News From Around the Web
> Researchers have determined that some women with early breast cancer may benefit from a one-and-done treatment approach where they receive a single doe of targeted radiation after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor, HealthDay News reported. The procedure involves using miniature devices to deliver radiation to the tumor site while it remains open after a lumpectomy has been performed. Article
> A leak at a South African Nuclear Energy Corp. plant has caused a global shortfall in the production of molybdenum-99 and technetium-99, medical isotopes that are used in millions of medical procedures annually, Bloomberg reported. According to Don Robertson, managing director of NTP Radioisotopes SOC Ltd., NTP is the second largest manufacturer of medical radioisotopes in the world, and while NTP's local market will only experience a limited shortage, the global market has suffered because of the lead times involved for backup partners to ramp up their manufacturing capabilities. Article
>Thirteen patient groups have submitted a letter asking Congress to support patient access to diagnostic imaging by opposing additional reimbursement cuts, support Medicare coverage decisions that facilitate access to appropriate medical imaging, and oppose obstacles to appropriate scans, such as radiology benefits managers (RBMs) in Medicare, AuntMinnie.com reported. Article
Health IT News
> Doctors at Oregon Health & Science University recently used telemedicine to save a 7-month-old baby's life, according to an article in the Portland Business Journal. Struggling with a 102.4 degree fever and visiting the second hospital of the day, a doctor on duty at Columbia Memorial Hospital called for a telemedicine consultation with OHSU, according to the article. Jennifer Needle, M.D., a pediatric intensivist at OHSU, examined the child via a two-way communication system, with a "robot-like device" at the patient's end and a doctor sitting at a telemedicine computer workstation at OHSU's Doernbecher Children's Hospital. The child's symptoms included a high fever and rash--both of which the remote doctor could see. The child ultimately was diagnosed the child with memingococcemia, a life-threatening bacterial infection. Article
Health Finance News
> Now that health insurance exchanges have been open for one month, the enrollment numbers show more consumers are signing up for Medicaid than private policies. Article
And finally… A rave for the Gettysburg Address--50 years later. Article