ALSO NOTED: PA health reforms held up; FL hospital succeeds with "bloodless" surgery; and much more...

> A Pennsylvania health reform plan backed aggressively by Gov. Ed Rendell (D) may not pass this year. Article

> Following peers elsewhere, a Jacksonville, FL hospital has developed a bloodless medicine and surgery program aimed at patients who reject transfusions. Article

> Dallas-area hospitals have decided to cut trans fats from their menus. Article

> A California nonprofit focused on quality improvement is working to get doctors on board with EMRs and other health IT tools. It's dangling Medicare pay-for-performance options as an incentive. Article

> A new federal bill is now under consideration which would help physician practices afford the cost of implementing more sophisticated health IT tools. Article

> New York City plans to distribute EMR software at no cost to physicians with large Medicaid caseloads. Article

> CMS has put its stamp of approval on three e-prescribing standards for use in Medicare Part D transactions, after testing them jointly with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Article

> Promoting PHR use: Is it a good idea? One critic offers a resounding "no." Article

> Red Hat strikes a healthcare research deal with the University of North Carolina. Article

And Finally... A physician critique in rhyming couplets. Blog