FDA Approves Roche/Genentech Drug Erivedge to Treat Advanced Skin Cancer Not Treatable with Surgery

<p>Basal cell carcinoma is rarely fatal and in many cases surgery is the cure but in some patients is can spread beyond the skin area in to other areas of the body and this is where the new oral drug comes in to help fight and shrink tumors.  <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-M2VxeO_HZsM/TyjlIA_eBOI/AAAAAAAA5H0/QlLhS1tBZ_w/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-w566Gzzbloo/TyjlIamaV8I/AAAAAAAA5H8/idgZ4TmjdPU/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="140" height="141" /></a></p> <p>When the cancer has metastasized, this is about the only option available.  There are a few side effects like loss of hair and food tasting different but the benefits seem to certainly outweigh. The pill is taken once a day and the cost will be around $7k a month.  I do hope insurers start to cover this as it has been an issue in California with covering oral cancer medications.  BD </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/01/california-legislature-urging-health.html"><font size="2">California Legislature Urging Health Insurance Companies to Cover Chemotherapy–Especially With Breast Cancer Treatments</font></a></h4> <p><strong></strong></p> <blockquote> <p>The Food and Drug Administration has for the first time approved a drug to treat advanced cases of the most common skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, the agency announced Monday.</p> <p>The drug, a capsule called Erivedge (generically known as vismodegib), treats basal cell carcinoma that has metastasized (spread through the body), or that cannot be treated with surgery.</p> <p>In a clinical study in 96 people, 30 percent of those with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (which had spread to surrounding tissue), and 43 percent of those with metastatic cancer (which had spread to distant sites in the body) saw their tumors shrink or heal while taking the drug, according to a statement from the FDA. Patients took one pill by mouth each day.  </p> <p>Doctors treat non-metastatic cases with surgery, radiation or topical treatments, and have an extremely high success rate. But no other treatments exist for inoperable cases, such as people with tumors that have extended into the brain, or people who would become disfigured from surgery</p> <p>Basal cell carcinoma is linked to mutations in genes that are part of a signaling pathway called the hedgehog pathway. Erivedge works by inhibiting the hedgehog pathway.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10280479-fda-approves-first-drug-for-inoperable-skin-cancer">http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10280479-fda-approves-first-drug-for-inoperable-skin-cancer</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e113e689-ac81-4eae-be55-70906e5ef77e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Roche" rel="tag">Roche</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Genentech" rel="tag">Genentech</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cancer" rel="tag">cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/skin+cancer" rel="tag">skin cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/oral+drugs" rel="tag">oral drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/insurance" rel="tag">insurance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/basal+cells" rel="tag">basal cells</a></div>

FDA Approves Roche/Genentech Drug Erivedge to Treat Advanced Skin Cancer Not Treatable with Surgery

Basal cell carcinoma is rarely fatal and in many cases surgery is the cure but in some patients is can spread beyond the skin area in to oth...

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California Federal Judge Issues Tentative Rule that Blocks Cutting Medicaid Payments

<p>In November of last year the CHA also filed suit against the cutting of Medicaid in California.  Do you know how hard it is to find doctors in California who will honor Medicaid?  Ask a doctor trying to find a referral for a child, it’s hard.<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ctm8f_Ygkts/Tyjb37EOsAI/AAAAAAAA5Hk/GUew_Qs3J6k/s1600-h/image%25255B6%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4M2CT0_ZcKQ/Tyjb4HS1ktI/AAAAAAAA5Hs/AJunLVVaUVs/image_thumb%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="144" height="194" /></a></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/11/california-hospital-association-sues.html">California Hospital Association Sues HHS With Kathleen Sebelius Named To Block a 10% Cut With Medi-Cal Reimbursements</a></h4> <p>This has a big impact on hospitals too, many of which are not in the best financial picture to day.  Shoot even a couple weeks ago Cedars decided to no longer support mental health care at the hospital so cut backs are all over the place.  BD </p> <blockquote> <p>A federal judge in California issued a tentative ruling that blocks the state of California from cutting Medicaid payments by 10% for physicians, clinics, pharmacists, dentists, ambulance providers and durable medical equipment suppliers. <br />Trade associations representing the providers sued the California Department of Health Care Services and HHS arguing that the cuts violated federal law requiring that Medicaid programs ensure access to services, and that federal officials failed to appropriately consider the impact of the cuts in approving them. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20120131/NEWS/301319974/judge-blocks-california-from-cutting-medicaid-payments">http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20120131/NEWS/301319974/judge-blocks-california-from-cutting-medicaid-payments</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:c4b872a4-389d-465b-b333-64a6ac48de90" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medicaid" rel="tag">Medicaid</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/California" rel="tag">California</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/judge" rel="tag">judge</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ruling" rel="tag">ruling</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/physicians" rel="tag">physicians</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HHS" rel="tag">HHS</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/insurance" rel="tag">insurance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/federal+laws" rel="tag">federal laws</a></div>

California Federal Judge Issues Tentative Rule that Blocks Cutting Medicaid Payments

In November of last year the CHA also filed suit against the cutting of Medicaid in California.  Do you know how hard it is to find doctors ...

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Komen Foundation Cuts of Funds to Planned Parenthood - Wall Street Was Lit up in “Pink” Last Week For Fund Raising from Hedge Funds and Other Financial Companies

<p>This makes you wonder where in the world philanthropy is going today and how much will remain.  The reasoning is very strange here and if they don’t want to spend the money, be honest and say so.  Planned Parenthood said it was all the anti abortion talk that caused them to withdraw.  <img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TSQipvOdlKI/AAAAAAAAngw/iyazuIZe0rI/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" /></p> <p><strong><u><em>We all know that abortion is the “default topic” for all of our digital illiterate Congressmen.</em></u></strong>  </p> <p>When things with finance and technology come up they just default back to the same old topic because they don’t participate at a very high level if at all in the real world we live in with algorithms driving almost every move and opportunity out there and depriving many.  Yes I have written quite frequently about our digital illiterates in Congress and the “default” topic.  See what they talk about in Congress via the image below, enlightening is is not and shows a huge resistance to talk about <img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ROQ09n8bxEs/Td8618FLx4I/AAAAAAAAyII/2pjZoyIV7XU/image_thumb%25255B10%25255D.png?imgmax=800" />important issues.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/05/digital-illiteracy-still-plagues-law.html"><font size="2">Digital Illiteracy Still Plagues Law Makers–Severe Focus on Abortion Rights Proves It–Is This Where Our Lawmaking Knowledge Leaves Off or Even Begins? Scary…</font></a></h4> <p>The the Komen Foundation said it was against their “rules” to donate money for any organizations being investigated so should we investigate the Komen foundation while we are at it.  Many now will not receive breast cancer screenings.  </p> <p>But wait, this gets better as<strong> <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204652904577191463238902208.html"><u>over at the Wall Street Journal the New York Stock Exchange was lit up in pink last week..hmmmm</u></a></strong><u>.</u>  This was the 4th annual Painting Wall Street Pink night.  Did this have any influence here, I guess only the hedge fund shadow may know.  As you can read below the quote, “it made for a great photo op”….Let’s hope that there are not any conditional donations taking place for sure.  </p> <p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204652904577191463238902208.html"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-j1Q4JLjl_Dg/TyjBLs87vOI/AAAAAAAA5Hc/iGmczFPd2mg/image%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="390" height="297" /></a></p> <p><em>“Despite all the supposed Wall Street types, few of the young professionals, it seemed, had been to the trading floor other than for the annual benefit. It made for one great photo op. Guests lined up to "ring" the trading bell like they were waiting to sit on Santa's lap. They snapped pictures with the many ticker screens and the floor's telephones.”</em></p> <p><strong>Last year at this time they were suing over the use of the word “Cure” and Stephen Colbert and rightly so made a good case out of how this was not inline with charities.</strong>  Gosh forbid don’t use the word “Cure” as now it seems like with charities that’s a four letter word.  These were all small mom and pop charities too.  I have always kept a link on this site for the Komen Foundation but maybe I should move that one out and put a link in for Planned Parenthood instead.  <strong><em>Below is a clip from the Colbert show on the million dollars spent with lawsuits over the four letter word from the Komen Foundation last January.  BD</em></strong></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/01/susan-g-komen-foundation-attacking.html"><font size="2">Susan G. Komen Foundation Attacking Other Charities Over Use Of The Word 'Cure'</font></a></h4> <div style="background-color: #000000; width: 368px"> <div style="padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:369693" width="360" height="293" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed> <p style="text-align: left; padding-bottom: 4px; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12px; padding-top: 4px"><b><a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/369693/january-03-2011/tip-wag---susan-g--komen-foundation---spider-man-musical">The Colbert Report</a></b> <br />Get More: <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/">Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href="http://www.indecisionforever.com/">Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/video">Video Archive</a></p> </div> </div> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.plannedparenthood.org/">Planned Parenthood</a> contends that the Komen foundation is yielding to longstanding pressure from anti-abortion groups, which Komen denies. </p> <p>A spokeswoman for the Komen foundation, Leslie Aun, told The Associated Press that the main factor in the decision was a new rule adopted by Komen that prohibits grants to organizations being investigated by local, state or federal authorities. Ms. Aun told The A.P. that Planned Parenthood was therefore disqualified from financing because of an inquiry being conducted by Representative Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, who is looking at how Planned Parenthood spends and reports its money. </p> <p>After the A.P. article was posted on Tuesday afternoon, the Komen foundation declined to make Ms. Aun or another staff member available to discuss the Planned Parenthood decision. The foundation issued a statement saying it was seeking to “strengthen our grants program” and had “implemented more stringent eligibility and performance criteria.” </p> <p>“Any kind of impediment for women, including a referral to go someplace else, will mean that women delay getting further screenings and women who may have <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier">cancer</a> will discover it later than they might otherwise,” Ms. Durgin said. “A lot of our clients are just one hassle away from not getting services at all.” </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/us/cancer-group-halts-financing-to-planned-parenthood.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/us/cancer-group-halts-financing-to-planned-parenthood.html</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:2f2df893-9e46-49fd-9c95-86be25c63c6a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Breast+Cancer" rel="tag">Breast Cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Breast+Cancer+Charities" rel="tag">Breast Cancer Charities</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Breast+Cancer+Research" rel="tag">Breast Cancer Research</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cancer" rel="tag">Cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cancer+Prevention" rel="tag">Cancer Prevention</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Fundraising" rel="tag">Fundraising</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Huffington+Post+Komen" rel="tag">Huffington Post Komen</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Komen" rel="tag">Komen</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Lawsuit" rel="tag">Lawsuit</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Lawsuits" rel="tag">Lawsuits</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Lung+Cancer" rel="tag">Lung Cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Philanthropy" rel="tag">Philanthropy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Susan+G.+Komen" rel="tag">Susan G. Komen</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Planned+Parenthoodhood" rel="tag">Planned Parenthoodhood</a></div>

Komen Foundation Cuts of Funds to Planned Parenthood - Wall Street Was Lit up in “Pink” Last Week For Fund Raising from Hedge Funds and Other Financial Companies

This makes you wonder where in the world philanthropy is going today and how much will remain.  The reasoning is very strange here and if th...

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Freddie Mac Found to be Betting Against Home Owners Being Able to Refinance - “Attack of the Killer Algorithms” On Consumers Part Nine–Home Mortgage Style

<p>Ok in the real world today<em><strong> everyone lives off of behavioral analytics so of course they might just have a ton of information to leverage to make their bets, right?</strong></em>   <img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6HDDm04lOwA/Ts0zq-EuFHI/AAAAAAAA4d8/nMT-KL0JEDY/image_thumb%25255B12%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="220" height="106" /></p> <p>If you look and see how this phenomena is taking place today, it’s not just Facebook, but Hedge Funds, High Frequency Traders and so on.  <strong><u>It’s all about those algorithms as Freddie Mac could not have pulled this off without highly sophisticated formulas to hedge their bets.  </u></strong></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/11/high-frequency-traders-using-social.html"><font size="2">High Frequency Traders Using Social Networks and Growing Rapidly With Algorithms That Find, Sort and Leverage-Growing At A Rate Faster Than Facebook</font></a></h4> <p>Ultimately, market data both on and off the web is skyrocketing and as <u>hedge funds try to digest it as quickly as possible</u> and to make intelligent use of it, they need to make sure they have an efficient storage and retrieval platform, can integrate various data sets and can provide tools to help their traders understand the data and patterns so you can bet old Freddie was right in here.  <u>I thought the Attack series would slow down but it doesn’t seem to stop.</u>  In case you missed it, here’s part eight as the credit folks and mortgages all go together with complicated formulas to carry out their deeds.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/01/consumers-lose-more-privacy-with-new.html"><font size="2">Consumers Lose More Privacy With New CoreLogic Credit Reporting–”Score” Marketed For Insurers and Employers To Gain Information-California Prohibits Potential Employers – From Using As Jan 1 - Killer Algorithms Part 8</font></a></h4> <p align="center"><strong><em><u>Welcome to the world of discrimination by the algorithm….</u></em></strong></p> <p align="left"><strong><em>I say we should license and tax all of those who buy and sell data and Freddie Mac should be right on the list.</em></strong></p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/12/alternative-millionaires-taxlicense-and.html"><font size="2">The Alternative Millionaire’s Tax–License and Tax Big <img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TdYNiZF0RQI/AAAAAAAAxks/UEJVJ2qMb7Y/image%5B8%5D.png?imgmax=800" />Corporations Who Mine and Sell Taxpayer Data They Get for Free From the Internet-Phase One to Restore Middle Class With Transparency, Disclosure and Money</font></a></h6> <p><u>If Richard Cordray doesn’t jump in here soon with some algorithmic protection for the middle class there’s no hope in sight.</u>  This keeps getting worse every day.  CoreLogic is in the real estate information business and mines a ton of data for sale all the time, to the point where the state of North Carolina kicked their license to mine out as they didn’t pay for updates and servers were slowing down to a crawl with all the bots as consumers like you and I can’t get through anymore.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/01/president-appoints-richard-cordray-as.html"><font size="2">President Appoints Richard Cordray as New Consumer Financial Protection Chief - Hope He Knows And Understands Correcting Flawed Math and Formulas To Battle the “Financial Attack of Killer Algorithms” On Consumers With Banks and Corporate USA</font></a></h6> <p>Is this a real slap in the face to where tax payer money bailed them out only to find <img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VngXfkTVgls/TybzIvR7yZI/AAAAAAAA5Gc/Z8cKWi3GAk8/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="200" height="133" />that they were betting against consumers.  If you don’t believe how bad the numbers are skewed and how bad the marketing is to suck up us gullible and naïve consumers, listen in to the video below and you will find out.  BD </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/01/context-is-everythingmore-about-dark.html"><font size="2">Context is Everything–More About the Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception–Professor Siefe Lecture Given at Google’s New York Office–Big Healthcare Focus</font></a></h4> <p><u></u></p> <blockquote> <p>Several U.S. lawmakers and prominent economists on Monday said Congress and the White House should end a financial conflict of interest at the taxpayer-owned mortgage company Freddie Mac. <br />Freddie Mac, which has a public mission to help make home ownership affordable, also has placed multibillion-dollar bets against American homeowners being able to refinance to cheaper mortgages. NPR, in partnership with ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom, first revealed Freddie's bets on NPR <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/01/30/145995636/freddie-mac-betting-against-struggling-homeowners">during Monday's <em>Morning Edition</em></a>.</p> <p>Public documents, checked by NPR and ProPublica, show that in 2010 and 2011, Freddie Mac set out to make gains for its own investment portfolio by using complex mortgage securities that brought in more money for Freddie Mac when homeowners in higher interest-rate loans were unable to qualify for a refinancing.</p> <p>Freddie's trades came at a time when mortgage rates were falling to record lows.</p> <p>This is the conflict: Millions of homeowners wish they could refinance, but their lenders tell them they can't qualify for today's low rates because of tight rules.<u> Freddie Mac is one of the gatekeepers with the power to set those rules, and lately, it has been saying no more often to homeowners.</u></p> <p>"Freddie Mac prevented households from being able to take advantage of today's mortgage rates — and then bet on it," Alan Boyce told NPR. He is a former bond trader who has been involved in efforts to push for more refinancing of home loans.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/01/31/146110055/report-prompts-calls-to-end-freddie-macs-conflict-of-interest">http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/01/31/146110055/report-prompts-calls-to-end-freddie-macs-conflict-of-interest</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a9984472-ba60-4d38-ae45-c4d934e2206a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Hedge+Fund+Services" rel="tag">Hedge Fund Services</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hedge+funds" rel="tag">hedge funds</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/buy-side" rel="tag">buy-side</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/data" rel="tag">data</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/market+data" rel="tag">market data</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/high+frequency+trading" rel="tag">high frequency trading</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/algos" rel="tag">algos</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/micro-blogging" rel="tag">micro-blogging</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/twitter" rel="tag">twitter</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/facebook" rel="tag">facebook</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/social+media" rel="tag">social media</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/privacy" rel="tag">privacy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Freddie+Mac" rel="tag">Freddie Mac</a></div>

Freddie Mac Found to be Betting Against Home Owners Being Able to Refinance - “Attack of the Killer Algorithms” On Consumers Part Nine–Home Mortgage Style

Ok in the real world today everyone lives off of behavioral analytics so of course they might just have a ton of information to leverage to...

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State of Virginia Attaches Amendment to Bill Requiring Women to Have an Ultrasound Before an Abortion That Requires Men to Have A Rectal Exam Before Obtaining A Prescription For Erectile Dysfunction Drugs

<p>Here we are back to the old “default” topic of the digital illiterates, abortions and this is pretty funny as it mocks the ridiculousness of a bill requiring an ultrasound.  You know what, there will be more rectal exams going on I bet than abortions:)  Sad that the amendment didn’t make it through though as it should have but the GOP barely voted it off.   The ultra sound part of the bill is still up for a final vote.  BD<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-yzlFwXnrL9c/Tyd_fcDUm0I/AAAAAAAA5HM/vuWT7ZoJErQ/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-QKFnO3YTS1k/Tyd_ftvtLFI/AAAAAAAA5HU/Mm-0PdDyic8/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="164" height="112" /></a></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/05/digital-illiteracy-still-plagues-law.html"><font size="2">Digital Illiteracy Still Plagues Law Makers–Severe Focus on Abortion Rights Proves It–Is This Where Our Lawmaking Knowledge Leaves Off or Even Begins? Scary…</font></a></h4> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/04/digital-illiteracy-continues-with.html"><font size="2">Digital Illiteracy Continues With Lawmakers at State Levels–Insane Laws Proposed And Being Passed-Financial Puppeteers (Video)</font></a></h6> <blockquote> <p>To protest a bill that would require women to undergo an ultrasound before having an abortion, Virginia State Sen. Janet Howell (D-Fairfax) on Monday attached an amendment that would require men to have a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test before obtaining a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication.</p> <p>"We need some gender equity here," she told HuffPost. "The Virginia senate is about to pass a bill that will require a woman to have totally unnecessary medical procedure at their cost and inconvenience. If we're going to do that to women, why not do that to men?"</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/mandatory-ultrasound-bill-virginia-anti-abortion_n_1242627.html?ref=tw&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/mandatory-ultrasound-bill-virginia-anti-abortion_n_1242627.html?ref=tw&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1d1b0a0e-207b-49f2-a403-ec76c776db17" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Virgina" rel="tag">Virgina</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/abortion" rel="tag">abortion</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ultrasound" rel="tag">ultrasound</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/erectile+dysfunction" rel="tag">erectile dysfunction</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bill" rel="tag">bill</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/politics" rel="tag">politics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/rectal+exam" rel="tag">rectal exam</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/prescrptions" rel="tag">prescrptions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/digital+illiterates" rel="tag">digital illiterates</a></div>

State of Virginia Attaches Amendment to Bill Requiring Women to Have an Ultrasound Before an Abortion That Requires Men to Have A Rectal Exam Before Obtaining A Prescription For Erectile Dysfunction Drugs

Here we are back to the old “default” topic of the digital illiterates, abortions and this is pretty funny as it mocks the ridiculousness of...

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Context is Everything–More About the Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception–Professor Siefe Lecture Given at Google’s New York Office–Big Healthcare Focus

<p>A great video from Charlie Siefe, Professor at NYU and in his talk at Google.  If you read here enough then you know I am a fan because he’s right and breaks this down to what reality is.  He may have sold a few books from this blog too come to think of it:)<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-V1-jFJ4bhAI/TybzIbjj92I/AAAAAAAA5GU/du2_Pyqz0Bo/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VngXfkTVgls/TybzIvR7yZI/AAAAAAAA5Gc/Z8cKWi3GAk8/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="240" height="156" /></a></p> <p>What do you think of what you read in the news today?  Listen up here and you might begin to think a little differently. I have my own interpretation on how some of this comes down the hill for consumers which I have called “The Attack of the Killer Algorithms” to take this from his very scientific information down to how it eventually affects all of us as consumers.  Actually I went one step further with my opinion here and talked about our new consumer protection chief and hoping that he too has some understanding of the Dark Arts and again what I call the “attacks” and the link below has some good examples of how we are in fact under attack when deception is involved.  These are all public documented stories with my interpretation as questioning the algorithms and their intents of whether we are looking for accurate or desired results.  Welcome to the world of discrimination by the algorithm.  </p> <h4><font size="2"><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/01/president-appoints-richard-cordray-as.html">President Appoints Richard Cordray as New Consumer </a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WvoaCuCYkqI/TybzIyszy7I/AAAAAAAA5Gk/x-HzXHFOsv4/s1600-h/image%25255B6%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PKNtOU3E_ls/TybzJBlLccI/AAAAAAAA5Gs/3AZUQHNSiww/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="240" height="152" /></a>Financial Protection Chief - Hope He Knows And Understands Correcting Flawed Math and Formulas To Battle the “Financial Attack of Killer Algorithms” On Consumers With Banks and Corporate USA</a></font></a></h4> <p>The video is about 70% healthcare stats and information so it is well worth the watch.  I love the study about apples and bananas eaten together that could cause cancer, very good example of totally random calls and this is just food, but how does it impact you and when you see this often enough, how does it affect what you think?  There’s nothing real here.  Our “P” values have deceived us.  This is a long and lengthy video to view when you have time to absorb it all.  </p> <p><strong><em><u></u></em></strong></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:656831d8-59e3-4428-b98e-06e27dcea44a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="9a36648a-4ffb-4cda-87fe-bc57ce94b147" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiQwZ6inbOM" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bnt1NUfHDf0/TycDuPALLWI/AAAAAAAA5HE/il0Rp0dfeZQ/videob4bcba6e46da%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('9a36648a-4ffb-4cda-87fe-bc57ce94b147'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"385\" height=\"216\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/qiQwZ6inbOM?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/qiQwZ6inbOM?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"385\" height=\"216\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:385px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Professor Charlie Siefe at Google, New York</div></div> <p>Confirmation bias, he speaks of, listen up here and see what this means.  Most published research findings are wrong he states.  Even scientists who are doing the best job they can are wrong much more often than they are right.  Time helps the results to become more accurate.  Politicians play on this heavily.  </p> <p>If you missed it, here’s another broadcast worth listening too and I had a ton of referrals from MIT and other websites on this one with readers.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/01/numbers-dont-lie-but-people-do.html"><font size="2">“Numbers Don’t Lie, But People Do”–Radio Interview from Charles Siefe–Journalists Take Note, He Addresses How Marketing And Bogus Statistics Are Sources of Problems That Mislead the Public & Government</font></a></h4> <p>Mathematical nonsense is a danger we live with today and is changing our society in ways that may not always be the best.  Stay tuned for the Q and A session as cancer stats are discussed along with quite a few other stats and reports.  Diabetes testing is brought up and the fact that there are error bars on the meters, not saying they are not worth using, but be aware of variance.  BD</p> <blockquote> <p>Charles Seife, a journalist with Science magazine, has also written for New Scientist, Scientific American, The Economist, Wired UK, and The Sciences, among many other publications. His previous titles include Alpha & Omega and Zero. He received an MS in Probability Theory and Artificial Intelligence from Yale.</p> </blockquote> <p><a title="http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/weekend-reading-stop-thief-edition/38171" href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/weekend-reading-stop-thief-edition/38171">http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/weekend-reading-stop-thief-edition/38171</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:4d8f8bb1-028b-49ed-bdbf-58b4f3dc70ea" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Proofiness" rel="tag">Proofiness</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/algoirthms" rel="tag">algoirthms</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mathmatics" rel="tag">mathmatics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/12+step+addictions" rel="tag">12 step addictions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/desired+results" rel="tag">desired results</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/rogue+algorithm" rel="tag">rogue algorithm</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Charles+Seife" rel="tag">Charles Seife</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/books" rel="tag">books</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/numbers" rel="tag">numbers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/analytics" rel="tag">analytics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/journalism" rel="tag">journalism</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Google" rel="tag">Google</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a></div>

Context is Everything–More About the Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception–Professor Siefe Lecture Given at Google’s New York Office–Big Healthcare Focus

A great video from Charlie Siefe, Professor at NYU and in his talk at Google.  If you read here enough then you know I am a fan because he’s...

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GE Discontinues Centricity Advance EHR for Small Practices

<p>Doctors using the current Centricity for small practices will have to upgrade and of course I’m sure that mean money and cost.  The GE EHR is probably one of the most expensive products out there for a small practice to purchase.  Just a couple months ago software problems created issues for doctors to attest as you can read below, this is the system they are keeping.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/ge-centricity-ehrs-need-to-fix-their.html"><font size="2">GE Centricity EHRs Need To Fix Their Algorithms (Math)-Some Customers May Not Be Able to Attest Until The End of November After the Software Update</font></a></h4> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S6pi8qwb8UI/AAAAAAAAdBA/nf1YkjsKCWc/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="359" height="200" /></p> <p>June 30th is the D-Day for posting any new data and it becomes a read only from there until the end of the year.  The upgraded system according to this article will also be able to handle small practices but at what cost increase?  With the purchase of MedPlexus the Advance system was developed to focus on small practices but it looks like they have decided the money is not there so that was a short term target to try and make us of software and algorithms purchased.  BD  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/03/ge-wanted-to-target-small-practices-for.html"><font size="2">GE Wanted to Target Small Practices for EHRs – The Answer Go Buy One - MedPlexus</font></a></h4> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www3.gehealthcare.com/en">GE Healthcare</a> has announced it will discontinue its Centricity Advance electronic health record (EHR) application for small practices as of June 30.</p> <p>Centricity is GE's EHR platform used by both physician practices and hospitals. It incorporates medical, pharmaceutical, financial and administrative data.</p> <p>GE will allow physician practices to upgrade to Centricity Practice Solution, the company's flagship EHR and practice-management software.</p> <p>The company formerly considered Centricity Practice as software primarily for midsize and large practices.</p> <p>Consolidating its Centricity software into a joint EHR/practice-management product will allow GE to update its health care offerings faster, said Friguletto.</p> <p>Although Centricity Practice is a licensed product, resellers will offer a remotely hosted version, and GE will help customers migrate to the combined EHR and practice-management platform. VARs will be able to provide the same remote installation and service small practices received with Centricity Advance, said Friguletto. Doctors can also use an onsite version of Centricity Practice.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Health-Care-IT/GE-to-Shutter-Centricity-Advance-EHR-Software-for-Small-Practices-817025/">http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Health-Care-IT/GE-to-Shutter-Centricity-Advance-EHR-Software-for-Small-Practices-817025/</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:45ce3392-92b7-4f29-a13e-caabf0a385ca" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/GE" rel="tag">GE</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Centricy" rel="tag">Centricy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/algorithms" rel="tag">algorithms</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/integration" rel="tag">integration</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/reports" rel="tag">reports</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Meaningful+Use" rel="tag">Meaningful Use</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/attesting" rel="tag">attesting</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospitals" rel="tag">hospitals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HealthIT" rel="tag">HealthIT</a></div>

GE Discontinues Centricity Advance EHR for Small Practices

Doctors using the current Centricity for small practices will have to upgrade and of course I’m sure that mean money and cost.  The GE EHR i...

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Nurse At Arizona Hospital Has Licensed Threatened And Was Fired for Educating Patient on Hospice Care–If You Are A Nurse or a Patient Be Sure and Read This One

<p>This is a post from the <a href="http://thenerdynurse.com/2012/01/arizona-nurse-has-license-threatened-by-doctor-after-providing-patient-education.html"><u>Nerdy Nurse</u></a> and really you must read the entire article and see what has happened here.  When you read through here and see the story as told with the nurse educating the patient about a hospice choice as I am guessing it was near that time, the doctor was upset that the surgery plans were messed up, <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YO96QLuUuf8/TyY_ZkHTetI/AAAAAAAA5Fk/ynM3popMzrs/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-LlTLkZ9PTb0/TyY_aCL1nkI/AAAAAAAA5Fs/aOjJSZb12FQ/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="183" height="240" /></a>in other words he was not going to do the surgery after the patient heard about hospice.  </p> <p>This is kind of what we are all talking about right?  Giving the patient their options and allowing dignity here and not putting people through hell as they near the end of life?  Again I am guessing that was the situation here as otherwise hospice would not have been mentioned.  She is using all areas of media to get her story across and I felt compelled to add it here as well as this does not make sense at all.  Is this yet another fall out of economic times with doctors needing the money too?  It does make you stop and think in that direction and it sounds like this is nurse we need to have employed and not lost in the world of politics and out of work.  I post quite a few stories here about nurses striking and many of them are not about money but rather working conditions and patient safety, example of one last year, about safety and patient care and there were more.  BD  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/03/nurses-hold-one-day-strike-at-kaiser.html"><font size="2">Nurses Hold One Day Strike at Kaiser's Sunset Boulevard Medical Center (Los Angeles) To Bring Attention To Patient Safety</font></a></h4> <hr /> <p><em>My name is Amanda Trujillo. I’m a registered nurse of six years , specializing in cardiology, geriatrics, and end of life/palliative care. Back in April of this year I was caring for a dying patient whom I had discovered had no clue about what they were about to participate in when they agreed to get a major invasive surgery. <u>When I properly educated the patient using the allowed materials by my employer they became upset that the physician never explained details of the surgery or what had to be done after the surgery (complex lifetime daily self care). The patient also had no idea that they had a choice about whether they had to get the surgery or not or that there were other options. They asked about hospice and comfort care and I educated the patient within my nursing license and the nursing code of ethics</u>. The patient requested a case management consult to visit with hospice to explore this option further in order to make a better decision for their course of care. I documented extensively for the doctor to read the next day and I also passed the info on to the next nurse taking over, emphasizing the importance of speaking with the doctor about the gross misunderstanding they had about the surgery. <u>The doctor became enraged, threw a well witnessed tantrum in the nursing station, refused to let the patient visit with hospice, and insisted I be fired and my license taken. He was successful on all counts.</u></em></p> <p><em><u> Instead of initiating the hospital policy of consulting with an ethics committee to sort out the situation the hospital fired me instead.</u> <u>The doctor was angry that the patient had changed their mind about the surgery and my nurse manager was angry that I “messed up all the doctors’ hard work and planning for the surgery.”</u> Since then, my career has been destroyed, no one will hire me because of the complaint on my license. <u>Despite almost three nursing degrees after my name, my education and experience–at this time–is considered “null and void.” I’m a single Hispanic mother who fought hard to get off of welfare and to make it through school into a career I love.</u> </em></p> <p><em><u>I never dreamed a complete stranger could strip our lives away, and under such a circumstance in which I was doing my job and protecting the patient’s rights to full disclosure about the surgery</u> and their right to choose their course of care. Today, we are back on welfare, we can barely keep food in the house, have almost lost our house 4 times, and I cant get health insurance for my daughter who has severe asthma. This situation can happen to any nurse and any patient–and it is happening with more frequency throughout the United States. Nurses are afraid to speak up when they see unsafe or unethical practice taking place with their patients’ lives. </em></p> <p><em><strong>The nurses at the hospital I worked at have told me they don’t teach their patients anything anymore and they don’t report things that concern them for fear of losing their jobs and their lives like I did.</strong> There have been similar cases in recent years–most notably in Texas and in Maryland. It boils down to this–<u>without nurses speaking up in dangerous or unethical situations there will be more accidents, more medical mistakes, and more lives lost.</u> Nurses everywhere turn the other direction now because of the threat of retaliation. I’m a strong advocate for patients and families who are at the end of life. The sunset of life is an <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7f4piSWYJjE/TyY_acihXXI/AAAAAAAA5F0/9W8bg8Fu81M/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2D26xi5d59U/TyY_ahXbhhI/AAAAAAAA5F8/rN3CIHL8g1g/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="198" height="161" /></a>extremely important developmental milestone in the life of a person and their loved ones. Its a time that should be spent the way the patient and family want it to be spent—and where they want it to be spent. More and more, as I have advanced into nursing, I have seen people lying in hospital beds for weeks on end, suffering debilitating pain, air hunger, bed sores, muscle wasting, and their dignity is not respected–as their family members stood by horrified. No family should have to remember their loved one’s last days and weeks as images of torture. </em></p> <p><em><strong>Nine times out of ten my patients were not even aware that they had the option to go home if they wished–they were just told they “had to keep trying something else.”</strong> We as healthcare providers do not have the right to omit that information or option from people and their families, we don’t have the right to refuse a patient the right to visit with hospice to ask questions and learn more, and we certainly don’t have the right to deprive a person of the ability to complete very important developmental tasks at the end of life that involve family. The statistics out there about how many people die in hospitals each year are staggering–and they are dying badly. At this time only 18 states have laws in place to protect patients and nurses. I have been working tirelessly with Senator Nancy Barto here in Arizona to get legislation passed to:</em></p> <p><em>1) Ensure that the rights and choices of patients at the end of life or the end stages of disease are respected and fulfilled without question.</em></p> <p><em>2.) Protect nurses from retaliation for reporting unsafe or unethical practice that could jeopardize the life and safety of patients and their families</em></p> <p><em>3) Specifically define the role of the nurse in end of life teaching/counseling so that ALL physicians understand and honor that part of our job (its our duty and its legal–but every physician has a different opinion and were subject to that when we shouldn't be)</em></p> <p><em> My goal is to get to Capitol Hill. I was making good progress with the Senator until recently when all communication stopped without explanation. I have learned through sources that <u>“politics got involved” and put a stop to my efforts.</u>  I was also advised by a rep from the Arizona Nurses Association that they would not support any nurse reported to the board no matter what the cause because it would “damage their image and reputation”. Our profession is well known for not supporting one another. Nurses who once called me their mentor and friend wont have anything to do with me because it will jeopardize their jobs and <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-bgBWZwdjPm0/TyY_ayfAzwI/AAAAAAAA5GE/WnA-j4Fkii0/s1600-h/image%25255B8%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-o7wQFzuvGio/TyY_bFcLhlI/AAAAAAAA5GM/GCwMc6MOnPE/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="200" height="157" /></a>reputations. So in essence, this fight has been one that I’ve continued on my own. Now that I have learned that “politics” squashed my efforts at protecting people and nurses I am turning to the public to help me get over that wall. I would appreciate any of you out there writing to Arizona’s legislators: Steve Pierce (President Elect of the Senate); Senator Nancy Barto, Representative Cecil Ash, Governor Jan Brewer, Senator John McCain, or Congressman Trent Franks. I will list their emails at the end of my letter. In the meantime, I need your help and support to get this message out there to the public. Pass my story on to your friends and family on Facebook (Im on there campaigning)–tell them to ask more questions, to speak up when they have concerns, to ask if there are other options. This is real, this is happening, and as the healthcare crisis continues to spin out of control and nurses are pressured “to do more with less”—even less attention will be paid to important safety and ethical issues that can endanger lives and basic human rights. I have written to every media outlet in my state but no one will take my story, I’ve written to 20/20, Dateline, Oprah, Dr. Oz, The Joint Commission, The American Nurses Association, The White House, President Obama,  and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.</em></p> <p><em>I have attached the legal brief for your review so you have a better understanding of what happened–understandably some information has been blacked out to preserve privacy.</em></p> <p><em><strong>The nurse investigator on my case reviewed everything I did and said that she had never seen documentation and care so thorough and “above and beyond the </strong></em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=modern+warefare+3&x=0&y=0"><em><strong>call of duty</strong></em></a><em><strong>.” Despite her recommendation to dismiss my allegations, the letters of praise from Mayo Clinic Physicians I worked with at one time,  nurse coworkers, and patients,   the allegations were not dismissed as I had expected them to be. This means I have to wait until January 24th-25th 2012 and go before the board to “explain myself.”</strong></em></p> <p><em>I can accept that my short career as a nurse is over—what I cant accept is that the end of my career will mean nothing. If this is the end of my hard work and education I want it to stand for something, I want it to be for good. I want to know that at least no other nurse, their families, or patients and their families will ever have to experience this kind of horror. I took an oath to “First do no harm.” if I walk away without a good fight, then I’ve become part of the problem and I don’t deserve the RN after my name.</em></p> <p><em>Im growing tired of fighting alone so I have reached out to you……….I have to stay the course because its the right thing to do and because I HAVE TO SET THE EXAMPLE  for my daughter Anaya to stand up for whats right no matter how difficult the journey….Please, tell my story to your friends, loved ones–and tell them to tell others. There is strength and change in numbers……..</em></p> <p><em>Thank you for your time in reading this long email…..as you can imagine, its been a long year.</em></p> <p><em>Respectfully</em></p> <p><em>Amanda Lucia Trujillo MSN, RN, DNSc-NP(s)</em></p> <blockquote> <p>The following blog post is related to an email that was originally sent to <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/EchoHeronAuthor"><strong>@EchoHeronAuthor</strong></a>. It was then posted on  <a href="http://vdutton.posterous.com/94287821">Vernon Dutton’s Posterous</a>, Amanda Trujillo case will go before the Arizona State Board of Nursing  on January 24th, 2012.</p> <p>Her story is one of an archaic medical model in which the doctor’s word is supreme and we are all just nurse maids here to do their bidding. This is an indication that there are many who do not wish to continue to advance toward collaborative healthcare in which we work as a team to provide patients with the best care possible. This is also an example of persons who may not be in medicine for the right reasons.</p> <p>Success in healthcare is not defined by how many treatments and tests you can perform on a patient. Success is defined by the ability to help a patient make informed decisions on their path in health an life. If that path includes surgery, then so be it. If that path does not, and we have informed the patient of all the options and they are capable of making an informed and rational decision, then we have been successful.</p> <p>I’m really disgusted that a healthcare organization would bow to the tantrum of one very arrogant and immature physician. If there was one example of a surgeon with a God-Complex, this is one.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://thenerdynurse.com/2012/01/arizona-nurse-has-license-threatened-by-doctor-after-providing-patient-education.html">http://thenerdynurse.com/2012/01/arizona-nurse-has-license-threatened-by-doctor-after-providing-patient-education.html</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:01a3b25f-7ed2-4815-bd95-ce124a276ea1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/nurse" rel="tag">nurse</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/patient" rel="tag">patient</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospice" rel="tag">hospice</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctor" rel="tag">doctor</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Banner" rel="tag">Banner</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospital" rel="tag">hospital</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/end+of+life" rel="tag">end of life</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/education" rel="tag">education</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/politics" rel="tag">politics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Amanda+Trujillo" rel="tag">Amanda Trujillo</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medicine" rel="tag">medicine</a></div>

Nurse At Arizona Hospital Has Licensed Threatened And Was Fired for Educating Patient on Hospice Care–If You Are A Nurse or a Patient Be Sure and Read This One

This is a post from the Nerdy Nurse and really you must read the entire article and see what has happened here.  When you read through here...

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FTC Says No to Omnicare Take Over of PharMerica and Files Lawsuit to Block as The Combined Company Would Control 60% of Drugs Supplied to Nursing Homes

<p>Omnicare on its own had revenues of over $6 billion and Pharmericas is just under 2 billion so this would be big financially as well.  We all know what lack of <img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TDuKMRJ91OI/AAAAAAAAfjM/64jPxnbHlYg/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" />competition does in the pharma world and this probably would be no exception.  Just a few months ago we had Walgreens swap businesses with Omnicare so they got out of the long term care business, so Omnicare picked up business there as well and Walgreens picked up the home infusion business.</p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/walgreens-and-omnicare-swap.html"><font size="2">Walgreens and Omnicare Swap Businesses–Giving Long Term Pharmacy Care to Omni and They Get Omni’s Home Infusion Business</font></a></h4> <p>This is not the first time the eyes of the government have been watching Omnicare as they agreed to pay fine for kickbacks from the pharmaceutical business a couple years ago.  Kickbacks in nursing homes are watched a little closer due to the fact that patients can be subjected to over prescribing drugs for patients with Alzheimer's and other aging or mental issues.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/omnicare-agrees-to-pay-close-to-100.html"><font size="2">Omnicare Agrees to Pay Close to $100 Million To Settle Case with Justice Department – Paying and Receiving Kickbacks From Ivax and Johnson and Johnson</font></a></h6> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/07/omnicare-kickbacks-payments-to-illinois.html"><font size="2">Omnicare Kickbacks Payments to Illinois Nursing Homes – Alleged Violation of Medicare/Medicaid</font></a></h4> <p>So in view of the past history with drugs, it’s not a big surprise that such mergers and acquisitions are monitored as along with monitoring for kickbacks, the prices would go higher too.  BD  </p> <p><em></em></p> <p><b></b></p> <blockquote> <p>Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. regulators sued Omnicare Inc. to block its $440.8 million takeover of rival drug-supply company PharMerica Corp., a deal they said would increase prices for elderly nursing-home residents covered by Medicare.      Omnicare’s acquisition of Louisville, Kentucky-based PharMerica would give it the bargaining leverage to raise medicine prices for those covered by Medicare prescription drug plans, passing those costs on to U.S. taxpayers, the Federal Trade Commission said yesterday in a statement.</p> <p>Omnicare offered $15 a share in August in an unsolicited bid for PharMerica, which the Covington, Kentucky-based company extended yesterday for a fourth time before the FTC’s announcement. The regulators’ complaint leaves little room for Omnicare to make changes or negotiate further, probably killing the deal, said A.J. Rice, an analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group LLP in New York. That would make PharMerica attractive to private equity firms, he said.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-28/omnicare-sued-by-u-s-regulators-to-block-takeover-of-pharmerica.html">http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-28/omnicare-sued-by-u-s-regulators-to-block-takeover-of-pharmerica.html</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:862600cd-8a9b-4fd4-a464-be37e0a0fe4c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FTC" rel="tag">FTC</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/OnmiCare" rel="tag">OnmiCare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Pharmerica" rel="tag">Pharmerica</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/lawsuit" rel="tag">lawsuit</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medicare" rel="tag">Medicare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/private+equity" rel="tag">private equity</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/competition" rel="tag">competition</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mergers+and+acquistions" rel="tag">mergers and acquistions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cost" rel="tag">cost</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/seniors" rel="tag">seniors</a></div>

FTC Says No to Omnicare Take Over of PharMerica and Files Lawsuit to Block as The Combined Company Would Control 60% of Drugs Supplied to Nursing Homes

Omnicare on its own had revenues of over $6 billion and Pharmericas is just under 2 billion so this would be big financially as well.  We al...

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FDA Approves First and Only Weekly Diabetes 2 Shot Therapy in the US

<p>Bydureon took three tries to make it through approval with the FDA.  The active ingredient comes from a synthetic version of saliva from the Gila Monster.  I am <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wg-R5EN5yEA/TySzDAxvdHI/AAAAAAAA5E0/9PyTwTZ7vfI/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CMvlOnK2rCE/TySzDcJIT2I/AAAAAAAA5E8/qbhpX1ao1D4/image_thumb%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="112" height="163" /></a>originally from Arizona and I know what those are and way back in 2007 the talk was in the exploration of saliva with lizards.  Bydureon is not insulin and is not for people with diabetes type 1.  Byetta is the non extended version of the drug that has been around for a once a day injection and has been associated with acute pancreatitis, so I would guess the same warnings would apply here as well.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2007/10/lizard-spit-and-bongs-medication.html">Lizard spit and bongs - Medication Origins and Future</a></h4> <p>BYDUREON has been approved with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) and there are a number of post market requirements to assess the impact of the drug relative to thyroid cancer or heart disease as some rats in the testing phase had those issues.  </p> <blockquote> <p>Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Alkermes Plc succeeded in their third attempt to gain U.S. clearance for Bydureon, a once-weekly version of Amylin’s diabetes shot.</p> <p>The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug for adults with <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ET1bk7aSyRk/TySzDmDzYbI/AAAAAAAA5FE/57CUlMaIkhA/s1600-h/image%25255B16%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kLr9fGtEPkc/TySzD71G6aI/AAAAAAAA5FM/hh-zcsMQ2GM/image_thumb%25255B10%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="140" height="123" /></a>Type 2 diabetes, the agency said today in a letter posted on their website.</p> <p>Bydureon is a long-acting form of Byetta, a twice-daily injection that San Diego-based Amylin developed with Eli Lilly & Co. in a partnership that ended last year. Amylin lost almost half its market value on Oct. 20, 2010, after the FDA rejected Bydureon for a second time and sought a study on cardiac effects. The companies refiled for approval last year after the trial didn’t tie the drug to dangerous heart-rhythm changes.<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zijHxwJ_9oY/TySzEBrOdiI/AAAAAAAA5FU/bpaWgM2oYas/s1600-h/image%25255B12%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qV6qF1VOYAM/TySzEeybdYI/AAAAAAAA5Fc/5UHRESkmjrM/image_thumb%25255B8%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="139" height="87" /></a></p> <p>The active ingredient in Byetta and Bydureon, known as exenatide, stimulates pancreas cells to produce insulin when blood sugar is high. It is a synthetic version of a substance found in the saliva of the Gila monster. Bydureon uses technology developed by Alkermes to slowly release exenatide into the bloodstream with one dose a week. The drug won European Commission approval in June.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-28/amylin-alkermes-diabetes-drug-wins-approval-on-third-try.html">http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-28/amylin-alkermes-diabetes-drug-wins-approval-on-third-try.html</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:ca51ef61-2310-46ad-8c7a-924c8bb18641" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/diabetes" rel="tag">diabetes</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/gila+monster" rel="tag">gila monster</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Amylin" rel="tag">Amylin</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Bydureon" rel="tag">Bydureon</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/shots" rel="tag">shots</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/insulin" rel="tag">insulin</a></div>

FDA Approves First and Only Weekly Diabetes 2 Shot Therapy in the US

Bydureon took three tries to make it through approval with the FDA.  The active ingredient comes from a synthetic version of saliva from the...

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Aneesh Chopra US Chief Technology Officer Resigns to Possibly Pursue A Political Career

<p>Well here’s one more and Mr. Chopra was good and got everybody motivated but time to move into the next phase with implementation and perhaps a little different leader is needed to pass the baton.  We have had the word “innovation” up to our ears and now it’s time to begin some serious efforts with “collaboration” and perhaps a different personality to move to the next level with government IT.  About a year ago I made the post below saying pretty much the same thing.  BD    </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/innovation-without-collaboration-is.html"><font size="2">Innovation Without Collaboration Is Fouling Up The US Healthcare IT System–We Need Both As We Can’t Stand on Innovation Alone<img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XptpDxRmR40/TyOQbSuE4KI/AAAAAAAA5Es/VpidVqwyYj4/image%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="214" height="158"></font></a></h6> <blockquote> <p>Aneesh Chopra, the first White House chief of technology, has resigned after almost three years on the job. <p>Chopra's resignation was announced in a post on the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's blog that did not explain why he's leaving the Obama administration. The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/aneesh-chopra-leaving-the-white-house/2012/01/27/gIQAMB2VVQ_blog.html?wpisrc=al_tech_b">Washington Post</a> reported that he is rumored to be considering a run for lieutenant governor in Virgina. <p>"When President Obama came into office in January 2009, the administration found a federal government relying too heavily on 20th century technology," John P. Holdren, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/27/cto-aneesh-chopra-stepping-down">blog post</a>. "On his first day on the job, the president created the position of 'chief technology officer.'" <p>The White House under Obama has used technology -- social media in particular -- much more than previous administrations. This can be attributed to the rise in popularity of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, but Chopra may have had an influence as well. <p>Before entering public service, Chopra was managing director with the Advisory Board Company, a publicly-traded healthcare think tank.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/aneesh-chopra-white-house-resigns.html">http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/aneesh-chopra-white-house-resigns.html</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6f30e5d2-2bd3-4826-a9be-2fded76794c6" class="wlWriterSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Aneesh+Chopra" rel="tag">Aneesh Chopra</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/resignation" rel="tag">resignation</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CTO" rel="tag">CTO</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/politics" rel="tag">politics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Heatlh+IT" rel="tag">Heatlh IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/USA" rel="tag">USA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Obama" rel="tag">Obama</a></div>

Aneesh Chopra US Chief Technology Officer Resigns to Possibly Pursue A Political Career

Well here’s one more and Mr. Chopra was good and got everybody motivated but time to move into the next phase with implementation and perhap...

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Over 100 Cardiac Patients in Pakistan Have Died from Tainted Heart Medicine

<p>This is sad and scary and makes you appreciate the FDA for sure.  I read elsewhere that the chemical content of the drug was ok but now we are left with <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-tcFUzmTAL7Q/TyNuum_c7dI/AAAAAAAA5EU/AEdb-SLDtfk/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Fw5U0QvTesk/TyNuu19xGMI/AAAAAAAA5Ec/0v39If8QQew/image_thumb%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="202" height="132" /></a>other compounds, coatings, etc. to be checked as well.  The government shut down 3 companies where the drugs are made and by the way they also export drugs to other companies, US not mentioned as one.  </p> <p>Patients all had a sudden drop of white blood cell count and broke out bleeding in some area of their body.  This all happened over a 3 week period.  The drugs were administered by the government hospital and were free.  Samples of the drug have been sent to London and Paris outside the country for additional tests.  </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:f5efd5dc-e420-4e97-9bb0-f17868aba6a6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="5138a1e2-0cc4-4ac3-8f64-6b252c232f2d" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2j2Llf31S4" target="_new"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-C3r7UJqWQrY/TyNuvN0ld0I/AAAAAAAA5Ek/zYn-gIgDxQM/video2f46dfb5af7b%25255B16%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('5138a1e2-0cc4-4ac3-8f64-6b252c232f2d'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"405\" height=\"227\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/Q2j2Llf31S4?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/Q2j2Llf31S4?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"405\" height=\"227\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:405px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Pakistan Drugs</div></div> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2j2Llf31S4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2j2Llf31S4</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e521a2ff-4027-445f-93cb-815e706c1c40" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Pakistan" rel="tag">Pakistan</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/poison" rel="tag">poison</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cardiology" rel="tag">cardiology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/heart+medicine" rel="tag">heart medicine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/patients" rel="tag">patients</a></div>

Over 100 Cardiac Patients in Pakistan Have Died from Tainted Heart Medicine

This is sad and scary and makes you appreciate the FDA for sure.  I read elsewhere that the chemical content of the drug was ok but now we a...

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Wellpoint to Begin Paying Family Practice Doctors a “Little” More–Enough to Make A Difference? Pay For Their Full Time Billing Expenses and A Lot of Doctors Would Happy

<p>Ok so I made my point in the title and this article too dissects the potential demographics of the situation too as if only 10-20% of the patients are covered by Blue Cross, is there enough incentive for the doctors to make a difference?  On the other hand if the insurer paid all their insurer overhead, now that would make a huge difference and get attention.  Let’s also look at the amount of the investment here since doctors only represent 8% of healthcare expenses.<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-roRiVHslr1g/TyNmBNNxiHI/AAAAAAAA5EE/Z9o__jVz3MU/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jxp_sR8m5vw/TyNmBYWyYmI/AAAAAAAA5EM/X1CO4Ni69o0/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="207" height="145" /></a></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/06/physician-salaries-represent-8-of-total.html"><font size="2">Physician Salaries Represent 8% of Total US Healthcare Cost</font></a></h4> <p>Certainly the clinical information shared is always of value as knowledge helps all the way around.  For those doctors going broke as this recent article talked about, and there’s a lot of truth to this in the family practice area for sure, this won’t make a dent and there are doctors in affluent areas like Newport Beach, CA also going broke, so go figure.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/01/doctors-going-brokeyou-cant-even-give.html"><font size="2">Doctors Going Broke–You Can’t Even Give a Practice Away–Only Folks Buying Them Are Hospitals and Insurance Companies As It Relates to Reimbursement and/or Profits</font></a></h4> <p><object height="363" id="wsj_fp" width="412"><param name="movie" value="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/VideoPlayerMain.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="flashvars" value="videoGUID={3C9D4B89-DF98-4191-BE1A-77675F0E67ED}&playerid=1000&plyMediaEnabled=1&configURL=http://wsj.vo.llnwd.net/o28/players/&autoStart=false" base="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/" name="flashPlayer"></param><embed src="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/VideoPlayerMain.swf" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoGUID={3C9D4B89-DF98-4191-BE1A-77675F0E67ED}&playerid=1000&plyMediaEnabled=1&configURL=http://wsj.vo.llnwd.net/o28/players/&autoStart=false" base="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/" name="flashPlayer" width="412" height="363" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object></p> <p><strong>Best I can figure is that some numbers were crunched and some new algorithms were produced to show an effort here and that’s kind of what I see here to make news and show something positive, you think?</strong>  Speaking of Newport Beach, acquisitions by other insurers are creating problems too so when insurance contracts are not being bounced around maybe this tiny incentive that is built up to be such a big story will help?  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/12/united-healthcare-acquisition-of.html"><font size="2">United Healthcare Acquisition of Monarch Healthcare HMO Already Causing Confusion and Access Problems for Blue Shield Patients in Orange County</font></a></h6> <p>So what does this promise of Wellpoint giving doctors data and staffing entail?  Are they going to cover the doctor’s red tape billing expenses?  Don’t hold your breath on that one but I guess more will roll out later but the staffing I am guessing will be more in the area of efficiencies for them to “improve” and how that rolls out will remain to be seen too.  If all the insurers kicked in to cover all the doctor’s billing expenses that would be a story </p> <blockquote> <p>The nation's second-largest health insurer is shaking up its approach to paying doctors, putting a major investment behind the idea that spending more for better primary care can save money down the road.</p> <p>Starting this summer, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=WLP">WellPoint</a> Inc., which insures some 34 million Americans, will offer primary-care doctors a fee increase, typically of around 10%, with the possibility of additional payments that could boost what they get for treating the patients it covers by as much as 50%. </p> <p>The new approach could pour an additional $1 billion or more into primary care, which WellPoint is betting will pay off in the form of fewer emergency-room visits and hospital stays. </p> <p>Primary-care doctors, such as pediatricians and family physicians, often make less than half of what top-paid specialists like orthopedic surgeons earn, and the idea of changing how they are paid has been around for years. Insurers and government agencies are experimenting with a variety of approaches. But WellPoint, with its network of about 100,000 primary-care doctors, could have a much broader influence. </p> <p>The impact could be amplified by another new effort, by health insurer <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=aet">Aetna</a> Inc., which will start paying the 55,000 primary-care doctors across its network an extra fee—of $2 to $3 per patient per month—if their practices are certified as meeting certain standards for providing access for patients and coordinating their care.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203363504577185270518129952.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203363504577185270518129952.html</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:2e4be815-b9d5-4cc1-866c-73889d7f7967" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Wellpoint" rel="tag">Wellpoint</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Aetna" rel="tag">Aetna</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/billing" rel="tag">billing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/primary+care" rel="tag">primary care</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/data" rel="tag">data</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/staffing" rel="tag">staffing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/reiumbursement" rel="tag">reiumbursement</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/non+profit" rel="tag">non profit</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/payments" rel="tag">payments</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/wellness" rel="tag">wellness</a></div>

Wellpoint to Begin Paying Family Practice Doctors a “Little” More–Enough to Make A Difference? Pay For Their Full Time Billing Expenses and A Lot of Doctors Would Happy

Ok so I made my point in the title and this article too dissects the potential demographics of the situation too as if only 10-20% of the pa...

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California Legislature Urging Health Insurance Companies to Cover Chemotherapy–Especially With Breast Cancer Treatments

<p><strong>The bill in the legislature will force insurance companies to cover oral cancer chemotherapy instead of making patients take a trip to the hospital for each treatment.</strong>  This is especially important with breast cancer as patients can take the medication in the privacy of their own home.  This would allow for patients to spend more time with family.  <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3X-cL-KfvuM/TyM68Jxc_PI/AAAAAAAA5D0/0jos8WYsRCI/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--fksccGNKh4/TyM68Z_mF5I/AAAAAAAA5D8/YLMzLazDBds/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="194" height="157"></a></p> <p><strong>Patients with good insurance are not covered either as the policies are not covering and they are paying out of pocket</strong>.  It’s about time to catch up with the times and science and offer quality of life.  Bi-partisan support has been given in the Legislature.  <u>The costs for oral chemo can add up to $10,000 a month, that is huge</u>.  Good more and insurance companies should cover this but the insurers are saying they would rather wait to see the impact of healthcare reform as this would increase premium cost…what?  Time for some new forward thinking here instead of better access I think.  BD  </p> <p><object height="268" id="otvPlayer" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&station=kgo&section=&mediaId=8520941&cdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&configPath=/util/&site="></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed id="otvPlayer" width="400" height="268" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="all" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&station=kgo&section=&mediaId=8520941&cdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&configPath=/util/&site="></embed></object></p> <blockquote> <p>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KGO) -- Some cancer patients, even those with good insurance, are paying thousands of dollars a month for treatment because they're taking pills to fight their disease, instead of regular chemo. And some lawmakers in Sacramento say it's time to change that. <p>The American Cancer Society says cancer is the second-leading cause of death in California. There's a push for better access to treatment, by including oral chemo, in health plans. <p>Perea says expanding such access would especially benefit women greatly because a number of anti-cancer pills are used for treating breast cancer. In all, more than three dozen medications have FDA approval for different types of cancer. The Central Valley Democrat just wants insurance companies to catch up with science. </p></blockquote> <p>Opponents still put up a fight. Without knowing how much the federal health care reform will effect medical costs, critics say they would rather wait. <p><a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/politics&id=8520940">http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/politics&id=8520940</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:11dcdda8-dc72-413b-bb03-b24e0d22ec69" class="wlWriterSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/California" rel="tag">California</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/chemotherapy" rel="tag">chemotherapy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/laws" rel="tag">laws</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cancer" rel="tag">Cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pills" rel="tag">pills</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/IV" rel="tag">IV</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/oncology" rel="tag">oncology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/patients" rel="tag">patients</a></div>

California Legislature Urging Health Insurance Companies to Cover Chemotherapy–Especially With Breast Cancer Treatments

The bill in the legislature will force insurance companies to cover oral cancer chemotherapy instead of making patients take a trip to the h...

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Stem Cells Used to Build a Better Reconstructed Rat Penis

<p>The article states this is clearly for reconstruction and not for growing one from scratch.  The next level up is to test with primates and then hopefully lead to where procedures as such will evolve for humans.  However, if you go over to Wake Forest they might be ahead of the game as far as building one as they created one from scratch for a rabbit and it worked so there is research on both ends here with repair and building from scratch it appears.  BD  <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Q2pGlixZvcM/TyJa9qgWaXI/AAAAAAAA5Dk/5oIgBwSKJpM/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-W1XHY5Li-7c/TyJa97aX44I/AAAAAAAA5Ds/8smLZ0v3fDI/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="187" height="120" /></a></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/regenerative-medicine-news-fully.html"><font size="2">Regenerative Medicine News – Fully Functional Rabbit Penis Created That Works</font></a></h4> <blockquote> <p>Men in need of penis reconstruction could soon enjoy the benefits of a special ingredient: stem cells. A new study in rats shows that lacing a penis graft with adult stem cells yields better healing and sexual function than using the graft alone. The finding may point the way to improved treatments for a variety of human penile impairments.</p> <p>Men with penis injuries, deformities, or severe Peyronie's disease—which causes excessive scarring that can curve or shrink the penis—sometimes need surgery to reconstruct their genitalia and restore their sexual function. Many receive a graft made of their own tissue, cadaver tissue, or pig intestines, but the surgery can cause complications, including erectile dysfunction.</p> <p>"This is an excellent study, with lots of clinical implications," says Trinity Bivalacqua, a urologist at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland. But he notes that the method applies only to reconstructions, not to cases where a surgeon may need to build a new penis from scratch. And although the technique works well in rats, "this doesn't always translate to humans," Bivalacqua says.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/01/stem-cells-build-a-better-rat-pe.html">http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/01/stem-cells-build-a-better-rat-pe.html</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:2b6bba01-9d5d-4997-9155-e815b9c4edd7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Stem+cells" rel="tag">Stem cells</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/rat" rel="tag">rat</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/penis" rel="tag">penis</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healing" rel="tag">healing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/reconstruction" rel="tag">reconstruction</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/regenertative+medicine" rel="tag">regenertative medicine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Johns+Hopkins" rel="tag">Johns Hopkins</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/surgery" rel="tag">surgery</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/injurys" rel="tag">injurys</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/scars" rel="tag">scars</a></div>

Stem Cells Used to Build a Better Reconstructed Rat Penis

The article states this is clearly for reconstruction and not for growing one from scratch.  The next level up is to test with primates and ...

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Morgellons Disease Study Comes Up Empty With Finding a Cause–But Still Exists In Patients Minds

<p>Kaiser Permanente finally finished the study requested by the CDC and there was nothing to indicate a cause.  As you can read below the study was not cheap and I have covered a few stories about it and is has been perplexing and mysterious.  It is somewhat rare with the feeling of bugs running under your skin and the mysterious “threads” that appear.  Below is the backlink with CDC requesting the study from Kaiser.  BD  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2007/12/cdc-launching-investigation-of.html"><font size="2">CDC Launching Investigation Of Morgellons Disease - the mysterious illness</font></a></h4> <blockquote> <p>(CBS/AP) What if it felt like there were tiny bugs crawling all over your body, causing oozing sores and mysterious fibers sprouting from your skin? That's how many people described their symptoms to government doctors several years ago, with health officials sometimes receiving up to 20 calls a day from sufferers.<img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="right" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R3H4cS6U_VI/AAAAAAAABDY/D9ytfKd50C8/image_thumb2?imgmax=800" /></p> <p>Many of these people lived in California, prompting one of that state's U.S. senators, Dianne Feinstein, to ask for a scientific study. In 2008, federal health officials began to study people who said they were affected by this freakish condition called Morgellons disease - named from a 1674 medical paper that described similar symptoms.</p> <p>The study, published Jan. 25 in the journal <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029908">PLoS One</a>, cost nearly $600,000. It focused on more than 3 million people who lived in 13 counties in Northern California. After researchers went through Kaiser Permanente patient records, they flagged 115 people who had what sounded like Morgellons. That's the equivalent of roughly 4 out of every 100,000 Kaiser enrollees. "So it's rare," said Mark Eberhard, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official who was part of the 15-member study team. But when the researchers dug further to find a cause for the disease, they came up empty.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57366616-10391704/morgellons-disease-exists-only-in-patients-minds-study-shows/">http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57366616-10391704/morgellons-disease-exists-only-in-patients-minds-study-shows/</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:34eafa43-84c2-4aa0-95df-fe27a4b0ac5f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Moregellons" rel="tag">Moregellons</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CDC" rel="tag">CDC</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/skin+disease" rel="tag">skin disease</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/rash" rel="tag">rash</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/fibers" rel="tag">fibers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/symptoms" rel="tag">symptoms</a></div>

Morgellons Disease Study Comes Up Empty With Finding a Cause–But Still Exists In Patients Minds

Kaiser Permanente finally finished the study requested by the CDC and there was nothing to indicate a cause.  As you can read below the stud...

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FDA Approves Picato Topical Skin Gel For Treatment of Actinic Keratosis Which Can Lead to Skin Cancer

<p>This is great news as it can be used for as little as 2 or 3 days and be effective as you don’t really know which AK will turn into cancer or not.  In clinical trials more <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EDZ2JiXylSo/TyJPn6gU0AI/AAAAAAAA5DU/iixHu9FcrQw/s1600-h/image%25255B4%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hY7ZXKuqXP8/TyJPn4ALrPI/AAAAAAAA5Dc/FkCYm-IIiro/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="168" height="158" /></a>treated with the gel were cleared from the actinic keratosis than those with a placebo.  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>FDA approved <a href="http://www.leo-pharma.us/Files/Billeder/LEO_local_images/LEO-Pharma.US/Releases/Picato%20PI.pdf">ingenol mebutate</a> (Picato, LEO Pharma) gel (0.015%, 0.05%) for the topical treatment of actinic keratosis (AK). It is the first topical AK therapy that can be used for as few as 2 or 3 consecutive days.</p> <p>AK is a precancerous condition caused by cumulative sun exposure that has the potential to progress to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the second most common type of skin cancer.  Picato 0.015% gel is used once daily on the face and scalp for 3 consecutive days; Picato 0.05% gel is used once daily on the trunk and extremities for 2 consecutive days.</p> <p><strong>“</strong>The approval of Picato gel is very exciting as it will give physicians and health plans an effective 2- or 3-day topical solution for actinic keratosis, which can lead to squamous cell carcinoma,” John Koconis, president and CEO of LEO Pharma, told <em>Formulary</em>.</p> <p>According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime. Studies show that about 65% of SCCs begin as untreated AK, and guidelines from the AAD estimate that 60% of predisposed persons older than age 40 years have at least 1 actinic keratosis.   </p> </blockquote> <p><a title="http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Clinical+News/FDA-approves-first-gel-for-short-term-topical-AK-t/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/757176?contextCategoryId=40153" href="http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Clinical+News/FDA-approves-first-gel-for-short-term-topical-AK-t/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/757176?contextCategoryId=40153">http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Clinical+News/FDA-approves-first-gel-for-short-term-topical-AK-t/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/757176?contextCategoryId=40153</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:0fcf1739-a535-43d7-8918-dfdfdb86ac37" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Picato" rel="tag">Picato</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/skin+cancer" rel="tag">skin cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/sun" rel="tag">sun</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/dermatology" rel="tag">dermatology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/gel" rel="tag">gel</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/topical+solution" rel="tag">topical solution</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Squamous+Cell+carcinoma" rel="tag">Squamous Cell carcinoma</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/patients" rel="tag">patients</a></div>

FDA Approves Picato Topical Skin Gel For Treatment of Actinic Keratosis Which Can Lead to Skin Cancer

This is great news as it can be used for as little as 2 or 3 days and be effective as you don’t really know which AK will turn into cancer o...

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Hospital To Pay Garth Brooks $1 Million For Not Building Woman’s Health Center In Honor of His Mother With His $500,000 Donation

<p>This is a strange case indeed but with half a million dollars and no name anywhere <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PQNYGcZIMTA/TyJJ1pQ45WI/AAAAAAAA5DE/cPHYbZhpfqQ/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4AnS2OA_bZ0/TyJJ10b5tII/AAAAAAAA5DM/vRrUY9uujPQ/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="133" height="166" /></a>for Mom, I guess this is where the lawsuit came from and the donation goes back to 2005 so there was plenty of time to act on this one.  The hospital had suggested an intensive care unit but Mr. Brooks said that did not fit and wanted a Women’s Center.  There might be more to come on this one as who knows he could just take the money and donate to another hospital and get the women’s center built elsewhere.  BD </p> <blockquote> <p>CLAREMORE, Oklahoma (AP) – An Oklahoma hospital in <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/People/Celebrities/Musicians,+Composers,+Singers,+Rappers,+Groups/Garth+Brooks">Garth Brooks</a>' hometown must pay $1 million to the country singer because it failed to build a women's health center in honor of his late mother, jurors ruled Tuesday evening.</p> <p>Jurors ruled that the hospital must return a $500,000 donation to Brooks plus pay him $500,000 in punitive damages in Brooks' breach-of-contract lawsuit against IntegrisCanadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon. Brooks said he thought he'd reached a deal in 2005 with the hospital's president, <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/James+Moore">James Moore</a>, but sued after learning the hospital wanted to use the money for other construction projects.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/story/2012-01-24/garth-brooks-hospital-settlement/52783732/1">http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/story/2012-01-24/garth-brooks-hospital-settlement/52783732/1</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:5286388d-cab1-4d74-be13-6eabca7ab76d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Garth+Brooks" rel="tag">Garth Brooks</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospital" rel="tag">hospital</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/legal+suit" rel="tag">legal suit</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/donation" rel="tag">donation</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/court+cases" rel="tag">court cases</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/judge" rel="tag">judge</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Colleen+Brooks" rel="tag">Colleen Brooks</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/damages" rel="tag">damages</a></div>

Hospital To Pay Garth Brooks $1 Million For Not Building Woman’s Health Center In Honor of His Mother With His $500,000 Donation

This is a strange case indeed but with half a million dollars and no name anywhere for Mom, I guess this is where the lawsuit came from and ...

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Bill Gates Speak About Challenges of Global Health - Healthcare Budgets in the US - Video

<p>The Wall Street Journal caught up with Bill Gates on his way to Davos and talks <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jNHExqg9NcI/TyDBXceiVgI/AAAAAAAA5Cs/RCfaTSNCVDg/s1600-h/image%25255B7%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qE5cGmuLuFE/TyDBXl_XUVI/AAAAAAAA5C0/Jc-JLdKSKzY/image_thumb%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="141" height="160" /></a>about quite a few healthcare subject here, including budgets.  He says through the foundation he learns a lot about healthcare and urges continuation of funding.  </p> <p>The conversation goes back to the market fall and the impact it had with budgets being immediately squeezed.  </p> <p>He says he’s spending a lot of his money and Buffet’s money that it puts him in a seat that perhaps those in politicians get to see and he hope the attention will continue to benefit.  Will the people who need AIDS drugs be able to get and afford them is a big question. <strong>He has no problem with financial taxes but says they are difficult as they are political.</strong>  He says it’s going to be another decade before we see real change.  Private philanthropy is a big help but it can’t carry the entire burden by any means.  Again Bill Gates make the case for immunization and reflects again on polio where vaccines have a big impact to eradicate the disease.  BD  </p> <p><object height="363" id="wsj_fp" width="412"><param name="movie" value="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/VideoPlayerMain.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="flashvars" value="videoGUID={C280B38B-A80F-4AC0-8755-95D4A0E7C4FC}&playerid=1000&plyMediaEnabled=1&configURL=http://wsj.vo.llnwd.net/o28/players/&autoStart=false" base="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/" name="flashPlayer"></param><embed src="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/VideoPlayerMain.swf" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoGUID={C280B38B-A80F-4AC0-8755-95D4A0E7C4FC}&playerid=1000&plyMediaEnabled=1&configURL=http://wsj.vo.llnwd.net/o28/players/&autoStart=false" base="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/" name="flashPlayer" width="412" height="363" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object></p> <p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/video/bill-gates-the-challenges-of-global-health/C280B38B-A80F-4AC0-8755-95D4A0E7C4FC.html">http://online.wsj.com/video/bill-gates-the-challenges-of-global-health/C280B38B-A80F-4AC0-8755-95D4A0E7C4FC.html</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6f97af47-f901-4cd1-98d4-ca1a47a63a31" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Bill+Gates" rel="tag">Bill Gates</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Melinda+and+Bill+Gates+Foundation" rel="tag">Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Malaria" rel="tag">Malaria</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Polio" rel="tag">Polio</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/budgets" rel="tag">budgets</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Microsoft" rel="tag">Microsoft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/immunization" rel="tag">immunization</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/AIDS" rel="tag">AIDS</a></div>

Bill Gates Speak About Challenges of Global Health - Healthcare Budgets in the US - Video

The Wall Street Journal caught up with Bill Gates on his way to Davos and talks about quite a few healthcare subject here, including budgets...

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