 million as part of a follow-on to its $3.3 million Series C round announced in late 2009.

23 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 23, 2010

Today's health policy headlines focus on President Obama's Tuesday meeting with health insurance executives and the administration's new version of the "Patient's Bill of Rights."

23 Jun 2010

BioWa signs two licensing agreements with GSK

BioWa, Inc. announced today that it has entered into two agreements with GlaxoSmithKline. BioWa and GSK have amended their existing 2007 arrangement in order to provide GSK with extended access to BioWa's POTELLIGENT Technology platform for the research, development and commercialization of their antibody therapeutics with enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. The second license agreement provides GSK with access to BioWa's COMPLEGENT Technology for enhancing the complement-dependent cytotoxicity of select GSK therapeutic antibodies.

23 Jun 2010

Healthcare policies need to adequately address dental health of entire families

Dr. Steven Adair, Chief Dental Officer for FORBA, one of the nation's largest dental practice management firms focused on high-quality dental care for underserved communities, today raised concerns that a new government report on a lack of dental coverage for adults may also underscore ongoing oral health challenges for children from low-income families.

23 Jun 2010

imec researchers demonstrate biosensors that detect extremely low concentrations of disease markers

Researchers at the nanotechnology research centre imec have demonstrated biosensors based on novel nanostructure geometries that increase the sensitivity and allow to detect extremely low concentrations of specific disease markers. This paves the way to early diagnostics of for example cancer by detecting low densities of cancer markers in human blood samples.

23 Jun 2010

Misperceptions about 'light,' 'low,' 'mild' cigarettes

Today, new legislation will go into effect surrounding the ban of word descriptors such as "light," "low," and "mild" on all packaging and advertising of existing cigarettes and smokeless products. However, a new survey, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare, shows that many smokers will choose the cigarettes in lighter-colored packaging because they incorrectly believe these cigarettes would be less harmful to their health or make it easier to quit smoking.

23 Jun 2010

Only doctors familiar with local health services should provide out of hours primary care: Experts

Only doctors familiar with local health services should provide out of hours primary care, argue two experts, following the death of a patient given an overdose of diamorphine by an out of hours doctor.

23 Jun 2010

New Jersey's failure to fund tobacco control programs is disappointing, says former health commissioner

New Jersey's failure to fund tobacco control programs is disappointing and will have long-term effects on the state's health and economy, said a former New Jersey health commissioner today.

23 Jun 2010