WhiteCoatNotes

Website, with a local voice, provides info for families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:51:41 GMT

The Obama administration today launched the first national plan for addressing Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of finding a way to prevent or treat the disease by 2025. The plan includes the launch of a new website,

Dr. Farzad Mostashari: 5 things government can do to improve health technology

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:33:28 GMT

Dr. Farzad Mostashari, national coordinator for health information technology, was in Boston yesterday to speak at the

Deval Patrick addresses state and national audiences as he talks health care

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:52:15 GMT

Speaking to both state and national audiences, Governor Deval Patrick today defended the idea of government promoting near universal health care, even as he called on lawmakers, health care providers, and the business community to work jointly on controlling its cost. Patrick said he will only support final legislation that controls spending, provides flexibility in how to achieve it, “accountability” for failing to do so, and makes changes to the state’s tort laws.

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Tue, 15 May 2012 16:52:15 GMT

Harvard professor to head New England Primate Research Center

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:35:27 GMT

A scientist who does research on HIV has been appointed the interim director of Harvard Medical School’s primate research center. In a letter sent to the staff of the New England Primate Research Center Monday afternoon, Dr. Jeffrey S. Flier, dean of the medical school, announced that Dr. R. Paul Johnson, an associate professor of medicine, would take over leadership of the center, where four primate deaths in less than two years revealed troubling gaps in basic animal care procedures.

Globe editorial, Berwick take opposing stances on health care bills

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:49:02 GMT

Two pieces on the Globe’s opinion pages take different stances on the bills now under consideration by the House and Senate for controlling health care costs in the state. Dr. Don Berwick argues that the more aggressive House bill, or a bolder plan, is appropriate. A Globe editorial argues against imposing on a market already working to lower costs.

Clipboard: Universal coverage is ‘a global movement’

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:13:06 GMT

Countries up and down the global economic ladder are pushing toward universal health care for their citizens even as the United States considers pulling back on its efforts to provide coverage for more people, Noam N. Levey of the Los Angeles Times reported in a fascinating story over the weekend.

SSI program for disabled children gets further scrutiny in nation’s capital

Sat, 12 May 2012 10:48:48 GMT

A top congressional budget staffer told a gathering of public-policy specialists and disability advocates this week that financial pressures will force some reforms to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for disabled children, but others at a Brookings Institution forum said the political climate will make sweeping changes unlikely. Meanwhile, the investigative arm of Congress is preparing to release a report on the program, and the Institute of Medicine is in talks over a major research study.

Clipboard: N.H. lawmakers court specialty cancer center for health care hub across the border

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:28:56 GMT

Some New Hampshire lawmakers are trying to clear the way for a large for-profit cancer care center to open on its southern border, in hopes that it will attract patients from Massachusetts, Rob Weisman reports in today’s Globe. Hospitals in Massachusetts and nonprofit hospitals in New Hampshire are concerned.

Report: Small employers are “buying down,” offering health plans with higher costs

Fri, 11 May 2012 13:39:55 GMT

Small employers increasingly are offering employees health insurance plans that require them to pay more for tests, treatments, and doctor visits. An analysis by the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy found that 27 percent of people who got their insurance through the small group market at the end of 2010 were in a plan with a lower “actuarial value,” meaning they had higher deductibles and copayments. That’s up from just 2 percent in the first quarter of 2008.

Governor Patrick orders ban on school bake sales to be overturned

Thu, 10 May 2012 22:05:14 GMT

Facing a rising clamor against the state’s controversial ban on bake sales in school, the Patrick administration Thursday directed pubilc health officials to do an about-face and exclude classroom and fund-raising events from the new rules that were to take effect Aug. 1.

With release of House and Senate health cost bills, interest groups weigh in

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:25:10 GMT

Now that both the House and Senate have released their plans for reining in health care costs -- the former with stronger regulatory controls and the latter encouraging hospitals and doctors to continue efforts to cut costs themselves -- consumer advocates and interest groups are taking sides, staking out their own ground or mulling over their options. Here’s a look at some of the official statements that have rolled in.

Critics circulate graphic video and petition to halt shock therapy at Rotenberg school

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:37:14 GMT

Critics of the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Canton have stepped up their campaign to stop the school’s controversial skin-shock therapy -- including disseminating a graphic video showing the school’s so-called “aversive therapy” being administered to a teenager and handing a 215,000-signature petition Wednesday to Massachusetts lawmakers.

More Massachusetts hospitals vaccinating workers but regulators say numbers are still too low

Wed, 09 May 2012 18:57:35 GMT

Roughly 81 percent of employees at the state’s acute care hospitals received flu vaccinations during the most recent season, according to a report released Wednesday by Massachusetts public health regulators. The percentages increased from a statewide average of about 71 percent during the previous season, but is still not close to the minimum level of 90 percent regulators had hoped for, spurring renewed debate about mandating vaccines for hospital workers at a meeting of the Public Health Council.

Laurance Stuntz to lead state electronic records institute

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:06:56 GMT

Former NaviNet vice president Laurance Stuntz has been named executive director of the Massachusetts eHealth Institute, part of an independent state agency focused on developing electronic health records. Stuntz, who starts later this month, worked at NaviNet for just over a year and spent much of his career with CSC, or Computer Sciences Corporation, where he worked in the health care group. He will replace Rick Shoup, who will remain with the organization in a newly created position of chief technology officer.

Health regulators define when person is too mentally and physically impaired to drive

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:22:21 GMT

State health regulators Wednesday morning unanimously approved rules that define when a person is too cognitively or functionally impaired to drive safely. The state Public Health Council, an appointed panel of physicians, consumer advocates, and professors, adopted the rules after a brief discussion, to give health care providers guidance in evaluating when drivers should be required to give up their car keys. The rules make clear that age and illness are not by themselves disqualifying.

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Wed, 09 May 2012 17:22:21 GMT

‘Innovation’ grants to boost programs serving sick elderly, children with asthma, and homeless

Tue, 08 May 2012 19:29:22 GMT

Three Boston organizations will receive $11.6 million from the federal government to expand programs focused on keeping sick seniors out of the hospital, improving the health of children with asthma, and connecting people who are homeless with better medical care. The grants announced Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are among $123 million awarded under the Affordable Care Act to programs aimed at improving health care quality and lowering costs.

State health law did not expand inpatient care for people with addictions, study says

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:33:56 GMT

The number of people who received inpatient treatment for drug and alcohol abuse at state-contracted facilities in Massachusetts has remained nearly unchanged since 2006, despite the expansion of insurance coverage under the state law passed that year. A Health Affairs study published Monday said the results here could serve as a warning to other states that expansion of insurance under the federal law that requires most Americans to have coverage starting in 2014, will not be enough to provide people with the care they need.

As legislative debate begins, Partners HealthCare ad campaign touts its cost-cutting

Mon, 07 May 2012 21:57:48 GMT

The debate over the next stage of the state’s health care overhaul is in full swing now, reflected on the pages of the Boston Globe in more ways than one. Last week the paper covered a House proposal to cut the growth rate of health care costs in the state by about half. Today in the Metro section, Partners HealthCare ran a full-page advertisement touting the efforts it has taken in the past year to control health care costs.

House releases plan to cut growth of Massachusetts health spending in half

Fri, 04 May 2012 21:46:26 GMT

Massachusetts House leaders released a major proposal to control health care costs Friday, saying their plan would save families thousands of dollars over the next five years. The bill would require the medical industry to cut the rate of growth of health spending in half, to about 3.7

Brigham and Women’s names new neurosurgery chairman

Thu, 03 May 2012 22:31:50 GMT

Brigham and Women’s Hospital announced Thursday that it has appointed a new chairman of neurosurgery. Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca will lead the neurosurgery department at both the Brigham and Faulkner Hospital, beginning August 1. He has been chair of neurological surgery at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center since 2004, but he trained in Boston, completing his residency in neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

House plans to release health care cost-control plan Friday

Thu, 03 May 2012 20:49:06 GMT

Legislative leaders said Thursday that they will release comprehensive plans to control health care costs in Massachusetts within the next week. The House has scheduled a press conference Friday afternoon at 2:30, during which House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Representative Steven Walsh, a Lynn Democrat who co-chairs the Health Care Financing Committee, will discuss details of the House proposal. The Senate plans to release its cost-control plan on Wednesday.

Family members can sometimes keep doctors from focusing on patient

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:28:33 GMT

In medical school, soon-to-be physicians are frequently required to take courses dedicated to improving their communication skills so that they are prepared to navigate emotional discussions about illness. I remember practicing giving bad news to an actor who was paid to evaluate my empathy and compassion. While such training is valuable, nothing prepared me for situations in which physicians might feel hostility from patients or their families, or even be threatened with legal action.

Financial penalties caused hospitals to target certain infections, but shift focus from others

Wed, 02 May 2012 15:08:20 GMT

A 2008 federal regulation that denied payments to hospitals if patients contracted certain infections while under their care bolstered attention to preventing those problems, but also shifted focus and resources away from halting other infections, a new study finds. The study, based on a survey of infection specialists at 317 US hospitals, found that 81 percent reported increased attention to preventing two specific infections targeted by federal regulators: catheter-associated urinary tract infections and central line-associated bloodstream infections.

Eleven Massachusetts community health centers share $34 million in federal grants

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:34:47 GMT

Eleven Massachusetts community health centers, which serve patients in some of the state’s poorest neighborhoods, will receive a total of nearly $34 million in grants under the federal health care law, officials announced Tuesday. The money, which is estimated to help the centers provide care to roughly 42,500 new patients, is also aimed at helping the centers expand their facilities and improve existing services, officials said.

Boston Medical Center tests house calls as cost-saving care for seniors

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:05:10 GMT

Boston Medical Center will participate in a national program to test whether providing frail seniors with health care in their homes keeps them out of hospitals or nursing homes and saves money. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plans to track 10,000 Medicare enrollees, including 200 in Boston, who receive house calls from doctors and nurses, and it will share potential savings with the 16 participating organizations.

State public health reporting system receives key electronic record certification

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:23:35 GMT

To qualify for federal money to put toward development of electronic health records, hospitals must show that their systems can communicate with those of public health agencies. Those that are plugged into the state’s Electronic Reporting System, used to transmit information to the state about more than 80 infectious diseases, can now check that box, said Kevin Cranston, director of the Department of Public Health Bureau of Infectious Disease. The state received a key certification from the Obama administration.

Slower rise in health premiums could save workers $5,800 over 8 years, report finds

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:44:30 GMT

It seems clear that holding down health care costs will save consumers and employers money over the long run, but now a new study estimates exactly how much.

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Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:44:30 GMT

At conference on avoidable care, experts say malpractice lawsuits not the central issue

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:10:56 GMT

At a conference attended by dozens of doctors, the message of one panel discussion might have seemed out of place: Medical malpractice is not a primary culprit in the rising cost of medical care.

Clipboard: Action, but no change, on governor’s health cost bill

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:20:30 GMT

The governor’s proposal for slowing rising health care costs has been moved, unchanged, from a joint legislative committee to the Senate budget committee, reports Kyle Cheney of the State House News Service. The bill could be considered by the full Senate by mid-May, Senate President Therese Murray told Cheney.

Live tweets from conference on ‘Avoiding avoidable care’

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:42:03 GMT

White Coat Notes blogger, Chelsea Conaboy is live tweeting from a conference on the topic of unnecessary, avoidable care delivery in the US health care system. Organized by the Lown Cardiovascular Research Foundation and the New America Foundation, and co-hosted by the Institute of Medicine, the two-day conference is happening Cambridge. Dr. Harvey Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine, is delivering the keynote address.

Carney Hospital in Dorchester names new president

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:24:17 GMT

Steward Health Care System, parent company of Carney Hospital in Dorchester, named a new president for the hospital Tuesday: Andrew Davis, the former chief executive of the Davis Regional Medical Center in Statesville, N.C. Davis will start at Carney on May 7.

Clipboard: With recent data breaches, health industry affected more people than financial services

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:42:05 GMT

Lost or stolen personal data involving more than 3 million records has been reported in Massachusetts over the past four years, a new report from the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation said. Of about 1,800 data breaches cited in the report, 214 were in the health care industry, the Globe’s Jenn Abelson reported. The health care-related breaches affected about 983,746 personal records, more than those affected by breaches in the financial services industry.

One doctor’s take on malpractice policy that calls for disclosure, apology, and often a settlement

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:23:17 GMT

For many doctors, the initial reaction to being accused of making a medical error “is to get angry,” said Dr. J. David Blaha, a professor and orthopedic surgeon at the University of Michigan Health System. It’s what happens next that matters, he said. Often, hospitals and doctors put up walls, cutting off communication from patients. The University of Michigan created a system a decade ago, now being adopted by seven Massachusetts hospitals, aimed at changing that.

Now accepted to ‘The Haven Games’: Yale welcomes medical students in ‘Hunger Games’ style

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:14:19 GMT

Yale School of Medicine welcomed newly accepted -- but not yet decided -- students to a “second look” weekend with this video, likening medical school to the “Hunger Games” of the ever-popular young adult series written by Suzanne Collins.

CDC report shows Massachusetts improving on hospital infections

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:50:57 GMT

The 2010 rate of blood stream infections associated with use of a “central line,” a tube used to deliver medications and other fluids and take certain cardiovascular measurements, dropped in Massachusetts and 20 other states, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national data also indicate that Massachusetts is not the only state to see a higher-than-expected rate of surgical infections among women who had a vaginal hysterectomy.

Clipboard: Outgoing President Bill Walczak: ‘I did not resign from Carney Hospital.’

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:54:18 GMT

A spokesman for Steward Health Care said on Friday that Carney Hospital President Bill Walczak was resigning from his role after just 14 months on the job. Not so, according to Walczak. “I did not resign from the Carney Hospital,’’ Walczak told the Globe’s Rob Weisman on Wednesday. He did not elaborate. Walczak was the long-time leader of the nonprofit Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester and was recruited by Steward last year to lead Carney.

One last take on “budget buster” report

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:01:22 GMT

A report published last week by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation said the annual increase in cost to the state attributable to the 2006 health law was about $91 million.

Clipboard: Seven Mass. hospitals pledge transparency, apologies when error occur

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:15:39 GMT

Liz Kowalczyk writes in today’s Globe that seven Massachusetts hospitals, including two in Boston, are piloting a program aimed at resolving potential medical malpractice cases before they become lawsuits. The program, which would encourage doctors and nurses to disclose mistakes and apologize for them, is expected to curb costly litigation and improve relationship between providers and patients.

Pilot study details new method to diagnose brain cancer without surgery

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:09:39 GMT

A team led by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have devised a new, less-invasive way to potentially diagnose brain cancer and monitor the course of the disease, without surgery. The pilot study, published in the journal Neuro-Oncology, still needs to be tested more rigorously before it is used in patients. It involves looking for signatures of brain cancer -- tell-tale molecules that circulate in cerebrospinal fluid.

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Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:09:39 GMT

Another take on “budget buster” report: Health law was more expensive, one analyst says

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:25:32 GMT

Josh Archambault, director of health care policy for the conservative Pioneer Institute, appreciates that there are other people in the state trying to calculate the overall cost of the 2006 Massachusetts law requiring most residents to have health insurance. And, he said, he thinks a report out last week from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation mostly got it right. But one part of the report, stating that the average annual increase in state spending for health reform between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2011 was $91 million, just struck him as odd.

New play ‘Love Alone’ explores malpractice, role of forgiveness in medicine

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:35:47 GMT

When a patient dies as the result of a medical error, the aftermath can be agonizing, for both loved ones and the medical team involved. It’s rare, though, that the two sides see the struggle that each goes through, particularly when the case becomes the subject of a lawsuit. In her new drama “Love Alone,” playwright Deborah Salem Smith puts the two parties on the stage, often at the same time.

Taxpayer group says state health law not a “budget buster”

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:56:43 GMT

The 2006 Massachusetts law that requires most residents to have health insurance increased the state’s health care spending by about $453 million in fiscal year 2011, compared with five years earlier, according to a new report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. That’s about what some analysts expected, the report said. The report also notes that the law has helped to propel the state into action on controlling health care costs.

Dr. Karen Boudreau named chief medical officer at Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:46:13 GMT

Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, a nonprofit that provides coverage for people on Medicaid and in state-subsidized health plans, has named Dr. Karen Boudreau chief medical officer. Boudreau, who has long-standing ties to the hospital, previously worked at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Cambridge, where she was senior vice president and medical director for the a program that focused largely on quality initiatives, including reducing hospital readmissions and strengthening primary care.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to shed jobs, close patient unit

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:46:28 GMT

Responding to a “small dip’’ in patient admissions, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has laid off 40 to 50 employees and closed a 24-bed unit, executives said. The hospital, which has about 9,000 employees, said in March that it planned to eliminate roughly 15 jobs, but that number has grown.

Massachusetts to save $91 million in health insurance costs, regulators say

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:39:19 GMT

Massachusetts will save approximately $91 million over the next year -- and thousands of residents who receive state-subsidized health insurance will keep the same benefits with no co-payment increases -- thanks to renegotiated contracts with insurers, regulators announced Wednesday.

State to release sober homes report within two weeks

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:32:04 GMT

The state Department of Public Health will issue a long-awaited investigative report on sober homes within two weeks, said Director of Substance Abuse Services Michael Botticelli. The announcement comes after Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino wrote to Governor Deval Patrick asking him to “expedite the completion and release of the study.” Menino’s letter referred to the Globe’s article last Sunday, which showed how recovering addicts had become financially exploited by some sober homes and private medical labs.

What patients pay: Dr. Don Berwick and Jim Capretta debate shifting health care costs

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:31:24 GMT

Dr. Don Berwick, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, and Jim Capretta, who serviced as associate director at the White House Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush, took sharply different stances on what such efforst to shift costs to patients mean during a debate last night hosted by the Pioneer Institute.

Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan vying for place in New Hampshire Medicaid market

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:38:54 GMT

New Hampshire officials have chosen Boston Medical Center’s HealthNet Plan as one of three insurers that will manage care for low-income and disabled residents, if a state plan for Medicaid gets necessary approvals from the governor’s executive council and federal authorities. The Boston insurer’s interest in Medicaid patients to the north reflects a growing interest in the Medicaid market, not historically thought of as fruitful for business.

Primary care physician groups rated on preventive care in new report

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 22:27:43 GMT

Massachusetts Health Quality Partners, a non-profit organization that has tracked physician performance for 8 years, released its latest ratings of physician practices on Thursday. The report shows how well primary care doctors do at providing their patients with preventive care such as colon cancer screening, and treating chronic disease care such as diabetes.

Dr. Gary H. Gibbons, who trained at Harvard, to lead National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:23:10 GMT

The National Institutes of Health has named Dr. Gary Gibbons, a cardiovascular researcher with ties to Harvard, to lead the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Gibbons founded and directs a research institute at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta that has focused on cardiovascular health of minorities. He will replace Dr. Susan Shurin, who has served as acting director since Dr. Elizabeth Nabel left the post in January 2010 to lead Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Boston scientists grow lung tissue from cystic fibrosis patients’ skin cells

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:05:20 GMT

Two teams of Boston scientists have developed new ways to turn stem cells into different types of lung tissue, surmounting a major hurdle for scientists trying to harness the power of stem cell biology to study and develop treatments for major lung diseases. One team then used skin cells from cystic fibrosis patients to create embryonic-like stem cells, then working in lab dishes used those cells to grow tissue that lines the airways and contains the defect responsible for the majority of cases of the rare, fatal disease. The technique -- a recipe for growing such lung tissue -- could provide a powerful platform to screen drugs and study the biology of the fatal disease.

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Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:05:20 GMT

Clipboard: In fight over patents, Mass. General doctor alleges hospital said “we own your brain”

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:31:46 GMT

Don’t miss Robert Weisman’s story in today’s Globe about a lawsuit filed by Dr. Joseph A. Grocela, a urologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, alleging that the hospital has wrongfully laid claim to inventions he created in the basement of his Weston home to address medical issues outside of urology. The hospital denied telling Grocela “we own your brain,” as alleged in the suit.

Dartmouth Medical School named for Dr. Seuss and wife

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:25:34 GMT

Dartmouth College announced this morning that its medical school will be renamed the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in honor of the beloved illustrator and author Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, and his wife, Audrey. Ted Geisel was a graduate of the class of 1925, and the family has given more money to the college during Geisel’s lifetime and since his death in 1991 than any other philanthropist, according to a Dartmouth press release.

Tests you don’t need: Boston doctors weigh in on 45 practices to avoid

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:22:32 GMT

Nine medical specialty groups released a report today listing 45 tests or treatments they say are unnecessary. Many are commonly used though research shows they are ineffective, costly, or have the potential to do harm, exposing patients to invasive procedures, radiation or medication without good reason or leading to more unnecessary medical care. We asked Boston doctors to evaluate some of the most common and more costly items cited.

Boston University scientists discover evidence humans used fire 1 million years ago

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:20:53 GMT

Scientists have long debated when our ancestors first mastered fire -- a transformative event that shaped what early people ate and how they lived, and may even have fueled the evolution of the modern human brain. Now, the oldest evidence yet for early humans’ use of fire has emerged from a laboratory at Boston University, where researchers say they have discovered, embedded in ancient reddish slabs of sediment, microscopic flecks of apparent campfires from a million years ago.

A year after first full face transplant in US, Dallas Wiens can smile, feel daughter’s kisses

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:25:32 GMT

A year after Dallas Wiens -- the Texas man horrifically injured in a power line accident -- received a new face at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, he looks like a different man.

Clipboard: Boston start-up launches apps for drug discounts

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:29:46 GMT

Globe correspondent Jay Fitzgerald wrote it today’s Globe about a series of mobile apps launching today that allow users to find pharmacies offering discounts on name brand and generic prescription drugs. Created by 24-year-old Chris Jacobs while he was a student at Babson College, Honest Discounts will pair loyalty cards similar to those already offered by many pharmacies or supermarkets with the convenience of a smartphone app.

Harvard primate center cited for monkey death

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:33:04 GMT

The death in February of a dehydrated cotton-top tamarin monkey at a Harvard Medical School primate research facility has been reviewed by a federal inspector, and found to be a direct violation of animal welfare regulations. The report of the March 7 inspection, recently made available online, is the seventh incident cited by the US Department of Agriculture to have directly endangered the safety or welfare of a monkey at the New England Primate Research Center since June 2010.

Calloway Labs of Woburn agrees to $20 million settlement of Medicaid fraud case

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:43:54 GMT

Calloway Laboratories of Woburn agreed Friday to pay $20 million to settle state charges that it defrauded Medicaid of millions of dollars through an elaborate kickback scheme involving sham companies, fake doctor signatures, and excessive urine testing for indigent drug addicts, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Study: Pay-for-performance did not reduce deaths in Medicare pilot program

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:47:41 GMT

A large Medicare pilot program that paid hospitals more if they consistently hit certain quality targets did not reduce the number of patients who died within 30 days of admission to the hospital, a study published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine found. The results are “sobering,” the study authors wrote, given that the program served as a model for a major national initiative being rolled out this year.

Connections in the brain laid out like a grid of city streets, Mass. General scientists discover

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:15:27 GMT

The brain is crisscrossed by neural highways that follow a grid-like pattern, much like ordered city streets that intersect at right angles, according to new research. “Basically, the overall structure of the brain ends up resembling Manhattan, where you have a 2-D plan of streets and a third axis, an elevator going in the third dimension,” said Van Wedeen, a physicist and radiologist at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Day 3 analysis: The health law hearings on severability, coercion, and liberty

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:14:55 GMT

It was a marathon day in the Supreme Court, with the justices considering two major questions: What should happen to the rest of the Affordable Care Act if the mandate requiring most Americans to have health insurance is struck down? And, is it constitutional for the federal government to require states to expand their Medicaid rolls to cover more of those people who are now uninsured?

Court weighs health law’s requirement that states expand their Medicaid programs

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:41:40 GMT

Several Supreme Court justices this afternoon indicated skepticism that making states expand Medicaid coverage to more low-income individuals under President Obama’s health care law amounts to coercion, as states suing the federal government argued. In the third and final day of hearings on the fate of Obama’s signature domestic achievement, Paul Clement, the lawyer representing 26 states opposing the 2010 law, argued that the Medicaid expansion is unconstitutional because Congress ties federal funding for the program with the condition that states enroll millions of new individuals who did not previously qualify.

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Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:41:40 GMT

Harvard Medical School opens center for primary care, appoints director

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:44:22 GMT

Using a $30 million anonymous gift, Harvard Medical School has opened a center to redesign primary care, which is creating a new training program for residents as one of its first projects. The medical school said Wednesday that it has hired Dr. Russell S. Phillips as director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care. Dr. Andrew L. Ellner was hired as co-director.

Boston-area teams assemble ‘encyclopedia’ of cancer cells’ vulnerability to drugs

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:13:07 GMT

Two Boston-area teams have assembled massive encyclopedias that predict the vulnerability of hundreds of different subtypes of cancer to dozens of drugs. The massive catalogs, being made freely available Wednesday, are an important step toward the routine personalizing of cancer care, in which patients will receive treatments tailored to the specific genetic changes that influence a tumor’s response to drug regimens. Already, the data are being used to design more sophisticated early-stage clinical trials of drugs.

Day 2 analysis: The Supreme Court justices debate the health insurance mandate

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 01:28:22 GMT

The Supreme Court hearings on the Affordable Care Act got to the heart of the matter Tuesday morning: Is it constitutional for the federal government to require most Americans to purchase health insurance? The debate was heated at times, meandering at others. We asked our panel of health law professors to help us dissect the arguments.

Vatican stem cell conference cancelled partly over keynote speaker George Daley from Boston

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:35:16 GMT

An international stem cell conference scheduled to take place next month at the Vatican has been cancelled, and the Catholic News Agency is reporting that the choice of speakers, which included a prominent Boston embryonic stem cell researcher, was a factor.

Potent anti-virus medication may not stem HIV transmission among sexually active men, study finds

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:30:33 GMT

HIV-infected men who are sexually active with other men may be at risk for spreading the infection, even if they are taking very potent anti-virus medications, according to new research from Boston scientists.

Supreme Court hears key constitutional question on health care law’s individual mandate

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:30:32 GMT

Chief Justice John Roberts compared the requirement in President Obama’s health care law that individuals purchase insurance to forcing people to buy cell phones so they could better access police, ambulances and fire trucks in emergencies.

Day 2: Supreme Court hears key constitutional question on health care law’s individual mandate

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:06:53 GMT

Many demonstrators arrived even earlier today, by 6:30 on a chilly morning, for the second day of Supreme Court hearings over the future of President Obama’s landmark health care law. By 8 a.m., hundreds flooded the sidewalk in front of the court house steps.

Day 1: Health law experts weigh in on the Supreme Court’s review of federal law

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 02:06:28 GMT

Did you listen to Monday morning’s Supreme Court hearing on the Affordable Care Act? Is your head swimming? Mine too. I’ve asked a few health law professors to give us their first impressions -- and to interpret some of the lingo.

Supreme Court weighs whether health care mandate’s penalty a tax

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:51:14 GMT

The showdown on President Obama’s signature health care law began in the Supreme Court Monday morning with a technical, arcane question dating back to a 1867 tax law prohibiting litigation on a tax before it’s collected. The hearing boiled down to a tussle between whether the penalty for not following the law’s mandate that most Americans purchase health insurance amounts to a tax to raise revenue or whether it’s simply a means of enforcing the federal health care requirement. If it is deemed a tax, the nation’s highest court could rule that the justices should not even be hearing the highly-anticipated case at this time.

Hear for yourself: Supreme Court posts audio, transcript of health law hearings

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:43:39 GMT

The Supreme Court has posted

Clipboard: Supreme Court hearings underway

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:27:09 GMT

The day has come. The Supreme Court has begun hearing arguments on whether the 2010 national health law, and in particular the requirement that most Americans have health insurance, is constitutional. The Supreme Court will be posting audio and transcripts from the morning hearing on its website by 2 p.m. Here’s some reading to whet your appetite.

Dr. Don Berwick to join Center for American Progress

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:04:39 GMT

Dr. Don Berwick, who left his role as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in December after Republicans blocked his nomination, has decided on his next role. He will join the Center for American Progress, a think tank, as a senior fellow.

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Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:04:39 GMT

Dr. Paul Farmer: Dr. Jim Yong Kim ‘an inspired nomination’ for World Bank leader

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:54:48 GMT

Co-founders of Partners in Health, doctors Paul Farmer and Jim Yong Kim also worked together on the World Health Organization’s efforts to address drug-resistant tuberculosis and as the first leaders of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities. Farmer issued a statement calling Kim’s nomination to lead the World Bank “an inspired nomination.”

Lawmakers call for analysis of state’s mental health services

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:18:47 GMT

Leaders of a legislative committee on mental health are calling for an independent review of mental health resources in the state, citing concerns about a proposal to close the Taunton State Hospital and about how changes to the health care financing structure in the state will affect mental health.

Clipboard: Obama nominates Dr. Jim Yong Kim to lead World Bank

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:58:38 GMT

President Obama has nominated Dartmouth College President and long-time Boston physician Jim Yong Kim to lead the World Bank. Kim is a co-founder of Partners in Health, a Boston-based nonprofit focused on serving the poor around the world. He also served as director of the Department of HIV/AIDS at the World Health Organization and was chief of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Bohdan Pomahac: News coverage of face transplants has helped donors’ families to consent

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:32:20 GMT

Dr. Bohdan Pomahac and others at Brigham and Women’s Hospital grappled with lots of variables as they prepared to perform some of the first-ever face transplants. One they had little control over: Would the families of potential donors embrace the idea? Overwhelmingly, he said, families have been willing to have their loved ones’ face donated for transplant. He credited the media in part for raising awareness of the procedure.

Brigham research shows exposure to germs early in life protects later against allergies, asthma

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:43:37 GMT

For years, doctors and researchers have made a seemingly paradoxical observation: as people have grown up in cleaner and more sterile environments, allergies, asthma, and other inflammatory diseases have increased. In a paper published online Thursday in the journal Science, a team led by scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital reports that exposure early in life to microbes had long-lasting effects on a subset of immune cells and protected against disease later on.

MIT researchers turn on a memory

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:51:41 GMT

Imagine if, with the flip of a switch, memories stored in the brain could flick on and off. Now, for the first time, MIT scientists have leveraged a powerful new tool to activate brain cells and reboot a memory, conjuring a remembrance of time past with a beam of light. The feat is basic research in mice and far from even being tried in a person, but it is a powerful demonstration that memories reside in specific cells in the brain.

Animal activist alleges another incident at primate center

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:52:20 GMT

An animal activist has alleged that seven months ago, a primate death occurred at the New England Primate Research Center that should have been reported to federal regulators. Harvard Medical School, which operates the facility, responded to the complaint with the explanation that there was a death at the center in August, but that the animal received appropriate care for a complication that was a known risk of an approved surgical procedure.

Governor Patrick: Affordable Care Act ‘deserves to be defended’

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:36:36 GMT

The Affordable Care Act is a “value statement,” affirming that access to health care is a public health concern, Governor Deval Patrick said Wednesday morning. Speaking after an appearance with Surgeon General Regina Benjamin to promote the National Prevention Strategy, Patrick declined to offer predictions about how the law will fare next week as the US Supreme Court hears a case against it. But he offered an opinion on how he thinks it should go: “It deserves to be supported.”

Regulators urge statewide ban on tobacco sales in Mass. pharmacies

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:55:30 GMT

Frustrated Massachusetts public health regulators are sending letters to state lawmakers and the Patrick administration urging a ban on the sale of tobacco products at pharmacies. By a unanimous vote Wednesday morning, the state Public Health Council, an appointed panel of doctors, consumer advocates, and professors, also agreed to mail letters to the state’s Board of Registration in Pharmacy, which regulates pharmacists, asking it to take “all appropriate actions” to end the sale of tobacco in pharmacies.

Clipboard: Nurses balk at patient satisfaction scripts

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:46:35 GMT

Before leaving your loved ones’s hospital room, a nurse stops and asks, “Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave? I have the time while I am here in your room.’’ Attentive. But would your opinion change if you knew that nurse was simply hitting a quota for satisfactory service? Globe reporter Liz Kowalczyk writes in today’s Globe about how an increasing number of hospitals are asking nurses to keep to scripts.

Dr. Scott Schissel named chief of medicine at Faulkner Hospital

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:19:22 GMT

Dr. Scott Schissel, chief of pulmonary medicine at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, has been named chief of medicine at Faulkner Hospital. Schissel starts in the new role June 15, replacing Dr. Stephen Wright, who retired last year. Schissel will oversee the department of medicine and the education mission there, advising residents and other trainees.

Dr. Daniel Carlat to lead Pew Prescription Project

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:35:34 GMT

Dr. Daniel Carlat, a Newburyport psychiatrist and a vocal advocate for exposing the influence of drugmakers in medicine and in his field, in particular, announced this week that he is headed to Washington, D.C., to lead the Pew Charitable Trust’s Prescription Project, which is focused on making doctors’ relationships with the drug and device industry more transparent.

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Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:35:34 GMT

One doctor’s take on the state drug monitoring program: ‘I’m very happy that it’s here’

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:20:12 GMT

A bill that would require doctors, in most cases, to check an online database before prescribing highly addictive pain relievers, such as oxycodone and morphine, is awaiting action by the House. But, since I last wrote about the bill, a couple of doctors have contacted me to say that if state officials want more participation in the program, they need only advertise that it exists.

Brandeis researchers receive Canadian science prize

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:27:38 GMT

Two neuroscientists from Brandeis University have been awarded a Canadian biomedical research award for their work on the biological clock of fruit flies. The researchers, neuroscience professor Michael Rosbash and emeritus biology professor Jeffrey C. Hall, discovered genes that regulate fruit flies’ circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep and wake cycles as well as other normal bodily functions. The award, shared with Michael W. Young of Rockefeller University, is Canada’s top international scientific honor. The prize is $100,000.

Clipboard: Mass. doctors aren’t ready for global payments, survey says

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:05:58 GMT

Sixty-seven percent of doctors who responded to the latest survey by the Massachusetts Medical Society reported having access to some electronic health records, though only 7 percent said their systems can share information with other doctor offices, reports Rachel Zimmerman of WBUR’s CommonHealth. Just 29 percent said they are ready for global payments.

Dr. Rajni Aneja named executive vice president at Joslin Diabetes Center

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:00:33 GMT

Dr. Rajni Aneja has been named executive vice president at Joslin Diabetes Center. The position is a new one. Aneja, who started last week, will work on several major initiatives at the hospital, including Joslin Everywhere, aimed at creating a web portal for doctors and patients to access Joslin research and educational tools, and Joslin Inside, an effort to provide other hospitals and health systems with data analysis and guidance on their population of patients with diabetes.

Clipboard: Harvard Pilgrim plans lower-cost network

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:28:35 GMT

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care plans to begin offering customers a lower-cost health plan that excludes Partners HealthCare and other more costly hospitals, Rob Weisman reported in yesterday’s Globe. The network of teaching and community hospitals, including Tufts Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Lahey Clinic, and St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, could prove to be a significant tool in efforts to bring down costs in the state.

Dr. Brandon Earp named chief of orthopedics at Faulkner

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:15:08 GMT

Dr. Brandon Earp has been named chief of orthopedics at Faulkner Hospital, after seven years on staff. She replaced Dr. Michael Wilson, who left in October to pursue winemaking and a post at an orthopedic practice in New York.

Happy Match Day: For graduating med students at US schools, highest match rate in 30 years

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:27:37 GMT

It’s Match Day, and by now medical students across the country have learned where they will spend their residencies after graduation. The National Resident Matching Program, which oversees the process, said this afternoon that of 16,527 applicants graduating from US medical schools, more than 95 percent were selected for a program this year, the highest rate in 30 years. Fifty-seven percent were matched to their first choice.

Boston researchers to study little-understood ‘Dowagers Hump’

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:44:11 GMT

A team of Boston researchers, led by an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has received a $2.7 million federal grant to investigate hyperkyphosis, also known as “Dowagers Hump,” a little-understood condition that causes an extreme curvature of the spine, typically in older adults. “Despite the severe impact hyperkyphosis can have on an individual’s health, there are no recognized guidelines for its prevention, treatment or management,” said Lisa Samelson, lead investigator of the study.

UMass Memorial Health Care CEO John O’Brien to retire

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:02:33 GMT

John G. O’Brien, 61, chief executive of UMass Memorial Health Care, said Wednesday that he will retire next January. O’Brien, who was hired in 2002, said he intended to hold the job for 10 years. He said he decided to announce his retirement now “so that the Board will have the freedom to conduct a comprehensive search for the best successor.”

Religious, business leaders support aggressive cap on health cost increases

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:01:25 GMT

Religious and business leaders in Massachusetts are calling for state lawmakers to rein in health spending more aggressively than House Speaker Robert DeLeo has proposed, but groups representing doctors and hospitals warned that slowing spending too sharply could be harmful. DeLeo said recently his goal for legislation expected to be filed shortly was to cap health care cost increases at about 3.7 percent annually, an amount comparable to the yearly growth in the state’s economy.

Boston-based Peace Corps partnership to place doctors, nurses in developing countries

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:00:15 GMT

Dr. Vanessa Bradford Kerry, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and executive director of the Global Health Services Corps, announced a partnership Tuesday with the Peace Corps and the Presidents’ Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to place nurses, doctors, and other health professionals as adjunct faculty in foreign medical and nursing schools. The partnership will begin working with the Mass. General Center for Global Health this summer to help design the medical and nursing education programs.

Critic of electronic health records study “mistaken,” authors say

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:18:28 GMT

Dr. Danny McCormick of Cambridge Health Alliance and colleagues who published a study last week saying that electronic health records may not be the panacea for skyrocketing costs that many hope for have published a response to critics. Dr. Farzad Mostashari, the national coordinator for health information technology, posted a blog critiquing the study last week. The authors call some of his assertions “mistaken.”

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Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:18:28 GMT

Julie Celano named head of human resources at Brigham and Women’s, Faulkner

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:14:17 GMT

Julie Celano has been named vice president of Human Resources at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Faulkner Hospital. She replaces Lisa Ponton, who left the post in December 2010, and the most recent interim Arthur Mombourquette. Celano will oversee the needs of the hospitals’ 16,663 combined employees.

Safety of central lines improving in Mass. hospitals

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:25:11 GMT

In fiscal year 2011, acute care hospitals in Massachusetts reported 199 bloodstream infections associated with the use of a “central line’’ - a tube used to deliver medications and other fluids and take certain cardiovascular measurements. That’s a decrease of nearly 25 percent from the 265 infections reported in the prior year.

MIT energy researcher moving to Harvard

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:51:50 GMT

Daniel Nocera, a noted energy researcher whose work has focused on the development of technologies that can mimic the energy production of a leaf, is moving from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to join the chemistry and chemical biology department at Harvard University. The move was announced today by Michael D. Smith, Harvard’s dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Photos from the front lines of hunger displayed at State House to spur action

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:39:28 GMT

What does hunger look like? For one mother in Boston, it’s a freezer with a bag of brussel sprouts and little else, to feed a family of six. Eight women in Greater Boston who live with hunger and poverty while raising their children were armed with cameras to photograph their daily experiences. The project, called Witnesses to Hunger, was developed by a collaboration of public health advocates and researchers to spur legislation aimed at ending poverty and hunger.

Lown Cardiovascular Center conference to focus on overtreatment

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:38:27 GMT

Specialists at the Lown Cardiovascular Center have advocated for a less is more message in health care for decades. Often the message was not well-received by others in the field, said Dr. Vikas Saini. Things have changed. The foundation next month will host a conference focused on how to avoid overtreatment, in partnership with the Institute of Medicine and the New America Foundation. Saini is expecting a crowd, including major names in health care.

Eileen McCarthy named vice president for compliance at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:08:33 GMT

Eileen McCarthy

Clipboard: Health IT leaders push back on electronic health records study

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:15:06 GMT

A study published in Health Affairs this week that cast some doubt on whether electronic health records would reduce the number of expensive imaging tests doctors order ultimately “tells us little” about the ability of those systems to save costs, Dr. Farzad Mostashari, national coordinator for health information technology, said in a blog post yesterday. The study, led by Dr. Danny McCormick, director of the Division of Social and Community Medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, has faced some pushback this week by national leaders in health care technology.

Discussing end-of-life choices with patients: Brigham resident develops her own approach

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:11:10 GMT

As a first-year resident, it was always the most uncomfortable part of my initial interaction with patients as I admitted them to the hospital, the last checkbox on my list of “to dos” but arguably one of the most important. Physicians refer to it as “code status.” A kind of medical shorthand, those two words are used to encapsulate a patient’s values, beliefs, and wishes regarding clinical decision-making if they should face life-threatening health circumstances.

Springfield surgeon accused of disruptive behavior in OR loses medical license

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:12:40 GMT

A Springfield orthopedic surgeon who engaged in disruptive behavior in the operating room lost his license to practice medicine. The Board of Registration in Medicine revoked the license of Dr. Harvey Grant, 78, a surgeon at Mercy Medical Center on Wednesday. His attorney plans to appeal.

Clipboard: Patients enlisted to fight Medicare fraud using easier-to-read bills

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:22:58 GMT

Medicare is revamping its billing formats to make it easier for seniors to spot and report fraudulent charges, Susan Jaffe reports for the Washington Post and Kaiser Health News. The new format goes online Saturday and will be rolled out in paper bills next year. It highlights a $1,000 reward for significant tips.

Tufts to launch physician assistant program

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:41:05 GMT

Tufts University School of Medicine plans to launch a master’s program in January to train physician assistants, the fourth such program in Massachusetts and the first affiliated with a medical school. The 25-month program, which is in the accreditation process now, could begin accepting applications in May for enrollment of its first class of 30 students in January, said Richard Murphy, program director.

Life-threatening germ tied to antibiotic overuse and poor infection control in health care facilities

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:33:10 GMT

A life-threatening germ that causes diarrhea and spreads easily from doctors’ offices to hospitals and nursing homes has climbed to historic highs nationally, federal disease trackers warned Tuesday, as they pointed to efforts in Massachusetts that have helped slow the rate of infections here. The clostridium difficile bacteria, known as C. difficile, is linked to about 14,000 deaths every year. Those most at risk are people who have taken antibiotics and also receive care in any medical setting, officials said.

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Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:33:10 GMT

Clipboard: Doctors paid more to accept new patients

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:13:31 GMT

Partners HealthCare is paying primary care doctors more if they agree to take on new patients, an incentive aimed at expanding practices that have long been hard to get into, Liz Kowalczyk wrote in today’s Globe. Under the plan, which started last year, doctors at Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General hospitals can increase their pay if they see more patients than the average doctor or if their patients have more complex medical issues.

Speaker DeLeo: Annual medical cost increases could be held to 3.7 percent in containment bill

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:13:36 GMT

House Speaker Robert DeLeo said Tuesday morning that a long-awaited bill aimed at controlling health care costs in the state will aim to keep annual increases at about 3.7 percent, though he would not provide details about how exactly it would acheive that goal. Medical costs, typically calculated to account for both what providers are paid and changes in the volume of services used by patients, have been increasing between 6.7 and 8 percent annually, he said.

Doctors may order more -- not fewer -- imaging tests with electronic access to results, study finds

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:43:13 GMT

Electronic health records may not be as effective as expected at reducing the number of costly and unnecessary tests doctors order for their patients, a study published Monday in Health Affairs found. Among a national sampling of more than 1,100 doctors surveyed in 2008, those who had electronic access to results of imaging tests such as CT scans and MRIs ordered more tests, not fewer. Some specialists questioned the results, however, saying such systems have changed considerably in four years.

Secretary JudyAnn Bigby and others from Mass. join national panel on physician payment

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:30:47 GMT

The Society of General Internal Medicine, led by Dr. Harry Selker, director of the clinical research program at Tufts Medical Center and a professor at Tufts medical school, has created a panel of doctors and other industry experts to examine changes in how doctors are paid. Dr. JudyAnn Bigby will be a member of the National Commission on Physician Payment, along with Meredith Rosenthal of the Harvard School of Public Health and Dr. Michael Wagner of Tufts Medical Center.

Clipboard: The high cost of American health care, a snapshot.

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:32:11 GMT

Ezra Klein of the Washington Post’s Wonk Blog

Tufts Medical Center designated as ‘level one’ trauma center

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:08:37 GMT

State health officials have designated Tufts Medical Center a “level one’’ trauma center, an elite designation that could bring more prestige and potentially more patients to the Boston teaching hospital. Tufts won approval despite opposition from other Boston teaching hospitals.

Massachusetts Senate passes bill to allow verbal instead of written consent for HIV test

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:12:43 GMT

The state Senate approved a proposal today that lawmakers say will provide greater access to HIV tests and bring Massachusetts into compliance with federal recommendations aimed at promoting more testing. The measure reduces barriers to testing by eliminating the need for doctors to obtain written consent from patients, and instead requires only verbal consent.

Boston University biolab subject of April public hearing

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:12:41 GMT

A long-awaited hearing for the public to comment on the latest safety report for Boston University’s controversial high-security research laboratory has been scheduled for April 19, federal officials announced yesterday. That should give all sides plenty of time to review the 1,756-page document which is so complex that officials yesterday also released a 23-page Reader’s Guide to help make the massive report “more accessible’’ to the public, officials said.

Clipboard: State’s largest health plans post big earnings

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:10:33 GMT

Earnings at the state’s largest health insurers jumped significantly last year, as consumers used their benefits less frequently, Robert Weisman reports in today’s Globe. Payment for the top executives at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Tufts Health Plan, and Fallon Community Health Plan also rose.

Interim director of Harvard primate center steps down

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:02:37 GMT

The interim director of Harvard’s New England Primate Research Center, who was appointed in September after an internal investigation found patterns of problems at the center, announced his resignation in an e-mail sent early this morning. The news comes in the wake of the disclosure that a cotton-top tamarin monkey had died, and that its death was likely linked to the absence of a water bottle in its cage. It was the fourth monkey death at the center in less than two years, and the third death during Wang’s short tenure.

Tufts researchers leave to launch Brown University center on evidence-based medicine

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:35:54 GMT

Three prominent researchers at Tufts Medical Center who specialize in analysis of medical research will leave this year to start a new center focused on evidence-based medicine at Brown University. The researchers lead the evidence-based practice center at Tufts, part of the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies. Director Dr. Joseph Lau said the move will allow the group to broaden its scope.

Latest monkey death casts spotlight on controversial research

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:29:58 GMT

The death Sunday of a cotton-top tamarin monkey at a Harvard Medical School facility has cast an intense spotlight on a controversial area of biomedical research that has contributed to major advances but also aroused suspicion because of the secrecy that generally surrounds the operations of primate research facilities. Animal rights groups condemned the death as needless and called for decisive and severe federal enforcement actions.

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Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:29:58 GMT

Clipboard: Fourth monkey death reported at Harvard research center

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:57:03 GMT

Harvard Medical School has suspended new experiments at the New England Primate Research Center after a cotton top tamarin monkey died Sunday, the fourth monkey death at the lab in less than two years, Carolyn Y. Johnson reported in today’s Globe. The death occurred on the same day the US Department of Agriculture released an inspection report highlighting three other deaths at the center and other deficiencies in care of the animals.

Cooley Dickinson Trustees Choose Massachusetts General Hospital

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:07:28 GMT

This news just in from Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northhampton: Trustees voted last night to affiliate with Massachusetts General Hospital, over Baystate Medical Center, because of Mass. General’s “intellectual know-how’’ and ‘financial resources.”

‘Joslin everywhere’ initiative to expand reach of hospital’s diabetes care

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:50:19 GMT

Joslin Diabetes Center is planning to launch a virtual platform for distributing its research and clinical care to patients and primary care providers online and through mobile devices. The “Joslin everywhere” initiative, which builds on a trend in using technology to treat chronic illnesses, was launched with a $900,000 donation from a patient. The hospital is considering a partnership with American Well, a Boston company known for creating a system for online consultations between patients and doctors.

Clipboard: BMC to close acute rehab unit

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:46:40 GMT

Liz Kowalczyk reports in today’s Globe that Boston Medical Center will close its 12-bed rehabilitation unit for people with acute injuries, such as severe brain and spinal cord injuries. The unit’s longtime chairman recently left for a jobs in Kentucky. Twelve rehab medicine residents and about 30 nurses and therapists will be affected by the closure.

Massachusetts General researchers discover stem cell that makes eggs

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:22:41 GMT

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers reported today they have discovered a rare stem cell in human ovaries that they hope one day might be used to make eggs, a claim already generating vigorous debate among scientists familiar with the research.

A third monkey death reported at Harvard’s New England Primate Research Center

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:36:55 GMT

A dehydrated squirrel monkey died at a Harvard Medical School research facility in December -- the third monkey to die at the New England Regional Primate Center in 19 months -- and animals there also suffered a fracture and other injuries in the past three months, according to a federal inspection report released today. The US Department of Agriculture cited Harvard for three serious incidents that endanged the animals’ health or well-being.

Public health officials post new data on payments from drug and device makers to providers

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:12:42 GMT

Massachusetts public health officials have published online the latest list of payments from drug and medical device makers to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, hospitals, and other health care providers. The data includes $64 million in payments from hundreds of companies in 2010 for speaking, consulting, food, educational programs, marketing studies, and charitable donations.

Nurses’ Health Study recruiting new group of women for long-term research

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:12:41 GMT

For 35 years, researchers at Harvard School of Public Health have been regularly surveying hundreds of thousands of nurses throughout the United States for research that fundamentally changed our understanding of women’s health. Now researchers are looking to study the next generation of nurses, enrolling another 100,000 women, ages 20 and older, for long-term study.

Joseph Murphy, insurance commissioner, named to executive committee of national association

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:39:53 GMT

State insurance Commissioner Joseph G. Murphy has been elected to the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s Executive Committee and named chair of that group’s northeast chapter. He will be a member of the government relations council for 2012, developing the association’s legislative and regulatory agendas.

Harvard-affiliated aging research center must explain hip-fracture risk to study participants

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:15:25 GMT

A research team led by a Harvard doctor has been ordered by federal health regulators to more clearly explain the serious risks elderly nursing home residents faced during a study about hip fractures. A letter from federal officials, made public today, also details the sanctions taken against the Harvard Medical School researcher and scientists from two other universities, for failing to alert patients, and for suppressing information about elevated risk of hip fractures from officials monitoring the research.

One in five veterinary offices inspected last year stocked expired medications

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:54:45 GMT

One in five veterinarians inspected in Massachusetts last year were fined for having expired medications in their stock, the Board of Registration in Veterinary Medicine said today. Inspectors made unannounced visits to more than 100 randomly selected veterinary offices and found that 20 had not disposed of expired drugs. The fines for the violation were relatively minor, but the medications could create a serious problem if given to pets, said Barbara Anthony, undersecretary of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

State insurance exchange awarded $11.6 million to adjust to Affordable Care Act

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:38:40 GMT

Massachusetts will receive $11.6 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to move the state’s online insurance marketplace for individuals and small businesses toward compliance under the Affordable Care Act, the federal agency announced today.

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Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:38:40 GMT

Dr. Lowell E. Schnipper named clinical director at Beth Israel Deaconess cancer center

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:34:30 GMT

Dr. Lowell E. Schnipper has been named clinical director at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Cancer Center. Schnipper had been chief of hematology and oncology in the Department of Medicine since since 1974. In his new role, he will coordinate clinical care and research across cancer types.

Clipboard: A dental therapist near you?

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:31:48 GMT

Martha Bebinger of WBUR has a great story today about the rise of the “dental therapists.” Just as nurse practitioners have become a fixture in medical care, some think there is room for creation of a mid-level professional to help solve shortages and cut costs in dental care, particularly in rural areas and low-income neighborhoods. But some, dentists in particular, question the logic of allowing people with less training to perform complicated procedures -- for less pay.

FDA takes ‘major steps forward’ in solving cancer drug shortages

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:19:09 GMT

Commissioner Margaret Hamburg of the US Food and Drug Administration announced today that her agency has taken steps toward solving shortages of two cancer drugs. The FDA granted a foreign supplier temporary permission to sell a drug not yet approved for sale in the United States to replace Doxil, a drug used to treat ovarian cancer. And it has worked with producers of methotrexate to ramp up manufacturing of a preservative-free version for treating a form of childhood leukemia.

Clipboard: Children’s asthma program improved health, reduced costs

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:15:26 GMT

By addressing the triggers of childhood asthma in families’ homes and coaching parents and children about how to use asthma medications, Children’s Hospital Boston has significantly reduced emergency room visits and hospitalizations from the illness while saving money, Kay Lazar wrote in yesterday’s Globe. The program, as documented in a study published online by the journal Pediatrics, saved $1.46 in medical spending for every $1 spent on prevention.

State report finds high infection rate for vaginal hysterectomies; other surgical infections below national estimates

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:22:36 GMT

For years, patient safety experts have been working to reduce the frequency with which patients acquire an infection during a hospital stay or from a medical procedure. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health requires hospitals to report infections related to five categories of surgery. In four of them, state officials say data from recent years show infection rates are below national estimates for 2006-08. That was not the case for vaginal hysterectomies.

Former Harvard School of Public Health scientist retracts work

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:23:57 GMT

A Japanese biomedical scientist who was previously a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health has retracted three papers that were co-authored with faculty at Harvard and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In the retractions of the three papers from journals published by the American Heart Association, Akio Kawakami reported to the editors that he is responsible for the problems with the papers.

Partners HealthCare posts 24 percent lower financial gain in first quarter

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:14:12 GMT

Partners HealthCare System Inc. reported today that its first-quarter financial gain fell 24 percent from a year earlier as a drop in investment earnings offset higher operating income for its hospitals and doctors in the three months ending Dec. 31.

Clipboard: Shortage of drug to treat childhood cancer could be resolved within weeks

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:14:08 GMT

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other federal officials said this week that a shortage of a drug used to treat childhood leukemia and other diseases could be resolved within two weeks, as a shuttered manufacturing plant releases warehoused doses and other drug makers ramp up production.

Surgery training program at Mass. General off probation; residents working fewer hours

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:04:58 GMT

The surgery training program at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the oldest and most competitive apprenticeships for young doctors, has started 2012 with a clean slate after being on probation for two years. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education notified Dr. John Mullen, the surgical residency director, late last year that the program is no longer on probation and reaccredited it for five years

Futuristic implanted chip delivers osteoporosis drug in small clinical trial

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:15:21 GMT

It sounds like science fiction: a doctor implants a device about the size of a domino just under the skin near a patient’s waistline. Over the course of weeks, tiny sealed wells on a chip embedded on the device open one by one, to release a potent drug on a schedule sent to it wirelessly. But the futuristic scenario is real. Scientists reported today the first successful use of the novel technology in a small number of osteoporosis patients.

Tracking pedigree is crucial to prevent counterfeit drugs from reaching patients, Boston cancer doctors say

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:54:32 GMT

News today that at least 19 doctors in the United States purchased a counterfeit version of Avastin, a chemotherapy drug used to treat colon, lung, and brain cancers, is “not completely unheard of, but shocking nonetheless,” said Dr. David Frank, chairman of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Paul Levy publishes book on coaching soccer and leadership

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:24:40 GMT

He’s taught college, cleaned up the harbor, and run a teaching hospital. Now, Paul Levy has launched another career: author. Levy, who resigned as president of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center a year ago, revealed today on his blog -- Not Running a Hospital -- that he is self-publishing a book on leadership: “Goal Play! Leadership Lessons From The Soccer Field.

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Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:24:40 GMT

Boston health officials take to the silver screen to recruit volunteers

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:49:17 GMT

Lights! Camera! Band-aids? The Boston Public Health Commission is taking to the big, and small, screen with an unusual pitch for volunteers for the Boston Medical Reserve Corps. The reserves are called upon to help the city during public health emergencies and large special events such as the Fourth of July and the Boston Marathon. The commercial, set against a pulsing beat, features a large Band-aid that is dashed and roller-bladed across city streets.

Clipboard: Health plan options for small businesses expanding

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:42:09 GMT

The state has approved a plan by the Retailers’ Association of Massachusetts to create a small business cooperative for buying health insurance plans as a group, giving the employers access to less expensive plans. The approval came just as the Massachusetts Health Connector was relaunching its Business Express program, an online insurance marketplace similar to the one the agency provides for individuals. The program started about two years ago but has not garnered a lot of interest from businesses.

Former Harvard provost to lead center focused on understanding, treating psychiatric disease

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:54:26 GMT

Dr. Steven E. Hyman, a former provost of Harvard University and director of the National Institute of Mental Health, today takes the helm of a center focused on using the genome to understand and ultimately develop treatments for bipolar disease, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses. Hyman, a neuroscientist, will lead the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute, a Cambridge biomedical research organization, taking over the position from Dr. Edward Scolnick, a former president of Merck Research Laboratories.

Federal authorities report record fraud judgments, settlements in 2011

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:47:55 GMT

The federal government in fiscal year 2011 won or negotiated settlements in health care fraud cases totaling $2.4 billion, according to a report from the US departments of justice and health and human services. Authorities collected additional money from cases completed in prior years, recovering a record $4.1 billion. Two cases highlighted in the report were tied to Massachusetts.

Merrimac girl with rare cancer meets her Bieber

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:01:36 GMT

Avalanna Routh received a special valentine yesterday. The 6-year-old from Merrimac who is being treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for a rare cancer has long dreamed about meeting Justin Bieber. At the Jimmy Fund Clinic last year family gathered for a staged a wedding between her and Bieber. On Monday, she met her faux hubby during a visit to New York. The popstar tweeted that meeting Avalanna was the best part of his day.

Health care leaders: Drug shortages a ‘major threat’ to patients

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:15:43 GMT

A dozen health care leaders testified before the Joint Committee on Public Health today about the effects of the growing problem of drug shortages linked to manufacturing problems and the rise of the “grey market,” in which drug suppliers stockpile medications then sell them at inflated prices. The shortages are particularly severe among drugs that are injected intravenously, including one to treat childhood leukemia, because they require more complex manufacturing facilities to maintain sterility.

Stroke risk increased when air pollution was moderate in Boston area

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:19:17 GMT

Car exhaust and other air pollution, even at levels considered safe by federal regulations, may substantially increase the risk of a stroke, a research team from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has found. After reviewing the medical records of more than 1,700 stroke patients in the Boston area over 10 years, the researchers found a 34 percent increase in the risk of ischemic strokes on days with moderate air quality compared with days when the air was rated good.

Transfiguration: New Yorker examines life of face transplant recipient Dallas Wiens

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:55:17 GMT

Unflappable seems a good way to describe Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, the bold young surgeon who has successfully completed four face transplants at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, often embracing especially risky patients. But in a New Yorker magazine profile this week of Dallas Wiens, one of Pomahac’s patients, the surgeon reveals that the unparalleled time pressure involved in removing the face from Wiens’s donor was almost unbearable.

Governor proposes $156 million for immigrant health coverage

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:21:29 GMT

Governor Deval Patrick has proposed spending about $156 million to subsidize health insurance next year for about 37,400 legal immigrants who became eligible when the Supreme Judicial Court last month struck down state lawmakers’ decision to exclude them from coverage. The Massachusetts Health Connector, which oversees the Commonwealth Care subsidized-insurance program, will begin enrolling immigrants on March 1.

Massachusetts releases report cards on hospital-acquired infections

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:00:18 GMT

Massachusetts public health officials have called together patient safety leaders to determine why hospitals reported a high rate of surgical infections among women who received vaginal hysterectomies over the past two years. The infection rates for vaginal hysterectomies emerged as health officials released report cards today for 71 hospitals, showing how many patients contract potentially serious infections from surgery and other medical care that is intended to heal them.

Measles alert issued for those who attended Super Bowl Village in Indianapolis

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:06:58 GMT

A heads-up to Patriots fans who traveled to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl: Massachusetts public health officials today issued a measles alert for anyone who attended the Super Bowl Village, a three-block outdoor festival in downtown Indianapolis, last Friday because they may have been exposed to the highly contagious illness. The alert says that Indiana disease trackers have confirmed at least one case of measles among someone who attended activities in the village on Feb. 3.

Clipboard: Moderation in health insurance premiums could be temporary

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:45:43 GMT

Robert Weisman of the Globe wrote last month that state insurance regulators had approved the most modest premium increases in at least a decade for the small group market, which serves small businesses and individuals. Today, however, he writes that insurance industry executives believe the trend won’t likely hold.

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Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:45:43 GMT

Proposal requires minimum standards for dementia care in Mass. nursing homes

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:19:26 GMT

Patient advocates called on state lawmakers today to close a loophole in Massachusetts law that allows nursing homes to advertise specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia care units, even though their workers may have no training in caring for such patients. About 200 supporters gathered at the State House to back a proposed law that would require the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which regulates nursing homes, to establish minimum standards for facilities with dementia care units.

Clipboard: Komen executive Karen Handel resigns amid controversy over Planned Parenthood funding

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:38:33 GMT

In her resignation letter submitted today, Handel countered the heavy criticism the organization has faced since announcing last week that it would stop grant funding for breast cancer screening provided by Planned Parenthood, a decision the group reversed days later. She also declined to accept a severance package.

Dr. Don Berwick and union leader Gerald Shea to talk health care

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:16:30 GMT

Dr. Don Berwick is no longer at the helm of a federal health care agency, but he has plenty of ideas for changing the nation’s health care industry. He will join host Madge Kaplan, of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and Gerald Shea, assistant to the president for governmental affairs at the AFL-CIO, for a discussion on Feb. 9. at 2 p.m. Register on the institute’s website to

Clipboard: Hospitals mine electronic health records for marketing data

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:47:27 GMT

I often have written here about the many ways electronic records could help doctors improve the health of their patients, empowering them to catch adverse drug interactions, communicate with each other, or identify patients who are due for preventative screenings. But Phil Galewitz reports for Kaiser Health News about how some hospitals are using the records to improve their own financial health. The records provide a wealth of marketing data, allowing hospitals to pitch their more profitable services to patients who have the insurance plans to pay for them. Some consumer advocates say the practice goes too far.

Journal Cell runs correction of image errors in paper from Harvard genetics lab

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:16:34 GMT

A paper from the lab of renowned genetics researcher Stephen Elledge is the subject of a correction in the journal Cell. The errors are detailed on the Retraction Watch blog, where writer Adam Marcus notes that this was a “mega-correction” and not a retraction of the paper. But the post has spurred an interesting debate on how the errors reflect on Elledge’s lab and whether the journal has taken the right approach.

Dueling letters on $275 million Medicare windfall for Mass. hospitals

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:21:55 GMT

A group of state hospital associations from around the country last month asked the Obama administration to take a closer look at a provision of the Affordable Care Act that will land Massachusetts hospitals an extra $275 million or more in yearly Medicare reimbursements. The letter prompted Senator John Kerry and others in the Massachusetts congressional delegation to respond Tuesday, calling claims that the elected officials have manipulated the Medicare budget “completely false.”

Medical group concerned about proposal for prescription monitoring program

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:29:09 GMT

The Massachusetts Medical Society sent a letter to state senators today expressing support for some aspects of a bill meant to curb the state’s high rate of prescription painkiller abuse and concern for other provisions. In particular, President Dr. Lynda Young raised questions about whether requiring all doctors to use an online database to screen patients before prescribing a narcotic painkiller -- meant to prevent “doctor-shopping” -- could interfere with good care in certain scenarios.

UMass Memorial to pay $520,000 to settle complaint over improper recruitment of bone marrow donors

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:43:08 GMT

UMass Memorial Health Care, which hired models in short skirts to lure potential bone marrow donors and then charged insurers high fees to test samples, will pay $520,000 as part of an agreement with Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office. The attorney general, who filed a complaint and final judgment in Suffolk Superior Court today, said in a written statement that the Caitlin Raymond International Registry and UMass Memorial Health Ventures, Inc. -- subsidiaries of the hospital network -- jointly engaged in improper marketing.

Is staph infection a ‘time capsule’ from 1934?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:37:55 GMT

In a letter in the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors from the University of Massachusetts Medical School say they have discovered a 78-year-old strain of staph bacteria in the leg of a patient first treated for the infection in 1934. One author said he hopes staph researchers will study the bacteria to better understand the evolution of the strains that have developed since then.

UMass Memorial Health Care shedding up to 900 jobs through layoffs, sale of divisions

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:46:14 GMT

UMass Memorial Health Care, which lost money in the last three months of 2011 amid shrinking patient volume, is telling employees today that it will shed 700 to 900 jobs, about 6 percent of its workforce, through a combination of layoffs at its flagship Worcester hospital and by selling divisions that provide health services. The health care system, which operates UMass Memorial Medical Center and four community hospitals, is the largest employer in central Massachusetts, with about 13,500 workers.

Dr. C. Ronald Kahn named first chief academic officer at Joslin Diabetes Center

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:15:57 GMT

The Joslin Diabetes Center has appointed Dr. C. Ronald Kahn, former president and research director, to be the center’s first ever chief academic officer, charged with overseeing faculty recruitment and appointments.

Dana-Farber cancer imaging research wins grant for $10 million

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:14:55 GMT

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has been awarded a $10-million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to expand its molecular imaging research. The grant will help to create the institute’s Molecular Cancer Imaging Facility, a $20-million project to develop ways to help doctors better diagnose cancer and target their treatment for the best outcomes.

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Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:14:55 GMT

Marcia Fowler to lead Department of Mental Health

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:29:34 GMT

Lawyer and behavioral health specialist Marcia Fowler will lead the Department of Mental Health starting next week. Fowler has worked for the department for 16 years, most recently as deputy to Commissioner Barbara Leadholm. The administration announced in December that Leadholm, who has led the department since 2007, would step down on Feb. 5 to join the Boston office of research and consulting firm Health Management Associates.

Tufts Medical Center wants top trauma designation, but competitors seek delay

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:32:17 GMT

Tufts Medical Center is seeking to become a “level one’’ trauma center, an elite designation that would bring more prestige and potentially more patients to the Boston teaching hospital. But the surgery chiefs at four of Tufts’ competitors are questioning whether the city needs another top trauma center and have asked public health officials to delay their decision.

Juggling patients and parents, a resident struggles with where her loyalties lie

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:05:33 GMT

In a new online column for Boston.com, Dr. Kiran Gupta chronicles her experiences as a medical resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Today, she writes about the tension between her duties to her patients and to her family.

No brucellosis infection found at Western Mass. dairy farm, health officials say

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:08:14 GMT

Massachusetts health officials said today that there was no brucellosis found at a Western Massachusetts dairy farm where raw milk sales were abruptly halted last week because the farm’s owner was thought to be infected with the rare germ. Brucellosis is an infectious disease passed primarily between animals, but it can be acquired by humans through the consumption of raw milk.

Broad Institute, with $32.5 million gift, launching center to study human cells

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:04:45 GMT

Scientists are launching an ambitious effort to diagram how the human genome controls cells by tracing the chemical pathways it uses to send instructions zinging through them like balls in a pinball machine. The Broad Institute, a biomedical research juggernaut in Cambridge, announced today a $32.5 million gift from the Klarman Family Foundation to open a center to investigate the molecular contents of different human cell types, using large-scale techniques available only in advanced labs.

Latest survey on Mass. health insurance law: More coverage, more expensive

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:33:58 GMT

The state’s landmark health insurance law, passed in 2006, significantly increased the number of residents ages 19 to 64 with coverage -- now at 94.2 percent. A survey released today found that it also is starting to produce results by keeping patient’s healthier and out of emergency rooms and hospitals. Unfortunately, as many probably suspect, it has done little to control costs.

Taunton State Hospital, home to 169 mentally ill patients, will close this year

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:38:08 GMT

After more than 150 years of housing mentally ill patients, Taunton State Hospital will close its doors and its remaining patients will be sent to other facilities by the end of the year, state officials said today. The closure will help pay for the opening of a new hospital for the mentally ill in Worcester, which is scheduled to open this summer and will likely house many of the 169 patients still in Taunton, state mental health officials said.

Cambridge Health Alliance hires new chief executive

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:14:09 GMT

The board of trustees at Cambridge Health Alliance said that Patrick Wardell has been selected as its new chief executive. Wardell’s appointment is contingent on contract negotiations.

Advanced Cell Technology reports positive early results from embryonic stem cell trial

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:32:54 GMT

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Advanced Cell Technology of Marlborough have become the first to publish a study involving the use of embryonic stem cells in humans. The study, published online in the British medical journal The Lancet and involving just two patients, was designed to test the safety of injecting the cells into patients with degenerative eye conditions. In both patients, the cells behaved as expected after four months, with no safety concerns arising, the researchers reported.

Clipboard: The role of primary care doctor grows with new payment system

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:56:39 GMT

Globe reporter Liz Kowalczyk writes in today’s G health section about how primary care physicians and the team of health professionals that work with them have a growing role in health care as the payment system for doctors and hospitals in the state changes. An increasing number of doctors are being paid on a budget, rather than being paid for each test or treatment they provide.

Mass. health officials suspect human case of brucellosis

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:52:07 GMT

A man who drank raw milk produced at a Western Massachusetts dairy farm is suspected of being infected with brucellosis, state officials said today, raising concerns about the emergence of a germ that has not been seen in livestock here in at least two decades. Brucellosis is an infectious disease passed primarily between animals, but it can be acquired by humans through the consumption of raw milk.

Clipboard: Proposed narrowing of autism definition in dispute

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:46:38 GMT

The American Psychiatric Association is considering narrowing the definition of autism as it updates the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the widely-used reference manual for mental disorders. The proposed change has some families and health care providers concerned that it will block some people from getting necessary care.

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Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:46:38 GMT

Boston website will track weight loss to meet Mayor Menino’s 1 million-pound challenge

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:56:08 GMT

When Mayor Thomas M. Menino promised Tuesday night to help Boston residents collectively “shed a million pounds this year,” he was serious. The Boston Public Health Commission will launch a citywide campaign this spring, inviting residents to log in to a website where they can record their starting weight and their goals, and track their progress, Executive Director Barbara Ferrer said in an interview. The website will include a database of places people can go to exercise.

BU researchers correct and republish data on genetics of longevity

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:43:23 GMT

Boston University researchers have corrected and republished a study that describes a genetic signature of extreme longevity, although the overall findings of associations between genes and longevity are less robust. The study was retracted from the journal Science last year because of unintentional errors, and after the researchers redid some of the work, the finding did not meet that journal’s standards for publication. The revised study, published today in the journal PLoS ONE, corrects the problems identified in the original paper. An independent laboratory at Yale University verified that the data were properly analyzed.

Essay winners talk of struggle to give care, get care with cost in mind

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:08:31 GMT

Four winners have been selected in the Cost of Care essay contest aimed at promoting awareness among patients and providers about how much health care costs. Dr. Neel Shah, director of Cost of Care, said in an e-mail that the contest received more than 100 entries. Among the winners, each of whom won $1,000, was Dr. Andrew Schutzbank, a hospitalist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who wrote about a patient in her 70s named Peggy who could not be discharged from an expensive cardiac care unit.

Clipboard: Fine of American Red Cross latest in a decade of penalties

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:56:39 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration this week fined the American Red Cross nearly $9.6 million for unsafe blood management practices, including understaffing or poorly trained staff, mislabelling of blood, and improper handling of blood suspected of being unsafe. Today, Marie McCullough of the Philadelphia Inquirer takes a comprehensive look at the $47 million in penalties that the agency has issued to the Red Cross since 2003 and raises the question, are they working?

New Partners HealthCare, Tufts Health Plan pact lowers Partners’ reimbursements

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:32:02 GMT

Partners HealthCare System Inc., the state’s largest hospital and physicians organization, this afternoon said it has torn up the last two years of its contract with insurer Tufts Health Plan, replacing it with a new four-year pact that will lower Partners’ reimbursements by more than $105 million from what they would have been under the former rate structure. The agreement with Tufts covers payments to all Partners doctors groups and hospitals, including the Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals in Boston.

Dr. Edwin Huang named chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Auburn Hospital

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:53:07 GMT

Huang took the role Jan. 2, following the retirement of Dr. Charles Kawada. He comes from Massachusetts General Hospital, where he had been since 2000. He is an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School.

Fenway Health urges doctors to talk with patients about sexual orientation, gender identity

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:52:02 GMT

While there is great diversity among people who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, it’s clear that the group as a whole experiences significant health disparities, many linked to social stigmas. “In order to understand and address LGBT health disparities, we as health care providers need to better understand who our LGBT patients are,” said Dr. Stephen Boswell, president of Fenway Health. The research institute at Fenway Health, which has long provided specialized LGBT care, has published two policy briefs meant to jumpstart such conversations between doctors and patients.

Nathan Howell assumes post as chief operating officer at St. Elizabeth’s

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:02:05 GMT

Nathan Howell this week joined St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center as chief operating officer, a role he previously held at three hospitals. He replaces Philip Cormier who left in November. Howell comes from Easton Hospital in Pennsylvania. Previously he was chief operating officer of Midwest Regional Medica Center in Oklahoma and of Crossgates River Oaks Hospital in Mississippi. He also worked for John Hancock Financial Services.

Clipboard: Drug and device companies to report doctor payments

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:48:21 GMT

All companies that make drugs and medical devices sold in the United States and covered by Medicare and Medicaid may soon have to report payments made to physicians and teaching hospitals. Any payment over $10 must be reported, even if the company delivers a batch of bagels for a morning meeting worth $25, according to the proposed rules. Robert Pear of the New York Times reported that the administration is taking comment on the rules, which could affect more than 1,100 companies, through Feb. 17.

Attorney General Coakley files Supreme Court brief supporting federal health law

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:37:17 GMT

Attorney General Martha Coakley filed a brief with the US Supreme Court today arguing that the state’s experience since passage of the 2006 health law validates the federal law. The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments starting March 26 in a case challenging the constitutionality of the federal law’s requirement that most Americans buy health insurance. “Massachusetts is uniquely situated to speak to the actual economic effects of comprehensive reform that includes an individual coverage requirement,” the brief says.

Clipboard: Top 5 percent of spenders account for half of all health care expenditures

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:32:17 GMT

A recent report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on per capita health care spending doesn’t really show the whole picture about how Americans use the health system. That report estimated that the country spent $8,402 per person on health care in 2010. But another study from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality showed that, naturally, those dollars are not spent equally by all. The top 5 percent of individuals accounted for nearly half the total health spending in 2009.

4 Mass. medical schools pledge to train doctors in treating veterans

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:19:56 GMT

More than 100 medical schools across the country, including four in Massachusetts, have pledged to invest resources in training future physicians to treat war veterans and their family members, ensuring that their education includes the latest information about diagnosing and treating combat-related issues such as traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychological conditions.

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Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:19:56 GMT

Clipboard: Dr. Michael Stillman of Boston University School of Medicine on how ‘grace is at work in medicine’

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:10:25 GMT

Dr. Michael Stillman, writes in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association about the moments that buoy him so that he can weather the long hours, an overwhelming work load, or the difficulties of a patient’s death.

Clipboard: MIT economist Jonathan Gruber’s graphic novel on health care law draw cheers, jeers

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:07:19 GMT

I’m a sucker for a good graphic novel, but I’ve never seen one quite like this. MIT health economist Jonathan Gruber’s latest book, about the Affordable Care Act, is a comic book in which a cartoon Gruber walks readers through the history of health care in the United States, the basics of the law, what it will mean for patients. “Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It’s Necessary, How It Works,” has earned Gruber praise for making such an overwhelming topic digestible and criticism from those who say his view is slanted.

Dana-Farber scientists discover hormone that triggers fat to burn energy

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:54:17 GMT

Boston scientists today announced they discovered a previously-unknown hormone that is secreted by muscles during exercise and boosts the amount of energy the body burns, providing a basic research insight that could lay the basis for new therapies for obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. A Boston startup company, Ember Therapeutics, has licensed the technology and is already working to develop a form of the hormone that could be used as a drug.

Oversight of BU cancer researcher accused of misconduct is questioned

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:11:06 GMT

Last fall, the federal Office of Research Integrity issued a finding that Sheng Wang, a Boston University cancer researcher, had fabricated data in two published papers. As of July 15 last year, Wang no longer worked at Boston University as an assistant professor. Now, a 2010 report by a university investigating committee obtained by the Globe reveals the types of evidence gathered to show that he had fabricated data. The report also raises the question of whether there was sufficient oversight by supervisors.

Clipboard: Recession slowed health care spending

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:57:21 GMT

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last month published a report that found the recession had slowed personal health care spending in New England and nationally between 2007 and 2009, as the ranks of unemployed and uninsured grew. In Massachusetts, annual growth in spending since 1991 averaged 5.9 percent, compared with 4.1 percent during the recession years. In the latest Health Affairs, the agency that administers health coverage for the poor, disabled and elderly reports that the national trend of slower growth continued through 2010.

11 local health professionals named ‘innovation advisors’

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:50:19 GMT

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has named 11 health care providers from New England, including four from Boston, to join the first class of “innovation advisors.”

Harvard’s New England Primate Research Center cited for animal death

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:25:58 GMT

An inspection by the US Department of Agriculture in December found a handful of problems at the New England Primate Research Center in Southborough involving the handling, housing, and well-being of primates – including the death of one. The report, posted online today, details five citations. The primate death, which occurrred after an animal escaped from its cage before undergoing an imaging procedure, is the second non-human primate death in 2011 at an animal facility operated by Harvard.

Happy birthday, New England Journal of Medicine!

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:40:09 GMT

The New England Journal of Medicine is marking its 200th anniversary with a special website, a series of articles, and a symposium in June meant to highlight just how far the field of medicine has come in two centuries.

Mayor Menino to lead tour of controversial BU biolab in South End

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:55:06 GMT

Mayor Thomas M. Menino will lead a tour of the Boston University biolab tomorrow, accompanied by two dozen neighborhood and civic leaders, in advance of what’s expected to be the federal government’s final decision on whether to allow researchers to study some of the the world’s deadliest germs at the controversial South End site. Menino said the tour will allow leaders to gain a better understanding of the research that is proposed for the lab, which sits largely empty three years after construction was completed.

Patrick administration names health quality committee

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:38:52 GMT

The Patrick administration is ramping up efforts to change how health care is paid for in Massachusetts, pushing for a system that rewards hospitals and doctors that lower cost and improve quality of care for patients. Measuring health care quality is a difficult task. The administration today announced the names of the lucky seven who will take it on.

Clipboard: The broccoli mandate

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:51:07 GMT

Parties in the Supreme Court case challenging the constitutionality of the national health law filed briefs late last week, in the first of several rounds before oral arguments are scheduled to take place in late March. An administration official, during a press briefing, was asked about broccoli: If the law can force people to buy health insurance, can it force them to buy the much-maligned vegetable?

Anti-smoking campaign saves Mass. $3 for every $1 spent, study finds

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:22:14 GMT

For every dollar Massachusetts spends on anti-smoking programs for low income residents it saves $3 in medical costs, largely from avoided heart attacks and other cardiac-related hospitalizations, a new study finds. That translated into an annual net savings of about $14.7 million for the state Medicaid program, according to the research by George Washington University. State health officials said the savings are so robust they will encourage private insurers to offer a similar program to all consumers.

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Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:22:14 GMT

High court says legal immigrants must be included in state health program

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:28:15 GMT

Massachusetts lawmakers must quickly come up with about $150 million to provide health insurance to tens of thousands of legal immigrants, after the state’s highest court ruled today that they were illegally excluded from subsidized coverage available to other residents. The Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously that a 2009 law excluding legal immigrants from the insurance program “violates their rights to equal protection under the Massachusetts Constitution.”

St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center partners with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:02:20 GMT

St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center has signed an agreement with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to provide cancer care to St. Elizabeth’s patients and give them access to experimental therapies. The two Boston hospitals are finalizing details of the agreement, which requires Dana-Farber to recruit physicians and other key personnel, advise St. Elizabeth’s on care for complex patients and support services, and improve the hospital’s information technology system.

Changes at the top at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: COO Eric Buehrens to step down

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:07:00 GMT

Nearly three months after the arrival of a new chief at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, more changes are happening at the top. Dr. Kevin Tabb, who took over as chief executive on Oct. 17, emailed hospital staff yesterday that chief operating officer Eric Buehrens “has decided to leave the medical center at the end of February.

NLRB complaint alleges Steward fired nurse for leading union organizing effort

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:05:07 GMT

A complaint lodged by the National Labor Relations Board alleges that Steward Health Care System unlawfully fired a nurse at its Holy Family Hospital in Methuen in August for leading a union organizing drive, in a case that underscores the deterioration of once-warm relations between Steward and the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

Harvard-led study finds vaccines partially protect monkeys from HIV-like virus

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:54:53 GMT

A team led by a Boston scientist announced today that a vaccine had for the first time partially protected rhesus monkeys against infection with an aggressive and virulent HIV-like virus. The study, led by Dr. Dan Barouch, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is paving the way for a trial to test a similar vaccine in people.

Clipboard: Considering cost in the exam room

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:49:54 GMT

The country’s second-largest physicians group is urging members to bring frugality to the exam room. Kaiser Health News and National Public Radio’s Shots blog report that the American College of Physicians has issued a new ethics manual that includes the recommendation that doctors consider cost-effectiveness while treating patients and making decisions about their practice.

State to host hearing on plan for “dual eligibles”

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:18:04 GMT

The state Health and Human Services department will take comments during a public hearing tomorrow on its plan to overhaul health care for people who are enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. The plan affects about 109,000 people in Massachusetts who are poor and disabled and between the ages of 21 and 64, including people with mental illness, drug and alcohol addictions, and development disabilities. The state wants to enroll the group in a network of providers that would receive one payment to provide all services to a patient.

Bat confirmed as source of Barnstable County rabies case

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:51:22 GMT

State disease trackers today confirmed that it was a brown bat that infected a Barnstable County man with rabies, the first person since 1935 to contract the disease in Massachusetts. There had been bats in the man’s home, health officials said, and other members of the household are being treated with postexposure vaccinations.

Clipboard: First Mass. hospital merger of 2012

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:33:46 GMT

Last year brought a flurry of hospital consolidations, as the major academic medical centers in the Boston area and the smaller community hospitals throughout the state join efforts to weather the changes coming under the 2010 federal health law. If today’s news is any measure, it seems likely that the pace will continue in 2012. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Milton Hospital announced today that they will merge to create Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton.

State approves insurance-buying cooperatives

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:02:54 GMT

The state Division of Insurance this morning said it has certified two organizations as its first group purchasing cooperatives, in an effort to give small businesses and individuals more options for saving on health insurance by banding together to buy coverage.

Barnstable County man is hospitalized and in critical condition after contracting rabies

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:26:20 GMT

A Barnstable County man is hospitalized and in critical condition after contracting rabies, likely after being exposed to a bat in his home, state public health officials announced this morning.

Mental health commissioner to join consulting firm

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:57:03 GMT

Barbara Leadholm will leave her post as commissioner of the Department of Mental Health on Jan. 31 to become a principal in the Boston office of Health Management Associates, Inc., a health policy research and consulting firm, where she will focus on integrating behavioral health care and substance abuse services into mainstream health care under the federal health law. She has led the department since 2007.

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Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:57:03 GMT

Steward quits Massachusetts Hospital Association

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:50:41 GMT

Columnist Steven Syre reported today that

New England Journal of Medicine article details face transplants

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:04:51 GMT

The team of Brigham and Women’s surgeons and others involved in the three full face transplants performed at the hospital this year have published a detailed account of the procedures in the New England Journal of Medicine. The article includes before and after photos, explanations of how the patients -- Dallas Wiens, Mitch Hunter, and Charla Nash -- fared in the the aftermath of surgery, and tells how the faces have changed.

Clipboard: ‘The most gridlocked of times... the least gridlocked of times.’

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:22:33 GMT

It is the season for end-of-year reflection, and Sarah Kliff, health policy reporter at The Washington Post, has taken a look back and come to a couple of conclusions. In summary: Nothing much happened in Washington. A lot happened everywhere else. Health plans, hospitals, and physician groups in Massachusetts saw big changes.

Harvard stem cell paper retracted

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:57:15 GMT

A paper in the journal Blood that was called into question last year after Harvard stem cell scientist Amy Wagers reviewed the work and discovered “serious concerns” with the data has been retracted. The retraction, like another published last year, was not signed by the lead author, Shane R. Mayack, a researcher who worked in Wagers’ laboratory and “who maintains that the results are valid,” according to the retraction.

Clipboard: Love and autism in Greenfield, Mass.

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:14:18 GMT

Amy Harmon of the New York Times has written the lovely story of a young couple in Greenfield who are doing what young couples do. They’re learning how to share their lives, finding their way through arguments over cooking dinner and whether to get a cat, negotiating a tiny apartment with moments of tension and of sweetness. This couple, 19-year-old Jack Robison and 18-year-old Kirsten Lindsmith, both have Asperger syndrome, a kind of autism.

Health care expert faces his wife’s cancer

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:11:46 GMT

In a post titled “We have cancer,” Dr. John Halamka announced on his blog yesterday that his wife has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Halamka is a guru in hospital information technology and a practicing emergency room physician. For the next several months, he said, he will be sharing his perspective from the patient side of health care.

Child infected with hepatitis C through transplant at Children’s Hospital Boston

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:12:29 GMT

A child contracted hepatitis C through a blood vessel transplanted in September at Children’s Hospital Boston from an infected donor who was not known to have the disease. Two people in Kentucky who received kidneys from the same donor also were infected, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today. The agency traced the transmission in Massachusetts to a testing error at an unnamed tissue bank and delayed communication between the Kentucky transplant center and public health officials.

Two doctors are disciplined and resign their medical licenses

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:32:35 GMT

Dr. Loren J. Borud, a plastic surgeon, and Dr. Abdul Cader Asmal, an internist, resigned their medical licenses today, said the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine. Resignation is a disciplinary action.

New method for detecting earliest signs of Alzheimer’s may aid research

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:06:29 GMT

Boston researchers say they have found a new method for detecting subtle brain changes in people who have no memory problems but who may already be in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, published online today in the medical journal Neurology, may help speed clinical trials for potential Alzheimer’s treatments, according to Dr. Bradford Dickerson, an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and lead author of the study.

Cavity-prevention tooth varnish is underused, Mass. health officials say

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:14:13 GMT

Hoping to boost the paltry number of low-income children who receive critical dental care, Massachusetts regulators are proposing to loosen the requirements for who can apply a fluoride varnish that helps protect against cavities. The proposed new regulations would allow non-licensed individuals, working under the supervision of someone who is licensed, to paint the concentrated form of fluoride on patients’ teeth, according to rules detailed today at a meeting of the state’s Public Health Council.

Number of serious hospital mistakes in Mass. unchanged in 2010

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:01:32 GMT

The total number of Massachusetts hospital patients who had the wrong body part operated on, received an erroneous medication or were seriously disabled or died from a fall remained essentially unchanged in 2010 compared with the previous year, according to hospital safety data released today by state regulators. In all, 510 patients suffered from a so-called serious reportable event in 2009 compared with 512 in 2010, according to the numbers released by the state Department of Public Health.

Clipboard: Immigrant denied transplant, despite higher cost

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:39:02 GMT

Nina Bernstein of the New York Times wrote a fascinating story today about a man who needs a new kidney and the brother willing to give him one. The one obstacle to the transplant is the man’s immigration status. He is in New York illegally, so the government won’t pay for the procedure. Doctors at one hospital even offered to waive their fees, but administrators overruled the decision. The Globe wrote about a family in a similar dilemma last year.

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Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:39:02 GMT

Mass. Medicaid waiver approved through June 2014

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:17:26 GMT

The federal government today approved a plan that provides continued Medicaid funding for the state’s innovative health insurance law through mid-2014, and will shift the way up to six hospitals that treat many poor patients are paid for their care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent a letter to Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, the state Health and Human Services secretary, saying it would extend the state’s so-called Medicaid waiver through June 2014. The waiver is key to the state law providing subsidized insurance plans for low-income people and requiring most residents to have health insurance.

Clipboard: Occupy-style protest at Steward’s parent company

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:09:46 GMT

The Massachusetts Nurses Association and its parent union are staging a protest in New York City this afternoon, near the headquarters of the Steward Health Care system parent company Cerberus. The demonstration is meant to draw attention to what the union says are profit-driven decisions that are compromising patient care.

Massachusetts recovers $24 million from Merck, in its largest Medicaid fraud settlement ever

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:42:23 GMT

Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. will pay $24 million to the state Medicaid program, in the largest single Medicaid fraud settlement in Massachusetts history. The agreement, made public afternoon by Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office, closes out a 2003 lawsuit filed against 13 drug makers over inflated prices. The state previously recovered a total of $23.4 million from the other 12 companies involved. Today’s announced settlement brings the entire case to a close.

Flu virus linked to mysterious seal deaths off New England

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:06:57 GMT

A flu virus similar to one found in birds but not previously detected in harbor seals was the cause of five of 162 recent deaths of the marine animals off the New England coast, federal and state officials announced today. The influenza virus, known as H3N8, appears to have a low risk for transmission to humans, they said. But the officials are urging the public to be cautious about approaching stranded seals to reduce the potential risk of spreading the infection to people or their unleashed dogs.

Health agency names 5 ‘Pioneer’ accountable care organizations in Mass.

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:08:48 GMT

Massachusetts is set once again to become a testing ground for a major federal effort to overhaul the health care industry. The US Department of Health and Human Services today released a list of 32 hospital systems and physician groups that will become “pioneers” in a program to change how doctors are paid for the care they provide for Medicare patients, giving them a budget to care for a set of patients rather than a payment for each test or treatment. Five eastern Massachusetts organizations, covering more than 150,000 Medicare enrollees, will participate in the program, which starts Jan. 1.

Feb. public hearing set on Boston University’s South End bio lab

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:20:21 GMT

Federal regulators have scheduled a February 16 hearing in Roxbury for the public to comment on the latest safety report, known as a risk assessment, on Boston University’s controversial high-security research laboratory. The meeting is slated for Hibernian Hall, on Dudley Street, but no time has yet been announced.

Clipboard: A punt on health benefits?

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:56:55 GMT

The Obama administration last week announced that states would have more leeway than expected in deciding what health benefits must be covered by insurance plans offered to individuals and small businesses. Rather than setting the floor on what must be covered, the Department of Health and Human Services provided a framework in which the states can make their own choices.

Clipboard: To curb readmissions, keep people out of the hospital to start, study says

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:44:43 GMT

How do you slow the cycle of people being readmitted to the hospital after an inpatient stay? Keep them out of the hospital in the first place. That may seem like a common sense answer. But researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, in a study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that variations in regional readmission rates among Medicare patients with congestive heart failure or pneumonia were tied to overall admission rates.

Concierge medicine expands: Three North Shore doctors join MDVIP

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:33:59 GMT

There has been a steady stream of Boston-area doctors who have closed their busy high-stress medical practices in favor of a more exclusive -- and some say saner -- model. Now, three popular North Shore physicians are joining the controversial shift to concierge medicine.

Environmental review of Boston University’s South End biolab gets nod from scientists

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:05:13 GMT

An independent panel of scientists advising the federal government on Boston University’s controversial high-security research laboratory has concluded that the latest assessment of safety risks posed by the lab is much improved and the massive plan is nearly ready for public comment. In its report made public today, the scientists noted several areas of concern that still need to be addressed, but said the 1,700-page federal safety assessment was on solid ground, and that the panel’s oversight was no longer needed.

Dr. Walter Ettinger to step down as president of UMass Memorial Medical Center

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:20:18 GMT

Dr. Walter Ettinger next month will leave his post as president of UMass Memorial Medical Center, which he has held for eight years. He will become senior vice president of Accretive Health, a Chicago company that helps health care organizations manage their finances and operations, the hospital announced yesterday.

Congressman Edward Markey asks federal government to tackle alarm fatigue

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:38:08 GMT

Massachusetts Congressman Edward Markey asked the top US health official today to tackle the problem of alarm fatigue -- a phenomenon that occurs in health care facilities when nurses become desensitized to constant beeping from alarms on cardiac monitors and other devices. As a result, nurses can tune out or ignore alarms warning of a potentially dangerous change in a patient’s condition or a serious problem with a device.

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Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:38:08 GMT

Two brothers create powerful new tool to sift through big datasets

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:50:08 GMT

It’s an unusual starting point for a high-profile paper in a leading science journal: two brothers, students just a year apart at universities down the Charles River from one another, decide to work together on a summer project. The research unfolds through ideas scribbled on the walls of a laboratory, insights gained during downtime working as an EMT, and brainstorms shared at a fraternity house in Boston. Today, the fruits of that labor were published in the journal Science: a powerful tool to rapidly flag patterns and identify correlations in huge databases.

Clipboard: The “Ryden” Medicare proposal

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:48:25 GMT

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden’s decision to join Republican Representative Paul Ryan in introducing a plan to overhaul Medicare is the subject of debate today over both what the plan would mean for the federal program that provides health insurance for the elderly and disabled and the implications for election-year politics. The plan is comparable to one Mitt Romney proposed recently.

Pediatricians launch campaign to tax sugary drinks at State House event

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:41:48 GMT

The way Dr. Barry Zuckerman sees it, sodas and other sugary beverages have no nutritional value. So, it makes little sense to him that the drinks are exempt from state sales tax on the basis that they are food. Zuckerman, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center, planned to make that argument this morning at the State House as one in a group of pediatricians gathering to urge legislators to change the law.

Dr. Jeffrey Golden to chair pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:01:11 GMT

Dr. Jeffrey A. Golden will become chairman of pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital starting March 1. Golden will be returning to familiar ground. He previously worked in pathology and neuropathology at the hospital, and he trained at Massachusetts General Hospital. Golden will replace Dr. Michael Gimbrone, who has been chairman for 10 years. Gimbrone is leaving that post but remaining on the clinical and research staff at the hospital, where he has worked for 38 years.

Death certificates in Mass. are public but vary in detail

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:22:04 GMT

When I wrote this week about health blogger William Heisel’s effort to collect death certificates and cause of death information from all 50 states, I decided to find out what’s available in Massachusetts. Anyone can get access to anyone else’s death certificate here, for an $18 fee plus the $9-per-hour cost of research time. The bigger issue here seems to be how complete they are.

New MIT center will focus on better diagnosis, treatment of autism

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:19:25 GMT

A new center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will focus on unraveling the neuroscience that underlies social behaviors, helping push forward research and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. The new Simons Center for the Social Brain is funded by a $26.5 million gift from the Simons Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports science and mathematics research and has already provided $15 million to the university to support autism research.

New blog for cancer patients by Dana-Farber

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:05:54 GMT

Cancer patients and their families have a new source to turn to for information on the latest research and care -- a blog called Insight, launched by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dana-Farber said its new blog will feature expert perspectives on the latest discoveries and treatment options, practical tips for patients and families coping with cancer, and inspiring patient stories.

Clipboard: Push back for Sebelius on Plan B

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:30:27 GMT

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius last week blocked a decision by the Food and Drug Administration to lift the age restriction on the sale of the emergency contraception pill, Plan B. Critics called it a political move aimed at insulating President Obama during an election year. Now, some Democratic senators want Sebelius to explain her choice.

Office of Civil Rights Director Leon Rodriguez aims to improve patient data protection

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:02:04 GMT

Despite the challenge of getting new systems off the ground, it’s clear that electronic health records are a powerful tool. They could save the American health care system billions of dollars by reducing unnecessary tests. They could make managing multiple chronic illnesses easier for both patients and doctors. And they present big research opportunities. Ultimately, though, electronic health records are only as good as their reputation. Leon Rodriguez, who started in September as head of the US Office of Civil Rights, charged with enforcing federal health privacy laws, said he recognizes that.

Summit focuses on children’s mental health

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:32:30 GMT

Organizers of the second Children’s Mental Health Summit hoped it would inspire as much passion for reform as the debut gathering did in 2001. Among the issues addressed by top officials in Boston yesterday were the high rate of psychotropic drugs consumed by the state’s foster children, poor insurance coverage of family-based services, and the relatively high percentage of substance abuse among Massachusetts teens.

Clipboard: Patient tells of losing trust in her doctor

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:23:53 GMT

Maran Wolston, a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota who has taught chemistry and philosophy, is well-qualified to talk medical ethics. She has taught courses on the subject, as well as on the philosophy of illness. That’s part of what makes her piece about a doctor’s conflict of interest, published in this week’s Health Affairs, so compelling. But perhaps even more than that is the fact that the narrative that she unravels could be the story of countless other patients, including many who are less savvy than she is.

Cambridge Health Alliance to go tobacco-free

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:58:43 GMT

Apparently the effort by Boston hospitals to make their campuses smoke-free is contagious. Cambridge Health Alliance announced that it will institute a similar ban come Jan. 1. The hospital system already prohibits smoking indoors, but the ban will extend to the entire grounds at its Cambridge, Somerville, and Whidden Hospital sites.

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Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:58:43 GMT

Clipboard: Private lives, public deaths?

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:55:02 GMT

Some people will take offense to Antidote blogger William Heisel’s latest project, an attempt to obtain death certificates, with cause of death, from all 50 states. Some will call it an invasion of privacy, saying that the decision to release such information should be left to family members. Heisel argues that access to cause of death information is critical to the public health.

Clipboard: Yaz birth control and other Bayer products get mixed vote from experts

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:44:54 GMT

Members of an advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration voted yesterday to affirm the benefits of a group of birth control pills made by Bayer, including Yaz and Yasmin, despite an increased risk of blood clots. The vote was close, with 15 of the 26 members agreeing. I used to use one of the Bayer products and I have been following the debate over the pills’ safety.

Scientists discover evidence of Stone Age bedding

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:43:08 GMT

It’s no pillow-top mattress, but an international team announced today new evidence of Stone Age bedding. At a sandstone rock shelter called Sibudu that sits high on a cliff above the uThongathi River in South Africa, a group including Boston University scientists analyzed the fossilized remains of what appear to be 77,000-year old floor coverings likely used for sleeping or working. The half-inch thick remains are made up of sedges, rushes, or grasses, with a thin layer of the broad leaves of River-wild quince.

Apologies to Dr. Don Berwick, from the Mass. congressional delegation

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:00:19 GMT

The 10 members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, all Democrats, sent Dr. Don Berwick a letter yesterday recognizing his work as head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “You deserved to be treated better than you were by the hyper partisans in the Senate, and as Members of Congress, we extend our apology to you for it,” they wrote.

Clipboard: Obama on bubble gum, batteries, and Plan B

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:14:24 GMT

In what health advocates criticized as a highly political move, Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overturned a decision by the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration to lift the age restriction on sales of the emergency contraception pill, Plan B. “The question is, can we have confidence that they would potentially use Plan B properly?” President Obama said during a press conference this morning.

Dr. Don Berwick’s 5 principles for change

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:14:04 GMT

Dr. Don Berwick, former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator, spoke yesterday during the annual conference of the Cambridge-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement, which he led for nearly 20 years, about “death panels,” rationing, a call to act, and majesty.

Dr. Don Berwick: Consumers, community health leaders must push for change in health care

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:10:03 GMT

Dr. Don Berwick’s critics have vilified him for making comments favoring the United Kingdom’s national health plan and have cast him as a proponent of health care rationing. To his supporters, however, he is the chief cheerleader for changing health care in the country, providing impassioned reminders to those working to implement the complicated Affordable Care Act about what they are shooting for: better health care and lower costs. He said in an interview today that the nation needs more advocates for the law.

Bill Corr, deputy health secretary: Scaling up health care innovations ‘will take time’

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:53:54 GMT

Neponset Health Center opened a pharmacy in its lobby about a year ago. It has a staff of social workers who connect patients, as needed, to an in-house food pantry, substance abuse services, and even kids’ furniture. And the center, considered a patient-centered medical home, has integrated primary care and behavioral health services. Bill Corr, deputy secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services visited the Dorchester center to see a model of some of the programs that the Affordable Care Act is aimed at implementing nationwide.

Tufts Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield agree on a new contract

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:27:55 GMT

Tufts Medical Center and its physicians have reached a new three-year agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the two sides said this morning. The deal, in which Blue Cross agreed to give Tufts and the doctors a 3 percent annual increase in fees for treating the insurer’s patients, means there will not be a disruption in care for patients.

Clipboard: Romney e-mails and a lost look at the Mass. health care law

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:05:55 GMT

Globe reporter Matt Viser writes today about how tens of thousands of e-mails written or received by aides to former governor Mitt Romney and two other Republican governors were automatically purged from state computers as they left office. Some portion of the e-mails now missing from the Romney administration might have shed more light on the administration’s role in Massachusetts’s 2006 health law.

Institute for Healthcare Improvement leader tells a story: A nurse, a patient, and a dog

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:30:39 GMT

The Cambridge-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement is holding its annual conference in Florida this week, and President Maureen Bisognano spoke this morning about how creating change in the health care industry will require its leaders to become storytellers. Here’s one story she told about how meeting a patient’s needs required a trip to the pound.

Mass. Medical Society affirms stance against assisted suicide

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:18:24 GMT

Delegates of the Massachusetts Medical Society voted Saturday to reaffirm a long-standing position opposing physician-assisted suicide. The issue came up because the policy, originally passed in 1996, was due to sunset, but it is timely. The Dignity 2012 campaign says it will submit about 80,000 certified signatures next week in support of an initiative to allow doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of drugs to people who have a terminal illness and wish to end their lives.

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Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:18:24 GMT

Expansion of genome research will benefit two Boston-area research centers

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:35:01 GMT

Federal health officials announced today an expanded investment in understanding the genetic underpinnings of disease, and two Boston-area institutions will share in the funding to do basic research and answer emerging questions about the social, ethical, and financial repercussions of using genomics in standard medicine. The four-year, $416 million flagship plan of the National Human Genome Research Institute provides the largest grant to the Broad Institute, a genomics research center in Cambridge, and also funds a new program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Clipboard: The e-cigarette debate

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:41:55 GMT

Our coverage of the Boston Public Health Commission’s decision last week to restrict the use of e-cigarettes in the workplace has gotten a lot of reaction. The products are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, causing concern among many public health advocates who question their safety. But some former smokers say the electronic version is safer than actual cigarettes and has been their key to quitting.

BU biolab gains preliminary OK to open

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:47:42 GMT

Massachusetts environmental officials have granted preliminary approval to allow a controversial Boston University laboratory to open for biomedical research on substances less hazardous than those that sparked oppposition to the project.In its decision, the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said that requiring the BU lab to wait until a pending final safety review is completed “would result in an undue hardship for the proponent and would not serve to avoid or minimize damage to the environment.”

Clipboard: Dr. Don Berwick’s last week

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:15:26 GMT

Last week was Dr. Don Berwick’s last as administrator of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. Here’s a look at what Berwick and others are saying about his time there and the impact the Harvard professor and former director of the Cambridge-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement had.

MD Anderson has hired away 55 scientists from Dana-Farber

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:06:13 GMT

Fifty-five scientists from the Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are moving to a new cancer institute at MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, Carrie Feibel of Houston Public Radio, reports this morning in partnership with Kaiser Health News. The move comes after Dr. Ron DePinho, who was the founding director of the Belfer Institute, was chosen as president of MD Anderson in May. The recruits make up less than half of the Belfer staff, but much of the leadership there is moving to the Texas site, Feibel writes.

Dr. Kevin Tabb eyes his competitors in first month as new Beth Israel Deaconess chief

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:48:11 GMT

In his first 30 days as chief executive of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Kevin Tabb got a healthy dose of both sharp competition and bad weather -- two things that separate Boston from San Francisco, where he most recently worked. This week, in his first interview with the media, Tabb said that he was very surprised by the intense tug-of-war for doctors and patients in Boston, but that he does not hold it against his competitors.

E-cigarettes banned in workplaces in Boston, and city prohibits sales to minors

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:27:26 GMT

Boston health officials today voted to treat electronic cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, like tobacco products, banning use of the increasingly popular products in the workplace and restricting their sale to adults only. Battery-powered e-cigarettes, which often resemble regular cigarettes, deliver nicotine in the form of vapor and have been largely unregulated. The Boston Public Health Commission also prohibited the sale of individual cigars, which, health officials say, have become an attractive option for teenagers looking for less expensive alternatives to cigarettes.

Harvard scientist wins prize for 3-D human genome sequencing method

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:20:39 GMT

Erez Lieberman Aiden, a fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows and a visiting faculty member at Google, has won the GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists for the development of a new method for sequencing the human genome in 3-D. Aiden is a polymath with talents that extend beyond molecular biology; he is perhaps best known for the collaborative effort that he led to build a tool that scours the text of 4 percent of the world’s books and provides insights into the evolution of culture, history, and society.

Foster children more likely to be prescribed psychotropic drugs than non-foster children, GAO study finds

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:12:47 GMT

Foster children in Massachusetts are nearly four times as likely to be prescribed psychotropic drugs as non-foster children in the state, an alarming figure released in a report this morning by the Government Accountability Office during a congressional hearing. The federal audit also found that Bay State foster children are being prescribed two or more psychotropic drugs concomitantly at a rate eight times that of non-foster children, and are almost four times as likely to be prescribed a medication exceeding FDA recommendations.

MIT tests how healthy behaviors spread in a social network

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:18:29 GMT

You might think that people’s tendency to be friends with others who are like them -- “birds of a feather, flock together” -- limits their exposure to ideas and information. An obese person whose friends also tend to be overweight would seem to be less likely to hear from their friends about healthy new diets, much less to adopt one. But a new study by an economic sociologist at the MIT Sloan School of Management shows that being similar to one’s friends increases the exposure to and spread of a healthy behavior -- surprisingly, especially to those who could benefit the most.

Health providers, advocates criticize Institute of Medicine on insurance recommendations

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:22:07 GMT

More than 2,400 health care providers and advocates sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today objecting to recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine regarding health benefits to be covered in state insurance exchanges.

Massachusetts officials request extension on Medicaid waiver

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:59:23 GMT

Despite more than six months of negotiations, state officials and the Obama administration still don’t see eye to eye on federal funding for the state’s safety-net hospitals. This week, Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. JudyAnn Bigby requested another extension of the state’s so-called Medicaid waiver -- until Dec. 31 -- to give the two sides more time to negotiate a new agreement.

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Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:59:23 GMT

Covidien medical device gets FDA clearance

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:28:19 GMT

Covidien PLC, the medical supplies giant that is incorporated in Ireland but has its corporate headquarters in Mansfield, said that its SpiderFX device has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration. The SpiderFX is an embolic protection device that is used to treat severely calcified lesions in conjunction with plaque excision in arteries, the company said in a press release. Embolic protection devices are used to capture and remove debris that becomes dislodged during an interventional procedure.

Worcester to pilot patient transfer program that capitalizes on electronic records

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:02:12 GMT

Fifteen Worcester health care organizations will pilot a state technology program to improve the care and safety of people who are transferred between hospitals, nursing homes, and home care. The program is funded with a $1.7 million federal grant. Over the next four months, the group will be use a paper Universal Transfer Form, which includes data about patients’ medications and treatments plans, and directions about how they should be cared for if they become unable to make decisions for themselves. An electronic version will be rolled out next year.

Alzheimer’s research needs an overhaul, scientists say

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:09:54 GMT

People who have no symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease but who have an abnormal protein believed to be a hallmark of the illness should be enrolled in clinical trials to test whether drugs can head off the disease, according to a team of researchers led by a scientist at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and recent drug trials have produced disappointing results. But in an article published today, the researchers say that may be because the drugs are now tested only in people whose Alzheimer’s is too advanced.

Health care advocates on the move

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:29:22 GMT

Two health care advocates in Massachusetts said today that they are taking new jobs in the coming weeks. Victoria Bonney Goodwin, spokeswoman for the consumer group Health Care For All will join the corporate health practice at Weber Shandwick. Lindsey Tucker, policy manager at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts will become deputy commissioner for Vermont’s health insurance exchange. She starts in that role Dec. 12.

Charla Nash and daughter, Briana, talk about what face transplant has meant for family

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:35:06 GMT

Charla Nash, the Connecticut woman who received a full face transplant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in May, appeared on the Today show last week to talk about how she’s doing six months after the surgery. Nash was severely injured after being mauled by a chimpanzee. In a behind-the-scenes interview at the show, the Nash talks with her daughter about what the surgery meant for their relationship.

Michael Dukakis on ACOs: “We tried that, folks. It didn’t work.”

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:57:14 GMT

The creation of accountable care organizations or a global payment structure won’t fix the health care system in Massachusetts and make it more affordable, former governor Michael Dukakis told an audience at Harvard last week. Speaking during the Harvard School of Public Health Voices from the Field series, Dukakis said urging the health care market to fix itself is “a colossal waste of time.” He said, “If the market doesn’t work you have to regulate. R-E-G-U-L-A-T-E.”

Tiered and limited health plans cut costs, restrict options

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:59:49 GMT

Enrollment in health plans with limited or tiered networks is on the rise. Such plans restrict the network of providers covered or rank doctors by cost and quality and use those rankings to assign escalating copayments. Employers and individuals are drawn to the plans because of their lower cost. But some consumer groups and hospitals are concerned about how the plans will affect the market and family finances.

CDC: Opioid pain relievers bigger overdose threat than heroin, cocaine combined

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:23:09 GMT

Marijuana has long been the dominant “gateway” drug, the one that people who have never before used illicit drugs most often start with. That’s changing some, said Michael Botticelli, director of the state Bureau of Substance Abuse. Prescription pain relievers used for non-medical purposes are now about neck-and-neck for that top spot, he said. And that’s having real consequences in terms of the level of addiction and rates of overdose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this month that the number of overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers now exceeds deaths involving cocaine and heroin combined.

Harvard professor Don Berwick resigns as Medicare chief

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:45:48 GMT

Don Berwick, the Harvard professor who was tapped by the Obama administration to lead the massive Medicare program, resigned Wednesday -- just months before he was scheduled to vacate his post. The president used a recess appointment last year to install Berwick, a widely respected health innovator. Republicans had blocked his confirmation.

Monarch butterfly genome sequenced

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:46:06 GMT

In a step toward understanding the remarkable navigational prowess of monarch butterflies, scientists from the University of Massachusetts Medical School have sequenced the genome of an insect that each fall flits on gossamer wings from the eastern United States to a 300-square-mile patch in the mountains of Mexico. Today, they announced a powerful new tool to probe big questions about the underpinnings of the butterfly’s remarkable abilities: the half-billion letters that make up the butterfly’s DNA blueprint.

National African American Cancer Coalition to target cancer rates and mortality

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:46:23 GMT

Across various types of cancer,

Engage with Grace on Twitter

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:30:23 GMT

Having a conversation with family members about what they want to happen when they are nearing the end of their life is never easy. But the folks at Engage with Grace, a nonprofit focused on improving end-of-life care through better communication say there is no better time than now. Or, literally, this holiday weekend. They’re asking people to use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to talk with loved ones about how they want to be cared for if they have a terminal illness and who they want to be making decisions on their behalf.

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Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:30:23 GMT

Canned soup linked to elevated levels of BPA

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:02:29 GMT

Eating canned soup may be convenient, but it can significantly raise the level of bisphenol A in a consumer’s body, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health. Bisphenol A, better known as BPA, is an odorless, tasteless chemical used to make the linings in almost all canned food and drinks, and it is also found in many hard plastic bottles. Growing evidence suggests that low levels of BPA may be harmful to the development of fetuses and young children.

Actress Mariel Hemingway honored by McLean Hospital

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:37:44 GMT

Mariel Hemingway knows about suicide. Her grandfather and literary great, Ernest Hemingway, famously shot himself in 1961. At least six others in her family, including her older sister, have taken their own lives. Hemingway is working with Barbara Kopple, Cabin Creek Films, and the Oprah Winfrey Network to create a documentary about her family’s story called

Recognizing Boston’s inspirational women in health care

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:08:32 GMT

Longtime Globe photographer Bill Brett and his daughter, Kerry Brett, have just published a book of portraits featuring inspirational women of Boston. It’s no surprise that many who appear on its pages have played a big role in the city’s health care community. Check out a gallery of some of the featured women in health care.

Boston seventh-grader dies from probable case of meningitis

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:54:18 GMT

A 12-year-old Boston Latin Academy student died today after being hospitalized over the weekend with a probable case of bacterial meningitis, health officials said this evening.

Mass. group to receive grant to keep seniors healthy, out of the hospital

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:26:03 GMT

Elder Services of Merrimack Valley will be one of seven organizations in the country to receive money through a new program aimed at helping people to get better care after they are discharged from the hospital. This is the first round of such grants being made through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Partnership for Patients program, created under the Affordable Care Act with the goal of reducing readmissions to hospitals by 20 percent over three years.

Musicians brighten patients’ day at Dana-Farber Cancer Center

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:52:39 GMT

A group of musicians from the Longwood Symphony Orchestra provided some unexpected entertainment Thursday for patients at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with an impromptu performance, officials said. The 10 musicians used their lunch hour for a spontaneous public performance, or flash mob, to provide some music therapy for the patients at the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care, the orchestra said today in a statement.

Blue Cross foundation report updates outlook on 2006 health law

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:16:39 GMT

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation today released an updated report on the impact and cost of the state’s 2006 health law. Among the numbers: Penalties collected by the state from people who were required to buy health insurance but didn’t dropped significantly last year to $10.76 million from $17.1 million in 2009.

Schwartz Center honors nursing assistant Vilma Barrios with 2011 caregiver award

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:48:58 GMT

Vilma Barrios, a certified nursing assistant who works with terminally ill patients at Circle of Caring at Hospice of the Good Shepherd in Newton, was honored with the Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver Award at the organization’s annual dinner this evening.

Blue Cross Blue Shield and Tufts Medical Center back talking

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:41:00 GMT

Tufts Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts agreed tonight to continue contract talks with the help of an unnamed third-party. In a joint statement, the hospital and insurer said they “are committed to reaching agreement on a new contract. Leadership of the organizations have spoken today and agreed to continue discussions and use a third party during this process.’’

10 Boston hospitals agree to ban smoking anywhere on their property

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:51:14 GMT

As scores of Americans vow to kick the habit for today’s annual Great American Smokeout, Boston leaders and 10 of the city’s hospitals launched a far-reaching campaign that will prohibit smoking on all hospital property, offer quit-smoking aids to patients and employees, and encourage hospitals to divest investments from tobacco company stock. While hospitals already ban smoking indoors, the new initiative extends to outside spaces, including parking lots and garages, walkways, and tunnels.

Mass. families no longer pay the most in health insurance premiums

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:03:25 GMT

The Commonwealth Fund released a report today on the trajectory of insurance premiums in the United States. The report included some good news for Massachusetts. The state no longer has the most expensive premiums for private employer-based family plans. After years in that unenviable top spot, the state fell behind eight states and Washington, D.C. But the picture for the country as a whole was quite grim.

Boston hospitals to launch tobacco-free campaign

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:01:54 GMT

Ten Boston hospitals are launching an initiative to decrease tobacco use and exposure to cigarette smoke on their campuses, according to a news release from Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. The campaign, to be detailed at a news conference tomorrow, coincides with the 36th Great American Smokeout, an annual nationwide event that encourages people to quit on that day. Hospital leaders are expected to outline steps to prohibit smoking on their campuses and encourage workers to kick the habit.

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Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:01:54 GMT

Former Cape Cod Healthcare chief executive disciplined

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:20:21 GMT

Dr. Richard Salluzzo, 61, the former head of Cape Cod Healthcare, was disciplined by the state Board of Registration in Medicine today for inappropriately prescribing medications. According to board documents, Salluzzo, 61, wrote prescriptions for family members who were not his patients and without keeping medical records. The board reprimanded Salluzzo and fined him $3,000.

UMass Memorial nurses protest decision to replace lactation consultants

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:01:56 GMT

Four nurses who help women and babies in UMass Memorial Medical Center’s maternity and neonatal intensive care units to learn to breastfeed will be removed from their jobs, effective Dec. 1, and replaced with consultants who are not nurses and who work for an outside agency. About 180 staff members of the maternity unit delivered a petition to Dr. Walter Ettinger, the hospital’s president, asking for a reversal.

Interfaith leader, health care advocate Rev. Hurmon Hamilton headed for California

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:08:24 GMT

Rev. Hurmon Hamilton, longtime pastor of Roxbury Presbyterian Church, president of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, and a major voice in the push to overhaul health care in Massachusetts, is leaving the state for a post in California. He will take the pulpit as Roxbury pastor for the last time on Nov. 27 at 10 a.m.

Tufts Medical Center and its doctors may stop accepting Blue Cross insurance in January

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:10:55 GMT

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts has started sending letters to about 55,000 employers and other customers notifying them that Tufts Medical Center and its doctors group is ending its contract with the state’s largest health insurer, effective Jan. 17. If the contract is terminated, about 88,000 Blue Cross members who have Tufts-affiliated primary care physicians would have to change their doctors by mid-February and the insurer would no longer cover its members’ visits to Tufts. About 157,000 Blue Cross members have had at least two medical claims at the downtown Boston hospital.

Boston University scientist wins prize for infection-fighting strategy

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:05:51 GMT

Kyle Allison, a biomedical engineer at Boston University, was named a winner today of the Collegiate Inventors Competition for his work on a novel therapy to fight bacteria that slip into a zombie-like state, causing chronic infections. Allison won the $15,000 first prize among graduate students in the competition, sponsored by two non-profit foundations, the Abbott Fund and the Kauffman Foundation, and the US Patent and Trademark Office.

State will resume paying nursing homes to hold open beds

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:53:24 GMT

Massachusetts nursing home residents who are briefly hospitalized or leave to visit family will have their rooms held for them during their absences, under legislation quietly signed by Governor Deval Patrick on Veterans Day but not made public until this week. The signing ends, for now, a political ping-pong match over nursing home residents’ rights, which escalated after state lawmakers defied Patrick earlier this month and approved a spending plan that preserved the popular program, which pays nursing homes to hold beds open for up to 10 days.

With national health law under review by Supreme Court, planning in Mass. “full steam ahead”

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:12:05 GMT

The long debate over the constitutionality of a federal requirement that most Americans buy health insurance could be settled by June. The Supreme Court announced this morning it will hear a case challenging the mandate, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama in March 2010. As the justices consider it, planning for full implementation of the law in Massachusetts is moving ahead.

American Heart Association honors two Brigham and Women’s cardiologists

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:51:20 GMT

Two Boston cardiologists were honored yesterday for their contributions to the field during the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2011 in Orlando, Fla. Dr. Peter Libby was given the basic research prize for discoveries that have added to the understanding of cardiovascular science. Dr. Frank Sacks received the research achievement award for work that has led to a better understanding of the role diet plays in heart disease and stroke.

Schwartz Center announces compassionate care finalists

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:31:23 GMT

The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare will makes its annual award Thursday to one New England health care provider. The center picked five finalists this year from about 100 nominations. The winner will be announced at the center’s annual dinner at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Outbreak of rare infection provides insight into bacterial evolution

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:05:24 GMT

In the 1990s, cystic fibrosis patients seen at Children’s Hospital Boston began to get sick with a chronic, long-term infection that spread easily among the vulnerable patients. The spread of the rare bacteria was halted six years ago, but for researchers, the outbreak -- preserved in frozen samples isolated from 39 patients -- is a fascinating and important detective story that can, with the proper genetic investigation, provide new insights into the body’s battle with infections.

State chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics focuses on early education

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:25:05 GMT

Several years ago, leaders of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics decided they would focus on advocating for more programs and resources for early childhood education. When the recession hit, they found themselves fighting to hold onto those resources already in place. Now the chapter is convening leaders in research, education, and advocacy with the goal of jump starting that agenda once again.

Injured Libyan fighters praise warm welcome at Salem hospital

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:33:46 GMT

Almost two weeks after 22 injured Libyan rebel fighters were brought to Spaulding Hospital North Shore in Salem to receive medical treatment, three of the men spoke to journalists today, discussing the injuries they sustained while battling to overthrow Moammar Khadafy’s government. Some of the Libyans have undergone surgery to repair broken bones or nerve damage. Many suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and are working with mental health therapists.

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Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:33:46 GMT

Alarms on monitors in hospitals are top hazard

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:17:38 GMT

Alarms on cardiac monitors, infusion pumps and ventilators, which are meant to protect patients, have been named the most hazardous technology in hospitals by leading device experts.

Doctor discipline data restored online but with conditions attached

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:06:02 GMT

The US Health Resources and Services Administration announced this week that it has restored an online database of disciplinary actions taken against physicians and other health care professionals after journalism groups protested a decision in September to pull the file. The National Practitioner Data Bank sent out a notice yesterday that users would be required to agree to certain terms, including that they will return the file to the agency that oversees it upon request.

Harvard researchers note danger in firearm “gag law”

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:16:54 GMT

Florida lawmakers caused a stir among doctors this summer when they passed a law prohibiting physicians from asking most patients about whether they have a gun at home. Many pediatricians in particular were outraged, saying proper storage of firearms is a critical child safety issue. The National Rifle Association lobbied for the law, saying such questioning invades people’s privacy. A federal judge granted an injunction stopping implementation of the law in September, though other states have considered similar measures. A group of Harvard-affiliated doctors and researchers make a case against the law.

Regulators consider ban on tobacco sales in pharmacies

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:44:19 GMT

Massachusetts health regulators said yesterday that they will consider banning the sale of tobacco products at pharmacies across the state, a prohibition that, officials believe, would make Massachusetts the first to take such action. The proposal would mirror regulations already in place in 19 communities in Massachusetts, including Boston, Worcester, Lowell, and New Bedford, officials said. Brookline is scheduled to vote on the issue in a town meeting next week.

Narrow variation in how much health providers paid, panel says

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:58:17 GMT

A state commission investigating rising health care costs today joined the growing number of leaders who want to reign in high prices paid to providers who charge more for medical care just because they can. The special commission on provider price reform -- which the legislature created last year to probe the role of hospital and physician fees in runaway medical spending -- approved six recommendations today, including to “incrementally reduce unjustifiable price variation over time to meet benchmarks.’’

Massachusetts General Hospital recognized for “outstanding community service’’

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:47:22 GMT

The Association of American Medical Colleges awarded Massachusetts General Hospital its 2011 national Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service.

Conference on future of personalized medicine kicks off with a challenge

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:37:43 GMT

Hundreds of people from hospitals, universities, and industry gathered at Harvard Medical School to discuss the transformative power of health care’s latest buzzword, “personalized medicine.” But the day began on a combative note. In a keynote talk at the Personalized Medicine Conference, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist who previously served as a health policy adviser to the Obama administration, called personalized medicine hype, a myth, and unaffordable.

Doctors sometimes fail to report child abuse

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:04:01 GMT

Pediatricians and other primary care providers are good at identifying physical injuries in their young patients that might be the result of child abuse, but they are not as good at judging when to report those cases to child protective services, a new study found. A group of researchers led by Dr. Robert Sege of Boston Medical Center compared how primary care providers responded in 92 child injury cases to evaluations by child abuse experts. They found that reporting was warranted in 13 of the 63 cases doctors chose not to report to authorities.

A nun, refugee rescuer, and former US ambassador to be honored for work in Africa

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:40:55 GMT

A charismatic nun from South Boston, a Marlborough native who rescues forgotten refugees, and a Boston University adjunct professor and former US ambassador will be honored Thursday in Boston for their significant work to improve life in sub-Saharan Africa. The honors will be bestowed by a nonprofit organization known as Team Heart, a group that has evolved considerably from a volunteer band of staffers from Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General hospitals.

Dr. Paula Johnson: With federal health law, Congress must keep an eye toward women’s health

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:53:10 GMT

The state’s 2006 health law expanded insurance coverage for women ages 18 to 64 from 91 percent the year the bill was signed to 97 percent as of 2009. It boosted access to maternity care and contraception and it prohibited practices that blocked care for women, such as using gender as a factor in determining the price of a plan. But women in the state continue to face some challenges. Dr. Paula Johnson of Brigham & Women’s Hospital last month brought a list of lessons learned to Washington.

Dr. Gerard Doherty named chief of surgery at Boston Medical Center

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:24:51 GMT

Dr. Gerard Doherty has been named chief of surgery at Boston Medical Center and chairman of that department at Boston University School of Medicine. He will start Jan. 1, replacing Dr. James Becker, who has held the posts for 17 years. Becker is returning full time to surgery, teaching, and research, according to a hospital press release.

Key health industry leaders: We can control costs ourselves

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:59:15 GMT

A group of influential health care executives and academics is finalizing a proposal that would allow Massachusetts hospitals and insurers to try to control rising medical costs on their own for three more years, in an effort to head off more immediate state action.

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Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:59:15 GMT

Boston unveils campaign to reduce infant deaths

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:16:52 GMT

In an effort to drive down the number of deaths among black and Latino infants in Boston, the city today launched an initiative to lessen the stress on pregnant women by providing them with housing, counseling, and other critical support. The pilot program will initially make 75 apartments available for little or no charge within the Boston Housing Authority, while the city’s public health commission will provide visiting nurses and counselors to help women juggle motherhood and the health needs of their families.

Dr. James Holsapple named chief of neurosugery at Boston Medical Center

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:43:25 GMT

Dr. James Holsapple has been named chief of neurosurgery at Boston Medical Center and chairman of that department at Boston University School of Medicine. He assumed the role on Tuesday. Holsapple has been associate professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at the hospital and medical school since 2009. He replaces Dr. Lawrence Chin who is now chairman of neurosurgery at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

Julia Kehoe to become senior policy advisor in state Health and Human Services office

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:15:04 GMT

The Patrick Administration announced today that Julia Kehoe, commissioner of the Department of Transitional Assistance, will become a senior policy advisor in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. She starts Nov. 18.

Mass. doctors making progress on ‘meaningful use’

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:52:46 GMT

About 140 Massachusetts physicians were certified between January and September as having electronic health records with “meaningful use,” meaning they meet a list of federal requirements that the system collect certain data and have the capacity to trade information with other physician offices.

Lawmakers defy governor, restore nursing home program

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:51:08 GMT

A political ping-pong match over nursing home residents’ right to keep their room during short absences escalated today after state lawmakers defied Governor Deval Patrick and finalized a spending plan that preserves the popular program. Known as the “bed hold” program, the initiative pays nursing homes to reserve a nursing home resident’s bed for up to 10 days during brief hospitalizations or visits to family.

Dr. Susan Pories to lead Association of Women Surgeons

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:31:18 GMT

Dr. Susan Pories, a breast surgeon and surgical educator at Mount Auburn Hospital, was named president-elect of the Association of Women Surgeons during the group’s annual meeting in October. Pories is an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and has been serving as the association’s vice president.

Updated: Menino celebrates models in primary care

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:44:51 GMT

Four Boston organizations were recognized yesterday with the second annual Mayoral Prize for Innovations in Primary Care during a ceremony at the Boston Public Library this morning. They include two community health centers, a family foundation, and financial services firm John Hancock. The winners will receive $1,000 each.

A change in the hospital finance ‘story line’

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:28:00 GMT

During the Massachusetts Medical Society’s annual State of the State forum this morning, Susan Dentzer, editor of the Health Affairs journal, offered a succinct explanation of a ground-shift in hospital financing. Hospitals will no longer be able to charge more to those covered by private insurance in order to make up for lesser payments from Medicare and Medicaid, she said.

Dr. John Bradley named chief of psychiatry at VA Boston Healthcare System

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:32:17 GMT

Dr. John Bradley has been named chief of psychiatry for the VA Boston Healthcare System. He comes from the Department of Defense, where he served 26 years in active duty, retiring as chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Bradley served during tours in Germany, Egypt, and Bosnia, and he led a team of the 528th Combat Stress Control Detachment in Iraq. He has served on various committees looking at suicide prevention among members of the Armed Forces, treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, and research of traumatic brain injury.

Tufts Medical Center case alleging privacy breach dismissed

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:37:55 GMT

A woman who sued Tufts Medical Center and a doctor at the hospital, alleging that they violated her privacy by faxing medical records to her workplace, has agreed to drop the case. The hospital made no offer to settle the lawsuit, filed in Plymouth County Superior Court.

Mass. General doctor in Libya recounts learning the news of Khadafy’s death

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:27:42 GMT

Catherine Mullaly, an anesthesiologist with Massachusetts General Hospital working at Qasr Ahmed Hospital in Misrata, Libya, sent a dispatch about her experience Thursday. Mullaly, who has been serving as a Durant fellow with Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders, for nearly six weeks, recounts being in the operating room when she heard the news that rebels had taken Sirte. In the moments before learning Colonel Moammar Khadafy had been killed, she wondered about the possibility of treating his injuries.

Few doctors, nurses report asking patients about what they expect in their care

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:27:18 GMT

While a majority of doctors and nurses think it is important to check in with patients about what they expect to get from their care during a hospitalization, few have the training or awareness needed to ask the right questions, a team led by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found in

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Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:27:18 GMT

Lifespan CEO George Vecchione to leave post next year

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:44:46 GMT

George Vecchione will step down at the end of next year from his post as chief executive officer of Lifespan, the hospital system that includes Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and Bradley Hospital. Vecchione has led the hospital system, which is Rhode Island’s largest private employer, since 1998. He is not retiring but has not announced his future plans, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Dana-Farber program marks 10 years of mentoring young cancer researchers

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:35:13 GMT

The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center

Daily check up: Profiling cancer

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:52:20 GMT

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital launch a project to create genetic profiles of cancers and link the data to patients’ electronic health records - An ‘Occupy’ pool party - BPA and behavior in girls - Boston Public Health lawyer files suit alleging discrimination

Vertex study will evaluate 12-week treatment period for some hepatitis C patients

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:41:32 GMT

Five months after it received regulatory approval for a potential blockbuster hepatitis C drug called Incivek, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. is launching a study to evaluate whether some patients can be treated with a 12-week program rather than programs of 24 or 48 weeks. There is a subset of hepatitis C patients who tend to respond more quickly to treatment, and Cambridge-based Vertex is now evaluating whether a combination drug therapy for that group can be shortened.

Hospitals at night: Too loud to sleep?

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:25:43 GMT

We’re researching another aspect of the alarm overload in hospitals: beeping and other noises keeping patients awake at night. This problem is high on the agenda of many hospitals right now.

New questions raised about former Harvard professor Marc Hauser

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:18:33 GMT

In an unusual back and forth, a prominent philosophy professor at Princeton University has accused Marc Hauser, who resigned from Harvard University in August, of not giving adequate credit to another scholar in his popular book, Moral Minds. Hauser, the prominent scientist and psychology professor who was found by a university investigation to have committed research misconduct in scientific work, has defended himself against the accusations.

Poll: Public wants state action on health care costs

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:29:46 GMT

More than three-quarters of Massachusetts residents see health care costs as a serious problem, and they want state government to do something about it, according to a new poll commissioned by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Among 1,002 Massachusetts residents randomly selected and interviewed by phone last month, 78 percent said the high cost of care has reached the level of being a major problem, or even a crisis. “People want action,” said foundation President Sarah Iselin. “The public is looking for results.”

Daily check up: Study that moved women from poor neighborhoods finds health benefits

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:49:43 GMT

A study that moved thousands of women from poor neighborhoods to more affluent ones found, a decade later, that the women have lower rates of diabetes and extreme obesity - Emily Crockett, 26 - A case for clinical inertia

Broad Institute breaks ground on new Kendall Square building

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:12:14 GMT

The Broad Institute, a Cambridge-based genetics research center that has rapidly grown into a scientific powerhouse, today celebrated the groundbreaking of a new, 12-floor building in Kendall Square. Construction on the building, to be located at 75 Ames Street, will start in January 2012 and is expected to take two years. The 250,000-square-foot building will house research and office space, and will connect to the Broad’s current main building at 7 Cambridge Center. The Broad also leases space at three additional buildings nearby.

Institute of Medicine names a dozen members from Boston area

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:29:34 GMT

The Institute of Medicine today announced 65 new members during its annual meeting in Washington. Among them were a dozen Boston area doctors and researchers and one from New Hampshire. Many are affiliated with Harvard and several are funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. New members are elected by current members and serve as health advisors as part of the National Academy of Sciences.

Mass. dentist to lead American Dental Association

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:57:02 GMT

Dr. Robert Faiella, a Barnstable periodontist, has been named president-elect of the American Dental Association. He will take over as head of the 156,000-member organization in October 2012. Faiella has been representing New England states on the group’s board for the past four years. He also is director of ADA Business Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary that provides payroll, credit card processing, computer and other services to dentists. Faiella is a past president of the Massachusetts Dental Society.

Vaccine provides partial protection against malaria, study shows

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:46:25 GMT

Scientists today announced they have developed the first vaccine that offers some protection against malaria, a mosquito-borne disease that sickens millions and kills hundreds of thousands of people each year around the world. Early results from trials conducted in seven countries across sub-Saharan Africa show that three doses of the vaccine reduced the risk of severe cases of malaria in children 5- to 17-months old by 47 percent during the year following the shots.

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Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:46:25 GMT

MIT biologist to lead research funding institute within NIH

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:50:25 GMT

Chris A. Kaiser, a cell biologist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will be the new director of a $2 billion research funding agency that is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Daily check up: Approaching cost control efforts in Massachusetts

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:09:22 GMT

New York Times looks at how Massachusetts could become the first to change how doctors are paid to save money - Drug coupon debate - A look at the similarities and differences between “Obamacare” and “Romneycare,” with help from John McDonough

Berwick: Providers must lead in health care overhaul

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:49:59 GMT

The federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid, under the leadership of Dr. Donald M. Berwick and with new authority from the Affordable Care Act, has been taking big steps to cut health care costs by improving overall quality. But none of it will work without a commitment from doctors on the ground, Berwick told a ballroom full of physicians and other health care professionals at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual conference being held this year in Boston.

Daily check up: AG continues probe of Medicaid fraud

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:31:36 GMT

Managers of two sober houses and a nursing home were expected to be arraigned this week on charges related to Medicaid fraud as Martha Coakley’s office continues its efforts to find those cheating MassHealth - Trouble for Kennedy’s CLASS act - Pediatrics group releases new ADHD guidelines - Boston University researcher focuses on helping young people walk better

Quadruple amputee gets new hands

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:50:02 GMT

A 65-year-old man who lost his lower arms and legs to a bloodstream infection in 2002 received two new hands during a 12-hour transplant operation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Daily check up: Study finds high sexual abuse among men with disabilities

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:56:53 GMT

A telephone survey of men in Massachusetts found that about four times as many men with disabilities had been sexually abused, compared with men without disabilities - New hands for quadruple amputee - Insurance fight builds over treatment of eating disorders - Medicare enrollment reminder

Protest of Massachusetts Hospital Association stance on Medicare postponed

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:49:34 GMT

A group of activists and seniors cancelled plans to stage a protest today at the Massachusetts Hospital Association after the organization agreed to meet with them to discuss their concerns about raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67. The association has expressed support for the change. The protestors said they will hold a demonstration on Tuesday that they hope will becomes a a celebration of the association’s reversal.

Daily check up: Blue Cross to remain a nonprofit public charity

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:18:54 GMT

After public outcry over an $11 million payout to a former executive and some soul-searching, the state’s largest insurer plans to keep its designation as a public charity - Quality ratings tied to Medicare bonuses - British study finds life expectancy for those with HIV rose 15 year from 1996 to 2008. Harvard researchers weigh in - Mass. parents and pain medication

Lamenting the new medical language

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:03:01 GMT

Don’t call them “providers.” Pamela Hartzband and Jerome Groopman are doctors. The people they care for are patients, not consumers or customers. In a perspective piece published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine, the husband-and-wife team, both on staff at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where Groopman is chief of experimental medicine and Hartzband is an endocrinologist, call on doctors, nurses, and others to reject the language that cloaks medical care in deal-makers’ terms.

State regulators back hospitals mandating flu shots for workers

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:38:21 GMT

State public health regulators today stopped short of mandating flu shots for employees at acute care hospitals in Massachusetts, and instead approved a resolution that supports hospitals that are on their own requiring the immunizations “as a condition of employment.” Nearly 30 percent of acute care hospital workers did not receive flu shots last season, according to state data, and that has frustrated regulators who are aiming for immunization rates of at least 90 percent.

Daily check up: Smoking to be banned in Boston public housing

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:40:51 GMT

Residents will receive notices of the change, set to take effect in September, from the Boston Housing Authority - Expected doctor shortages in Massachusetts - What’s your health story? The Boston Public Health Commission wants to know - Perspectives on the P.S.A. test

State launching childhood obesity prevention programs in New Bedford, Fitchburg

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:51:13 GMT

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been awarded a $1.7 million federal grant to launch pilot programs in New Bedford and Fitchburg to fight obesity in children ages 2 to 12. The four-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is aimed at combining proven clinical and community-based obesity programs for the greatest effect on children’s health. Massachusetts will join the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and San Diego State University in the federal program.

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Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:51:13 GMT

Dr.Harris Berman named dean of Tufts University School of Medicine

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:42:02 GMT

Dr. Harris Berman this month officially took over as dean of Tufts University School of Medicine. He served as interim dean since Dr. Michael Rosenblatt left in December 2009 to become chief medical officer at Merck & Co. Berman was dean of public health and professional degree programs before taking the interim post. He previously served 17 years as chief executive officer of Tufts Health Plan.

Daily check up: Disparities in care for LGBT patients

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:32:26 GMT

Fear of being stigmatized for sexual orientation keep some people out of the doctor’s office, preventing them from getting needed care - How medical mind-set affects out health care choices - Our Bodies, Ourselves 40 years later - States consider drug testing as a requirement for welfare recipients - The history and trouble with cancer screening.

Mass. records first flu-related death of the season

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:11:11 GMT

A Boston man in his forties is the first flu-related death this season in Massachusetts, the Boston Public Health Commission and a state official said this afternoon. The patient had underlying health problems, according to a statement from the commission. The man was not identified. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health said the Boston case is the first flu-related death reported to the state this flu season. The news comes as many businesses, communities, and pharmacies are just starting their flu vaccine clinics.

Stem cell progress highlights technical, legal hurdles to research

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:02:38 GMT

A team of New York scientists has taken a major step toward the goal of creating cloned human embryonic cells for therapeutic uses – a feat that highlights major technical and legal hurdles to the research and has sparked commentary from Boston researchers and ethicists. Scientists at the New York Stem Cell Foundation, an independent nonprofit laboratory, used 270 human eggs from 16 women to create two stem cell lines, with a major caveat: the stem cells still carried the original genome of the egg.

Beth Israel Deaconess proposes cancer center in Needham

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:22:54 GMT

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center announced today that it intends to build a new $20 million, 30,000-square foot cancer center on its campus in Needham. The new state-of-the-art center, which will consolidate BIDMC’s suburban cancer services, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2014. According to a release, groundbreaking for the proposed three-story building is scheduled for the spring of 2012, pending all state and local approvals.

Partners announces deal with Blue Cross to save $240 million

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:22:20 GMT

Partners HealthCare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced a deal today that will reduce the insurer’s payments to the nine-hospital system by $240 million over the next three years, including $80 million next year. Under a renegotiated contract, rate increases between 2012 and 2014 will be held in line with general inflation. Blue Cross customers will still see premium increases during that period, but they would be less than they would have been.

Nobel Prize in physics has deep roots at Harvard

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:37:02 GMT

The Nobel Prize in physics was awarded today for the surprising finding that the universe’s expansion is speeding up -- a discovery that has transformed scientists’ understanding of the universe and has deep roots at Harvard University. In the runup to the discovery in 1998, the effort to understand the universe’s rate of expansion became a high-stakes race between two rival teams, one based at the University of California, Berkeley and another a wide-ranging international team with strong local ties.

Boston Public Health Commission launches blog

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:19:35 GMT

The Boston Public Health Commission, the nation’s oldest health department, joined the blogosphere today, launching its Healthy Boston Blog. The commission’s debut post from executive director Dr. Barbara Ferrer includes a quick history lesson.“Did you know,” Ferrer wrote, “ that we are the nation’s first health department and trace our roots back to 1799, when Paul Revere was named Boston’s first health officer?”

More evidence that hospitals are too often a revolving door for patients

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:54:37 GMT

There’s more evidence this week that hospitals need to do a far better job keeping patients from ending up back in the hospital soon after they are sent home. A new study by the Dartmouth Atlas Project concludes that hospitals have made little improvement on the problem since 2005. And in Massachusetts, the study found, the six largest teaching hospitals had preventable readmission rates higher than the national average in every case.

Ig Nobel prizes awarded, highlighting the fun side of science

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:32:17 GMT

They are not the discoveries that have altered our understanding of nature, transformed medicine, or rewritten the laws of physics. But they have made us laugh. Male Australian jewel beetles act amorously toward empty beer bottles. The urge to urinate can cause cognitive impairment on par with being drunk at a bar. Tonight, just days before the real Nobel prizes are announced, the Ig Nobel prizes honor less prestigious, but more hilarious achievements.

Daily check up: Justice Department asks for Supreme Court ruling on health mandate

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:42:44 GMT

Justices likely will hear the case in early 2012, further fueling the health care debate in the presidential campaign - Boston health commission offers tips on avoiding tainted cantaloupe - Reebok to give refunds for toning shoes - Men and colonoscopies

4 Westford Academy students diagnosed with antibiotic-resistant infection

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:50:57 GMT

Westford Academy is undergoing a thorough scrub down today after four

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Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:50:57 GMT

Tufts University reacts to psychiatrist’s comments on Chaz Bono

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:48:51 GMT

Dr. Keith Ablow stirred up controversy in recent weeks by saying in a Fox.com column and during television appearances that parents should keep their children from watching Chaz Bono’s performance on the popular television show Dancing with the Stars because Bono is transgender and may influence girls and boys to change genders as well. By association, that controversy has spread to Tufts University, where Ablow is listed as an assistant clinical professor at the School of Medicine. In a letter to the school community yesterday

Hospital chain Steward Health Care System names Joshua Potter new operating officer

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:18:58 GMT

Joshua Putter has been named the new chief operating officer for Steward Health Care System. Putter joins the for-profit system from Health Management Associates, where he led a division responsible for management of 13 Florida hospitals with net revenue of more than $1 billion.

Doctors: We aren’t ready for global payments

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:11:23 GMT

A new survey from the Massachusetts Medical Society reveals interesting divisions among doctors over plans to hold down health care spending -- and perhaps some words of warning for lawmakers. More than half -- 58 percent -- of the 1,100 doctors who responded to the society’s survey this year said they would not voluntarily agree to treat patients under so-called global payments, which put providers on a monthly per-patient budget and are seen as one of the best hopes for saving money on medical care.

Steep decline seen in smoke-free workplace violations

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:10:10 GMT

Massachusetts’ smoke-free workplace law has cleared the air considerably since its 2005 launch, and a new report suggests there’s broad public acceptance of the restrictions, as shown by a sharp decline in the number of complaints about suspected violations. Complaints declined 86 percent over five years, from 372 during the law’s first year to 52 in FY 2010, according to the state Department of Public Health report. While the number of workplace violations has dropped, complaints about smoking in multi-unit housing has risen, the department said.

Daily check up: Premiums rising, but slower

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:32:12 GMT

A look at the slowed pace of premium increases - Tainted cantaloupe tied to deadliest food outbreak in a decade - Frequent doctor visits best for diabetes patients - Terry Dougherty on paying for children’s care

Brookline case of West Nile Virus is third human case in the state this year

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:04:25 GMT

Health officials have confirmed that the third case in the state this year of a human contracting the West Nile Virus was in Brookline. The 61-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, has recovered and was released from the hospital today, said Alan Balsam, director of Brookline’s Public Health and Human Services Department. The town has been urging residents to take precautions against the mosquito bites after a Newton resident was diagnosed with the virus on Sept. 9.

Mass. health plans ranked high in national listing

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:32:00 GMT

The National Committee for Quality Assurance released its ranking of health insurance plans last week, and Massachusetts insurers once again took many of the top spots. The ranking is meant to measure, among other things, customer satisfaction and how well the plans do at offering preventive services and treating people with chronic conditions.

Stem cell researcher honored with National Medal of Science

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:35:06 GMT

Rudolf Jaenisch

Daily check up: Production woes for Genzyme parent

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:02:45 GMT

Sanofi plagued by continued drug shortages - Connector board addition - Dr. Mark Kramer on ghostwriting - The power of paper

Obama recognizes young Boston researchers for contributions

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:30:00 GMT

President Obama today recognized 94 researchers with the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. The list included at least 11 from Massachusetts. Federal departments and agencies nominate the scientists.

State’s second human case of West Nile confirmed

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:17:44 GMT

The state Department of Public Health reported today that a Worcester County woman has been diagnosed with West Nile virus -- the second human case confirmed in Massachusetts this year.

Daily check up: ADHD rates low among Latinos

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:56:11 GMT

The diagnosis rate for the behavioral condition among Latinos is about half that of non-Latino black and white children, stumping researchers - Kate Walsh and the toughest health care job in the state - The big business of children’s hospitals - Hospital goody bags and breastfeeding

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Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:56:11 GMT

Mass. reports suspected human EEE infection

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:28:35 GMT

State public health officials this evening reported a suspected case of Eastern equine encephalitis in a person who might have been exposed in Southeastern Massachusetts. If confirmed, it would be the second infection this season of the often-lethal mosquito-borne virus. An 80-year-old Raynham civic leader died earlier this month from EEE. A state health official said that an unusual number of infected mosquitoes has been detected over a large swath of the region.

Don Berwick on Medicare: Best job I’ve ever had

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:29:44 GMT

Dr. Donald Berwick doesn’t know what he’ll be doing after Dec. 31 . The Harvard pediatrician who runs the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services needs Senate confirmation by the end of the year, or he’s out of a job. Berwick, who met with editors and reporters at the Globe this morning, said he doesn’t think often about his future after Medicare.

Same message, different tone on health care costs

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:58:44 GMT

Dr. Atul Gawande and Jack Connors spoke at separate events this week, both addressing the intersection of health care quality and cost. While the central message from each was the same -- the solution to the nation’s health cost crisis lies in improving quality and will come from medical professionals (not politicians) -- the two struck notably different tones.

State to penalize hospitals that readmit too many patients

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:06:46 GMT

Starting next month, the state plans to cut Medicaid payments to 24 hospitals that it says have higher-than-average rates of readmitting patients. When a patient returns to the hospital soon after going home, it can mean that the hospital provided inadequate instructions on taking medications, or failed to follow-up on problematic test results. Massachusetts Medicaid officials, who plan to reduce reimbursements to these hospitals by 2.2 percent, estimate the program will save $5.2 million in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Daily check up: Addictions specialist charged with kickback scheme

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:22:46 GMT

Prosecutors say Dr. Punyamurtula Kishore paid sober houses to send patients his way - Ann Romney on the trail with multiple sclerosis - Family sues in alarm fatigue case - Gaining the young insured

Family sues hospital, nurse after patient death linked to ‘alarm fatigue’

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:38:03 GMT

The family of Edward Harrigan -- a patient who died at Tobey Hospital in Wareham after no one responded to warnings on his cardiac monitor -- filed a federal lawsuit against the hospital and a nurse on Tuesday. Harrigan, 87, was a patient at the hospital in September 2008. His electrocardiogram displayed a “flat line” for more than two hours because the battery in his heart monitor had died, but no one changed the battery, according to state investigators.

Brookline doctor pleads not guilty in Medicaid kickback case

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:30:07 GMT

A Brookline doctor pleaded not guilty today in Malden District Court to charges that he ran a “large-scale criminal kickback” scheme defrauding the Medicaid program. Punyamurtula Kishore was ordered held in lieu of $150,000 cash bail after a hearing in Malden District Court. He was also ordered to surrender his passport. A pretrial hearing was slated for Oct. 12. Kishore, who primarily treated addiction problems, bribed sober houses into sending business his way, prosecutors said.

Blumenthal: Electronic health records, despite flaws, make doctors better

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:34:08 GMT

Facing questions last night from providers concerned that the transition to electronic health records was eating up their time, creating obstacles to patient-doctor relationships, and potentially raising new liabilities, Blumenthal urged patience. “There is no better, no more important (medical) competency than the ability to manage information,” he said. For all their flaws, he said, electronic records give providers a powerful new tool to do that.

New research challenges work on a longevity gene

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 06:26:01 GMT

Two papers published yesterday in a leading science journal challenge some of the key research that identified a longevity gene in worms and flies and helped lay the foundation for the search for drugs that fight human aging. In one of the papers, a prominent MIT researcher corrects his influential 2001 paper that showed a genetic mechanism could prolong life in microscopic worms, finding that the life extension is much smaller than first reported. In the other paper, an international team reports that after correcting problems in how some initial experiments were conducted, increasing the activity of the gene in worms and flies did not result in longer lifespans.

Daily check up: Alarm fatigue cited in second death at UMass Memorial

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:32:07 GMT

Investigators found that alarms for a 60-year-old intensive care patient went unanswered for more than an hour, highlighting persistence of fatigue problem - Hospital group opposes readmission penalty - Tips for talking with your doctor - Employers shifting costs for disability insurance

Stem cell decision appealed

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:06:06 GMT

Two scientists have appealed a US District Court judge’s July decision to dismiss a legal challenge to federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research. The adult stem cell researchers, Dr. James L. Sherley of the Boston Biomedical Research Institute in Watertown, and Theresa Deisher of AVM Biotechnology in Washington state, alleged in their original lawsuit that President Obama’s expansion of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research hurt their ability to gain grants.

Share your health cost concerns

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:38:53 GMT

Health care costs on your mind? The nonprofit Costs of Care, founded by Dr. Neel Shah, a resident at Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General hospitals, collecting stories by patients and health care providers about their experiences grappling with the thing no one wants to think about when making decisions about a person’s health -- the bill. The group is offering $4,000 in prizes for winning entries, $1,000 each for two patient entries and two provider entries.

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Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:38:53 GMT

Globe writer talks annoyance on the Today Show

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:42:57 GMT

Globe correspondent Karen Weintraub appeared on the Today Show this morning, talking about the little-studied topic of why we get annoyed. Weintraub wrote last month about a new book by science journalist Joe Palca, called “Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us.” She talked with researchers about the evolutionary roots of why we cringe at nails on a chalkboard. Turns out our annoyance may be linked to the behaviors of that very annoying creature, the fruit fly.

Daily check up: Debate over HIV consent bill pits advocacy groups against each other

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:17:31 GMT

Bill amendment would require doctors to receive written consent from patients each time they release HIV-related health information to other providers - Three from Harvard awarded MacArthur “genius” grants - A look at what Obama’s deficit-reduction plan means for health programs - Celebrity commentary on vaccines

3 from Harvard awarded MacArthur grants

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 06:28:51 GMT

Three Harvard professors - an economist, a physicist, and a clinical psychologist - are among the 22 people awarded MacArthur “genius’’ grants today.

Study looks at who remains uninsured in Mass.

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:06:27 GMT

Much of the discussion around the 2006 Massachusetts health law has focused on how far the state has come in providing coverage for the uninsured. Dr. Rachel Nardin, a neurologist at Cambridge Health Alliance and chair of the Massachusetts chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program, said sometimes it is important to take a different look -- to look at the glass as half empty and ask, why?

Journalist groups decry removal of online doctor discipline data

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:43:17 GMT

The National Practitioners Databank makes information about malpractice and doctor discipline available to state licensure boards, hospitals, and health care associations that play a role in monitoring competency. The public version of the database, which does not include doctor names or addresses, has long been a tool for journalists and consumer advocates. At least it was -- until the federal agency that oversees the databank pulled it from its website earlier this month, prompting calls for a reversal.

Massachusetts General Hospital turns 200

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:37:43 GMT

Henry Kissinger

Daily check up: Steward announces health plan

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:59:42 GMT

Steward, Tufts partner on insurance product pitched as up to 30 percent cheaper than market rates - Syre: line between hospital, insurer blurs - More trouble signs for metal hips - Cerezyme in short supply again

Calls for change in medical education

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:27:30 GMT

The idea that graduate medical training needs to be overhauled is nothing new. But the revolutionary changes taking place in the American health care system -- more people insured than ever before, shifts in how doctors are paid, a growing emphasis on preventive and community-based care, and a driving need to control costs -- has put a spotlight on the issue. Two reports out last week suggested changes in doctor training.

MIT bioengineer to share medical prize

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:53:41 GMT

Robert Langer, the prolific MIT bioengineer whose work on tissue engineering and drug delivery has spawned many local companies, will share the $250,000 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize, for contributions in biomedical research. Langer, who has built blood vessels from scratch and helped create an implantable wafer to deliver chemotherapy in the brain, shares the award with Alain Carpentier, a cardiovascular surgeon at the Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou in Paris, who implanted an artificial airway to save a cancer patient’s lung.

Daily check up: High pay for de la Torre

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:33:37 GMT

Former chief executive at Caritas Christi earned highest pay among Boston peers in 2009 - Steward expansion in Quincy, Taunton gets green light from Public Health Council - Emotional support for doctors - Massachusetts gets a $1.2 million cut in major Medicaid settlement

An uncommon list of top hospitals from the Joint Commission

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:12:12 GMT

The Joint Commission, which accredits health care providers, today released its first list of top hospitals, using metrics designed to track quality of care. The results may surprise you. Nationally and in Massachusetts, the list skewed small and rural. On it was tiny Athol Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed hospital whose operating expenses in the tax year that ended in September 2009 were about $23 million. Absent are the powerhouses that make Boston a world-famous medical city.

Low flu vaccine rate spurs debate on mandatory shots for hospital workers

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:50:26 GMT

Roughly 71 percent

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Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:50:26 GMT

Tufts lawsuit alleges kidney foundation owes it more than $1.4 million

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:08:22 GMT

In a lawsuit filed in the US District Court of Massachusetts yesterday, Tufts Medical Center alleged that the National Kidney Foundation has failed to pay it more than $1.4 million for research and assistance the hospital provided in developing guidelines for diagnosing and treating kidney disease. The foundation had not filed a response, as of this afternoon. The two parties began working together in 1997 and signed a three-year grant contract in 2009.

Floating Hospital designated a top pediatric trauma center

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:51:13 GMT

The Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center has been named a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons, joining three other Massachusetts hospitals with that designation. To earn the title from the specialty group, hospitals must demonstrate excellence in all pediatric trauma sub-specialties, including surgery, radiology, anesthesiology, and emergency medicine, according to a hospital press release. They also must show strengths in teaching, research, and injury prevention.

Daily check up: Blue Cross, Partners deal could curb premium increases

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:17:18 GMT

The insurer and hospital system are close to a deal on a new contract that could save customers millions - The rise of drug-resistant TB in Europe - Flu vaccines for health care workers and the rest of us - When should screening stop?

Two Boston hospitals mandating flu shots for workers

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:11:27 GMT

Two of Boston’s largest teaching hospitals will require all employees who have contact with patients to get a flu vaccine this fall, or face suspension, and possibly termination. The two, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Boston, are part of a 10-hospital coalition that pledged in July to adopt policies “as quickly as logistically feasible” to mandate seasonal flu vaccines for all health care workers “as a condition of employment.”

Two Boston hospitals mandating flu shots for workers

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:04 GMT

Two of Boston’s largest teaching hospitals will require all employes who have contact with patients to get a flu vaccine this fall, or face suspension, and possibly termination. The two, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Boston, are part of a 10-hospital coalition that pledged in July to adopt policies “as quickly as logistically feasible” to mandate seasonal flu vaccines for all health care workers “as a condition of employment.”

Brigham leaders roast retiring chief medical officer

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:50:50 GMT

Dr. Andy Whittemore,

Hobbs vs. Otherton: The battle for patients

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:00:51 GMT

Gregory Warner created this amazing short about the fictional city of Hobbs, where the mayor is fighting for the love and money of people throughout the land by building the biggest and best hopsital around. Trouble is, the folks across the river in Otherton have the same idea.

Daily check up: A new cancer center at Mass General

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:43:56 GMT

Retired Genzyme executive Henri A. Termeer has committed $10 million to create a center focused on personalized medicine, including drugs tailored to the genetic makeup of tumors - A call for more preventive care funding - A battle plan for Alzheimer’s - Romney again rejects link to US health law

New finance chief at Mount Auburn

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:35:45 GMT

Mount Auburn Hospital has named a new chief financial officer. William Sullivan has joined the Cambridge hospital from St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a Steward hospital, where he was vice president of finance. He replaced Peter Semenza, who retired. In his role at St. Elizabeth’s, Sullivan oversaw all financial operations, including construction of a $30 million expansion and a $600,000 cardiovascular office space, according to a hospital press release. He previously worked for MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham.

Two sites. Lots of great health content.

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:46:41 GMT

Today was Launch Day for BostonGlobe.com. Here’s a bit about how the sleek new site will affect the health coverage you are accustomed to getting on Boston.com. In short, Boston.com will continue to be a great resource for breaking health news and features. For full access to our in-depth coverage, give the new site a try.

Exchanging knowledge: Connector, Blue Cross foundation reach out to other states

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:04:06 GMT

Under the Affordable Care Act, all states must have a health insurance exchange in place by 2014 or the federal government will create one for them. The Massachusetts Health Connector, which runs the nation’s first such marketplace, has partnered with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation to create toolkits to share lessons in the past five years.

Daily check up: Medical screening gone astray?

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:15:57 GMT

Vascular testing at community clinics sounds helpful, but some specialists argue there are risks - How pharmaceutical companies spend on doctor meals - Happy birthday, Dr. Berwick

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Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:15:57 GMT

NIH director says science funding helps economy

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:29:23 GMT

A day after President Obama laid out his plan to stimulate jobs, Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health made the case that funding biomedical research reverberates beyond the laboratory -- stimulating innovation and also having a significant economic impact, with each dollar of an NIH grant providing more than two dollars of benefit to the economy. “Medical research is one of the best stimuli of the economy that there is,” he said today during a visit to Boston.

Newton man is first West Nile case in Mass.

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:05:25 GMT

A middle-aged Newton man has been diagnosed with West Nile virus, the first human case of the mosquito-borne disease reported in Massachusetts this year, city and state health officials said today. The man, who was not identified, developed symptoms on September 1

Daily check up: Big health information breach at Stanford

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:41:35 GMT

Records for 20,000 patients posted online for nearly a year - Federal appeals court rejects health law challenge - PerkinElmer to buy Caliper - Balancing computers and patients

Boston proposes new restrictions on e-cigarettes, other tobacco products

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:38:42 GMT

The Boston Public Health Commission this afternoon unanimously approved proposed rules that would crack down on the sale of electronic cigarettes, popularly known as e-cigarettes, regulating them like actual cigarettes. The battery-powered products, which usually look like cigarettes, deliver nicotine in the form of vapor and have been largely unregulated. The commission’s proposal would require retailers to obtain a permit to sell them and prohibit their sale to minors. It would also ban use of e-cigarettes in the workplace.

Couple sentenced to one year in jail for stealing from Partners HealthCare

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:35:21 GMT

A woman who served as executive director of two medical offices affiliated with Partners HealthCare and her husband have been sentenced to spend a year in jail, with more time suspended, after they pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $500,000. Carol and Robert Peterson, formerly of Westwood, also must perform 250 hours of community service. The couple was accused of creating fake companies and fraudulently billing the medical offices for $450,000. Carol Peterson also billed the company for about $36,000 in personal expenses, according to the attorney general’s office.

Drug company speaking fees to Massachusetts doctors may be dropping

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:11:30 GMT

Total payments to doctors for promoting pharmaceutical companies’ products to their colleagues appear to be falling in Massachusetts, suggesting that new restrictions are leading some doctors to abandon the lucrative speaking circuit. An analysis by the Boston Globe and ProPublica also shows that many Harvard-affiliated doctors have dropped out of company speakers bureaus, a sideline that has allowed many physicians to earn tens of thousands of dollars.

AG approves Steward purchases of two community hospitals

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:53:21 GMT

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley today signed off on the sale of a pair of non-profit community hospitals, Morton Hospital in Taunton and the bankrupt Quincy Medical Center, to the for-profit hospital chain Steward Health Care System LLC. The approvals contained conditions intended to safeguard patients and employees, including a guarantee that Boston-based Steward will not sell either hospital for at least five years, that it will continue capital improvements after five years, and that it will maintain psychiatric beds and other services.

Key lessons in Alzheimer’s drug failures, top Mass researcher says

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:01:24 GMT

Daily check up: Bargaining over health costs

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:59:30 GMT

A Consumer Reports article suggests patients should try negotiating the cost of their care - A new leader for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and what he has to say about global payments - Researchers at Cambridge Health Alliance find few medical schools cover mental health care for students in full.

Boston launching media blitz against sugary drinks

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:08:58 GMT

Hoping to blunt the pervasive reach of sugary drinks, Boston officials today unveiled a public awareness campaign that urges residents to reduce their consumption of the beverages, which offiicals link to rising obesity rates and higher health care costs. The campaign comes a month before Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s executive order takes effect, phasing out the sale, advertising and promotion of sugar-sweetened beverages in all municipal buildings.

Beth Israel Deaconess finalizes contract with new CEO

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:58:07 GMT

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center this morning signed a contract with Dr. Kevin Tabb

Mass. Eye and Ear receives $11 million to study resistant bacteria

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:16:37 GMT

A team of Harvard researchers is collaborating to examine what makes some bacteria resistant to antibiotics and develop new drugs aimed at controlling bacterial infections, such as those from

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Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:16:37 GMT

‘Contagion’ thriller sure to scare -- and teach

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:28:49 GMT

Steven Soderbergh’s

Daily check up: A proposal for price controls

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:56:29 GMT

House majority leaders plans bill that would cut payments to the most expensive hospitals - EEE death - AstraZeneca’s research makeover - Getting more immigrants covered - A visitor to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

Palfrey to lead Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:57:10 GMT

The Obama administration announced today that Boston pediatrician Dr. Judith S. Palfrey has been named executive director of Let’s Move!, a program developed by First Lady Michelle Obama targeting childhood obesity. Palfrey is a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and led the Division of General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Boston for more than two decades.

Daily check up: Handwashing, a sympathetic act

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:24:03 GMT

Study finds handwashing increase when focus is on patient protection - Change in pediatric prescribing patterns - The MassHealth waiver - Job hunting?

New dean named at Bouvé College of Health Sciences

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:15:14 GMT

Northeastern University has named a new dean of the Bouvé College of Health Sciences. Dr. Terry Fulmer

Pfizer signs lease with MIT for research space

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:01:18 GMT

Giant drug maker Pfizer Inc. has signed a 10-year lease with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to locate several research units in Kendall Square. Plans call for Pfizer to station research units at a new building under development at 610 Main St. South. The lease with MIT is for more than 180,000 square feet of space. Earlier this year, Pfizer announced plans to add about 350 jobs to its Massachusetts work force as it relocates some operations to the Boston area.

Daily check up: Don’t trust the “Research Fairy”

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:14:10 GMT

William Heisel’s tips for academics who work with pharmaceutical companies - Malpractice award of $7m in Beth Israel Deaconess case - Stroke among the young - What’s on your uniform?

Parents awarded $7 million in death of newborn

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:47:15 GMT

A Suffolk County Superior Court jury awarded a South Hamilton couple $7 million today in the 2004 death of their newborn daughter at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, according to their attorney. Jurors found Dr. Janet Lloyd

Boston doctors to manage addiction journal

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:51:14 GMT

Boston doctors Richard Saitz and and Jeffrey Samet, of the Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, will become editors in chief of the journal Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. The journal, with about 34,000 subscribers, was created in 2002 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse but is moving to the private sector this month.

Daily check up: Heroin deaths fall in Boston

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:42:10 GMT

Shift attributed largely to the city’s controversial program to distribute overdose-reversing drug - Hospital, surgeon lose appeal - Cell phones as a public health tool - A prescription for exercise

Judges: Verdict against Brigham and Women’s Hospital and former neurosurgery chief stands

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:16:08 GMT

Three US Court of Appeals judges have upheld a lower court’s verdict against Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dr. Arthur Day,

Dentist cited for Botox treatments, other violations

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:08:35 GMT

Helaine Smith

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Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:08:35 GMT

Daily check up: Federal agencies target health fraud

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:27:35 GMT

Stronger enforcement efforts put the federal government on track to pursue 85 percent more health fraud prosecutions this year - Cuts to state-supplied flu vaccines - A messaging problem for the US health law - Health information and Steve Jobs

Medical student essentials: Stethoscope, iPad

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:17:57 GMT

Beginning this year, Yale School of Medicine will outfit all students with iPads and no longer provide printed course materials. Assistant Dean of Curriculum Mike Schwartz said the move will likely save the school money in the long-run and make the curriculum “imminently updateable.”

Daily check up: An overseer for hospitals, insurer

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:10:21 GMT

Attorney general’s office to name Beckman head of nonprofit division - New blood thinner performs well - The Mass. compromise on health costs - Taiwan hospital transplants infected organs - Dr. Charles C. Edwards, 87

Partners posts higher third-quarter income

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:51:19 GMT

Partners HealthCare System Inc. reported substantially higher earnings for the three months ending June 30, crediting better investment performance, research revenue increases, and modest growth in patient discharges at its Boston-area hospitals. Third-quarter net income was $51.7 million, compared to a $4.8 million loss in the same period last year, when Boston-based Partners suffered from a decline in the value of its interest-rate swaps, financial hedges it bought to lock in future rates for debt financing.

Daily check up: A call for action on obesity

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:50:41 GMT

Series of studies says government leaders must act to slow obesity crisis - Vaccine rates and safety - Have a bad hair day for health - “Champions in Health Care” honored

State medical board disciplines two psychiatrists

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:35:59 GMT

The Board of Registration in Medicine last week revoked the medical license of Dr. Andrew L. Stoll,

Boston University to lead research on breast cancer in African American women

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:52:07 GMT

A team of researchers co-led by Julie Palmer of Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center have been awarded $19.3 million from the National Cancer Institute to study why African American women are more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer and at a younger age, with poorer prognoses, than women of European descent.

Daily check up: Protest-free zones at abortion clinics challenged in court

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:23:12 GMT

Abortion foes say the state law requiring the buffer zone violates their free speech - Patient cares for doctor - Suicide and physical ailments - Jobs’s health