ALSO NOTED: Humana posts poor Q3; ERs jammed in Fla.; and much more...

> Dark days at Humana, as the health plan's third-quarter profit plunged 41 percent. Article [1] (Wall Street Journal sub. req.)

> With many local doctor's offices closed a week after Hurricane Wilma, emergency rooms in South Florida are jammed. Article [2]

> PBS airs Rx for Survival November 1-3. The series profiles global health challenges and influential figures in the healthcare industry. Multimedia Web site [3]

> Will healthcare IT save money? Maybe. What about better diagnostics? Less
certain. Article [4]

> At Philadelphia Medical Center, an experiment aimed at improving patient comfort is underway. The hospital's observation unit offers cable TV and a la carte meals. Article [5]

> In Vermont, IDX co-founder Richard Tarrant is running for Senate as a Republican. His healthcare proposals, however, are the kind that make Democrats smile. Article [6]

> In Lansing, MI, a deal has been struck between Ingham Regional Medical Center and nurses striking since October 12. Article [7]

> Jonathan Cohn writes in the New Republic on The Danger of Consumer-Driven
Health Care. Article [8]

> Searching for human-driven care in the age of the gadget? You're not alone, doctor. You're not alone. Article [9]

> Investigators at the US Attorney's office in Boston are playing a lead role in the inquiry into possible kickbacks paid by leading device companies. Article [10]

> Scribe Healthcare Technologies, a maker of a web-based transcription system for physicians, says it has partnered with MD-IT. Release [11]

> MedSeek, a firm specializing in web-based content management systems, announced that it has signed four new hospitals as clients. Release [12]

> Doctor groups say federal aid is needed to help hospitals and clinics in Louisiana recover from the storms of September. Article [13]

And Finally... Who knew? They're rapping over in the ER. We await the arrival of the first GI rapper with highly baited breath. Blog [14] (Video/QuickTime)