I had remembered

what it was I wanted to post earlier, in the California post. It totally escaped me before I pressed "send". The information was the following: The Federal Government will help, though they declined before, if California*s financial crisis gets worse. Too late. *SDRoads

Disease News Update

Talk Medical (http://talk.news-medical.net). Post news from your organization or company, post events you are involved in or feel would be of interest to the wider community, blog to your heart's content on current health issues or simply just share any interesting health stories you may have. Feature Blog Post Swine Flu (H1N1): Can a Kitten become a Lion? In Singapore seventeen cases have been reported and in Australia over 1,200. It is only a matter of time that we [in Southeast Asia] really get hit. Are you ready? Should you be worried? Will millions die such as in the 1918 H1N1 pandemic? Read More

Latest News

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Farmed fish and mad cow disease – researchers air new concerns
University of Louisville neurologist Robert P. Friedland, M.D., questions the safety of eating farmed fish in the June issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, adding a new worry to concerns about the nation's food supply.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090616/Farmed-fish-and-mad-cow-disease-e28093-researchers-air-new-concerns.aspx

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Distributed drug discovery for neglected diseases
Researchers from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) have developed Distributed Drug Discovery (D3), a new low-cost strategy to accelerate the discovery of drugs to treat neglected diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, leshmaniasis, dengue fever, and Chagas disease.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090616/Distributed-drug-discovery-for-neglected-diseases.aspx

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Agencies and health departments prepare for swine flu
Governments and drug companies are struggling with efforts to prepare for a possible resurgence of swine flu in the fall as well as questioning who should receive swine flu vaccines as they ramp up production.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Agencies-and-health-departments-prepare-for-swine-flu.aspx

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South African AIDS advocate who created radio diaries dies of drug-resistant tuberculosis
South African AIDS activist Thembi Ngubane recently died of drug-resistant tuberculosis at the age of 24, the AP/Washington Post reports (Nullis, AP/Washington Post, 6/14).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/South-African-AIDS-advocate-who-created-radio-diaries-dies-of-drug-resistant-tuberculosis.aspx

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Reuters examines WHO efforts to fight H1N1 in developing countries
Reuters examines the WHO's battle against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus in "[d]eveloping countries, where medical care systems are weak and supplies of antivirals insufficient." In addition to "supplying countries with diagnostic kits, medicines and masks and gloves to protect health care workers and minimize the further spread of the new virus," the WHO is continuing to distribute doses of the antiviral Tamiflu, which has been "shown to be effective so far against H1N1," according to Reuters.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Reuters-examines-WHO-efforts-to-fight-H1N1-in-developing-countries.aspx

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Boston Globe examines the U.S. strategy towards global health
The Boston Globe examines the U.S. strategy towards global health aid. "President George W. Bush scored major advances in his administration's worldwide campaign against AIDS," and "[t]he Obama administration believes it can leverage Bush's successes into an assault against a much broader array of diseases that afflict poor countries," writes the Globe.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Boston-Globe-examines-the-US-strategy-towards-global-health.aspx

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Obama pledges $73 million to Zimbabwe
Following talks with Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the White House Friday, President Obama pledged $73 million in aid to the country, AFP/Google.com reports (Carmichael, AFP/Google.com, 6/13).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Obama-pledges-2473-million-to-Zimbabwe.aspx

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International AIDS conference could return to U.S. if ban on HIV-positive visitors is reversed
The International AIDS Society (IAS) announced Thursday it is considering Washington, D.C., as the location for the 2012 biannual International AIDS Conference, Science Magazine's blog, the ScienceInsider reports. "But before it holds the conference anywhere in the U.S., the federal government must change a law that bans HIV-infected people from entering the country," according to Science Insider.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/International-AIDS-conference-could-return-to-US-if-ban-on-HIV-positive-visitors-is-reversed.aspx

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High-tech approach to combat sepsis
When Jason Martin gives a talk about his research, he begins with the dramatic story of Mariana Bridi da Costa: The young Brazilian supermodel died from severe sepsis in January after amputation of both her hands and feet failed to stop its spread.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/High-tech-approach-to-combat-sepsis.aspx

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Rhinosinusitis may be a factor in toxic shock syndrome in children
Rhinosinusitis (infection and inflammation in the sinus passages surrounding the nose) appears to be a primary factor in about one-fifth of toxic shock syndrome cases in children, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Rhinosinusitis-may-be-a-factor-in-toxic-shock-syndrome-in-children.aspx

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FDA releases fraudulent H1N1 flu virus product list
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is enforcing the laws that protect consumers from illegal products marketed through the Internet that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/FDA-releases-fraudulent-H1N1-flu-virus-product-list.aspx

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Renewed call for California 'condoms in porn' law at Larry Flynt's store
After the Los Angeles Times reported that as many as 16 actors and actresses in the adult entertainment industry recently tested positive for HIV, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will host a press conference, protest and rally Monday, June 15th at 9:00pm at porn impresario Larry Flynt's Hustler/Hollywood Store on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood (8920 Sunset Blvd.) to call for the introduction of landmark California legislation that would require the use of condoms by actors performing in porn videos produced by California's multi-billion dollar adult entertainment industry -- a mainstay of the San Fernando Valley economy.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090614/Renewed-call-for-California-condoms-in-porn-law-at-Larry-Flynts-store.aspx

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To flu experts, 'pandemic' confirms the obvious
"It came as no surprise on Thursday when the World Health Organization declared that the swine flu outbreak had become a pandemic," The New York Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/To-flu-experts-pandemic-confirms-the-obvious.aspx

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Recent releases: HIV prevention; clinical trials debate; definition of global health; drug resistant tuberculosis
In a Journal of the American Medical Association commentary piece, Anthony Fauci and Carl Dieffenbach of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases explore results from a WHO mathematical model study that found universal, voluntary, annual HIV testing followed up with immediate treatment for those testing positive -- the "test and treat model" -- could "reduce HIV incidence" and "end the [HIV] pandemic within 50 years."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Recent-releases-HIV-prevention3b-clinical-trials-debate3b-definition-of-global-health3b-drug-resistant-tuberculosis.aspx

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Global Post articles examine Malaria worldwide
Global Post examines the quest for an effective vaccine to fight malaria. According to Global Post, "epidemiologists are pinning their hopes on a malaria vaccine" because "[k]illing mosquitoes, or avoiding bites, is an imprecise solution to malaria."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Global-Post-articles-examine-Malaria-worldwide.aspx

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International scientists' network to map drug-resistant malaria
PTI/Hindu reports on the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) – an "international network of malaria scientists," which will be "established to map the emergence of resistance" to malaria drugs and "guide global efforts to control and eradicate the disease."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/International-scientists-network-to-map-drug-resistant-malaria.aspx

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Wall Street Journal examines program to spur vaccine development for developing world diseases
The Wall Street Journal examines a $1.5 billion program supported by Italy, the U.K., Canada, Russia, Norway and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that hopes "to encourage pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines for diseases common to poor countries," which is expected to be announced Friday "on the sidelines of a meeting of top finance officials from the Group of Eight major industrial powers."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Wall-Street-Journal-examines-program-to-spur-vaccine-development-for-developing-world-diseases.aspx

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Progress seen in some African HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment programs, U.N. Special Envoy says at World Economic Forum on Africa
Several African countries have successfully scaled up their HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs, U.N. Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in Africa Elizabeth Mataka said during a media briefing at the World Economic Forum on Africa being held in Cape Town, South Africa, the ZANIS/Lusaka Times reports. Zambia and Botswana were among some of the countries that have made significant progress in southern Africa, according to Mataka.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Progress-seen-in-some-African-HIVAIDS-prevention-treatment-programs-UN-Special-Envoy-says-at-World-Economic-Forum-on-Africa.aspx

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Recipients of HIV/AIDS programs aid expected to feel crunch of global economic crisis
At the 2009 HIV Implementers' Meeting in Namibia Thursday, Paul DeLay, deputy executive director of UNAIDS, said the global economic crisis will impact countries who receive international aid for HIV/AIDS programs, so recipients of such aid should identify priorities for their programs, the China Post reports (China Post, 6/12).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Recipients-of-HIVAIDS-programs-aid-expected-to-feel-crunch-of-global-economic-crisis.aspx

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Declaration of H1N1 pandemic to accelerate H1N1 vaccine production
The WHO's decision Thursday to declare H1N1 (swine) flu a pandemic will "speed the production of a vaccine against the new virus," however scientists continue to caution that "it will be fall at the earliest before the first doses are available," the Los Angeles Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Declaration-of-H1N1-pandemic-to-accelerate-H1N1-vaccine-production.aspx

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Structure of the HIV protein shell revealed
New research by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and other institutions provides a close-up look at the cone-shaped shell that is the hallmark of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), revealing how it is held together - and possible ways to break it apart.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Structure-of-the-HIV-protein-shell-revealed.aspx

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90 per cent of the world's population won't have access to antivirals in pandemic - generic drugs may help though
Almost 90 per cent of the world's population will not have timely access to affordable supplies of vaccines and antiviral agents in the current influenza pandemic, but it is possible that inexpensive generic drugs that are readily available, even in developing countries, could save millions of lives.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/90-per-cent-of-the-worlds-population-wont-have-access-to-antivirals-in-pandemic-generic-drugs-may-help-though.aspx

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The Lancet to launch series on the state of public health in Southeast Asia
As the global health community confronts the threat of a major new influenza pandemic, The Lancet, in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation and the China Medical Board, will develop a major Series to assess the state of public health in southeast Asia.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090612/The-Lancet-to-launch-series-on-the-state-of-public-health-in-Southeast-Asia.aspx

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Bioprocess increases vaccine yield
Empa researchers have managed to adapt a process for manufacturing certain vaccines - in particular that against Haemophilus influenzæ bacteria - for use in bioreactors, with the result that the yield is enhanced enormously.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090612/Bioprocess-increases-vaccine-yield.aspx

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UK tops the list of countries at extreme risk to the spread of swine flu
A Warwick Business School professor and one of the founders of global risks specialist, Maplecroft, has released three new maps and indices revealing the countries most at risk from an influenza pandemic.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090612/UK-tops-the-list-of-countries-at-extreme-risk-to-the-spread-of-swine-flu.aspx

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Don't panic because there's a pandemic!
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially raised the level of the swine flu alert to 6 - the highest level - and declared the outbreak a pandemic following an emergency meeting.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090612/Dont-panic-because-theres-a-pandemic!.aspx

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How prepared are we? New study to investigate Australia's pandemic preparedness
Public health experts have warned that a severe pandemic has the potential to cripple essential infrastructure and cause a catastrophic collapse of systems. A new study, to be undertaken by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), will assess how prepared Australia really is for a pandemic and identify 'weakest links'.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/How-prepared-are-we-New-study-to-investigate-Australiae28099s-pandemic-preparedness.aspx

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Women, girls priority in U.S. efforts against global HIV/AIDS, Clinton tells international health experts
In a video address to international HIV/AIDS experts gathered in Namibia for the 2009 HIV/AIDS Implementers Meeting Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton emphasized the Obama administration's commitment to women and girls in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the AP/Washington Post reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Women-girls-priority-in-US-efforts-against-global-HIVAIDS-Clinton-tells-international-health-experts.aspx

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National survey looks at HIV/AIDS in South Africa
According to the results of a national survey conducted in 2008 and released Tuesday, HIV prevalence among South Africans between the ages of 15 and 24 dropped from "a high of 10.3 percent in 2005 to 8.7 percent last year, with the decreases most marked among teenagers," AFP/Google.com reports (AFP/Google.com, 6/9).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/National-survey-looks-at-HIVAIDS-in-South-Africa.aspx

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WHO declares H1N1 virus spread a pandemic
WHO has declared that the spread of the H1N1 (swine) flu virus has reached pandemic level, the AP/Google.com reports (AP/Google.com, 6/11). The Phase 6 pandemic alert indicates that two regions of the world are experiencing significant outbreaks, according to the Wall Street Journal.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/WHO-declares-H1N1-virus-spread-a-pandemic.aspx

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Zimbabwean PM to meet with Clinton, Obama in appeal for foreign aid
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai met with U.S. lawmakers in Washington, D.C., Wednesday in an attempt to secure donations for a country in economic collapse, ZimOnline reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Zimbabwean-PM-to-meet-with-Clinton-Obama-in-appeal-for-foreign-aid.aspx

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World Economic Forum on Africa begins; reports examine African development
The World Economic Forum on Africa - a three-day event, which this year is focusing primarily "on the world economic downturn and how to lessen its effect on African economies" - kicked off Wednesday in Cape Town, South Africa, VOA News reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/World-Economic-Forum-on-Africa-begins3b-reports-examine-African-development.aspx

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The 'hijacking mechanism' of HIV-1 pinpointed
Researchers at McGill University and the affiliated Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital - along with colleagues at the University of Manitoba and the University of British Columbia - may have found a chink in the armour of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the microorganism which causes AIDS. They have pinpointed the key cellular machinery co-opted by HIV-1 to hijack the human cell for its own benefit.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/The-hijacking-mechanism-of-HIV-1-pinpointed.aspx

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Spike in Australian H1N1 cases could lead WHO to declare pandemic
The H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak could soon be declared the first flu pandemic in 41 years after a recent jump in the number of confirmed cases in Australia, WHO officials said Tuesday, the AP/Google.com reports (Jordans, AP/Google.com, 6/9).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Spike-in-Australian-H1N1-cases-could-lead-WHO-to-declare-pandemic.aspx

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Global AIDS coordinator nominee Goosby testifies before Senate committee
President Obama's choice for the State Department's global AIDS coordinator position, Eric Goosby, testified on Tuesday at a confirmation hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, VOA News reports. Goosby would work to continue PEPFAR's success, and "says he will emphasize prevention if he is confirmed by the Senate," VOA News writes.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Global-AIDS-coordinator-nominee-Goosby-testifies-before-Senate-committee.aspx

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Philippines Health Secretary warns of impending Dengue threat
With the start of the rainy season, Francisco Duque III, health secretary in the Philippines, on Tuesday emphasized a continued government commitment to controlling and preventing dengue - a disease for which there is currently no vaccine or specific drug, the Manila Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Philippines-Health-Secretary-warns-of-impending-Dengue-threat.aspx

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Disease control expert urges health workers to clean hands and save lives
Australia's World Health Organization infectious disease expert and Director of Hand Hygiene Australia has urged all health professionals to improve infection control and save lives by adopting the new National Hand Hygiene Initiative.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Disease-control-expert-urges-health-workers-to-clean-hands-and-save-lives.aspx

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New York Times examines varying definitions of 'pandemic'
"The new swine influenza virus [H1N1], which appeared suddenly after years of warning about a potential pandemic of avian influenza, upset the WHO's assumptions that most people have the same understanding of the word pandemic," says the New York Times in a report that examines the difficultly health experts have had when attempting to agree upon what constitutes a pandemic.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/New-York-Times-examines-varying-definitions-of-pandemic.aspx

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AP/Washington Post examines experimental malaria vaccine, mutant mosquitoes to combat malaria
During the 1990s, Sanaria CEO Stephen Hoffman "irradiated malaria-carrying mosquitoes to weaken the parasites inside them, and he and 13 colleagues subjected themselves to more than 1,000 bites," according to the AP/Washington Post.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/APWashington-Post-examines-experimental-malaria-vaccine-mutant-mosquitoes-to-combat-malaria.aspx

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Opinion: Second-line ARVs in India; PEPFAR funding
The successful scale-up of services for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in India "is now at risk," write Loon Gangte, president of the Delhi Network of Positive People, and Leena Menghaney, projects manager in India for Medecins Sans Frontieres' Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines, in a livemint.com editorial.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Opinion-Second-line-ARVs-in-India3b-PEPFAR-funding.aspx

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Australia's swine flu alert level may be raised a notch
As Australia's number of confirmed cases of influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) continues to soar - the toll is now 1,211 - there is now the very real possibility that the swine flu alert level will be raised a notch.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Australias-swine-flu-alert-level-may-be-raised-a-notch.aspx

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Jacob Zuma addresses increased access to antiretrovirals, reduction in HIV incidence
South African President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday said he wants to have 80 percent of HIV-positive South Africans who need antiretrovirals (ARVs) on them by 2011, BuaNews reports (BuaNews/allAfrica.com, 6/3).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Jacob-Zuma-addresses-increased-access-to-antiretrovirals-reduction-in-HIV-incidence.aspx

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3-day polio, measles vaccination campaign launched in Uganda
Uganda on Saturday launched a three-day polio and measles immunization campaign, Possy Mugyenyi, the country's immunization manager, said, UGPulse.com reports (Nyanzi, UGPulse.com, 6/5). More than 6 million children are being targeted, IRIN reports (IRIN, 6/5).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/3-day-polio-measles-vaccination-campaign-launched-in-Uganda.aspx

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WHO to incorporate disease severity into pandemic alert scale
A meeting of the WHO's emergency committee held Friday to discuss the H1N1 (swine) flu ended without a pandemic declaration, but experts concluded that declarations would now be based upon the severity and transmission pattern of a virus, Reuters reports (Nebehay, Reuters, 6/5). "The Emergency Committee is composed of international experts and its task is to give advice to the WHO chief on influenza outbreak responses," according to Xinhua writes (Xinhua, 6/6).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/WHO-to-incorporate-disease-severity-into-pandemic-alert-scale.aspx

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Lyme disease emerging in Canada
Lyme disease is emerging in Canada, and is expected to increase with climate change, but effective, enhanced surveillance and clinician awareness will be key to minimizing the impact of the disease, write researchers in a review in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Lyme-disease-emerging-in-Canada.aspx

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New discovery about mycobacteria – implications for tuberculosis research
A close relative of the microorganism that causes tuberculosis in humans has been found to form spores. This is a sensational finding because researchers have long been convinced that these kinds of bacteria - the mycobacteria - were incapable of forming spores.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/New-discovery-about-mycobacteria-e28093-implications-for-tuberculosis-research.aspx

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Scientists use climate variables and vegetation indices to predict and mitigate Dengue epidemics
Dengue Fever (DF) and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) are the most important vector-borne viral diseases in the World. Around 50-100 million cases appear each year putting 2.5 billion people at risk of suffering this debilitating and sometimes fatal disease.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090605/Scientists-use-climate-variables-and-vegetation-indices-to-predict-and-mitigate-Dengue-epidemics.aspx

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International HIV/AIDS experts to meet in Namibia next week
Thousands of international HIV/AIDS experts will convene in Windhoek, Namibia, next week for a five-day meeting focused on HIV/AIDS, New Era reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090605/International-HIVAIDS-experts-to-meet-in-Namibia-next-week.aspx

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Articles examine use of mobile phones for global health
The Economist examines how mobile phones could be used to detect the spread of diseases worldwide. According to the Economist, "[t]he world's 4 billion mobile phones could be turned into sensors on a global data-collection network" and aid workers, engineers and several other professionals "are now building systems that use handsets to sense, monitor and even predict population movements, environmental hazards and public-health threats."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090605/Articles-examine-use-of-mobile-phones-for-global-health.aspx

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Officials concerned about potential disease outbreaks among displaced Pakistanis; Obama requests more U.S. aid money
U.N. officials on Thursday expressed growing concern about potential disease outbreaks among the two million displaced Pakistanis and warned that aid money is running out, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 6/4).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090605/Officials-concerned-about-potential-disease-outbreaks-among-displaced-Pakistanis3b-Obama-requests-more-US-aid-money.aspx

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WHO recommends global use of rotavirus vaccines - can protect millions of children from diarrhoeal diseaseas
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that rotavirus vaccination be included in all national immunization programmes to provide protection against a virus that is responsible for more than 500,000 diarrhoeal deaths and 2 million hospitalizations every year among children. More than 85% of these deaths occur in developing countries in Africa and Asia. This new policy will help ensure access to rotavirus vaccines in the world's poorest countries.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090605/WHO-recommends-global-use-of-rotavirus-vaccines-can-protect-millions-of-children-from-diarrhoeal-diseaseas.aspx

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Drug-resistant tuberculosis a very real threat in the Pacific region
Health officials in the Pacific are concerned about two new strains of tuberculosis - multi drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) - both strains have been found to be resistant to the two most powerful drugs that have been used to treat tuberculosis (TB) for the past five decades.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090605/Drug-resistant-tuberculosis-a-very-real-threat-in-the-Pacific-region.aspx

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Australia's swine flu toll soars to almost 900
As the number of swine flu cases now confirmed in Australia edges close to 900, neighbour Singapore has issued advice warning its residents not to travel to Victoria the state worst-hit by the outbreak of influenza A H1N1 with 752 cases.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090604/Australias-swine-flu-toll-soars-to-almost-900.aspx

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Australia in top five countries worse hit by swine flu
The latest update from the World Health Organization, #43, says as of 3rd June, 66 countries have officially reported 19,273 cases of influenza A H1N1 infection (swine flu), including 117 deaths.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090604/Australia-in-top-five-countries-worse-hit-by-swine-flu.aspx

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White House seeks more money in case of a H1N1 pandemic emergency
The White House requested new funding for swine flu from Congress late Tuesday and also sought an additional $3.1 billion from the unspent stimulus funds in case of a pandemic emergency, according to various news sources.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090604/White-House-seeks-more-money-in-case-of-a-H1N1-pandemic-emergency.aspx

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Congress unlikely to approve Obama's request for additional flu money, majority leader says
U.S House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Wednesday expressed skepticism that Congress would approve President Obama's recent request for an additional $2 billion to help fight the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, Reuters/Washington Post reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090604/Congress-unlikely-to-approve-Obamas-request-for-additional-flu-money-majority-leader-says.aspx

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Mozambique's Health Minister reviews country's health status with Parliament
A nationwide vaccination effort in Mozambique helped to slash the number of reported cases of measles in Mozambique in 2008, Health Minister Ivo Garrido said Wednesday when addressing the country's parliament, Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique/allAfrica.com reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090604/Mozambiques-Health-Minister-reviews-countrys-health-status-with-Parliament.aspx

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One in four nursing home residents carries Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major problem in nursing homes with one in four residents carrying the bacteria, a study by Queen's University Belfast and Antrim Area Hospital has found.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090604/One-in-four-nursing-home-residents-carries-Methicillin-resistant-Staphylococcus-aureus.aspx

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U.S. doubles annual Malawi HIV/AIDS support to $45 million
The U.S. government recently announced a commitment to double its support for Malawi's efforts to fight HIV/AIDS to $45 million annually, Xinhua reports (Xinhua, 6/2).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090603/US-doubles-annual-Malawi-HIVAIDS-support-to-2445-million.aspx

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Indonesia to host AIDS congress; smoking ban in Ghana
Indonesia will host the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific region, August 3 – 13 in Bali, organizers of the event announced Wednesday, Xinhua reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090603/Indonesia-to-host-AIDS-congress3b-smoking-ban-in-Ghana.aspx

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WHO closer to declaring H1N1 flu outbreak a pandemic
The WHO on Tuesday said it was "getting closer" to declaring the H1N1 (swine) flu outbreak to be a pandemic, as the virus continues to spread to people outside of North America, and in populations "as far apart as Britain, Spain, Japan, Chile and Australia," the AP/Washington Post reports (Jordans, AP/Washington Post, 6/2).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090603/WHO-closer-to-declaring-H1N1-flu-outbreak-a-pandemic.aspx

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Vietnam publishes report documenting Millennium Development Goal progress
Vietnam recently published a report tracking its progress towards the U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets, which outlines the health ministry's work with other government and international agencies, Vietnam News reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090603/Vietnam-publishes-report-documenting-Millennium-Development-Goal-progress.aspx

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Swine flu in Victoria - alert measures move up a level
The number of confirmed swine flu cases in Australia has now reached 502 - three quarters of which are in Victoria and as a result the state's alert measures have been moved from "contain" to the next level, the "sustain" phase.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090603/Swine-flu-in-Victoria-alert-measures-move-up-a-level.aspx

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Swine flu - a threatening pandemic or media panic?
The latest update from the World Health Organisation (WHO) # 42, reports that as of the 1st June 2009, 62 countries have officially reported 17,410 cases of influenza A H1N1 infection (swine flu), including 115 deaths.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090603/Swine-flu-a-threatening-pandemic-or-media-panic.aspx

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U.N. agencies increase request for foreign donations to Zimbabwe
In the midst of Zimbabwe's growing humanitarian crisis, U.N. agencies on Monday released a revised statement of appeal for foreign donations totaling $718 million for "food, clean water, AIDS medicines and other aid – up from an estimate of $550 million in November," the AP/Washington Post reports (Shaw, AP/Washington Post, 6/1).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090602/UN-agencies-increase-request-for-foreign-donations-to-Zimbabwe.aspx

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Report shows Jamaica's progress towards achieving U.N. MDGs
Jamaica has already achieved some U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets and is "on track" to attain five more, according to a report that mapped the country's progress toward the MDGs, the Jamaica Observer reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090602/Report-shows-Jamaicas-progress-towards-achieving-UN-MDGs.aspx

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British researchers call for WHO to 'condemn homeopathy' for serious diseases
British researchers on Monday requested the WHO "publicly condemn homeopathy as a treatment for serious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria," amid growing concern that some patients are dying as a result of choosing homeopathy over effective medicines, the Mail & Guardian reports. "The WHO works with national organisations that promote homeopathy and other alternative medicines in their public health programmes," according to the Mail & Guardian.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090602/British-researchers-call-for-WHO-to-condemn-homeopathy-for-serious-diseases.aspx

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Universal access to malaria drugs, prevention by 2013 will lead to eradication, Nigerian Government says
The Nigerian government believes that by 2013 malaria will cease to be a major public health problem in the country because families will have universal access to prevention and treatment, which will ultimately lead to malaria eradication in Nigeria, according to a document prepared by the National Malaria Control Program of the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja, Nigeria, Xinhua reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090602/Universal-access-to-malaria-drugs-prevention-by-2013-will-lead-to-eradication-Nigerian-Government-says.aspx

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Research sheds new light on how bird flu outbreaks begin in wild bird populations
New data on the persistence of avian influenza viruses in the environment has allowed a team of University of Georgia researchers to create the first model that takes into account both direct and indirect transmission of the viruses among birds. The model, which is detailed in the early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has the potential to shed new light on how outbreaks begin in wild bird populations.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090602/Research-sheds-new-light-on-how-bird-flu-outbreaks-begin-in-wild-bird-populations.aspx

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Discovery of new arenavirus associated with hemorrhagic fever – first identified in nearly four decades
Scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases of National Health Laboratory Service (NICD-NHLS), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Roche's 454 Life Sciences Corporation have discovered the new virus responsible for a highly fatal hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Zambia and South Africa in late 2008.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090602/Discovery-of-new-arenavirus-associated-with-hemorrhagic-fever-e28093-first-identified-in-nearly-four-decades.aspx

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A pandemic of human fear and anxiety
Is a flu pandemic looming and if so should we worry? It is now 41 years since we experienced the last pandemic of flu and many think that we are overdue for the next one. But have we over-reacted to the present outbreak of swine flu?
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090601/A-pandemic-of-human-fear-and-anxiety.aspx

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Experts say let swine flu run its course
With the number of influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) cases in Australia now over 300 federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the government is considering whether to elevate the nation's response to the disease from the contain to sustain phase, as it may be impossible to keep quarantining people.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090601/Experts-say-let-swine-flu-run-its-course.aspx

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Australian swine flu toll now over 300
The World Health Organisation's last update on the outbreak of influenza A(H1N1) - swine flu says as of the 29th of May, 53 countries have officially reported 15,510 cases including 99 deaths and Australian health authorities have confirmed that more than 300 people have been diagnosed with swine flu in Australia and all states and territories are now affected by the virus.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090601/Australian-swine-flu-toll-now-over-300.aspx

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Marijuana effectiveness as an HIV self-care strategy
Those in the United States living with HIV/AIDS are more likely to use marijuana than those in Kenya, South Africa or Puerto Rica to alleviate their symptoms, according to a new study published in Clinical Nursing Research, published by SAGE.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/Marijuana-effectiveness-as-an-HIV-self-care-strategy.aspx

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Researchers plan to target immune cells responsible for eluding antiretroviral treatment
Certain human immune cells known as macrophages are composed of hybrid HIV strains that elude treatment and antiretroviral drugs, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Florida and other institutions, the Gainesville Sun reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/Researchers-plan-to-target-immune-cells-responsible-for-eluding-antiretroviral-treatment.aspx

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Thai HIV/AIDS advocates urge increased treatment access for IDUs
The Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group recently called on the country to launch a comprehensive harm reduction program for injection drug users in an effort to help curb the spread of HIV, Thailand's The Nation reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/Thai-HIVAIDS-advocates-urge-increased-treatment-access-for-IDUs.aspx

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Report estimates significant impact of widespread circumcision effort in Botswana
Botswana's campaign to circumcise about 500,000 men by 2012 will prevent nearly 70,000 new HIV cases by 2025, according to a report published Thursday in the Journal of the International AIDS Society, AFP/Yahoo! News reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/Report-estimates-significant-impact-of-widespread-circumcision-effort-in-Botswana.aspx

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HIV prevention efforts in five African countries not reaching at-risk groups, report says
National HIV prevention strategies in at least five African countries are not reaching the groups most at risk of infection, according to a report from UNAIDS and the World Bank conducted in conjunction with the national HIV/AIDS authorities of Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland and Uganda, IRIN/PlusNews reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090531/HIV-prevention-efforts-in-five-African-countries-not-reaching-at-risk-groups-report-says.aspx

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Healthcare News Update

Talk Medical (http://talk.news-medical.net). Post news from your organization or company, post events you are involved in or feel would be of interest to the wider community, blog to your heart's content on current health issues or simply just share any interesting health stories you may have. Feature Blog Post Swine Flu (H1N1): Can a Kitten become a Lion? In Singapore seventeen cases have been reported and in Australia over 1,200. It is only a matter of time that we [in Southeast Asia] really get hit. Are you ready? Should you be worried? Will millions die such as in the 1918 H1N1 pandemic? Read More

Latest News

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Expert physician on "meaningful use" guidelines
Jonathan Teich, M.D., is the Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO) at Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of scientific, technical and medical information. He is also an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a board-certified attending physician in emergency medicine at Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090616/Expert-physician-on-e2809cmeaningful-usee2809d-guidelines.aspx

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HIV Medicine Association supports public plan option to ensure patients' needs are met
As Congress drafts health care reform legislation, HIV clinicians urge lawmakers to include a public plan option to ensure affordable access to comprehensive care for HIV patients - nearly 30 percent of whom have no insurance. The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) believes that a public plan option can help offer everyone the chance to benefit from early and reliable access to lifesaving HIV care and treatment.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090616/HIV-Medicine-Association-supports-public-plan-option-to-ensure-patients-needs-are-met.aspx

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Access issues persist for Indians, rural Americans, immigrants
Several reports today focus on inadequate health care for certain population groups within the United States.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Access-issues-persist-for-Indians-rural-Americans-immigrants.aspx

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Physicians wait for health IT guidelines, officials want 'every doctor's office' online
Physicians are still waiting for clear cut rules for how they must use health information technology in order to be eligible for economic stimulus-funded incentives, American Medical News, a publication of the American Medical Association, reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Physicians-wait-for-health-IT-guidelines-officials-want-every-doctors-office-online.aspx

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Many key lawmakers hold stakes in health industry
"Almost 30 key lawmakers helping draft landmark health-care legislation have financial holdings in the industry, totaling nearly $11 million worth of personal investments in a sector that could be dramatically reshaped by this summer's debate," The Washington Post reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Many-key-lawmakers-hold-stakes-in-health-industry.aspx

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Lawmakers spar over health reform
As the Senate Finance Committee prepares to unveil a health overhaul proposal this week, key players have been weighing in on aspects of potential legislation.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Lawmakers-spar-over-health-reform.aspx

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Medical isotope shortage hurts hospitals and disrupts medical tests
Reuters reports that "a North American shortage of medical isotopes has forced many U.S. hospitals to begin rationing scores of diagnostic tests, and doctors said on Friday they see no quick solution."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Medical-isotope-shortage-hurts-hospitals-and-disrupts-medical-tests.aspx

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Maryland hospital fined for not reporting errors
Regulators have fined a hospital in Lanham, Maryland, for not reporting errors. The Washington Post reports that "Doctors Community Hospital in Prince George's County has been fined by Maryland health regulators after failing to notify them that a patient had died and that at least seven others suffered serious harm last year as a result of mistakes by the medical staff.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Maryland-hospital-fined-for-not-reporting-errors.aspx

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Obama considers taxing health benefits to pay for reform
As President Obama looks for a way to pay for health care reform in the United States, key Democrats advocate taxing employer-provided health benefits, The Washington Post reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Obama-considers-taxing-health-benefits-to-pay-for-reform.aspx

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Medicare tapped for savings to cover reform costs, again
In his weekly Internet and radio address Saturday, President Obama announced a plan to cut $313 billion in Medicare and Medicaid spending over the next decade as a way to raise money for overhauling the health care system and covering millions of the uninsured, the Los Angeles Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Medicare-tapped-for-savings-to-cover-reform-costs-again.aspx

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Administration could find compromise in 'co-op' plan
"With Republicans fighting the idea of a government-run health insurance plan, members of President Barack Obama's team said Sunday that they are open to a compromise: a cooperative program that would expand coverage with taxpayer money but without direct governmental control," the Associated Press reports. The non-profit, health insurance cooperatives were suggested in Congress by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the concession could be a path to bipartisan health reform legislation (Elliott, 6/15).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Administration-could-find-compromise-in-e28098co-ope28099-plan.aspx

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Obama asks AMA to support health care overhaul efforts
President Barack Obama delivered a speech today to the American Medical Association House of Delegates, which was meeting in Chicago.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/Obama-asks-AMA-to-support-health-care-overhaul-efforts.aspx

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MedPAC: Medicare must reinvent its payment systems to improve quality, save money
A low-profile commission that advises Congress on Medicare has renewed its call for lawmakers to reinvent from the ground up the way doctors, hospitals and other providers are paid.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090615/MedPAC-Medicare-must-reinvent-its-payment-systems-to-improve-quality-save-money.aspx

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FSAs could end up on chopping block in hunt for health overhaul money
Around Christmas a few years ago, Princeton University economist Uwe Reinhardt was looking forward to a holiday dinner when his wife told him he shouldn't bother setting a place for himself. She had scheduled a colonoscopy for him for the next day.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/FSAs-could-end-up-on-chopping-block-in-hunt-for-health-overhaul-money.aspx

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Dartmouth studies influence administration, even in choice of venue
When President Obama chose Green Bay, Wis., to talk about the need for health reform, he did so in part because the area has achieved a high level of quality, and compared with other parts of the country, succeeded in restraining health care costs, National Public Radio reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Dartmouth-studies-influence-administration-even-in-choice-of-venue.aspx

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Prevention efforts have little success in reducing illness, cost
As health reform heats up, many lawmakers agree that the government should take a larger role in preventing disease. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that "many previous government prevention efforts aimed at costly chronic diseases have had little success in reducing illness or costs."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Prevention-efforts-have-little-success-in-reducing-illness-cost.aspx

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Obama uses popularity to make case for health reform in Wisconsin
President Obama used his popularity Thursday at a town hall meeting in Green Bay, Wisc., in an effort to help make the case to Americans that a health care system overhaul needs to happen this year, Time reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Obama-uses-popularity-to-make-case-for-health-reform-in-Wisconsin.aspx

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Insurers, business owners and doctors increase lobbying as details of health plan emerge
Insurers, business owners, and doctors -- three principal interest groups in health reform -- are stepping up their opposition and lobbying efforts as details of the health plans emerge.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Insurers-business-owners-and-doctors-increase-lobbying-as-details-of-health-plan-emerge.aspx

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Democrats prepare for health reform cost analysis while courting GOP votes
What is sure to be a staggering price tag for health reform has Senate Democrats talking about changing the chamber's normal accounting procedures, The Hill reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Democrats-prepare-for-health-reform-cost-analysis-while-courting-GOP-votes.aspx

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Oregon legislature passes statewide health reform bills
The Oregon state legislature cleared two reform bills that passed its House of Representatives earlier this week, the Portland Oregonian reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Oregon-legislature-passes-statewide-health-reform-bills.aspx

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Michigan hospitals suffer GM's bankruptcy, new Medicaid cuts
Health care could be the next Michigan industry to take a tumble, as hospitals anticipate caring for more uninsured patients in the wake of General Motor's bankruptcy and cuts to the state Medicaid program, the Detroit Free Press reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Michigan-hospitals-suffer-GMs-bankruptcy-new-Medicaid-cuts.aspx

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Nursing shortage eases with recession's help
"The nation's deep recession is helping to alleviate the decade-long nursing shortage, as workers who had left the field in better times are returning in droves," the Wall Street Journal reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Nursing-shortage-eases-with-recessions-help.aspx

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Medicare reimbursement issues enter health reform debate
New legislation introduced yesterday would attempt to shift Medicare reimbursement policy to reward patient health outcomes, rather than the volume of services provided, MinnPost, a nonprofit online news organization, reports. "We need to be sure to keep score," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who introduced the bill, according to MinnPost. "That means measuring outcomes and rewarding providers that deliver quality results."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Medicare-reimbursement-issues-enter-health-reform-debate.aspx

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Lawmakers want Federal rules to cover home health care workers and end-of-life care
Lawmakers want federal rules to cover home health care workers while Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., plans to introduce legislation in Congress today to better educate the public on end-of-life care.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Lawmakers-want-Federal-rules-to-cover-home-health-care-workers-and-end-of-life-care.aspx

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Dodd's wife serving on health care company boards
The wife of Sen. Chris Dodd, a leading player in this year's attempt at health care reform, serves on the board of three health care companies, The Associated Press reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Dodds-wife-serving-on-health-care-company-boards.aspx

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A group of health CEOs want to end Medicare fee-for-service payments
A group of more than a half dozen CEOs from some of America's largest health care providers on Friday called for an end to fee-for-service payments under Medicare, and for incentives to create administrative efficiencies to lower costs to help pay for America's health care reform.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/A-group-of-health-CEOs-want-to-end-Medicare-fee-for-service-payments.aspx

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Penn conducts largest national study on hospital patient satisfaction as it relates to nurse work environments
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing conclude patients report higher satisfaction in hospitals that offer better work environments for nurses or fewer patients-to-nurse ratios, according to a new study published in today's issue of Health Affairs.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090613/Penn-conducts-largest-national-study-on-hospital-patient-satisfaction-as-it-relates-to-nurse-work-environments.aspx

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Putting a price tag on health reform spreads unease
Taxes, fees for business and spending cuts could help lawmakers pay the $1-trillion-plus cost of health reform, but those possibilities have spurred a behind-the-scenes lobbying fight on Capitol Hill, and caused a fair share of anxiety among many interest groups, the Los Angeles Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Putting-a-price-tag-on-health-reform-spreads-unease.aspx

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CBO Director may help determine fate of health care
Several newspapers had articles on major players in health care reform. Douglas W. Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, has "toiled for much of his career in the anonymous bowels of the nation's economic superstructure," the Washington Post reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/CBO-Director-may-help-determine-fate-of-health-care.aspx

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Administration to pitch health reform in "model" community
President Obama and top advisers will travel to Green Bay Thursday - "one of the highest-value health communities in the nation" - to promote health reform in a town-hall meeting, the Washington Post reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Administration-to-pitch-health-reform-in-model-community.aspx

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Obama "flexible" on all but one issue: passing a reform bill
"President Obama urged lawmakers Wednesday to work through partisan differences that are threatening health care legislation" at a White House meeting, the Associated Press reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Obama-flexible-on-all-but-one-issue-passing-a-reform-bill.aspx

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Infighting among Democrats on health care reform
Infighting among Democrats over inclusion of a public plan in health care reform is turning disagreement between moderates and liberals into a "Democratic civil war" with outside groups taking part in the attacks, Politico reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Infighting-among-Democrats-on-health-care-reform.aspx

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AMA opposes public insurance plan, as Obama prepares reform pitch
America's largest, most influential physician group said "it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element of legislation to remake the health care system," the New York Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/AMA-opposes-public-insurance-plan-as-Obama-prepares-reform-pitch.aspx

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Co-operative public plan offers hope for bipartisan bill
A plan to pool the ownership of health insurance into cooperatives owned by groups of residents and small businesses is attracting renewed hopes that a bipartisan public plan bill will pass Congress with wide support, The Associated Press reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Co-operative-public-plan-offers-hope-for-bipartisan-bill.aspx

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Democrat bill, FTC examine ways to drive down health care costs
A bill introduced Wednesday in the House would create an artificial joints database to root out bad practices and unnecessary surgeries, The New York Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Democrat-bill-FTC-examine-ways-to-drive-down-health-care-costs.aspx

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Medicare payment rates cause concern
Legislation in Congress would boost Medicare payment rates for some doctors who claim they are are routinely underpaid for services in California. Meanwhile hearings in South Dakota focus on Medicare reimbursement issues in rural areas.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Medicare-payment-rates-cause-concern.aspx

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Use Medicare to hold industry to cost and quality promises
On June 1, leaders of the health care industry reaffirmed their pledge to reform a health care system that is rife with inefficiencies, costs too much, and fails to deliver the quality of care Americans expect.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Use-Medicare-to-hold-industry-to-cost-and-quality-promises.aspx

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Obama says the time to fix health care is now
President Obama told a crowd today at a high school in Green Bay, Wis., that health reform will cost "a good deal of money at a time where we don't have extra to spend," according to The Associated Press.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Obama-says-the-time-to-fix-health-care-is-now.aspx

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Obama says doing nothing will cost more in long run
President Obama said at a health care town hall meeting at a school in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday that doing nothing on health reform will lead to increased costs and a higher deficit as he challenged critics of Congress' attempt at reform, The Associated Press reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Obama-says-doing-nothing-will-cost-more-in-long-run.aspx

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Senate approves legislation to give the FDA power to regulate tobacco
The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation today that gives the Food and Drug Administration regulatory power to limit nicotine in cigarettes, "drastically curtail" advertising and "ban candied tobacco products" aimed at the young, The Associated Press reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Senate-approves-legislation-to-give-the-FDA-power-to-regulate-tobacco.aspx

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Democrats target a dozen GOP senators in quest for health reform deal
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and other Democratic leaders are targeting more than a dozen moderate and conservative Republicans as they pursue a bipartisan deal to extend health care coverage to nearly 46 million uninsured Americans.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Democrats-target-a-dozen-GOP-senators-in-quest-for-health-reform-deal.aspx

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Unique study into the health and wellbeing of seniors
A unique Network studying the health and wellbeing of older people is bringing together health, social science and mathematics experts in a revolutionary project which will help shape the long-term provision of health and social care services across the UK and ultimately benefit older people.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090611/Unique-study-into-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-seniors.aspx

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Assistive technology reduces the stress of palliative care
In light of this year's Palliative Care Week theme 'If only I knew…finding answers to questions that help us live and die the best we can', Tunstall Healthcare can provide solutions to help support family care commitments and work life balance.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Assistive-technology-reduces-the-stress-of-palliative-care.aspx

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KHN's Mary Agnes Carey discusses the latest developments in Senate, House reform bills
Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today released their health care reform bill called "Affordable Health Choices Act." Kaiser Health News Senior Correspondent Mary Agnes Carey discusses the bill with the Kaiser Family Foundation's Jackie Judd.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/KHNs-Mary-Agnes-Carey-discusses-the-latest-developments-in-Senate-House-reform-bills.aspx

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HELP Committee postpones day of reckoning
Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions released their health care proposal today, but left out for now the two elements Republicans dislike the most -- a new government-run insurance plan and a requirement that employers provide coverage or pay a penalty.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/HELP-Committee-postpones-day-of-reckoning.aspx

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President courts fiscal conservatives in reform push
President Obama is moving quickly to head off opposition to major health care legislation from fiscal conservatives in Congress by vowing to follow strict rules for paying for it without further driving up the already huge deficit.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/President-courts-fiscal-conservatives-in-reform-push.aspx

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Baucus: 'effectiveness' part of health-care bill, could reduce health xosts
"Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Tuesday he expects Senate health-care legislation will include provisions encouraging doctors to compare drugs and therapies for their effectiveness," Dow Jones Newswires reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Baucus-effectiveness-part-of-health-care-bill-could-reduce-health-xosts.aspx

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Long term care forms part of health plan
Long-term care plays a role in the Senate HELP committee health plan released Tuesday by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. The Associated Press reports that "Americans would be able to buy long-term care insurance from the government for $65 a month under a provision tucked into sweeping health care legislation that senators will begin considering next week."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Long-term-care-forms-part-of-health-plan.aspx

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Groups want New Jersey to restore immigrant outreach funds
"Immigrant and health-care advocacy groups" are calling on New Jersey to "restore $1 million in funding that has been eliminated in the latest round of budget tightening," the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Groups-want-New-Jersey-to-restore-immigrant-outreach-funds.aspx

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House Democrats unveil bill that would create insurance exchange, public plan
House Democrats on Tuesday released an outline of their proposal to reform the health care system that would require that all Americans have insurance and that employers provide coverage or pay a penalty, The Associated Press reports. The bill also emphasized preventive care but omitted details about how to cover the costs.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/House-Democrats-unveil-bill-that-would-create-insurance-exchange-public-plan.aspx

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Administration's 'pay-as-you-go' plan will overlook health reform, other health spending
President Obama urged Congress to enact into law tough financial rules requiring them to offset any new spending or taxes, but was clear that where health care is concerned, lawmakers should overlook those rules, Bloomberg reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Administrations-pay-as-you-go-plan-will-overlook-health-reform-other-health-spending.aspx

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Reports from the White House and Kaiser Family Foundation address health care disparities
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and White House Health Czar Nancy Ann DeParle held a discussion of minority health issues at the White House yesterday, where Sebelius "said the Obama administration is committed to addressing the 'alarming disparity in the delivery of quality health care'," which she said was necessary to lower costs, the Associated Press reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Reports-from-the-White-House-and-Kaiser-Family-Foundation-address-health-care-disparities.aspx

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High-cost Medicare areas worry about looming cuts
The White House's pressure to cut soaring healthcare costs is causing action and concern in high cost Medicare areas, especially South Florida.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/High-cost-Medicare-areas-worry-about-looming-cuts.aspx

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Kennedy plan skips contentious issues, still angers GOP
The first detailed health reform proposal "got off to a rocky start Tuesday," as "even moderate Republicans" attacked a draft bill by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Democrats from his Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Los Angeles Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Kennedy-plan-skips-contentious-issues-still-angers-GOP.aspx

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Baucus expects new taxes on worker's benefits to be part of reform
Senators will likely pay for at least a portion of the expected $1 trillion-plus health reform price tag by taxing employer-provided health benefits that are significantly more expensive than the basic plan for federal employees, which costs $13,000 a year for a family, the Washington Post reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Baucus-expects-new-taxes-on-workers-benefits-to-be-part-of-reform.aspx

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The personalities making news around health reform
Sen. Chris Dodd has taken the reins on health care reform while he juggles other bills and a tough re-election campaign, Roll Call reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/The-personalities-making-news-around-health-reform.aspx

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Consensus forming among most Democrats on health reform
Democratic leaders have begun moving the rank and file closer to acceptance of basic tenets of health reform proposals, but concerns remain among the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats on how it will be paid for, Politico reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Consensus-forming-among-most-Democrats-on-health-reform.aspx

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Provisions for young, old in Kennedy bill; Senate leaders eye July for bill
Sen. Edward Kennedy's health care reform bill includes provisions to allow elderly people remain in their homes and the young to stay on their parents health insurance until age 26, according to The Associated Press.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090610/Provisions-for-young-old-in-Kennedy-bill3b-Senate-leaders-eye-July-for-bill.aspx

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Elective surgery in Canberra a waiting game
According to the latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) people living in Canberra wait on average 72 days for elective surgery which is more than double the national average of 34 days.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Elective-surgery-in-Canberra-a-waiting-game.aspx

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Seniors seek help with Medicare's 'doughnut hole'
Senior and elderly advocate groups are calling on Congress to get rid of the "doughnut hole" in Medicare's drug benefit as part of the larger efforts to reform health care, according to The Dallas Morning News.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Seniors-seek-help-with-Medicares-doughnut-hole.aspx

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Washington's basic health plan raises rates to compensate for budget cuts
Washington state's cash-strapped health insurance program, Basic Health Plan, "is resorting to steep premium increases to achieve what [its officials] were loath to do on their own - expel thousands of working-class people," the Seattle Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Washingtons-basic-health-plan-raises-rates-to-compensate-for-budget-cuts.aspx

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Senate could vote today on tougher tobacco legislation
The Senate could vote today on tougher tobacco laws that would give the Food and Drug Adminstration power to regulate tobacco.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Senate-could-vote-today-on-tougher-tobacco-legislation.aspx

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Kennedy's absence felt as health reform push intensifies
Congressional Democrats seeking leadership are feeling Sen. Edward Kennedy's absence in the looming health care reform debate as he continues his battle with brain cancer, and struggles to return to Washington, The New York Times reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Kennedys-absence-felt-as-health-reform-push-intensifies.aspx

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House health bill to include public plan, insurers resisting
On Monday, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D- N.Y., told reporters that the House bill will include a new public insurance plan, Reuters/The Boston Globe reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/House-health-bill-to-include-public-plan-insurers-resisting.aspx

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Reform debate circles back to costs, and how to pay for them
In the White House's pitches for health care reform, controlling costs has replaced universal coverage as the leading imperative to overhaul the system. A top White House economist, Christina Romer, said in a public appearance Monday, "Good health care reform is good economic policy," the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "Fixing what's wrong with our health care system is no longer a luxury we hope to achieve – it's a necessity we cannot postpone any longer" (Abate, 6/9).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Reform-debate-circles-back-to-costs-and-how-to-pay-for-them.aspx

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California Restaurant Association asks U.S. Supreme Court to weigh employer mandate question
A California Restaurant Association has asked the Supreme Court to rule on the legality of San Francisco's mandate that employers pay for health care coverage for employees, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/California-Restaurant-Association-asks-US-Supreme-Court-to-weigh-employer-mandate-question.aspx

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Health reform plans grab spotlight as specifics emerge
President Obama's carefully worded health care reform letter to key Senate Democrats last week highlighted the growing role the president is taking in overhaul efforts, Politico reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Health-reform-plans-grab-spotlight-as-specifics-emerge.aspx

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Dodd: Health reform bill lacks detail
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said Tuesday morning that the most contentious issues in health care reform such as a public plan and employer mandate will be left out of a bill for now, Politico reports.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Dodd-Health-reform-bill-lacks-detail.aspx

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Baucus: Comparative effectiveness will be in health reform bill
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., says that a comprehensive health reform package - due out from his committee within the next week or two - will include plans to compare the effectiveness of drugs and other medical treatments so Americans can answer the question: "What are we getting for our money?"
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Baucus-Comparative-effectiveness-will-be-in-health-reform-bill.aspx

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House Democrats unveil reform outline
CQ reports that details are emerging regarding House Democrats' Plan. "The health care overhaul under development by House Democrats would subsidize insurance premiums for families earning as much as four times the poverty level, while expanding Medicaid and improving its payments to health providers."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/House-Democrats-unveil-reform-outline.aspx

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DeParle, Sebelius: Time to tackle health care disparities
Officials said Tuesday that the time is now to tackle ethnic, economic and gender disparities in health care as they ready a major overhaul of the nation's health care system.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/DeParle-Sebelius-Time-to-tackle-health-care-disparities.aspx

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War of words on health reform
The message war on health care continues unabated. A new memo by Democratic pollster Celinda Lake and the Herndon Alliance, a liberal group that backs a sweeping health care overhaul, urges advocates to emphasize that Democratic plans offer "an American solution" that will provide "peace of mind" and "choice" of insurance plans and physicians.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/War-of-words-on-health-reform.aspx

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Hospital infection prevention resources cut
Hospitals are cutting staff, resources and education for infection prevention at a time when the prevalence of many healthcare-associated infections is increasing, according to a report released today by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Hospital-infection-prevention-resources-cut.aspx

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EU unions send message to ministers on healthcare
"We cannot let market forces run healthcare systems or we will end up with a two-tier system of healthcare delivery."
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/EU-unions-send-message-to-ministers-on-healthcare.aspx

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Obama ramping up efforts to overhaul the nation's health care system
President Barack Obama is ramping up his efforts to overhaul the nation's health care system, including devoting his Saturday radio and video address to health reform.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090609/Obama-ramping-up-efforts-to-overhaul-the-nations-health-care-system.aspx

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