Saint Luke's will end contract with UnitedHealthcare

<p> Termination date is for a year from now...until February 2009.  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Saint Luke's Health System said Thursday that it intends to terminate its network provider contract with UnitedHealthcare on its Feb. 28, 2009, termination date because the insurers' reimbursement rates are too low. <p>The termination would include UnitedHealthcare's commercial HMO, PPO and point of service provider networks. Patients covered by UnitedHealthcare represent 5.9 percent of the 11-hospital system's total reimbursement from all patients and 12.9 percent of its reimbursement from managed-care payers.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2008/01/28/daily34.html">Saint Luke's will end contract with UnitedHealthcare - Kansas City Business Journal:</a></p>

Saint Luke's will end contract with UnitedHealthcare

Termination date is for a year from now...until February 2009.  BD  Saint Luke's Health System said Thursday that it intends to termi...

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Microsoft conference calling

<p> <strong>Hilarious</strong>....conferencing can be fun and there's even a little time left to dance!  Have fun with Office Communicator!  BD  </p> <p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:860d2aca-96b7-4814-a256-47b228997262" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 237px; padding-top: 0px"><div><object height="197" width="237"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WUSJiI4L5lw&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WUSJiI4L5lw&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="237" height="197"></embed></object></div></div></p> <p><a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/communicator/HA102402601033.aspx">More about Office Communicator here</a></p>

Microsoft conference calling

  Hilarious ....conferencing can be fun and there's even a little time left to dance!  Have fun with Office Communicator!  BD  More a...

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Heroes Happen Here - Pitfalls of Paper...

<p> <img src="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/hhh_comic/WindowsLiveWriter/HHHComicSeriesDay3_8780/DailyComic_Full_3.jpg"> </p><a href="http://blogs.technet.com/hhh_comic/archive/2008/01/31/hhh-comic-series-day-3.aspx">http://blogs.technet.com/hhh_comic/archive/2008/01/31/hhh-comic-series-day-3.aspx</a><a title="http://blogs.technet.com/hhh_comic/archive/2008/01/31/hhh-comic-series-day-3.aspx" href="http://blogs.technet.com/hhh_comic/archive/2008/01/31/hhh-comic-series-day-3.aspx"></a>

Heroes Happen Here - Pitfalls of Paper...

  http://blogs.technet.com/hhh_comic/archive/2008/01/31/hhh-comic-series-day-3.aspx

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Executives - Mobility and Tablet PCs - A Commentary

<p>In my travels and in communicating with folks at various levels of health care, the one thing that somewhat continues to boggle my mind a bit is the "<strong>stereo typing" of a </strong><a href="http://www.tabletkiosk.com/">Tablet Computer.</a>  In other words when having conversations with executives and others in management, they all seem to be of the opinion that <strong>"tablets are for doctors",</strong> when in fact <strong>mobility and the use of Tablet computers can be beneficial to anyone.  </strong></p> <p><em><strong>I get a little bit of everything out there including executives that look at me like I am "Lucifer" walking with that "thing" again, you know that "tablet" thing.</strong></em>  Now I have to ask a big question here, what executive does not sit in meetings and takes notes?  I truly don't think you will find one that does not participate in meetings, daily, weekly or whatever, so I ask this question<strong>...why do they continue to carry around the old yellow legal pad?</strong>  Does one not <a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IWSMwu8xI/AAAAAAAAChQ/FbVktzDwv1E/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="124" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IWSswu8yI/AAAAAAAAChY/NZbzA92Q-6w/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="105"></a> have to refer to notes from prior meetings occasionally, or perhaps even quite frequently?  Why <img align="right" src="http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/callkathy/files/2007/05/onenoteprintoptions.thumbnail.png">does one put themselves through the time staking effort of having to refer to a stack of legal notepads when something as simple as <strong><a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/CR010565801033.aspx">One Note</a></strong> can make such a task very simple.  If you search around this blog, you can find plenty of information about tablets and also about on <strong><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/search?q=OneNote">One Note.</a></strong>   </p> <p><a href="http://www.tabletkiosk.com/"><img align="left" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R4KCGC6VCdI/AAAAAAAABbk/iC82UJQyKEk/image_thumb[1]?imgmax=800"></a>I use a tablet in my travels and I can't tell you the amount of time it has saved me, not only that, but I am not wasting valuable time with having to "get back" with folks by having to manually go through a ton of legal paper pads to find it.  I simply write in a quick query and One Note finds everything in reference to the keyword in about 30 seconds or less<strong>....so I ask, what is this fascination with digging up paper notes?</strong>  <strong>Do top executives who are focused on ROI  realize they are contributing to the cause along the line here?</strong>  What is this stereo type that administrators feel that "tablets are only for <a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IWTMwu8zI/AAAAAAAAChg/Yz_nDZFdIwo/image%5B7%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="114" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IWTswu80I/AAAAAAAACho/rgLG4LNna1o/image_thumb%5B3%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="121"></a>doctors"?  <strong>Is it a bit of "old dogs not wanting to learn new tricks"?</strong>   </p> <p>One other small thought here too is that if the folks at the top embrace and use technology, you know it just might be a whole lot easier to get the rest (including the doctors) to buy in too.  How in the world do you think Bill Gates keeps all his information together...thus the brain child of the Tablet PC too...I'm sure years ago he too had to figure there was a better way of doing all of this if you stop and think about it.  </p> <p>A little mobility and technology can save a lot of time and not only that, it can set a precedence for others to embrace the same....could be catchy?  <strong>Lawyers are getting it...</strong>and they have to electronically file documents anyway in most parts of the country...<a href="http://www.tabletpclawyer.com/">take a look at this blog about</a> how this attorney is cashing in and he even does some videos...and there's even templates at he One Note site to download to make it easy...and there are templates for all types of notes...</p> <p><strong><a href="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IWUcwu81I/AAAAAAAAChw/3b3taIqsHCs/image%5B11%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="139" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IWVMwu82I/AAAAAAAACh4/P83pYXi7wmA/image_thumb%5B5%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="103"></a>Students get it</strong>....<a href="http://studenttabletpc.com/">look at this site</a> whereby Tablets and their functionality are discussed...great tool for school....and some school even give them out to students...many stories on this evolving every day from 5th graders up to college.   </p> <p><strong>Engineers get it</strong>.....<a href="http://tablet.spaces.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0">another great site....</a><strong>Plumbers get it</strong>....<a href="http://jer979.blogspot.com/2005/09/plumber-and-tablet-pc.html">one more site</a>....as well as other contractors....so again I have to ask...<strong>why are Executives and Administrators so slow to jump on the bandwagon in health care? </strong> It's a wise investment that will not only be help to your own efforts, but you will find yourself helping to create a better <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IWV8wu83I/AAAAAAAACiA/8wQF0KZ4QZg/image%5B16%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="98" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IWWswu84I/AAAAAAAACiI/Toy157e2dkg/image_thumb%5B8%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="127"></a> bottom line for your organization and set the tone for how your organization embraces technology and<strong> discussions with your IT department can also become much more meaningful</strong> with even the simplest understanding and use of mobility and using a Tablet PC.  </p> <h3><strong>Why don't Health care executives get it?</strong></h3>

Executives - Mobility and Tablet PCs - A Commentary

In my travels and in communicating with folks at various levels of health care, the one thing that somewhat continues to boggle my mind a bi...

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Straight Talk from the Stanford ER

<p> Hash cookies...good work from the ER in finding this....especially since the child had medical issues already....I thought some of this died in the 70s, but what do I know...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>The events were playing out too quickly. I enter the room-“The Nanny” is there, as well as the father, and the mother is holding what looks like a bag of cookies? <strong>“Mikey was playing in his father’s car, and found these, he ate the whole bag: 100% hash cookies, keep out of reach of children!” “His father has bad back pain, he buys these in San Francisco.”<a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IJVMwu8vI/AAAAAAAAChA/coakQ4qtpG8/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="113" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IJWMwu8wI/AAAAAAAAChI/jj9r_tBuvEY/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="139"></a> <br></strong>Mikey was stoned out of his gourde. He was alone in his father’s car for up to 2 hours eating pot cookies.  you know,” she replied. “Why don’t you just send off a urine toxicology screen my attending implored…you never know…this is our job to find things like this you know…” I agreed to send one, in the off chance we might stagger across something…<strong>but meanwhile, back to this child having a full blown neurological problem…I need to call the neurologist now!</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.healthline.com/blogs/emergency_room/2008/01/attack-of-zebras.html">Straight Talk from the Stanford ER</a> </p> <p>Hat Tip:  <a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/01/stoned-6-year-old.html">Kevin, MD</a></p>

Straight Talk from the Stanford ER

Hash cookies...good work from the ER in finding this....especially since the child had medical issues already....I thought some of this die...

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Official says no drugs for off-duty police - Amsterdam

<p> No pot for the off duty police...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch interior minister wants police officials to stop using soft drugs when they are off-duty as it tarnishes the image of the force. The use of some soft drugs is tolerated in the Netherlands and the sale of cannabis in small quantities for recreational use is permitted in government-regulated coffee shops. <p>"The minister does not want police officials to use soft drugs, such as cannabis, not even during their spare time. It does not fit with the presentation of the police to the public," a spokesman said Thursday.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL31189120080131?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews">Official says no drugs for off-duty police | Oddly Enough | Reuters</a></p>

Official says no drugs for off-duty police - Amsterdam

No pot for the off duty police...BD  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch interior minister wants police officials to stop using soft drugs wh...

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Experts, Lawmakers Call For Increased FDA Funding To Address Agency Problems

<p> <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2007/12/fda-puts-american-lives-at-risk.html">Update:</a>  Back in December it was noted that many front line employees don't have computers...and the article stated they never ask for money...along with the antiquated email system...the FDA has a lot of responsibility for our safety and we all rely on their judgement...but <strong>can someone get some new computers over there</strong>...could be a little of both here perhaps with some folks not ready to use computers as well... <strong>continuing to write lengthy reports by hand</strong>?  That issue is everywhere though with folks resisting the technology that will only serve to help do a better job and get it done faster especially with all the new medical devices coming to market that interact with mobile computers and phones...could this be a case of both money and desire here?  BD   <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IDG8wu8tI/AAAAAAAACgw/oCcZ6B9ykbY/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="103" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IDHcwu8uI/AAAAAAAACg4/LJ9Z0FvQplY/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="140"></a> </p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/">FDA</a> lacks adequate funds and organization to meet an increased number of responsibilities and ensure public health, witnesses and lawmakers said on Tuesday at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce <a href="http://energycommerce.house.gov/Subcommittees/ovin.shtml">Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee</a>, <a href="http://www.cq.com/corp/show.do?page=products_cqhealthbeat"><cite>CQ HealthBeat</cite></a> reports. During the hearing, lawmakers heard testimony from members of the FDA <a href="http://www.fda.gov/oc/advisory/sci.html">Science Board</a>, which recently released a report that found "lives are at risk" because of problems at the agency.</p> <p>According to the report, FDA inspects U.S. facilities that manufacture the highest-risk medical devices once every three years and facilities that manufacture moderate-risk medical devices once every five years. FDA inspects facilities abroad that manufacture the highest-risk medical devices once every six years and facilities that manufacture moderate-risk medical devices once every 27 years, the report found</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95680.php">Experts, Lawmakers Call For Increased FDA Funding To Address Agency Problems</a></p>

Experts, Lawmakers Call For Increased FDA Funding To Address Agency Problems

  Update:   Back in December it was noted that many front line employees don't have computers...and the article stated they never ask fo...

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Medtronic Announces FDA Approval of CGMS® iPro™ Continuous Glucose Recorder

<p> 288 readings a day for 3 days....return to your physician at the end of the 72 hours and go over the data collected on the computer....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><b>MINNEAPOLIS — January 29, 2008 — </b>Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today <a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IADswu8pI/AAAAAAAACgQ/2symbjlG2cM/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="206" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IAEswu8qI/AAAAAAAACgY/nvbbFtx8IJ4/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="194"></a>announced the FDA approval of a new physician-use continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, the CGMS® <i>i</i>Pro™ Recorder.  Physicians send patients home with the CGMS <i>i</i>Pro Recorder to uncover patterns and potential problems that often go undetected with today’s standard glucose measurements like finger stick meters and HbA1c tests.  <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IAF8wu8rI/AAAAAAAACgg/xyOKRVOdAfs/image%5B7%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="103" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6IAGswu8sI/AAAAAAAACgo/VbT05ihrBc8/image_thumb%5B3%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="244"></a> <p>The new CGMS <i>i</i>Pro Rec order is smaller, lighter in weight and less time consuming to use than previous CGMS recorders.  Physicians can now gain added clinical insights from the CGMS <i>i</i>Pro Recorder in a matter of minutes, while improved ergonomics give patients added freedom when wearing the device.  <strong>Physician services associated with CGMS <i>i</i>Pro are reimbursed from Medicare in all 50 states and have broad private insurance reimbursement.</strong> <p>Requires Microsoft Windows® 95 or 98 or NT 4.0Pentium l, ll, lll or 486, 16 megabytes RAM (32 recommended), 25 megabytes hard drive, a screen resolution of at least 800 x 600, CD-ROM, serial com port, mouse</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://wwwp.medtronic.com/Newsroom/NewsReleaseDetails.do?itemId=1201551650478&lang=en_US">Medtronic Announces FDA Approval of CGMS® iPro™ Continuous Glucose Recorder</a> </p> <p><a href="http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/products/cgms/index.html">http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/products/cgms/index.html</a></p>

Medtronic Announces FDA Approval of CGMS® iPro™ Continuous Glucose Recorder

288 readings a day for 3 days....return to your physician at the end of the 72 hours and go over the data collected on the computer....BD  ...

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Washington State Health Care Associations Announce Resolution To Stop Charges For Preventable Medical Errors

<p>And the insurers will not pay as well....again the question in some areas, what is preventable..some are obvious but there's an areas of gray here with even some of the CMS regulations as well...each case I believe is truly it's own...BD   </p> <blockquote>Washington state health care providers no longer will charge for preventable hospital errors under a resolution announced on Tuesday by Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) and officials of several state health care associations, the <cite>Seattle Times</cite> reports.  <strong>The resolution is voluntary, but leaders of the associations say they expect hospitals, physicians and surgery centers around the state to comply. </strong> In addition, Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association this month announced an <a href="http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=49829">agreement</a> to stop payments to hospitals for treatment that results from serious medical errors (Ostrom, <cite>Seattle Times</cite>, 1/29).</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95689.php">Washington State Health Care Associations Announce Resolution To Stop Charges For Preventable Medical Errors</a></p>

Washington State Health Care Associations Announce Resolution To Stop Charges For Preventable Medical Errors

And the insurers will not pay as well....again the question in some areas, what is preventable..some are obvious but there's an areas of...

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Terminated - California Health Care

<p> Back to the same issue..who's going to pay the bill?  There's quite a bit of money in the "cash reserves" held by the insurers...billions....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Like collapses in Illinois, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, <strong>this one crumpled because of the costs, which are always much higher than anticipated</strong>. The truth teller was state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, who thought to ask about the price tag of a major new entitlement amid what's already a $14.5 billion budget shortfall.</p> <p>What the California collapse should discredit in particular is the individual mandate as a policy tool for Republican reformers. This was Mr. Romney's enthusiasm for a time, helped along by the Heritage Foundation. But in order to be enforceable, such a mandate inevitably becomes a <i>government</i> mandate, and a very expensive one at that. <p>Voters are rightly concerned about health care, but they also don't want to pay higher taxes to finance coverage for everyone. Mr. Schwarzenegger's spectacular failure shows that there's an opening for Republicans to make the case for health-care reform based on choice and tax-equity, not mandates and tax hikes.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120165320966126977.html?mod=opinion_journal_main_stories">Terminated - WSJ.com</a></p>

Terminated - California Health Care

Back to the same issue..who's going to pay the bill?  There's quite a bit of money in the "cash reserves" held by the ins...

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Should health insurance companies be for profit?

<p> Is it time to scrap the entire system and start over?  This article explores some opinions and thoughts on the issue...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Not only should health insurance companies be non-profit - they shouldn't exist, period. I just read that we spend 16% of our income in the United States for health care. That's ridiculous and unsustainable.<a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6H5Ucwu8nI/AAAAAAAACgA/0PCzYQTLRuo/image%5B4%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="108" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R6H5Vswu8oI/AAAAAAAACgI/tSFXavMJpyk/image_thumb%5B2%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="107"></a> <p>Then came the HMOs - health management organizations - and other members of that alphabet soup. Now its the HMO management trying to buy third homes in Nantucket. What, you might ask, do these companies do? They say "no." We'll pay for this, they say, but not that. The more they say no the more money they get to keep. <p>Well, I say it's time to scrap the whole system. The government should take over health care management. Doctors and hospitals should be paid by the government. Malpractice laws should be reformed. Drug companies should be permitted to advertise prescription drugs only to doctors. Hypochondriacs should not be permitted to hog health care.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.helium.com/debates/sbs/80590-should-health-insurance-companies">Debate: Should health insurance companies be for profit? - Helium</a></p>

Should health insurance companies be for profit?

Is it time to scrap the entire system and start over?  This article explores some opinions and thoughts on the issue...BD  Not only shoul...

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Turns out it wasn't just false labor...

<p> NORWOOD, Ohio - A woman who had been told that her pains were false labor pains gave birth in the driveway of her home. <u>Charryse Brooks, 25, had gone to a hospital about 2 a.m. Sunday because she thought she might be in the early stages of labor.</u> She wasn't due with her first child until Feb. 22. </p> <blockquote> <p>Finally, she insisted that she had to return to the hospital, but it was too late. By the time she got to the car, the pain was so intense, she couldn't open the car door."She looked at me, right in the eye, so calmly, too. She said, 'Tim, the baby's here,'" said her husband, the Rev. Timothy Brooks. <p>He reached to catch the baby, a 4-pound, 3-ounce girl the couple named Mackenzie Nichole Brooks, in the leg of the sweat pants his wife was wearing.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080131/ap_on_fe_st/not_false_labor">Turns out it wasn't just false labor... - Yahoo! News</a></p>

Turns out it wasn't just false labor...

NORWOOD, Ohio - A woman who had been told that her pains were false labor pains gave birth in the driveway of her home. Charryse Brooks, 25...

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Lawsuit alleges testing fraud at Presbyterian Hospital

<p> One more for the legal system...real diagnosing or a matter of money?  Not enough of a story here to speculate...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Eleven women have filed a lawsuit against Dallas' Presbyterian Hospital, alleging fraud on the part of doctors who allegedly recommended treatment for conditions they did not have. <p>It is the second lawsuit to make such allegations; the first was filed by five women in May 2007. "It didn't make a bit of difference what the tests showed," said attorney Marty Rose of Rose Walker LLP, who represents the plaintiffs. "They were just going to tell each of the women the same thing and keep billing them until they got wise or until their deductibles ran out." <p>Each of the women came to the hospital seeking medical assistance for eating disorders. The group claims doctors at the hospital advised them to submit to a series of tests that determined they had suffered heart damage as result of their disorders.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/01/28/daily21.html">Lawsuit alleges testing fraud at Presbyterian Hospital - Dallas Business Journal:</a></p>

Lawsuit alleges testing fraud at Presbyterian Hospital

One more for the legal system...real diagnosing or a matter of money?  Not enough of a story here to speculate...BD  Eleven women have fi...

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Marijuana machines could be cure for inconvenience - California

<p> I guess this will be easier for the DEA to arrest a machine...well at least help put an end to the recent activity of yes it ok, or no it is not...and there is security so it's not like getting a bag of chips or a candy bar...and your picture is taken each time the machine is used...and there is a guard at the machine site....choice of 5 types...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Vending machines have long been used to hawk everything from Skittles and sandwiches to juice and java, but now one is being used to offer a new product: medical marijuana. <a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6Eme8wu8lI/AAAAAAAACfw/C0aEyeAeO6w/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="178" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6Emg8wu8mI/AAAAAAAACf4/mOPq57PI-rA/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="244"></a> <p>Not just anyone can pop some coins in and get some bud. The machine, developed by Los Angeles medical-marijuana dispensary owner Vincent Mehdizadeh, gives up to <strong>an ounce of pot per week only to preapproved patients.</strong> <p><strong>It has a card swiper, a video camera that also takes a snapshot of any user and adds it to a database, and is protected by armed security guards.</strong> Beginning today, Mehdizadeh said, he will <strong>start fingerprinting patients who want to use the machine, which will dispense five types of marijuana: Platinum Kush, Fire O.G., Bubba Kush, Purple Kush and Wild Cherry.   </strong> <p>Los Angeles is not the only place where pot laws and enforcement have conflicted in recent years. In 2005, Denver city officials legalized marijuana in small amounts for adults 21 and older. But many Denverites were cited for marijuana possession because pot is still illegal under state and federal laws.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_8104481">LA Daily News - Marijuana machines could be cure for inconvenience</a></p>

Marijuana machines could be cure for inconvenience - California

I guess this will be easier for the DEA to arrest a machine...well at least help put an end to the recent activity of yes it ok, or no it i...

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The Database Taste Challenge!

<p><u>This is the hart hat area...</u>as stated it is a trade promotion and you need to check company policy to ensure you are eligible to participate..basically set up to promote being trained with both Oracle and SQL 2005 and the value of using both...the game is challenge your skills...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><em><a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6EDK8wu8jI/AAAAAAAACfg/A1ukkPj_h1U/image%5B6%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="186" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6EDNMwu8kI/AAAAAAAACfo/9HldlIMYWA4/image_thumb%5B2%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="244"></a>What tastes better, Microsoft® SQL Server® 2005 or Oracle 11g? What do people think? We're taking the taste challenge to the street. Find out what people are saying about their favorite database. </em></p> <p><em>Open only to US residents 18+ who are employed in the Information Technology ("IT") industry. Game ends Feb. 29, 2008. See website for full rules.</em></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.databasetastechallenge.com/landing/index.html">The Database Taste Challenge!</a></p>

The Database Taste Challenge!

This is the hart hat area... as stated it is a trade promotion and you need to check company policy to ensure you are eligible to participat...

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Mobility Matters™: Tablet PC Mounting Solutions - Sahara i440D

<p>From Gail at the TabletKiosk blog...nice visuals that show the docking cradle for the <a href=" * http://www.tabletkiosk.com">Sahara i440D tablet</a>...be sure to watch the video in the upper right hand corner to see some of this in action and a couple of other new items that add some modularity....BD  </p> <p><em>"This made me start thinking that I need to do a better job with our website and marketing materials to explain the flexibility, portability and mounting options available. We currently offer </em><a href="http://tabletkiosk.com/tkstore/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=21&idproduct=190"><em>VESA plates</em></a><em> with and without quick-release access, a </em><a href="http://http//tabletkiosk.com/tkstore/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=27&idproduct=204"><em>Docking Cradle</em></a><em> which is essentially our VESA plate with expandable legs, assorted mounting arms and stands."</em></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6D2bswu8hI/AAAAAAAACfQ/dRZY0b_xI3g/image%5B5%5D?imgmax=800"><img alt="image" border="0" height="415" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6D2eMwu8iI/AAAAAAAACfY/COYF5v5WiEY/image_thumb%5B3%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="618"></a>  <a href="http://tabletkiosk.blogspot.com/2008/01/this-morning-i-had-fun-conversation.html">http://tabletkiosk.blogspot.com/2008/01/this-morning-i-had-fun-conversation.html</a></p>

Mobility Matters™: Tablet PC Mounting Solutions - Sahara i440D

From Gail at the TabletKiosk blog...nice visuals that show the docking cradle for the Sahara i440D tablet ...be sure to watch the video in t...

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A 'Crystallized Fart' Lasts Forever .....

<p> There could be some value with an issue we seek medical advice for....for more on this story I have to leave it to Robert Scoble who found out a lot more about this as Davos...quote below...and <a href="http://scobleizer.com/2008/01/30/from-farts-to-diamonds/">read his blog input here...</a>the heck with ever thinking about selling a black market kidney, this is legal, a lot less effort and  might just one day help get some diamond crystals in your cell phone...<u>yes a bit of humor here but the story is well worth reading....</u>science and health care coming together under a unique situation...BD  </p> <p><em>"Turns out </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane"><em>methane has one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms</em></a><em>. If you burn methane you’ll probably get a little soot, which is those carbon atoms showing up. But if you remove the oxygen, <a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6D0wMwu8dI/AAAAAAAACew/07bkDuVR8dc/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="121" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R6D0w8wu8eI/AAAAAAAACe4/Of6mgMCtU1M/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="140"></a>throw in a cocktail of a few other secret gasses, and heat it all up you can deposit those carbon items on a starter bed of diamond.  Translation: if you coat bearing surfaces with diamond you’ll save energy and the bearings will last a lot longer.   What else are they doing with it? Well, did you know your <a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6D0xswu8fI/AAAAAAAACfA/eFnB3MPRxqo/image%5B7%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="102" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6D0ycwu8gI/AAAAAAAACfI/HrYMVEv90c8/image_thumb%5B3%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="139"></a><strong>cell phone has several quartz crystals in it? Why? The crystals vibrate and keep the clock rates all synchronized.<u> Diamond, he tells me, is even better than quartz for that use because it is more highly tunable and energy efficient and can be made to fit in a smaller space than quartz can." </u></strong></em></p> <blockquote> <p>Janine Roberts' new book "Glitter & Greed: The Secret World of the  Diamond Cartel" (The Disinformation Company) exposes the unromantic side of diamonds due to the "cartel" that keeps prices high and the human rights violations of diamond diggers. <p><strong>-- Roberts has seen scientists "grow diamonds" using methane and oxygen which she says means diamonds are nothing more than "crystallized farts."</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.ncbuy.com/news/2003-08-20/1007601.html">Weird News: A 'Crystallized Fart' Lasts Forever - 2003-08-20</a></p>

A 'Crystallized Fart' Lasts Forever .....

There could be some value with an issue we seek medical advice for....for more on this story I have to leave it to Robert Scoble who found ...

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A swiped Blue Cross laptop puts data at risk - New Jersey

<p> Anybody heard of Windows Server 2003 or 2008 with the ability to wipe a mobile device...security breach of the week...or what's wrong with a secured VPN set up....better effort here with the information set up to self destroy at a certain date....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey is notifying more than 300,000 of its members that their names, Social Security numbers and other personal information were contained on a laptop computer stolen in Newark earlier this month. <p>While Horizon is upgrading its laptops to encrypt data, the stolen computer had not yet been equipped with new software. Encrypting the data would make it readable only with a special code.<a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6DtZcwu8bI/AAAAAAAACeg/Bwsp4kZNKxs/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="97" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R6DtZ8wu8cI/AAAAAAAACeo/S4_DLKC88HM/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="136"></a> <p>The health insurance giant, which serves more than 3.3 million people across the state, said there was no reason to believe any of the information was compromised because it was protected by password and other security features -- although the data was not encrypted.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1201671434279680.xml&coll=1">A swiped Blue Cross laptop puts data at risk- NJ.com</a></p>

A swiped Blue Cross laptop puts data at risk - New Jersey

Anybody heard of Windows Server 2003 or 2008 with the ability to wipe a mobile device...security breach of the week...or what's wrong w...

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President Bush Signs Bill With Veterans' Health Care Funds

<p>The veterans are getting a little help...now how about children and seniors...BD   </p> <blockquote>President Bush on Monday signed into law a revised $696 billion fiscal year 2008 defense authorization bill (<a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.04986:">HR 4986</a>), <cite>CongressDaily</cite> reports (<cite>CongressDaily</cite>, 1/29<strong>). The bill includes improvements in health care for veterans</strong> and a 3.5% pay increase for military personnel.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95494.php">President Bush Signs Defense Authorization Bill With Veterans' Health Care Funds</a></p>

President Bush Signs Bill With Veterans' Health Care Funds

The veterans are getting a little help...now how about children and seniors...BD   President Bush on Monday signed into law a revised $696 ...

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Congress Budget Office Director Calls For Improvements In CMS Demos, More Data From Insurers

<p> Budget office does not appear happy with the current reporting system...begging for data from insurance companies as relates to Medicare Advantage plans....we've been wondering the same things about money saved and quality of health care....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.cbo.gov/">Congressional Budget Office</a> Director Peter Orszag on Monday said that <a href="http://www.cms.hhs.gov/">CMS</a> demonstration projects lack <u>"the key elements that you would expect in a rigorously designed evaluation" to determine whether the projects are saving money and improving health care quality</u>, <cite>CongressDaily</cite> reports. Orszag said that the demonstration projects are not set up in ways that other agencies can "learn the things that we need to learn in order to score future proposals." <br><strong>Orszag said he is "continuing to beg" for data from insurance companies about Medicare Advantage plans. "It's almost like they're conducting a variety of experiments in disease management and various other things. And they are doing so with public subsidies." He added, "</strong>In exchange for this publicly funded set of experiments, we should be getting a set of rigorous data back on what works and what doesn't, and that is, unfortunately, not as complete and as rigorous as one would hope." <strong>Orszag noted that private fee-for-service MA plans have a "very light reporting requirement," which makes it difficult to measure success.</strong> </p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95496.php">CBO Director Orszag Calls For Improvements In CMS Demos, More Data From Insurers</a></p>

Congress Budget Office Director Calls For Improvements In CMS Demos, More Data From Insurers

Budget office does not appear happy with the current reporting system...begging for data from insurance companies as relates to Medicare Ad...

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Doc admits leaking study results to drug maker

<p>It could have been worse...could have been posted on Sermo?  BD   </p> <blockquote> <p>A Texas doctor leaked confidential research to the makers of the popular diabetes drug Avandia weeks before a study was published tying the drug to higher heart risks, the scientific journal Nature reported Wednesday.  <strong>"Why I sent it is a mystery. I don't really understand it. I wasn't feeling well. It was bad judgment," Nature quotes Haffner as saying.</strong> <p>Dr. Steven Haffner, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, broke confidentiality rules for medical journal peer reviewers when he gave the Avandia study to GlaxoSmithKline PLC 17 days before it was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Nature report says.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22917551/">Doc admits leaking study results to drug maker - Health care- msnbc.com</a></p>

Doc admits leaking study results to drug maker

It could have been worse...could have been posted on Sermo?  BD   A Texas doctor leaked confidential research to the makers of the popular...

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Physicians Can Update Evidence-Based Medical Information Using WiserWiki -in Beta format at present

<p> The site is open for all to read, but only board certified members can create and non certified can edit....While members of the public may access information on the site, they are informed that <strong>WiserWiki is intended primarily as an informational site for medical professionals.</strong>  Unlike Sermo, it is open for the public to view discussions...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>No longer in print, the textbook seeding <a href="http://www.wiserwiki.com/Main_Page">WiserWiki</a> contains in-depth information on a full-range of medical problems, conditions and diseases encountered in the practices of family physicians, general internists, medical and surgical subspecialists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. <p>Elsevier, the world's leading publisher of science and h<a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6DdDswu8ZI/AAAAAAAACeQ/2YfzvwNrov0/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="172" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6DdEMwu8aI/AAAAAAAACeY/nisDqOcytyU/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="179"></a> ealth information, has announced the beta launch of WiserWiki a wiki that allows board-certified physicians to collaboratively contribute and update medical information online. The site, which is open to and viewable by the public, is seeded with content from The Textbook of Primary Care Medicine (3rd Edition, 2001) by John Noble, M.D. The textbook was published by Mosby, an Elsevier imprint, and was one of Elsevier's best-selling medical textbooks. <br>"WiserWiki is another example of Elsevier's commitment to develop innovative tools for medical professionals," said Scott Virkler, Vice President, Business Development at Elsevier. "<strong>With WiserWiki we're providing a trusted forum for physicians to collaborate and contribute professional-level medical content that's viewable by members of the public."</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95599.php">Physicians Can Update Evidence-Based Medical Information Using Elsevier's WiserWiki</a> </p> <p><a href="http://www.wiserwiki.com/Main_Page">http://www.wiserwiki.com/Main_Page</a></p>

Physicians Can Update Evidence-Based Medical Information Using WiserWiki -in Beta format at present

The site is open for all to read, but only board certified members can create and non certified can edit....While members of the public may...

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2 hospitals got millions, spent little on charity - San Francisco

<p> Somewhat difficult to make full sense of this report as there are many other factors in the study that were possibly not included, such as location and where the uninsured go for treatment....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>San Francisco's five nonprofit hospitals received $79 million last year in tax breaks intended to compensate them for providing free care to the city's poor and uninsured, but they spent just $16 million on charity care, according to a new city report. <p>California Pacific Medical Center, with campuses in Laurel Heights, Pacific Heights and the Castro, was responsible for the vast majority of the disparity, the report by the city Department of Public Health said. California Pacific received close to $70 million in tax breaks - $67 million in state and federal income tax exemptions and $2.8 million in local property tax exemptions - while spending $5.2 million on charity care, the report said.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/29/BA1UUNOS9.DTL">2 hospitals got millions, spent little on charity</a></p>

2 hospitals got millions, spent little on charity - San Francisco

Somewhat difficult to make full sense of this report as there are many other factors in the study that were possibly not included, such as ...

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United/PacifiCare fined record $3.5 million

<p> Update:  Penalties could get upgraded according to this article..as posted earlier in the state of Washington there are reserves of 2.2 billion for the major 3 insurers...I would guess the reserves are available to more than cover an extended fine here?  Is somebody listening?  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Regulators also will ask an administrative law judge to uphold its allegations that the company mishandled claims <u>and levy additional penalties of up to $1.3 billion</u>. The state accused PacifiCare of 133,000 violations from 2005 to 2007.</p> <p>So far, regulators have helped doctors and patients collect more than $1 million in payments from PacifiCare's preferred provider organization and health maintenance organization plans.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/672192.html">Business - PacifiCare fined record $3.5 million - sacbee.com</a></p>

United/PacifiCare fined record $3.5 million

Update:  Penalties could get upgraded according to this article..as posted earlier in the state of Washington there are reserves of 2.2 bil...

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Microsoft - Protect yourself from Piracy

<p> Felt a need to mention this site relative to concerns about identity theft...another good reason these days not to use pirated software as it's a big more dangerous than it has been in years past..used to just be viruses...but now you could get a bot net in the process too...there's a reason for the madness on the other side with those wanting to do more than just give you some free software.  The link has several videos outlining some of the dangers....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><i>Counterfeit Confidential </i>highlights the business risks of downloading and using <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6DV5cwu8XI/AAAAAAAACeA/PG9_i9JDnvs/image%5B4%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="170" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R6DV6swu8YI/AAAAAAAACeI/uvZLCLx21Kc/image_thumb%5B2%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="290"></a>counterfeit or pirated software. Buying software online increases the potential for identity theft, loss of critical business data, and employee downtime – it’s just not worth the risk. Find out how to protect your business from counterfeit software. </p> <p><i>Black Market Blues </i>depicts the risks of purchasing and using counterfeit or pirated software from outside of mainstream channels. See how dealing with unknown sources can have dire results at home or in the office, and learn what you can do to avoid the consequences.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/knowthefacts/videos.aspx">http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/knowthefacts/videos.aspx</a></p>

Microsoft - Protect yourself from Piracy

Felt a need to mention this site relative to concerns about identity theft...another good reason these days not to use pirated software as ...

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HMO To Offer Humana Associates Innovative Program For Weight Loss by use of your cell phone

<p> This HMO is taking the approach of letting your cell phone be your weight loss coach...now you can have your phone help you with your diet, etc...my phone is busy enough as it is and having it guide me through what I eat every day...not sure this is a fit for me as <strong>it would be more of an annoyance than a help as there's plenty of information available for diet plans on the web and you have to pay for it</strong>, the last thing I need is a phone governing the one little pleasure I might have during the day to sit down and eat...but again another effort to keep the cost down of health care from your friendly HMO...BD  <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6C4fcwu8VI/AAAAAAAACdw/KpA2bFvGarI/image%5B4%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="79" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R6C4f8wu8WI/AAAAAAAACd4/FJgY--LOgsw/image_thumb%5B2%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="168"></a> </p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.sensei.com">Sensei, Inc.</a>, a pioneer in mobile and Web-based wellness solutions, today announced that Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, will now offer its 22K associates nationwide Sensei's next-generation approach to health and weight loss. The program will be offered at a discounted rate to encourage enrollment.  </p> <p>Sensei was formed in 2005 by Humana Inc. and Card Guard AG (SWX:CARDG), the leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative healthcare technologies and solutions.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95560.php">Sensei And Humana Inc. Join Forces To Offer Humana Associates Innovative Program For Weight Loss</a> </p> <p><a href="http://www.sensei.com/senseipublic/Default.aspx">Sensei Website</a></p>

HMO To Offer Humana Associates Innovative Program For Weight Loss by use of your cell phone

This HMO is taking the approach of letting your cell phone be your weight loss coach...now you can have your phone help you with your diet,...

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Reputation managers step in against Internet thugs

<p> Good advice here, especially if you are in Health Care, Google yourself once in a while to see what the anonymous world of the web has listed...you could be surprised and if you find it, the rest of the world can too...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>"<strong>It's more and more important to know what's out there about you,"</strong> IRM's Kader said.IRM concentrates on how clients appear in a Google search because <strong>"unless you are a hermit, you will be googled," Schiwietz said.  Anonymity and strength in numbers are fueling the online attacks.<a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6C0Dcwu8TI/AAAAAAAACdg/cvkPU7RYxdc/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="110" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6C0Ecwu8UI/AAAAAAAACdo/rMO-M3LPDqI/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="150"></a> </strong> <p>"There are around 10,000 Google searches made each second, and googling is expected to double or triple because you will be able to do a search anywhere with a handheld device," Kader said. "The law doesn't allow victims to sue the site operators because they aren't writing this stuff," said Citron.  "People are increasingly basing their first impression on what they see on the Internet, but few go beyond the first five results on Google," said Kader.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080130/tc_afp/lifestyleusinternettechnologyrights">Reputation managers step in against Internet thugs - Yahoo! News</a></p>

Reputation managers step in against Internet thugs

Good advice here, especially if you are in Health Care, Google yourself once in a while to see what the anonymous world of the web has list...

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Verizon Calls For Halt To Data Mining Of Wireless Phone Numbers

<p> Wireless carrier takes a stand on privacy...if you were a physician for example and wanted to keep a number private, it's almost impossible if someone pays a few dollars...BD </p> <blockquote> <p>Nearly four years ago, Verizon Wireless said that a wireless directory would be a “dumb idea.” Now, as another company leaks its plans to sell the cell phone numbers of private citizens, Verizon Wireless today called on that company to halt the mining and sale of these numbers. <p>“Stop it. This is a violation of Americans’ privacy. People expect their cell phone numbers to remain private,” said Steve Zipperstein, vice president and general counsel of Verizon Wireless. He added that Verizon Wireless intends to take whatever steps might be necessary, including litigation, to protect its customers’ numbers and privacy.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://mobilitysite.com/2008/01/verizon-calls-for-halt-to-data-mining-of-wireless-phone-numbers/">Verizon Calls For Halt To Data Mining Of Wireless Phone Numbers | Mobility Site</a></p>

Verizon Calls For Halt To Data Mining Of Wireless Phone Numbers

Wireless carrier takes a stand on privacy...if you were a physician for example and wanted to keep a number private, it's almost imposs...

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California regulators to audit health insurers

<p> Health insurance is expensive...a <a href="http://vancouver.injuryboard.com/insurance/private-health-insurance-profits-soar.php">report recently released</a> reporting on the 3 major insurance carriers in the <strong>state of Washington recently reported a cash surplus of $2.2 Billion (with a B) for the year 2006...any guess on what the cash reserves for the State of California might be with even a much larger pool?</strong>  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California's insurance commissioner said <a href="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R6A248wu8RI/AAAAAAAACdQ/Oqj4WhcaBPs/image%5B4%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="125" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6A25cwu8SI/AAAAAAAACdY/bjvq6l6U_NI/image_thumb%5B2%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="103"></a>on Tuesday he would audit the state's leading health insurers as <strong>regulators pursue more than $1 billion in penalties related to alleged claims violations at UnitedHealth Group Inc's PacifiCare unit.Poizner declined to name the companies that would be audited. </strong> <p>"I have decided today to launch audits of all the eight major health insurance companies here in California in 2008. We will be closely examining the practices of all the health insurance companies in California," Steve Poizner, the state's insurance commissioner, said at a press conference in San Francisco.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2961949420080129">California regulators to audit health insurers | U.S. | Reuters</a> </p> <p>"California's two regulatory agencies have taken the important step of banding together to tell United/PacifiCare 'enough is enough,"' said Dr. Richard Frankenstein, M.D., president of the California Medical Association, which last year asked regulators to investigate the company. <p><strong>"For-profit health plans have made billions of dollars in California by putting profits ahead of patients. Just because United said they're sorry and will pay fines, it doesn't mean patients are protected and won't continue to suffer."</strong> <p>Related Story:  <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8109122">http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8109122</a></p>

California regulators to audit health insurers

Health insurance is expensive...a report recently released reporting on the 3 major insurance carriers in the state of Washington recently...

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i-LIMB bionic hand approaches 100 fittings

<p> January 30, 2008 Touch Bionics has announced that its <a href="http://www.gizmag.com/go/7661/">i-LIMB</a> - the world’s first commercially available bionic hand - is expected to achieve the milestone of 100 patient fittings by the end of February this year, having already reached more than 70 people worldwide since its July 2007 launch.<a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R6AgDcwu8PI/AAAAAAAACdA/oaTMXnr_Xko/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="184" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R6AgE8wu8QI/AAAAAAAACdI/pR4U4_8qcSk/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="244"></a> </p> <blockquote> <p>In order to service the increasing demand for iLIMB hands, Touch Bionics has also announced its incorporation in the United States as Touch Bionics, Inc. <p>“This is the first time in my 30 years in the prosthetics business that I felt I was truly delivering an arm to the patient,” said Jake Wood, C.P., F.A.A.O.P, certified prosthetist and co-owner at Orthotics and Prosthetics Associates, Inc. in Milwaukee, WI. “Due to the anthropomorphic, dexterity and functional capabilities of the i-LIMB Hand, it’s in a league of its own, technology-wise. I never thought in my lifetime that I would ever see this technology.”</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.gizmag.com/i-limb-bionic-hand/8733/">i-LIMB bionic hand approaches 100 fittings - gizmag Article</a> </p> <p><a href="http://www.touchbionics.com/professionals.php?section=2">http://www.touchbionics.com/professionals.php?section=2</a></p>

i-LIMB bionic hand approaches 100 fittings

January 30, 2008 Touch Bionics has announced that its i-LIMB - the world’s first commercially available bionic hand - is expected to achie...

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Microsoft partner first with hosted Communications Server

<p> <u>Looking for a solution to outsource Exchange...</u>here's one solution and the opportunity to combine Office Communicator at the same time<strong>..."If you think Exchange is difficult to set up for a small business, think about setting up Exchange and OCS," Bradbury said. "It's an absolute nightmare for SMBs to do this</strong>."...and I can't agree more, so many times especially in health care I see so much time devoted to just <u>keeping up with Exchange on older systems</u>, that other data needs get put on the back burner....especially where IT resources are slim...with hosting you get the licenses, share point services, virus and back up...and someone else to chase issues...and more time to attend other pending installations and upgrades...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Intermedia on Tuesday will begin offering Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) as a hosted service on a subscription basis for $7.95 per user, per month, said Rurik Bradbury, vice president of strategy for Intermedia. The service initially will be available to users of Intermedia's hosted Exchange service, which costs $12 per user, per month. Eventually, the OCS service will be available independently of that service, he said. <p>Intermedia is a SaaS (software as a service) provider in New York and one of Microsoft's hosting partners. Microsoft also offers Exchange as a hosted service, and eventually plans to offer OCS as a hosted service, but has not specified when. Other Microsoft hosting partners such as USA.net and Apptix also plan to offer OCS on a hosted basis but have not done so thus far.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/28/Microsoft-partner-first-with-hosted-Communications-Server_1.html">Microsoft partner first with hosted Communications Server | InfoWorld | News | 2008-01-28 | By Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service</a></p>

Microsoft partner first with hosted Communications Server

  Looking for a solution to outsource Exchange... here's one solution and the opportunity to combine Office Communicator at the same tim...

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Drug-name mix-ups getting worse

<p> Big mistake and consequences...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Dr. Julius Pham's stomach churned when he saw a critically ill heart patient getting an antibiotic instead of a drug to support his blood pressure — the kind of mix-up that is increasingly common in the United States, according to a new report. "If you have ever had that sinking feeling that drops to the bottom of your stomach, I had it," Pham, then a critical care physician at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, told reporters. "Unfortunately, the patient did not do well." <p><strong>A nurse had confused Levophed, which can boost blood pressure, with the antibiotic Levaquin.</strong>  The top 10 drugs sold in the United States in 2006 all made the mix-up list, including cholesterol drug Lipitor, heart drugs Toprol and Norvasc, antidepressant Lexapro, stomach acid pill Nexium and asthma drug Singulair.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22901039/">Drug-name mix-ups getting worse - Health care- msnbc.com</a></p>

Drug-name mix-ups getting worse

Big mistake and consequences...BD  Dr. Julius Pham's stomach churned when he saw a critically ill heart patient getting an antibiotic...

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Grady CEO to leave position at hospital

<p> Update:  The continuing saga of saving Brady hospital...big job to turn the hospital around and establish relief for financial debt which is more than one person at work, it's a team..but perhaps the new plans might offer some light at the end of the hall with the nonprofit corporation at the helm..4 CEOs in 3 years...BD    </p> <blockquote>Grady hospital chief executive Otis Story is leaving the hospital after less than a year in the post, marking another speedy departure of a leader trying to turn around the financially imperiled medical system.  <strong>Story was the fourth CEO at the sprawling charity care hospital since 2005.</strong> <p>The abrupt departure of the CEO comes at a time of turbulent change at Grady, which has been struggling to keep its financial head above water. The hospital is so deeply in debt that officials last year said it was close to closing. <p>In turn, political and business leaders have crafted plans to boost the hospital's coffers by millions, but have demanded in return that the Grady board hand over daily control of the hospital to a newly formed nonprofit corporation.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/01/29/gradystory_0129.html">Grady CEO to leave position at hospital | ajc.com</a></p>

Grady CEO to leave position at hospital

Update:  The continuing saga of saving Brady hospital...big job to turn the hospital around and establish relief for financial debt which i...

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Most Small Firms Don't Offer Health Insurance

<p> Current economics on small businesses and health insurance...and they also see the US economy taking forefront to the war...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Healthcare costs are a perennial burden for small businesses and a new poll released today finds that 77 percent of small business owners do not offer health insurance to their employees.  <strong>Discover Business Card's</strong> survey also found that 39 percent of small business owners said the cost of health care has a major impact on their ability to grow. More than half of respondents said obtaining affordable health insurance for employees was very difficult. <p><strong>*</strong>40 percent of employers who offer healthcare coverage have considered discontinuing it because of its high cost; <p><strong>*</strong>34 percent of small business owners said employees go without health insurance; <p><strong>*</strong>25 percent of small business owners said they are uninsured - an increase from 18 percent who said the same last year; <p><strong>*</strong>Among small business owners who have healthcare coverage, 27 percent are insured by another family member's plan, while 35 percent have purchased coverage separately. <p>Separately, Discover released its monthly "small business watch" survey today and kicked off 2008 with findings that <strong>74 percent of small business owners feel that economic conditions are getting worse. Thirty-five percent of small business executives picked the economy as the most important issue in the presidential campaign,</strong> followed by the war in Iraq and then government ethics and corruption.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://blog.washingtonpost.com/small-business/2008/01/study_most_small_firms_dont_of.html">Study: Most Small Firms Don't Offer Health Insurance - Small Business</a></p>

Most Small Firms Don't Offer Health Insurance

Current economics on small businesses and health insurance...and they also see the US economy taking forefront to the war...BD  Healthcar...

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LightEdge Solutions Partners with Misys Healthcare to Host Electronic Medical Records

<p>You may hear a bit on this blog about Web 2.0 and software as a service, here's one electronic medical records company taking the product to the next level...software as a service..from the cloud...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>LightEdge Solutions, a leading provider of managed IT services, today announced that Misys Healthcare has selected LightEdge’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) hosting capabilities for Misys MyWay™, a new electronic medical record (EMR) application. This new offering and its SaaS delivery model will allow Misys to extend its reach to small ambulatory practices, a group that has yet to adopt electronic medical records in a significant way. Misys, a market leader in healthcare IT, currently offers comprehensive solutions for the ambulatory healthcare market.<a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R5-OQswu8NI/AAAAAAAACcw/0a0wdOpBiK0/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="86" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R5-OQ8wu8OI/AAAAAAAACc4/4STcxaSJPfk/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="133"></a> <p>To ensure that both the Misys MyWay application and the sensitive patient medical data it contains are highly available, the LightEdge team has designed the solution with a secure, redundant platform in an alternate data center location. Data will be continually synchronized between the two systems allowing it to automatically failover to the alternate facility if the primary platform is unavailable.  “This partnership with Misys reinforces the trend that we’re seeing in nearly every industry,” said Jim Masterson, chairman and CEO of LightEdge Solutions. “As the demands for IT and IT services grow, businesses are coming to the conclusion that they can streamline their organization by out-tasking the IT functions that aren’t part of their core business.”</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/29148/">Newswire / Press Release: LightEdge Solutions Partners with Misys Healthcare to Host Electronic Medical Records - Software | NewswireToday</a></p>

LightEdge Solutions Partners with Misys Healthcare to Host Electronic Medical Records

You may hear a bit on this blog about Web 2.0 and software as a service, here's one electronic medical records company taking the produc...

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The Shock Factor of Shock Therapy

<p> Psychiatrist explains how this type of therapy is useful and dispels some old rumors and interpretations...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>I have been taking care of many severely ill patients with depression and bipolar disorder over the past month, patients hospitalized on the mood disorders service at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Three of these patients have had outstanding responses to ECT, or electroconvulsive therapy, also known as "shock" therapy. <a href="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R5-LyMwu8LI/AAAAAAAACcg/8DgBjvH_Hso/image%5B4%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="96" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R5-Lzcwu8MI/AAAAAAAACco/YkHdOuysSDw/image_thumb%5B2%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="158"></a> <p>Two of them came in hopeless, intensely miserable, and preoccupied with ending their lives, while the third came in with a depression so severe that it shut her down entirely — she was mute, not able to respond to my questions or even recognize that I was in the room with her.  <strong>I know it looks cruel and punitive as it is depicted in the 1975 movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but that's Hollywood — that's fiction —</strong> rather than an accurate rendering of ECT as we use it in psychiatry today.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Depression/Story?id=4199997&page=1">ABC News: The Shock Factor of Shock Therapy</a></p>

The Shock Factor of Shock Therapy

Psychiatrist explains how this type of therapy is useful and dispels some old rumors and interpretations...BD  I have been taking care of...

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Grant to help connect Evansville with statewide health network

<p> These folks found a federal grant to help with record integration and information exchange which  involves 33 hospitals and large number of physicians....we could use more of this!  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>EVANSVILLE, Ind. - A $1.3 million federal grant will help connect Evansville with a growing network of health care providers that share patient information online. <br>The grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be used over two years to connect Evansville with the nonprofit Indiana Health Information Exchange, officials said Monday. <br>The exchange, which consists of 33 hospitals, 7,200 physicians and 2,445 practices statewide, can deliver lab results, reports, medication histories, treatment histories and more in a standard, electronic format.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-healthdata-grant,0,220929.story">Grant to help connect Evansville with statewide health network -- chicagotribune.com</a></p>

Grant to help connect Evansville with statewide health network

These folks found a federal grant to help with record integration and information exchange which  involves 33 hospitals and large number of...

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More Hitting Cost Limit on Health Benefits

<p>Not something all of us will have to deal with, but what about those that do and it could happen to any of us with an accident as an example...back to who's going to pay the bill..is this similar to exceeding one's credit limit?  BD</p> <blockquote> <p><u>The predicament of those who burst through lifetime insurance caps is largely ignored in the debate about overhauling the U.S. health-care system,</u> which focuses mainly on improving access to insurance at a time when a record 47 million people lack coverage. <strong>But the new political appetite for reform is one reason the National Hemophilia Foundation has decided to revive a lobbying effort, previously pursued in the 1990s, to significantly increase the caps, said Glenn Mones, the group's vice president for public policy.</strong></p> <p>"We decided this year to start pushing it more vigorously again," Mones said. "The majority of people who have private insurance don't have super-low caps<strong>, but there are enough of them for it to be a problem.</strong> . . . Where you really have a problem is the people who have the $1 million and $2 million caps, especially if they develop complications. It's something that we have to pay a lot of attention to."</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/26/AR2008012601058.html">More Hitting Cost Limit on Health Benefits - washingtonpost.com</a></p>

More Hitting Cost Limit on Health Benefits

Not something all of us will have to deal with, but what about those that do and it could happen to any of us with an accident as an example...

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Operator of Walk-In Clinics Shuts 23 Located in Wal-Mart Stores

<p> Is this part of driving down lower prices?  Just like doctors offices they need 25 to 30 patients a day to pass the break even zone...otherwise no profit (sounds like a practice who sees many HMO patients)...Wal-Mart states they have not given up the idea and will look for a new clinic company to lease the existing space to.  Check Ups still holds the leases so perhaps they could sublet and recover some money to pay their employees who have not been compensated, but I guess that portion is left up to the legal side of things now...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>CheckUps, a start-up operator of walk-in medical clinics, has shut down 23 of the <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R593Iswu8JI/AAAAAAAACcQ/OoUWRMaaaQE/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="74" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R593JMwu8KI/AAAAAAAACcY/9eqdjiAQdqM/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="111"></a>clinics operating in <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/wal_mart_stores_inc/index.html?inline=nyt-org">Wal-Mart</a> stores in Florida and three other Southern states.  <p><strong>CheckUps, based in New York, fell behind in paying its nurses and other vendors late last year, apparently running short of cash to meet its bills, according to a lawyer for one of its creditors.</strong> <p>Nurses arriving for work at the clinics on Jan. 18 found them to be closed.  Wal-Mart has leased space to about 80 clinics in stores across the country, including the CheckUps clinics now closed. They are all operated by independent firms, including 13 by RediClinics, a unit of Steven Case’s Revolution Health company, and two by hospital companies in Wisconsin and Florida.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/business/29clinic.html?_r=1&ex=1359349200&en=0e1d5a43fa899f12&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin">Operator of Walk-In Clinics Shuts 23 Located in Wal-Mart Stores - New York Times</a></p>

Operator of Walk-In Clinics Shuts 23 Located in Wal-Mart Stores

Is this part of driving down lower prices?  Just like doctors offices they need 25 to 30 patients a day to pass the break even zone...other...

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HIMSS Analytics Doubles The Number Of Free Benchmark Reports Given To Healthcare Organizations

<p><u>HIMSS Analytics announced that it has more than doubled the benchmarking reports made available to healthcare providers</u>. The new reports include 27 additional hospital-level reports and 13 new reports that compare de-identified healthcare system IDS/datacenter information. These FREE hospital benchmarking reports are offered to all healthcare providers who complete HIMSS Analytics' Annual Study, which populates the HIMSS Analytics Database (derived from the Dorenfest IHDS+ Database™). The reports have enhanced, highly flexible peer-selection capabilities that enable users to define peers based on 32 characteristics. <br><strong>"IT senior executives need to know how they compare to peers with the same level of technology complexity, not just the same bed size,"</strong> said Dave Garets, president and CEO of HIMSS Analytics. "Our new benchmarking reports let participating executives sort the data to develop a targeted analysis that can help them tell their story."</p> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95409.php">HIMSS Analytics Doubles The Number Of Free Benchmark Reports Given To Healthcare Organizations</a></p>

HIMSS Analytics Doubles The Number Of Free Benchmark Reports Given To Healthcare Organizations

HIMSS Analytics announced that it has more than doubled the benchmarking reports made available to healthcare providers . The new reports in...

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Link Between Severe Acne and Prostate Cancer

<p> Tetracycline was one of the antibiotics of choice years ago and now studies are linking some of the potential downsides that have developed years later, something to be aware of...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>New research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore finds men who took tetracycline -- an antibiotic used to treat severe acne -- for four years or longer were 70 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer over a 10-year period than men who had taken the drug, or had taken it for a shorter time. <p>But the study’s authors urge caution in interpreting their findings. They note the small number of participants who had used tetracycline for at least four years -- 0.5-percent of the 34,629 men in the study -- the indirect assessment of severe acne, and the fact that acne can have several causes.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=17990">Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs - Link Between Severe Acne and Prostate Cancer</a></p>

Link Between Severe Acne and Prostate Cancer

Tetracycline was one of the antibiotics of choice years ago and now studies are linking some of the potential downsides that have developed...

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Caffeine Increases Blood Sugar In People With Type 2 Diabetes

<p> Coffee being studied once more...interesting thing about this study was the use of chips to collect the data...hmmmm.....guess it's ok as long as the chips are removed afterwards...and hope this was the only information being collected......hat's off to the volunteers here for their participation...coffee is such a mainstay and part of our daily lives so any information gathered to help folks with Diabetes 2 with regulating blood sugar stands to be information we can all benefit from...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>A small US study suggests that people with type 2 diabetes who drink the equivalent of<strong> four cups of coffee or more a day may be causing their blood sugar levels to go up</strong> by 8 per cent (compared to non caffeine days), thus making it harder for them to manage their condition.<a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R59xxswu8HI/AAAAAAAACcA/9PJzHDokIjI/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="123" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R59xyMwu8II/AAAAAAAACcI/Rkya0v_SEIc/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="149"></a> <br>The study was carried out by Dr James Lane, a psychologist at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues, and is published in the February issue of <i>Diabetes Care</i>.<br>Other recent studies have shown that in habitual coffee drinkers with type 2 diabetes, caffeine appears to raise glucose and insulin after intakes of standardized carbohydrate loads. Lane and colleagues decided to investigate if this effect manifested after meals in the everyday life of type 2 diabetics and how it might undermine their efforts to manage their condition. <p><strong>They used small glucose detection devices implanted under the abdominal skin of 10 patients so they could observe the rise and fall of their blood sugar while they went about their normal day for 72 hours</strong>, the first time such a thing has been done in relation to caffeine consumption, they said.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95380.php">Caffeine Increases Blood Sugar In People With Type 2 Diabetes</a></p>

Caffeine Increases Blood Sugar In People With Type 2 Diabetes

Coffee being studied once more...interesting thing about this study was the use of chips to collect the data...hmmmm.....guess it's ok ...

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Defense Department Funds Study Of Drug That May Prevent Radiation Injury

<p>DARPA is hot on this and the results could have some benefit to those undergoing radiation therapy...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>In preliminary tests at M.D. Anderson in July 2007, mice showed enhanced protection when exposed to lethal doses of ionizing radiation when they were given first-generation NTH drugs prior to exposure. <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R59vfswu8FI/AAAAAAAACbw/pBGcMct9Kd0/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="106" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R59vgcwu8GI/AAAAAAAACb4/XtTylzl2GfY/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="137"></a> <br>"Our preliminary results are remarkable, and that's why DARPA awarded us this grant with a very compressed timeline for delivery: nine months, which is almost unheard of for an academic study of this type," Tour said. "They are very interested in finding out whether this will work in a post-exposure delivery, and they don't want to waste any time." <br>Ionizing radiation is any form of radioactive particle or energy that converts an atom or molecule into an ion by altering the balance between the number of protons and electrons. In living organisms, ionization often results in the creation of free radicals -- highly reactive molecules that can wreak havoc by disrupting healthy physiological processes. These free radicals induce a cascade of deleterious biological events that cause further destruction to the organism in the days and weeks after initial radiation exposure event. <strong>NTH is designed to terminate the destructive biological cascade. <br>Tour said the researchers are also interested in finding out whether the new drugs can prevent the unwanted side effects that cancer patients suffer after undergoing radiation therapy.</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95425.php">Defense Department Funds Study Of Drug That May Prevent Radiation Injury</a></p>

Defense Department Funds Study Of Drug That May Prevent Radiation Injury

DARPA is hot on this and the results could have some benefit to those undergoing radiation therapy...BD  In preliminary tests at M.D. Ande...

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FDA Grants Medtronic Approval To Begin Clinical Trial Of First Pacemaker System Designed For Safe Use In MRI Machines

<p> People with pacemakers and other devices cannot have an MRI due to potential interference, so perhaps this study and trial will create some good results..BD</p> <blockquote> <p>Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced the start of a United States clinical trial to confirm the safety and efficacy of the Medtronic EnRhythm MRI(TM) SureScan(TM) pacing system, the first-ever pacemaker system to be developed and tested specifically for safe use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines under specified scanning conditions. </p> <p>The first implant in the U.S. clinical trial was performed by Brian Ramza, M.D., Ph.D., director of Electrophysiology Laboratory Services at the Mid America Heart Institute, Saint Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. </p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95445.php">FDA Grants Medtronic Approval To Begin Clinical Trial Of First Pacemaker System Designed For Safe Use In MRI Machines</a></p>

FDA Grants Medtronic Approval To Begin Clinical Trial Of First Pacemaker System Designed For Safe Use In MRI Machines

People with pacemakers and other devices cannot have an MRI due to potential interference, so perhaps this study and trial will create some...

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House Republicans Introduce Sonogram Measure

<p>This sounds a little crazy to me, why not let the doctor make this decision, besides we have folks needing MRI and other diagnostic treatments that I feel should take center stage first...and fine the doctor on top of all this...give me a break..and the doctors too...BD  </p> <blockquote>Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.) last week introduced an antiabortion rights bill (<a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.05032:">HR 5032</a>) that would require physicians to perform ultrasounds on women before performing an abortion, the <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/906501.html">Raleigh <cite>News & Observer</cite></a> reports.  <u>Under the bill, physicians could be fined up to $100,000 for a first offense</u> of not following the legislation's provisions, and patients could file civil actions against doctors who perform the procedure without following the requirements (Teague et al., Raleigh <cite>News & Observer</cite>, 1/28).</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95336.php">House Republicans Introduce Sonogram Measure</a></p>

House Republicans Introduce Sonogram Measure

This sounds a little crazy to me, why not let the doctor make this decision, besides we have folks needing MRI and other diagnostic treatmen...

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Washington Post Examines Lack Of Congressional Action On Health Insurance Tax Deduction Proposal

<p>Don't think this is what Congress had in mind...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/27/AR2008012701782.html"><cite>Washington Post</cite></a> on Monday examined the lack of congressional action on a <a href="http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=42485">proposal</a> from President Bush that would provide federal tax deductions to help U.S. residents purchase health insurance, "with administration officials falling short in their efforts to sell the idea to key lawmakers, failing even to get a committee hearing." The proposal would provide tax deductions of $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for families to help residents purchase individual health insurance or coverage through employers<strong>. In addition, the proposal would eliminate tax breaks for employer-sponsored health insurance in some cases</strong>.<br>The proposal "would have been a major change in both the tax code and the health care system, difficult to achieve under the best of political circumstances," and "last year was hardly that," with Democrats "not eager to compromise with a Republican president on a signature Democratic issue" and the "lack of working relationships" between administration officials and Democrats, according to the <cite>Post</cite>. <br><strong>A senior Senate Republican aide said, "If there was any kind of failure here, it was really a failure to recognize that while it was a great contribution to the debate ... an idea of that magnitude was going to need a lot of work," adding, "It couldn't be put together in a few weeks, and it wasn't going to be politically viable last year in any sort of meaningful way"</strong> (Lee, <cite>Washington Post</cite>, 1/28).</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95366.php">Washington Post Examines Lack Of Congressional Action On Health Insurance Tax Deduction Proposal</a></p>

Washington Post Examines Lack Of Congressional Action On Health Insurance Tax Deduction Proposal

Don't think this is what Congress had in mind...BD  The Washington Post on Monday examined the lack of congressional action on a prop...

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Middle Aged Misery: Why 44 is Worst Age

<p> Perhaps this is the age that we all come to terms that we are getting older...<u>getting old sucks</u> and what more can one say...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><strong>They found that men and women in their 40s were more likely to be depressed and weren't as happy as other ages.</strong> Middle age is such a low point for well-being that it's at the bottom of a U-shaped curve that indicates greater happiness among the young and old. <p>"It's midlife per se," says co-author Andrew Oswald, an economist at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. "It's something deep beyond all the controls in our equation. It's a developing midlife low. It doesn't just happen one year and go away another." <p><strong>For both sexes, the probability of depression peaks around age 44.</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Depression/story?id=4208216&page=1">ABC News: Middle Aged Misery: Why 44 is Worst Age</a></p>

Middle Aged Misery: Why 44 is Worst Age

Perhaps this is the age that we all come to terms that we are getting older... getting old sucks and what more can one say...BD  They fo...

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Marriott E-Health Record System Spots Medical Mishaps

<p> Run by Aetna, Dr. makes some good points here...he gets alerts on patients he doesn't even know and suggests the patients should be notified first...and then once more there's the liability question down the road, if the patient was alerted and did not react or react soon enough, will they be denied coverage...that is the big question in every consumer's mind..program good in theory but with liability looming and dividends at stake, can a plan run by insurers succeed?  <u>And the physician also receives alerts to potentially change the patient to a generic drug as well...</u>sure there will be some good results, but how does this affect care later down the road if the data determines the patient or physician for that matter exceeded a selected time frame?  BD      </p> <blockquote> <p>Also, King suggests that patients receive the alerts even before the doctor is notified. "Patients need to be responsible for their health," he says. Right now, he says, he currently receives alerts from some of his patient's insurers, especially when those companies are interested in changing a patient's prescription drug from a name brand to less expensive generic, he says. <p><strong>Occasionally, King has received alerts from insurers about patients he hasn't even met or treated, he says.</strong> When incidents like that happen, "it opens a Pandora's box," <strong>about liability he says, another reason why patients should be the first alerted to suggestions about alternative treatments, additional tests, or other concerns.</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=HPG4YSDYOCXRMQSNDLPSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=205920563&pgno=2&queryText=">Marriott E-Health Record System Spots Medical Mishaps -- Electronic Health Record</a></p>

Marriott E-Health Record System Spots Medical Mishaps

Run by Aetna, Dr. makes some good points here...he gets alerts on patients he doesn't even know and suggests the patients should be not...

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9 deaths at VA hospital in Downstate Marion due to substandard care

<p> Sounds like the questions here is how did the surgeons get approved to provide procedures they were not specifically trained for at this facility?  VA now has a toll free number for patients to call with their concerns...hope it helps...and 6 surgeons are no longer at this facility...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>The inspector general in the Department of Veterans Affairs issued a separate report that came to many of the same conclusions. Both reports called for a series of reforms.<br><a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R59fEswu8DI/AAAAAAAACbg/1F24EHfOOhg/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="144" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R59fFswu8EI/AAAAAAAACbo/UXh2Dd85vO0/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="121"></a>The reports describe a dysfunctional, sometimes dangerous, environment in which the hospital hired physicians without fully checking their credentials, allowed surgeons to perform procedures for which they were not trained and failed to act on information that suggested that patients were at risk. <p>The reports outline a litany of problems<strong>. In one case, an unnamed surgeon received privileges to perform colonoscopies even though he had not been allowed to do the procedure at his previous hospital. A Marion employee reported that the surgeon had difficulty identifying colon anatomy and maneuvering the colonoscope.  </strong> <p><strong>Officials said personnel actions have been taken against 12 hospital employees, including six surgeons. Two of the surgeons are no longer practicing there.</strong> The other four are allowed to do only minor surgeries.  <u>The VA has set up a toll-free phone number for people who are concerned about the care they received to get additional information. The number is 800-983-0932.</u></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-marion_va_webjan29,1,7584062.story?ctrack=1&cset=true">9 deaths at VA hospital in Downstate Marion due to substandard care -- chicagotribune.com</a></p>

9 deaths at VA hospital in Downstate Marion due to substandard care

Sounds like the questions here is how did the surgeons get approved to provide procedures they were not specifically trained for at this fa...

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Marshfield Clinic Nominated for Healthcare Innovation Award for Chartless Care Initiative Based on Tablet PCs

<p> One more hospital <strong>success story based on the use of Tablet PCs</strong>...and they saved a bunch of money while they were at it...not to mention better health care...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Healthcare IT Summit(TM) is produced by Vision Events(R), a Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) company, and the Healthcare Innovation Awards are voted on by the attending senior IT executives.  "The products, services, and programs on display at Healthcare IT Summit reflect the rapidly evolving state of the art in the industry," said Charles Badoian, vice president program management for Healthcare IT Summit. "A Healthcare Innovation Award signifies that the attendees viewed the winners as having a high level of excellence in their categories." <p>"Our chartless initiative using reliable, durable Fujitsu <strong>Tablet PCs is changing the way we practice medicine,"</strong> said Meller. "<strong>We have reduced the rate of hospitalization and re-hospitalizations, and saved more than $6 million in hospital care costs.</strong> We hope that our success serves as a model for other healthcare facilities.  Tablet PCs allow mobile caregivers in the Marshfield Clinic system to <u>access electronic medical records including reports and images, perform dictation, and enter orders and prescriptions electronically.</u> <strong>The Tablet PCs have also eliminated the cost of fixed workstations for every exam room.</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0353136.htm">Marshfield Clinic Nominated for Healthcare Innovation Award for Chartless Care Initiative Based on Fujitsu Tablet PCs</a></p>

Marshfield Clinic Nominated for Healthcare Innovation Award for Chartless Care Initiative Based on Tablet PCs

One more hospital success story based on the use of Tablet PCs ...and they saved a bunch of money while they were at it...not to mention be...

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Internet helps doctor get back to basics

<p> He uses a secured server that goes through the web, as he states sometimes folks at work have access to email of others, this way it's done by the patient and nobody else sees the email...he doesn't take insurance, but helps with filling out the forms for reimbursement...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dr. Howard Stark's office is quiet. Very quiet. No patients sit in his waiting room. No receptionist answers the telephone. Stark does not have a receptionist. Stark has moved most of his practice, based in Washington, onto the <a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R56Ahswu8BI/AAAAAAAACbQ/85MUn6afE2Q/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="147" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R56Aiswu8CI/AAAAAAAACbY/o6RVWLbCSr4/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="200"></a>Internet and he couldn't be happier. Since he started his Web-based service two years ago, he has received 14,000 e-mails.   Stark has some other advantages that other doctors lack -- he does not accept any insurance, public or private, although he will help fill out the paperwork that allows patients to claim reimbursement from their insurers. That freed him up to go solo in his practice, and a few well-placed real estate investments allowed him to go part-time. <p>He does not charge for answering an e-mail. "You have to come in one time a year for an annual exam," Stark said.  The rest is free -- prescription refills, quick questions about medication, even questions about unusual stings.  "<strong>What do I get? A picture of the scorpion that bit the patient in Belize," Stark laughed. "I said, 'it would have been better to send me a picture of your leg."'</strong> <p>But no one has to wait until business hours. "I'll refill your prescription from Barcelona," he said.  <strong>How about his lone assistant? Is she overworked?  "I love it. I love it. I love it," Norris-Bell said.</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080129/wr_nm/doctor_internet_dc">Internet helps doctor get back to basics - Yahoo! News</a></p>

Internet helps doctor get back to basics

He uses a secured server that goes through the web, as he states sometimes folks at work have access to email of others, this way it's ...

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New treatment can clear brain clots

<p> Approved by the FDA in late December 2007....doctor's discrimination required as sometimes this is not always the best method...each patient is different...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>WASHINGTON - It's a tiny vacuum cleaner for the brain: A new treatment for stroke victims promises to suction out clogged arteries in hopes of stopping the brain attack before it does permanent harm. "Your ability to succeed with taking the clot out depends on what's going on in the brain," he cautions.<a href="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R55shcwu7_I/AAAAAAAACbA/91veYxTtaLo/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="118" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R55siswu8AI/AAAAAAAACbI/ygBD3F2XmXc/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="193"></a> <p>Enter Penumbra, an option for patients who miss out on early care — <strong>it can be tried up to eight hours after a stroke strikes</strong> — or if standard TPA treatment fails. <p>Specialists thread a tiny tube inside a blood vessel at the groin and push it up the body and into the brain until it reaches the clog. Just like a vacuum cleaner, it sucks up the clot bit by bit to restore blood flow.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_on_he_me/healthbeat_stroke_buster_1">New treatment can clear brain clots - Yahoo! News</a> </p> <p>Web Site:  <a href="http://www.penumbrainc.com/clinical_trial.html">http://www.penumbrainc.com/clinical_trial.html</a></p>

New treatment can clear brain clots

Approved by the FDA in late December 2007....doctor's discrimination required as sometimes this is not always the best method...each pa...

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Heparin Recall

<p> Batch and lot numbers available at the source story below...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>January 28, 2008<b> (Deerfield, IL)</b> - Baxter Healthcare is recalling nine lots of heparin sodium injection 1000 units/mL 10-mL and 30-mL multidose vials from the US market due to an increase in the number of reports of adverse reactions and one possible death that may be associated with the product [1]. <p>The company, which began recalling the lots on January 17, said it normally receives 60 to 70 reports during a given year of possible reactions to heparin, but it has received around 150 such reports already in January.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/569325?src=rss">Heparin Recall</a></p>

Heparin Recall

Batch and lot numbers available at the source story below...BD  January 28, 2008 (Deerfield, IL) - Baxter Healthcare is recalling nine ...

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First Cell Phone That Reads To The Blind And Dyslexic

<p> A phone that will read content to the blind user through a single button access with braille buttons available....BD</p> <blockquote> <p>K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc., a company combining the research and development efforts of the National Federation of the Blind and Kurzweil Technologies, Inc., unveils an exciting product line that will revolutionize access to print for anyone who has difficulty seeing or reading print, including the blind and learning disabled. The company's world-renowned reading software has been especially designed for and paired with the Nokia N82 mobile phone to create the <strong>smallest text-to-speech reading device in history.</strong> A press conference to demonstrate the Reader Mobile product line, including the knfbREADER and the kREADER, will be held on January 28 at 10:00 a.m. <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R55XW8wu79I/AAAAAAAACaw/rDuI8KZoQJs/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="244" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R55XZMwu7-I/AAAAAAAACa4/fR3hSXPznx8/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="166"></a> <br>This truly pocket-size <strong>Reader enables users to take pictures of and read most printed materials at the push of a button. Blind users hear the contents of the document read in clear synthetic speech, while users who can see the screen and those with learning disabilities can enlarge, read, track, and highlight printed materials using the phone's large and easy-to-read display</strong>. The combination of text-to-speech and tracking features makes interpreting text much easier for individuals with learning disabilities.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95330.php">First Cell Phone That Reads To The Blind And Dyslexic Released By Joint Venture Of Kurzweil Technologies And The National Federation Of The Blind</a> </p> <p>Web Site:  <a href="http://www.knfbreader.com/products-mobile.php">http://www.knfbreader.com/products-mobile.php</a></p>

First Cell Phone That Reads To The Blind And Dyslexic

A phone that will read content to the blind user through a single button access with braille buttons available....BD K-NFB Reading Techno...

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An Alzheimer's Hat -- Will It Work?

<p> Trials to begin this summer...one thing for sure someone with Alzheimer's would be easily identified...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>What if the secret to stopping the progression of Alzheimer's disease — and perhaps even reversing its ravages — lay in the use of a special hat? <a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R55VVswu77I/AAAAAAAACac/ziixMriZi0A/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="162" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R55VWswu78I/AAAAAAAACak/YMxSebQ8Q5k/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="218"></a> <p>Too crazy, too goofy, too good to be true, warn experts on the debilitating disease. <p>"We got all kinds of phone calls from families," he says. "To report this dishonestly is really a disservice to the public." <p>And he says the news of the Alzheimer's hat will likely turn out to be another disappointment for a hopeful public. </p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/GadgetGuide/story?id=4202266&page=1">ABC News: An Alzheimer's Hat -- Will It Work?</a></p>

An Alzheimer's Hat -- Will It Work?

Trials to begin this summer...one thing for sure someone with Alzheimer's would be easily identified...BD  What if the secret to stop...

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Will the Doctors drop Medicare....

<p> Some already have...not because they want to, but when the profitability goes away...is there a choice?  The doctors are not the bad guys here, it's the payment system...BD  </p> <blockquote>Some on Capitol Hill expect Congress to slap a similar payment patch on Medicare in June, although one prominent House Democrat would prefer to let the Medicare cuts happen. "I'm inclined to do nothing," Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., told CongressDaily. "My colleagues, my staff say, <strong>'Oh, dear, the doctors would all drop Medicare.' I don't believe it. I don't believe that doctors are willing to give up half their income.</strong>" Stark acknowledged his sentiments are in the minority among his colleagues.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.aafp.org/fpm/20080100/news.html">News & Trends - January 2008 - Family Practice Management</a> </p> <p>Hat Tip:  <a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/01/pete-stark-dares-physicians-to-drop.html">Kevin, MD</a></p>

Will the Doctors drop Medicare....

Some already have...not because they want to, but when the profitability goes away...is there a choice?  The doctors are not the bad guys h...

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Hospital Groups Lobby Against Expansion of Medicare Audit Program

<p> Is the audit program soliciting better health care or justification for non payment to hospitals?  17 million in over payments, 14 million in underpayments...is the program worth 3 million a year?  Supposedly they are paid on how much they save the government...is this better healthcare or just another way to cut costs...nobody wants to pay the healthcare bill....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Don May, vice president for policy at the American Hospital Association, said, "Any kind of question is a reason for denial," even in subjective decisions such as determining medical necessity. May added, "Going at it from this kind of perspective really isn't, I don't believe, in the best interest of taxpayers."<a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R54pxMwu75I/AAAAAAAACaM/Yn54lHgYGbU/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="172" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R54pycwu76I/AAAAAAAACaU/tYLN40Flrag/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="141"></a> </p> <p><strong>Hospital groups also say that the program does not allow providers to fix errors</strong>, that many claims reviews were not conducted by qualified medical personnel and that <strong>auditors have not been required to publicize what areas they are targeting</strong>.  Don May, vice president for policy at the American Hospital Association, said, <strong>"Any kind of question is a reason for denial,"</strong> even in subjective decisions such as determining medical necessity. May added, "Going at it from this kind of perspective really isn't, I don't believe, in the best interest of taxpayers."</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2008/1/28/Hospital-Groups-Lobby-Against-Expansion-of-Medicare-Audit-Program.aspx?topicID=46">Hospital Groups Lobby Against Expansion of Medicare Audit Program - California Healthline</a></p>

Hospital Groups Lobby Against Expansion of Medicare Audit Program

Is the audit program soliciting better health care or justification for non payment to hospitals?  17 million in over payments, 14 million ...

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Double amputee walks again due to Bluetooth

<p>Bluetooth...coming to a prosthetic device near you soon.....this is the same technology used in your cell phone...years ago I used to wonder if Bluetooth would every find it's niche...it has done that and then some...<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/01/25/bluetooth.legs/index.html#cnnSTCVideo">watch the video....</a>great help for injured veterans and the Bluetooth legs enable him to walk farther and longer....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><b>WASHINGTON (CNN)</b> -- Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill lost both his legs above the knees when a bomb exploded under his Humvee while on patrol in Iraq on October 15, 2006. He has 32 pins in his hip and a 6-inch screw holding his pelvis together.<a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R54m78wu73I/AAAAAAAACZ8/CvqoTON5kSY/image%5B4%5D?imgmax=800"><img alt="image" border="0" height="289" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R54nAcwu74I/AAAAAAAACaE/OZAIH8KOSHA/image_thumb%5B2%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" width="495"></a> </p> <p>Bleill's set of prosthetics have Bluetooth receivers strapped to the ankle area. The Bluetooth device on each leg tells the other leg what it's doing, how it's moving, whether walking, standing or climbing steps, for example.  Because of built-in motors, the Bluetooth legs allow Bleill to walk longer before he tires.  Aside from the Bluetooth technology, Bleill's legs have one other thing in common with a cell phone. They need to be charged overnight. Currently, there are no spare batteries available.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/01/25/bluetooth.legs/index.html#cnnSTCText">Double amputee walks again due to Bluetooth - CNN.com</a> </p> <p>Web Site:  <a href="http://ossur.com/prosthetics">http://ossur.com/prosthetics</a></p> <p>Hat Tip:  <a href="http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2008/01/bluetooth_the_next_advancement_for_prothetics.html">Medgadget</a></p>

Double amputee walks again due to Bluetooth

Bluetooth...coming to a prosthetic device near you soon.....this is the same technology used in your cell phone...years ago I used to wonder...

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Who gets what level of care - UK

<p> Some doctors in the UK want to withhold medical care from those who had lead an unhealthy lifestyle...and this blogger states it may even appeal to the Bush Administration..one in 3 physicians in the UK claim medical care should not be given to the elderly if they feel it will not be long term...when you hear things like this it makes you wonder where is the morality of helping your fellow man or woman...<strong>who's turn is it today to play "God"...and thank goodness all physicians don't feel this way</strong>...when it comes right down to the facts, it's all about money and in no country is there going to be a full society of "perfect" citizens, and have all the citizens paid for this with taxes?  <strong>Strange it appears they still want the money from the "unhealthy" but will refuse treatment....</strong>.so what's up with that?  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><strong>The British have a solution to their health care crisis--cut off the undeserving sick and send the old off on ice floes the way Eskimos did a century ago.</strong><br>In a new survey, doctors call for National Health Service treatment to be <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/27/nhs127.xml">withheld</a> from patients who are too old or who lead unhealthy lives, an idea that may appeal to the Bush Administration as a solution to runaway Medicare costs. <p>But all is not lost, even in Britain. Responding to the survey findings, a doctor speaking for the British Medical Association said: "<strong>If a patient of 90 needs a hip operation they should get one. Yes, they might peg out any time, but it's not our job to play God."</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://leftword.blogdig.net/archives/articles/January2008/27/Notes_From_the_Ice_Floe_HMO.html">Notes From the Ice Floe HMO</a></p>

Who gets what level of care - UK

Some doctors in the UK want to withhold medical care from those who had lead an unhealthy lifestyle...and this blogger states it may even a...

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U.S. should have Medicare for all ages

<p> Good points here...can Medicare work for all?  BD</p> <blockquote>There is a somewhat illogical argument being made against expanding Medicare to include all citizens and taxpayers in the U.S., which is that Social Security and Medicare are going to go broke. This argument makes no sense. For one thing, if this were true, how could the federal government keep borrowing from Social Security and Medicare? <strong>The fact is, Medicare has the money and the federal government doesn't.</strong></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_8094647">Press-Telegram - U.S. should have Medicare for all ages</a></p>

U.S. should have Medicare for all ages

Good points here...can Medicare work for all?  BD There is a somewhat illogical argument being made against expanding Medicare to include ...

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Kidney racket scandal shocks country - India

<p> More on the black market for kidneys...scary...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The uncovering of an illegal kidney transplant racket in a booming IT city has gripped India, with reports hundreds of poor laborers may have been duped or forced into donating organs to wealthy clients, including foreigners. <p>Hundreds of people from across northern India had their kidneys removed at a private house, which had a state-of-the-art operating theatre hidden inside, after being lured to Gurgaon, a city of hi-tech companies just outside New Delhi.  At least five foreigners --<strong> two U.S. and three Greek citizens -- were found in a luxury guesthouse operated by the doctor running the racket, Lal was quoted as saying by local media.  Many victims complained they were taken to the house with promises of a job, and then duped or forced at gunpoint to sell their kidneys.</strong> <p>"They tested my blood, gave me an injection and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I had pain in my lower abdomen and I was told that my kidney had been removed."  Suspicious neighbors said they had noticed blood running out of the house's gutters, as well as blood-soaked bandages and even bits of flesh thrown into an open plot near the house.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2844854320080128?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0">Kidney racket scandal shocks country | Oddly Enough | Reuters</a></p>

Kidney racket scandal shocks country - India

More on the black market for kidneys...scary...BD  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The uncovering of an illegal kidney transplant racket in a boomi...

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Medi-Cal Cuts Will Exacerbate Health Care Crisis In California Health Care Providers Will Testify, USA

<p> It already appears that the legislation for California's insurance plan is facing a dim future and many predict it will not stand a chance of being approved...less money...less healthcare..not too difficult to figure that one out...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Doctors and other health care providers will testify before an Assembly subcommittee that the proposed 10% rate cuts will create more barriers for low income Californians to access health care and would force tens of thousands of patients to seek care at more expensive emergency rooms. <br>"Cutting the budget for Medi-Cal will only exacerbate the problems the Governor's health reform plan was designed to solve," said Richard Frankenstein, M.D., president of the California Medical Association. "Fewer Medi-Cal dollars will mean less access to doctors for low-income families, more patients in emergency rooms, and higher health care costs for everyone." <p><strong>"Our clinic opened just three years ago. Because there are few primary care physicians in our area who accept Medi-Cal, we are already full and have had to close our doors to new patients. We turn away new patients every week who come searching for a primary care provider who accepts Medi-Cal."</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95297.php">Medi-Cal Cuts Will Exacerbate Health Care Crisis In California Health Care Providers Will Testify, USA</a></p>

Medi-Cal Cuts Will Exacerbate Health Care Crisis In California Health Care Providers Will Testify, USA

It already appears that the legislation for California's insurance plan is facing a dim future and many predict it will not stand a cha...

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Community Hospitals Transfer More Patients To Trauma Centers, Despite Their Own Ability To Treat The Injuries

There might be another issue here as well...funds and money available to community hospitals..BD <blockquote>Researchers suggest that this trend could be a result of recent changes in the <strong>Emergency Medical and Active Labor Treatment Act (EMTALA) that no longer require community hospitals to provide emergency specialty <a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R537r8wu71I/AAAAAAAACZs/3E4OOHzyfAU/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="124" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R537scwu72I/AAAAAAAACZ0/UbQeV1njC0s/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="133"></a> coverage</strong>. Furthermore, because emergency specialty coverage is not funded to the same degree as routine specialty care, many <strong>physicians view emergency coverage as a threat to their practice and in turn, forego emergency room call</strong>. As a result, hospitals are facing ongoing shortage of on-call emergency room physicians and are in the difficult position of having to transfer patients with minor injuries to regional trauma centers for evaluation.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95259.php">Community Hospitals Transfer More Patients To Trauma Centers, Despite Their Own Ability To Treat The Injuries</a></p>

Community Hospitals Transfer More Patients To Trauma Centers, Despite Their Own Ability To Treat The Injuries

There might be another issue here as well...funds and money available to community hospitals..BD Researchers suggest that this trend could b...

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Center For Medicare Advocacy Calls For Support For Traditional Medicare in Anticipation Of The State Of The Union, USA

<p> Prediction for more of the same...more cuts to standard Medicare and pumping more money in to private plans from the President...years ago Medicare was professed as being doomed and inefficient, but look what we have now...back then we didn't have anything to compare with, but we sure have the grounds for comparison by today's standards...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>In anticipation of the President's State of the Union Address on Monday, <strong>Judith Stein, Center for Medicare Advocacy Executive Director, calls for an economic stimulus package that will help the nation's seniors, disabled people and taxpayers. <br></strong>"To help taxpayers in the long-term, the president should redirect the $150 billion in subsidies to private health plans that undermine traditional Medicare, threaten Medicare's financial viability, and burden taxpayers," says Stein.<strong> "Instead of giving $150 billion to corporations, give it back to taxpayers." <br></strong>According to Stein, "Although the proposed economic rebates will help some seniors and taxpayers, <strong>support for traditional Medicare would truly help all.</strong> Traditional Medicare covers beneficiaries in an easily accessible, cost-effective program wherever they get sick or injured." <br>"Private Medicare plans don't work as well as traditional Medicare for most people, and end up costing taxpayers more money - at least $150 billion more over the next nine years," says Stein. <strong>"Instead of putting subsidies into industry coffers, use that money to help seniors and taxpayers."</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95284.php">Center For Medicare Advocacy Calls For Support For Traditional Medicarein Anticipation Of The State Of The Union, USA</a></p>

Center For Medicare Advocacy Calls For Support For Traditional Medicare in Anticipation Of The State Of The Union, USA

Prediction for more of the same...more cuts to standard Medicare and pumping more money in to private plans from the President...years ago ...

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