Scientists Send Letter Urging Congress to Pass The Stem Cell Bill ASAP

I think this is one that should have support and would pass as it has been passed before but the scientists want it done before other issues begin to cloud the water as there’s no Bush veto waiting around this time.  If the judge has determined a law is needed, then make one here as the rest of the world is not stopping and waiting and lives need to be saved. 

In a letter sent Friday to the leadership of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the deans of American medical schools, chief executives of U.S. hospitals and heads of organizations with names like the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the American Society of Human Genetics said that federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research “is essential” if scientists are to succeed in turning the cells into usable treatments.
“The therapeutic potential of human embryonic stem cells is remarkable and could well prove to be one of the most significant paradigm-shifting advances in the history of medical science,” they wrote. “These cells have the unique potential to differentiate into any human cell type and offer real hope of life-affirming treatments for diabetes, damaged heart tissue, arthritis, Parkinson's, ALS and spinal cord injuries, to name but a few examples.”

Scientists to Congress: Pass the stem cell law ... while you still can - latimes.com

Technorati Tags: stem cells,Congress,Genomics,NIH,laws,research and development,science

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APP Pharmaceuticals Launching Drug Hotline in US–Check Status Of Fresenius Propoven (Propofol)-The Only US FDA Approved Drug

The company makes the only #1 preferred drug for anesthesia in the US and it’s not only regular surgeries that are feeling the pinch, so are dentists and veterinarians too.  The drug is manufactured in Germany and sold here in the US by APP Pharmaceuticals.  As of today the website states the company is supplying 100 percent of the current market demand for propofol injections, but there seems to be a difference of opinions in the news.  I just heard that in Phoenix all hospitals are working together to ensure those surgeries that doctors feel are the highest on the list for using this drug over others that are out there, which are older and harder to monitor.  if you read on the web you can find a few sites where facilities are also talking about how they are sharing the supply.  Perhaps the market demand as it is called is filled, but how about actual orders where hospitals are waiting and having to share?  

APP Drug Hotline  (888) 386-1300, option 6. The Hotline is available Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (CST).

In addition to propofol, the company also manufactures several chemotherapy drugs.  Teva, earlier this year stopped manufacturing the product in the US.

Teva To Stop Manufacturing Propofol – With No US Manufacturers Left FDA Approved Import From Europe

Sodium pentathol might be used as an alternative for general anesthesia, but right now it's extremely hard to get. He said the problem is that many of these drugs are made by few companies, or only one company, so they are hard to replace when supply problems strike.  The profit margins were some of the main reasons that companies quit producing in favor of drugs that bring more money to the table.

Some hospitals and dentists are now using a drug called etomidate. It is an older drug that works  but it is sometimes very painful going in. Anesthesiologists are not real happy with this drug because it is much harder to intubate or use this drug for conscious sedation or general anesthesia safely.  Many younger anesthesiologists have not been trained on using the drug as well.  BD

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Nov 05, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., announced today that it will launch the APP Drug Hotline on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. The APP Drug Hotline has been established to assist healthcare professionals with critical drug shortage issues.

Staffed by an experienced Customer Service team, the APP Drug Hotline is dedicated to responding to inquires from healthcare professionals seeking information on whether APP's product portfolio can augment the supply of specific drugs currently on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) drug shortage lists. APP Drug Hotline staff will provide callers with an enhanced customer service experience, which includes real-time information on APP's available supply of specific drugs currently on drug shortage, details on upcoming APP product releases, as well as help callers track their APP orders.

APP Pharmaceuticals to Launch Drug Hotline - MarketWatch

Technorati Tags: Teva,Propofol,Diprivan,healthcare,Michael Jackson,drugs,anesthesia,surgery,recalls,FDA,APP

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Hospital Violence in Florida–Employee Who Was Recently Let Go Shoots Himself After Barricading in the Cafeteria

Here’s yet another story about hospital violence and yes they are becoming a dangerous place to work at times like this as you never know today when someone with pressures of losing a job, making house payments, etc. will lead to an event like this.  Again I come back around to the fact that we are somewhat living in denial and not giving the public a full explanation of why layoffs and other events are happening today based on “business decisions”.  It may not make things any better but at least the public is owed the educational process of what is really occurring as companies run leaner and are looking to stay alive themselves at times. 

Right now we have around half of the hospitals in the LA area operating in the red and this is not good as contracts and budgets have squeezed just about all they can and when it bottoms out at trying to reduced “fixed” costs, we have a problem as they can’t go any lower.  All are investing in software to try to fix and save money where ever they can with analysis processes and those are helpful but not the complete answer either as sometimes the results end up forecasting layoffs as part of the solution.  It will bottom out here when layoffs severely begin affecting patient safety too.  The next obvious move is up the other end of the ladder with looking at other sources, like cheaper drugs, cheaper medical devices and some hospitals are putting on the pressure as they really don’t have many other choices.  Last year we had this tragic situation in Long Beach. 

Gunman Shoots 2 and takes own life at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center

In a few years, who in the world is going to want to be a hospital CIO, I ask where the ultimate decision making responsibility lies?  How long will they last in these economically produced pressure cookers?  We are all human and they are no different and tackle some very difficult challenges today too, but they can’t do miracles.  We need the doctors and nurses for our life saving miracles with with surgeries and other things they do, but with the economic dollars even those areas seem to sadly be getting discounted too, so where’s the balance and where do ethics and profits meet? We are all trying to figure that one out. 

In the meantime shattered lives, of those who do not comprehend or are not given some explanations, real ones, are left in a haze of confusion and thus we are seeing more sad actions like this one and I ask is this appropriate to continue to let this keep occurring?  Profits and the mental wellness of the US citizens need to reach some happy mediums soon I think. 

More Congressional Testimonies About Health IT–Members of Congress Could Entertain Getting an “Algo Man” on Staff As Wall Street and Health Insurers Have Them–Don’t Leave Home Without One

Perhaps in time when we can finally come to the reality of how mathematical formulas have re-distributed the money in the country through software algorithms and transaction that run the background It’s not going to get any better until both sides have the same capabilities to use the same “machine gun” type of technology and stress levels will continue to rise.  BD

A gunman who opened fire in the Palm Bay Hospital in Florida has been found dead by police. Authorities say he was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he barricaded himself inside the facility’s cafeteria.

Palm Bay police officers said John Jack, 39, held officers and SWAT team members at bay for around four hours before taking his own life.

There was no exchange of fire between Jack and authorities.

There were no injuries in the incident, other than the suicide.

SWAT teams from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and the Palm Bay Police Department responded to the incident.

The former employee, who was recently let go from the hospital, fired shots in the cafeteria and barricaded himself in the building.

Detectives at the scene suggested Jack had been distraught about losing his job, was suicidal, and had actually gone to the hospital to say goodbye to former colleagues.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326703/Sacked-employee-shoots-opening-Florida-hospital.html

Technorati Tags: Hospitals,violence,shooting,heatlhcare,healthcare reform,Florida,education,economics

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Calculus for Dummies-Let’ See How This Works with Healthcare-It’s In There Hiding

There’s some real word of wisdom here and it comes around to what I talk about with healthcare.  I included a few of the comments and statements made below and be aware of the one below referencing doctors and scientists for sure.  When you think about what the doctor is doing, especially with medical records, they are looking for change, which is what an electronic medical record system allows at a much faster pace than relying on either memory and/or notes make on paper because it it organized.  That doesn’t mean memory is going away because it too can be a factor, but replacing the paper with information that is in a format that is much easier to use is something we all benefit from, patient and doctor. 

He makes a good statement below too about understanding what “we are doing” rather than “what we think we are doing”, a very loaded statement but human perception sometimes can be tricky and we all deal with that, self included and when we look at perhaps how another individual views us, well we end up sometimes with a completely different picture which could be true or false and we kind of sit around and try to figure it out.  Sometimes it is helpful as what we think we are doing is not anything at all relative to what we are doing, so an opinion, good or bad, does make us think, which is hopefully a good thing and opens up the door to look at our own paradigms. 

I like in particular the comment too about pilots as they know they need lift so the jet will fly and the rate is what they work with and not the fact of questioning whether they need lift or not, that part is a given. If today, in summary if we are not concerned with the “rate of change” with technology in healthcare throwing us a new left curve every day, we are missing some boats out there. 

This is in part why the word “algorithms” captures center stage here as I am trying to bring this awareness into layman’s terms as best I can.  When repeal of healthcare reform was brought up, the drug store chain Walgreens CEO and CFO spoke out immediately, 2 days afterwards. 

Walgreens CEO And CFO First to Speak Out -Repeal of Healthcare Law Would Wreck Their Business Models (aka their Algorithms)

A literal translation might be to this effect:  We can’t keep spending time and money to adjust the algorithmic data formulas on everyone’s whim, this stuff takes a lot of thought, projections and planning, so these politicians might want to consider what they are promising and get some intelligence of their own going before taking some of the stands we see today.  If we listen, they are right up front making this fact known a everything today has a process and computers and algorithmic and mathematical formulas are making decisions like or not, it is what it is.  Sure there will be some that object to this as there’s tons of money made with bringing new algorithms and systems and that’s why the cost has skyrocketed today, so they may not like this idea as it could eat up some of their profits. 

Talk of Repealing Healthcare Law–How About the Expense of the IT Infrastructure Algorithm Resets And Costs That Would Be Required?

We are beyond the days of technical specialists being able to quick put together the technology required to fulfill promises today and the sooner the folks come out of the 70s and and embrace this reality, the sooner we will see real progress.

Congress and other leaders, get those Algo Men on board to help you out and I think they will be glad they did in the long run.   The statement on Entrepreneurs too has some value, as they don’t’ care about the knowledge itself but rather the rate of change and sometimes this leads to other issues with a lack of collaboration when the focus on the rate is not balanced with working together and thus we may get a little bit too fragmented and lose some direction.  The Entrepreneurs can live on innovation alone, but healthcare can’t.  BD 

Innovation Without Collaboration Is Fouling Up The US Healthcare IT System–We Need Both As We Can’t Stand on Innovation Alone

1. “The Stock Market does not care about risk, it cares about the rate of change of risk
2. The Politician does not care about votes, they care about the rate of change in votes
3. The Meteorologist does not care about weather, she cares about the rate of change in weather
4. The Pilot does not care about lift, they care about the rate of change of lift
5. The Gymnast does not care about motion, she cares about the rate of change of motion
6. The Doctor does not care about your health, she cares about the rate of change in your health
7. The Farmer does not care about crops, he cares about the rate of change of crops
8. The Scientists does not care about data, they care about the rate of change of data
9. Google does not care about information, it cares about the rate of change of information
10. Entrepreneurs do not care about knowledge, they care about the rate of change of knowledge
11. Markets do not care about innovation, they care about the rate of change of innovation
12. Our children do not care about our wisdom, they care about our rate of change of wisdom”

I am continuously astonished at the reactions I get from people every time I make a reference to mathematics, especially Calculus. Most people politely glaze their eyes over and stare at an inanimate object somewhere behind my head. Others launch into a diatribe of how the linear thinkers destroyed the world in the first place. Others will simply say, “I have [insert Deficit Dysfunction Disorder here]“

When people can learn how to understand what they are really doing in instead of what they think they are doing, then and only then, will we be able to see, and subsequently, build the next economic paradigm.  That is why I use mathematics and that is when Social Media Becomes a Science

http://www.ingenesist.com/general-info/calculus-for-dummies-and-capitalists.html

Technorati Tags: Calculus,algorithms,healthcare,paradigms,wisdom,think tanks,formulas,social media,distractions,disruptions

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Playworld Systems Using Microsoft Tags to Help Students With Exercise and Obesity

This technology is going to be everywhere and this is nice that we have students using cell phones to scan for valued information here too.  It enhances the program and gives the students instant information, like what I have been advocating for FDA Recalls and have a bunch deaf ears in that department. 

This is a pretty basic concept, see the tags and scan and get instant information as shown on the playground picture.  It also engages and that’s the huge missing link with mobile health IT and everyone keeps missing that boat as I don’t they have realized this this is ok and it is cool.  Sometimes things like that take time, just tablets did but the luddites when they see value eventually wake up.  This is cool as with a heat map they can see how many are using the technology too.  Here’s some additional information from a prior post and if you like this idea of being able to find FDA recalls too, give it a yes on my poll.  The yes’s are way ahead here so we have value demonstrated by the poll. 

Microsoft Tag Bar Codes–Who’s Been Scanning the Medical Quack–The Bing Heat Map Tells All And Could Help Find Stolen or Expired Drugs and Devices With This Methodology

Ok remember a while back where I said stolen drugs could be located with Tags, well here we have a suggestion or an idea, a heat map from Bing.  The products could be tagged by “lot” number and/or products.  Obviously on a large scale we are looking at one grand “cloud” operation here.  Device and drug companies could have their own maps and of course with a synchronized FDA data base and perhaps one at the DEA some of those stolen articles could be found when someone goes to scan a product?  In case you have missed some of this click on the “bar code campaign” image and see a summary of what ideas I have been cooking up to even include the White House using them.  The link is always at the top of the blog for reference any time.

So I decided to look and see if anyone has been scanning my tags and I mapped them.  You need to have over 20 scans to show up and I was impressed I have over the number needed which means folks have been scanning the tags on this blog!  The purple dots are the cell phone scans. 

Recalls, children's products and playgrounds all seem to come together, you think?  BD

BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwire - November 4, 2010) -  Playworld Systems, a leading manufacturer of imaginative playground equipment, today announced it is showcasing its ENERGI^™ Total Body Fitness System with Microsoft Tag technology at NMSA2010, the NMSA 37^th Annual Conference and Exhibit in Baltimore. Conference attendees will also be able to see ENERGI in action during the NMSA-sponsored school visit to Severna Park Middle School on November 4 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

With only one moving part, Playworld Systems' ENERGI delivers a guided, fat-burning workout with 120 progressively challenging exercises that use body weight resistance to target nearly all 600 of the body's muscles. The system is supported with a complete curriculum and easy-to-follow lesson plans to help teachers integrate ENERGI into the school day. ENERGI's five stations feature instructional graphics that have been tested to assure immediate comprehension. At a price point of approximately $15,000, ENERGI offers schools a unique fitness system at maximum value.

"We're impressed by this innovative use of Microsoft Tag technology as a tool to enhance the ENERGI fitness system and guide teachers and students through their fitness routines," said Bill McQuain, director of Tag Product Management at Microsoft Corp. "With the scan of Tag as part of ENERGI, schools will be able to offer a rich, interactive experience that enhances their fitness programs."

NMSA conference attendees can experience the new innovation at Playworld Systems' booths (#616 and 614). After downloading the free Tag Reader app, users scan the Tags with their smartphone to unlock exclusive videos showing the ENERGI fitness system in action.

Playworld Systems' ENERGI(TM) Total Body Fitness System Helps Schools Target Nationwide Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Technorati Tags: Playworld,Microsoft,Microsoft Tags,FDA,cell phones,value,scanning,mobile technology,exercise,obesity,children,ENERGI

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What Will the GOP Do In Regards to Health IT–Do They Understand It–Better Get Some Algo Men to Help Explain Those Processes

We already had Cloud services shot down by the Senate which is an up front indication of the lack of literacy in how IT supports Healthcare.  That was done earlier this year and the fact that it took both houses so long to even think about regulating peer to peer rules for government employees with government computers was a shocker.  The cloud service funds were cut back in August and there were many techs and geeks scratching their heads on that move as it stands to save money and energy. 

Senate Cuts Cloud Services From Budget That Would Allow for Data Center and IT Infrastructure Consolidation–Back to the 8 Track Tapes Next?

Back in March of 2010 this was where both houses stood in dealing with peer to peer sharing with the Senate suggesting a “warning’ to let others know that sharing was taking place, and we are not talking a VPN or any other type of sophisticated program, just regular videos and music.  The good news I guess is that LimeWire is one less now to worry about. 

Breaking News: House Passed a Bill to Prevent Government Employees From Using Peer to Peer File Sharing!

While on the topic, maybe some classes in working with pdf’s could in line here too as the GOP Pledge was written in this format and somebody didn’t know how to remove the personal information and thus the staff members who created it were clearly shown, all former lobbyists identified so that’s where the pledge came from and Rachel Maddow did a good job on that one with names and images and more.  There’s a video at the link below that tells the whole story and shows all the images and names.  I can almost bet this one won’t happen again.

The Properties of an Adobe pdf Document -Rachel Maddow Rips the GOP on Lack of General Consumer IT Knowledge And Exposes the Input and Authors of the Content–Lobbyists

So what are they going to do with Health IT?  I hope they give it some thought and maybe get some Algo Men to explain how all this works before they speak and say too much to avoid embarrassment on the topic.  There’s a lot at stake here and the CEO and CFO over at Walgreens have already spoke their piece in saying that their data and algorithms are all in motion and that a repeal would wreck their business systems that were put in place by technologists. 

Walgreens CEO And CFO First to Speak Out -Repeal of Healthcare Law Would Wreck Their Business Models (aka their Algorithms)

Talk can be out there to get votes but now the real work and Health IT questions come into play.  Algorithms are not out there growing on trees anymore and there’s a ton of work to setting up systems, just ask any hospital CIO today and they can explain too how you just don’t make quick moves in IT anymore.  In essence we are voting for the algorithmic formulas anymore to run our systems more than the candidates it seems, or that is the reality of what happens when all the yelling and screaming is done.  Maybe in time we may just be voting for the Algos and not the people <grin>, that is said in jest here, but I think now more than ever as a Congressman it will be more of a liability to not take time and learn up as the consumers are getting up to par and frustration will linger if not, as this is “not just for those guys over there’ anymore.  I think this is partly due to what we saw out there this year too with some of the insanity and old stands from the 70s re-appearing as they were not quite sure what else to talk about at times or take a stand on.  At any rate I’m glad the insane politics of running for an office are done for a while and hope we do not see another election year like this one again as we can do better than that.

Talk of Repealing Healthcare Law–How About the Expense of the IT Infrastructure Algorithm Resets And Costs That Would Be Required?

It’s not Superman, Spiderman or even Wonder Woman that creates solutions and become our heroes, it’s the “Algo Men” with all the data, algorithms and wisdom for innovation.  We need this to speak with and regulate Wall Street, otherwise all the talk in the world does nothing.  BD

Two veteran observers of Capitol Hill don't see major health information technology policy changes coming following the Nov. 2 election and change of power in the U.S. House, but there could be some tweaking.

Most folks in Washington haven't centered on the I.T. piece of health policy as reform got much more publicity and attention, says Dan Rode, vice president of policy and government relations at the American Health Information Management Association. "That said, there will be a situation in the House where all expenditures will be looked at very closely," he cautions.

Information technology provisions in Accountable Care Act to reform health care could be more affected by the GOP takeover of the House. Republicans are paying far more attention to reform than HITECH, Barnes notes. But for all the bluster during the election season, Republicans will have limited ability to change the reform law because they don't control the Senate and President Obama still has a veto pen.

Will GOP Takeover Change I.T. Policy?

Technorati Tags: hospitals,medical records,doctors,electronic medical records,peer to peer,laws,Congress,non participants,tech denial,House,Senate,healthcare reform

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Researchers At Wake Forest Invent Ink Jets That Can Print Skin

Last week they were growing small livers and this week they are printing skin.  It is not yet ready for human prime time and is still printing mouse skins at this point.

Scientists At Wake Forest Grow a Mini Liver From Human Cells–Regenerative Medicine

This is wild as the printer has 2 head one releases skin cells with blood coagulant and collagen and the other one pumps out thrombin, another blood coagulant.  The 2 react together and form fibrin and then the printer adds a layer of surface skin.  The pigs are are next in line for skin tests and if this proves to work, then wound care might have a whole new area of treatment opening up.  BD 

Here’s another one of their printers at work and I like the sound effects when it is done and pumps out the cell scaffold here

If you’ve ever seen the lesser-known Sam Raimi movie Darkman, you probably remember that the plot involved the main character, Dr. Westlake, trying to figure out a way to “print” liquid skin to help burn victims. Westlake never did figure out how to keep the synthetic skin from destabilizing past the 98 minute mark, but luckily, Wake Forest Instititute for Regenerative Medicine researchers seem to have mastered it, showing off their amazing skin printer that uses living cells instead of ink.

As the researcher note, “any loss of full-thickness skin of more than 4 cm in diameter will not heal by itself.” Enter their device, which allows a modified inkjet printer to produce reams of fresh skin which can be used to patch up victims of skin trauma. They’ve already tested it on mice, with extremely positive results.

Researchers invent inkjet that prints out living skin | Geek.com

Technorati Tags: 60 Minutes,Wake Forest,Regenerative Medicine,Healthcare,technology,stem cells,regeneration,genomics,body parts,skin,printers,wound care

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Regenerative Medicine for Herniated and Degenerative Disc Diseases–Stem Cells

One more amazing technology taking place in Texas to where laser surgery is done as a minimally invasive procedure and then follow up with stem cell treatment or just the stem cells alone for pain management.  This is the first I have heard for disc therapy as we are probably well aware of the spinal cord trials that are on going that began at UCI earlier this year. 

The stem cell therapy on it’s own is done on an outpatients basis, and one good thing I have to say is that we are not hearing of any if few side effects anywhere on stem cell therapies as the cells are natural to our bodies.  Treatments are exclusively done at the Gelling Treatment Centers and you can find more information here and contact information.  If one can avoid surgery it certainly seems to be worth it all the way around.  BD  

From the Website:

“At CELLING TREATMENT CENTERS, we provide safe, effective stem cell therapy for treatment of osteoarthritis, arthritis pain, disc pain and disc degeneration for those who have failed conventional therapies.

This treatment is performed at local hospitals and surgery centers on an out-patient basis. Typically, only one treatment is necessary for most patients.  The goal of therapy is to reduce joint inflammation or spine disc pain, facilitate healing and slow progression of arthritis.”

Among the most innovative of these modern back pain treatment options are the so-called biologic therapies, which include the use of stem cells. Dr. Mark Flood, Chief Surgeon and Medical Director of Celling Treatment Centers in Austin, TX, is one of the very first physicians to use stem cell transplantation for disc regeneration. Anyone suffering from a herniated disc or degenerative disc disease might now be suitable candidates for Dr. Flood’s unique RegenaDISC therapy, in which case they would no longer have to rely on spinal fusion or other major surgery to obtain pain relief.

The RegenaDISC procedure can be used to treat discs that have been degraded by injury or aging, no matter whether they are located in the lumbar (lower), thoracic (middle and upper) or cervical (neck) spine. This minimally invasive technique involves the transplantation of mesenchymal (adult) stem cells, and is performed as an outpatient procedure.

These stem cells have the capacity to increase the production of proteoglycan to assist in replacing what is lost when discs degenerate. Proteoglycan helps give spinal discs bulk and hydration; as depletion occurs they start to dry out and become more prone to damage. RegenaDISC disc regeneration therapy can thereby help to restore your disc health, slow down the degenerative process and reduce your pain so that you can get back to your normal life without having to spend several weeks recovering from surgery.

RegenaDISC℠ Disc Regeneration Therapy Can Provide Relief for Painful Backs

Technorati Tags: Regenerative Medicine,stem cells,spine injuries,pain,regenerative medicine,discs,therapy,surgery

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Charles River Labs Closing Facility in Ann Arbor and Shrewsbury, MA in January

This summer Charles River was making an effort to buy a Chinese company but the shareholders said no and this appears to be the aftermath as business from pharmaceutical companies is declining. 

Charles River Purchase of Chinese WuXI Company Not Going to Happen

It did cost a few million to get out of the deal too.  There are 30 workers here and 300 in Massachusetts that will lose jobs.  BD 

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) is closing its discovery and molecular imaging facility in Ann Arbor, MI, as part of a plan to save the struggling company $40 million in annual expenses.

The Wilmington, MA-based contract research firm reported yesterday that it’s cutting 4 percent of its global work force in response to weakened demand from its pharmaceutical clients; that involves the company laying off 300 workers, leaving it with 7,500 employees globally, spokeswoman Amy Cianciaruso said today.

This major round of layoffs follows the firm’s announcement in January that it would let go 300 workers in its preclinical services group and close its Shrewsbury, MA, facility.

Charles River Labs Closing Molecular Imaging Facility in Ann Arbor | Xconomy

Technorati Tags: Charles River,outsourcing,healthcare,research and development,WuXi App Tec,China,pharma,clinical trials,medical devices

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First Human Organ Transplant Laboratory Opens in Spain–Regenerative Medicine

This is amazing as eight human hearts have become viable organs using patient stem cells and by the end of the year they hope to install a heart from a donor with regenerated cells.  Spain is also a leader in organ donation transplantation technologies.  Organs that could not otherwise be used now could be as if the organ was from a person who died of cardiac arrest, well it wouldn’t work with a straight transplant; however with stem cells they could be drained from the organ and a new one grown.  Amazing stuff! 

The lab collaborated with The University of Minnesota with their experimentation on mice.  The freshly "grown" organs are inert and "have no immune response capability as only 5% of the DNA is used from the donor organ.  The article also goes on to state that organs could be grown from those of animals. too.  I am guessing with the success of a “bank” of organs in the future, if a patient needed a transplant there would be one potentially standing by.  They say the technology is about five to ten years away.  BD 

Spain, a world leader in human organ transplants, is now also a pioneer in the creation of bioartificial organs with stem cells implanted into patients after the opening on Tuesday in Madrid of the first laboratory in the world dedicated to the growth of artificial organs for human transplant.
The laboratory will "empty" human hearts or other human organs unsuitable for transplantation and recolonize their cell content with the patient's stem cells, allowing the organs to grow anew, ready for transplant back into the new body, said its developer, Dr. Francisco Fernández Avilés, head of the Gregorio Maranon hospital cardiology wing, where the center is based.
The lab, opened this Tuesday, is the "world's first laboratory for bioartificial organs to produce adult stem cell transplants," said the Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia. The creation of artificial organs is a "third way" that is added to human organ transplantation and implantation of artificial organs, said Rafael Matesanz, director of the National Transplant Organization (ONT).

The aim of the laboratory is "to create a parent bank, in which organs can be stored for months, on which new bodies can be built to suit individual patients. " The bodies or "matrixes" which are emptied cannot be directly used for transplants because the deceased donor "either died from a cardiac arrest or old age" according Matesanz and this is a way of using organs that would otherwise not be used.

Spain opens worlds first organ growing laboratory for human transplants

Technorati Tags: Hearts,lab,Spain,regenerative medicine,healthcare,research and development,stem cells,organs,bank

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Scrubs Gallery Discount for November–Valued Advertiser on the Medical Quack

Check out the Nurses Shoes this month. See below for the code and discount.

Get 15% off lab coats with checkout code "labs_sale"

One again I thank ScrubsGallery for their continued support of the Medical Quack Blog.  Each month they offer a discount for readers and you can use the link in the image above to take advantage of the discount offered this month.

Next time you need to order scrubs or other healthcare apparel, please check out their website and compare. 

Technorati Tags: MedicalQuack,ScrubsGallery.com,Advertising,lab coats,scrubs,healthcare,apparel,sponsored ads

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FDA Approves First Intravenous Formulation of Acetaminophen - Ofirmev

Cadence Pharma is located in San Diego and this looks to be a nice bridge for pain relief instead of perhaps having to rely on a heavier type of pain reliever.  The trials were based around patients with orthopedic surgical procedures.  It will also serve to reduce fever and more information can be found at the website.  BD

From the website:

“OFIRMEV should be administered only as a 15-minute infusion.  Do not exceed the maximum recommended daily dose of acetaminophen.  Administration of acetaminophen by any route in doses higher than recommended may result in hepatic injury, including the risk of severe hepatotoxicity and death.  OFIRMEV is contraindicated in patients with severe hepatic impairment, severe active liver disease or with known hypersensitivity to acetaminophen or to any of the excipients in the formulation.”

November 4, 2010 — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first and only intravenous formulation of acetaminophen (Ofirmev; Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc) for the management of mild to moderate pain, the management of moderate to severe pain with adjunctive opioid analgesics, and the reduction of fever.

Acute pain, particularly postoperative pain, is often treated with oral acetaminophen in combination with opioids. The availability of intravenous acetaminophen in the first quarter of 2011 is expected to fill a significant therapeutic gap.

"Ofirmev is a long-awaited and much needed addition to postoperative pain management," said Eugene R. Viscusi, MD, in a company news release. "With the approval of Ofirmev, clinicians will now be better able to use a multi-modal approach to pain management in the hospital setting, when oral medication can't be used." Dr. Viscusi is director of Acute Pain Management at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

FDA approval was based on data from a 3-study clinical trial program of 1020 adult and 355 pediatric patients.

FDA Approves First Intravenous Formulation of Acetaminophen

Technorati Tags: Acetaminophen,IV,FDA,healthcare,Ofirmev,Cadence Pharma,drugs,pain

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Caldera Medical Awarded Grant for Biomedical Research Under the Affordable Care Act For Incontinence and Pelvic Repair

This is nice to see funds given for research and further development of such products, especially in care for women.  The grants are to create funds for affordable medical solutions as well as addressing unmet needs in healthcare, and they appear to be getting some tax benefits as well as supporting jobs in the US.  We like to hear that.  BD 

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Caldera Medical, Inc. announced today that it was awarded two Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Grants in the total amount of $488,958 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as part of its new Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) program created by the Affordable Care Act. The program was designed to provide tax credits and grants to businesses that show significant potential to produce new and cost-saving therapies, address unmet medical needs, support good jobs and increase U.S. competitiveness in the fields of life, biological, and medical sciences.

Caldera Medical received the maximum grant amount for research and development work on two innovative, minimally invasive products designed for the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) and Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) that Caldera plans to launch in 2011. SUI affects approximately 15 million women in the U.S. with an estimated 1 in 3 women suffering some degree of SUI. POP is one of the most common quality of life conditions facing women with nearly 50% of women who have given birth vaginally developing this condition. Patients often present with a dual diagnosis of SUI and POP due to their similar underlying etiology.

Caldera Medical’s current product portfolio includes Desara^® Sling System for the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence and Ascend^® Pelvic Floor Repair System with Apical Support for Pelvic Organ Prolapse. Both products utilize a suite of reusable instruments.

Caldera Medical Awarded Grant for Groundbreaking Biomedical Research | Business Wire

Technorati Tags: Caldera Medical,grants,affordable care act,urology,obgyn,healthcare,government

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District Attorney’s Office And FBI Raid California Arrowhead Regional Medical Center

The hospital is still open and taking care of patients and thus far the reason for the search and seizure of the documents is a hush hush situation so we may be hearing more in the future on the reason for the investigation. 

The hospital had had a series of complaints ranging from patient dumping to being fined for leaving a surgical sponge inside a patient in 2008.  The hospital was been put on warning about the potential of losing it’s Medi-Cal contracts and the hospital is run by San Bernardino County.  The FBI states they were called in to assist in the seizure of documents and records.  BD 

A search warrant was served Thursday on San Bernardino’s county-owned Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, authorities said.

FBI agents and San Bernardino district attorney's investigators seized documents at the 456-bed hospital in Colton but authorities would not say what they took or comment on the focus of the investigation. The investigation was coordinated by the San Bernardino County Joint Corruption Task Force, according to a statement released by San Bernardino County Dist. Atty. Michael A. Ramos.

Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman for the FBI office in Los Angeles, said her agency was called in to assist with the investigation, and referred questions to the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office.

Warrant served and documents seized at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Technorati Tags: FBI,San Bernardino County,Arrowhead Regional Medical Center,investigation,healthcare,hospital,District Attorney,Medi-Cal

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Walgreens CEO And CFO First to Speak Out -Repeal of Healthcare Law Would Wreck Their Business Models (aka their Algorithms)

I just made this post yesterday on the same topic, those folks need to get some Algo Men before opening their mouths as this big retailer has already ran theirs, so it makes you wonder is everyone except politicians in the know here with business models and algorithmic methodologies?  Didn’t take long for the first item to hit the news and again being public companies those folks have ton of Algo Men lined up to help them with projections and estimating profits and margins.  They know where their data comes from, the cost, what it touches and what many of the unintentional consequences are ahead of time to avoid this. 

Talk of Repealing Healthcare Law–How About the Expense of the IT Infrastructure Algorithm Resets And Costs That Would Be Required?

I guess we still have some 8 track technology still hanging around?  It’s all about those algorithms and the processes they create and politicians are just slow to catch on to this.  Here’s one more from 2 days ago.  Anybody listening and thinking about coming out of tech denial, I sure hope so! 

Election Is Done-Future for Healthcare Needs Role Models And Hopefully Not A Return to the Era of 8 Track Tapes and Old Paradigms

It’s not Superman, Spiderman or even Wonder Woman that creates solutions and become our heroes, it’s the “Algo Men” with all the data, algorithms and wisdom for innovation.  BD

The GOP's assertion that it will repeal President Obama's Heath Care Reform Initiative could wreck the new business model Walgreens unveiled at its analyst meeting Thursday. Walgreens CEO Greg Wesson, Walgreens Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Wade Miquelon and other Walgreens executives, specifically Walgreens President of Pharmacy Services, Kermit Crawford, presented the store retailer's new strategy: being a health care provider.

The presentation shows that the GOP, contrary to its claims, has not listened to American Business. Walgreens executives explained that they expect a demand for 32 million health care customers that were not in the system before. As Kermit Crawford explained, Walgreens is well-positioned to take up the "demand void." And Wade Miquelon added that Walgreens is "embedding continuous process improvement and innovation into the fabric of our company," in an effort to handle that demand.

Walgreens CEO and Walgreens CFO: New Business Model Around Health Care Reform : Zennie Abraham : City Brights

Technorati Tags: tech denial,HHS,Obama,computer,cell phone,technology,education,information,health literacy,Congress,personal health records,Walgreens

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IRS Does Not Consider Breast Feeding to be an Allowed Medical Expense But Rather Falls Under Healthy Eating Habits–Huh?

Items like contact lenses, support hose and acne cream are ok but not supplies for breast feeding.  This is silly as the IRS I guess wants to be an expert in healthcare in their own area here, the breastfeeding disallowance algorithm on the 1040.  The substantiation for this is that is does not hold enough medical value and is compared to “healthy eating”. What about the supplies for breast feeding as this is the real crux of the issue and there are a few expenses here but it’s not outrageous, it is just the algorithm in place due to someone’s interpretation. 

Everyone thinks they have the winning interpretation, but the ones that have the power are the algorithms that are substantiated by either reports or interpretations so again there’s power in those algos and who puts them in place, and in this case it’s the IRS on such a small stance.  It’s not one’s opinion that will cancel this type of deduction, it’s the algorithm of the IRS that does it.  So where does one’s interpretation go next one might wonder and say its having a baby a medical expense.  This is pretty trivial in nature and actually almost not worth the room of this post except the fact to bring this to the attention of those who are breast feeding so they know ahead of time not to cause an audit over this and can take what ever action they might find appropriate to voice their concerns and let the IRS know what they think to perhaps get some second thoughts going here and again so many other items are covered and why this is not included is beyond me.  BD   

It seems that the IRS doesn’t consider breastfeeding to be a medical expense.  The decision was made not to include breast pumps and other breastfeeding necessities as part of medical flexible spending accounts under the new health care laws.

Is breastfeeding health care? That’s debatable.  It’s preventative care, which might rule it out  more if preventative care wasn’t one of the biggest talking points of the new Health Care Bill.

To be more specific, the new health care overhaul allowed rules for flexible spending accounts that will go into effect in January. The goal for this part of the program was to allow Americans to use part of their pretax earnings to pay for medical expenses that aren’t reimbursed.  Given these facts, the IRS decision would be less relevant if one of the goals of the health care overhaul wasn’t to control medical costs by putting money towards encouraging preventive procedures.

IRS takes on breastfeeding moms - National Parenting in Politics | Examiner.com

Technorati Tags: IRS,algorithms,1040,breast,breast feeding,deductions,taxes,healthcare,government

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El Camino Hospital–Using The Latest Health IT Technology For Better Care (Video)

This hospital does a lot of neat things, like blood tests that are automated.  The hospital though as not been unaffected by current economic times and has had to lay off some employees.  The robot did not take their place as they were already there and working.

El Camino Hospital Will Lay Off 140 Employees - 5 to 6% of The Hospital Workers

This video is nice as it goes through the translation technology used in the ICU and information from the ambulance goes right to the hospital too. 

The facility was also the first on the west coast to offer this new treatment for severe asthma.  The link below also has another video where you can see some of the other technologies used, and where wireless lives in the walls of the hospital.  BD 

El Camino Hospital Offers New Treatment for Severe Asthma–Bronchial Thermoplasty Approved by FDA in April

At El Camino Hospital, robots are enlisted to help with small tasks, devices keep the noise down and patients’ beds actually digest and translate the doctor’s orders.

A peek at the hospital of the future - SmartPlanet

Technorati Tags: Health IT,Technology,healthcare,Silicon Valley,El Camino Hospital,earthquakes,hospital,asthma,interventional procedure,bronchia thermoplasty

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Institute for Health Technology Transformation Convention–Fall 2010 Convention - Insights From The Medical Quack

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the event as a blogger and had hoped to return again today for round 2 and some additional insight.  I do have to say that the agenda is not at all like your normal convention and some of the brightest and intellectual individuals in Health IT were an attendance.  I sat in on a few of the sessions to where Health IT was being discussed, telehealth for one area and much more to include ACOs(accountable care organizations  and PHRs (personal health records). In my estimation, this is not only collaboration but an event that also creates a “think tank” environment as well.  I’ll write more on the day later but in one group I posed the question of PHRs at Cedar Sinai to the CIO, Darren Dworkin as to how they relate and possibly work with the new HHS programs with the Blue Button offerings for patients to be able to get their information from the VA and Medicare. 

Cedar Sinai uses Epic Medical Records, which is the choice of many large healthcare institutions today to include Kaiser Permanente.  Kaiser has a bit of an advantage too in the fact that they are a “closed” system, meaning that they are not working with multiple providers and contracts with insurers and this in my opinion adds another level for the CIOs to work with today by all means.  What is also interesting is the back end data base used by EPIC, which is the MUMPS system, the same used by the VA Vista medical records system with added customization and updates as time moves forward.  Last year I did an interview with Dr. James Leo on how Long Beach Memorial worked through their transition.   Another hospital CIO, Jimmy Weeks at Greenwich hospital in Connecticut is also at the front end of beginning their transition to  Epic as well. 

Long Beach Memorial Center’s Conversion to Electronic Medical Records – Interview with Dr. James Leo

If you want some further elaboration on this topic, back in December of 2009 Richard DeCarlo, chief operating officer, Miller Children’s Hospital gave me a tour of their new facility and how it all came together, and we candidly talked about how new technologies changed the direction of many of the plans several times during the building stage. He had one idea ready to move and then had to sometimes stop and revise to include breaking new technology that the IT crew had determined needed to be included, so plans changed accordingly and very quickly too. 

Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach – Brand New Pavilion Carries Focus on Patients and “Green”

He stated that they are in fact working to coordinate and share data in any way they can and where standards allow, but again, in talking about the data side, it’s a lot of work to coordinate and get things done right.  Granted, he added any patient showing up with credible medical record information at Cedars or any hospital is certainly a welcome chime to any ER doctor by all means.  Epic has the module available which Kaiser uses as My Chart and there is time and money involved into bringing each module into the the fold.  In the area of PHRs there has not been a huge interest, yet, with patients and I think this goes back to additional educational processes needed to create value for patients, so in other words, they “get” and understand what impact having a PHR adds to the care they receive, in other words the doctors are not having to start from scratch with all the medical history. 

Also in the news today too there was a quote about off shoring medical records and I think Mr. Dworkin made a good point here with his statement, as there’s a ton of organizational information that needs to be done yet with standards here in the US and how can you entertain outsourcing until you have the full picture of what one would intend to gain.  Out sourcing drug and device technology is a completely different entity versus talking electronic medical records.  New devices and other technologies pop up every day making this process a bit of a moving target I feel, so to put together some type of business model to outsource, which of course also takes time, is almost beyond what any system could fathom right now.  

“Also, designing and installing new medical systems "is hard to do off site, let alone offshore," said Darren Dworkin, CIO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.”

If nothing else from one day of attending, you get a huge appreciation for the amount of data, security, intelligence and just day to day clinical use that is facing the hospital CIO today, not to mention the new left curve we get from technology every day.  Payers and the obstacles and data considerations needed were mentioned in every forum so it’s right up there with bringing all the system together from the point of care to payment.  I sit and try to cover information on Health IT as being a former coder with some understanding of the processes and complexities that we are faced with today, but in my opinion, being a healthcare CIO at a hospital today is not only challenging, but a job that sometimes is perhaps underestimated with importance when politics enter the picture, but these folks are what make it work and put the puzzles together.

Again, in summary the panels were done very well and a sincere effort of collaboration and information sharing is certainly present here with nobody claiming to have all the answers, and the panels were able to explain and explore what has worked for them as well as being able to hear what various vendor systems have to offer from security to devices.   The answer panels consisted of both vendors and Health IT experts so when posing a question sometimes you heard from more than one focus, which I think is a good thing to better facilitate seeing the big picture.  BD

Best of all, the Health IT Summit is not a trade show or traditional conference but an intimate, upscale experience in a world-class venue. The unique agenda features a preview of the latest healthcare technologies, industry panels with healthcare luminaries, product demonstrations from leading vendors, and high-level content from researchers reporting on the healthcare industry. Attendees also have the ability to schedule one-on-one meetings with vendors and other delegates of their choice, and attend high-level networking events and receptions.

http://ihealthtran.com/fallccs.html

Technorati Tags: Institute for Health Technology,CIOs,hospitals,data,healthcare,Health IT,information,think tanks,collaboration,PHR,personal health records,ACO,accountable care organzations,Epic

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