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April 30, 2009
Medicare system overhaul proposed by two senators
Congress approves Obama's $3.4 trillion spending blueprint
WHO warns of likely pandemic
An affordable fix for modernizing medical records
Louisiana committee OKs bill giving board hospital control
Aetna stock falls 10% on medical cost worries
Rwandan doctors visiting Spokane, WA
States, hospitals roll out emergency plans
Religious discrimination case settled with Nashville hospital
Recession leaves health agencies weakened in swine flu defense

April 29, 2009
Two senators offer bipartisan healthcare proposal
Hospitals see fewer uninsured patients
Institute of Medicine calls for doctors to stop taking gifts from drug makers
Florida House passes bill targeting healthcare fraud
Minnesota hospital cited for neglecting two patients
Aetna posts profit gain, but medical costs spike
U.S. reports first death as swine flu cases grow
CIGNA cost estimator available to providers
Connecticut hospitals brace for swine flu patients
Senate committee offers a peek at healthcare overhaul
Just inside 100 days, Sebelius completes the Cabinet

April 28, 2009
Senate set to confirm Sebelius as health secretary
California lawmaker's second try to rein in healthcare costs
Healthcare choices in Minnesota: Cut a lot or cut a lot more
Healthcare tourism, now covered by insurance?
Vanderbilt University Medical Center gets childhood cancer grants
$1 million ad campaign attacks government-run healthcare
HCA profit jumps 92%; controls, growth cited
Pandemic risk grows as new cases pop up
Swine flu exposes HHS vacancies
Is a virtual colonoscopy as effective?

April 27, 2009
Bid to track students' health plans called lacking
Hepatitis at Atlantic City hospital probed
New Hollywood, FL, center 'a one-stop shop' for women's medical imaging
Magnitude of dirty VA hospital equipment unknown
Hospitals cutting services, staff amid recession
ERs face a new urgency
Many nursing jobs, but only the strong need apply
CA bills target women's individual insurance policies
California counties cut healthcare to illegal immigrants
32% of University of Chicago redirected patients are poor, uninsured
Age-based health insurance pricing has some cutting back on coverage
Hospital sweetens offer to Framingham, MA
Obama tactic shields healthcare bill from a filibuster
Shortage of doctors proves obstacle to Obama goals
Pension and health benefits may suffer for auto retirees under bankruptcy
Johns Hopkins acquires suburban hospital
Commentary: Five myths on healthcare's electronic fix-it

April 24, 2009
GOP wants nomination of Sebelius withdrawn
South Florida flagged in Medicare fraud report
Wisconsin Legislature OKs bill on payment for children's hearing devices
Malpractice suits fall in Pennsylvania, easing insurance crisis
Medical records in a 'flash'
Washington hospitals seek higher Medicaid payments
Wellpoint criticized for calling members about healthcare reform
South Florida meningitis outbreak baffles health experts
Doctor leading Illinois system's expansion leaving for Iowa
U.S. launching $1.1 billion study of which medical therapies work
ER visits, costs in Massachusetts climb

April 23, 2009
Florida House of Representatives passes Medicaid changes
Health insurance subsidy for laid-off workers has holes
Pennsylvania health system feud now a federal case
Aetna CEO Ronald A. Williams' 2008 pay package: $3.14 million
Wisconsin-based Ministry Health Care cuts jobs in unstable economy
Advocate looking at hospital partnership outside Chicago
Health plans lose members to layoffs
Patients: There's waste in medicine, but my doctor is perfect
Drug deals tie prices to how well patients do
Democrats consider bypassing GOP on healthcare plan

April 22, 2009
BCBS of Michigan increases payments to medical homes
Defense investigators in PA raid Siemens Medical
Sarasota (FL) Memorial cuts loss with outpatient increases
Medicare to play big role in healthcare overhaul
AMA plans one-stop electronic shopping for docs
In rare cases, stray tools found in surgery patients
Commentary: Malpractice damage caps not a cure for high healthcare costs
Grady Memorial Hospital private consultant makes big bucks
Minnesota health plans record a break-even year
Ruling calls review of Seattle Children's Hospital expansion impacts inadequate
Health system trades land with Chicago Housing Authority for ambulatory care unit
Panel to establish plan for global healthcare
Doctors push for more scans in stroke cases
Senator explains his vote against Sebelius
Study backs specialists implanting heart devices

April 21, 2009
Hartford Hospital remains on probation
Pelosi announces health center funding at Hollywood, FL, clinic
Mayo opens private medical-data Web site
Minnesota-based Park Nicollet cuts 233 jobs, 1.8% of workforce
Thousands off state healthcare in Washington plan
Iowa House OKs modified health reform bill
As nest eggs shrink, some doctors try to return from retirement
Lawmakers debate tax on health benefits
Big challenges await health records transition
Senators set timetable for healthcare bills
Bid to organize nurses faces setback in Congress
Medical providers struggle to communicate with immigrant patients
Healthcare dialogue alarms Obama's allies

April 20, 2009
Dallas hospitals uneasy about organ donations arranged online
Hospitals mine data to identify those likely to pay
Senate committee to vote Tuesday on HHS secretary
Court OKs suit over denial of treatment
Eneida Roldan chosen to head Miami's Jackson Health System
New life for healthcare tax referendum in Washington state
Americans' medical files go digital, by way of Asia
Virtual colonoscopy at center of policy debate
Iowans sue South Dakota urology center
Universal care could be thwarted by disappearing docs
Congress inclined to act first on health
A hard-charging doctor on Obama's team
In North Carolina, recession breeds a healthcare crisis

April 17, 2009
Business leader promises Grady Memorial Hospital $20 million
Stimulus' extension of COBRA benefits starts
Connecticut lawmakers try to keep hospital merger idea alive
FHA: Medicaid cuts will cost hospital jobs
White House wants to use RBMs to control Medicare spending on imaging
Study finds gap in Minnesota public, private healthcare
Kaiser Permanente to settle kidney transplant claims for $1 million
Gunman kills two and takes own life at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
Massachusetts General Hospital halts a pediatric program
Pharma sales reps often find the doc won't see them now
Chrysler is said to be near deal on retiree healthcare

April 16, 2009
Texas-based JPS weighs creating $150 million electronic records system
Move toward single payer health plan for Colorado dies in Legislature
VA's New Orleans hospital plans going before public
Interim LSU hospital to cut jobs
White House seeks health plan compromise
HCA completes $1.5 billion bond sale
Healthcare firm accused of punishing Spanish-speakers settles suit
Addition to Geneva, IL, hospital aims for holistic approach to healing
Health plans: New safeguards
Study author in medical journal disclosure flap has his say
Nancy-Ann DeParle's definition of 'public' health insurance
Vermont doctors get $2.9 million cash, gifts from drugmakers

April 15, 2009
Kennedy: Health reform must include long-term care
Laptop theft spurs patient credit alerts
New Jersey to use tax forms to enroll uninsured kids
Program seeks to cut New Jersey hospital readmissions
CA-based Brotman Medical Center emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
West Virginia healthcare bills now in governor's hands
Allina Hospitals and Clinics to refund $1.1 million to patients
Nurse at Madison, WI-based Dean Health laid off mid-surgery
Drug makers, hospitals raise prices
HCA expects stronger revenue
Guidelines for heart care show promise
Doctors face fiscal squeeze for treatment
Hospitals merge design and building to cut costs

April 14, 2009
Schwarzenegger launches $32 million healthcare program
Diabetics skimp on lifesaving care in recession
Maine lawmakers take new look at health plan
Medicare eyes costs in Miami
Under pressure, Illinois pays overdue Medicaid bills
Push to compare treatments worries drug, device makers
Novel approach to health plans gains traction
New York City health educators use drug marketers' techniques
Stomach bug crystallizes an antibiotic threat

April 13, 2009
America's uninsured haven't shown collective power
Tufts' Roosevelt: More than one payment model needed to align goals, achieve quality
Cook Children's may manage hospital in Waco, TX
Ex-Rhode Island hospital president given three-year sentence on corruption charges
The doctor will see you: Log on now
Personal care from med students to help Miami Gardens families
AG ends probe into Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas physician rating program
Marietta, GA, hospital officials say they're not to blame in sex assaults
Plan to close Philadelphia hospital stirs anger
Three Chicago-area hospitals evaluate patients, staff for tuberculosis
Medical helicopter service faces big Connecticut budget cuts
As medical charts go electronic, rural doctor sees healthy change
Electronic health records raise doubt
Fewer openings in nursing field
Recession now hits jobs in healthcare

April 10, 2009
IL case questions how much charity care is needed to land millions in subsidies
Boston's Beth Israel faulted for staph outbreak in mothers, babies
$3 million settlement for family in King-Harbor death
Baltimore-based Bon Secours seeks aid to avoid shutdown
Indianapolis-based St. Vincent Health revamps its payment policy
Facing hard times, Shriners may close six hospitals
Michigan hospital operator wants to settle nurse lawsuit
Stimulus targets struggling families
Hope for deficit-crippled Philadelphia hospital hangs on 30-day reprieve
No charges for renowned surgeon over blunder
Dumping case highlights dearth of care for homeless mentally ill
Stroger Hospital in IL pays for transfers from non-profit hospitals getting tax breaks
Brighton, MA, hospital workers choose to unionize
Massachusetts-based Partners Healthcare curbs doctors' drug industry ties
Obama pledges new data system for veterans

April 9, 2009
Judges block California from cutting Medi-Cal rates
Obama makes health reform office official
Nashville General Hospital asks mayor to preserve services
Patient mishaps in Massachusetts hospitals top 300
Nemours Foundation will make cuts in its work force
Jindal tells New Orleans officials he backs hospital
Healthcare forum focuses on chronic illness
Jackson Health System names CEO finalists
Former critic of TX-based JPS Health Network named VP of medical affairs
Christian doctors' group protests rolling back conscience rule
Seattle Children's could see $60 million in Medicaid cuts
Lawmakers challenge Las Vegas hospital cuts
California hospital to pay $1.6 million in homeless dumping settlement
Ambulatory Services buys New Mexico dialysis centers
Illinois hospitals enlisting video translators
Medical home approach brings back managed care
Boston-based Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to move
Johns Hopkins bans free drug samples, gifts from industry
Northern Idaho robot connects doctors and patients

April 8, 2009
Consolidation of insurers a concern for medical providers
Los Angeles County health system again facing major deficits
$23 million won't keep Georgia trauma system healthy, advocates say
Nurses at Independence, MO-based Centerpoint await election on bargaining unit
Live From HIMSS: Don't Procrastinate on Developing IT Strategy
Florida representative urges doctors to oppose healthcare reform
Holes in Louisiana health coverage noted
California report: Even fewer bypass-surgery deaths
Oregon Senate committee passes healthcare bills
More Southern California residents forgo preventive care, providers say
Federal aid to help New Jersey health centers
China reform plans call for a health clinic in each village
Commentary: Why 'quality' care is dangerous

April 7, 2009
Cleveland-area nonprofit hospitals say they write off about 2% of revenues on charity care
U.S. reduces subsidies for private Medicare
Report: Massachusetts mandate not driving health coverage costs
Dallas-Fort Worth hospital systems invest in infection prevention
World Health Organization calls for disaster-proof hospitals
No room for patience: Hospitals seeking payments up front
Community rallies to save Greenville (SC) Shriners Hospital for Children
Study raises questions about public health plan
Trinity Medical Center and Irondale, AL, set mediation date in relocation dispute
Long Island hospitals scramble to close budget gaps
Broward, FL, hospital commissioner a no-show
Push for digital health records sparks debate
Universal health coverage in spotlight at Los Angeles forum
CT orders Health Net of the Northeast to pay $1.3 million in fines, restitution
Insurance gender bias efforts stall in Connecticut legislature
AMA to lay off 100 employees
Massachusetts hospital gets subpoena tied to doctor's studies
Removing Medtronic heart cables is hard choice

April 6, 2009
New National Culture of Health Needs to Accompany Healthcare Reform, Commission Says
Minnesota-based Fairview Health Services' net loss was $114 million last year
Jobs scarce, even for nurses
New York-Presbyterian Hospital offering digital records
Cuts expected to subsidies for private Medicare plans
New Jersey budget would limit expansion of FamilyCare
Planners OK Encinitas, CA, hospital expansion
Waukesha (WI) Memorial taps eco-friendly ideas in laboratory addition
Raises, no layoffs at Rhode Island Hospital
UPMC joins health network for military
China says it will have healthcare for all by 2020
Obama healthcare road show coming to California
New Hampshire senator to meet with healthcare providers
Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center fined for helicopter fumes
Soaring medical insurance costs are a sore spot for California employers
Health group volunteers Tennessee as test site for universal coverage
Insurance aid for the newly unemployed
663,000 jobs lost in March; total tops 5 million
Healthcare industry moves slowly onto the Internet

April 3, 2009
Fast vote is unlikely on HHS pick
$3.5 trillion spending plan paves way for Obama goals
Grady Memorial costs to rise for people outside of Fulton, DeKalb counties
FL-based Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital seeks partner for cardiac care services
GE and Intel working on remote monitors to provide home healthcare
Ohio's Medicaid cuts worry Catholic bishops
Advocates: Rule knocks Mississippi poor off Medicaid
Missouri senators endorse healthcare expansion
Georgia health insurers scrutinized over reimbursements
TN-based Community Health makes two acquisitions
Concord, MA, hospital steps in to rescue abandoned medical records
Medicare move spurs efforts to improve screening for pulmonary embolism

April 2, 2009
Grady Memorial Hospital cuts were about 'culture' as well as costs
Nurses file lawsuit against Mercy Pittsburgh Health System
Subsidized care costs Massachusetts $794 million
Study finds many on Medicare return to hospital
Health critic brings a past and a wallet
Anthem Blue Cross told it can't end contract early
Wisconsin gets $1 million grant to keep BadgerCare Plus kids enrolled
Jefferson Parish, LA, hospitals try to cut costs
House takes up a plan tied to healthcare overhaul
Minnesota-based Fairview Health Services plans wage freeze
Florida Medicaid patients could join pilot project
500,000 Californians lost health insurance, report says
Most teens are not getting preventive healthcare
Nine patients account for nearly 2,700 Texas ER visits
Hospital of Central Connecticut seeks affiliation with Hartford Hospital
Critics: CT governor's proposed Medicaid cuts go against spirit of stimulus
More concerns expressed regarding UConn Health Center, Hartford Hospital merger
Clergy seek federal money to rescue Nashville General Hospital
No one able to keep former Acton, MA, doctor's records
China reports hepatitis infections from hospital
Doctors are opting out of Medicare

April 1, 2009
Divisive legislative tool gaining favor, healthcare reconciliation may be an option
Massachusetts hospital ratings complicate care of sickest
Kaiser's vital signs defy ailing economy
Emory Healthcare employees help hospital cut costs
Health insurers face skeptical Senate panel
Mednax buys neonatal practices in Texas, Virginia
Commentary: Seven strategies to capture market share
Fashion designer makes room for yoga at NYC hospital
Healthcare unions may make push in Nashville
IL-based Advocate drops deal for Rockford Memorial Hospital
Walgreens' clinics to offer free care to jobless
Doctors urge limits on drug firm money
HHS nominee Sebelius amends tax returns
Sebelius confirmation hearings start
Democrats agree on a health plan; now comes the hard part