vaccinations

ALSO NOTED: NJ flunks Medicaid security audit; Study says infants aren't getting vaccines on time; and much more...

Mon, 05 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> New Jersey's Medicaid program has flunked a state security audit, which found that the program isn't doing enough to monitor who looks at sensitive data. FierceHealthIT

> A new study suggests that growing numbers of infants don't get their vaccinations on time, a trend that could increase the risk of disease among a fragile population. FierceVaccines

> While electronic medical records can be a big investment, sometimes that investment pays off decisively. FierceHealthFinance

> New research suggests that uninsured children in middle class households face similar health risks to those who are poor and uninsured. Article

And Finally... In heaven, there is no beer--but this guy plans to take it as far as he can. Article

California clinic offers care only to the well

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:59:54 -0400

According to internist and emergency physician Richard McCauley, MD, it doesn't make sense for sick people and the well to get care from the same clinic. That's why he opened WellnessMart. The Thousand Oaks, CA, based "health store" offers not only immunizations, annual checkups, vaccinations and travel immunizations, but also free information on various diseases and free workshops on how to prevent those conditions. Borrowing a move from existing retail clinics, McCauley lists all service prices on a big menu board so patients know up front what they'll pay. WellnessMart doesn't accept insurance, but it does sell high-deductible plans, which McCauley supports. According to McCauley, patients are promptly sent elsewhere if they show signs of illness. "If someone sneezes, we don't take care of them. I tell them they're in the wrong spot," he says.

To learn more about WellnessMart:
- read this AMNews article (sub. req.)

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ALSO NOTED: FDA investigates Roche, Novartis transplant drugs; Maryland hospital fined for radiation errors; and much more...

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> The FDA has started to investigate whether Roche's CellCept and Novartis' Myfortic, similar drugs used in transplants to prevent organ rejection, cause an often-fatal neurological disease. FiercePharma

> A Maryland hospital has been fined by the state after two separate incidents in which cancer patients got the wrong doses of radiation. Article

> A Wisconsin village is asking a local hospital to pay more than $1.6 million in sewer connection fees, continuing to fight a legal battle that has raged for years. Article

> With mumps becoming an issue despite existing vaccinations, some physicians are calling for the industry to create a new vaccine--and calling for people to get a third dose of the current vaccine in the meantime. FierceBioresearcher

And Finally... Yes, you're reading this right; it breathes, but it has no lungs. Article