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The science of cancer health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities and the medically underserved

The latest biological, clinical and social research behind how cancer affects different racial and ethnic groups will be the focus of the first American Association for Cancer Research conference on the topic, entitled "The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved."

21 Nov 2007

Rapid response teams in children's hospitals reduce risk of death, cardiac arrests

A children's hospital that added a rapid response medical team for patients not in the intensive care unit saw an 18 percent decrease in the death rate, and about a 70 percent decline in the rate of cardiac and respiratory arrests, according to a study in the November 21 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

21 Nov 2007

World-famous heart transplant hospital given the all-clear

World-famous Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire, England, has been given the all-clear to resume heart transplant surgery.

20 Nov 2007

Health care opinion leaders support public reporting of health care quality, prices

Health care providers, insurance companies and drug makers should make information about prices available to the public, according to a new survey of leaders in health care and health policy.

19 Nov 2007

UK government has reneged on its pledge to provide more flexible working in the NHS

The government has reneged on its pledge to provide more flexible working in the NHS, says the Medical Women's Federation in Postgraduate Medical Journal.

13 Nov 2007

N.J. nurses are overworked

New Jersey registered nurses are teetering on the brink of exhaustion due to heavier work loads, feeling that they are not able to provide proper patient care and receiving little support from management, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers College of Nursing faculty member Linda Flynn.

13 Nov 2007

Dealing with ethnic diversity in healthcare

Guidelines and training for doctors have tried to address the problems they face when dealing with patients who come from cultures and ethnic groups different to their own.

13 Nov 2007

Collaboration between Eastern and Western healthcare practitioners is needed

Recent study findings from The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal stress the importance of culturally sensitive rehabilitative practices, collaboration, referrals and information sharing between Eastern and Western health care practitioners.

13 Nov 2007

75% of Medicare beneficiaries with stand-alone prescription drug plans could face premium increases in 2008

The open enrollment period for the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit begins Thursday and continues through the end of the year, and beneficiaries should "look closely" at their plans because many of them are increasing premiums, copayments and deductibles, the Baltimore Sun reports.

12 Nov 2007

Bush asks Democrats to send military construction-VA appropriations B

President Bush on Saturday in his weekly radio address asked congressional Democrats to send him the fiscal year 2008 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill (HR 2642) in honor of Veterans Day, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Riechmann, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/11).

12 Nov 2007

Paid medical leave legislation gains momentum

USA Today on Monday examined the growing debate in Congress and across the U.S. on legislation that would provide paid medical leave to all workers.

12 Nov 2007

MedPAC finds uneven quality in newer Medicare Advantage plans

Medicare Payment Advisory Commission officials at a meeting on Friday expressed concern over data showing differences in quality among newer Medicare Advantage plans and increasing enrollment in private fee-for-service MA plans, CQ HealthBeat reports.

12 Nov 2007

Online NHS programme uses traffic light system to rate patient's health

An online programme launched by the National Health Service in Britain uses a 'traffic light' system to rate people's health status.

7 Nov 2007

Improving hospital safety rating tools

In a bid to clean up misleading institutional safety comparisons and go further to fix safety problems, Johns Hopkins experts are proposing standard guidelines to be used as hospital safety rating tools.

6 Nov 2007

CMS informs some low-income Medicare drug plan beneficiaries that their coverage could change

About two million low-income beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare prescription drug plans could be moved to new plans in 2008, and millions of other beneficiaries will have to change plans if they want to avoid double-digit premium increases, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports.

6 Nov 2007

Proposals for health care reform face many barriers

Supporters of health care reform, each time they offered new proposals, expected "popular clamor" to "drive elected officials to end the national embarrassment of millions of uninsured and rein in health expenditures that were needlessly high and bought less than they should," but, each time, "reformers were right in their indictment and wrong in their political judgments," Henry Aaron, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece.

6 Nov 2007

Highmark, in partnership with Visa, markets new Healthcare Gift Card

Pennsylvania-based health insurer Highmark, in partnership with Visa, has begun to market a new Healthcare Gift Card in an effort to encourage the use of medical services among certain populations, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

6 Nov 2007

Group sues to obtain records on Clinton health care task force

Judicial Watch has filed a lawsuit against the National Archives to obtain records on the White House task force on health care led by then-first lady Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), the group announced on Monday, the AP/Denver Post reports.

6 Nov 2007

Local United Auto Workers leaders approve tentative Ford contract

Local United Auto Workers leaders representing Ford Motor employees on Monday by voice vote unanimously approved a tentative four-year contract agreement that follows the pattern set by General Motors and Chrysler Group and includes the creation of a voluntary employees' beneficiary association, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Krisher/Durbin, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/6).

6 Nov 2007

Raid of WellCare prompted by Medicaid fraud concerns

A recent raid by federal and state authorities on Tampa, Fla.-based health insurer WellCare was prompted by allegations that the company inflated mental health care spending so it could keep funds it should have refunded to the state's Medicaid program, according to a person familiar with details of the investigation, the Wall Street Journal reports (Won Tesoriero/Francis, Wall Street Journal, 11/3).

5 Nov 2007