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Federal Jury Finds Cornell Univ's Med College Committed Fraud On Thursday, July 22, a federal court jury found that Cornell University's Weill Medical College and a former faculty member submitted false claims to the National Institutes of Health on three separate occasions from 1999-2001 arising from a grant design Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 29, 2010
Rice Appointed Brown Med Chair Effective Sept. 7, Louis Rice will be taking on the positions of chair of the Department of Medicine at Alpert Medical School and chief of medicine at Rhode Island Hospital and the Miriam Hospital. Brown Daily Herald, July 26, 2010
Docs Overwhelmingly Using iPhones; Blackberry Second It’s official. Physicians love the iPhone. In fact, most smartphone-using-docs use the iPhone as their main mobile communication device. So says a study published by The Spyglass Consulting Group, a healthcare and technology market research firm. Physician's News Digest, July 26, 2010
UConn Med School Given Probation Warning An accrediting group has given a "warning of probation" to the University of Connecticut School of Medicine after finding that the school failed to fully comply with 15 out of 132 standards. Norwich Bulletin, July 23, 2010
Should Patients Read the Doctor's Notes? For 40 years, the tension over patient access to doctor's notes has been playing out in hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices. New YorkTimes, July 23, 2010
Paid Medical Expert Witnesses in Malpractice Cases The UNC study suggests that the use of experts who are blinded to both the medical outcome and the litigation may be a more objective way of determining whether or not the standard of care has been met. UNC, July 23, 2010
Violations Found at J&J Drug Factory A dozen recent federal inspections of a Johnson & Johnson factory for heartburn and other nonprescription medicines show a host of violations that could affect the quality and makeup of the drugs. Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 22, 2010
A Tougher Conflict Policy at Harvard Med School Professors at Harvard Medical School will no longer be able to take industry money to speak for drug or medical device companies or accept gifts, travel or meals under a new conflict-of-interest policy announced Wednesday. New York Times, July 22, 2010
New Rules for Harvard Docs Harvard Medical School is placing new restrictions on relationships between its 11,000 faculty members and pharmaceutical and medical device makers. Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 21, 2010
The Pros and Cons of Opening Doctors Notes to Patients Patients typically have no idea what their doctor jots down about them after an office visit, and rarely read those notes, even though they have the legal right to do so. Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 21, 2010
RI Hospital Exec's Conviction Upheld federal appeals court on Tuesday affirmed the corruption conviction of a former Providence hospital executive, saying jurors had ample evidence to find that he had bribed a state lawmaker for legislative favors. Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 21, 2010
Duke Scientist Placed on Leave Over Rhodes Scholar Claim A well-regarded Duke cancer researcher has been placed on leave and at least temporarily denied access to a research grant while the university looks into whether he falsely claimed to be a Rhodes Scholar on applications for federal funding. Raleigh News & Observer, July 20, 2010
Study: Medical Residency Applicants and Plagiarism The Health Blog has written about plagiarism before, in the context of scientific publications. But a team from Brigham & Women’s Hospital wanted to know about a different sort of copycatting — using plagiarized material in a medical or surgical resid Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 20, 2010
Former Prof Faces Allegations in Avandia case A spokesman for the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio said Monday that the university had no knowledge of a former professor allegedly allowing his name to be used for a ghostwritten article on a diabetes medication called Avandia The Daily Texan, July 20, 2010
Baylor College of Med Probes Professor Over Avandia Article One day after a federal advisory panel expressed safety concerns about GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia, the Baylor College of Medicine said on Thursday that it is considering whether to penalize an assistant professor who apparently allowed his na Chronicle of Higher Education, July 16, 2010
Medicare Fraud Bust Yields 94 Arrests Ninety-four medical professionals around the U.S. have been charged for their alleged involvement in a scheme to submit $251 million of false claims to Medicare, marking the largest takedown since the Medicare Fraud Strike Force began operating ... Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 16, 2010
Vanderbilt Sets an Expensive Precedent, With 10 Million-Dollar-Plus Earners Vanderbilt University isn't afraid to pay to get what it wants: Ten of its employees earned more than $1-million in 2008, and four of those employees broke the $2-million mark, according to the university's most recent tax filing. The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 15, 2010
Duke, UNC Hospitals Rank High for Care Duke University Hospital and UNC Hospitals are among the nation’s best in providing care, according to U.S. News and World Reports. Dayton Business Journal, July 15, 2010
Female Academics Less Satisfied Than Male Counterparts Differences in job satisfaction between men and women in academia exist, but vary across disciplines, a new study shows. Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 15, 2010
GE Appoints Denman as CMO William Denman, MD, has been appointed chief medical officer (CMO) at GE Healthcare. Cardiovascular Business, July 26, 2010
Neurologist Fellowship-Trained in Multiple Sclerosis and Clinical Neurophysiology joins Memorial Renu K. Pokharna MD, board-certified neurologist, has joined Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center. With a fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and one in Clinical Neurophysiology from West Virginia University Somerset Co. Daily American, July 26, 2010
Beckers Ranks VUMC Among Best Vanderbilt University Medical Center was named one of the 30 Best Hospitals in America by Becker's Hospital Review. The review also cited that VUMC is a top 10 ranking in total NIH research funding among U.S. medical schools. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, July 23, 2010
Med School Names Microbiology and Immunology Head Gregory Pari, Ph.D., has been named chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He assumed his new role on July 1. Daily Sparks Tribune, July 22, 2010
Drs. Keepers, Raj and Smith are Recipients of 2010 OPA Access Awards The Oregon Psychiatric Association (OPA) Access Award recognizes people who have made a significant impact in improving access to mental health care for Oregonians. Oregon Health & Science Univ., July 22, 2010
Brain Surgeon Gets Another Chance When Arthur Day joined the medical school faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on July 1, he brought more than his decades of experience as cerebrovascular neurosurgeon with him. Inside Higher Ed, July 21, 2010
Shah Assumes Faculty Affairs Role at Med School Darshana Shah, Ph.D., has accepted expanded responsibilities at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, with the new title of associate dean for faculty affairs and professional development. "Marshall Univ., the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine", July 21, 2010
Calypsos Medical Director Named One of Seattles Top Physicians Calypso Medical announced that Kenneth Russell, M.D., Medical Director for the Company, was awarded recognition in Seattle Magazine’s annual Top Doctors survey. Medicexchange, July 21, 2010
Docs Find Solo Act Tough Medicine The private doctor's practice -- long considered a mainstay of American medicine -- could be going the way of the independent bookstore and locally owned pharmacy. Detroit News, July 20, 2010
NAPH Names Siegel as New CEO The National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH to the newly created position of Chief Executive Officer. BigNews.biz, July 20, 2010
UT Southwestern Names Med Affairs VP Dr. Peter J. Plantes has joined UT Southwestern Medical Center as vice president for medical affairs and executive director of the medical service, research and development plan. Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Southwester, July 20, 2010
Onyx CEO Appointed to Johns Hopkins Board Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. President and CEO N. Anthony Coles was appointed to a one-year term on the board of Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. Philadelphia Business Journal, July 20, 2010
Dr. Lee Appointed Chief of General Surgery at Albany Med Center Edward Lee, M.D., has been named chief of the division of general surgery in the department of surgery at Albany Medical Center, according to an announcement by Steven Stain, M.D., professor and chair of the department of surgery at Albany Medical College Albany Medical Center, July 20, 2010
WSJ: In Defense of Dr. Donald Berwick Letters: Regarding your editorial "The Berwick Evasion" (July 8) on the recess appointment of Donald Berwick to direct the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid: Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 16, 2010
U.S. News and World Report Ranks WSU Neurologists and Neurosurgeons Among Best in Nation U.S. News and World Report ranked the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery at Harper University Hospital one of the best in the nation and the No. 2 neurological department in Michigan in the magazine’s annual ranking of hospitals and hospital serv Wayne State Univ. School of Medicine, July 16, 2010
Dr. Schenk Perfect Fit to Lead Med Education for SOM When the Wayne State University School of Medicine needed someone to head up medical education, it didn’t need to look far. Wayne State Univ. School of Medicine, July 16, 2010
Sime Named URMC Div. Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Pulmonary expert Patricia J. Sime, M.D., FRCP, has been named chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The appointment is effective July 1. Univ. of Rochester - Medical Center, July 16, 2010
Mission Hospital Board Selects Paulus as New CEO The Board of Directors of Mission Health System has selected Ronald A. Paulus, M.D., MBA, to be the new president and CEO of Mission Health System and Mission Hospital. Asheville Mountain Express, July 16, 2010
Shulkin Named to Top Post at Morristown Memorial Hospital Joseph A. Trunfio, president and CEO of Atlantic Health, announced the appointment of David Shulkin, MD, to the position of president of Morristown Memorial Hospital and as a vice president of Atlantic Health. Newark Star-Ledger/NJ.com, July 16, 2010
Pari Named Chair of Microbiology and Immunology Gregory Pari has been named chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He assumed his new role on July 1. "Univ. of Nevada, Reno", July 15, 2010
DeMers Retires From UND Judy DeMers, a longtime official at UND’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is retiring at the end of the year, the university announced Wednesday. Grand Forks Herald, July 15, 2010
Gifts
KFC Breast Cancer Effort Raises $4.2M, But Some See Pinkwashing' Breast cancer survivor Reanna Smith-Hamblin didn't eat any KFC chicken during the recent “Buckets for the Cure” campaign, which raised a record $4.2million for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Louisville Courier-Journal, July 22, 2010
Faculty and Staff Receive Von Voigtlander Womens Hospital White Coats Faculty and staff of the new University of Michigan Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital received new white coats bearing the new hospital name during a ceremony at the Towsley Center Wednesday. Univ. of Michigan Health System, July 22, 2010
Teaching Hospitals and Administration
UConn Med School Given Probation Warning An accrediting group has given a "warning of probation" to the University of Connecticut School of Medicine after finding that the school failed to fully comply with 15 out of 132 standards. Norwich Bulletin, July 23, 2010
Hospitals Stress Cost Cuts Saving Billions Massachusetts hospitals say in a new report that they have substantially slowed the rise in their costs in the past 18 months, saving insurers and employers billions of dollars, and showing that they do not deserve all the blame for skyrocketing health in Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 22, 2010
Ripples From All Children's-Johns Hopkins Merger Could Touch Many The news that All Children's Hospital is becoming part of Johns Hopkins Health System has caused a major splash in the Tampa Bay area medical community. St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Bay.com, July 22, 2010
Shands to Limit Access for Some Patients Shands at UF will be forced to close its doors to some of its poorer patients. Independent Florida Alligator Online, July 22, 2010
OHSU Family Med Interest Group Receives Program of Excellence Award The Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine’s Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) has received the Program of Excellence Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians. Oregon Health & Science Univ., July 22, 2010
Einstein's Renowned Offerings Keep Physicians Current In a clinic located in a busy section of the north Bronx, five healthcare practitioners with diverse medical specialties are seeing patients along with perhaps the leading clinical expert in New York State on sexually transmitted diseases. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, July 22, 2010
All Children's Hospital to Join Forces with Johns Hopkins Health System All Children's Hospital, an 83-year-old community institution, is joining one of the most prestigious national names in health care in an effort to expand research and doctor-training opportunities in the Tampa Bay area. St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Bay.com, July 21, 2010
New SOM Program Smoothes New Faculty's Transition to UMMC After Dr. Patrick Smith joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center faculty in the mid-'90s and became involved in faculty recruitment, he learned that the School of Medicine was poorly equipped to handle incoming faculty's arrival. Univ. of Mississippi Medical Center - Jackson, July 21, 2010
Dean Accepts Recommendations for Conflicts of Interest Policy Following more than one year of rigorous discussion and deliberation, the Harvard University Faculty of Medicine Committee on Conflicts of Interest and Commitment has presented Dean Jeffrey S. Flier with a series of recommendations to revise and clarify Harvard Medical School, July 21, 2010
Cambridge Health Alliance Appoints New CMO A panel of cancer specialists said yesterday that the government should remove its endorsement of Roche’s drug Avastin for breast cancer, after follow-up studies failed to show benefits. Cambridge Chronicle, July 21, 2010
IU Simon Cancer Center Has New Affiliate Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center today announced an affiliation agreement with Horizon Oncology Center, a Lafayette-based cancer program. Inside Indiana Business, July 20, 2010
VCU Med School Receives Program of Excellence Award The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine has received the Program of Excellence Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians Virginia Commonwealth Univ. School of Medicine, July 20, 2010
Four Specialties at UNC Hospitals Ranked Among Nations Best UNC Hospitals has been ranked in four specialties in U.S. News & World Report's 2010-11 Best Hospitals, online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and featured in the August print issue of U.S. News, available on newsstands July 2 Univ. of North Carolina - Medical, July 16, 2010
VUMC Med Specialties Lauded in Latest Ranking VUMC posted an all-time high of 10 out of a possible 16 medical specialties ranked by the magazine. Vanderbilt Univ. School of Medicine, July 16, 2010
Bascom Palmer is Ranked No. 1 Eye Hospital in Country for Seventh Straight Year For the seventh year in a row, the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has been ranked the Number One hospital in the country for ophthalmology in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010-11 Best Hospitals annual survey. Univ. of Miami - Miller School of Medicine, July 16, 2010
USC Hospitals Rank Among Top National Facilities USC University Hospital placed among the top hospitals in the nation in the 21st annual rankings of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report. Univ. of Southern California (NAC - Front Desk), July 16, 2010
VCU First Virginia Institution to Join National Network of Academic Research Centers Virginia Commonwealth University announced Wednesday it has received a $20 million grant – the largest federal award in its history – from the National Institutes of Health to become part of a nationwide consortium of research institutions working to Yahoo! News, July 15, 2010
Pioneering Robotic-Assisted Thyroid Surgery UC Irvine Healthcare is the first medical center on the West Coast and the only one in California to perform robotic thyroidectomies, a procedure that removes the diseased gland without leaving a visible scar on the neck. Univ. of California, July 15, 2010
MCG Opens Southwest Ga. Clinical Campus A new clinical campus in Southwest Georgia will help produce more doctors in the state. WALB-TV NBC 10 Albany, July 15, 2010
Ronald Reagan UCLA Med Center Rated One of Top Hospitals in U.S. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center ranks as one of the top five American hospitals — and the best hospital in the western United States for the 21st consecutive year — according to a U.S. News & World Report survey that reviewed patient-outcomes data, "Univ. of California, Los Angeles", July 15, 2010
UCSF Med Center Named a Top 10 Hospital Nationwide for Tenth Consecutive Year UCSF Medical Center ranks among the nation’s top 10 premier hospitals for the tenth consecutive year and is the best in Northern California, according to the new 2010-11 America’s Best Hospitals survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report. "Univ. of California, San Francisco", July 15, 2010
UTMB Gets High Marks for Inpatient Satisfaction According to Press Ganey, inpatient satisfaction for June ranked the University of Texas Medical Branch at the 87th percentile against the University HealthSystem Consortium peer group, which includes 107 academic medical centers. Galveston County Daily News, July 15, 2010
UC Davis Med Center Ranks Among Top 50 Hospitals in America UC Davis Medical Center ranks among the top 50 hospitals in America, according an annual survey to be published July 15 online and in the August print issue of U.S. News and World Report. YubaNet, July 15, 2010
Building and Expansion
Beth Israel Med Center Officially Opens its Manhattan West Side Comprehensive Cancer Center Offering greater access to cancer care services for Manhattan West Side residents in New York, Beth Israel Medical Center has opened the Beth Israel Comprehensive Cancer Center - West Side Campus in the facility formerly known as St. Vincent's Comprehensi Forbes.com (Forbes Magazine), July 26, 2010
UVA and VCU Sign Collaboration Agreement The joint program will expand congenital cardiac surgical care for pediatric and adult patients. Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, July 23, 2010
Could UNC Charlotte Be Home To Future Med School? The latest idea for establishing a medical school in Charlotte would place the operation at UNC Charlotte, with students based in a planned $120 million science facility on campus. Charlotte Business Journal, July 23, 2010
Wistar to Receive State-of-the-Art Research Tower Plans are underway to keep the Wistar Institute on the map as an internationally recognized cancer research center. The Daily Pennsylvanian, July 22, 2010
Bullish on Biomedical Park: Jackson Lab to Partner with USF Jackson Laboratory’s first partner in developing a biomedical park in eastern Collier County will be the University of South Florida in Tampa. Marco Island Eagle, July 21, 2010
DMC Unveils New Construction and Expansion Program Detroit Medical Center (DMC) launched its long-awaited new construction and expansion program Friday, July 16, 2010, during a "Construction Outreach" event that announced the creation of an estimated 5,000 local jobs for the building industry. AZoBuild, July 20, 2010
Chicago Surgeon Trying for Breakthrough to Help Pro Athletes' Careers Four months after a minimally invasive, relatively controversial new surgery performed by Anthony Romeo, the head of shoulder and elbow surgery at Rush University Medical Center, DiCostanzo was playing catch from 10 feet away. Hilton Head Island Packet, July 26, 2010
NIH Awards $31 Mil For Skin Infection Study The Atopic Dermatitis Research Network will include researchers from , Emory, Boston Children's Hospital, Johns Hopkins, U.Rochester, Oregon Health and Sciences, UCLA, UCSD, U.Minnesota, National Jewish Health, and La Jolla Institute. American Association for the Advancement of Science, July 23, 2010
UNC Receives $3.1 Mil For Heart Study The Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention has received a two-year, $3.1 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research alternative ways to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. University of North Carolina, July 23, 2010
FDA Issues Hold on Avandia Study The Food and Drug Administration ordered GlaxoSmithKline PLC to stop enrolling patients in a clinical trial of its troubled diabetes drug Avandia while the FDA weighs whether to pull the drug from the market. Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 22, 2010
$9M NIH Grant Awarded to CWRU/UHCMC Center for AIDS Research The Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Case Medical Center Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) announced today it has received a five-year renewal grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for $9 million. News Blaze, July 22, 2010
USC Receives $56.8M Award The University of Southern California has received a $56.8 million Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health to support and promote scientific discoveries and their application in real-life settings to health and heal San Bernardino County Sun, July 22, 2010
Grant Will Help UCSD-Led Team Speed Lab Discoveries to Clinic New tools, such as integrated software for data collection and management and sophisticated technologies that measure patient responses to therapies in ways that are far more sensitive than standard clinical assessments, are at the heart of an emerging fi Del Mar Times, July 22, 2010
Grant, Center Position Med Center as Leader in Cognitive Research Two announcements made in July promise to put the University of Mississippi Medical Center at the forefront of Alzheimer's disease and dementia research. Univ. of Mississippi Medical Center - Jackson, July 21, 2010
UF Scientists Discover Clues to Inflammatory Disease Immune system cells called macrophages spring into action to surround and destroy threats such as viruses or cancer cells. But sometimes the would-be protective response leads to persistent inflammation, which, in turn, can cause disease. Univ. of Florida College of Medicine, July 21, 2010
FDA Panel Opposes Avastin for Breast Cancer A panel of cancer specialists said yesterday that the government should remove its endorsement of Roche’s drug Avastin for breast cancer, after follow-up studies failed to show benefits. Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 21, 2010
UI Brings in Record Level of External Funding Professor Michael Apicella has worked to find a cure for the bacterium responsible for most children's ear infections — and the No. 1 cause children go to the doctor — for the past 30 years. Univ. of Iowa - The Daily Iowan, July 21, 2010
Survey: Persuasion From Peers Can Halt Scientific Misconduct Scientific misconduct isn’t always as breathtaking as falsely claiming to have cloned human embryos, as a South Korean researcher did several years ago. Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 21, 2010
A.M. Vitals: Avandia Panel Member a Paid Speaker for GSK Three members of the FDA advisory committee that last week considered Avandia voted to keep the drug on the market with no further restrictions — and one of them is a paid speaker for the diabetes drug’s manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, the WSJ reports. Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 20, 2010
Boston Researchers Find Stem-Cells Remember Origins Two teams of Boston researchers have demonstrated that a technique used to transform adult cells into stem cells has a limitation: the stem cells retain a "memory" of their original cell type. Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 20, 2010
CDC Awards $10M to Prevention Research Centers The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week awarded four projects grants to study the impact of different public health strategies on preventing, diagnosing and monitoring health conditions in community settings. AHA News, July 20, 2010
OU Diabetes Researchers Win Talley Awards Four junior researchers at the Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma have received 2010 Talley Research Awards for their work with diabetes. Individual.com, July 20, 2010
USC Gets NIH Award for Clinical Research USC has received a prestigious $56.8 million Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health to support and promote scientific discoveries and their application in real-life settings to health and health care. Univ. of Southern California (NAC - Front Desk), July 15, 2010
Georgetown Univ. Med Center and Howard Univ. Receive $38M NIH Grant In support of a critical partnership between Georgetown University Medical Center and Howard University, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $38 million Clinical and Translational Sciences Award to aid the universities' effort to transfo Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 15, 2010
Yale Med Researchers Receive $2.5M Faculty Training Grant Addictive behaviors in women involving tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs and overeating will be the focus of a new five-year, $2.5 million faculty training grant awarded to Yale University researchers in the Department of Psychiatry. Yale Univ., July 15, 2010
Med College Wins $20M NIH Grant for Consortium The Medical College of Wisconsin has been awarded a multimillion-dollar national grant that will create a Milwaukee-wide research partnership to advance biomedical research, patient care and education. Triad Business Journal, July 15, 2010
Mass. Gets $8M in Breast Cancer Grants The breast cancer research advocacy organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, has awarded about $8 million in research grants to researchers in Mass. Louisville Business First, July 15, 2010
USC Awarded $56M Grant for Health Care Research USC has been awarded a $56.8 million Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health to promote scientific research and apply discoveries to real-life health care settings, the university announced Wednesday. KNBC-TV NBC 4 Los Angeles, July 15, 2010
UC San Diego Receives Major Clinical and Translational science award The University of California, San Diego Health Sciences and its expanding Clinical and Translational Research Institute (CTRI) have received a five-year, $37.2 million Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Center for Research Resource Bio-Med, July 15, 2010
Medical Training
Med School Student Continues Tradition New medical school student Holly Volz was overcome with emotion Sunday morning as she stood next to her mother and grandfather at the University of Texas Health Science Center. San Antonio Express-News, July 26, 2010
Fulbright Scholarship brings Jamaican physician WSU Department of Emergency Medicine will host a physician from Jamaica who has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study hypertension research. Wayne State University School of Medicine, July 23, 2010
Carilion Med School Opens Doors Virginia Tech has teamed up with the Carilion Clinic to create a new medical school and research institute in Roanoke. Its first class of 42 students will begin classes on August 2. Collegiate Times.com, July 22, 2010
UofL Med Students, Residents Work at Camp for Critically Ill Children This summer, two University of Louisville medical students and four pediatrics residents are going camping with critically ill children at The Center for Courageous Kids, a free, year-round summer camp in Scottsville, Ky. for kids from across the country Univ. of Louisville - Medical, July 22, 2010
Tufts Med School has Highest Private School Tuition in Country While undergraduates at Tufts are facing the highest costs in Massachusetts, students on the Boston campus must deal with an even higher price tag. Tufts School of Medicine ranks as the most expensive private medical institution in the nation. Tufts Daily, July 21, 2010
Training Kid Docs in Psychiatry Dr. Kathy Anderson treated kids' broken bones and colds for years as a pediatrician in central Nebraska, but she wanted to do more about the mental illnesses she saw. Omaha World-Herald, July 21, 2010
FIU Med Students to Train at Cleveland Clinic Senior students at Florida International University's medical school will be able to participate in clinical training with doctors under a partnership with Cleveland Clinic Florida announced Tuesday. The Miami Herald, July 16, 2010
Med Schools Producing too Few Primary Care Docs A new study ranked schools by how many graduates are minorities, go into primary care or work in underserved areas. The conclusion: Still not enough. Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA), July 16, 2010
Medicare and Medicaid and Other Payors
VA to Start Medical Foster Program At an age where most people are looking for someone to take care of them, Daniel Morrison is looking to do just the opposite. Asheville Citizen Times, July 26, 2010
A Rewarding Failure for Fortis Healthcare Walking away from a bidding war for control of Singapore-based health-care group Parkway Holdings, India's Fortis Healthcare finds itself $85.6 million richer. Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 26, 2010
AMA Asks Insurers to Examine Doctor-Rating Programs The American Medical Association sent letters to more than 40 health insurance companies throughout the country on Monday requesting they investigate the reliability of their physician rating programs. Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 21, 2010
2 in Vt. Sentenced for Bilking Medicaid Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell says two caregivers who submitted bogus time sheets have been convicted of Medicaid fraud. Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 21, 2010
Legal and Malpractice
US Drops Fraud Case Against Wanted Filipino Doctor Federal prosecutors have dropped charges against a doctor from the Philippines who went into hiding after being accused of scamming a military health program out of more than $1 million in the 1990s. Saint Paul Pioneer Press, July 26, 2010
Feds to Pay Univ Hospital $20M University Hospital and medical residents who have trained there will receive about $20 million from the federal government to resolve a tax dispute. South Florida Business Journal, July 26, 2010
Should Patients Read the Doctor's Notes? For 40 years, the tension over patient access to doctor's notes has been playing out in hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices. New YorkTimes, July 23, 2010
Paid Medical Expert Witnesses in Malpractice Cases The UNC study suggests that the use of experts who are blinded to both the medical outcome and the litigation may be a more objective way of determining whether or not the standard of care has been met. UNC, July 23, 2010
A.M. Vitals: Glaxo Takes $2.4B Charge Over Lawsuits GlaxoSmithKline is taking a $2.4 billion charge to settle a host of lawsuits, including most of the claims against the company over its diabetes drug Avandia, the WSJ reports. Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 15, 2010
Improper Disposal of Med Waste Brings Fine The state Department of Environmental Protection has fined Boston Medical Center almost $39,000 for improperly sending hazardous medical waste to a disposal facility in Roxbury not licensed to handle such infectious waste. Boston Globe and Boston.com, July 15, 2010
Physician surrenders license, retires A physician who has practiced in the Waterville area for nearly three decades agreed Tuesday to surrender his state medical license. Portland Press Herald, July 15, 2010
Technology
Small N.D. Hospitals Learn From Computer Mannequin Employees at smaller, regional hospitals see only a fraction of the trauma cases that urban hospital workers do, so they welcome the chance to learn how to treat critical cases. Bismarck Tribune, July 26, 2010
AMA Weighs in on Meaningful Use Requirements For E-Records When we wrote about the response to the government’s final “meaningful use” requirements for electronic medical records, there was a notable absence: the American Medical Association. Wall Street Journal (Public access), July 22, 2010
U-M Health System Launches Massive Medical Information Technology Overhaul The University of Michigan Health System has just embarked on a multi-year journey to completely transform the way its physicians, nurses, other care providers and administrators use information technology in every U-M hospital, clinic and office. Health News Digest, July 21, 2010
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