Health Care


Coast Guard Suspends Search for Alaska Aircraft

The Guardian Flight twin-engine King Air with three employees on board went missing Jan. 29.

FDNY Promotes 59 EMS Officers, Graduates 52 Paramedics

"Our new paramedics will bring life-saving medical training to our most serious medical calls, while our newly promoted chiefs, captains, and lieutenants will provide critical leadership at the more than 1.5 million medical emergencies FDNY members respond to," Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said. "Together, these members in their new roles, and every EMT, paramedic, and officer will continue to demonstrate that FDNY is not only the busiest emergency medical service in the world, it's also the best."

FDA Posts Notice on Medtronic Cranial Software Recall

Medtronic recalled Synergy Cranial Software and Stealth Station S7 Cranial Software in September 2018 because of inaccuracies displayed during surgical procedures. The notice says FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, the most serious type of recall.

New Governor Launches RecoveryOhio Initiative

Gov. Mike DeWine's executive order describes Ohio as "facing the worst drug epidemic in my lifetime [and] losing 13 or 14 people a day from accidental drug overdoses. Every county in Ohio and every city, town and village – urban and rural – is affected."

UAE Gives $6.5 Million to Aid Hurricane Harvey Recovery

The gift will support the creation of a short-term housing facility for the Homeless Navigation Center, construction of a new community center run by local nonprofit Avenue CDC, reopening of the Flores Neighborhood Library, and expansion of Houston Health Department services, including new mobile health clinics.

Female Nurses Need More Training on Handling Hazardous Drugs, Study Shows

Despite long-standing recommendations for the safe handling of antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs, many nurses, including pregnant nurses, reported not wearing protective gloves and gowns, the minimum protective equipment recommended when administering these drugs.

El Paso (TX) Reports First 2019 Flu Death

Officials at the city's Department of Public Health continue to encourage all residents to receive the flu vaccine and do whatever they can to stop the spread of the virus.

IAEA Develops Radioactive Materials Training Course

The course covers mobile sources and waste from decommissioning activities of power plants and research reactors. The training material includes a module dedicated to protection from insider threats.



DOE Awards Contract for Hanford Site Occupational Medical Services

DOE's announcement said the total estimated value of the contract is up to approximately $152 million.

We have only about 10 percent (perhaps less) of the total number of AEDs required if rapid defibrillation is going to be available to most people experiencing SCA.

A New Model for Increasing Cardiac Arrest Survival Requires We Fix the National AED Shortage, Too

The obvious reason for the AED shortage is the fact these life-saving devices are, with a few exceptions, not legally required at most locations. But voluntary deployments are clearly not getting the job done on their own.

Pennsylvania Using New Tool to Report Suspicious Rx Drug Activity

Gov. Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro recently announced the creation of a tool for reporting suspicious activity surrounding the prescribing or dispensing of prescription drugs, including opioids.

Relaxed attitudes toward marijuana use come at a time when the drug is more potent than ever. (J.J. Keller & Associates photo)

Retail, Health Care Had Highest 2017 Drug Positive Rates

"Our analysis suggests that employers can't assume that workforce drug use isn't an issue in their industry. In fact, drug test positivity in the majority of industry sectors analyzed is growing," said Barry Sample, Ph.D., senior director, science and technology, for Quest Diagnostics Employer Solutions. "The highest rates were in consumer-facing industries, including jobs in retail and health care and social assistance."

Average U.S. Outpatient Visit's Cost Nears $500

The findings by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington were part of a larger study on funding and services needed for universal health coverage (UHC) in every country.

Agency Warns Dental Patients of Infection Potential

"Even though the risk of infection from this situation is likely to be low, we don't know the exact risk for each patient at this clinic," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. "Because infections can spread when good infection control practices are not followed, if you've been a patient at the George M. Davis Clinic, talk with your health care provider to help determine if you should get tested."

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration projects a shortage of 20,400 primary care physicians by 2020.

HHS Wants Comments on HIPAA Changes

"We are looking for candid feedback about how the existing HIPAA regulations are working in the real world and how we can improve them," said OCR Director Roger Severino. "We are committed to pursuing the changes needed to improve quality of care and eliminate undue burdens on covered entities while maintaining robust privacy and security protections for individuals' health information."

$80 Million Fine Issued to Company for Failing to File Reports on Infections

"Medical device adverse event reporting requirements are designed to protect Americans by providing FDA with a tool to detect potential safety issues. When device manufacturers fail to report adverse events, unsuspecting patients are placed at risk," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, M.D.

Investments Announced in Canadian Institute's Expansion

The NEOMED Institute is a non-profit organization located in Montreal. Its mission includes developing a business ecosystem and innovation networks in the greater Montreal area to boost the development and growth of life sciences and health technology businesses.

Report Spotlights Issues in Respiratory Protection for Health Professionals

In the report, the National Academies study committee said addressing the respiratory needs of health care workers across their wide range of settings and jobs is an ethical imperative, adding that it will require the design of innovative reusable respirators and implementation of robust respiratory protection programs.

Canadian Palliative Care Framework Proposed

Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Canada's minister of Health, said more must be done to improve care and equitable access "so that every Canadian has the best possible quality of life right up to the end of their lives."

IAEA Signs Agreement to Aid Nuclear Medicine Training

Every year, more than 35 million nuclear medicine examinations are performed globally, particularly to diagnose and manage cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Countries often lack programs to train specialists and technical personnel to facilitate diagnosis and treatment, according to IAEA.

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