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AMA adopts new policies to strengthen physician workforce

The American Medical Association adopted today at its Annual Meeting new policies to strengthen the physician workforce to meet the nation's growing health care needs. The United States faces a shortage of between 124,000 and 159,000 physicians by 2025. Already at least 22 states and 15 medical specialties have reported physician workforce shortages, including in medically underserved regions and front-line specialties including primary care and general surgery.

15 Jun 2010

New form of artificial human skin

Australian researchers are on the road to the discovery of a new form of artificial human skin that could be a boon to burn victims and other patients needing skin grafts. At present the available skin grafts are only 1 millimeter thick and serve only to replace the top epidermis layer.

14 Jun 2010

Parkinson’s disease linked to gene variant and pesticide: Study

Researchers from France reported in their new study that bad genes and exposure to certain banned pesticides could be blamed for development of Parkinson’s disease in men. In their study, published in the Archives of Neurology journal they show that men exposed to pesticides such as DDT and who had inherited genes for Parkinson’s disease were three and a half times more likely to develop Parkinson's than those with the normal version of the gene.

14 Jun 2010

Cheap drug that prevents bleeding may save 100,000 lives each year: Study

Researchers have shown that a cheap and easy to use drug that stops bleeding may save up to 100,000 lives each year from injuries associated with road accidents and violence. The study was published this Tuesday in the acclaimed international journal The Lancet and was conducted by doctors at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

14 Jun 2010

Stryker's facilities in Michigan, US and Suzhou, China earn LEED certifications

Stryker Corporation announced today that two of its manufacturing facilities have earned Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, developed by the USGBC, which provides a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

From Stryker 14 Jun 2010

Studies show rising health costs, ways to slow them

A PricewaterhouseCoopers report suggests a leap in the portion of health costs paid directly by employees will leave the majority of the American workforce with deductibles of $400 or more for the first time next year, The Associated Press/Los Angeles Times reports. "Two years ago, only 25 percent of companies participating in the annual survey said they asked employees to pay deductibles of $400 or more.

14 Jun 2010

My Insurance Expert to sell, distribute ING Term Life Insurance policies

My Insurance Expert, one of the country's leading online services for the comparison and purchase of affordable health insurance plans, is pleased to announce that it has been appointed to sell and distribute ING Term Life Insurance policies.

14 Jun 2010

KHN column – Medicare Advantage: You get what you pay for

In this column for Kaiser Health News, Austin Frakt writes: "The Obama administration seems worried. In an election year, any change to Medicare that adversely affects beneficiaries is a political liability for incumbents.

14 Jun 2010

Aesculap receives FDA clearance for SterilContainer product line for use in STERIS V-PRO systems

Aesculap, Inc. is pleased to announce that the SterilContainer S product line has been cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), (510(k) number, K093649) for use in the STERIS Corporation's V-PRO 1 and V-PRO 1 Plus Low Temperature Sterilization Systems.

14 Jun 2010

PAREXEL, Bristol-Myers Squibb establish strategic partnership in clinical development

PAREXEL International Corporation, a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, today announced that Bristol-Myers Squibb, a global biopharmaceutical company, has established a strategic partnership with PAREXEL to enable greater effectiveness in clinical development.

From Parexel 14 Jun 2010

Feds to issue rules on 'grandfathered' health plans and new law

The Wall Street Journal reports that draft regulations "being developed by the Obama administration say more than half of employer health care plans may lose their grandfathered status and be required to comply with the health overhaul bill approved March 23. The guidelines are likely to touch off fresh disputes between President Obama and opponents of the health care bill.

14 Jun 2010

New Brunswick Scientific, Pall partner to develop new disposable bioreactor systems

New Brunswick Scientific, an Eppendorf Company, and Pall Corporation today announced a joint product development and marketing agreement to create and supply new disposable bioreactor systems.

From Pall Corporation 14 Jun 2010

Health overhaul skirmishes simmer over government fliers, drug benefits

Republicans are complaining that, while the IRS sent out 4 million fliers to publicize $40 billion in tax credits for small businesses, the agency did not make a similar effort to inform tanning salons and their customers about a new 10 percent tax on their services, Politico reports.

14 Jun 2010

Cytori Therapeutics enters $20 million secured loan facility

Cytori Therapeutics entered into a $20 million secured loan facility from GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services, Oxford Finance Corporation, and Silicon Valley Bank. The loan funded June 14, 2010.

14 Jun 2010

First hospital in Mexico to use GORE HELEX Septal Occluder for transcatheter closure of ASD

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced that Instituto Nacional De Cardiologia in Mexico City, Mexico, is the first hospital in the country to use the GORE® HELEX Septal Occluder for the transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD). Department Chief, Dr. Carlos Zabal and Dr. Jose Garcia Montes of the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, in Mexico City, achieved the milestone procedure in March, 2010.

14 Jun 2010

Health reform continue to dominate campaigns

After voting "no" on the health reform bill earlier this year, Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., has gotten significantly less support from colleagues than he did in previous re-election bids, The Hill reports. "Only five lawmakers ... have given money from their personal campaign funds to Barrow in the 2010 cycle. Five other elected Dems gave money to Barrow through their leadership political action committees."

14 Jun 2010

Fluorescent cancerous tumors for early detection

Researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique F-d-rale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have established a procedure where cancerous tumors in the bladder become fluorescent and are more easily discoverable under blue light. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the technique- already in practice in Europe - for the American market. Under the name Cysview-, the product is commercialized by Photocure and GE Healthcare as the most efficient detection technique for early stage bladder cancer.

14 Jun 2010

Desert Medical Imaging to implement XIFIN's revenue cycle management system

XIFIN Inc., the leading provider of revenue cycle management for diagnostic service providers, announced today that Desert Medical Imaging, (DMI) a multi-modality diagnostic imaging center located in Indian Wells, CA, has selected XIFIN's revenue cycle management system to optimize and help manage its expanding imaging and radiology billing and claims management needs.

14 Jun 2010

AMA's support for health law sparks infighting

A fissure has developed in the American Medical Association, the powerful physicians' lobby that backed the health reform bill earlier this year, about support for the sweeping measure, according to news reports.

14 Jun 2010

Asterand subsidiary BioSeek signs agreement with Amylin

Asterand plc, a leading provider of human tissue and human tissue-based research services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies engaged in drug discovery, today announces that its subsidiary BioSeek, LLC, a pioneer in the application of predictive human biology to drug discovery, has signed a one-year collaboration agreement with Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

14 Jun 2010