Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Reid still seeks common ground on public option

"The public option has gone through several stages of evolution this year, but it could soon face extinction unless one of the new versions picks up political momentum," The Hill reports.

3 Dec 2009

GTSI named value-added reseller of the Intel Health Guide RPM solution

GTSI Corp. an enterprise technology solutions and services provider was recently named a value-added reseller to deliver the Intel® Health Guide, a comprehensive, next-generation remote patient monitoring (RPM) solution that combines an in-home patient device, the Intel Health Guide PHS6000, with the Intel® Care Management Suite, an online interface that allows clinicians to monitor patients and remotely manage care.

3 Dec 2009

New health IT grants to be 'models' for the nation

The federal government will offer $235 million in grants for communities to upgrade and improve their health information technology, The Dallas Morning News reports. Only organizations that are already using health IT are eligible. Health secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, "Our hope is that the communities will become models for the rest of the country" (Roberson, 12/2).

3 Dec 2009

Allos Therapeutics to launch the COMPLETE registry for patients with PTCL

Allos Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the launch of an international registry designed to address the urgent need to better understand treatment patterns and outcomes for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). The registry, known as COMPLETE (Comprehensive Oncology Measures for Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma Treatment), is a global observational study that will enroll patients with newly-diagnosed PTCL and obtain data regarding longitudinal treatment patterns and outcomes.

3 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 3, 2009

Today's headlines indicate that Senate leaders may have broken their stalemate regarding the pending, Democratic-backed health reform legislation -- clearing the way today for votes on amendments.

3 Dec 2009

Most of the fatal falls in the home can be avoided with fall prevention and protection products

Healthcare costs are rapidly increasing due to the rapid aging of our population. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that over 60% of fatal falls occur in the home. Additionally, the total cost of falls in 2010 is expected to be between 68 and 100 Billion Dollars. More than 25,000 older adults died due to falls last year.

3 Dec 2009

Texas skilled nursing facilities acquired by Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc., announced today that it has acquired three Texas skilled nursing facilities: the 93-bed Grand Terrace Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in McAllen, the 100-bed Alta Vista Rehabilitation & Healthcare in Brownsville; and the 95-bed Veranda Rehabilitation & Healthcare in Harlingen. The acquisitions were effective December 1, 2009.

3 Dec 2009

"Soft individual mandate" in the healthcare bills raises concern

Lockton Benefit Group is providing employers with a comprehensive, practical view on proposed health reform legislation working through Congress.

3 Dec 2009

Molina Healthcare of Utah ranked among the top fifty of “America’s Best Health Insurance Plans”

Molina Healthcare of Utah, a subsidiary of Molina Healthcare, Inc., today announced that U.S. News and World Report has ranked it among the top fifty of “America’s Best Health Insurance Plans” in the magazine’s annual report measuring the quality and performance of the nation’s Medicaid health plans.

3 Dec 2009

EU study to promote health and reduce risk-taking and self-destructive behavior in young people

At the beginning of 2010, the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at the Center for Psychosocial Medicine at Heidelberg University Hospital will conduct a study named "Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) - promoting the health of young people through the prevention of risk-taking and self-destructive behavior" in cooperation with twelve centers in other EU countries and Israel.

3 Dec 2009

Majority of Americans skeptical about healthcare improvement

A majority of Americans support a "public option" in healthcare reform legislation, but most lack confidence that the cost, quality, value or accessibility of medical care will improve in the next year, according to a survey released today by Thomson Reuters.

3 Dec 2009

Arizona SunView Care Center acquired by The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc., announced today that it has acquired SunView Care Center, an operating skilled nursing and Alzheimer's campus in Youngtown, Arizona, a sister community adjacent to Arizona's Sun City retirement community. The acquisition was effective December 1, 2009.

3 Dec 2009

TGen scientists win $1,000 prize for best scientific paper presented at BIBM09

A team of scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) won a $1,000 prize for best scientific paper presented at BIBM09, a premier bioinformatics and biomedicine conference.

3 Dec 2009

Bishop-endorsed healthcare system can undermine medical treatments and preventative measures

If the Catholic bishops have their way, many medical treatments and preventative measures we take for granted may be under threat. The pressure that the US bishops have brought to bear on the debate over healthcare reform has been widely reported.

3 Dec 2009

Care Support of America's outpatient palliative care coordination model improves the quality of life for seniors

Care Support of America's model of outpatient palliative care coordination, Advanced Illness Coordinated Care (AICC), has been shown to reduce hospitalizations in the last years of life as well as improve the quality of life for seniors and their family caregivers without increasing mortality. These are the principal findings of a new study published in American Journal of Managed Care (November 2009).

3 Dec 2009

arGEN-X to develop its SIMPLE Antibody engine with completed EUR 12.5M Series A equity financing

arGEN-X BV, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of human antibodies using its proprietary SIMPLE Antibody(TM) platform, today announced the successful second closing of its Series A equity financing round. The Company raised an additional EUR 3.0 million (~USD 4.5 million) from two leading life science investors, Credit Agricole Private Equity and VIB (the prestigious Flemish research institute).

3 Dec 2009

Lung disease linked to the use of contaminated well water in a CPAP machine

Many people rely on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines as a safe and effective treatment for sleep apnea. But a new case report describes a rare complication—a lingering inflammatory disease of the lungs, apparently related to the use of contaminated well water in a CPAP machine. The report appears in the December Southern Medical Journal, official journal of the Southern Medical Association.

3 Dec 2009

NHLBI approves award of 13 contracts to improve asthma control

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has approved the award of 13 contracts to local organizations across the country to develop, implement, and test science-based approaches to improve asthma control using evidence-based national guidelines for diagnosing and managing asthma.

3 Dec 2009

LSI collaborates with United Healthcare to meet the growing demand for spinal procedures

Laser Spine Institute (LSI), the leader in minimally invasive spinal surgery, is pleased to announce a partnership with United Healthcare and affiliates after an extensive six-month negotiation and clinical review process.

3 Dec 2009

SJH and Pharos Innovations team up to enhance care and reduce healthcare costs

According to Stephen F. Jencks, MD, MPH, in a recent New England Journal of Medicine article, America's healthcare crisis is fueled by unnecessary and costly hospitalizations, including re-admissions -- 90% of which are unplanned and at a price-tag of $17.4 billion. To enhance care and combat readmissions, South Jersey Healthcare (SJH), a leading regional healthcare provider in southern New Jersey, has entered a partnership with Pharos Innovations that aims to reduce healthcare costs while improving quality of life for patients.

3 Dec 2009