> Yours truly, FierceHealthcare, has won the About.com 2011 Readers' Choice Award for Best Healthcare Industry News and Information Site. Based on reader votes, the No. 2 spot went to American Medical News. Article
> Proposed changes to charitable tax deductions may hurt the ability of nonprofit healthcare organizations to raise funds, reports Healthcare Finance News. President Obama's budget would cap charitable deductions at 28 percent, and the Bowles-Simpson proposal would reduce the tax incentive for charitable giving to a 12 percent tax credit for donations exceeding 2 percent of a taxpayer's adjusted gross income. Article
> Surgeons at a Toronto hospital are using video game technology to save time and prevent contamination in the operating room, reports CTV News. The Xbox Kinect hands-free gaming console allows doctors to view images during surgery without having to leave the sterile field. Article
> Obstetrics patient safety initiatives at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center reduced staff errors and cut medical liability expenses by more than 90 percent, according to a study in the Journal for Healthcare Quality, reports American Medical News. The safety program focused on teamwork and communication. Article
> U.S. hospitals billed $1.2 trillion in 2008 for inpatient hospitalizations, according to a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Hospital care accounted for the largest portion of U.S. healthcare spending at 31 percent. Article
And Finally... This surgeon knows really how to use a knife. Article