Here we go with more mergers and acquisitions and it’s getting hard to keep up with all the action at times.  Back in August of 2010 Kindred purchased 5 hospitals in southern California and 3 nursing home centers.  Falling health-care reimbursement rates were cited as part of the reason for the the deal.  By combining technologies and facilities they can use RehabCare for patients leaving a Kindred hospital.  BD

Kindred Healthcare Signs Definitive Acquire 5 Hospitals and Three Nursing Centers Southern California and Dallas-Fort Worth Cluster Markets

From the Kindred Website:

“Kindred Healthcare, Inc. is a healthcare services company that through its subsidiaries operates hospitals, nursing centers and a contract rehabilitation services business across the United States. At December 31, 2009, our hospital division operated 83 long-term acute care (“LTAC”) hospitals (6,580 licensed beds) in 24 states. Our health services division operated 222 nursing and rehabilitation centers (27,523 licensed beds) in 27 states. We also operated a contract rehabilitation services business that provides rehabilitative services primarily in long-term care settings.Our company stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KND.”

From the RehabCare Website:

“At a Glance: Established in 1982, RehabCare Group, Inc. (NYSE: RHB) is a leading national provider of post-acute services, managing rehabilitation programs in partnership with over 1,270 hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in 42 states.  We also own and operate 35 long-term acute care and rehabilitation hospitals.

Our Skilled Nursing Rehabilitation Services division serves skilled nursing and other long-term care facilities by providing and managing therapy services for both the short-stay patient and long-term care resident. The division also provides consulting and billing services for long-term care providers through our subsidiary Polaris Group, as well as therapy/nurse staffing solutions for the state of New York through our VTA Management Services company.

Our Hospital Rehabilitation Services division manages hospital-based inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), medical/surgical therapies and outpatient therapy programs.  The division also provides subacute care for patients with complex medical conditions in the State of California through our subsidiary VitalCare America.”

Kindred Healthcare Inc. is expected to announce the acquisition of RehabCare Group Inc. for about $900 million in stock and cash on Tuesday in the latest industry merger driven by relentless cost-cutting by both government and private health insurers.

The deal will combine Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred, which runs or services nearly 700 hospitals, nursing and rehabilitation clinics, with St. Louis, Mo.-based RehabCare, which owns and operates 34 facilities while also managing rehab services in more than 1,250 locations across the U.S.

RehabCare owners are expected to receive $35 for each of their shares, $26 of it paid in cash with the remainder in Kindred stock.

Acute conditions are those that are considered to be life-threatening, and post-acute facilities are intended to support a patient who has left a hospital.

After leaving a Kindred acute-care hospital, for instance, patients may be able to do rehab work at a RehabCare facility. This treatment would be coordinated by Kindred doctors over a number of years, relying on new information technology and databases to measure progress.

Kindred to Acquire RehabCare - WSJ.com

Technorati Tags: Mergers and acquisitions,hospitals,Kindred,Vista Healthcare,southern acute care,finances,budgets,rehab,Rehab Group

Back in 2008 Social Security began offering a debit card and now the state of California is doing the same for disability and checks will no longer be issued. Paid-family-leave insurance customers are also included and the next step for the state will be for unemployment benefits which has a target date in June of this year. 

Social Security Disability - New Debit Card, Going Paperless

The program doesn’t cost the state anything with Bank of America covering it’s costs by charging fees to participating merchants that honor the cards.  The savings is slated to be around $4 million a year on printing, paper and postage.  BD

Checks are no longer in the mail for about 10,000 Californians a day who are getting new state-issued Visa debit cards to access disability benefits.

The California Employment Development Department expects to have the cards in the hands of 400,000 people by March. The cards will give recipients faster, more secure access to their cash at Bank of America network ATMs.

The switch enables recipients to have their benefits directly deposited into bank accounts and to avoid check-cashing fees. There also are no fees charged for using network ATMs and for making up to two transactions weekly with out-of-network machines.

"Once we get all of our disability and paid-family-leave insurance customers switched over to the more convenient debit cards, we will work to transition the much larger unemployment insurance program in June," EDD Chief Deputy Director Pam Harris said.

California is putting disability benefits on debit cards instead of checks | Money & Company | Los Angeles Times

Technorati Tags: California,disability,unemployment,debit cards,social security,ATM,family leave insurance,healthcare

I don’t have to do too much explaining as to why this new agency exists.  Transparency and not fooling the consumer with complicated small print and “algorithms” of computation that also take advantage are the name of the game here.  The web site is brand new and just getting started.  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has their initial website up and running with Elizabeth Warren running the show.  This is hard to start from scratch but it looks like they are off to a good start. 

Short and simple the financial algorithmic processes today are going way above where the average consumer can reach and understand and thus we have this new department.  The agency falls under the Department of the Treasury and perhaps they can help the SEC and work as partners when needed.  Speaking of the SEC they also have some unexpected help to help keep their budget funded to fight crime on their end.

Prominent Lawyers and Security Professionals Lobbying Government to Increase the Budget for the SEC-This Is A Big Deal and Way Beyond Just a Discussion

“The CFPB will work to ensure that financial companies make the true price clear to consumers so they can make the decisions that are best for them. Companies shouldn’t compete by figuring out how to fool you best. Transparency means that markets really work for consumers.”

Consumer Financial Bureau

The folks at Quicken Medical used to think I was picking on them but I was not but just rather being real on what the average level of education is with healthcare IT and they finally did their own study and kind of said what I said.  Healthcare issues no doubt will fall into this department too in short time. 

As you can see, education is right there as part of their goal and areas to where they can help. 

The Consumer Financial Bureau has a page on Twitter too so they plan on being social as they get organized.  I remember Michael Moore asking here in his movie “where did the money go and she said I don’t know” but she’s on it now to hopefully build an agency that will help protect consumers and stop the fleecing of those who need help.  BD 

The White House has a new video overview of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The spot features CPFB head Elizabeth Warren and Army veteran and retired police officer ‘Andrew’ pitching the new agency’s mission that “consumers have the information they need to understand the terms of their agreements with financial companies.”

Congress established the CFPB to protect consumers by carrying out Federal consumer financial laws. Among other things, the consumer bureau will:

• Conduct rule-making, supervision, and enforcement for Federal consumer financial protection laws;
• Restrict unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices;
• Create a center to take consumer complaints;
• Promote financial education;
• Research consumer behavior;
• Monitor financial markets for new risks to consumers; and
• Enforce laws that outlaw discrimination and other unfair treatment in consumer finance.

New White House Video Features Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | FedScoop

Technorati Tags: Consumer Financial Bureau,Elizabeth Warren,White House,government,transparency,healthcare,algorithms,fine print,education

Now this may sound strange but actually it’s a bit of wisdom coming through in a not so anticipated manner.  Many of the individuals lobbying here to support the SEC started there and now are on the other side, and believe me they know what’s going on.  The agency has long lacked the funds and technology needed to regulate and how are they going to do it without the money.  It is a changed world and we lived through a couple prior administrations who were the “non participants” in technology and boy are we paying for it now!

This goes beyond the SEC if you want to drag in other agencies like the FDA and the HHS with their former figureheads.  I say that because that was about all they were, Leavitt and von Eschenbach showed little or no interest in technology and had not a clue as to how it was needed in the business world today and the folks in office today are stuck with what they created.  What are the former executives doing today, working for hedge funds and venture capital firms, so what does that tell you? 

Former HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt Joins Board of Healthcare Financial Services Company

Scary to think the good doctor is over here with Newt and there have been a couple other announcements where he is on the board of a couple medical companies, better than keeping company all day with Newt. 

Von Eschenbach Joins Newt Gingrich’s Think Tank – Add a Tiny Bit of Old Knowledge to a Lot of New Methodologies?

Something else that is disturbing is actions like what I reported below, over clocking servers for the need for speed….this could be flash crash plus a dynamic meltdown all in one all the result of not staying within recommended usage, plus it voids all warranties on the hardware. 

Gamers Are Not the Only Ones to Over Clock Processors-Turns Out It’s Done on Wall Street To Run Those Algorithms at Rocket Speed

It's very much algorithmic warfare, with no real thought given to collateral damage.

When it comes to the SEC, the only word we need to hear today is Madoff and it hits you right in the face as to the lack of individuals and technology needed for enforcement.  Now we have the “yahoos” over in Congress bearing down and wanting to know what they can’t do a better job, duh?  These folks doing the lobbying also want some protection too as they are citizens and they know what goes on, so a little selfish motivation is excused for the sake of SEC funding.  Hackers if nobody else though could have the power to soon end the party and then where do they run?

Healthcare Industry Is Not Alone with Hackers, NASDAQ Has Intruders Using Algorithms to Break In-FBI Investigation

Goldman Sachs has a ton of money tied up in algorithms that make profits for them and they spend tons of money on code that makes money for them.  In essence when the SEC comes around, if they have any updated technology to audit, they don’t want them in there as we have seen over the last few years none of the banks want the SEC muddling around.  I think the more folks that are distracted and addicted to Facebook keeps the wolves away from their doors so if the whole SEC spent half their day on Facebook they wouldn’t mind.   

The longer folks sit around and entertain instead of educating themselves, the worse it gets and the banks with their intelligence love to see an illiterate world sit around and play games on Facebook all day, think why does Goldman see such high value here?  Maybe this is a bit part of it. 

We need IT literacy as it affects lawmaking today and I have nothing against Facebook as I have found old friends, etc. and that’s what I feel it is for and I don’t care for advertisers being able to collect and mine my data either so what goes on there is not much, just mostly feeds from this blog.  Omnicom was another company mentioned today in which it was mentioned that employees may need lessons on how to use Facebook as PR and advertising is part of what they do. 

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 and collaboration and they better fund the SEC with the money and funds they need to regulate if we don’t want future Madoffs to appear, and they will in just a little different format.

When it all shakes out at the end, what good are laws if there’s nobody around to enforce them?  I read today too even Steve Ballmer at Microsoft is wanting to have more tech people in executive positions within Microsoft, so what does that tell you.  It’s the same story I have been posting here for 2 years with Health IT too, nothings beats hands on knowledge and all need to participate so we can get away from this paradigm of “its for those guys over there”. 

The only ones that I seem to think are listening to the “those guys over there” routine today is China and they eat our lunch with technology.  BD

The Securities and Exchange Commission is nearly broke.

Not just “broke” as in it failed to regulate Wall Street or that it missed catching Bernard L. Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. But “broke” as in it is out of money.

At least that’s what Mary L. Schapiro, the S.E.C.’s chairwoman, has been telling anyone who will listen about the agency’s financial problems. With President Obama planning to freeze the budget and Congress looking for cuts, the department could be deprived of a $160 million budget increase, keeping its annual funds flat at $1.1 billion.

Amid the looming financial constraints, the S.E.C. is cutting back on investigations, halting hiring — Ms. Schapiro was supposed to hire 800 new people this year — and canceling much-needed technology upgrades to monitor the markets. (Think “flash crash.”)

Wall St. Joins S.E.C. in Plea for a Bigger Budget - NYTimes.com

Technorati Tags: Goldman Sachs,Facebook,SEC,lessons,algorithms,power,IT Literacy,Lawyers,Obama,budgets,Whtie House,Congress

Danaher is a conglomerate of companies that have four basic groups.  From the website:

“Danaher’s business activities encompass four reporting segments and are comprised of seven strategic platforms: Medical Technologies (Life Sciences & Diagnostics and Dental), Professional Instrumentation (Environmental, Test & Measurement), Industrial Technologies (Motion, Product ID, Focused Niche Businesses) and Tools & Components (Mechanic’s Hand Tools).”

The CEO of Danaher also happens to be a member of the Board of Directors for GlaxoSmithKline.  Danaher is headquartered in Washington DC and here’s a link if you want to explore all the companies they presently own, like at VC or PE group it seems.   

Beckman Coulter sells DNA sequencing equipment and has various areas dedicated to research and development with stem cells, biomarkers, etc. so we definitely want to be sure their data houses are in divine order.

Business Intelligence Software Breakdown At Beckman Coulter – Algorithms gone Rogue and Data House Repair

It was so bad that the board of directors could not validate the company financial reports, a dangerous item if you are traded as a company on the open market and provide false information either on purpose or by accident so obviously they got their act and data together.   The Biotech company has also been under the gun with trying to find a new HMO plan for their employees in Orange County, CA last year as even biotech companies are hit with high health insurance increases and perhaps with the buy out that may leave new options on the table.  BD 

Employers in Orange County Looking for New HMO Contracts as St. Josephs and Some Others Begin Cancelling Agreements with Pacificare (UnitedHeatlhCare) – Employer Capitation Contracts

Danaher agreed to acquire medical-test maker Beckman Coulter for $5.87 billion as the diversified manufacturer looks to gain a stronger foothold in the growing diagnostics industry.

Under the terms of the deal, Danaher will pay $83.50 for each Beckman share, which the companies said represents a premium of about 45% over where the stock was trading Dec. 9, before takeover rumors surfaced.

Danaher said it is covering 25% of the deal with cash on hand, 60% from new and assumed debt and 15% from equity. The company plans to pay down a “sizable” amount of debt this year, Chief Financial Officer Daniel L. Comas said on a conference call.

Deal Profile: Danaher to Buy Beckman Coulter for $5.87 Billion - Deal Journal - WSJ

Technorati Tags: Danaher,Beckman Coulter,Business Intelligence,algorithms,Beckman,Biotech,technology,healthcare,software,code,data warehouse,biotech,mergers and acquisitions,DNA

If you have been a reader here long enough at the Quack then you have probably read one of my articles about the use of bar codes on drugs and medical devices.  We have somewhat of a step in this direction, but lots of lack luster still missing.  You can read the short paragraph below and see it is aimed at “marketing” and little mention of safety with over the counter drugs.  The product they came up with here is a very small version of what could be done. 

“Barenburg also sees potential for its watermarking technologies in allowing companies to engage with their customers, through use of the code to link to promotions, coupons and other materials, for example for over-the-counter medicines.”

Microsoft Tags – Microsoft MSDN Posts Ideas from the Medical Quack About Use in Healthcare!

For one, there’s no Heat Map to find the counterfeit drugs nor are we even mentioning recalls so again we have a marketing focus and the consumer once more is getting a little information from what’s left over, enough to keep consumers happy in the long run, don’t think so.  This is for over the counter only and there’s no mention of including the FDA for a synchronized data base for compliance measuring, something I feel is important but so far ignored by the FDA and DEA.

If you have a chance enter your vote before you leave this page and let me know if you would value being able to use your cell phone as a scanner to find recalled products, drugs, devices etc. right on the shelves. 

Microsoft Tags in Healthcare – Comments and Demonstration at “Microsoft Connected Conference” with Surface

Now with this data base they are creating, why not put a Tag on each page and have the device and drug companies synchronize their updates with the FDA?  This also gives the FDA an answer to monitoring compliance with checking to see if the “tags” have been updated, what a novel idea use some technology here, right?  This is not much different than faxes were in the early days as we had people skeptical about those too and now look where we are. 

In addition we have bar codes that do only “one thing” so we come back around to that wonderful word, collaboration.  Hospital tech folks like the Tags as they can work with RFID systems too.  In addition, Microsoft Tags can be stored in a personal health record too and have the potential to authenticate for e-prescribing and thus I think again we are missing a huge part of the picture here. 

RAZCODE (Microsoft Tags) Using Smart Phones to authenticate MDs When e-Prescribing Controlled Substances

They have the GPS tied in here but again where’s the map?  There’s also no inclusion of any type of medical device mentioned and those are recalled too by the numbers so hospitals are left out here on verifying what’s on the shelf and people die getting implanted with devices that have been recalled and miss getting pulled from inventory.  Here’s an example of a heat map that shows who has scanned my bar codes as listed on the blog. 

Look at the mess created by Abbott with the glucose testing strips and there have been glucose devices recalled too, again the job is only half cooked here with not getting devices in the game.

Abbott Diabetes Care Recalls Tons of Glucose Test Strips–The US Has the FDA Recall Blues-Solution Has Been Touted Here for a Year-It’s Time for a Fix–Readers Have Voted

The article also mentioned Best Buy and the use of Canon with bar codes.  I have gone into the stores and checked it out, and the QR codes didn’t work but the Microsoft Tags with Canon did work, and very well. 

Smartphone Scanning Coming to Best Buy and Staples on Canon Products–FDA Recalls In This Same Fashion Would Be Nice With Microsoft Tags As We Have No System Right Now

Again, this is a nice gesture of getting started by a long way from where it could be with an appropriate business model that could cover so much more and add a little emphasis on safety rather than the full on marketing we get today.  This is what consumers want, safety.  In the meantime, the FDA goes about their antiquated methodologies, which is better than nothing to get the word out on recalls.

FDA Publishes Information on How to Identify Recalls – Why Not Scan That Stent With A Cell Phone and Make It Easy for the Public and Manufacturers To Keep Up, Notify And Automate Compliance

Collaboration is just buzz word that everyone uses for their marketing today but nobody does squat to pursue safety technology. I think this is post # 62 that I have made in a little over a year’s time.  This again does nothing for devices like this stent recall.

Stent Catheter Recall-NanoCross Dilation Catheter Could Break During Use–Need Bar Code Technology to “Scan that Catheter”!

In summary here this is an attempt but lacks the full on use that could be realized and doesn’t do enough for the overall picture of solving many problems with one technology.  BD 

A pharmaceutical manufacturer has started a product serialization pilot using a coding system developed by US firm Mobile Data Systems, with each code protected using the firm's digital watermarking technology.
MDS sees great potential for its technology in the pharmaceutical sector as a means to guard against counterfeiting and diversion, implement track-and-trace to help meet upcoming pedigree requirements in the USA, and assisting recalls and returns.
The pharmaceutical pilot will include 30,000 to 40,000 individual packs of medicine supplied by the 'major' pharmaceutical manufacturer, according to MDS director of business development Ron Barenburg.

Codes will be added to the artwork of the pack, label and package insert and the test products will be shipped through the pharmaceutical manufacturers' usual supply chain with scanning and authentication of the codes at various points, including distributors, wholesalers and pharmacies using smartphones provided by MDS.

Using a smartphone or camera phone with the appropriate software, players downstream in the supply chain can scan for the FadeMark, whereupon a server records the phone information, GPS location, time and agent information. If the FadeMark is detected and is valid, confirmation is sent back to the agent, otherwise the agent receives an alert that all is not well.

SecuringPharma - Drugmaker gears up for pilot of MDS' coding platform

Technorati Tags: Bar codes,pharma,drugs,adverising,FDA,safety,cell phones,MDS,FadeMark,tracking,information,scanning,bar codes

Last year Home Diagnostics was sold to Nipro Corporation and the case here involves alleged information being given out before the transactions took place and of course there were those who benefited financially.  The press release was from June of 2010 and you can read the archive here.  The former CEO of Home Diagnostics is accused of tipping off a friend who allegedly bought 2000 shares and sold after the deal went public. 

Back in August of 2008 Home Diagnostics received FDA approval for their glucose meter, and the company was one of the first to integrate with HealthVault for automated input of patient data.  The company manufactures diabetic testing devices and strips for consumers. 

The World's Smallest Glucose Meter approved by the FDA

This bring up another item that was in the news this weekend relative to data breaches at Nasdaq with potential insider information being leaded via software use with the claim of someone monitoring and having access to reading confidential material for over a year and there are healthcare companies using the same software.  This case is not one where someone benefitted by millions but obviously the FBI has a trail they feel to file and attempt to prove the case.  BD

Healthcare Industry Is Not Alone with Hackers, NASDAQ Has Intruders Using Algorithms to Break In-FBI Investigation

The former chairman, president and CEO of Home Diagnostics Inc. is facing insider trading charges from federal prosecutors and the Securities &Exchange Commission, accusing him of tipping off friends and family to Nipro Corp.'s (TYO:8086) $215 million acquisition of the diabetes monitoring equipment maker last year.

Federal prosecutors indicted George Holley, 70, last week, (the same day the SEC filed its complaint containing similar charges) accusing the Norwalk, Conn., resident of helping friends and family realize some $290,000 in illegal profits reaped from their insider trades of HDIX stock timed to capitalize on the buyout.

Holley is also accused of tipping off a friend and former neighbor who allegedly bought 2,000 shares before the merger and sold them for $10,450 in profits after the deal went public. He's also charged with tipping a former employee and longtime friend, who later allegedly realized about $26,700 from selling HDIX stock after the deal; a relative who allegedly reaped $66,100 from stock sales made after the acquisition was announced; and an employee of one of his companies who allegedly brought in $67,910.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation began questioning Holley's acquaintances about the trades in December 2010, according to the documents. He then allegedly sent analysts' reports dated before the merger to some of them, apparently seeking to provide some cover from the feds' probe.

Feds charge ex-Home Diagnostics CEO with insider trading | MassDevice - Medical Device Industry News

Technorati Tags: FDA,Glucose,Diabetes,Blood samples,healthcare,insider trading,medical devices,Nirpo,SEC,profits,mergers and acquisitions,CEO,Home Diagnostics,diabetes

The article states that he will be returning to Harvard and this is a tough job to say the least.  All over HHS new responsibilities are delving deeper into the actual need to have some hands on experience to help make sense in figuring out what direction to go next.  This is happening in every industry but healthcare, as busy and growing as it is is a pressure cooker. We have seen some major moves with getting folks like Parks in charge who started Athena Health.  Even the CIOs are not exactly sure if they can keep up in the time elements established to be current with new laws and rules.  I have had a few occasions to chat with some CIOs and folks in positions responsible for big tech decisions and even the ones who are hands on and write code get stressed as the expectations seem to be very high today and yet the average layman has no clue of all the data work and coding that goes along with all of the work with medical records.  It’s a lot and the technology is not cheap and does not grow on trees as far as cost.  If it were not for the stimulus funds I think the would not see the uptick with the adoption of electronic records. 

CIO Confidence In Meaningful Use Drops-The New Left Curve of Technology That Arrives Daily Contributes-Don’t Burn These Folks Out

The pressure is certainly on to take technology and create better care and save money and you would have to be living under a stone to not hear the money side today.  Below you can see where one company is offering a bounty for some algorithms and with this increased pressure on analytics, we need more Algo Men all over the place.  How do you provide good care and not get side swiped with analytics and become less than human at times.  That’s a big challenge.

Heritage Providers Continues to Promote $3 Million Dollar Prize to Create An Algorithm To Predict and Prevents Hospitalizations

It will be interesting to see who comes in next.  I would like to see someone like Dr. Halamka from Harvard step in, that is if he wants the responsibility, but he certainly has the ability and then some.  BD 

National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Blumenthal, M.D., will step down from his post this spring. Blumenthal, who will return to the faculty at Harvard University, has headed efforts to enact rules and regulations to carry out the HITECH Act, including the electronic health record incentive program.

"I will be returning to my academic home this spring, as was planned when I accepted the position of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology," he said in a memo to staff.

Many HITECH regulations deal with privacy and security issues. For example, the HITECH EHR incentive program requires hospitals and physicians to conduct a risk assessment and mitigate any risks identified. EHRs certified for the program must contain numerous security functions.

Before assuming his current role at ONC, a unit of the Department of Health and Human Services, in April 2009, Blumenthal was director of the Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital/Partners HealthCare System in Boston. A practicing physician, he also served as the Samuel O. Their Professor of Medicine and Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School. He also served as director of the Harvard University Interfaculty Program for Health Systems Improvement.

Previously, he was senior vice president at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital and served as executive director of the Center for Health Policy and Management and as a lecturer on public policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

http://www.govinfosecurity.com/articles.php?art_id=3324

Technorati Tags: CIOs,data systems,bubble,Health IT,health insurance,HHS,ONC,data,code,Medicaid,bugets,stimulus,children,algorithms,meaningful use,Blumenthal

Perhaps too someday many of the stents used today might become obsolete too as you watch what is done in the video.  Stem cells are grown from the patient’s own bone marrow and in one case the results were felt almost immediately by the patient as the stem cells grow new arteries around the heart. 

In another case a woman with extreme pain in her legs had the same type of procedure. Dr. Woo  who performed the procedure says any patient who is a candidate for coronary bypass surgery is a good candidate for his stem-cell transplant.  Recently there has been so many break throughs with stem cells and if this is the case for healing, we may see fewer devices in use in the future.  BD 

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- For the first time in the United States, one man's heart has been saved by his own stem cells.

It's an amazing medical breakthrough. The science behind the technique made it possible for a man to literally save his own life through his stem cells.

John Christy is the first person in the U.S. to have his own bone marrow stem cells injected into his heart to save his heart.

"All you're doing is giving back to yourself something you already have," said Christy

This Vietnam veteran was suffering from severe coronary artery disease.

"I was just thinking, 'You're getting old, you're just tiring out and getting weary bones.' I felt tingling. My legs had been swelling a little bit," said Christy.

In one procedure, cardiothoracic surgeon Joseph Woo at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine is taking science from bench to bedside. After five years of research in animals, he is now retrieving stem cells from Christy's bone marrow and using them to grow blood vessels around the heart.

"They form brand new micro blood vessels and deliver blood flow to the heart muscle," said Woo.

 

Man's heart saved by his own stem cells | abc7.com

Technorati Tags: Stem Cells,bone marrow,heatlhcare,surgery,heart surgery,Pennsylvania School of Medicine,arteries,legs,PAD

The doctor and his wife are both researchers and  have written and published 8 scientific articles about PROPOXYPHENE since 1993.  He feels that the drug has killed more people than any other drug in history.  The drug was invented by Eli Lilly in 1953.  Darvon is an opiate and in the same family as morphine and heroin.  He also states that coroners do not test for propoxyphene in the US so numbers can not totally be accounted for, they do test in Sweden.  The difference is the law.  In November of 2010 Darvon and Darvocet was removed from the market.

FDA Takes Darvon and Darvocet Off the Market

He also states that Eli Lilly sold the rights to make the drug to smaller pharmaceutical companies who he feels were not aware of his studies.  Lilly has been aware of the doctor’s research since 1999.  In Sweden the drug has been restricted and he claims that 500-600 lives have been saved as a result.  I found too back in 2008 I had also covered the news on Darvocet.

Dangerous drug, do-nothing FDA

Research has shown that Darvocet (and its first cousin Darvon) is no more effective than acetaminophen, and thus the doctor is predicting that the legal cases for Eli Lilly and other drug companies who made the product may be larger than Vioxx.  BD 

Ulf Jonasson, Doctor of Public Health

Stockholm, Sweden: When Ulf Jonasson, Doctor of Public Health visited the US from Sweden in 2003 and again in 2004, he met with doctors at Public Citizen; doctors who had received studies by Dr. Jonasson and his partner, Birgitta Jonasson, PhD, and were calling for a ban on Darvon (Dextropropoxyphene), made by Eli Lilly. "We have researched Darvon side effects since 1993, and Public Citizen has worked hard to ban the drug before that," says Ulf Jonasson in a phone interview. "There could have been hundreds of thousands of deaths due to Darvon and Darvocet over the past 50 years."

Jonasson is referring to the difference between the laws governing medical examiners and coroners. In Sweden, there is one legal system on the federal level, which dictates that every autopsy must be screened for legal drugs—including Darvon. In the US medical examiners and coroners are under county law—performing blood tests with an autopsy is rarely done because it is cost-prohibitive. "This is why Sweden has data that show Darvon is the worst drug ever, which is documented at the International Narcotic Control in Vienna," says Jonasson.
"We studied 1,600 people who died with Darvon in their blood. To put it into a nutshell, Darvon affects your heart muscles and you forget to breathe, so people die," Jonasson explains. "Our research was behind the decision in Sweden, the UK, and The European Union (EU) to stop the drug but it took a lot longer in the US."

"Darvon and Darvocet trials will be bigger than Vioxx," predicts Dr. Ulf Jonasson

Technorati Tags: Darvon,Darvocet,healthcare,FDA,drugs,propoxyphene,Europe CE,Xanodyne Pharma,Sweden,narcotics,Jonasson,lawsuit,blood tests,autopsy

This was a very interesting interview and in a way might be somewhat burying a bit of the hatchet between Fox and the White House, or I kind of saw a little bit of that with the video.  First of all full credit and a thank you was given by Bill O’Reilly for the President and the State Department's help with helping journalists being held in Egypt.  That was the very first order of discussion.

The conversation and interview had some areas of humor too but healthcare had a big showing here.  The President is standing tough on his commitment to healthcare reform and he says he’s the same guy.  Job creation and education were also hot topics.  The President says the hardest part of the job is being in the bubble and one of the biggest adjustments for him.  He also says every decision that comes to his desk is something that has not been solved at lower levels and those are tough solutions to create and many are not perfect.  He even admits about being a bit more serious at times as even some of his comments could affect markets so in essence he is a bit guarded but still enjoys the job.  BD   

“BILL O’REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: Mr. President, thank you very much for

doing this. And I must thank you on behalf of the FOX News Channel for

helping out Greg Palkot and Mr. Wiig who got roughed up in Cairo. That

was you, it was Robert Gibbs, and the State Department, who really saved

them — and we all thank you very much.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, listen, those guys

showed enormous courage, as so many journalists do around the world.

And so, not only was it important for us to make sure they were safe for

them and their families, but to uphold the basic principle of free

speech and freedom of the press. That’s a universal value we cared

about. And I know FOX cares about. So, I’m just glad these guys are –

O’REILLY: Those guys could have died.

OBAMA: Absolutely.

O’REILLY: And I just want everybody to know that, you know, the State

Department really saved them.”

The much anticipated encounter between the leader of the free world, President Obama and the highest rated cable news host, Fox News Channel titan Bill O’Reilly took place and no subject was off limits. For the first half of the interview, the conversation between Obama and O’Reilly was slightly contentious on the topics of Egypt and healthcare reform, yet in the second half of the interview O’Reilly encouraged Obama to be introspective and analyze what was the worst part about being President and how the office has changed him personally.

Obama Bill O'Reilly Interview | Super Bowl Sunday | Fox News | Mediaite

Technorati Tags: President Obama,White House,Fox News,Bill O'Reilly,healthcare,interviews,Wall Street,heatlh insurance,jobs,responsibility

Back in December of 2010 the initial press release came out and there have been a few other press posts since that time and now we have a video, dialing for algorithms almost.

Heritage Provider Network In California Announces $3 Million Prize-Behavioral Analytics For Predictive Algorithmic Formulas On Who Will be Admitted to the Hospital

This kind of reminds me of the Blue Cross failed X-Prize of a $10 Million offer of a couple years ago that quietly went away and as you can see by today’s technology $10 Million was not near enough nor was it possible.  Granted information will be returned and some behavioral predictions may be found, but this is not a cure all.  Actually during the Blue Cross X-Prize fiasco, there was a $65 million dollar prize announced the following day for creating a solution to sterilize dogs and cats without surgery, a much more focused project with the rules spelled clearly.  I love dogs and cats myself but sat in amazement that they had a $65 M prize and as humans Blue Cross could only offer $10 million for solving healthcare solutions for humans.   WATCH THE VIDEO, ALL ABOUT THE ALGORITHM.

3 Million X Prize Reward

Notice the comment here, the prize is worth twice as much as the Nobel Prize for Medicine, so what is the value of those algorithms, a lot.  Ask anyone on Wall Street about those Algo Men.  The former director of HHS has jumped right in there to make money too as you see him in the video.  These folks think analytics are the ultimate answer and granted we get smarter this way too and discover a lot, but like most in analytics, they are only looking at the dollar and amount and again what can they sell this algorithm for?  In healthcare today there’s always the double edge sword with a profit motive behind everything and it’s not real human caring like we have grown to know, that part I truly miss. 

Former HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt Joins Board of Healthcare Financial Services Company

For a 3 million dollar prize the latest article says they have over 200 teams have inquired and also tout Harvard and Georgia Tech.  I think Harvard would have the capabilities to do this on their own, when you look at how carriers like Partners works closely with the FDA with their analytic information on medications.  Interest has also been coming in from India and China. 

So it is SQL (structured query language) time here to write them up and automate with some action algorithms.  They will receive data that has been anonimized from patient files, but keep in mind there are companies that put data as such back together again and hopefully that will not occur and as a result of some of this there could be some data for sale too.  No doubt the algorithm will more than likely be sold to recoup the $ 3 Million.  Again how close this comes will be interesting to follow to see if they can come up with maybe even a 20% factor to predict. 

As having written code I find this interesting and see the emphasis and presentations made by people who have never written code, as it is entertaining to watch their focus.  As mentioned earlier knowledge will be gained but on how it ends up being applied and I doubt they will reach their ultimate goal as they express it with all the publicity and focus on the “save money” algorithm.  Some of this is already incorporated into other intelligence studies with healthcare so this is really nothing new, “just a pointed algorithmic focus” that basically leaves a very unsavory taste in one’s mouth when you watch and read all of this and it may border on what I call data addiction being the next 12 step program that could in fact require some real mental counseling as when we look at some of the current interpretations we see today.   

Data Addiction and Abuse –The Up and Coming Next 12 Step Program Is On the Horizon–Side Effects Include Lack Of Data Quality, Integrity And Spasmodic Algorithms

There’s no doubt that talent is needed to use such information appropriately.  You also need patient participation and that continues to dwindle down with even less focus in this area as I have noticed in the last year or so.  When programs and implementations are made outside the areas of true and realistic participation, those that create such programs can literally go mad to a degree with standing solid on those algos they created and without a substantial coding background of understanding how important implementation is, the non coder creators will defend those numbers to the grave, right, wrong or indifferent.  I find this as a good book of reference to remind us to keep in mind that we all need balance and stay with the accurate algorithms and not fall into a pit of rogue algorithms in the process as they are out there and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. 

“Proofiness–The Dark Side of Mathematical Deception”–Created by Those Algorithms

A $3m x-prize competition has been launched by the US Heritage Provider Network to develop a ‘breakthrough’ algorithm that can predict and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations.

The $3m prize, open to all comers, will be awarded to whoever can develop and prove a predictive algorithm able to identify patients at risk for hospital admissions. The prize is worth almost twice as much as the Nobel prize for medicine.

The intention of the open competition is to spur innovation in a similar fashion to the x-prize competition to develop a re-usable commercial space vehicle.

E-Health Insider :: X-prize to tackle hospital admissions

Technorati Tags: Data mining,healthcare,privacy,social networks,websites,patents,queries for money,algoirthims,Heritage

This makes for a perfect post on a Super Bowl Sunday.  This product just kind of made me laugh that was designed by a plastic surgeon in Italy and they can be ordered online, both a professional version and one for home use.  The website says it will give extra comfort for long periods of time when a woman spends a long amount of time in the prone position, on our stomachs.  All you have to do is take one look and you get the picture.  <grin>. 

Myself I don’t think I would be in need of the product as I think size may matter here.  There’s also a home version that can be purchased.  The website states that by supporting the chest and relaxes and stretches the back and neck muscles.  You can also fold it over and use it as a head rest.  I’ll see if any plastic surgeons who read here might have anything to add on what their feelings are.  Again, when you look at the pillow, you can’

Surgical anti-decubitus breast ulcer for surgeries and medical examinations in the prone position

Otto Surgical Edition is designed for surgical operations lasting for hours or for medical examinations forcing the patient in the prone position..

Otto Surgical Edition is built in 2 versions

• Surgical Breast Bolster , made of Italian Orthopedic PVC with a removable hand pump.
• Breast Cushion in  Italian medical polyurethane class AAA +  and with pump sets.

Otto Surgical Edition - Benefits:

• Comfortable to the breasts.
• Prevents the formation of sores due to prolonged posture in the prone position.
• Stabilizes the patient
• Relaxes the muscles of the back and neck  by preventing soreness

SUITABLE FOR LIPOSUCTION, THE BACK OPERATIONS AND THE MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS IN THE PRONE POSITION

CLINICALLY TESTED

Otto has been realized and tested in collaboration with Dr. Andrea Roncarati, Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery http://www.roncaratiandrea.it.

http://breastcushion.com/en_surgical_edition.html

Technorati Tags: Otto Breast Cushion,plastic surgery,prone position,surgical version,home products,Italy,muscles,pump sets

Well obviously this is spreading to the government entities and we are seeing some verification here too on the need to collaborate.  Everyone is stuck on the “Innovation” word but really it takes care of itself, collaboration is what is needed.  All you need to do is put out what areas you want developed and they seem to be coming, the developers that is.  Perhaps it’s because of doing this blog and I constantly report on new innovations, they are coming out our ears!  You can read more about how the lack of collaboration is fouling up our healthcare system below.  Everyone wants to build the better mouse trap and few compare and share ideas. 

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

The General Accounting Office seems to be backing this opinion up in stating both agencies are both working more so on their own projects and are not getting together on combined technologies.  The GAO goes further to recommend that both define and implement a process for joint IT investments.  Both agencies agree so now that we all agree, I guess we can see what happens next and see if we have efforts to bring this to fruition.  BD 

The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments aren't working effectively together to create a joint health architecture, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

The departments have conducted pilot projects under the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record development program and have combined digital record systems in a pilot implementation at a jointly operated medical center in Chicago.

However, DOD and VA face barriers in planning for specific goals and time frames for jointly fixing their health IT requirements, GAO said in its report dated Feb. 2.

VA, DOD need to be more strategic in joint EHR planning, GAO says -- Federal Computer Week

Technorati Tags: VA,Veterans Administration,Department of Defense,Collaboration,innovation,healthcare,Heatlh IT,GAO. Government Accounting Office

I thought this was worth a mention after reading an article in the New York Times about an opinion piece ripping WebMD, but I had to agree with part of their advertising and how sometimes it runs together.  Readers Digest and Organized Wisdom will be working together with their formats to offer information that is easier to find and access. 

There’s a bit of a mention of the Medical Quack at OrganizedWisdom and small in part as I focus more on the business aspects and the technology side for both professional and consumers and don’t offer medical advice.  If you are looking for medical advice and dietary information they have the expert information on hand, but come back over here for FDA approvals, medical device information and some of the latest surgical procedures and healthcare devices hitting the market.  BD

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - February 4, 2011) - OrganizedWisdom, an expert-driven platform for health and wellness, and Reader's Digest, the world's largest global editorial brand whose name is synonymous with "getting to the heart of the matter," today announced a partnership aimed at improving consumers' search for health information. Under the agreement, OrganizedWisdom will power a new search-driven, consumer-facing health program that will aggregate, organize and promote high-quality Web resources, medical journal articles, and other vetted health content shared online to give millions of people the right information at the right time.

"Our goal is to do everything we can to close the 'Online Health Gap' -- the scary space that exists between a doctor visit and the Internet, where people are left alone with an empty search box and millions of computer-generated results," explains Steven Krein, CEO of OrganizedWisdom. "By partnering with trusted content curators like Reader's Digest, we can help elevate the standard of care as we guide millions of people to discover valuable health information contributed by experts."

In addition to search, consumers will also be able to access the program's content at OrganizedWisdom.com and at the newly relaunched RD.com, now known as the Reader's Digest Version. The program will also consist of additional online and offline initiatives, including inserts in print editions of Reader's Digest and pamphlets distributed to up to 300,000 doctor waiting rooms. Multiplatform sponsorship opportunities enable health marketers to interact meaningfully with consumers at the most critical moment -- during their search for information.

"This is a year of tremendous growth and innovation for the Reader's Digest brand with a return to our roots as expert content curator and the launch of a range of new, digitally-driven products, ensuring that consumers can experience Reader's Digest however they choose," said Dan Lagani, President of Reader's Digest Media. "The partnership with OrganizedWisdom extends our ability to deliver trusted, time-saving insights beyond the Reader's Digest Version website and mobile platforms."

About RDA
The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. (RDA) is a global multi-brand media and marketing company that educates, entertains and connects audiences around the world. The company builds multi-platform communities based on branded content. With offices in 44 countries, it reaches a customer base of 130 million in 78 countries. It publishes 92 magazines, including 50 editions of Reader's Digest, the world's largest-circulation magazine, operates 78 branded websites and sells 40 million books, music and video products across the world each year. Further information about the company can be found at www.rda.com.

About OrganizedWisdom
OrganizedWisdom is on a mission to close the "Online Health Gap" and elevate the standard of care by inspiring all doctors and health experts to embrace the power of digital media and share their wisdom. The company aggregates, organizes, and promotes online wisdom shared across the Web by more than 5,000 vetted health and wellness experts. The company's investors include leading health, technology, and business minds: Esther Dyson, Roger Ehrenberg, Jason Finger, Linda Holliday, Jerry Levin, Jeff Stewart and SeventySix Capital. Learn more at organizedwisdom.com.

Reader's Digest Partners With OrganizedWisdom to Close the "Online Health Gap"

Technorati Tags: Reader's Digest,Organized Wisdom,healthcare information,partners,doctors,patients,consumers