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Association of Academic Health Centers calls for national plan to recruit, retain health care workers

The Association of Academic Health Centers on Thursday during a briefing said that the federal government needs to help develop a national plan to recruit and retain health care workers to meet increased demand as the U.S. population ages, Cox/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Tseng, Cox/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/18).

22 Jul 2008

House Democrats plan second, $50 billion economic stimulus package with possible funds for state Medicaid programs

House Democrats are planning a second, $50 billion economic stimulus package that could include funds for state Medicaid programs, CongressDaily reports.

22 Jul 2008

NYT examines record of cooperation on health care, other issues by McCain

The New York Times on Monday examined how presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) since his failed 2000 presidential campaign has "mastered the art of political triangulation -- variously teaming up with ... the new Republican leaders, with Democrats against Republicans and with the president against the Democrats" on health care and other issues -- to "become perhaps the chamber's most influential member."

22 Jul 2008

Rep. Boustany introduces legislation that would require states to report on SCHIP enrollment, outreach efforts

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) last week introduced a bill (HR 6506) that would require all states to submit annual reports on SCHIP enrollment, CQ HealthBeat reports.

22 Jul 2008

Means testing in Medicare, other entitlement programs could help address financial problems

The U.S. faces a "financial crisis," in part because of spending on entitlement programs, and the "situation will become much worse as Americans age and health care costs rise," Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

22 Jul 2008

West Virginia prescription drug program showing growth, success within first three months

West Virginia Rx, a new state-managed prescription drug program that allows uninsured state residents to obtain medications at no cost, is on track to enroll 10,000 people within its first year, the Charleston Gazette reports (Kabler, Charleston Gazette, 7/17).

22 Jul 2008

New hope for infertile men - venous embolization

A minimally invasive treatment for a common cause of male infertility can significantly improve a couple's chances for pregnancy, according to a new study published in the August issue of Radiology. The study, conducted at the University of Bonn in Germany, also found that the level of sperm motility prior to treatment is a key predictor of success.

22 Jul 2008

Tattoos - who gets rid of them and why

According to a new report women are far more likely than men to have a tattoo removed and the suggestion is that they are motivated to do so by the social stigma associated with tattoos and negative comments from others.

22 Jul 2008

Pain-relieving gel eases mammography discomfort

The simple application of a pain-relieving gel may reduce the breast discomfort some women experience during mammography exams, according to the results of a clinical trial published in the online edition of Radiology.

22 Jul 2008

Discovery of cells for spinal-cord repair

A researcher at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory has pinpointed stem cells within the spinal cord that, if persuaded to differentiate into more healing cells and fewer scarring cells following an injury, may lead to a new, non-surgical treatment for debilitating spinal-cord injuries.

22 Jul 2008

IMF programs and tuberculosis outcomes in post-communist countries

International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans were associated with a 16.6% rise in death rates from tuberculosis (TB) in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern European countries between 1992 and 2002, finds a study in this week's PLoS Medicine.

22 Jul 2008

International goals to reduce malaria burdens not likely to be achieved

For malaria control goals to be achieved, we must in the future tie funding commitments closer to level of need, says new research by Bob Snow and colleagues from the Kenyan Medical Research Institute-Oxford University-Wellcome Trust Collaborative Programme.

22 Jul 2008

Radical new technology could end drilling and filling misery at the dentist

Radical new dental technology could mean the end of the drilling and filling misery many endure at the dentists.

22 Jul 2008

Epilepsy drug may raise the risk of birth defects

Scientists have found that women who take an epilepsy drug while they are pregnant may increase the risk of birth defects in their babies.

22 Jul 2008

Abiraterone new drug for aggressive prostate cancer the best thing in 70 years

Scientists say a new drug which treats aggressive prostate cancer is possibly the most significant development in the field for 70 years.

22 Jul 2008

Tobacco plant vaccine a cure for cancer?

Scientists in the U.S. say the tobacco plant could be used to "grow" key components of a cancer vaccine; they suggest that the same plant which is responsible for causing cancer may offer a way to treat the disease.

22 Jul 2008

Laser treatment the best fix for wrinkles

According to dermatologists in the U.S. laser treatment is a more effective way of removing wrinkles than some newer procedures.

22 Jul 2008

Trial of treatment of inflammatory bowel disease begins at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Anadis Ltd, a biopharmaceutical company focused on research, development and production of immune milk (colostrum)-derived polyclonal antibodies and other proteins to address major diseases, today announces the initiation of a clinical trial with top clinical scientists at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel.

22 Jul 2008

Defining healthcare needs for chronic illness

A research paper in the latest issue of Medical Journal of Australia has provided the first insight into the prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity in Australia. About three in 10 people who saw a GP in 2005, and one in four Australians have multimorbidity (two or more types of chronic conditions).

22 Jul 2008

Discovery of new anatomical path through which the brain and spleen communicate

In a major step in understanding how the nervous system and the immune system interact, scientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have identified a new anatomical path through which the brain and the spleen communicate.

21 Jul 2008