Archive for January, 2009

Top Hospitals Have 27% Lower Mortality

Jan 30, 2009 No Comments by

Medicare patients treated at top-rated hospitals nationwide across the most common Medicare diagnoses and procedures are 27 percent less likely to die, on average, than those admitted to all other hospitals, according to a study released today by HealthGrades. Patients who undergo surgery at these high-performing hospitals also have an average eight percent lower risk of complications during their stay.

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BREAKING NEWS: Healthcare Stimulus Package

Jan 28, 2009 No Comments by

We all new that with the new political regime coming into place that there would be sizable changes in the health care industry. However, I’m not sure if anyone was prepared for massive alterations that would be proposed so soon in the beginning. Aftern reviewing the new HITECH Act, I was both pleasantly surprised and dismayed at the new Houst Stimulus bill. With a proposed $20 billion dollars to be distributed for economic and clinical health, this would be one of the largest health care centric bills that has come through Washington in some time.

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California’s Physician Groups Support State Regulation that Requires HMOs to Provide Translation Services to Patients

Jan 26, 2009 No Comments by

In response to a recent announcement by Director Cindy Ehnes from the Department of Managed Health Care about new rules requiring California HMOs to provide translation services for patients with limited English ability, Donald Crane, President and CEO of the California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG), issued the following statement:

Hospital Administrators, Industry News Read more

Seek Better Options Says Expert After Cancer Risks Raise Doubts About Popular Osteoporosis Drugs

Jan 23, 2009 No Comments

Popular osteoporosis drugs such as Merck’s Fosamax and other similar drugs might carry a risk of causing esophageal cancer, reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA’s division of drug risk assessment states researchers should check into potential links between so-called bisphosphonate drugs and cancer.

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Fat Grafting Specialist Sees Increase in Patients Seeking Natural Looking Facial Plastic Surgery

Jan 21, 2009 No Comments

Michael Law MD Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Raleigh, NC is seeing an increase in demand for fat transfer, fat injections and microfat grafting. Dr. Law, a board certified plastic surgeon, explains this increase in demand due to the natural looking results these fat grafting procedures provide.

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Stanford Researchers Uncover Link Between Two Aging Pathways in Mice

Jan 19, 2009 No Comments

Two previously identified pathways associated with aging in mice are connected, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding reinforces what researchers have recently begun to suspect: that the age-related degeneration of tissues, organs and, yes, even facial skin with which we all struggle is an active, deliberate process rather than a gradual failure of tired cells. Derailing or slowing this molecular betrayal, although still far in the future, may enable us to one day tack years onto our lives — or at least delay the appearance of that next wrinkle.

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CIGNA Rewards People For Making Healthy Choices

Jan 16, 2009 No Comments

It’s another new year, and once again people have resolved to get active, lose weight, quit smoking or make other healthy changes in their lives. While it’s fairly easy to make New Year’s resolutions, for many of us it’s a lot harder to keep them. For some, earning rewards — like a gift card at a major retailer in return for completing an online coaching program, or merchandise, such as clothing, jewelry or electronics, for completing a series of health screenings — is just what’s needed to turn the best of intentions into everyday action.

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Midwest Health Care Startups Raise $1.1 Billion in 2008, Sustaining 3-Year Growth Momentum

Jan 14, 2009 No Comments

Midwest health care startups attracted $1.1 Billion in new investments across 166 companies in 2008, ranking the region 3rd among US regions and maintaining a multi-year growth trend for Midwest health care investing. Minnesota and Ohio companies collectively attracted the most investment dollars within the Midwest. All findings are reported in the Midwest Health Care Venture Report 2008 released today by BioEnterprise and the Mid-America Healthcare Investors Network (MHIN).

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Baby-Boomers Find Help Qualifying for California Health Insurance with UK Neurosurgeon

Jan 12, 2009 No Comments

The California Health Insurance provider, The HealthCare Solution, today announced the company is radically changing the way high risk baby boomers obtain health insurance. Taking a new approach, the California health insurance provider has partnered with top UK neurosurgeon, Dr. Sim Farar, to provide education to baby boomers to reduce their risk of memory loss that often times affects health insurance eligibility.

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Obesity Comes With a Price Tag

Jan 09, 2009 No Comments

There are hard dollars-and-cents costs to being overweight or obese, Specifically, the health care specialists at Humana estimates these costs at the following for 2009.

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