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Columbia University P&S reports unprecedented growth during 2011

Research, education, and clinical programs at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S) have shown unprecedented growth during 2011, the School reports.

19 Nov 2011

AHRQ: Primary care experiencing 'diminishing economic margins'

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality notes in an upcomping installment of its "Facts and Stats Series" that, despite primary care's importance to the health care system, the discipline is facing a number of challenges.

19 Nov 2011

Scientists solve mystery behind why people with defective hemoglobin do not contract malaria

Why do people with a hereditary mutation of the red blood pigment hemoglobin not contract severe malaria? Scientists in the group headed by Prof. Michael Lanzer of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Heidelberg University Hospital have now solved this mystery.

19 Nov 2011

New class of malaria drugs could be used as both prevention, treatment, study shows

"A group of researchers led by Novartis AG have discovered novel malaria compounds that may prove to be more efficient than currently available treatments and could be used as a prophylactic," the Wall Street Journal reports.

19 Nov 2011

New website helps small business owners to review health insurance plans

A greatly expanded website to give small business owners an unprecedented detailed review of their health insurance plan choices was announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

19 Nov 2011

Lancet examines WHO Euro Health 2020 initiative

The Lancet examines Health 2020, "a 'process of consultation' between WHO Euro and its 53 diverse member states" that "will build partnerships to tackle the complex determinants and drivers of health and health equity."

19 Nov 2011

Outreach program director at CINJ to take part in unique cancer control program

Kiameesha Evans, MPH, MCHES, program director of the Office of Community Outreach at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), has been selected to take part in a unique pilot program for cancer control practitioners through the National Cancer Institute.

19 Nov 2011

Sony Corporation, Global Fund enter into partnership to implement behavior change projects

"Sony Corporation and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have entered into a partnership for the implementation of behavior change projects, in which Sony provides state of the art equipment and movies and the Global Fund ensures it gets to agencies best able to reach communities most in need," a Global Fund press release states, noting, "This partnership is the first pilot case that combines pro bono and in-kind contribution."

19 Nov 2011

Panel discussion on ethics behind sports concussion treatment

Experts from NYU Langone Medical Center and NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies' Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management held a panel discussion Tuesday night on the ethics of who is responsible for ensuring appropriate medical treatment of an athlete that is injured - particularly if they may have a concussion.

19 Nov 2011

Aid targeting high mortality diseases 'lays the groundwork' for improving primary health care services

"In recent years, initiatives such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria have helped rein in some of the biggest scourges," Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health and chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece.

19 Nov 2011

Avastin drug not safe and effective for breast cancer patients: FDA Commissioner

FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., said today she is revoking the agency's approval of the breast cancer indication for Avastin (bevacizumab) after concluding that the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use.

19 Nov 2011

GAVI Alliance to fund roll-out of vaccines against cervical cancer, rubella in developing countries

The GAVI Alliance "has agreed to fund the roll-out of vaccines against cervical cancer in developing countries, offering protection against a disease that kills one woman every two minutes," Reuters reports.

19 Nov 2011

PEPFAR announces Nursing Education Partnership Initiative for health in Africa

The U.S. government on Thursday "formally announced the Nursing Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI) in Lilongwe, Malawi," according to a State Department press release.

19 Nov 2011

Victory for seniors: Calif. Adult Day Health Care center lawsuit resolved

Senior advocates had sued the state because of Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to shut down the ADHC program to save money.

19 Nov 2011

FDA approves EUSA's orphan drug ERWINAZE for acute lymphoblastic leukemia

EUSA Pharma, a transatlantic specialty pharmaceutical company focused on oncology, oncology supportive care and critical care, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its orphan drug ERWINAZE (asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi) for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in patients with hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived asparaginase.

19 Nov 2011

Oxford closes $5M revolving line of credit with Mason Health

Oxford Finance LLC, a specialty finance firm that provides senior debt to life sciences and healthcare services companies, today announced that it closed a $5 million revolving line of credit with Mason Health. Proceeds of the loan are being used to refinance existing debt and to support the operation of multiple skilled nursing facilities throughout Texas.

19 Nov 2011

Republican senators press to repeal health law's insurance fee

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., are battling to undo this annual fee, which is expected to raise $8 billion in 2014 and $14.3 billion by 2018. Also, some Senate Democrats are warning that a provision in the health law could undermine farmers' ability to obtain health insurance and some consumer advocates are warning that a tax rule needs to be re-written.

19 Nov 2011

OhioHealth selects athenaCommunicator to manage patient interactions

athenahealth, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based business services for physician practices, today announced that OhioHealth, a family of not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare organizations consisting of more than 900 physicians serving patients throughout a 40-county area in Ohio since 1891, has selected athenaCommunicator, athenahealth's patient communication service.

19 Nov 2011

New regulatory and product development tool on Qmed site

Qmed.com, the world's only 100% qualified medical device supplier directory, search engine, and central industry resource, today announced a new powerful business intelligence tool is now live on the Qmed site as part of its continuing commitment to provide users with additional resources.

19 Nov 2011

Model NYC program aims to address growing disparities in colon cancer mortality rates

Since the 1970s, U.S. mortality rates due to colorectal cancer have declined overall, yet among blacks and Hispanics, the death rates rose. Evidence suggests that underuse of colonoscopy screening among these groups is one reason for the large disparities. In 2003, New York City launched a multifaceted campaign to improve colonoscopy rates among racial and ethnic minorities and women.

19 Nov 2011