The American Heart Association and other groups are urging everyone with high blood pressure to own a home monitor and do regular pressure checks. Home monitors can help find the right combination of medicines to control high blood pressure by giving a better picture of pressure variations and the response to a drug, say proponents. As a result, it will spare people the cost and side effects of unnecessary treatment, they say.
The debut of Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center is coming soon, but doctors and politicians are still sparring over scarce bed space, workers are trying to fix last-minute glitches, and contractors are struggling to incorporate new technologies. The most pressing dispute surrounds bed space. When doctors and patients move to the new campus, the number of budgeted beds will drop from 671 to 600 and it is unclear how many will be dedicated exclusively to children. Twenty-five beds are certain, but some people want a total of 44. Without the additional beds, they say, the USC pediatric residency program would be at risk of shutting down.
Connecticut's Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell should approve a bill that would open state-employee health insurance to municipalities, small businesses and nonprofits, said a group of Democratic town officials and state lawmakers during a press conference. The conference was one of several such meetings that bill proponents are having across the state as they attempt to sway Rell to sign the Connecticut Health Partnership bill. Proponents say it would offer an alternative, less costly coverage plan to people, nonprofits and businesses. Opponents argue it would probably drive up state costs as much as $78 million.
Leaders at Carney Hospital in Boston are seeking up to $30 million in funding to keep the facility running as an acute-care hospital. Caritas Christi Health Care chief executive Ralph de la Torre has pitched a plan to invest in the run-down hospital, bring new doctors to the facility, and revitalize Laboure College, the nursing school that is part of the Carney campus. He is seeking $20 million to $30 million from outside sources, including funds from the city, state, foundations, and individuals.
Japan has begun recruiting hundreds of nurses and caregivers from Indonesia to work in the nation's hospitals and nursing homes, where there's a severe labor shortage. Tokyo is also preparing for similar arrangements with nations such as the Philippines and Thailand as part of broader bilateral economic-partnership agreements. Japan is striving to figure out how to care for its growing population of elderly as the number of young workers who can support them is dwindling.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has signed into law a bill establishing an independent authority that will seek a new owner for the Prince George's County hospital system. The state and the county have each agreed to pay $12 million annually for the next two years to keep open the system anchored by Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly. The authority will oversee the search for a new owner for the system, which is now managed by the nonprofit Dimensions Healthcare System. In an effort to lure bidders, the county and state must now agree to pledge operating money and funds to help refurbish outdated facilities.