Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

House Dems unveil 'managers amendment,' setting stage for health bill votes

"House Democrats have cleared the way for a pivotal floor vote on health care overhaul as early as the weekend, after tweaking their 1,990-page bill to crack down harder on insurance companies," The Associated Press reports.

5 Nov 2009

Department of Health urges healthcare professionals to be vaccinated against H1N1 flu

Saying healthcare workers are "on the front lines" of battling the H1N1 flu pandemic, the Department of Health today urged healthcare professionals across Pennsylvania to be vaccinated against the H1N1 flu.

4 Nov 2009

Health care jobs plentiful but tough to get

While health care jobs are plentiful, "getting one is hard work," The Associated Press/The News-Sentinel reports. "Many people who have lost jobs to the recession may find a cure for unemployment in the health care field," and the demand for nurses, specialists and technicians is strong

4 Nov 2009

Alcatel-Lucent receives FDA clearance to market Alcatel-Lucent TeleHealth Manager in the US

Alcatel-Lucent today announced that the Alcatel-Lucent TeleHealth Manager, a secure and reliable remote patient monitoring solution, has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for marketing in the United States.

4 Nov 2009

Abortion not the only sticky issue in health care debate - news outlets examine others

News coverage focuses on some of the sticky issues in health reform, including immigrants' coverage, long term care for the disabled, CHIP and insurance discounts for healthy habits.

4 Nov 2009

GOP frames election outcome as rebuff of Dems' health overhaul, but Pelosi paints a rosier picture

"Republican victories in two gubernatorial elections are casting a shadow on House Democratic efforts to secure support from wavering members for health-care legislation," Dow Jones Newswires/The Wall Street Journal reports. "The GOP is framing the outcome as a rejection of Democratic proposals including the health-care bill, and some conservative and vulnerable Democrats seem inclined to agree, as they keep an eye on 2010 elections" (Vaughan, 11/4).

4 Nov 2009

Scientific evidence found linking second-hand smoke exposure to pre-menopausal breast cancer

Until recently, the evidence surrounding the link between breast cancer and tobacco smoke was inconclusive. Now, according to an international panel of experts convened by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU) sufficient scientific evidence exists linking second-hand smoke exposure to pre-menopausal breast cancer and active smoking to breast cancer in women of all ages.

4 Nov 2009

Abortion continues to snag health reform legislation, divide lawmakers

The divisive issue of abortions, a lingering hurdle to health reform legislation, is plaguing both House and Senate Democratic leaders, the Los Angeles Times reports. "The delays in both houses reflect the fact that even though Democrats hold solid majorities, significant divisions exist below the surface.

4 Nov 2009

Gastric cancer drug market to double to nearly $1.5 billion in 2018

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the gastric cancer drug market -- driven by the launch of several targeted agents over the next few years -- will more than double from approximately $700 million in 2008 to nearly $1.5 billion in 2018 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

4 Nov 2009

Spinal Modulation completes its $27.4 million Series C financing

Spinal Modulation, Inc. announced today the completion of its $27.4 million Series C financing. Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC) joined existing major investors including DeNovo Ventures, ePlanet/DFJ, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and MedVenture Associates in this financing. DFJ/InCube Ventures and Raffles Venture Partners are additional new investors.

4 Nov 2009

Over 425 hospitals implement Capsule's medical device connectivity solution

Capsule (www.capsuletech.com), the leading provider of medical device connectivity, today announced recent additions to its rapidly expanding list of hospitals that have implemented their solution.

4 Nov 2009

AHDI and MTIA support healthcare reform package

As health information managers and professionals across the country celebrate the health information & technology industry this week, the Association for Health Care Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA) announced their support for a healthcare reform package that improves electronic health records (EHRs) as well as patient safety.

4 Nov 2009

New pediatric simulation center launched by Texas Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital opened the doors of its brand new Simulation Center today, where healthcare teams will be trained in the management of rare, complex, and complicated patient care through a simulated clinical environment. The facility is the only center of its kind in Texas, and one of the largest among the twelve pediatric simulation centers in the United States.

4 Nov 2009

Henry Schein announces record financial results for third quarter 2009; reports net sales growth in local currencies

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC), the largest provider of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners, today reported record financial results for the quarter ended September 26, 2009.

4 Nov 2009

BioClinica releases financial results for the third quarter of 2009

BioClinica™, Inc., a global provider of clinical trial services, today announced its financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009. The operating results of Phoenix Data Systems (“PDS”) are included in the financial results following the acquisition of PDS that was completed March 24, 2008.

From Clario 4 Nov 2009

Majority of women smokers unaware of immediate and long term health risks

Many women are aware that smoking can lead to lung cancer, heart disease and premature death. But a recent survey conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of nicotine replacement therapy brands, NICODERM(R) and NICORETTE(R) reveals that the majority of Canadian women who smoke are not necessarily aware of the host of other impacts that smoking can have on their immediate and longer term health.

4 Nov 2009

Dental marketing campaigns from Patient News Publishing

As the calendar year comes to an end, businesses of all kinds are organizing their marketing plans for 2010 -- and dentists should be no exception, says Patient News Publishing, a leading dental marketing company.

4 Nov 2009

MCERS implements Vitech's web-based customer self-service solution

Vitech Systems Group, Inc., a leading provider of software solutions for benefits administration, announced today that the Milwaukee County Employees' Retirement System (MCERS) has gone live with Vitech's web-based customer self-service solution. This new self-service system will allow the almost 15,000 active and retired employees of Milwaukee County to receive real-time information and to perform real-time transactions related to their retirement and healthcare benefits via the internet.

4 Nov 2009

TNF-alpha inhibitors ranked top for reducing biologics spend

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, forecasts that biosimilars of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors stand to erode $9.6 billion in brand sales (Amgen's Enbrel, Abbott's Humira and Centocor Ortho Biotech/Schering-Plough's Remicade) in the U.S. and Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and U.K.) by 2018. This use of TNF-alpha biosimilars will save healthcare systems in the U.S. and Europe $4 billion.

4 Nov 2009

Health IT expert to serve as moderator at World Healthcare Innovation & Technology Keynote Panel

Health IT connectivity expert John Feikema has been slated to moderate a keynote panel at the 2009 Annual World Healthcare Innovation and Technology Congress being held November 8-10, 2009, in Washington, DC.

4 Nov 2009