Top Stories

Top news stories from the past 14 days. Please visit the News Archive for earlier stories.

"I'm Sorry": Why is that so Hard for Doctors to Say?
Feb 8, 2010 -- American Medical News article discusses how concerns about medical liability, insurance coverage and a lack of training for doctors mean an apology after medical errors is the exception.

CMS Proposed Rule Excludes Most Provider-Based Clinics
Feb 8, 2010 -- Rural Health Voices article by Louis Wenzlow, originally published in early January, has been revised to clearly indicate that Rural Health Clinics are eligible for Medicaid incentives, whether or not they are provider-based.

More Than $119 Million Awarded to States and Territories
Feb 8, 2010 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today awarded more than $119 million to states and U.S. territories to support public health efforts to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking-the four most important actions for combating chronic diseases and promoting health.

Student Embraces Rural Setting for Medical Training
Feb 8, 2010 -- Western News, (MT) article profiles Samantha Michelena who is part of the WWAMI (an acronym for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) Rural Integrated Training Experience, or WRITE program, which sends third-year medical students to hospitals and doctor’s offices in rural communities throughout the northwest states.

The ‘Medical Home’ Experiment
Feb 8, 2010 -- Buffalo News, (NY) article tells of a radical experiment has begun at hundreds of medical practices that could transform medicine, improving quality, controlling costs and leaving patients more satisfied.

CMS Releases National Health Expenditure Projections
Feb 5, 2010 -- Medicare Update reports that The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has prepared an analysis of projected national health care expenditures through 2019, which has been published on-line by the journal Health Affairs.

HUS Secretary Donovan Announces New Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities
Feb 5, 2010 -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan has announced the launch of HUD’s new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC), designed to help build stronger, more sustainable communities by connecting housing to jobs, fostering local innovation and building a clean energy economy.

Illinois Supreme Court Strikes Down Medical Malpractice Law
Feb 5, 2010 -- Chicago Tribune, (IL) article reports that the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a medical malpractice law enacted in 2005 that limited monetary damages to $1 million from hospitals and $500,000 from doctors for pain and suffering, saying limits on damages awarded to victims of medical negligence are unconstitutional.

Medicare Pays Almost Half of Rural Hospital Stays
Feb 5, 2010 -- Newswise article reports that Medicare patients accounted for almost half of all stays (45 percent) at rural hospitals in 2007, while the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries who were admitted to urban hospitals was considerably lower (35 percent), according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

More than 30 Percent of Seniors Are Not Immunized Against Pneumonia in 36 States; New Report Finds Low Adult Vaccination Rates in U.S.
Feb 5, 2010 -- A new report, Adult Immunization: Shots to Save Lives, released today by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) found that more than 30 percent of adults ages 65 and older had not been immunized against pneumonia in 36 states as of 2008.

Rural Radio Diversity — Take a Listen
Feb 5, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article tells how small towns across the Midwest—from Iowa to Indiana—and throughout the rest of nation are tenaciously clawing themselves out of the corporate cage by creating, maintaining, or enhancing local, independent radio.

Sebelius, Vilsack Celebrate One Year Anniversary of Children’s Health Insurance Law, Highlight Campaign to Cover Kids
Feb 5, 2010 -- Exactly one year after President Obama signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 2.6 million more children were served by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) at some point over the past year.

Healthy Teachers: A Lesson for Schools
Feb 4, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article tells of a school district in Kirksville, Missouri, that has managed to maintain the same health care premiums for the past five years by deciding to make primary health care of employees a priority.

HRSA Opens 2010 Nursing Student Loan Repayment Program
Feb 4, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the Health Resources and Services Administration is accepting applications through March 4 for its 2010 Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.
Learn more about: Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP)

Initiative, Offered by Idaho State University and Others, Aimed at Reducing Turnover
Feb 4, 2010 -- Minnesota Hospital Association article tells of an a new, free online rural nurse residency program, aimed at improving nurses' competence and satisfaction and preventing turnover.

Rural Nurse Training Goes High Tech, Mobile
Feb 4, 2010 -- Gant Daily, (PA) article tells how Pennsylvania is tackling their rural nursing shortage with new high-tech labs, one mobile, to enhance learning for student nurses and health care professionals.

American Association of Public Health Dentistry Establishes Panel for Dental Therapist Curriculum
Feb 3, 2010 -- The American Association of Public Health Dentistry has announced the creation of a panel comprised of Dental Deans and Dental Faculty to develop post-secondary training for a mid-level dental provider model that is relatively new in the U.S.

Obama's Proposed Budget is a Mixed Bag for Rural Health
Feb 3, 2010 -- HealthLeaders Media article discusses the positives and negatives of President Obama's rural health budget and how it will affect rural healthcare projects.

States Cutting Back Special Programs for Uninsured
Feb 3, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article tells how the recession is forcing states such as Washington to pare back health insurance programs for low-income people, even as growing joblessness boosts demand for help.

The National Plan for Action Open for Comment Until February 12
Feb 3, 2010 -- The National Plan for Action is open for public comments until February 12, 2010. Don’t wait! With your help, this plan will be a road map for the elimination of the health disparities that burden our nation.

HHS Budget Makes Smart Investments, Protects the Health and Safety of America’s Families
Feb 2, 2010 -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today highlighted critical investments in President Obama’s 2011 HHS budget that she says will protect the health and safety of America’s families.

How the CMS Proposed Rule Will Raise the Cost of Rural Healthcare
Feb 2, 2010 -- Rural Health Voices editorial by Louis Wenzlow, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, discusses how CMS’ claims regarding the financial benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) for providers are not supported by their source reference material; and the benefits CMS predicts are not likely to materialize, especially for small rural providers.

HUD FY2011 Budget Focuses on Fiscal Discipline, Investing in People and Places
Feb 2, 2010 -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today unveiled the Department’s fiscal year 2011 budget proposal, focusing on fiscal discipline, creating jobs and building on the administration’s first year accomplishments by proposing reform in HUD’s housing and community development programs to make them more streamlined, efficient, and accountable.

Interim Final Rules Under the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008; Request for Comments     Federal Register 
Feb 2, 2010 -- Comments are being requested on this document containing interim final rules implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which requires parity between mental health or substance use disorder benefits and medical/surgical benefits with respect to financial requirements and treatment limitations under group health plans and health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan.

NRHA Strengthens Focus on Community Health Status
Feb 2, 2010 -- On Jan. 23, the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Board of Directors unanimously voted to enhance the organization’s focus on health status and public health by establishing a constituency group dedicated to community health status.

Scott M. Street Receives AHA's Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award
Feb 2, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the AHA has presented its 2009 Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award to Scott Street, president and CEO of Duncan (OK) Regional Hospital. The annual award recognizes small or rural hospital leaders who have improved health care delivery in their communities through innovative and progressive efforts.

Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Grant Conference Call to be Held February 11, 2010
Feb 2, 2010 -- The Office of Rural Health policy will host a conference call for applicants interested in applying for the Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Grant, on Thursday, February 11th at 2:00 PM Eastern time.

Vilsack: Rural America is in Need of Renewal
Feb 2, 2010 -- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote a long op-ed for the Des Moines (Iowa) Register where he outlined "six approaches" for improving rural economies.

White House Seeks $125 Billion for Veterans in 2011
Feb 2, 2010 -- To expand health care to a record-number of Veterans, reduce the number of homeless Veterans and process a dramatically increased number of new disability compensation claims, the White House has announced a proposed $125 billion budget next year for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Caregiving Strains Families of Veterans with Severe Injuries
Feb 1, 2010 -- USA Today article discusses how unpaid caregivers helping war veterans — parents, spouses, siblings and war buddies — are a vulnerable group, often under-recognized, and in need of help to navigate the military's medical system.

Obama Administration Issues Rules Requiring Parity in Treatment of Mental, Substance Use Disorders
Feb 1, 2010 -- The departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury has issued an interim final rule providing parity for consumers enrolled in group health plans who need treatment for mental health or substance use disorders.

Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Attorney General Eric Holder Convene National Summit on Health Care Fraud, Unveil Historic Commitment to Fighting Fraud in President’s FY 2011 Budget
Jan 29, 2010 -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder today joined private sector leaders, law enforcement personnel and health care experts for a landmark National Summit on Health Care Fraud.

HHS Secretary and Surgeon General Join First Lady to Announce Plans to Combat Overweight and Obesity and Support Healthy Choices
Jan 29, 2010 -- First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin announced plans today to help Americans lead healthier lives through better nutrition, regular physical activity, and by encouraging communities to support healthy choices.

Novel Health Care Approaches: The 'Medical Home' and 'Medicine at Work'
Jan 29, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News article tells of two novel approaches to health care: the medical home and patient-doctor interactions via video.

Report: Too Few Minority Doctors After Decades of Discrimination
Jan 29, 2010 -- Medical News Today article reports that although the number of minorities in the medical profession has risen in recent years, decades of discrimination still leaves them drastically underrepresented in the field, as chronicled in new report appearing in the February issue of the journal Academic Medicine.

Rural Areas Win More Than $309 Million in Broadband Stimulus Grants
Jan 29, 2010 -- Government Technology article reports that broadband stimulus grants and loans equaling more than $309 million were recently awarded for private-sector networks in rural areas by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), one of two federal agencies distributing $7.2 billion set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for broadband projects.

Advocacy Training Can Give Students, Residents Skills to Improve Community Health
Jan 28, 2010 -- AAFP News Now article reports that incorporating advocacy training into family medicine residencies could rekindle residents' idealism and give them the skills they need to be catalysts for change, particularly in medically underserved populations, says one family medicine educator.

Analysis: Poor Ratings Persist for 1 in 5 U.S. Nursing Homes
Jan 28, 2010 -- Courier-Post, (NJ) article reports that one in five of the nation's 15,700 nursing homes have consistently received poor ratings for overall quality, a USA TODAY analysis of new government data finds.

CMS Releases Revised Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Fact Sheet
Jan 28, 2010 -- The Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released a revised Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Fact Sheet (January 2010), which provides general information about the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) including payment rates and MPFS payment rates formula.

Critical Access Hospitals Could Benefit from Drug Discounts
Jan 28, 2010 -- HealthLeaders Media article discusses how Critical Access Hospitals could benefit from drug discounts through the 340B program.

FDA Announces Class I Recall of Certain Infusion Set Needles
Jan 28, 2010 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a Class I recall of Exel/Exelint Huber needles, Exel/Exelint Huber Infusion Sets and Exel/Exelint “Securetouch+” Safety Huber Infusion Sets, manufactured by Nipro Medical Corporation for Exelint International Corporation.

Full Transcript: Text of President Obama's 2010 State of the Union Address; With Video
Jan 28, 2010 -- New York Daily News offers the text and video of President Obama's 2010 State of the Union Address.

Health IT Helps Practices Grow, Improve Patient Care
Jan 28, 2010 -- AAF News Now recently talked to four family physicians who said their practices and their patients are reaping the rewards of EHR technology.

MedPAC Calls for 1 Percent Overall Payment Increase in 2011
Jan 28, 2010 -- American Academy of Family Physicians article reports that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, will ask Congress to approve a 1 percent increase in the Medicare physician payment rate for 2011 and to provide a budget-neutral payment increase next year for physicians whose practices are focused on primary care services.

Obama On Health Care: What A Difference A Year Makes
Jan 28, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News reports that in his first State of the Union speech, President Obama called on Congress to get health reform "done," and while he acknowledged obstacles, his call for health reform was just as impassioned as his first address to a joint session of Congress 11 months ago.

CBO Projects Medicare Spending at $1,038 Billion in 2020
Jan 27, 2010 -- Medicare Update article reports that the according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), gross spending on the Medicare program is expected to total $528 billion in 2010, $735 billion in 2015, and $1,038 billion in 2020.

Commerce and USDA Hosted Public Workshop for Broadband Grant and Loan Applicants in Portland Today
Jan 27, 2010 -- Designed to help prospective awardees apply for broadband grants and loans under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) held the first of 10 public broadband workshops today.

HHS Launches Web Site for Medical Volunteers in Haiti
Jan 27, 2010 -- AHA News reports that the Department of Health and Human Services has launched a Web site for medical workers who wish to volunteer their services to the earthquake relief effort in Haiti.

HHS Preparing to Award $50M for Health IT Research Center
Jan 27, 2010 -- Federal Computer Week article reports that the Health and Human Services Department is preparing to award a series of task orders totaling about $50 million to establish a national Health Information Technology Research Center (HITRC) to support promotion of electronic health records.

NRHA to Honor Congressional Rural Health Champions
Jan 27, 2010 -- The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) has announced the winners of the 2010 NRHA Legislative Awards, which recognize outstanding leadership in rural health issues by both U.S. Congressional Members and Congressional staff.

Doctors Develop Life-Saving, Low-Cost Ventilators for Emergency, Rural and Military Use
Jan 26, 2010 -- Science Daily article reports that a group of UK anesthetists have designed and tested three prototype low-cost ventilators that could provide vital support during major healthcare emergencies involving large numbers of patients or casualties and could also be used for a wide range of applications, such as rural healthcare and armed conflicts.

Health Care Leader Action Guide to Reduce Readmissions
Jan 26, 2010 -- The Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) has developed a free, downloadable guide for health care leaders to help start the conversation about how to address avoidable hospital readmissions.

Innovative Alaska Health Plan Outperforms Many Others in Lower 48
Jan 26, 2010 -- Kaiser Health News tells of the Southcentral Foundation, owned, led by and run by Alaska Natives, that uses an innovative, integrated-care approach to health care: viewing physical, mental, social and spiritual wellness as interconnected.

Ready, Set for Broadband Race Round 2
Jan 26, 2010 -- Daily Yonder article discusses how the rules have been simplified for the second round of federal broadband applications, but there are now two sets of rules to consider.