> The Joint Commission has launched an electronic portal that will allow providers to see and track healthcare-associated infection data. The portal will offer free and for-purchase HAI information and tools, the agency announced Monday. Press release
> More than 500 hospitals--including the systems of Bon Secours Health System, Inova Health System, Tenet Healthcare, Catholic Health Initiatives, Kaiser Permanente and Hospital Corporation of America--are joining forces to use more environmentally responsible products, energy and foods, the Healthier Hospitals Initiatives announced yesterday. Statement
> In a finalized deal, Duke LifePoint Healthcare will take majority ownership of Virginia's Twin County Regional Healthcare (TCRH), according to an announcement yesterday. TCRH marks the third hospital to join Duke LifePoint and the first Virginia hospital. Announcement
> Research recently presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting found that nearly half of cancer survivors die from conditions other than cancer. The other causes included diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular conditions. Press release
> Obesity costs more than smoking, according to a study in the March Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Researchers found that average health costs were $1,275 higher for smokers and $1,850 higher for the obese. Abstract
And Finally... Happiness predicts GDP. Article