Archive for February, 2009

More Training For Support Staff To Improve Maternity Services And Ease Pressure On Midwives, Wales

Friday, February 27th, 2009
New training for maternity support workers is to be rolled out across Wales to enable them to take on more tasks currently done by midwives, the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, Rosemary Kennedy, announced today.

Health Care Providers Urged to Address Unhealthy Teen Dieting

Thursday, February 26th, 2009
Discouraging unhealthy dieting—and reminding teens that dangerous diet practices could lead to added pounds&mdsah;could prevent obesity and other weight-related problems in youth, according to recent recommendations based on a large-scale study of teens.

Stimulus Packages and Tax Hikes Hoped to Overhaul Health Care

Thursday, February 26th, 2009
President Obama announced another step forward in overhauling the U.S. health care system with the announcement of a plan to raise $634 billion through tax hikes on couples earning over $250,000 per year and cuts in Medicare spending. The money will be allocated to fund an ambitious overhaul of the health care system by providing insurance to the 47 million Americans who are currently living without it. Over the ten years the plan is in effect, $316 billion would be raised by reducing payments from Medicare to private insurance plans.

Where do RNs Earn Top Dollar?

Thursday, February 26th, 2009
Nurses, like everyone else, are interested in moving up the pay scale as much as possible, especially in these tough economic times. While they can raise their pay over the long term by increasing their level of education, pursuing a higher paying specialty or by adding years of experience to their résumés, nurses may be able to achieve a quicker bump in pay by taking a job in another part of the country.

Major Victory For Southern Hills Patients

Thursday, February 26th, 2009
Tennessee Agency Denies HCA Bid to Move Southern Hills Neo-Natal Services to StoneCrest Medical Center; Community Calls on HCA to Restore all Services The Tennessee Health and Services Development Agency today dealt the HCA chain a major setback, voting 5 to 4 to deny their application to move six neo-natal intensive care unit (N-ICU) beds from Southern Hills Hospital to StoneCrest Medical Center.

Nurses Will Celebrate Profession, Enhance Skills At Nursing2009 Symposium

Thursday, February 26th, 2009
Blending the most urgent nursing topics with the latest innovations, the Nursing2009 Symposium: The Conference for Clinical Excellence will draw nurses from around the country on May 6-9, 2009, to Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The symposium is designed for nurses who provide patient care in all practice settings as well as those who want to hone their leadership skills.

Post-Birth Bleeding A Growing Danger To Women

Thursday, February 26th, 2009
Post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) immediately after giving birth is the largest threat to new mothers in high-income countries. An Australian study, featured in the open access journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, shows that an increasing number of women suffered severe problems arising from blood loss after delivery.

Health Habits of Young Adults Highlighted in Report on Nation’s Health

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
Young adults in the United States aged 18-29 face a number of health challenges, including increases in obesity, high injury rates and lack of insurance coverage compared to older adults, according to the latest report on the nation's health.

AHRQ To Study Methods To Reduce Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Hospital associations in 10 States have been selected to participate in a program to test methods of reducing central-line associated blood stream infections in hospital intensive care units (ICUs), according to the Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The States are California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. In addition, the California Hospital Patient Safety Organization, the North Carolina Center for Hospital Quality and Patient Safety and the Ohio Patient Safety Institute will participate in the project.

President Selects Rural Health Care Advocate to Oversee HHS Agency

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
President Obama announced the appointment of one of the nation’s top rural health care professionals as Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Dr. Mary Wakefield, director of the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota, will oversee this critical agency, which helps to deliver health care to those who are uninsured and underserved by our current health care system.