Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic completes one year

Today marks the one year anniversary of S.A.Y. Detroit's Family Health Clinic, the nation's first free 24-hour clinic for homeless children and their mothers. With a growing homeless population and an increasing number of children without medical coverage, the clinic - which is funded entirely by donations by citizens and businesses - has to date, served more than 1,046 patients during 3,500 visits, marking a successful first year.

18 Dec 2009

National Health Partners to launch two sales campaigns

National Health Partners, Inc., a leading provider of unique discount healthcare membership programs, announced today that it will be launching sales campaigns through two new prestigious business partners that are expected to yield more than 5,500 new members per month for the company.

18 Dec 2009

LaserBand signs agreement to provide patient ID wristbands for Premier’s ASCEND members

LaserBand LLC, a worldwide leader in patient identification wristbands, was announced as the sole source provider of proprietary patient identification (ID) wristbands and related products for Premier’s ASCEND (Accelerated Supply Chain Endeavor) members.

18 Dec 2009

IASIS Healthcare achieves DNV accreditation

IASIS Healthcare® LLC today announced the completion of a system-wide initiative to accredit all 16 of its hospitals through DNV Healthcare, the only Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved accreditation program that integrates the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System.

18 Dec 2009

Treprostinil drug reduces breathlessness in PAH patients, says study

Patients with a rare, deadly disease that mostly affects young women felt a dramatic reduction in breathlessness using an approved drug, according to study results published online today in The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

18 Dec 2009

Healthcare Trust of America to acquire medical office building for $10,775,000

Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. ("HTA"), a self-managed, non-traded, real estate investment trust, announced the execution of a purchase and sale agreement to acquire a medical office building located in Jacksonville, Florida for approximately $10,775,000.

18 Dec 2009

BDI Pharma introduces SecuriVAX for online ordering of vaccines

BDI Pharma, Inc. (BDI), the fastest growing national distributor of biotech therapies, announced today the introduction of SecuriVAX(SM) (www.securivax.com), an online supply solution providing the healthcare community a one-stop source for a wide variety of vaccines.

18 Dec 2009

AANS and CNS oppose Senate healthcare reform

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) have joined thousands of other physicians from 12 medical specialty organizations to deliver an urgent message to the public and to Congress: we need reform, but this isn’t the right reform; urge your Senator to vote “NO” on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) as introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

18 Dec 2009

RADeCO Health launches RADView CT dosimeter

Just how much exposure to radiation from CT scans is too much and how do those working with patients in the CT scan environment and their patients protect themselves from over exposure? Veteran-owned RADeCO Health, Inc. of Sandwich, Ma. (www.radecohealth.com) today announced the launch of the RADView(TM) CT dosimeter, a new monitoring device designed to monitor ionizing radiation exposures from Computed Tomography (CT) scans of patients.

18 Dec 2009

Triad Isotopes enters into agreement to acquire the U.S. radiopharmacy network

Triad Isotopes, Inc., a portfolio company of Parthenon Capital Partners, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the U.S. radiopharmacy network currently owned and operated by Covidien, a leading global healthcare products company based in Dublin, Ireland.

18 Dec 2009

Health Canada approves TSO3's STERIZONE 125L+ Sterilizer for sale in Canada

TSO3 Inc. ("TSO3"), an innovator of low temperature sterilization technology using ozone for medical devices in healthcare settings, today announced that Health Canada has approved the STERIZONE(R) 125L+ Sterilizer for sale in Canada.

18 Dec 2009

Covidien signs definitive agreement to sell U.S. radiopharmacies to Triad Isotopes

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced a definitive agreement to sell its radiopharmacies in the United States to Triad Isotopes, Inc. of Orlando, Florida. Triad operates a network of 26 nuclear radiopharmacies and six cyclotron facilities in the southeast United States. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

18 Dec 2009

FDA clears Agendia's MammaPrint breast cancer recurrence test for all ages

Agendia, a world leader in molecular cancer diagnostics, announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared its MammaPrint breast cancer recurrence test for all ages. MammaPrint is the only FDA-cleared breast cancer recurrence test available to patients and physicians.

17 Dec 2009

Union issues report regarding so-called 'cadillac tax'

The Hill: "Growing increasingly anxious at the direction in which healthcare reform is heading, the labor movement is sending yet another signal of friction with the White House. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) released a new report Thursday that counters analysis by one of President Barack Obama's senior aides that the Senate version of the healthcare reform bill would not be tantamount to a tax hike on those making $250,000 or less."

17 Dec 2009

Suneva Medical and WTI sign credit agreement to expand growth objectives

Suneva Medical, a privately-held aesthetic medical device company, today announced that it has signed a multi-million dollar line of credit facility with Western Technology Investment (WTI).

17 Dec 2009

Sen. Nelson rejects abortion compromise

Reuters: "Democratic hopes for passing a broad healthcare overhaul in the U.S. Senate by Christmas took a hit on Thursday when a party holdout, Ben Nelson, rejected a compromise on abortion aimed at winning his vote. ... Democrats have no margin of error -- they control exactly 60 votes and face so far unified Republican opposition.

17 Dec 2009

Switching between A-rated anti-epileptic drug formulations does not increase seizure risk

Express Scripts, Inc., one of the largest pharmacy benefit management companies in North America, announced today results of a study that examined the association of seizure risk among epilepsy patients after switching between A-rated anti-epileptic drug formulations. The study found no evidence that switching between A-rated anti-epileptic drugs, including brand to generic substitution, was associated with increased emergency room visits or hospitalizations for epilepsy.

17 Dec 2009

Obama says government will go bankrupt without health reforms to rein in costs

President Obama said in a Wednesday ABC News interview that if Congress fails to pass health care reform that reins in costs it will "bankrupt" the federal government.

17 Dec 2009

Landrieu and Klobuchar announce support for health bill

The (Monroe, La.) News-Star: "Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu said Wednesday she will vote for the Senate's health care reform bill, calling the latest version a 'dramatic improvement' over previous proposals. Her support is critical to passing the massive bill, a priority for Democrats and President Barack Obama. Landrieu, a moderate, was among a small group of senators who met in recent weeks to work out a compromise on major aspects of the legislation" (Berry, 12/17).

17 Dec 2009

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

My 25 years as a practicing physician have shown me what happens when government attempts to practice medicine: Doctors respond to government coercion instead of patient cues, and patients die prematurely (Sen. Tom Coburn, 12/16).

17 Dec 2009