Despite uneven progress, U.S. moving in positive direction toward eliminating serious infections Atlanta, GA–(ENEWSPF)–April 19, 2012.  A new state-by-state breakdown of health care-associated infections shows reductions in infection rates across the country. The report also pinpoints that some medical procedures will require stronger infection prevention efforts to maximize patient safety.[Read More…]

Proposal Saves Medicaid System for Millions SPRINGFIELD–(ENEWSPF)–April 19, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced a plan to stabilize Illinois’ Medicaid system and prevent collapse of the program, one of his top priorities this session. The Governor’s plan creates $2.7 billion in Medicaid savings – which includes more than $2 billion[Read More…]

Judge Imposes Nearly $322 Million Fine For Illegal Marketing Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—April 19, 2012.  American pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharp & Dohme was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris in Boston to pay a criminal fine in the amount of $321,636,000 in connection with its guilty plea related to[Read More…]

Nanoscale films developed at MIT promote bone growth, creating a stronger seal between implants and patients’ own bone. CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(ENEWSPF)–April 19, 2012.  Every year, more than a million Americans receive an artificial hip or knee prosthesis. Such implants are designed to last many years, but in about 17 percent of[Read More…]

Bethesda, Maryland–(ENEWSPF)–April 18, 2012. An artificial connection between the brain and muscles can restore complex hand movements in monkeys following paralysis, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. In a report in the journal Nature, researchers describe how they combined two pieces of technology to create[Read More…]

Employees Who Use Marijuana to Treat Debilitating Diseases Are Protected Under Michigan Law CINCINNATI–(ENEWSPF)–April 18, 2012.  The American Civil Liberties Union today told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that its lawsuit charging Wal-Mart and the manager of its Battle Creek, Mich. store with wrongfully firing an[Read More…]

Illinois ranks top 10 nationwide for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia infections   CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–April 18, 2012.  Every year sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, cost the U.S. healthcare system $17 billion and cost individuals even more in immediate and long-term health consequences. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) encourages residents to discuss[Read More…]

DOHA–(ENEWSPF)–April 17, 2012 — A physician and geneticist at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) has had his research into head size published in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics. Dr. Dennis Mook-Kanamori’s research identified genes that influence head size and are related to Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Dr. Mook-Kanamori,[Read More…]

Boston, MA–(ENEWSPF)–April 17, 2012.  Older adults may be at increased risk of being hospitalized for lung and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes following long-term exposure to fine-particle air pollution, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). It is the first study to look[Read More…]

Boston, MA–(ENEWSPF)–April 17, 2012.  Over the last few decades numerous studies have shown negative states, such as depression, anger, anxiety, and hostility, to be detrimental to cardiovascular health. Less is known about how positive psychological characteristics are related to heart health. In the first and largest systematic review on this[Read More…]