Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Doctor examines the link between Guillain-Barr- syndrome and H1N1 vaccination

A doctor who developed Guillain-Barr- syndrome will consider having the swine flu jab when she returns to work this autumn, despite claims that the vaccine is linked to an increased risk of the disease. Laura Claire Price, a specialist in respiratory and intensive care medicine, examines the reasons why the vaccine might cause the syndrome, reviews the current evidence, and concludes that she will consider having the jab when it becomes available.

11 Sep 2009

St.Vincent Health utilizes MedAssets’ Revenue Cycle Management solutions

MedAssets, Inc. today announced that St.Vincent Health of Indianapolis, Ind., has expanded its use of MedAssets’ Revenue Cycle Management products and services to further improve its financial performance through better contract management, charge capture and recovery and claims management processes.

11 Sep 2009

Adamis Pharmaceuticals' Epinephrine injection categorized as a generic

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced on July 23 that its wholly owned subsidiary, Adamis Labs launched and shipped the first orders of the company’s Epinephrine Injection, USP, 1:1000 (0.3mg prefilled single dose syringe) (“PFS”). Today, Adamis Labs reports that at least two major data base reference companies (Medi-Span® and First DataBank) placed the Company’s PFS in their generic category.

11 Sep 2009

Universal American allies with Nifty after Fifty

Universal American Corp. is pleased to announce a strategic alliance with Nifty after Fifty(“NaF”), a company that operates health and wellness centers focused primarily on the senior community.

11 Sep 2009

Tort reform back on table in health care debate

"Sparked by complaints at town hall meetings last month about the impact of medical malpractice suits on healthcare costs, a battle is brewing between business advocates and lawyers over whether to limit damages in lawsuits against physicians and other medical professionals as part of a healthcare overhaul," CongressDaily reports.

11 Sep 2009

Vitapath Genetics closes $6 million series A round of funding

VitaPath Genetics, a molecular diagnostics company, announced today that it has closed a $6 million series A round of funding led by MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures. VitaPath was originally seeded by X/Seed Capital, which also co-invested in the Series A. Concurrent with the financing MDV's Michael Goldberg and X/Seed's Michael Borrus took seats on the company's board.

11 Sep 2009

Merge Healthcare and Rosslyn Medical extends their partnership

Building on a successful distribution agreement established over the past three years, Merge Healthcare, a leading health IT solutions provider, and Rosslyn Medical, a large medical imaging solution provider serving the Russian market, have extended their partnership to expand the portfolio of Merge OEM products available to Rosslyn.

11 Sep 2009

KidneyTel system helps manage health issues faced by kidney patients

Kidney patients often have a number of serious chronic health issues in addition to their kidney disease. Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s leading renal therapies company, has developed the KidneyTel system to provide an integrated care solution to assist patients, their families and their providers in managing the full range of health issues that kidney patients face on a daily basis.

11 Sep 2009

Medicare reimbursement cuts will affect cancer care system

The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), a national non-profit organization that represents oncologists and other cancer care providers, strongly opposes cuts in Medicare reimbursement for cancer care outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

11 Sep 2009

Personalities: Democrats continue to wrangle while GOP seeks to make use of summer momentum gains

Top health care negotiators for a group of fiscally conservative Democrats are seeking to bolster their positions with key Democrats and Republicans ahead of the stretch run at health care reform.

11 Sep 2009

Obama: 'Time for bickering is over' on health care reform

"Obama said the changes he has in mind would cost about $900 billion over [a] decade, 'less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans' passed during the Bush administration."

11 Sep 2009

Democrats and Republicans take action, offer more reactions the day after President Obama's speech

Republicans are continuing to react to President Obama's Wednesday night speech while Democrats are counting votes and meeting with key groups within the caucus.

11 Sep 2009

Obama highlights new uninsured census numbers during meeting with nurses

Almost 6 million more Americans were uninsured during the last year when the economy worsened, President Obama, citing new census data, told a group of nurses at the White House on Thursday, the New York Times reports.

11 Sep 2009

The first CardioGraft patch with MatrACELL technology implant performed

LifeNet Health, a leading allograft bio-implant company, announces the first implant of a CardioGraft(TM) allograft cardiac patch product with MatrACELL(TM)( )decellularization technology. The surgery was performed at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo by Gary K. Lofland, MD, FACS, Section Chief, Cardiovascular Surgery at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo, The Joseph Boon Gregg/Missouri Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Professor of Surgery, UMKC.

10 Sep 2009

Analyses of Obama speech generally agree: He reframed the debate without specifics

President Obama used his speech to highlight the major themes of his push at health care reform, but in reframing the debate, he also left out the specifics of his preferences according to a number of news stories analyzing the event.

10 Sep 2009

Democrats praise president's speech

The Hill reports: "Despite months on intraparty bickering -- for one night at least -- Obama allowed nearly all congressional Democrats to believe he was speaking directly to them. Whether that solves one of the biggest problems Obama came before Congress to fix -- a Democratic Caucus in the House split passionately between those who believe that no healthcare bill is worth the trouble without a public plan and those who believe that such a public option is bad policy and worse politics -- remains to be seen."

10 Sep 2009

Baucus readies reform move, with or without Republicans

Sen. Max Baucus is readying his Senate Finance Committee to move a health care reform bill to the full Senate, with or without the support of Republicans negotiating their position.

10 Sep 2009

Half of six million major depressive disorder with comorbid panic attack cases go untreated

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that in the U.S., out of six million cases of major depressive disorder with comorbid panic attack, three million are untreated. Comorbid mental disorders are influential factors impacting the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.

10 Sep 2009

PinnacleCare and Champions Biotechnology collaborate to offer personalized oncology services worldwide

Champions Biotechnology, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CSBR), a company whose personalized oncology services division assists physicians by providing personalized treatment options for their cancer patients, has entered into a collaboration agreement with PinnacleCare, the pioneer and the leading private health advisory company in the world.

10 Sep 2009

First edition: September 10, 2009

In response to President Obama's joint address to Congress last night, the headlines are chock full of news, analysis, fact-checkers and inventories of cheers and jeers.

10 Sep 2009