ALSO NOTED: GPO in deal with Ascension; Merck wins federal trial in Vioxx case; and much more...

> Despite growing alarm in countries where the H5N1 virus has been detected, WHO officials said there is no evidence that it has mutated into a form capable of human to human transmission. Blog

> The Carlyle Group equity fund is buying MultiPlan, the largest independent PPO. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Release

> A federal court jury found on Friday that Merck is not liable in the death of a patient who took Vioxx for only one month. Article

> Shares of HealthGrades rose nearly twenty percent last week as the market reacted to recent government moves in the consumer space. Major investments by Fidelty Investments and RS Investments of San Francisco were announced last week. Article

> The Amish community in Pennsylvania negotiates care costs direct with local hospitals via its own quasi-PPO arrangement through local doctors. Article (WSJ sub. req.)

> Misys Healthcare said it plans to double the size of its Bangalore office. CEO Tom Skelton said the site will grow to about 500 employees within two years. Article

> The flip side of consumer driven health, doctor? Consumer driven questions. Article

> GPO Broadlane, which is partly owned by Tenet and Kaiser, has signed a 3-year procurement contract with St. Louis-based Ascension Health. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Ascension is said to buy about $2 billion worth of supplies and equipment annually. Article

> Chutes & Ladders: NJ Governor Jon Corzine appointed Bruce C. Vladeck as the interim president at the troubled University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Article

And Finally... Want healthier entertainment? Keep the violence, ditch the food. Article

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