MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'center'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:52:32 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181796&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fis-ut-austin-finally-getting-its-long-awaited-medical-school%2F2011.09.02 The headline is disingenuous: yes, there’s a Med School headed for Austin. Congrats, Brackendridge! Kinda amusing tale after the quote: Lawmakers and local leaders are hopeful a plan unanimously adopted at Thursday’s University of Texas System Board of Regents meeting means they could finally get what they’ve long been waiting for: a new medical school. One of the elements of the plan outlined by Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa is to “advance medical education and research in Austin.” Even before Thursday’s meeting ended, state Sen. Kirk Watson issued a press release reading between the lines, calling for the creation of a flagship health science center and medical school in Austin. “Within the next 30 days, I plan to offer a path – and a challenge for our community – to bu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181796 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:00:10 +0100 5181796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182233&cid=t_103648_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FKHUrL5uVSuA%2Fsupport-group-tips By Kairol Rosenthal During my stint with cancer, I’ve attended both thyroid cancer and young adult cancer groups.  They ranged from excellent to abysmal.  Here are six tips I’ve come up with for making the most out of a support group experience. I’m curious if you’ve ever tried them: 1. Contact the leader first to see if it’s a good match for you. Ask if participants have a similar disease type or variation as you, what stage of their disease are they in, if the focus is emotional support or swapping practical medical coping strategies. If age, relationship status, race and ethnicity and other personal factors are important to you, ask about the demographics of the group. 2. Try a few meetings. Sometimes groups vary hugely from meeting to meeting depending on who is... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182233 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:11:17 +0100 5182233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181800&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhospital-ceo-is-diagnosed-with-cancer-while-building-a-new-cancer-center%2F2011.09.01 Pat Elliott, me and a HUGE cactus at Banner MD Anderson! I am just back from the Phoenix-metro area. It’s now the 5th largest in the United States and despite home foreclosures, there is still a feeling of growth in many areas. Gilbert, a nearby suburb, has expanded to over 200,000 people and a growing major medical center. I spent several days interviewing patients and staff about the soon-to-open, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. The hope is that by bringing MD Anderson’s world-renowned expertise, clinical trials and processes to this new center, cancer care around Phoenix and the southwest will be improved. Look for my video interviews coming soon. But, in the meantime, one interview stuck out for me; the one with the Banner Health President and CEO, Peter Fine. Peter is in his lat... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181800 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0100 5181800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181803&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fphysician-organizes-a-price-list-of-56-common-medical-tests%2F2011.08.31 I am smacking myself on the forehead and saying, “Why didn’t I think of this?”  Dr. Richard Parker, Medical Director at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,  has sent out a list to his physician colleagues of 56 common medical tests and procedures.  What is revolutionary is that there are prices next to each item.  You non-physicians may be surprised to know that we doctors have no idea what the tests or drugs we order actually cost.  Unless we get billed as a patient, we are as clueless as you are. As I wrote before, the ostrich excuse just won’t fly any more.  We all need to be aware of the cost of care and have skin in the game.  Some will argue that price can’t be the only driver.  I’ve heard physicians say you can’t compare one price ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181803 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 21:00:00 +0100 5181803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182364&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FnmHZC-OksPw%2Ftubal-reversal-dominican-republic.html Tubal reversal surgery is not commonly done in the Dominican Republic. As a result, many women will travel from the Caribbean for tubal reversal surgery with the tubal reversal doctors of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. This is the story of Esmeldy and Rosendo. Esmeldy had a tubal ligation procedure in the Dominican Republic but later regretted that decision and she traveled to Chapel Hill for a reversal of her burned tubes. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182364 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:21:00 +0100 5182364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174613&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fafter-one-year-the-mayo-clinic-center-for-social-media-is-still-going-strong%2F2011.08.29 I’ve always been a great fan of what Mayo Clinic has been doing on social media. Then after Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media was launched, I became a member of the international external advisory board which I’m very proud of. I reported when they launched a patient community and also discussed how well they did this. Now the Center is 1 year old and still performs perfectly. An excerpt form their previous entry: Here’s a sneak peek of a few topics that were discussed during Mayo’s retreat: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174613 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:00:38 +0100 5174613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158991&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fimproving-surgical-residents-bedside-manner%2F2011.08.25 I was alerted to this Archives of Surgery article (full reference below) by MedPage Today:  Role Playing Boosts Surgical Residents’ Bedside Manner. I find it intriguing.  Role playing gives you a chance for a “do-over” when you make a social or communication faux pas. So much of medicine is communication.  Those of us who have been at it for years, deliver bad news differently (learned the hard way) now than we did previously.  You choose your words more carefully (though I still occasionally screw up).  Some words are more emotionally charged than others.  Some patients want more information than others. The University of Connecticut Health Center conducted a prospective study  of a pilot project designed to  teach surgical residents patient-centered communication skills... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158991 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:15:00 +0100 5158991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159199&cid=t_103648_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F25%2Fto-heal-after-an-affair-and-rebuild-the-relationship%2F “For many people, an affair is deeply traumatizing [and] some marriages can’t recover from it,” said Jason Seidel, PsyD, founder and director of The Colorado Center for Clinical Excellence in Denver. But if you decide to work on your relationship post-affair, you must accept a hard truth: Another affair can happen. This is the paradox of healing, Seidel said. Often, partners who’ve been cheated on will demand full access to their spouse’s email, cell phone records, Facebook and other accounts (or they’ll sneak around to get the access), he said. They see this as legitimate and essential to helping reestablish trust in the relationship. A common belief is “How could I ever trust you again unless you give me full access?” While this thinking is understandable, it simply doesn... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159199 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:40:21 +0100 5159199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158995&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Freducing-the-use-of-ct-scans-in-children%2F2011.08.25 Well, this is satisfying. Over the years, in our ER we have mirrored the nationwide trend and have significantly increased the utilization of CT scans across the board. The reasons are manifold. Some cite malpractice risks, and indeed in our large group we have had one lawsuit for a pediatric head injury and another for a missed appendicitis which probably did contribute. But, in my opinion, there have been many other drivers of the increased use. For one, CTs have gotten way, way better over the last 15 years, which quite simply has made them a better diagnostic tool. They’ve also gotten way faster. As the facilities have invested in CT scanners, they have increased their capacity and increased their staffing, so the barriers to their use have rapidly diminished. I am so old that I ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158995 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100 5158995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159669&cid=t_103648_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F24%2F30-day-mortality-associated-with-primary-cytoreductive-surgery-in-elderly-advanced-ovarian-cancer-patients-much-higher-than-previously-reported%2F Researchers affiliated with the University of Washington have determined that the 30-day mortality rate associated with primary cytoreductive surgery in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer is much higher than previously reported. Researchers affiliated with the University of Washington have determined that the 30-day mortality rate associated with primary cytoreductive surgery in elderly patients with [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159669 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:28:52 +0100 5159669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158873&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fmore-executives-prospering-despite.html Cases that demonstrate the contrast between compensation given to the hired executives of health care organizations and their or their organizations' performance continue to appear.  Last week we discussed how freely million dollar plus compensation is given to executives of nominally non-profit hospitals, and discussed how well some executives were paid just prior to charges of financial mismanagement, arrests or guilty pleas that drove them from their jobs.I have also found a series of cases of executives whose pay seemed disproportionate in the context of their institutions' financial difficulties.  Here they are, discussed in alphabetical order.Greenwich Hospital, ConnecticutAccording to GreenwichTime.com, here is the context:Greenwich Hospital went under the k... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158873 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:26:00 +0100 5158873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159684&cid=t_103648_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2F4ayIcMmnxs4%2Fmedical-records-request-free By Jackie Blachman-Forshay and Kairol Rosenthal As a patient, you have the right to access your own medical records for a “reasonable” fee, according to federal HIPAA laws.  Most doctors’ offices and hospitals charge copying fees, which range widely in price, and add up if you have a thick chart. Here are a few ways to get your records for free or at reduced cost: 1. Make friends with the office staff. Receptionists and nurses deserve to be treated well for all the work they do for us and will often reciprocate our kindness.  Some may copy your records for free.  Be sure to say “thank you!” 2. Ask for your records a little at a time. Did your doc just read your lab report over the phone? Ask them to drop a copy in the mail.  Did they explain your pathology report during your ... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159684 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:05:26 +0100 5159684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159319&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ffive-rights-staffing-maximizing-clinical-and-financial-benefits-acuity-system Hospitals and health systems often purchase acuity systems as a valuable tool to allocate nursing resources based on patient care needs. However, these organizations don’t always use their acuity systems to their full capability. In many cases, at least one of what we call “the five rights of staffing” is absent. According to “the five rights of staffing,” an acuity system should give hospitals: 1)    the right number of staff 2)    with the right skills read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159319 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:39:23 +0100 5159319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159205&cid=t_103648_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F22%2Fthe-myth-of-the-one-and-other-relationship-fantasies%2F Psychologist Jason Seidel, Psy.D, has heard partners lament all-too often: “This isn’t the person I married” or “I’m worried this person isn’t perfect for me.” And you know what? They’re probably right. But there’s more to relationships than a partner who remains the perfect fit your entire life. Seidel explains more about the myth of the perfect partner and other relationship fantasies. 1. Myth: Your partner will always be the one. Fact: There is no “once-and-for-all best match,” said Seidel, founder and director of The Colorado Center for Clinical Excellence in Denver. People and relationships rarely remain static. So that once great fit may “become broken, stale or wrong for [you].” In fact, according to Seidel, as you continue to grow in your life, you might ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159205 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:47:51 +0100 5159205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159208&cid=t_103648_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F19%2F11-tips-for-succeeding-in-college-when-you-have-adhd%2F College is a big transition for any student. But when you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there are added challenges to consider. These obstacles concern everything from studying to managing your time to spending impulsively to planning your future post-college. But by being aware of these potential problems and being proactive, students with ADHD can accomplish great things in school. Here’s how, according to Stephanie Sarkis, Ph.D, a national certified counselor and licensed mental health counselor and author of Making the Grade with ADD: A Student’s Guide to Succeeding in College with Attention Deficit Disorder. 1. Apply for accommodations. Accommodations are “specific adaptations, including extended time on tests and an assigned note taker, that give yo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159208 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:45:13 +0100 5159208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140183&cid=t_103648_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F17%2Fpenns-genetically-modified-t-cells-create-antitumor-effect-in-mice-with-folate-positive-ovarian-cancer-clinical-trial-pending%2F In a recent issue of Cancer Research, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania showed for the first time that engineered human T cells can eradicate deadly human ovarian cancer in immune-deficient mice. A clinical trial involving the modified T cells is expected to be announced within the next few months. In a recent issue of Cancer Research, Daniel [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140183 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:50:23 +0100 5140183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139738&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearch-shows-that-a-pregnant-womans-diet-might-influence-babys-palate%2F2011.08.17 Attention, pregnant women!  The foods you eat now might influence your babies’ palates after they are born.  New research published in the journal Pediatrics, shows that the fetus actually drinks amniotic fluid in the womb.  The amniotic fluid is flavored by the foods the mother has recently eaten and flavors can be transmitted to the amniotic fluid and mother’s milk. It makes sense that as the baby is developing, memories are being created by a sense of taste.  Could what a mother eats influence food preferences and odor preferences for life?  Researchers fed babies cereal flavored with carrot juice vs. water.  They showed that babies who experienced daily carrots in amniotic fluid or mother’s milk ate more carrot-flavored cereal and made less negative faces when e... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139738 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:00:00 +0100 5139738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140336&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F3Pds3O69JyQ%2Ftubal-ligation-reversal-of-burned-tubes-honduras.html Grazia and Ronald travel for reversal of burned tubes in Chapel Hill North Carolina. Grazia had her tubes burned after she decided she never wanted to have children. She then changes her mind and traveled from Honduras to the US for tubal reversal after having a failed cycle of IVF in her country. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140336 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:12:57 +0100 5140336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118650&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39251&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rethinkingpatientsafety.com%2Fmy-blog%2F2011%2F08%2Fwhat-is-a-person-did-romney-take-any-metaphysics-in-college-.html Mitt Romney argues that “Corporations are people, my friend,” because “Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to people.” If an entity can be said to be a person just because what it earns goes to a person, then the following are also persons: pay toilets, soda machines, state lotteries, and poker tables. An interesting metaphysics to be sure. (Source: Rethinking Patient Safety) Rethinking Patient Safety blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118650 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:10:59 +0100 5118650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5115091&cid=t_103648_46_f&fid=38787&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmsf.ca%2Fblogs%2Fphotos%2F2011%2F08%2F10%2Fdadaab-kenya-4%2F A father sits with his malnourished child in the intensive therapeutic feeding center at the MSF hospital in the Dagahaley Refugee Camp in Dadaab, Kenya, July 26, 2011. (Source: MSF Blogs) MSF Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5115091 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:05:29 +0100 5115091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5119033&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FTTmVU8_GK3Y%2Ftubular-reversal-in-united-states.html Margret shares her personal story about her reasons for tubal ligation and why she then sought out the experienced tubular reversal surgeons in America. After making a hard and brave decision, she traveled to the United States with her partner to have a tubal ligation reversal surgery in the hopes of having a new baby to hold in her arms. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5119033 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:16:37 +0100 5119033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107516&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcolumbia-university-medical-center-to-hold-all-day-event-covering-pancreatic-cancer-research%2F2011.08.08 On Thursday, October 20, The Pancreas Center of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center will be holding the 2011 Gigi Shaw Arledge Conference on Pancreatic Diseases. This all-day event is targeted for clinicians and scientists, covering pancreatic cancer research from basic, translational, clinical and epidemiological perspectives and will feature distinguished guest lecturers and leaders in the field of pancreatic diseases. The conference is being held due to the generous support of the Gigi Arledge Foundation. Giselle (Gigi) Arledge, the late wife of Columbia Trustee and benefactor Roone Arledge, passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2010. According to foundation President Catherine Shaw, ” Now is the time to move pancreatic cancer research forward. Dr. Chabot,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107516 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:00:05 +0100 5107516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103344&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fstrokes-are-quite-common-in-pregnant-women-how-can-they-be-prevented%2F2011.08.05 According to CDC, there has been a 54 percent increase in the number of pregnant women who’ve had strokes in 1995 to 1996 and in 2005 to 2006. While this may surprise some researchers, it certainly would not surprise clinicians who take care of pregnant women who have risk factors such as obesity, chronic hypertension or a lack of prenatal care. Ten percent of strokes occur in the first trimester, 40 percent during the second trimester and more than fifty percent occur during the post partum period and after the patient has been discharged home. Hypertension was the cause of one-third of stroke victims during pregnancy and fifty percent in the post partum period. Hypertension accounted for one-third of stroke cases during pregnancy and fifty percent in the post partum period. Many stroke... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103344 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:00:21 +0100 5103344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096470&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2F2-healthcare-facility-design-trends Today hospital executives can say that their facilities are unlike their predecessors ten years ago, but in another ten years from now health facilities will be even more sophisticated and advanced than the most modern centers today. Being able to see ahead of the curve to accommodate future situations is key for any health facility to stay successful and thrive as market conditions change, patient preferences switch, and amenities not thought related to hospitals are suddenly in high demand. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096470 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:12:30 +0100 5096470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097153&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FOXMO47aK_9o%2Fdiagnosing-and-fixing-blocked-tubes.html Diagnosing a blocked tube is easy by taking a careful medical history and obtaining an x-ray demonstrating blocking of the fallopian tubes. Fixing the tube is not always easy but advanced outpatient surgical techniques do exist which allow tubal repair surgeons to repair a patients blocked fallopian tubes. The tubal reversal doctors of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center share with readers the solutions for diagnosing and fixing blocked tubes. Through these surgical techniques they are able to offer patients an alternative to in-vitro fertilization. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097153 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:48:33 +0100 5097153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077688&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-pharmacogenomic-tests-help-to-improve-public-health%2F2011.07.29 Adverse drug events are a serious public health problem. Consider the following facts: an estimated 82% of American adults take at least one medication and 29% take five or more; 700,000 emergency department visits and 120,000 hospitalizations are due to adverse drug events annually; $3.5 billion is spent on extra medical costs of adverse drug events annually; at least 40% of costs associated with adverse drug events occurring outside hospitals can be prevented. How can genomics help? Pharmacogenomics is the study of genetic variation as a factor in drug response, affecting both safety and effectiveness. The intended applications of pharmacogenomics research include identifying responders and non-responders to medications, avoiding adverse events, optimizing drug dose and avoiding unnece... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077688 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:10 +0100 5077688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069846&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FiJ-o0IgzbHQ%2Freasons-for-a-blocked-fallopian-tube.html Female sterilization is the most common reason for tubal blockage and scar tissue formation is the second most common reasons for blockage of the fallopian tubes. The reasons for tubal scar tissues and the methods for diagnosing blocked tubes are discussed in this article. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069846 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:32:27 +0100 5069846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069442&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fce8sbIDKoeA%2F By Julian SanchezBack in May, during the debates over reauthorization of the Patriot Act, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mark Udall (D-CO) began raising a fuss about a secret interpretation of the law’s so-called “business records” authority, known to wonks as Section 215, arguing that intelligence agencies had twisted the statute to give themselves domestic surveillance powers Congress had not anticipated or intended. At the time, I marshaled a fair amount of circumstantial evidence that, I thought, suggested that the “secret authority” involved location tracking of cell phones. Wyden backed off after being promised a secret hearing to address his concerns—but indicated he’d be returning to the issue if he remained unsatisfied. The hearing occurred early ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069442 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:36:26 +0100 5069442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062248&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-you-know-what-metabolic-syndrome-is%2F2011.07.24 People with metabolic syndrome are twice as likely to develop heart disease, and five times as likely to develop diabetes, as those who don’t have metabolic syndrome. But many people are not yet familiar with this relatively new term. Do you know what metabolic syndrome is? OECD Country Populations with a BMI > 30 (1996-2003) Metabolic syndrome is the combination of several medical problems associated with morbid obesity. In addition to obesity, these conditions include: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Columbia University Department of Surgery Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062248 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:00:10 +0100 5062248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057722&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-new-details-about-the-fda-regulation-of-mhealth-apps%2F2011.07.23 Since the beginning of this year, there have been clues that the FDA will be heading toward clarification of the complex regulatory issues posed by mobile health devices and software. We have previously reported on testimony and public comments by Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the  FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) alluding to coming guidelines. Today, the FDA finally released a detailed draft guidance of how it intends to regulate this rapidly exploding sector of mobile medical devices and software. This is what the Emergo group, regulatory compliance consultants, has gleaned from today’s FDA press release: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at iMedicalApps* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057722 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:00:04 +0100 5057722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050526&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkEln6-tme7A%2F Stories in DoD Buzz and the Christian Science Monitor this week cover a new Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment report on the Pentagon’s 2012 budget request. Both articles focus on the insightful section of the report explaining how the post 9-11 defense spending explosion has barely increased our war-fighting capacity. Unfortunately, both echo the report’s claim that all money spent on cancelled programs is money wasted and an indictment of the Pentagon acquisition system (page 36 and 37). Here’s how the Monitor put it: The new spending involves considerable waste, the report says. The Pentagon has spent nearly $50 billion since the 9/11 attacks on weapons systems that it never used due to technological failures or cost overruns, according to the study. “These are weapon... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050526 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:57:56 +0100 5050526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050582&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-are-humans-so-drawn-to-sunlight-despite-its-negative-consequences%2F2011.07.20 It doesn’t make sense: If sunlight causes cancer, why are human beings so drawn to it, flocking to sunny beaches for vacation time and hoping for sunshine after a rainy spell? One answer, says David Fisher, chief of dermatology at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, may be that humans are literally addicted to sunshine so our skin can make vitamin D. New evidence suggests that we get the same kick out of being in the sun that we get from any addictive substance or behavior. It stimulates the so-called “pleasure center” in the brain and releases a rush of feel-good chemicals like endorphins. So there may be more than a desire to look good in a tan behind the urge to soak up the sun’s rays. This craving may be a survival mechanism that evolved over thousands ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050582 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:00:34 +0100 5050582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028728&cid=t_103648_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F15%2Fcheck-out-these-publications-from-the-eastman-institute-for-oral-health%2F Implementing a smoke-free campus: a medical center initiative. Gajendra S, Ossip DJ, Panzer RJ, McIntosh S. J Community Health. 2011 Aug;36(4):684-92. Fracture resistance of composite resin restorations and porcelain veneers in relation to residual tooth structure in fractured incisors. Batalocco G, Lee H, Ercoli C, Feng C, Malmstrom H. Dent Traumatol. 2011 Jul 14. Age [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028728 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:07:53 +0100 5028728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028138&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyZZPNvIJeBs%2F By Mark A. CalabriaIt’s probably never wise to inject oneself into the middle of a food fight, but since I think both sides actually have something right and something wrong, its been a worthwhile debate to follow.  That is the ongoing debate between Peter Wallison at the American Enterprise Institute and David Min at the Center for American Progress (at least we can all agree we love America) on the role of Fannie Mae (and Freddie Mae) in the financial crisis.  If you can’t guess, Peter says Fannie/Freddie caused the crisis, David says they didn’t. David makes an interesting point, one I’ve actually argued, in his latest retort.  That is, this wasn’t exclusively a housing crisis/bubble.  Other sectors, like commercial real estate, boomed and then went bus... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028138 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:40:43 +0100 5028138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028215&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcdc-outlines-infection-prevention-in-outpatient-settings%2F2011.07.14 jQ(document).ready(function(){jQ('.bannerad').html("");jQ('#healthy_vision').parent().parent().parent().hide();});As healthcare professionals, we must recognize our responsibility to protect patients – care should not provide any avenue for the transmission of infections. By working together, we can ensure infection prevention practices are understood and followed by all, during every patient visit. Healthcare continues to transition to settings outside the hospital, and efforts to prevent infections must extend to all settings where patients receive care. Today, CDC is pleased to present the Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care. a summary guide of infection prevention recommendations for outpatient settings. Although these recommendat... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028215 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:00:41 +0100 5028215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028462&cid=t_103648_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F10%2Fbetty-ford-dies-at-age-93%2F Betty Ford, the former First Lady of the United States died Friday at the age of 93. Dr. William Van Ornum gives this succinct summary of her life in a tribute on the website of the American Mental Health Foundation (AMHF): Mrs. Ford was born in Chicago, grew up in modest circumstances, became a dancer, and married Mr. Ford shortly after he returned from the Navy in World War II. She thought she was signing up for a life with a mid-western lawyer; instead he chose politics and she was thrust into the role of a political wife, all the while raising 4 children and trying to keep her own interests as well. Political life became difficult for her and she felt an emptiness inside from which she sought solace in alcohol and prescription pills. She was open about her addiction at a time when othe... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028462 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 10:23:09 +0100 5028462 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008713&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FWeZHXLXVpAs%2Freversing-blocked-tubes-after-sterilization-procedures.html The most common form of tubal blockage occurs after tubal sterilization. Reversing blocked tubes from tubal sterilization surgery can be done with one of two advanced surgical reversal procedures. These procedures provide patients and alternative to in-vitro fertilization and also with excellent chances of pregnancy after removal of the tubal blockage. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008713 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:21:27 +0100 5008713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976246&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F6Jo6E7u2KDs%2Fblocked-tubes-what-can-be-done.html Blocked tubes can be a common condition. Tubes can become blocked intentionally by request or unintentionally by scar tissue. Whatever the reason infertility results but if you regret your tubal blockage there are surgical procedures which can reverse this blockage and provide a good alternative to in-vitro fertilization. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976246 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:57:42 +0100 4976246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975859&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F-NditOzSIT8%2F Every year on June 27th the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) organizes National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), in partnership with other national and local groups. They do this to send the message to both those at risk and those already living with HIV that it is critical to know your HIV status. This year marks the 17th NHTD. The CDC estimates approximately 21 percent of the 1.3 million Americans living with HIV are unaware that they have it. Voluntary HIV counseling and testing is the important first step in taking control and responsibility over one’s health, their message for NHTD “Take the Test, Take Control” reflects this. As the HIV epidemic turns thirty it is more important than ever to to heed their message. For More Information: CMS National Coverage Dete... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975859 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:29:26 +0100 4975859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953400&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F4oh4OHt_JCE%2Fexpert-tubal-reversal-surgeons.html Expert tubal reversal surgeons can be found at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. In the hands of Dr. Berger and Dr. Monteith women will have an excellent chance of having their tubes repaired and getting pregnant after tubal reversal. Don't get talked into in-vitro fertilization until you have had a chance to talk with the staff of these expert tubal reversal surgeons. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953400 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:35:31 +0100 4953400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953060&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fready-meaningful-use-attestation When the clock struck midnight on April 18, 2011, Jennifer Brull, MD, was ready. She had already registered for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. She had her certified EHR system firmly in place, and working with the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, the Regional Extension Center for Kansas, she had confirmation that her practice met meaningful use criteria. Dr. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953060 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:27:59 +0100 4953060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952849&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcdc-reports-that-salmonella-is-still-a-major-problem%2F2011.06.20 Salmonella food infections continue despite success reducing disease caused by other pathogens, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Salmonella should be targeted because while infection rates have not declined significantly in more than a decade, they are one of the most common, the CDC reports in its latest Vital Signs. Contaminated food causes approximately 1,000 reported disease outbreaks and an estimated 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Salmonella causes 1 million foodborne infections annually, incurring an estimated $365 million in direct medical costs. Salmonella infections in 2010 increased 10% from 2006-2008. The same prevention measures that reduced Escherichia coli infections to less than 1 case per 100,000 ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952849 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4952849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945264&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F_vkuofteqfI%2Ftubal-reversals-and-csections-risk.html Tubal reversal and csections. Can you have a reversal if you have had a csection? Are there risks with tubal reversal after a csection? If you need answers for these questions then this is the article for you. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945264 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:17:35 +0100 4945264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911455&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKqSbv2XRftU%2F By Caleb O. Brown On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down bans on interracial marriage in more than a dozen states in the case of Loving v. Virginia. Today, the highest court in the United States may soon take on the issue of marriage equality for gay and lesbian relationships. Attorneys David Boies and Theodore B. Olson are hoping the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger will further establish marriage as a fundamental right of citizenship. Also featured are John Podesta, President of the Center for American Progress, Cato Institute Chairman Robert A. Levy and Cato Executive Vice President David Boaz. Watch the full event from which many clips were pulled here and Robert A. Levy’s presentation here. The Constitutional Case for Marriage Equality is a post from Cato @ Liberty ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911455 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:52:04 +0100 4911455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911850&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FEtJ2BpKljX4%2Fis-ivf-better-than-tubal-ligation-reversal.html Is IVF better than tubal reversal surgery? Have you wondered why IVF was recommended or why you may have been talked out of a tubal ligation reversal? If you need answers, then this article may help provide them for you because in most cases tubal reversal will offer better chances at pregnancy than does IVF. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911850 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:16:41 +0100 4911850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893393&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOZ9e91N17Gw%2F By Neal McCluskeyToday the Washington Post has a big story on efforts by the coal industry to get public schools to teach positive things about — you guessed it — coal. The impetus for the article is no doubt a recent kerfuffle over education mega-publisher Scholastic sending schools free copies of the industry-funded lesson plan “The United States of Energy.” Many parents and environmentalists were upset over businesses putting stealthy moves on kids, and Scholastic eventually promised to cease publication of the plan. Loaded curricula designed to coerce specific sympathies from children, however, hardly come just from industry, as the Post story notes. Indeed, as I write in the new Cato book Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our Live... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893393 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:21:54 +0100 4893393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902523&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fits-about-information-not-technology On Thursday (June 2), I joined other speakers at the IBM Healthcare Leadership Exchange, Transforming Healthcare, held at the Chicago IBM Transformation Center. My keynote presentation focused on “Healthcare in the US,” which seemed to balance the morning with the opening keynote by Susan J Hyatt, BSc (PT), MBA, CEO HyattDIO, Inc., Ontario, Canada, who discussed “Global Lessons on Delivering Strategic Healthcare Wins.” No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902523 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:17:00 +0100 4902523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893460&cid=t_103648_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FEw-zLWtpeQE%2F Dr. Kevin Kikta was one of two emergency room doctors on duty at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, MO on Sunday, May 22, 2011 when a destructive tornado hit the hospital. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893460 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:31:26 +0100 4893460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893419&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnXbjPkLiTjY%2F By Ilya ShapiroCINCINNATI — Now for something completely different, and not just because the spirited Sixth Circuit judges were much more skeptical of the government’s position than the Fourth Circuit was last month. Unlike the panel in Richmond — Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli probably started outlining his cert petition as soon as court adjourned — here there will be at least one vote to strike down the individual mandate, and maybe even all three. And this panel should produce one or more opinions in which there will be much for the Supreme Court to grapple with. The appellate argument didn’t even begin until after a skirmish over standing provoked by the motion to dismiss the government filed last week. That mini-argument — what Judge Marti... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893419 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:19:32 +0100 4893419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883931&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FgAdQ___QPfU%2Freversing-tubes-or-ivf-which-is-better.html Is in-vitro fertilization or tubal reversal a better treatment to become pregnant? When is tubal reversal better? When is IVF better? The answers to these questions are provided in this article which explains the advantages of each treatment for readers. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883931 Tue, 31 May 2011 18:15:58 +0100 4883931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883509&cid=t_103648_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Funiversity-pittsburgh-medical-center-reprimands-tranplant-surgeon-nurse%2F The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has demoted a transplant surgeon and suspended a nurse associated with the transplant program after apparent mistakes were made at the center concerning the recovery of an organ from a live kidney donor. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883509 Sun, 29 May 2011 16:05:20 +0100 4883509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862717&cid=t_103648_118_f&fid=34702&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmspblog%2F%7E3%2FSwmQEivMuFE%2F Our thoughts are with our colleagues from St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin Missouri, who yesterday had to deal with the kind of major disaster every hospital employee prepares for and hopes to never experience. ABC News Report – Hospital Evacuated after Tornado http://www.stj.com/ (Source: MSSPNexus Blog) MSSPNexus Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862717 Mon, 23 May 2011 21:46:30 +0100 4862717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852852&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Ff0fuFDEifVc%2F By Robin Strongin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proved this week that government communications don’t have to be grey and dull….except from the standpoint that zombies tend to be grey and dull, but I’m getting ahead of myself. This week, the CDC posted on its Public Health Matters blog a piece entitled “Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse”.  The post emphasized the need for citizens to create an emergency plan in the event of sudden attacks by the walking dead.  These tips included the planning of evacuation routes, making a list of emergency contacts and having supplies like water, non-perishable food items and medications ready to go at a moment’s notice.  As the CDC pointed out on its blog, “When zombies are hungry….you need to get out of t... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852852 Mon, 23 May 2011 13:55:21 +0100 4852852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848055&cid=t_103648_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F20%2Fdiscover-the-world-of-edward-angle%2F Thanks to a generous donation from EIOH faculty Dr. Mark Hatala, Bibby library has acquired the World of Edward Hartley Angle. This four-volume set contains the letters, accounts and patents from the man regarded as “the father of modern orthodontics.” Published by The Angle Society, the book set has been critically praised as an important [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848055 Fri, 20 May 2011 15:35:59 +0100 4848055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841436&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsSGo76ioxcw%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe most recent, comprehensive Pew higher education survey has gotten a lot of coverage for its findings on how important the public thinks college is, its financial payoff for grads, etc. For some reason, though, by far the most interesting statistic in the report has gotten roughly zero play, either from Pew itself or media coverage of the report: “Among all college graduates, 33% say they are in a job that does not require a college degree.” Wait. One-third of all college graduates are in jobs that don’t call for a college education? So one-third of all college degrees are quite possibly total economic wastes? (To be fair, no doubt some of those grads are looking for jobs requiring a degree, mitigating this somewhat. On the flip side, many job... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841436 Wed, 18 May 2011 17:32:46 +0100 4841436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4842026&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2Fs4OxGwrIO7g%2Freverse-tubal-ligation-is-it-possible.html Reversing a tubal ligation and natural pregnancy are very possible. The reversal specialists of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center specialize in an affordable outpatient tubal reversal surgery which will have most patients pregnant within a year of having reversal surgery. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4842026 Tue, 17 May 2011 13:34:23 +0100 4842026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829221&cid=t_103648_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F16%2Fblunting-the-activity-of-protein-abcc10-may-help-counter-taxane-drug-resistance-in-ovarian-cancer%2F New findings by Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers identify one protein, Abcc10, as being intimately involved in resistance to certain drugs used to treat breast, ovarian, lung, and other cancers. The results suggest that blunting the activity of Abcc10 might help counter resistance and extend the effectiveness of these anticancer drugs. Today’s anticancer drugs often [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829221 Tue, 17 May 2011 04:02:49 +0100 4829221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828786&cid=t_103648_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Frevolutionary-healthcare-technology-emerging-treatment-horizon%2F Researchers and medical pioneers are claiming that medicine is about to enter a golden age of technological advancement, including telesurgery, nanobiomachines, and pharmacogenomics based care. Roger Smith of the Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancements, Dr. Ranjan Perera of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, and Dr. Jane Berlow of Medco Health Solutions comment. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828786 Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:21 +0100 4828786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841660&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Flynn%2F2011%2F05%2F16%2Fhelpful-meaningful-use-resources-%25e2%2580%2593-meaningful-use-monday%2F I spend a lot of my day answering questions about the EHR incentives from SRS clients and also from users of other EHRs. The questions range from extremely basic ones posed by people who are dazed and intimidated by the scope of the program to nuanced questions from those already knee-deep in meaningful use. Since I began writing Meaningful Use Monday, the resources on the subject have grown in number and specificity. Here are a few that physicians and administrators have found helpful recently: Participate in a CMS Provider Call. There is one scheduled for this Thursday (5/19) at 2:30 PM Eastern Time. After the presentation, you will have an opportunity to ask questions and have them answered directly by CMS staffers. To register, click here. The Attestation Users Guide not only provides... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841660 Mon, 16 May 2011 17:06:04 +0100 4841660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821099&cid=t_103648_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F13%2Flibby%25e2%2580%2599s-hope-women%25e2%2580%2599s-oncology-research-dialogue-launch-new-%25e2%2580%259cword-of-hope%25e2%2584%25a2%25e2%2580%259d-ovarian-cancer-educational-podcast-series%2F WORD OF HOPE™ Ovarian Cancer Podcast Now Available Through New Website, iTunes, YouTube, and Other Online Sources. A new ovarian cancer educational podcast series, entitled “WORD of HOPE™,” was launched during Women’s Health Awareness Week through a collaborative initiative of Libby’s H*O*P*E*™ (LH) and Women’s Oncology Research & Dialogue (WORD). The WORD of HOPE™ Ovarian [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821099 Fri, 13 May 2011 18:03:11 +0100 4821099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813245&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGSv73gL_4_A%2F By Michael F. CannonDefending ObamaCare in federal court yesterday, the Obama administration’s acting solicitor general, Neal K. Katyal, peddled the widely discredited claim that the uninsured increase your and my health insurance premiums by $1,000: “When people self-finance their health care,” Katyal contended, “that raises the cost of health care overall by $43 billion a year, and that raises the average family’s premiums by $1,000 a year. That will price untold numbers of people out of the market.” That estimate comes from two left-wing groups, Families USA and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. When President Obama himself made this claim, FactCheck.org reported: [Obama] said ”the average family pays a thousand dollars in extra premiums to pay for pe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813245 Wed, 11 May 2011 17:47:04 +0100 4813245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803563&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F1GeYsSUMLGw%2Fadvice-on-picking-a-tubal-reversal-doctor.html Personal advice on how to pick the best tubal reversal doctor and the best tubal reversal center is provide by an experienced tubal reversal surgeon. Hard questions to ask potential reversal doctors are offered for readers so they can make the best decision possible about where and with whom to have tubal reversal surgery. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803563 Tue, 10 May 2011 12:55:14 +0100 4803563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789220&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fl6rZ5DLuA-4%2F By Mark A. CalabriaLast week I participated on a panel on federal rental housing policy, organized by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies in conjunction with the release of their new report on conditions in the rental market.  In their defense, the report does attempt to avoid offering policy prescriptions.  But the report does come pretty close to suggesting that we spend more on federal rental housing assistance.  In the post-housing bubble  environment, many, myself included, have dared suggest that there’s nothing wrong with someone being a renter, and that maybe we pushed too many into homeownership. But saying we overdid homeowneship is not the same as saying we ignored rental.  In fact the federal government has spent massive amounts on rental housing, yet ac... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789220 Wed, 04 May 2011 18:01:28 +0100 4789220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780261&cid=t_103648_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fryder-trauma-center-telemedicine-triage-patients-key-west%2F In a pilot project being run by the Ryder Trauma Center at the University of Miami Medical Center, trauma surgeons interact through computers to provide bedside electronic consults to emergency responders and physicians in Key West, Florida. The effort is being led by Dr. Antonio Marttos. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780261 Wed, 04 May 2011 01:48:17 +0100 4780261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4771010&cid=t_103648_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Forthopedic-surgeon-dr-brian-claytor-describes-hours-tornados-hit-tuscaloosa%2F Dr. Brian Claytor was called into DCH Regional Medical Center the night the tornados hit Tuscaloosa and he describes the scene as nearly beyond belief. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4771010 Mon, 02 May 2011 02:27:31 +0100 4771010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762853&cid=t_103648_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F28%2Fwhat-everyone-ought-to-know-about-eastman-dental%2F Bibby Library has preserved the history of Eastman Dental and dentistry in the Rochester New York area through its print and digital archive collections. The American Library Association has designated the week of April 24-30 as preservation week. Here are a few interesting facts about Eastman Dental: 1.  Eastman Dental has been providing oral health [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762853 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:51:57 +0100 4762853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753663&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpXmPkYP_95k%2F By Neal McCluskeyAs promised (actually, a week later than promised) I have read the Fordham Institute “Briefing Book” for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act. As expected, it’s big on trumpeting national standards, and squishy on almost everything else. Perhaps most aggravating, though, is how loose it is in characterizing the views of those of us at the Cato Institute, who apparently are part of the big group of education analysts who love the idea of Washington lavishing money on education but are, presumably, too blinkered to want to get results for it:   The local controllers. These folks, led by conservative and libertarian think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, want Uncle Sam, for the most part, to butt out of education polic... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753663 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:19:33 +0100 4753663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753988&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FErGCNF88r2w%2Fremoving-essure-essure-removal-or-essure-reversal.html Have you had the Essure procedure and are experiencing problems? Do you regret the Essure and want to be pregnant again? If you answered yes to either of these two questions then you should read this article to be aware of the differences between Essure removal and Essure reversal. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753988 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:26:22 +0100 4753988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734063&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOJ5BsPWZczg%2F By George Scoville Please join us this Thursday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern for a book forum and debate on “green energy” policy, following the recent release of the Cato book The False Promise of Green Energy. On Thursday, University of Alabama Professor of Law and Business Andrew P. Morriss (one of the book’s authors) and Center for American Progress Vice President for Energy Policy Kate Gordon will debate the merits of the “green” economic agenda, moderated by Cato Institute Senior Fellow Jerry Taylor. Complimentary registration is required of all attendees by noon TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 20. We hope you can join us in person and for the reception following the event–if you cannot attend in person, we hope you’ll tune in online or on Faceb... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734063 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:29:37 +0100 4734063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723995&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fattestation-experience This morning at 8am the CMS attestation website went live. At 8:30am, I completed the attestation for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Here's an overview of the experience. At the top of the Attestation page, you'll see the link "Click here to attest." No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723995 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:11:54 +0100 4723995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4715131&cid=t_103648_4_f&fid=38622&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffdatransparencyblog.fda.gov%2F2011%2F04%2F15%2Fupcoming-event-fda-basics-webinar-by-the-center-for-drug-research-and-evaluation-on-the-bad-ads-program-april-28-2011-at-12-noon-et%2F Did you know that healthcare providers can play an important role in ensuring that prescription drug advertising and promotion is truthful by recognizing and reporting misleading ads? As part of FDA Basics, FDA is hosting a webinar where you can learn more. Catherine Gray, Pharm.D., in the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communication (DDMAC) in FDA’s Center for Drug Research and Evaluation will present an overview of the FDA’s “Bad Ad” program, specifically focusing on how to identify misleading prescription drug promotion and report this activity to the agency. The free 30 minute webinar will be held Thursday, April 28 at 12 noon ET. There are a limited number of spots available for the webinar. Materials from the webinar will also be made available on the FD... FDA Transparency Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4715131 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:58:12 +0100 4715131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704988&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FBzU5hvsz288%2Fptls-pain-ptls-treatment.html PTLS pain can often be more painful when you try to find someone to listen and help you with your symptoms which may have developed after your tubal ligation. Readers are encouraged to read Karen's personal story of searching for a PTLS treatment. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704988 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:12:49 +0100 4704988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704960&cid=t_103648_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIe-9hJBgDxE%2F Over the past fewl months, several patients suffering from Fabry disease – a rare, inherited disorder that causes kidney and heart problems – have tried different ways to get a needed medication called Fabrazyme. The drug, which is made by Genzyme, has been rationed due to severe manufacturing problems that led to a consent decree for the biotech, which is now part of Sanofi-Aventis. Twice, the patients have petitioned the National Institutes of Health to allow them to break a patent; they have also petitioned the FDA to insist that overseas stock of the med is first made available to US citizens, and they are suing Genzyme and Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, which licensed Fabrazyme to Genzyme (back story). The outcome of their efforts is unclear, although they say Fabry patient... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704960 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:07:44 +0100 4704960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684489&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fusability-key-ehr-adoption If you build or create something, wouldn't you take into account ease of use? It is unfathomable then that most EHR vendors do not systematically conduct EHR usability testing, according to Jiajie Zhang, who is overseeing a federal research project on the science of EHR usability in the SHARP program. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684489 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:14:16 +0100 4684489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684478&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F8o9rFUIBgWw%2F I’ve been starting to contribute a bit to InformationWeek. One of my first projects was interviewing five of the publication’s first-ever list of 25 leading healthcare CIOs. I wrote the profiles on Stephanie Reel of Johns Hopkins Health System, Lynn Vogel of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Paul Tang of Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Bill Spooner of Sharp HealthCare and Craig Luigart of the Veterans Health Administration. The link above contains the full text, or you can download an abbreviated “print” edition in the form of the March InformationWeek Healthcare e-zine here. It’s not the first time I’ve written about CIOs for a national publication not specific to healthcare, but I’m pretty proud of reaching the pages of InformationWeek. Meanwhile, che... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684478 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:46:38 +0100 4684478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676789&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fare-emrs-the-key-to-improving-hand-offs-from-the-er-to-the-pcp%2F2011.04.04 Improving handoffs from the emergency room back to the primary care physician will require changing how electronic health records are used, better reimbursement to both the hospital and ambulatory doctors, and malpractice reform, according to a study. The rising use of hospitalists and larger primary care practice sizes has contributed to the difficulties faced when an ER doctors tries to reach a physician who best knows the patient. Haphazard communication and poor coordination can undermine effective care, according to a new research conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change. Researchers conducted 42 telephone interviews between April and October 2010 with 21 pairs of emergency department and primary care physicians, who were case-matched to hospitals so the perspective o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676789 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4676789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676714&cid=t_103648_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fpatient-april-langstraat-benefits-kidney-exchange%2F April Langstraat has been on the kidney transplant waiting list for five years after her organs failed because of polycystic kidney disease. She received a donated kidney recently as part of a five way swap at the California Pacific Medical Center. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676714 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:03:30 +0100 4676714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664473&cid=t_103648_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FCFkCzxDEPE8%2F File this under praying for relief. Several religious groups - including an order of Catholic nuns and a chain of Catholic hospitals - are pressuring a few big drugmakers to exercise some price restraint and have placed proposals that will be voted on during upcoming annual shareholder meetings. Such efforts are not new, but the latest attempt comes after one Wall Street analyst reported that prices for 130 best-selling brand-name drugs rose 6.9 last year, which was the biggest increase in a decade. For instance, a shareholder proposal in the Pfizer proxy from The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, which is based in New Jersey, states that the cost of medicines has “skyrocketed in this country in recent years” and the “failure to control costs could undermine the goal... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664473 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:37:46 +0100 4664473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4654018&cid=t_103648_4_f&fid=38622&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffdatransparencyblog.fda.gov%2F2011%2F03%2F29%2Ffda-continues-to-issue-warning-letters-for-illegal-tobacco-sales-to-minors%2F Every day nearly 4,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette and 1,000 kids under 18 become daily smokers. Virtually all new users of tobacco products are under the minimum legal age to purchase such products. Many of these kids will become addicted before they are old enough to understand the risks and will ultimately die too young of tobacco-related diseases. FDA is working to protect the health of America’s children and ultimately reduce the burden of illness and death caused by tobacco use by enforcing the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) and Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents. This regulation, which took effect on June 22, 2010, limits the sale, distributi... FDA Transparency Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4654018 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:20:38 +0100 4654018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653618&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FdsoVbmEPbyg%2Fpost-tubal-ligation-syndrome-treatment-help.html Megan looked for Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome help with the finest PTLS doctors she could find. After undergoing tubal reversal she is already experiencing relief with two weeks of her PTLS reversal treatment. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653618 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:03:04 +0100 4653618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653509&cid=t_103648_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F28%2Fphenoxodiol-used-in-combination-with-platinum-or-taxane-based-chemotherapy-is-active-in-platinum-taxane-resistant-ovarian-cancer%2F Phase II clinical study results suggests phenoxodiol is active in platinum and taxane drug-resistant ovarian cancer patients when administered intravenously in combination with platinum or taxane-based chemotherapy Marshall Edwards, Inc., an oncology company focused on the clinical development of novel therapeutics targeting cancer metabolism, recently announced the publication of results from a phase II clinical [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653509 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:23:51 +0100 4653509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631464&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsfMd0T5kLvU%2F By Ilya ShapiroFor almost two year now, Cato has been running a highly successful legal associate program.  Talented recent law school grads have come to work for us during the time that their law firms have "deferred" their start dates (from a few months to a full year), with commensurate stipends.  The firm deferral phenomenon seems to be mostly played out as firms have adjusted their employment policies, but some law schools are now picking up the slack by creating post-grad fellowships with similar conditions. Now that we're again approaching graduation season, I thought I'd put out another call for more potential legal associates.  We can always use the extra brain, you can always use Cato on your resume, and your firms/schools can always use your getting substantive legal expe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631464 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:30:51 +0100 4631464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615222&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FPH-LM6dEKO4%2F On Jan. 28, Ron Pollack, executive director of the liberal advocacy group Families USA, introduced President Obama at a Families USA event by saying, “Numerous presidents over many decades tried to secure health reform legislation that would move us toward high-quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans. You, Mr. President, actually achieved it.” The crowd ate it up. During the contentious debate over health reform in 2009 and 2010, countless lobbyists, pundits and politicians touted “quality healthcare” as a reason to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Some called for the same “Cadillac” health plans that members of Congress provided for themselves. Many opponents of the legislation countered by saying the U.S. already has the &#... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615222 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:10:14 +0100 4615222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4606011&cid=t_103648_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F17%2Fif-you-are-lucky-enough-to-be-irish-then-you-are-lucky-enough%2F Based on the Irish saying set forth above, I am certainly lucky enough — at least half of me is, on my mom’s side of the family. Based on the Irish saying set forth above, I am certainly lucky enough — at least half of me is, on my mom’s side of the family.  For [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4606011 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 22:41:22 +0100 4606011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600517&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1YSRhz1002k%2F By Neal McCluskeyAn explanation for explosive college prices that's very popular with ivory-tower apologists is that state governments have been ruthlessly "defunding" higher ed for years, forcing schools to raise prices. Two new reports help to make clear -- as I have argued many times in the past -- that this simply doesn't hold water. The first report is the annual State Higher Education Executive Officers' State Higher Education Finance Report.  While it shows that on a per-pupil basis state and local funding has declined over the last few years, total amounts have risen pretty steadily since 2000. Adjusted for inflation, total state and local support dipped from $81.3 billion in 2000 to $78.0 billion in 2005, ballooned to $87.1 billion in 2009, then dropped just a bit to $85.5 ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600517 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:49:04 +0100 4600517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592400&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcoffee-and-stroke-another-study-the-media-got-wrong%2F2011.03.14 Here we go again. Headlines across America blaring lines like, “Coffee may reduce stroke risk.” It was a big study, but an observational study. Not a trial. Not an experiment. And, as we say so many times on this website that you could almost join along with the chorus, observational studies have inherent limitations that should always be mentioned in stories. They can’t prove cause and effect. They can show a strong statistical association, but they can’t prove cause and effect. So you can’t prove benefit or risk reduction. And stories should say that. USA Today, for example, did not explain that in its story. Nor did it include any of the limitations that were included in, for example, a HealthDay story, which stated: “The problem with this type of stu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592400 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:00:45 +0100 4592400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592371&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJAVZY3Aq0cM%2F By Michael F. CannonIn a March 4 article for National Review Online titled, “Mitch Daniels’s Obamacare Problem,” I explain how Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) is undermining the effort to repeal ObamaCare, and how he might do even more damage to that movement as the Republican nominee for president.  My article came under fire from Daniels' policy director Lawren Mills (in the comments section of my article), Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute, and Bob Goldberg of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Today, NRO runs my response.  An excerpt: In brief, the trio believes that Daniels’s expansion of government-run health care is a conservative triumph. I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation... Daniels has an ObamaCare problem that could hurt the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592371 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:40:37 +0100 4592371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570756&cid=t_103648_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FqwwaHAzPqK0%2F A half dozen people who suffer from Fabry disease have filed a lawsuit against Genzyme and Mt. Sinai Medical School for the way ongoing shortages of the Fabrazyme treatment is being handled. The med is the only treatment approved by the FDA for the rare, but life-threatening genetic disease, but Genzyme is rationing due to long-running production problems. Specifically, the biotech imposed a rationing system in which patients receive only half of the approved dosage, while newly diagnosed patients are prevented from receiving Fabrazyme at all. The move came after Genzyme encountered severe manufacturing problems that began in 2009, prompting a $175 million fine, a consent decree and, more recently, a $20 billion takeover by Sanofi-Aventis. Meanwhile, as many as three Fabry patients have d... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570756 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:33:10 +0100 4570756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570545&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-helpful-vitamin-chart%2F2011.03.10 Lately I’ve been worrying about Kevin’s refusal to eat broccoli, and wondering what exactly is so good about those green bunches of roughage. In browsing the Web for more detailed information on the matter, I found a helpful vitamin chart. This table comes from the HHS–sponsored National Women’s Health Information Center — a good spot to know of if you’re a woman looking online for reliable sources. It’s a bit simple for my taste. In the intro, we’re told there are 13 essential vitamins our bodies need. After some basics on Vitamin A — good for the eyes and skin, as you probably knew already — the chart picks up with a quick review of the essential B vitamins 1, 2 ,3 ,5 ,6 , 9 and 12 (my favorite), followed by a rundown on Vitamins C, D, E, H (that would be biotin) and ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570545 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:00:54 +0100 4570545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4571420&cid=t_103648_4_f&fid=38622&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffdatransparencyblog.fda.gov%2F2011%2F03%2F10%2Fnew-spanish-language-website-increases-access-to-fda-tobacco-information%2F I am pleased to announce that many portions of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) website are now available in Spanish. This new resource for the Spanish-speaking community will provide key information to our stakeholders in our common goal of reducing the tremendous toll of illness and death from tobacco use through FDA’s new role in tobacco product regulation. By increasing access to our content to the Spanish-speaking public we not only increase the reach of our message, but also make further in-roads into communities that play a key role in tackling this important public health issue. Over the last several months, I’ve heard from many stakeholders in a number of ways about the overall need for CTP to provide key tobacco product information in different languages. This was e... FDA Transparency Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4571420 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:49:03 +0100 4571420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4561279&cid=t_103648_4_f&fid=38622&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffdatransparencyblog.fda.gov%2F2011%2F03%2F08%2Fmaterials-available-from-fda-basics-webinar-on-fdas-role-in-ensuring-the-safety-of-the-nation%25e2%2580%2599s-blood-supply%2F Did you miss the FDA Basics webinar about FDA’s vital role in ensuring the safety of the nation’s blood supply? You can learn about FDA’s five overlapping layers of blood safety and review rules that are designed to make sure we have a safe and available blood supply, including rules related to donor screening and testing of blood for blood-borne infectious agents. Materials from the webinar are now available. We have posted a link to view and listed to 30 minute webinar and posted a link to download a copy of the presentation slides. You can also find materials from past FDA Basics webinars. (Source: FDA Transparency Blog) FDA Transparency Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4561279 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:21:21 +0100 4561279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560270&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fidentifying-skin-cancer-with-light%2F2011.03.08 Duke University scientists have been successfully testing a new laser system they developed to identify cancerous skin moles. Two lasers in the system are used to identify the presence of eumelanin in biopsy slices and a future version of the device may work directly without having to sample the mole. According to an article in Science Translational Medicine, “the ratio of eumelanin to pheomelanin captured all investigated melanomas but excluded three-quarters of dysplastic nevi and all benign dermal nevi.” From the press release: The tool probes skin cells using two lasers to pump small amounts of energy, less than that of a laser pointer, into a suspicious mole. Scientists analyze the way the energy redistributes in the skin cells to pinpoint the microscopic locations of diff... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560270 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:00:42 +0100 4560270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560249&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOrBan6QDHlc%2F By David BoazAt the Britannica Blog I write: Many commentators have seen a shift to the right in American politics over the past two years — the reaction to spending, bailouts, and Obamacare; the rise in conservative self-identification in polls; the 2010 elections. But there’s another trend going on as well. I described it in 2009 as a “civil liberties surge.” And this week there’s new evidence. A new study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds long-term growth in support for legal abortion, gun rights, marijuana legalization, and gay marriage. The graphs on all these topics from Pew are pretty impressive, as is another one from the General Social Survey included in the Britannica post. I go on to note: These new poll results should be no surprise. Pa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560249 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:06:57 +0100 4560249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544970&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcdc-campaign-hasnt-slowed-inappropriate-antibiotic-use%2F2011.03.03 High rates of inappropriate antibiotic use continued despite a 15-year campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed at Michigan physicians and consumers on the dangers of antibiotic overuse. The Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT) released an issue brief detailing overall antibiotic prescribing for adult Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) members. (The project is a non-profit partnership between the University of Michigan and BCBSM.) While antibiotic prescribing in adults decreased 9.3 percent from 2007 to 2009, it increased 4.5 percent for children during the same time period. The studies found significant differences in prescribing patterns between rural southeast Michigan and the rest of the state, particularly for children. Chi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544970 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4544970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540564&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fit%25e2%2580%2599s-time-to-tango-impatient-with-progress-on-patient-physician-partnership%2F2011.03.02 The other day I came across this photo of a couple clasping each other in a dramatic tango on the cover of an old medical journal – a special issue from 1999 that was focused entirely on doctor-patient partnership. The tone and subjects of the articles, letters and editorials were identical to those written today on the topic: “It’s time for the paternalism of the relationship between doctors and patients to be transformed into a partnership;” “There are benefits to this change and dangers to maintaining the status quo;” “Some doctors and patients resist the change and some embrace it: Why?” Two questions struck me as I impatiently scanned the articles from 12 years ago: First, why are these articles about doctor-patient partnership still so relevant? And second, why ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540564 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 22:00:43 +0100 4540564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512337&cid=t_103648_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fdr-peter-horneffer-files-suit-st-josephs-medical-center%2F Cardiac surgeon Dr. Peter Horneffer has filed suit against St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Towson, Maryland claiming he was harrassed and threatened after participating in a whistleblower lawsuit against the medical center. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512337 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:54:15 +0100 4512337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507605&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F2qoIeL2dYHw%2Ftubes-tied-reversal.html Tubes tied and then reversal is what Danita had at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center after having four children and becoming remarried. Readers interested in personal stories about tubes tied/reversal can read Danita's story about her quest for a successful tubal reversal surgery. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507605 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:02:02 +0100 4507605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495433&cid=t_103648_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FbbPH3bwPNas%2F The rate at which the FDA approved new molecular entities - including NME’s filed under New Drug Applications (NDAs) and therapeutic biologics filed under Original Biologic License Applications (BLAs) - declined last year from the previous two years, according to new data released by the FDA. As the chart indicates, last year, there were 18 NMEs approved and three biologics, or 21 in total, which is down from 26 in 2009 and 24 in 2008. On the other hand, there were only 18 approvals in total in 2007 and 22 back in 2006. Since 2001, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has averaged 22.9 approvals a year, although there is a caveat: biologics were not included during 2001 through 2003. However, new applications are declining. Last year, the FDA received 23, a notable drop from ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495433 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:35:31 +0100 4495433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489671&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbioadhesives-for-repair-of-childbirth-lacerations%2F2011.02.17 Bioadhesives are a reasonable alternative to sutures for repair of perineal lacerations sustained during childbirth, according to a poster presentation at last week’s annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Researchers at the Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem randomized women with first degree perineal tears to either 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (Dermabond) adhesive glue or suture for wound closure. While healing and incisional pain was similar, women who received the adhesive closure were more satisfied than those who were sutured. In Portugal, bioadhesives have been studied for closure of the top skin layer of an episiotomy repair, and found to shorten the duration of the procedure with similar outcomes to suture in terms of pain, healing, and infecti... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489671 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:00:52 +0100 4489671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489641&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fkde81-kgKf4%2F Conclusions: This study finds that elementary students who were randomly assigned to attend the 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school program were more likely to feel safe after school, no more likely to have higher academic achievement, no less likely to be in self-care, more likely to engage in some negative behaviors, and experience mixed effects on developmental outcomes relative to students who were not randomly assigned to attend the centers.   In light of its (at-best) impotence, did the program go away? Of course not! In FY 2010 it was appropriated $1.17 billion, and the Obama administration has asked for $1.27 billion for FY 2012. And this despite not just poor performance, but a pesky $14 trillion national debt. This is small potatoes, though, compared to some... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489641 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:58:48 +0100 4489641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489646&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fkn09vYMttp4%2F By Mark A. CalabriaThe latest canard offered for keeping taxpayers on the hook for mortgage risk is that, without such, homeownership would limited to the wealthy.  Sarah Rosen Wartell of the Center for American Progress stated before the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, "The high cost, limited availability, and high volatility of pre-New Deal mortgage finance meant that homeownership was effectively limited to the wealthy."  Congressman Al Green repeated the point.  As I've generally found Sarah to be one of the more reasonable CAP employees, and that this is fundamentally an empirical question, I would have expected her to offer some evidence to support such a claim.  Alas, she did not.  So I will. According to the US Census Bureau, at the turn of the century in 1900, the US h... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489646 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:52:02 +0100 4489646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4460662&cid=t_103648_4_f&fid=38622&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffdatransparencyblog.fda.gov%2F2011%2F02%2F10%2Fdid-you-know-that-fda-plays-a-vital-role-in-ensuring-the-safety-of-the-nation%25e2%2580%2599s-blood-supply%2F As part of FDA Basics, FDA is hosting a webinar where you can learn more FDA’s role in ensuring the safety of the nation’s blood supply.  The featured speaker, Richard Davey, MD, Director of the Division of Blood Applications, Office of Blood Research and Review in FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, will discuss how the agency safeguards the nation’s blood supply and protects the five million people who receive blood transfusions annually. Dr. Davey will provide an overview of these safeguards and will focus on the donor screening process and the testing of blood for blood-borne infectious agents.  After the presentation, there will an opportunity to ask questions. The free 30 minute webinar will be held Tuesday, February 15th, at 2 p.m. ET. There are a l... FDA Transparency Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4460662 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:23:26 +0100 4460662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455264&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-a-world-class-medical-institution-saves-you-yet-fails-you%2F2011.02.09 Let me start by saying I really like MD Anderson Cancer Center. There is a lot to like. Take their tag line for example: “Making care history.” If anyone finds a cure for this cancer or that cancer, MD Anderson will have a hand in it, I’m sure. Hospitals could also learn a thing or two about the meaning of comprehensive care, clinical integration, and customer service from MD Anderson is well. I have another reason why I like MD Anderson so well: They saved my wife’s life. You see, she was diagnosed back in November of 2004 with stage four non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As anyone familiar with lung care knows, lung cancer is a very tough adversary. It’s an even tougher adversary when your insurance company insists that your local community hospital and oncologists are �... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455264 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:00:04 +0100 4455264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455368&cid=t_103648_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Flearn-how-to-conquer-information-overload%2F Bibby Library is offering a workshop to introduce you to tools that will keep you informed about new information in dentistry. DATE:    Tuesday, March 1 TIME:    12:00-1pm PLACE:  Ely Room During this workshop you will learn how to: Create alerts for Pubmed saved searches Monitor websites and blogs using an RSS reader Create Google Alerts [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455368 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:14:01 +0100 4455368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450288&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FfY2q28 By Mary Grealy. There’s no question that, if we’re ever to have effective health reform in this country, improving our healthcare delivery system has to come through a public-private partnership. One of the key elements of the Affordable Care Act is the creation of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), an entity that will be charged with evaluating concepts for healthcare delivery reform and then putting into action demonstration projects that have the potential to improve healthcare quality and increase cost-efficiency. Fortunately, much of this ground is already being broken in the private sector.  Throughout the country, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, group purchasing organizations, insurers, distributors and other health sector... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450288 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:24:20 +0100 4450288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445850&cid=t_103648_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F07%2Frosalynn-carter-fellowships-for-mental-health-journalism-2011-2012%2F The Carter Center Mental Health Program announced today their annual call for applications for fellowships in mental health journalism. Their announcement follows. Applications from U.S. residents are now being accepted for six one-year journalism fellowships with the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program. These fellowships aim to enhance public understanding of mental health issues and reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses through balanced and accurate reporting. The postmark deadline for applications is April 18, 2011, and the fellowship recipients will be announced July 15, 2011, on the Center’s website, www.cartercenter.org. The 2011-2012 fellowship year begins in September 2011. “Informed journalists can have a significant impact on pu... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445850 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:05:30 +0100 4445850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429019&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-dietary-guidelines-offer-little-new-guidance%2F2011.02.02 There isn’t much new in the latest iteration of the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” Three years in the making, the 2010 guidelines (released a tad late, on January 31, 2011) offer the usual advice about eating less of the bad stuff (salt; saturated fat, trans fats, and cholesterol; and refined grains) and more of the good stuff (fruits and vegetables; whole grains; seafood, beans, and other lean protein; and unsaturated fats). I’ve listed the 23 main recommendations below. You can also find them on the “Dietary Guidelines” website. The guidelines do break some new ground. They state loudly and clearly that overweight and obesity are a leading nutrition problem in the United States, and that a healthy diet can help people achieve a healthy weight. They also r... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429019 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:00:27 +0100 4429019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405773&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffeeling-s-a-d-lighten-up-if-it%25e2%2580%2599s-seasonal-affective-disorder%2F2011.01.27 This picture shows the view from my office window in Boston: Dull, dreary, and depressing — at least on overcast days like today. Lack of light is one of the reasons that people feel mentally foggy. One of the bloggers I follow, Rachel Zimmerman of WBUR’s CommonHealth blog, recently wrote that she’s been drinking three times as much coffee as usual. In addition to imbibing more caffeine, I’ve been trying to boost my spirits and alertness with mid-day runs to the snack machine (not the best strategy, in case you’re wondering). At this time of year, many people aren’t just foggy and sad — they’ve got SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. About half a million Americans — women more often than men — are diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder each year. Ma... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405773 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 22:00:27 +0100 4405773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405799&cid=t_103648_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwhat-should-be-translated.html The Yiddish Book Center (that Yiddish Book Center) has a blog post up by David Schlitt where he asks the question, "What Yiddish titles and/or authors would you most like to see translated?" An excellent question, that (and it's no surprise that I left a comment there). Follow the discussion, if you would. (Source: Zackary Sholem Berger) Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405799 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:23:00 +0100 4405799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399842&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2Fc9DanJQRAwA%2Ftubal-reversal-financing.html Financing tubal reversal surgery with a tubal reversal loan may appear to be a good idea until you read the fine print. The tubal reversal specialists of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center explain the real problems with tubal reversal financing and offer alternatives and more financially sound ways to pay for tubal ligation reversal surgery. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399842 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:55:03 +0100 4399842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399676&cid=t_103648_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FjGQ-IKZdZ0U%2F We are honored to announce the following Sponsors and Partners of the upcoming 2011 SharpBrains Summit: Retooling Brain Health for the 21st Century (March 30th — April 1st, 2011). And we are looking for more, so please contact us if interested! — Sponsors (want to become one?) The Arrowsmith Program,  avail­able in pub­lic and pri­vate schools in  the U.S. and Canada, is a com­pre­hen­sive suite of cog­ni­tive pro­grams for stu­dents with learn­ing dis­abil­i­ties that tar­gets 19 areas of the brain that are most com­monly involved in learn­ing. The Arrow­smith Pro­gram iden­ti­fies and strength­ens the weak cog­ni­tive areas that affect learn­ing and each stu­dent works on cog­ni­tive pro­grams that are indi­vid­u­ally designed for his or her are... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399676 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:15:36 +0100 4399676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394747&cid=t_103648_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FOXP2WERs2zc%2F Concerned about the slow pace at which new treatments are being developed by big pharma, the National Institutes of Health is planning to open a new drug development center by October. The move, which comes after months of planning and study, would collect more than $700 million in projects already under way at various NIH institutes. The decision reflects growing concern that the pharmaceutical industry is finding it difficult to deliver on new breakthroughs while, at the same time, continuing to pare some research efforts in hopes of saving money. Nearly every big drugmaker faces a revenue squeeze as big sellers face generic competition and are reacting by eliminating numerous projects to juice their bottom lines. Big pharma productivity has been declining for 15 years “and it certainl... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394747 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:22:45 +0100 4394747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4386248&cid=t_103648_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fretired-army-trauma-surgeon-dr-john-holcomb-lead-houston-care-congresswoman-giffords%2F Well-known former Army trauma surgeon Dr. John Holcomb will be coordinating care in Houston for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, at both Texas Medical Center and TIRR Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4386248 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 19:01:40 +0100 4386248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4386301&cid=t_103648_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F22%2Funiversities-college-students-and-mental-health%2F With the recent tragedy allegedly perpetrated by suspended college student Jared Loughner in Tuscon, AZ, the role of colleges’ and universities’ student counseling centers has taken center stage. This is a little odd, given that Mr. Loughner attended a community college that lacked a student counseling center. Most community colleges — catering to part-time students who often have families or hold down full-time jobs — don’t seem to have the mental health counseling centers that most traditional universities and colleges have. Dr. Emily Gibson, a family physician who apparently works with students at a college, recently wrote a blog entry about mental illness in the college student. In this entry, she seems to bemoan the fact that students have come to expect ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4386301 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:47:23 +0100 4386301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382751&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIlAXKrr0E2g%2F By Caleb O. BrownThe Supreme Court majority in Citizens United asserted plainly that the federal government’s powers are few and defined in the realm of political speech. The decision has since been cast as one that does little more than give “corporations and unions the freedom to spend as much as they like to support or attack candidates.” Of course, the stakes were far higher. As the government’s attorney asserted during the initial oral argument, the Federal Election Commission retained the authority to ban the sale of certain books (e-books included) in the weeks leading up to an election, a fact opponents of Citizens United rarely mention. Shortly after that oral argument, Austin Bragg and I made a short video with Steve Simpson of the Institute for Justice, A... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382751 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:44:46 +0100 4382751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377569&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-window-into-cancer-research%2F2011.01.20 Exciting Time with World Renowned Experts from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377569 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:00:10 +0100 4377569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372134&cid=t_103648_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FJqPzs3W43zg%2F Today we share must-read insights from  Katherine Sullivan, Director of the Brain Fitness Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Peter Kissinger, President of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Both of them will discuss their ongoing work and lessons learned at the upcom­ing 2011 Sharp­Brains Sum­mit (March 30th — April 1st, 2011). The interviews below were conducted via email. — Katherine Sullivan is the Director of the Brain Fitness Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 1. Katherine, how would you define “brain fit­ness” vs. “phys­i­cal fit­ness”? In our context (helping active duty service members and veterans recover from cognitive dysfunction most associated with traumatic brain injury), I’d say brain fitness is the outcome we work towards:... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372134 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:00:56 +0100 4372134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361328&cid=t_103648_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FhkuARpQHJDo%2Fbest-tubal-reversal-doctors.html This article will help readers answer the question on where is the best place to have a tubal ligation reversal. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361328 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:29:03 +0100 4361328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360981&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fovarian-cancer-screening-is-still-subpar%2F2011.01.17 Cancer of the ovary is a particularly nasty disease. It often remains asymptomatic until it has reached an advanced, incurable stage, and scientists have been unable to develop an effective screening test for the disease like the ones in widespread use for cancers of the breast and cervix. The dismal status of ovarian cancer screening was underscored a year ago when an NIH-sponsored study showed that over 70 percent of cancers detected by transvaginal ultrasound and CA 125 biomarker testing — the two best ovarian screening tests we’ve got — had reached stage III or IV at the time the patients screened positive. That’s about what happens when women aren’t screened at all. That wasn’t the worst of it, however. In just the first year of that screening program, positiv... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360981 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 02:00:12 +0100 4360981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343360&cid=t_103648_180_f&fid=38607&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fsuccessbeginstoday%2FBHWQ%2F%7E3%2FyPBllxtNocI%2F In my last post I talked about scheduling using Google Calendar. This tool allows you to have multiple calendars overlaid over one another. This allows you to see possible conflicts and to move things around to make things more efficient. The cool thing about using a calendar tool like this is to put down all the things you are currently doing and look for time areas that can be better utilized. Here is an example from my daily calendar that many people have to deal with. Given our busy lives and the way most cities are laid out, many of us have to commute to work. This may be by car or public transportation. For many people this is just wasted time, especially if you have to drive. Additionally, most people have a lunch hour, which can be a time to wind down, but many times is unproducti... Success Begins Today blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343360 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:31:54 +0100 4343360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337905&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyqkZIb7nJXU%2F By Michael F. CannonThe Center for American Progress has a new weekly feature examining “tax expenditures” in the Internal Revenue Code.  As I’ve written before, there ain’t no such thing as a tax expenditure. Or a tax subsidy.  Targeted tax breaks are bad because, on balance, they expand government’s control over the people.  But they are not “expenditures” or “subsidies.”  Using either of those terms implies that the money not collected by the IRS because of a targeted tax break actually belongs to the federal government, rather than the people who earned it. The Left would love to convince everyone that, as the Center for American Progress writes, “Tax expenditures are really just federal spending programs administered by... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337905 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:28:02 +0100 4337905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337909&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb3tG8h6hheI%2F By Jim HarperThe cost and ease of implementing REAL ID are not shown by a new report from the anti-immigrant Center for Immigration Studies. Nor does it establish why law-abiding American citizens should be required to carry a national ID. But the report is a good signal that the national ID effort continues. A coterie of national ID advocates are working with state motor vehicle bureaucrats to build a national ID. This is why repeal and defunding of REAL ID is so needed. It’s been a while, so let’s review: REAL ID is the national ID law Congress passed in May of 2005. It gave states a three-year deadline to produce IDs meeting national standards and to network their databases of driver information together into a national ID system. In regulations it proposed in March 2007, t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337909 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:36:07 +0100 4337909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4330969&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fexecutive-compensation-at-non-profit.html We have often discussed executive compensation at US hospitals and academic medical centers, which seems to run from generous to outrageous.  The usual explanation by organizational spokespeople, and occasionally boards of trustees is that this is the sort of compensation needed to attract the best and the brightest, a variation of the "pay for performance" meme that resounds throughout business schools and executive suites.  However, almost never does anyone at any hospital or AMC acknowledge that their leaders are not the best and brightest, although outside of Lake Woebegone, all cannot be above average.Here are two recent stories about hospital executives whose compensation contrasted with their performance.Danbury HospitalWe previously posted about how the former c... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4330969 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:49:00 +0100 4330969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4324781&cid=t_103648_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fplastic-surgeon-chitsung-ct-su-died-age-74%2F Johns Hopkins plastic surgeon Chi-Tsung “CT” Su has died at the age of 74 from cancer. He was a long-time Hopkins faculty member and instrumental in starting and heading the Burn Center at Hopkins Bayview. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4324781 Sat, 08 Jan 2011 18:39:26 +0100 4324781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318331&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcomparative-effectiveness-research-more-can-be-less%2F2011.01.06 Discussion About Comparative Effectiveness Research When the public turns its attention to medical effectiveness research, a discussion often follows about how this research might restrict access to new medical innovations. But this focus obscures the vital role that effectiveness research will play in evaluating current medical and surgical care. I am now slogging through chemotherapy for stomach cancer, probably the result of high doses of radiation for Hodgkin lymphoma in the early 1970s, which was the standard treatment until long-term side effects (heart problems, additional cancers) emerged in the late 80s. So I am especially attuned to the need for research that tracks the short and long-term effectiveness — and dangers — of treatments.  Choosing a surgeon this Septembe... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318331 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:00:53 +0100 4318331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318307&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY7S7Cf-xYC4%2F By Ian VasquezNicholas Kristof provides “a useful reminder of the limitations of charity and foreign aid” in his New York Times op-ed about Haiti today. “Nearly a year after the earthquake in Haiti,” he notes, “more than one million people are still living in tents and reconstruction has barely begun.” He emphasizes the importance of “trade, not aid” and of the role of business: “It’s hard to think of a charitable project that will be as beneficial as the Coca-Cola Company’s decision to build up the mango juice industry in Haiti, supporting 25,000 farmers.” He also cites a seemingly successful microfinance aid project that lends money to poor women in Haiti to begin and expand business ventures by, for example, investing in livestock or growing fruit for sale. It is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318307 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:09:45 +0100 4318307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309593&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlJ-i99qAM7I%2F By Michael F. CannonNew York’s budget problem is actually a Medicaid problem.  In Sunday’s New York Post, I offer advice to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) on how to fix a budget gap that will grow to $17 billion during his term: Gov. Cuomo can’t fix Medicaid by himself. He needs the help of Congress. There is a solution… Block grants are how President Bill Clinton and a Republican Congress reformed welfare back in 1996, to spectacular success. Welfare reform forced New York to be smarter about welfare spending, just as a block grant would force New York to rededicate Medicaid to its original mission — providing necessary medical care to the truly needy. There’s one place Gov. Cuomo can start on his own: Close the loopholes that allow well-to-do New Yorkers to f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309593 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:00:47 +0100 4309593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305112&cid=t_103648_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2FAKUTLpy0n0M%2F Aarghh! (he said, moaning in frustration…)  I realize that it isn’t so much anger that shortens our lives as much as the repression of that anger—so pardon my venting!  I just finished an appointment with a patient who described something that is all too common, and that really makes my blood boil. I’ve seen ‘Tom’ in my practice for about three years, since he presented with severe heroin addiction.  He once made good money working in the financial industry, but was reduced by addiction to a shadow of his former self.  He had infections in his arms from using needles, to the point of being in danger of losing one of his arms because of destruction of the limb’s blood supply.  He had tried stopping dozens of times without success, having only several ‘clean days’ in a... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305112 Sun, 02 Jan 2011 17:27:41 +0100 4305112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4300583&cid=t_103648_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F30%2Fshould-you-tell-your-kids-about-your-mental-illness%2F Parents with a mental illness typically wonder whether it’s best to disclose their diagnosis to their kids. On the one hand, you want to be open and honest. On the other hand, you may think that not saying anything protects your child. A parent’s natural instinct to want to shield your child from any confusion or concern. However, according to research, not telling your child can actually have the opposite effect. Research shows that if parents don’t tell children about their mental illness, children develop misinformation and worries which can be worse than the reality, said Michelle D. Sherman, Ph.D, clinical psychologist and director of the Family Mental Health Program at the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Later, these kids also report feeling resentment toward... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4300583 Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:58:26 +0100 4300583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294580&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fhackensack-university-medical-center.html Last year was an embarassing one for Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), a large academic medical center affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.  In April, former state senator Joseph Coniglio was convicted of fraud (against the public) and extortion for a scheme that involved him being paid $5000 a month for undefined consulting work for HUMC while he promoted the hospital's interests in the state legislature (see post here).  A subsequent investigative report revealed widespread self-dealing on the part of the HUMC board (see post here).  Soon after, the HUMC CEO, John Ferguson, announced his retirement, per the Newark Star-Ledger.Scandal Leads to Apparent ReformsSo when I read an article from last week on NorthJersey.com entit... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294580 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:47:00 +0100 4294580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4298689&cid=t_103648_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FEaXwhFuiM7w%2F I’m excited to announce the beginning of Meaningful Use Monday on EMR and HIPAA. I first came up with the idea when Lynn Scheps from SRSsoft commented on one of my previous meaningful use posts. Lynn provided such valuable information, I asked her if she’d be interested in becoming a regular guest blogger on EMR and HIPAA. As they say, the rest is history. Each Monday, Lynn (and sometimes myself) will be covering some topic related to the EMR Stimulus money and meaningful use. We hope you enjoy Meaningful Use Monday. -John With the impending start of the EHR incentive program on January 1, the results of a recent Health Data Management poll are troublesome. 72% of respondents feel that the meaningful use guidance provided by the government to-date has been either “inadequate ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4298689 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:18:40 +0100 4298689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277798&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fhigh-heels-short-skirts-and-recruiting.html Once again, you just can't make this stuff up.  Here is the New York Times description of new state of the art in recruiting donors for bone marrow transplant.On its face, it seemed reasonable enough: a bone marrow registry sending recruiters to malls, ballparks and other busy sites to enlist potential donors. But the recruiters were actually flirtatious models in heels, short skirts and lab coats, law enforcement officials say, asking passers-by for DNA swabs without mentioning the price of the seemingly simple procedure. And the registry, Caitlin Raymond International, was paying up to $60,000 a week for the models while billing insurance companies up to $4,300 per test. In New Hampshire, where prosecutors say thousands of people appeared to have provided swabs, the attorney general... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277798 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:08:00 +0100 4277798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275310&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbRntlm6Dj4I%2F By Tad DeHavenThe Mackinac Center’s Michael LaFaive and Todd Nesbit have released a new study on the ill-effects of raising cigarette taxes at the state and local level. Cigarette tax hikes have become a popular choice for spend-happy state policymakers looking for money in these tough economic times. Also check out their accompanying video on the topic: Cigarette Taxes and Smuggling is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275310 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:00:37 +0100 4275310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265736&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fan-animated-look-at-the-future-of-healthcare%2F2010.12.17 Mrs. Happy and I just returned from Disney World for our Happy family vacation. (It was either that or a Parkinson’s Cruise.) While at Disney’s Epcot Center, Mama and Papa Happy discovered what the future of healthcare in America will look like, and it has nothing to do with insurance. You’ve all seen that giant Epcot ball. Inside that ball is a slow-moving ride that takes you through thousands of years of history. At the end you choose your own future. I present to you this video showing the future of healthcare in America, courtesy of the Epcot Spaceship Earth and Mama and Papa Happy: A couple words of mention. They still think there will be doctors in the future, unless their reference to doctors was reference to future nurse practitioners known as Dr. Nurse. That... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265736 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:00:00 +0100 4265736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265574&cid=t_103648_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Farmy-breaks-ground-ft-hood-medical-center%2F The United States Army has broken ground on construction of a new Carl R. Darnall Medical Center at Ft. Hood, Texas. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265574 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:03:11 +0100 4265574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258843&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAgXK9l6YlV0%2F By Jim HarperMercatus Center senior research fellow (and Cato alum) Jerry Brito has an interesting Wikileaks post on Tech Liberation Front. The most vocal and strident reaction against Wikileaks has come from folks we can identify as neocons. Aside from demanding that the U.S. hunt down Julian Assange, Charles Krauthammer wrote, “Putting U.S. secrets on the Internet, a medium of universal dissemination new in human history, requires a reconceptualization of sabotage and espionage — and the laws to punish and prevent them.” Meanwhile Marc Thiessen, ignoring the distributed nature of WikiLeaks, called for the U.S. to “rally a coalition of the willing to defeat WikiLeaks by shutting down its servers and cutting off its finances.” And William Kristol, for his part, asked rhetorically... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258843 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:43:39 +0100 4258843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249041&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fd-UKugQ-wc4%2F By Tad DeHavenIn 2006, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm told citizens, “In five years, you’re going to be blown away by the strength and diversity of Michigan’s transformed economy.” When those words were uttered, Michigan’s unemployment rate was 6.7 percent. It’s now almost 13 percent. Although Michigan’s economic doldrums can’t entirely be pinned on Granholm, her fiscal policies have not helped, such as her higher taxes on businesses. The Mackinac Center’s Michael LaFaive explains why Granholm’s grandiose proclamation in 2006 hasn’t panned out: In this case, Gov. Granholm was promoting her administration and the Legislature’s massive expansion of discriminatory tax breaks and subsidies for a handful of corporations. The purpose and main effect of this policy is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249041 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:33:12 +0100 4249041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241704&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVUPWDJHeEmk%2F By Neal McCluskeyAs I’ve pointed out repeatedly, though the sector is no doubt rife with waste and home to some dirty-dealers, attacks on for-profit colleges are almost certainly driven by politics and ideology, not educational concerns. Were it otherwise, all of higher education would be taking a beating for its bankrupting waste and widespread failure. A recent symptom of anti-profit witch-huntery was the misrepresentation of GAO reporting on what “secret shoppers” found while visiting select for-profit institutions. At the time the findings were released I thought the main problem was that members of the media and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) — who has been leading the crusade against for-profit schools — were using the results to smear the whole pr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241704 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:03:54 +0100 4241704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233420&cid=t_103648_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FD4Bf0b4VGAE%2F Back in August 2008, a Baltimore cardiologist named Mark Midei reached new heights - he placed 30 stents made by Abbott Laboratories in patients in just one day. This was cause for celebration at the drug and device maker. Execs wrote laudatory e-mails. A sales rep spent $2,159 on a pig roast party at his home. And Midei later became a well-compensated consultant for Abbott. But there was a catch - he placed stents in hundreds of patients who did not need them, which helped explain why he was setting records in the Baltimore area for such procedures. Patient complaints prompted an internal investigation the St. Joseph Medical Center, which is located in Towson, Md., where Midei headed cardiac catheterization. These were followed by a series of articles in The Baltimore Sun (look here and h... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233420 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:31:29 +0100 4233420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225373&cid=t_103648_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F02%2F5-tips-for-a-low-stress-customer-service-experience%2F “Thank you for calling customer service! My name is Summer. How can I help you?” Wait, it’s after 5 pm. And this is the internet, not a phone. And I’m at my kitchen table, not in my drab fabric-walled cubicle. And I’m not wearing a headset. Let me switch hats for a moment and return to being a writer for the next few minutes. Tomorrow, I celebrate my last day of working in a customer service call center. (Despite the rumors, it’s not an easy gig.) Over the past few years, I’ve been called some less-than-savory names through the phone lines. A few customers have threatened me. Even more have called me a liar, played psychological games with me, and screamed words that their grandmothers would be ashamed to hear. Lesson learned: contacting a customer... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225373 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:57:02 +0100 4225373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4207520&cid=t_103648_175_f&fid=39258&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu%2Fmedschool%2Fvideo%2Fstudrunclin.mpg Last weekend I got dropped into the middle of medicine.  I spent the day volunteering at a UC Davis student-run clinic called Clinica Tepati.  It was a first for me on many levels, and all I can say is it was totally awesome! What is a student-run clinic? Well, it’s exactly what is sounds like.  [...] (Source: Palpating the Field) Palpating the Field blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4207520 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:38:34 +0100 4207520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4200565&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-taste-of-canadian-healthcare-on-chicago%25e2%2580%2599s-south-side%2F2010.11.24 This past September, a group of medical residents at my institution began seeing primary care patients at a free clinic down the street from our tertiary academic medical center (“hospital clinic”). Far from my expectations, the care we are able to provide at our free clinic is in many ways better than our hospital clinic. Somewhat paradoxically, the experience has given me a taste of what the practice of medicine is like in single-payer healthcare systems like Canada’s. When I volunteered to start seeing patients at a nearby free clinic, I had little idea what I was signing up for. The term “free clinic” conjured up memories as a medical student in East Baltimore tending to patients at a local homeless shelter with severe frostbite or at a student-run clinic rummaging through th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4200565 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:00:41 +0100 4200565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197362&cid=t_103648_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FU2jO9cXPUTo%2F The US Federal Trade Commission is being asked by four consumer and privacy watchdog groups to investigate what they describe as allegedly “unfair and deceptive advertising practices” that consumers confront when they attempt to gather health info online. The move comes as the FDA grapples with formulating rules for how the pharmaceutical industry can adopt social media. “Health consumers are being told that by using digital media services they have become empowered ‘e-patients,’ but they are not being informed about the privacy and potential health risks connected with the use of digital marketing of pharmaceuticals and health products,” according to the 144-page complaint filed today with the FTC by the Center for Digital Democracy, US PIRG, Consumer ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197362 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:20:17 +0100 4197362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175971&cid=t_103648_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FmFHEc14Tcc0%2F The Center for Reproductive Rights has filed a motion in a federal court charging the FDA is in contempt for failing to make the Plan B morning-after pill available to women of all ages without a prescription (see the motion here). The move comes more than a year after US District Court Judge Edward Korman ordered the FDA to reconsider its 2006 decision that would allow only women ages 18 and older to buy the pill without a scrip. In his March 2009 ruling, Korman chastised the FDA for being “arbitrary and capricious,” making decisions in “bad faith” and being influenced by “impermissble political and ideological considerations” imposed by the Bush White House. “The record is clear that the FDA’s course of conduct regarding Plan B departed in ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175971 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:44:41 +0100 4175971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4168209&cid=t_103648_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fo0tgfBcltr0%2F On Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will hold a widely anticipated meeting to review the controversial Provenge vaccine for prostate cancer. At issue is whether coverage for the $93,000 treatment, which is the first such therapeutic treatment, is deemed reasonable and necessary. Such a move is unusual, though, given that Medicare generally pays automatically for FDA-approved oncology meds. But nothing about Provenge has been usual – the FDA approval was mired in charges of conflicts of interest, agency conspiracies and stock manipulation. The very fact that CMS decided to review the vaccine prompted an outcry from some investors, patients and doctors, amid concern that coverage may be nixed, although others say the real issue is separating on-label use from of... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4168209 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:42:59 +0100 4168209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133681&cid=t_103648_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fen7NrqAhQxg%2F By Chris EdwardsCongratulations to the wave of Republicans who successfully ran on promises to tackle rising government debt and cut the hugely bloated federal budget. On the campaign trail, most candidates were not very specific about how they would cut the budget, but when they come to Washington they will be looking for good reform targets. Newcomers to Congress can find a wealth of budget-cutting ideas in recent plans by various D.C. think tanks: At the Heritage Foundation, Brian Riedl has come up with $343 billion in proposed annual cuts. At the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Bill Galston and Maya MacGuineas have proposed $400 billion in annual cuts. Esquire magazine assembled four former senators who came up with $476 billion in annual cuts. The National Taxpayers Union... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133681 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:55:54 +0100 4133681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4134151&cid=t_103648_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F02%2Fpeptide-being-tested-for-atherosclerosis-inhibits-ovarian-cancer-growth-clinical-trial-planned%2F A drug in testing to treat atherosclerosis significantly inhibited growth of ovarian cancer in both human cell lines and mouse models, marking the first such report of a peptide being used to fight malignancies, according to a study by researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. A drug in testing to treat atherosclerosis significantly inhibited [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4134151 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:59:25 +0100 4134151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133834&cid=t_103648_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F02%2Fthomas-bornemann-ed-d-on-the-26th-annual-carter-symposium-on-mental-health-policy%2F Psych Central will again be partnering with The Carter Center to bring you media coverage of the 26th Annual Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy. This year’s symposium focuses on the unique challenges for mental health care and community reintegration faced by National Guard and reserve veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The event will also be webcast live on The Carter Center’s website. Recently, I had the pleasure to sit down with Thomas H. Bornemann, Ed.D., the Director of the Carter Center Mental Health Program to talk to him about this year’s symposium agenda. John M. Grohol, Psy.D.:  So talk to me a little bit about the theme of this year’s symposium. I understand it has to do with policy surrounding helping vets gets access to mental health c... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133834 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:03:05 +0100 4133834