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Health reform bill moving ahead, despite lingering questions

CongressDaily: "Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus said his committee will convene again Tuesday. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, the only committee Republican who might cross sides to vote for the health bill, remained on the fence late last week. 'Obviously, there's some things that require significant improvement, for example, on the individual mandate,' Snowe said.

5 Oct 2009

Obama: 'I will not accept partisan efforts' blocking health reform bills

President Obama returned to the topic of health care reform in his weekly Saturday radio and internet address, calling it "a critical step in rebuilding our economy."

5 Oct 2009

American Lung Association kicks off its Faces of Influenza campaign in Miami

The American Lung Association of Florida-South Area is kicking off its 2009-2010 Faces of Influenza initiative by conducting a public influenza panel discussion to help Miami area residents understand the seriousness of seasonal influenza and the importance of annual vaccination. The meeting will address the latest flu statistics and benefits of vaccination, especially among high-risk groups.

3 Oct 2009

BUSM's geriatrics clerkship meets all the ambulatory core geriatric competencies

As the population ages, it is imperative that medical students are prepared to treat older adults, regardless of their specialty. Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) report that an interdisciplinary multisite fourth-year geriatrics clerkship, has successfully met all the ambulatory core geriatric competencies as outlined by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) working group.

3 Oct 2009

Lawsuit filed against MultiCare Health System for unilaterally implementing a mandatory vaccination policy

Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), representing more than 16,000 registered nurses in Washington State, has filed a lawsuit in federal court against MultiCare Health System for unilaterally implementing a mandatory vaccination policy. This new policy will force nurses to get the flu vaccination or to wear face masks as a condition of employment and may result in the firing of nurses who do not comply with the policy.

3 Oct 2009

Aurora Baycare Honored as Emergency Center of Excellence

Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is the first U.S. hospital to be verified as an Emergency Center of Excellence(TM) by Emergency Excellence (EmEx), a company specializing in emergency department benchmarking. At the annual meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians in Boston, Emergency Excellence recognized Aurora BayCare Medical Center's dedication to excellent emergency care. EmEx developed the award in response to the 2006 Institute of Medicine's call for emergency medicine improvement and to motivate emergency care providers to achieve a higher standard of quality.

3 Oct 2009

UNICEF: Number of children affected by natural disasters growing

UN children's agency UNICEF is appealing for immediate assistance to help meet the growing needs of children and families in south Asia and the Pacific affected by the recent spate of natural disasters that have devastated a number of countries in these regions.

3 Oct 2009

Rewarding healthy behavior with incentives helps lower healthcare costs

On September 30, the U.S. Senate voted to adopt a measure aimed at rewarding healthy behavior as part of the Obama Administration's overall healthcare reform legislation. The Senate Finance Committee voted for a bi-partisan amendment that would allow health plans to provide financial incentives for people to quit smoking, exercise more and engage in other healthy activities.

3 Oct 2009

Electronic medical records: A valuable asset to healthcare industry

Hundreds of billions of gigabytes of health information are now being collected in electronic medical records, and three-quarters (76%) of more than 700 healthcare executives recently surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP agree that the secondary use of this information will be their organization's greatest asset over the next five years.

3 Oct 2009

CHI announces its speaker lineup for the 2009 California Healthcare Policy Forum

California Healthcare Institute today announced its speaker lineup for the 2009 California Healthcare Policy Forum to be held Nov. 5, at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco Hotel, from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

3 Oct 2009

Fully implemented HIT system improves healthcare quality and access, according to survey

Healthcare reform may have Americans divided on the best way forward, but broad consensus exists around one strategy for cutting costs, increasing access and improving quality: Healthcare Information Technology (HIT).

3 Oct 2009

Grady's challenges highlight problems of safety-net hospitals

Andy Miller writes for Kaiser Health News about Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital and how it serves as an example of the challenges safety-net hospitals face. Recent equipment upgrades and changes "signify hope for Grady, which edged away from the brink of collapse over the past year.

3 Oct 2009

NCPA: Bill may allow seniors to continue getting valuable health care supplies from community pharmacies

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed H.R. 3663, a bill introduced yesterday by Reps. Zach Space (D-OH) and Lee Terry (R-NE) extending the accreditation deadline for pharmacies providing Medicare Part B Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) from Sept. 30 to Dec. 31, 2009.

3 Oct 2009

The Center for Health Value Innovation launches new book on value-based designs for the healthcare system

Cutting through the clutter of health care reform discussions, leaders from The Center for Health Value Innovation (www.vbhealth.org), the nation’s leading information exchange for value-based design, gathered on Capitol Hill yesterday to celebrate the publication of Leveraging Health and emphasize the Center’s dedication to aligned incentives that improve health and economic security for Americans in every community.

3 Oct 2009

Senate finance amends reform bill to allow states to negotiate with insurers

The Senate Finance Committee approved a handful of amendments aimed at cutting costs for consumers — although some disagree that that's what the changes will do — in its health care reform bill Thursday.

3 Oct 2009

Professor's research to transform mobile phones into powerful medical devices

Cell phones have come a long way in the last decade. Today, one can talk, text message, shoot photos and video, send and receive e-mail, and even access the Web. Now imagine a cell phone that can be used to monitor diseases like HIV or malaria and to test water quality after a major disaster like a hurricane or earthquake.

3 Oct 2009

States grapple with budgets, quality and compliance; California offers cautionary tale for lawmakers

Though Massachusetts is the preferred health reform example of Democratic lawmakers, one report suggests they look to California, too. Meanwhile, states are grappling with quality, budgets and compliance issues.

3 Oct 2009

Study: Medicaid enrollment surges, threatening state budgets

"The recession is driving up enrollment in Medicaid at higher than expected rates, threatening gargantuan state budget gaps even as Congress and the White House seek to expand the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled," The New York Times reports.

3 Oct 2009

Six hospitals to pay $8 million to Medicare to settle allegations of false claims

Six hospitals in Indiana and Alabama have agreed to pay the United States more than $8 million to settle allegations that the health care facilities submitted false claims to Medicare, the Department of Justice announced today.

3 Oct 2009

Seniors fret cuts to private Medicare plans

Seniors' number one reform concern is Medicare, which stands to face up to $500 billion in cuts over the next decade, NPR reports. About 25 percent of the savings will come from Medicare Advantage, a program of privately-operated managed care plans that provide seniors' benefits.

3 Oct 2009

Healthcare News

Health reform bill moving ahead, despite lingering questions

Obama: 'I will not accept partisan efforts' blocking health reform bills

American Lung Association kicks off its Faces of Influenza campaign in Miami

BUSM's geriatrics clerkship meets all the ambulatory core geriatric competencies

Lawsuit filed against MultiCare Health System for unilaterally implementing a mandatory vaccination policy

Aurora Baycare Honored as Emergency Center of Excellence

UNICEF: Number of children affected by natural disasters growing

Rewarding healthy behavior with incentives helps lower healthcare costs

Electronic medical records: A valuable asset to healthcare industry

CHI announces its speaker lineup for the 2009 California Healthcare Policy Forum

Fully implemented HIT system improves healthcare quality and access, according to survey

Grady's challenges highlight problems of safety-net hospitals

NCPA: Bill may allow seniors to continue getting valuable health care supplies from community pharmacies

The Center for Health Value Innovation launches new book on value-based designs for the healthcare system

Senate finance amends reform bill to allow states to negotiate with insurers

Professor's research to transform mobile phones into powerful medical devices

States grapple with budgets, quality and compliance; California offers cautionary tale for lawmakers

Study: Medicaid enrollment surges, threatening state budgets

Six hospitals to pay $8 million to Medicare to settle allegations of false claims

Seniors fret cuts to private Medicare plans

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How the Arts Reshape Brain Function: Susan Magsamen on the Future of Neuroaesthetics

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