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Issue of uninsured Americans takes center stage this weekend in New Orleans

The issue of uninsured Americans takes center stage this weekend in New Orleans as the Morial Convention Center, which served as a temporary medical clinic in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, will become the nation's largest physicians' office for a day with free health care for uninsured Louisiana residents. Up to 2,000 patients are expected to be treated by several hundred physicians and other volunteers at the C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) Clinic.

12 Nov 2009

Hualapai Mountain Medical Center receives licensure by the Arizona Department of Health Services

MedCath Corporation, a healthcare provider focused on high acuity healthcare services, today announced it has received licensure by the Arizona Department of Health Services and accreditation by The Joint Commission for its new 70-bed Hualapai Mountain Medical Center in Kingman, Ariz, which opened October 15th.

12 Nov 2009

Gene delivery strategy to help improve muscle mass in patients with degenerative muscle disorders

Severe weakness of the quadriceps is a defining feature of several neuromuscular disorders. Researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital have shown that a gene delivery strategy that produces follistatin - a naturally occurring protein that inhibits myostatin, a growth factor expressed specifically in skeletal muscle - directly to the quadriceps of non-human primates results in long-term gene expression with muscle enhancing effects, including larger muscles with greater strength.

12 Nov 2009

Scientists develop new way for exploring the insides of living cells

Scientists in Washington, DC, are reporting development and successful tests of a new way for exploring the insides of living cells, the microscopic building blocks of all known plants and animals. They explode the cell while it is still living inside a plant or animal, vaporize its contents, and sniff. The study appears in online in ACS' journal Analytical Chemistry.

12 Nov 2009

Experts recommend nicotine replacement products and counseling to quit smoking

Whether you smoke three cigarettes or three packs of cigarettes a day, kicking the habit is difficult. Various nicotine replacement products are on the market to make quitting easier. But which product is right for you? Experts from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are here to help.

12 Nov 2009

South Florida man inspires "Ian's Law," fights against discriminatory health insurance practices

McClatchy/The Miami Herald reports on Ian Pearl, a South Florida man born with muscular dystrophy who is drawing attention to discriminatory health insurance practices against the disabled. Pearl is the "inspiration for 'Ian's Law,' legislation being introduced by two New York state legislators that would require insurance companies to get approval from the state before dropping coverage plans for existing clients."

12 Nov 2009

ResearchMatch: A free meeting place for researchers

A new national initiative involving UT Southwestern Medical Center will match volunteers who want to take part in medical research studies with the scientists who are leading those studies.

12 Nov 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

"Traditional" infectious diseases — those, like flu and tuberculosis, that are caused by viruses or bacteria — are not the only aspects of health that can spread from one person to another. Taking up smoking is contagious; so is quitting. Obesity is contagious. So is happiness (Olivia Judson, 11/10).

12 Nov 2009

LecTec settles patent litigation dispute with Endo Pharmaceuticals

LecTec Corporation (OTCBB: LECT) announced today that it has reached a settlement with Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. on outstanding patent litigation related to LecTec’s U.S. Patent Nos. 5,536,263 and 5,741,510. Endo Pharmaceuticals has agreed to make a one–time, $23 million payment for the exclusive license to these two patents for use in the field of prescription pain medicines and treatment.

12 Nov 2009

Researchers find link between telomeres and longevity

A team led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found a clear link between living to 100 and inheriting a hyperactive version of an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres - the tip ends of chromosomes. The findings appear in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

12 Nov 2009

Obama nominates Senior USDA official to lead USAID

President Barack Obama Tuesday announced the nomination of Rajiv Shah - a medical doctor who is currently a senior official at the Department of Agriculture focusing on food security - to lead USAID, the Boston Globe reports (Smith, 11/11).

12 Nov 2009

Psychiatrist delivers high-risk meds, poor care in Chicago nursing homes

ProPublica/The Chicago Tribune examine the case of a controversial psychiatrist who delivered an anti-psychotic medication to thousands of Medicaid patients in Chicago's nursing homes. "Dr. Michael Reinstein is one of the most prolific providers of psychiatric care in Chicago-area nursing homes and mental health facilities. But he is trailed by lawsuits and complaints while getting government reimbursement for seeing a large number of patients."

12 Nov 2009

LCA launches webpage with information on lung cancer meant for veterans

Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) salutes all veterans today on Veterans Day and announces the launch of a new webpage with information specifically for veterans on lung cancer -- the leading cause of cancer death among veterans.

12 Nov 2009

Physicians and researchers to develop kidney replacement device for children

When children need kidney dialysis because of disease or congenital defects, doctors are forced to adapt adult-size dialysis equipment. No FDA-approved kidney replacement devices exist that are specifically designed for children.

12 Nov 2009

Industry leaders team up to launch a suite of service companies

Today, the people behind some of the direct response television industry's most successful campaigns, launch a suite of service companies for savvy makers and marketers of direct-to-consumer goods and services.

12 Nov 2009

Lawmakers call for emergency sick-leave requirement

Lawmakers are calling for new legislation that would require businesses to provide paid emergency sick-leave because of the swine flu pandemic.

12 Nov 2009

Health care legislation not fair to Hispanic small businesses and families

A number of Hispanic organizations have united to address major problems with the health care legislation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and urge the Senate to come up with a bipartisan solution for real healthcare reform. They are especially concerned the health care legislation will create a greater tax burden and unfair government mandates on Hispanic small businesses and families. During this critical health care debate, these organizations want their voices to be heard and believe that the current approach will lead to loss of jobs and reduced wages for Hispanic workers.

12 Nov 2009

Tentative agreement reached with Oklahoma lawmaker stalling veterans' health bill

Congressional Quarterly: "Senate Democratic leaders reached a tentative agreement with Tom Coburn, R-Okla., on Tuesday night that averted the necessity of filing cloture on a veterans' health care omnibus measure and could lead to passage of the bill early next week. ... On Monday, Coburn said he objected to the bill because its five-year, $3.7 billion cost was not offset" (Oliveri, 11/10).

12 Nov 2009

3-D software uses real patient data; offers virtual reality technology for doctors and students

James Oliver picked up an Xbox game controller, looked up to a video screen and used the device's buttons and joystick to fly through a patient's chest cavity for an up-close look at the bottom of the heart.

12 Nov 2009

Drug companies collaborate with nonprofit organizations to fight "neglected" diseases in the developing world

Drug companies and nonprofit organizations are joining forces to develop new drugs and vaccines to target so-called "neglected" diseases that claim millions of lives in the developing world each year. Those hard-to-treat diseases include malaria, tuberculosis, dengue fever, and other conditions. That's the topic of the cover story scheduled for the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

12 Nov 2009