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Urbanization leaves millions of children without access to vital services, UNICEF report states

"Urbanization leaves hundreds of millions of children in cities and towns excluded from vital services, UNICEF warns in 'The State of the World's Children 2012: Children in an Urban World,'" released on Tuesday, the agency reports in a press release.

29 Feb 2012

State budgets improve but not enough to spare Medicaid; Calif. Gov. Brown pressing for co-pays

State budget shortfalls for the coming year total about $47 billion, the smallest aggregate deficit since the Great Recession, a report says. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found deficits in 29 states for the fiscal year ahead and another 10 states reported revenue for the current year fell $3.2 billion short of budget. ... A marked improvement from the $106 billion this year (so far) and $430 million the prior three years.

29 Feb 2012

State roundup: State tobacco funds scrutinized; More allegations against Calif.'s Prime Healthcare; Ore. CCOs get green light

A U.S. Surgeon General's report due to be released March 8 will come down hard on states that have cut anti-smoking funds in tough fiscal times, said Terry Pechacek, who oversees the report as director for Science in the Office on Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report can't result in sanctions, but it has proven to move public opinion in the past to force changes by tobacco companies in how they sell cigarettes, how states fund efforts and how the federal government regulates the trade.

27 Feb 2012

FDA issues complete response letter for Watson's progesterone vaginal gel 8% NDA

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Columbia Laboratories, Inc. today confirmed that, as expected, Watson has received a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its New Drug Application (NDA 22-139) for progesterone vaginal gel 8% for use in the reduction of risk of preterm birth in women with a singleton gestation and a short uterine cervical length in the mid-trimester of pregnancy.

27 Feb 2012

Premier healthcare alliance awards new SEEDS agreements for disposable labor and delivery products

The Premier healthcare alliance today announced that new SEEDS agreements for disposable labor and delivery products have been awarded to Kerma Medical Products Inc. of Suffolk, Va. and Genesis Medical Products Inc. of Wrentham, Mass.

24 Feb 2012

Seven scientists aim to make strides in predicting and preventing preterm birth

With the help of funding from the March of Dimes, researchers from five states and Canada are seeking answers to questions such as how cellular-level processes that control uterine muscles may affect preterm labor, the causes of preeclampsia, and how air pollution may affect pregnancy and preterm birth - all with the goal of preventing preterm birth so more babies will get a healthy start in life.

24 Feb 2012

A job doesn't always solve health insurance difficulties

Bronner is one of six people from the St. Louis area whom NPR has been following for a little more than a year. Like the others, she started 2011 unemployed and searching for work. Like so many Americans who have struggled in this tough labor market, the people we followed have had difficulty getting health coverage. And for some, including Bronner, it didn't stop when they got jobs.

23 Feb 2012

Adoption of Health IT still an uphill climb

The effort to drag the health-care industry into the technology age trudges onward, and it's still not clear whether the nation's 500,000 to 600,000 physicians will successfully make the journey. That's the finding from a number of health-care industry officials charged with pulling the medical profession into the 21st Century when it comes to managing patient records as well as automating the back-office operations of hospitals and clinics.

23 Feb 2012

State roundup: Calif. expands uninsured access, gives adult day care reprieve

Nearly two years before the federal health reform law kicks in, 10 California counties have expanded medical coverage to more than 250,000 people who were previously uninsured, according to new state data.

22 Feb 2012

Perioperative IT sees significant growth in Anesthesia Information Management Systems

Perioperative IT is seeing significant growth, particularly in Anesthesia Information Management Systems (AIMS) and analytics solutions, according to Atlanta-based Surgical Information Systems ("SIS"). In a recent survey of healthcare decision makers, 84% of those surveyed consider IT solutions as a strategic driver of success in the OR. The survey of 292 healthcare decision makers was sponsored by SIS.

21 Feb 2012

PCMA launches That's What PBMs Do campaign in Maryland

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) has launched a new ad campaign in Maryland that highlights the core value proposition of pharmacy benefit managers.

18 Feb 2012

MIEMSS re-designates JHH as a Level IIIC Perinatal Referral Center for Maryland

The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS), an independent state agency responsible for overseeing and coordinating all emergency medical services throughout the state, has re-designated The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) as a Level IIIC Perinatal Referral Center for Maryland.

18 Feb 2012

Votes expected today on 'doc fix' compromise bill

The legislation, which also extends a payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits, is a rare sign of bipartisanship within the 112th Congress, though not everyone is happy with the deal.

18 Feb 2012

First Edition: February 17, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations include reports about the latest debate on the Obama administration's regulation to mandate free birth control for women.

17 Feb 2012

Sandia's decontamination foam now used for meth lab cleanup

Sandia's decontamination foam, developed more than a decade ago and used to decontaminate federal office buildings and mailrooms during the 2001 anthrax attacks, is now being used to decontaminate illegal methamphetamine labs.

17 Feb 2012

Baby Jaya receives a pacemaker 15 mins after birth

Little Jaya lived up to her name which in Hindi means victorious. Jaya Maharaj became one of the smallest recipients of a pacemaker when she was just 15 minutes old.

15 Feb 2012

New group of compounds may protect brain cells from inflammation

Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have identified a new group of compounds that may protect brain cells from inflammation linked to seizures and neurodegenerative diseases.

15 Feb 2012

The U.S. debates the contraception rule

A selection of opinions and editorials on the controversy surrounding the administration's regulation mandating insurance coverage for women of birth control.

14 Feb 2012

No link between weight gain and risk of repeat preterm birth

One of the strongest known risk factors for spontaneous or unexpected preterm birth - any birth that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy, most often without a known cause - is already having had one. For women in this group who would like to avoid this scenario in their second pregnancy, focusing on weight gain and dietary changes may not be the best strategy. A new study reported at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting found no connection between weight gain and the risk of repeat preterm birth.

13 Feb 2012

Preterm birth interventions should be tailored for underlying risk factors and pathways

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting -, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that preterm birth interventions should be tailored for underlying risk factors and pathways.

13 Feb 2012