Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Proactive Patient Outreach system, patient registry to improve care coordination, population health outcomes

Under the HITECH Act's final rules for meaningful use issued last week by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, physicians are required to demonstrate the ability to effectively report quality data, manage care coordination, engage patients and families, and improve population health in order to qualify for federal financial incentives.

20 Jul 2010

Obesity, chronic pain linked to family history, mood disorders: Study

Though it is well known obese individuals have a high incidence of persistent pain problems, a new study in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society, reports that comorbid obesity and pain also are linked to family history and mood disorders.

20 Jul 2010

AHF calls upon US to honor commitment to PEPFAR

Doctors and AIDS advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which provides AIDS medical care to more than 138,000 individuals in 23 countries worldwide, will host a press conference at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna on Monday, July 19th at 12 noon (Media Center, Room PCR #3) to reiterate their call on the United States to honor the its landmark commitment to PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), the successful US global AIDS program.

20 Jul 2010

LRGHealthcare deploys Aruba's application-aware 802.11n Wi-Fi networks for clinical mobility needs

Aruba Networks, Inc., a global leader in distributed enterprise network solutions, today announced that LRGHealthcare (LRGH), a healthcare charitable trust based in New Hampshire, has deployed Aruba's application-aware 802.11n Wi-Fi networks to address growing clinical mobility needs throughout the Lakes Region General Hospital, Franklin Regional Hospital, and associated clinics in the cities of Lanconia, Franklin, Gilford, and Meredith.

20 Jul 2010

AIDS 2010 studies, releases: Treating HIV-positive patients with ARVs drove down number of new HIV infections, study finds

"Treating HIV patients with cocktails of AIDS drugs helps to stop them spreading the infection further and more than halved the number of new HIV diagnoses in a study in Canada, scientists said on Sunday," Reuters reports.

20 Jul 2010

Sec. of State Clinton announces $500M health, development projects for Pakistan

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday announced several new development- and health-related aid projects for Pakistan worth more than $500 million, Reuters reports (Quinn, 7/19).

20 Jul 2010

Hospital jobs hurt in some places, expand in others, as recession pinches

Although some hospitals are feeling the pinch of the recession on their budgets, 400 low-income and unemployed residents are receiving job-training and placement at local hospitals to tap into the need for workers. "The Youth Policy Institute, a local nonprofit managing the program, opened its doors to applicants in March and has already enrolled about 400 trainees.

20 Jul 2010

Abortion fight again heats up over high-risk pools, other health reform news

Anti-abortion activists have "scored a victory" after a decision last week by the Obama administration to not allow the new high-risk pools in America to cover most abortions, The Associated Press reports.

20 Jul 2010

Unidine, Xanitos enter strategic partnership

Unidine Corporation, a leading provider of food service management to healthcare and businesses, and Xanitos, Inc., an innovator in EVS management systems for hospitals, today announced a strategic partnership to offer combined food and dining service management and EVS management for hospitals that desire superior quality, personalized attention and the convenience of two industry leaders that share a common philosophy.

19 Jul 2010

New health care leaders named

News outlets report on new leadership appointments at key health care groups.

19 Jul 2010

GE Capital serves as sole lender to Mitralign for $5 million senior secured credit facility

GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services announced today that it served as agent and sole lender to Mitralign, Inc. for a $5 million senior secured credit facility. Mitralign will use the credit facility for working capital as the company advances development of its mitral valve repair device.

19 Jul 2010

Sharps Compliance enters new $5.0M Credit Agreement with Wells Fargo Bank

Sharps Compliance Corp., a leading full-service provider of cost-effective management solutions for medical waste and unused dispensed medications generated outside the hospital and large healthcare facility setting, announced today that it has entered into a new $5.0 million, two-year Credit Agreement with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association.

19 Jul 2010

Oncolytics Biotech receives Canadian approval for combination REOLYSIN Phase 3 trial in head, neck cancer

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. today announced that it has received a No Objection Letter from Health Canada to conduct its Phase 3 trial examining REOLYSIN in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with platinum-refractory head and neck cancers.

19 Jul 2010

AMAC declares special cash dividend for second time

American Medical Alert Corp. a healthcare communications solutions provider, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved the payment of a special cash dividend of $0.10 (ten cents) per common share. The dividend will be paid on or about October 1, 2010 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 13, 2010.

19 Jul 2010

On Assignment acquires Sharpstream

On Assignment, Inc. announced today the acquisition of Sharpstream, a privately owned provider of search services for executive to middle managers in the life sciences sector globally.

19 Jul 2010

Microarrays acquired from Vanderbilt University

Microarrays, Inc. (MI), an innovator of array-based technologies for biological research, detection and diagnostics, today announced that the company's management team and a group of independent investors have purchased MI from Vanderbilt University. The new company structure will allow MI to more quickly and nimbly respond to client's rapidly expanding needs, especially within the diagnostic and health care arenas.

19 Jul 2010

Erie County Medical Center to implement Allscripts EHR

Allscripts announced today that Erie County Medical Center Corporation, a 550-bed academic medical center in Buffalo, has selected the Allscripts Electronic Health Record (EHR) for 100 of its physicians to enhance the quality of patient care, improve physician and patient communications, and better manage the cost of care delivery in 24 outpatient clinics.

19 Jul 2010

EndoStim raises $6M in Series B equity financing round

EndoStim, Inc., a medical device company developing minimally-invasive interventional therapies to treat gastrointestinal and urological neuro-muscular disorders, today announced it has raised $6 million in Series B equity financing. Santé Ventures, a life science venture capital firm, led the round and was joined by the Prolog Ventures, Vectis Healthcare & Life Sciences Fund II and returning angel investors.

19 Jul 2010

Sen. Roberts lashes out at recess appointment of Berwick

"Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts is taking aim at President Barack Obama for making a recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick as the new head of the federal agency overseeing Medicare and Medicaid," CNN reported.

19 Jul 2010

Businesses, states seek solutions to rising health insurance costs

News outlets, including The New York Times, reported on health insurance in light of the new law: "the country's biggest insurers are promoting affordable plans with reduced premiums that require participants to use a narrower selection of doctors or hospitals.

19 Jul 2010