Managed Care Weekly Digest

Healthcare Coverage - California pharmacists group launches subsidiary to help consumers

Healthcare Coverage - Cancer tops most frequent causes of long-term disability claims in 2004

Healthcare Coverage - Disease management services launched with Westchester County, New York

Healthcare Coverage - Guardian reports significant increase in dental sales in 2004

Healthcare Coverage - Healthcare information company reports market gains of pulmonary disease therapy

Healthcare Coverage - Idaho Chamber of Commerce members offered health insurance options

Healthcare Coverage - IntegraMed adds drug benefit to Shared Risk Refund Program

Healthcare Coverage - Pharmacy benefit manager chosen to administer RX program for ISG VEBA Trust

Healthcare Coverage - Program to help Indiana residents find prescription drug assistance

Imaging - U. of Virginia system selects cardiac image and information management system

Influenza - Pharmaceutical company launches new version of its pediatric influenza vaccine

Information Technology - Cardiovascular information management system launched

Information Technology - CodeRyte announces three new cardiology customers

Information Technology - Communications company contracts with Nevada healthcare facility to build system

Information Technology - Company delivers PACS to Halifax Medical Center

Information Technology - Diagnostix, LLC, signs contract with LRGHealthcare

Information Technology - Four Rivers Software announces TMS Enterprise

Information Technology - Healthcare technology company demonstrates interoperable systems at conference

Information Technology - IT company refocuses marketing dollars to move medicine into digital age

Information Technology - Information technology company enters partnership with ACTEK Inc.

Information Technology - Information technology company ready to support Medicare Part C and D

Information Technology - New CFS (C) Calibration Feedback System software released

Information Technology - Oklahoma Health Care Authority selects HIPAA information technology company

Information Technology - Pharma strategy co. complies with controlled substance reporting requirements

Information Technology - Software system for behavioral healthcare providers has HIPAA security features

Information Technology - South Carolina-based BlueCross-owned subsidiary wins Medicare help line contract

Information Technology - Study finds system software for long-term care improves quality of nursing care

Information Technology - Texas hospital selects secure electronic transmission company

Legal Issues - Dialysis provider announces receipt of DOJ subpoena

Legal Issues - Hospital corporation comments on court order in California case

Legal Issues - SAppeals court rules healthcare company did not violate patent antitrust laws

Lung Cancer - Gender gap for lung cancer rates narrowing

Medical Devices - U.S. FDA grants clearance to market mechanical thrombectomy device

Medical Devices - UCLA Medical Center is first hospital to use remote presence robots in ICU

Medical Errors - Hospital executives have concerns about error reporting systems

Mental Health - Louisiana house speaker Salter honored for leadership on mental health issues

Mental Health - Therapy for dementia in elderly, risk of cerebrovascular adverse event studied

Mergers & Acquisitions - Ardent Health Services to sell behavioral health division

Mergers & Acquisitions - Dalrada acquires Canadian nurse staffing firm, Master Staffing

Mergers & Acquisitions - Healthcare company acquires online health provider

Mergers & Acquisitions - Surgical care firm adds healthcare company to its network of operations

Myocardial Infarction - Authors raise concerns regarding regionalized heart attack care

Myocardial Infarction - Common medication to prevent MI, stroke cost-effective when given long-term

Neonatology - Medical technologies may hinder rather than help newborn survival

Occupational Health - Sleep deprivation also has impact on national health

Oral Health - Finances, lack of dentist barriers to seniors receiving needed dental care

Osteoporosis - Treating established osteoporosis is cost effective in U.K. regardless of age

Pain Management - Chiropractors endorse pain analgesic

Pain Medicine - Doctor suggested cannabis for pain relief, say one in six medicinal users

Patents - U.S. patent office says it will confirm claims of reexamined Periostat patent

Patient Safety - Hennepin County Medical Center adds MedGuard narcotics control software

Pediatric Cancer - Costs for childhood rhabdomyosarcoma minimized by selective treatment omission

Personnel - Abdul Kassir appointed VP of provider contracting by managed care company

Personnel - Behavioral health company CEO appointed to mental health organization board

Personnel - Conexis names new president

Personnel - Elpidio Villarreal named VP, associate general counsel by healthcare company

Personnel - Gary Stokes named CEO of Tenet's east Texas facilities

Personnel - Health Net of the Northeast announces new senior appointments

Personnel - Health plan firm executives Frick, Kapustay retire; Braly, Campbell fill slots

Personnel - Hooper Holmes announces appointment of board of directors member

Personnel - Hospitalists group elects Goldsholl, Amin and Flanders to 3-year board terms

Personnel - James A. Lightman named senior VP, general counsel of laser design company

Personnel - Mark Fulchino, Toni-Jean Lisa named to executive posts by long-term care company

Personnel - Pain-management company names Peter A. Lankau CEO

Personnel - Pharmaceutical company names Alzheimer association president to management team

Personnel - President named for Hylant Specialty Programs/National Insurance Specialists

Personnel - Ron Martyn appointed executive VP with healthcare-focused applications developer

Personnel - Scott L'Heureax appointed new president of surgical information systems company

Personnel - Stuart Campbell named president and CEO Missouri, Wisconsin health plan company

Personnel - Tommy Thompson named president of Logistics Health

Pharmaceutical Marketing - Drug companies increase marketing dollars as product launch nears, study shows

Philanthropy - Foundation awards $2 million for uninsured health care programs

Philanthropy - Michigan nonprofit hospitals provide community benefits

Prostate Cancer - Prostate cancer screening practices examined

Quality Assurance - Specialist care gives better rate of survival

Reimbursement - U.S. CMS issues draft guidance documents related to national coverage process

Respiratory Medicine - Asthma buddy program gets positive patient reviews

Schizophrenia - Survey: Common schizophrenia symptoms often overlooked by physicians

Sepsis - Risk of death from bloodstream infection greater in less severely ill

Smoking Cessation - U.K. NHS stop-smoking services insufficient to deliver national smoking targets

Stroke - Awareness low among women, especially minorities

Transplant Medicine - Islet transplant completed in a patient with type 1 diabetes

Wellness - Workplace health promotion programs show 16:1 return on investment