Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Canadian hospitals' contracts with consultants scrutinized

Cerberus Capital Management is poised to purchase Caritas Christi Health Care. This morning, at a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court hearing, Caritas and Cerberus face the final hurdle in an approval process that began in the spring.

22 Oct 2010

Covidien helps sustain transportation program for low-income women needing prenatal care

One of the obstacles faced by low-income women needing quality prenatal care is a lack of transportation. The average pregnant woman needs to visit the doctor 14 times during those nine months, which can be a significant financial burden for some.

21 Oct 2010

Empire announces launch of Patient Centered Medical Home pilot

For many people with chronic health conditions, it can be tough to navigate through the complex healthcare system. Mary, a 65 year old woman with several conditions including diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, visits specialists for each of these conditions - an endocrinologist, rheumatologist and cardiologist - in addition to her primary care physician.

21 Oct 2010

Report finds shortage of Mass. physicians is getting worse

The Boston Herald: "The state's physician shortage is getting worse -- with many practices closed to new patients and a critical need for doctors in key specialties, according to a Massachusetts Medical Society report released today. ... The most acute need is for primary-care physicians who practice family or internal medicine. The study called the shortages in those two key areas 'critical.'

21 Oct 2010

Minnesota health care organizations share patient EHRs through network of interoperable systems

Eight of the largest health care organizations in Minnesota have successfully launched software that enables electronic sharing of patient records across the group - and with other network members nationwide. The network of interoperable systems allows for an estimated 75 percent of Minnesotans (3.6 million patients) to show up at any one of the organizations' hospitals or clinics and have records from previous visits immediately available to doctors.

20 Oct 2010

Project LAUNCH receives $19 million from SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is awarding over $19 million in Project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health) grants to tribal and community-based programs over the next five years. Project LAUNCH promotes the wellness of children from birth to eight years of age by addressing the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and behavioral aspects of their development.

20 Oct 2010

Long term exposure to air pollution increases risk of severe COPD

Long term exposure to low-level air pollution may increase the risk of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to researcher s in Denmark. While acute exposure of several days to high level air pollution was known to be a risk factor for exacerbation in pre-existing COPD, until now there had been no studies linking long-term air pollution exposure to the development or progression of the disease.

20 Oct 2010

Lilly and Novo Nordisk have the best diabetes corporate image: Study

Endocrinologists, primary care physicians (PCPs) and nurse educators perceive Lilly and Novo Nordisk to have the best diabetes corporate image, with Lilly slightly outscoring Novo among endocrinologists and Novo outscoring Lilly among PCPs and nurses. Results show that endocrinologists see wider differences among the diabetes companies in overall image and key performance dimensions more so than do PCPs and nurses, according to Market Strategies International's syndicated 2010 U.S. Diabetes MSImage® study.

From Novo Nordisk 19 Oct 2010

Study finds no increase in nurse practitioners and physician assistants pursuing pediatric health care

Pediatric health care work force planning efforts are increasingly incorporating the roles of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, especially in plans to alleviate the perceived shortage of pediatric subspecialists.

19 Oct 2010

PCE, NPF form partnership to provide education programs on psoriasis

Practicing Clinicians Exchange (PCE) has formed a partnership with the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) to provide continuing education programs to nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) throughout the United States.

19 Oct 2010

Federal court to allow Calif. case on Medicare underpayments to move forward; LA county gets new health department head

A recent court decision gave a group of California counties another chance to challenge what they contend are severe Medicare underpayments that jeopardize access to care across the country.

19 Oct 2010

TOPS program helps in losing weight: Study

In the battle against obesity, new research has found that it may not be necessary to spend a lot on a weight loss program when cheaper, nonprofit alternatives may work just as well.

18 Oct 2010

Aetna adds The Washington Hospital to provider network

Aetna announced that it has reached agreement with The Washington Hospital on a contract that adds a new hospital and potentially as many as 200 new physicians to Aetna's provider network in western Pennsylvania.

15 Oct 2010

Report examines impact of federal stimulus funding on health spending in Florida

The Collins Center for Public Policy has released a report that examines the impact of the federal government's economic stimulus funding on Florida's health care system.

15 Oct 2010

UBM Medica acquires OBGYN.net from MediSpecialty.com

UBM Medica today announces that it has acquired the website OBGYN.net from MediSpecialty.com, Inc.

15 Oct 2010

Study highlights need to address overuse, underuse of colorectal cancer screening tests

Only one-fifth of primary care physicians in the US follow practice guidelines for colorectal cancer screening for all the tests they recommend, according to Dr. Robin Yabroff from the National Cancer Institute and her colleagues. About 40 percent followed guidelines for some of the tests they recommended and the remaining 40 percent did not follow guidelines for any of the screening tests they recommended.

15 Oct 2010

More minorities attending American medical schools

News outlets report on issues affecting the doctor workforce, including increased diversity at medical schools and questions about whether rural doctors will qualify for the Medicare payment bonus for primary care physicians.

15 Oct 2010

Patient-specific experimental vaccine to prevent recurrence of glioblastoma

Mary Lee's primary care physician is also a family friend. When he walked into the exam room in October 2006 with tears in his eyes, she knew something serious was wrong. But she was shocked to learn she had a brain tumor - and later found out it was the most aggressive malignant type, a glioblastoma multiforme.

14 Oct 2010

PPC offers on-site medication dispensing programs for hospitals

The fastest-growing privately held healthcare company in the country is building its business by building in-office medication dispensing programs for physicians and hospitals in 10 states. Incorporated just five years ago, Physicians' Pharmaceutical Corporation (PPC) placed No. 1 among health companies and No. 15 overall on the 2010 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies.

14 Oct 2010

Health care workforce faces strains, shifts

Kaiser Health News / NPR "Last year, half of new doctors were hired by hospitals, according to the Medical Group Management Association, a professional organization for physician practices. According to a 2009 report by the American Medical Association, one in six doctors works for a hospital, and the number is quickly growing.

14 Oct 2010