McKesson

> Observers speculate that as the options-backdating scandal broadens, criminal charges become more likely. Could UnitedHealth Group's McGuire be at risk? Article

> Information services giant Thomson formalizes its deal with MercuryMD, the Research Triangle based maker of MData Enterprise. Article

> GE …

> The UK health minister admits that plans to give all 50 million NHS patients in England a full electronic medical record are running at least two to two-and-a-half years late. Article

> McKesson will sell its automated prescription services segment to Parata Systems, a pharmacy robotics specialist.  …

UnitedHealth subsidiary Ingenix has signed a deal to acquire NWH, a New York-based company specializing in "real-time Internet connections" between healthcare companies, for $52.4 million. NWH reported $18.9 million in revenue and net income of $942,000 last year. A UnitedHealth spokesman said the merger will increase efficiency, and allow the insurer to reimburse physicians more quickly. The move comes on the same week that a report listed the insurer as among the slowest to respond to …

McKesson has won a $146 million contract in Illinois to administer a disease management program. Savings generated by the program are supposed to fund's Gov. Rod Blagojevich's (D) expansion of health insurance for uninsured kids. The Chicago Sun Times asks unpleasant questions about the contract. Old-time politics, Chicago style? Article

> McKesson released so-so numbers for the first quarter, with revenues up 12 percent but profits down 15 percent. But provider technologies are another story, with the unit reporting a revenue gain of 30 percent. Article

> Chutes & Ladders: Boston Scientific chief medical officer Mary Russell is resigning. Russell played a key role in the development of the company's Taxus …

> Officials at St. Luke's Episcopal in Houston said they will continue to provide care to a terminally ill heart patient. Pro-life groups had protested the hospital's decision to withhold treatment. Article

> University Hospitals Health System of Cleveland has changed names. The provider will be known as Case Medical Center. …

Midland Memorial Hospital announced a deal with AllScripts to deploy Allscripts Healthmatics ED in its emergency department. The system allows personnel to document new arrivals at bedside, improving patient flow and clinical documentation processes. Midland Memorial plans to integrate the system with the Precision 2000 Admit-Discharge-Transfer (ADT) system by McKesson. Midland Memorial is somewhat of a pioneer in that it's the first major site for the OpenVista system produced by MedSphere Systems.

- read this AllScripts release

Struggling healthcare products distributor Cardinal Health named Procter & Gamble exec Kerry Clark as CEO. Clark replaces Robert Walter, who led the company for thirty-six years. A candidate for the top jobs at Coca Cola and 3M this year, Clark's resume includes a stint at the helm of P&G's family healthcare products division. Walter remains with Cardinal as chairman of the board.

Cardinal has hit turbulent times of late as drug makers have changed their policies on …

Following nearly a decade of problems after its ill-fated merger with HBOC, the outlook is getting better for McKesson, argues Standard & Poors Equity Research. Standard & Poors rates McKesson a "strong buy" largely due to the expected business the company is projected to win as a result of the new Medicare drug benefit and the trend toward generic drugs. The research group also sees increased demand for McKesson software from its Provider Technologies division--the old HBOC. …

The New York Times reports on compliance programs that are designed to get patients to stick to their drug regimens. These are both good for the patients' health and for pharmaceutical company profits, as many patients do not take all their prescribed drugs properly--especially for conditions for which symptoms are not obvious such as high-blood pressure. Several companies like McKesson and subsidiaries of manufacturers such as Pfizer Health Solutions have call centers …