Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

New guides available to help hospital planners protect patients, health care workers

Two new guides are now available to help hospital planners and administrators make important decisions about how to protect patients and health care workers and assess the physical components of a hospital when a natural or manmade disaster, terrorist attack, or other catastrophic event threatens the soundness of a facility. Published by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the guides examine how hospital personnel have coped under emergency situations in the past to better understand what factors should be considered when making evacuation, shelter-in-place, and reoccupation decisions.

28 Jun 2010

Quick-Med Technologies announces application for EPA registration of Stay Fresh technology

Quick-Med Technologies, Inc., a leader in developing innovative antimicrobial technologies for the healthcare and consumer markets, today announced its application for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registration of the Company's proprietary Stay Fresh antimicrobial textiles technology.

28 Jun 2010

CDC fails to implement official HIV testing guidelines, AHF criticizes

As health departments, community organizations and AIDS advocates around the country observe National HIV Testing Day today, AIDS Healthcare Foundation criticized the Centers for Disease Control's for its failure to implement its own landmark 2006 change it its official HIV testing guidelines that included the recommendation for routine testing of all individuals ages 13-64 for HIV as they visit or encounter routine healthcare settings.

28 Jun 2010

Loyola University Hospital awarded Joint Commission's certification as Advanced Primary Stroke Center

The Joint Commission has recertified Loyola University Hospital as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.

28 Jun 2010

AHF rejects Obama trial balloon of $30M for nation's ADAP

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization, is rejecting a trial balloon floated by Obama Administration officials that suggests $30 million in additional funding could adequately help close a gaping $126 million hole in funding for the nation's AIDS Drug Assistance Program, the federal and state funded, state run network of assistance programs that supply lifesaving AIDS drugs to low-income Americans in need.

28 Jun 2010

Medtronic initiates enrollment in ASPIRE study of MiniMed Paradigm x54 Low Glucose Suspend integrated system

Demonstrating its dedication to close the loop for diabetes management, Medtronic, Inc. today announced that the first patient has been enrolled as part of the ASPIRE study of the MiniMed Paradigm x54 System featuring Low Glucose Suspend automation. Low Glucose Suspend works by automatically suspending insulin delivery temporarily if blood glucose levels become too low as defined by the patient and his or her healthcare provider and is a feature available commercially in Medtronic's Paradigm® Veo™ System in more than 35 countries outside of United States.

28 Jun 2010

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills achieves Heart Failure Institute accreditation

The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium announced today that the Heart Institute at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills has achieved status as the state's first accredited Heart Failure Institute.

28 Jun 2010

Poster presentation at MASCC Conference summarizes MuGard clinical experience

ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in products for cancer and supportive care, is presenting a scientific poster today at the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer Conference in Vancouver, B.C. The poster presentation, co-authored by Dr. David Nowotnik of Access Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Caroline Dumas of SpePharm Holdings, summarizes MuGard clinical experience from cancer patients globally undergoing radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.

28 Jun 2010

Hospital for Special Surgery announces receipt of $5M commitment from CA Technologies

Hospital for Special Surgery announced the receipt of a $5 million commitment from CA Technologies, an IT management software and solutions company, at its 27th Annual Tribute Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on June 21, 2010.

28 Jun 2010

National Intrepid Center of Excellence to treat veterans with traumatic brain injury

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund on June 24 officially dedicated the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a new 72,000-square-foot medical facility in Bethesda, Md., dedicated to researching, diagnosing and treating traumatic brain injury in U.S. military personnel.

28 Jun 2010

Senate fails to pass 'extenders' bill, state Medicaid funding

After a bill to extend jobs and economic relief programs failed for the third time in the Senate Thursday, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he would withdraw the bill, Politico reports. The legislation included financial relief for states, including billions to support Medicaid programs.

28 Jun 2010

High-risk health insurance pools opening soon

News outlets examine how states are coping with covering hard-to-insure people, confusion about insuring young adults and a COBRA subsidy extension.

28 Jun 2010

Bayer signs agreement to supply Adalat XL product to Teva Canada

Bayer Inc. and Teva Canada Limited today announced they have entered an agreement regarding Bayer's Adalat XL (nifedipine) 20, 30 and 60 mg product. Effective immediately, Bayer Inc. will supply Adalat XL exclusively to Teva Canada Limited and Teva Canada Limited will become the sole distributor in Canada of brand name Adalat XL product.

28 Jun 2010

Mass. panel overturns cap on insurer's premiums; Calif. finds 'substantial' errors in planned premium increase

A Massachusetts "insurance appeals board yesterday overturned the state's cap on health premium increases for small business and individual customers covered by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care." The panel "found that rate increases Harvard Pilgrim initially sought in April are reasonable given what it must pay to hospitals and doctors. That ruling trumped the Insurance Division's earlier finding that the requested increases were excessive, a view that reflects Governor Deval Patrick's campaign to curb health costs. Insurers yesterday cheered the ruling" (Abelson and Wallack, 6/25).

25 Jun 2010

Linden completes fundraising for LCP II

Linden LLC, a Chicago-based healthcare focused private equity firm, today announced that it has successfully completed fundraising for Linden Capital Partners II, which closed with $375 million of committed capital and exceeded its target of $300 million and initial cap of $350 million.

25 Jun 2010

Friday opinions: Mandate to buy insurance; Medicare and 'political game'

If Americans want a private health insurance system that does not base the price of individually sold policies on that individual's health status and that does not allow an insurer to refuse to sell a policy because of an individual's health issues, then they should accept a mandate that all Americans purchase at least a minimum package of health insurance (Uwe Reinhardt, 6/25).

25 Jun 2010

Medco Health Solutions, BIG direkt gesund execute agreement for advanced pharmacy-driven solutions

Medco Health Solutions and BIG direkt gesund today announced that they have executed an agreement for an innovative portfolio of advanced pharmacy-driven solutions, which upon expressed patient consent, is designed to leverage innovative technologies for improving patient outcomes, adherence, and lowering overall healthcare costs. BIG direkt gesund, a German sick fund that provides health insurance coverage for about 400,000 beneficiaries nationwide, has become the inaugural client for Medco's Advanced Clinical Solutions service offering.

25 Jun 2010

New method to synthesize drug candidates for testing

Some drugs may be more effective the longer they last inside the body. To prevent such drugs from being broken down too rapidly, pharmaceutical manufacturers often attach a fluorine-containing structure called a trifluoromethyl group. However, the processes now used require harsh reaction conditions or only work in a small number of cases, limiting their usefulness for synthesizing new drug candidates for testing.

25 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 25, 2010

Today's headlines reflect the latest news about the House passing a temporary ban on cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors, while Senate Democrats failed to gain approval for their jobs bill, which included enhanced Medicaid aid to states.

25 Jun 2010

PGXL announces new contractual agreement with GH

PGXL, a Louisville-based molecular diagnostics laboratory, announced a new contractual agreement with Generation Health, Inc. The agreement makes PGXL a preferred genetic testing lab for GH. The lab will provide molecular diagnostic tests for GH, which will help physicians make therapeutic decisions and facilitate what has come to be known as "personalized medicine."

25 Jun 2010