ALSO NOTED: Calif. increases nursing school slots; Joint Commission launches rights campaign; and much more...

> California is taking steps to open more slots in nursing schools. Prospective nurses currently face long waiting lists to get into such programs. Article

> The Joint Commission has launched a campaign designed to teach patients what their rights are when receiving medical care. Release

> Dallas-based Parkland Memorial Hospital is upgrading its aging, overcrowded facility--at a whopping $1.2 billion cost. Article

> Tufts-New England Medical Center is cutting back staff a bit in the wake of slower-than-expected inpatient admissions. Article

> A new study suggests that despite popular belief, EMRs can't single-handedly improve diabetes care. Article

> Here's the story of how one Texas health system has subsidized EMRs for physicians. Article

> The New York Times concludes that a broad array of pharma and biotech companies are looking for new therapies to treat Alzheimer's, which is expected to claim millions of more victims as the populations of developed countries age. Report

> Scientists at Penn and Howard Hughes Medical Institute believe that their investigation of the role fat metabolism plays in the development of Type 2 diabetes has pointed to a new drug target. Report

And Finally... Now that's one tough guy. Article