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Free cholesterol screening to attendees of NBAA convention

For the 19th consecutive year, MedAire (booth 775) will offer free cholesterol screening to attendees of the 62nd Annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Meeting and Convention.

29 Sep 2009

New York hospital system invests in digital patient records

The New York Times reports: "The nation's drive toward computerized medical records is getting a push from big hospitals, which hope not only to improve patient care but to gain an edge on competitors. And an effort to be announced on Monday by a big New York regional hospital group may be the most ambitious effort of this type yet — a sizable investment intended as a linchpin in the group's $400 million commitment to digitize patient records throughout its system, including 13 hospitals."

29 Sep 2009

Protection of front-line healthcare workers compromised

According to George Kappler, "If hospitals were subjected to the same protection standards as factories, many would have been shut down a long time ago." Those are tough words for healthcare workers to hear as they brace for an onslaught of H1N1 patients, but the CEO of Kappler, Inc., a 33-year veteran in the protective garment business, knows of what he speaks.

29 Sep 2009

Sen. Lincoln, who once won election on support for health care reform, feeling political pressures

"Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln has run two successful Senate campaigns on pledges to expand and improve health insurance coverage. Now, as Congress works to deliver on that promise, it threatens to become an issue that could end her career."

29 Sep 2009

Not enough insurance and swimming in medical bills

As part of the series, "Are You Covered?" Kaiser Health News and NPR report that "more than 25 million Americans have Swiss-cheese health insurance: it's full of holes. Experts call them the 'under-insured'" (Knox, 9/28).

29 Sep 2009

IPayX and ARM Solutions partner to offer collection services for hospitals and physicians’ offices

Internet Payment Exchange, a provider of electronic billing and payment (EBP) technology and customer service solutions to healthcare providers, utility companies, municipal governments and other organizations, announced an alliance with Ventura, Calif.-based Accelerated Revenue Management (ARM) Solutions to offer clients soft collection capabilities through IPayX’s eInvoice Delivery ServiceSM and eCareView Healthcare Billing PortalSM.

29 Sep 2009

Health care reform: Detailing women's stake in the debate

The Times reports: "Women need more health care than men because of the combined demands of pregnancy and family planning. ... Partly as a result, young women typically must pay more than young men for individual health insurance, unless they live in one of 10 states where 'gender rating' is illegal.

29 Sep 2009

Proton therapy center to treat pediatric and adult cancer patients

The development of a proton therapy center in the Pacific Northwest has taken a significant step forward with the signing of a letter of intent between the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) and ProCure Treatment Centers Inc. (ProCure). SCCA and ProCure announced the agreement today and are moving the project forward to bring this advanced form of radiation therapy to adult and pediatric cancer patients.

29 Sep 2009

Public option issue likely to face Tuesday Senate Finance vote

The Senate Finance Committee is likely to vote when it reconvenes Tuesday on inclusion of a government-run public option for health insurance.

29 Sep 2009

CIGNA encourages people to prioritize their health care plans

How much time does the average person spend reviewing their health care insurance when it’s time to enroll or reenroll in a plan? A recent survey conducted for CIGNA shows that although 78 percent said they give it a lot or some consideration, almost half (46%) of those who say they’re responsible for the review spend less than 30 minutes on the task.

29 Sep 2009

Lecture to focus on the increasing need to fund and develop methods of contraception

On October 2nd, 2009, Henry Gabelnick PhD, Executive Director of The CONRAD Program, will give the prestigious Alan F. Guttmacher lecture at the 2009 Association for Reproductive Health Professionals conference being held in Los Angeles, California.

29 Sep 2009

GAO finds that a Federal program is missing problem nursing homes

Federal investigators report that a government-run program designed to bring "extra scrutiny to poorly performing nursing homes" is missing "hundreds of troubled facilities" that could qualify the closer look.

29 Sep 2009

Hospital-at-home care favorable to traditional hospital care

Hospital-at-home care may be a practical alternative to traditional hospital inpatient care for patients with acutely decompensated (suddenly worsening) chronic heart failure, according to a report in the September 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

29 Sep 2009

Medical experts explore future of health advancements at Military Medicine Symposium

Renowned military, government and civilian medical experts will discuss advances in posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, humanitarian assistance and global infectious disease and explore the collaborative future of health advancements at the Partnership for Military Medicine Symposium on Nov. 6 at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C.

29 Sep 2009

Company gives officials, lawmakers a preview of how health 'exchanges' work

Officials and lawmakers got a preview of what a health reform plan may look like by examining how health exchanges will operate if implemented.

28 Sep 2009

Insurance industry eyeing potential victories as overhaul efforts progress

For the insurance industry, the health system overhaul currently being considered in Congress so far would create a boon of new customers without the competitive challenge of a government-run option -- both elements that are viewed as victories.

28 Sep 2009

Dialysis patients often not told about transplant options, Newspaper finds

"Thousands of kidney patients in the United States start dialysis without first being told of kidney transplants that would be cheaper and lead to longer lives, according to a four-month newspaper investigation published Sunday," The Associated Press reports.

28 Sep 2009

Secretary of State Clinton announces food security initiative

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday "unveiled … a food security initiative launched by the Obama administration to combat hunger worldwide," the Associated Press reports.

28 Sep 2009

Timeline tightening on Senate Finance reform bill

A merged Senate bill between the Finance and HELP committees could hit the Senate floor the week of Oct. 12 and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D- Mont., readies his committee to finish its markup by Thursday or Friday.

28 Sep 2009

Payment of healthcare through technology will ease the stress on overburdened healthcare workers

With all the noise being made about healthcare reform the past few months, focusing on everything from public option vs. insurance agencies and what will and will not be covered, what's slowly coming into focus is that it is not that healthcare is necessarily in need of an overhaul, but the way in which Americans pay for it.

28 Sep 2009