ALSO NOTED: UPMC, CombineNet join forces; Employees at Salt Lake hospital fired; and much more...

> President Bush has been handed a great opportunity to make changes to the healthcare system. It is tempting to imagine what his predecessors might have done if placed in the same situation. Blog

> The approval of a new form of inhalable insulin last week may mark the beginning of a new era in diabetes care, but the real problem remains convincing patients to manage their conditions effectively, argue some experts. Article

> One drawback of the consumer-driven care movement, of course, is that consumers rely on the media for much of their information. The cheerful oncologist notes that in cancer care this is already presenting problems. Blog

> Critics say a study released last week distorted the extent of the national meth problem by focusing almost exclusively on emergency rooms in rural hospitals where the drug's use is heaviest. Article

> Two employees at a Salt Lake City hospital have been fired after leaking information to the media about the health condition of the head of the Mormon Church during a recent visit. One of the employees protests that she was let go even though the email in question was sent by somebody else who had access to her system login. Article

> UPMC has joined forces with CombineNet to form a new company called Combined Med that will create a new portal designed to link surgical device and pharmaceutical suppliers with healthcare providers. UPMC has invested $2 million in the project. Article

> Richardson Regional Medical Center says it has gone with a free and open WiFi access policy that allows patients, staff and visitors unlimited access. Article

> The Washington Post examines state laws under consideration that would give healthcare workers the right to refuse to provide care on the basis of their beliefs. Article

And Finally... About one-quarter of U.S. AIDS spending has gone toward faith-based initiatives run by religious groups, the Associated Press reports. Article

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