8th Annual Innovations in Healthcare^SM Awards & Event »»

Vantage Oncology:  Opens New Facility, Earns Accreditation »»
InSight:  Acquisition Strengthens Northern Cal Presence »»
Hythiam:  CompCare to Market PROMETA »»
GSK:  Teams to Fight Pediatric AIDS »»
ECI:  Launches New Healthcare Division »»
AT&T:  Lands Daughters of Charity Contract »»

Appropriate Medical Care Provided 55% of Time »»
Nearly 30% of Employers Offer High-Deductible Health Plans »»
New Jersey Extends Age of Insurance Dependency to 30 »»

Medicare Pushes for More Transparency »»
Bush Nominates von Eschenbach for FDA Commissioner »»
CNA Endorses Universal Healthcare Legislation »»
Some MDs Will Withdraw From Medicare if Payments Are Cut »»

8th Annual Innovations in Healthcare^SM Awards & Event
The nominations are in -- in four new categories -- for the 2006 Innovations in Healthcare^SM ABBY Awards! This year, one winner will be chosen from each category. Recognized for Medical Technology are: Almen Laboratories; Biolase Technology; Concentric Medical Inc.; Genomic Health; Gen-Probe Inc.; Insulet Corporation; Nobel Biocare; Pro-Dex Inc.; SiDMAP; and XDx, Inc.  Recognized for Consumer Empowerment are: American Medical Consumers; ARCUS Enterprises; HealthEquity, Inc.; Kaiser Permanente Internet Services Group; Quantum Health; Redwood Health/Pacific Foundation for Medical Care; and Sterling HSA.  Recognized for Information Technology are: BeWell Mobile Technology; Enclarity Inc.; Government Management Services/FACIS; Health Savings Technology; IGP Technologies; IntelliDOT Corporation; Kaiser Permanente Information Technology; KDH Systems, Inc.; Satori Labs Inc.; and Skylight Healthcare Systems.  Recognized for Innovative Approach are: CalRHIO; Century City Doctors Hospital; HealthAlliant; Health Hero Network Inc.; The Innovation Factory; JEG Diversified; Stat Nurses International; and Talbert Medical Group.  Our Finalists Selection Committee will meet on March 29th to choose 8 ABBY Award Finalists and the "Leadership in Innovation" Award Recipient and Keynoter. Then JOIN US on Wednesday, June 7th in Long Beach for the Finalists' presentations and Awards Ceremony. Click Here for More Information >>

Vantage Oncology:  Opens New Facility, Earns Accreditation
Congratulations to Vantage Oncology, where Mike Fiore is CEO, on opening its new Redhawk Radiation Therapy Center in Temecula, and completing facility and equipment upgrades to its Riverside Radiation Therapy Center and its Imperial Valley Cancer Center.  Also, on its Evansville (Indiana) Cancer Center's accreditation by the American College of Radiation Oncology, a voluntary process in which professional peers recognize facilities that meet or exceed standards of excellence in cancer care. >>


InSight:  Acquisition Strengthens Northern Cal Presence
InSight Health Corp., where Pat Blank is a senior executive, has completed its acquisition of East Bay Medical Imaging, LLC, of San Ramon, California, which specializes in magnetic resonance imaging. >>

Hythiam:  CompCare to Market PROMETA
Hythiam, Inc., where Rick Anderson is CAO, announced that its PROMETA protocols, designed to treat substance dependence, have successfully passed review by CompCare's New Technology Committee, and are now approved for reimbursement. CompCare will market PROMETA to its clients as part of the first acute medical substance abuse disease management program.  Meanwhile, the Pierce County Alliance in the State of Washington will conduct a pilot to determine PROMETA's effectiveness as a medical treatment for methamphetamine and cocaine dependency, and its effect on reducing recidivism among drug court offenders. >>

GSK:  Teams to Fight Pediatric AIDS
GlaxoSmithKline, where Arlene Kirsch is a senior executive, has joined a coordinated effort with the White House, U.S. State Department, other pharmaceutical companies, UNICEF and UNAIDS to reduce barriers to treatment for children with AIDS in developing countries. The collaboration will work to maximize the use of currently available pediatric medicines for AIDS, and to accelerate development of new treatment options for children. In developing countries, 50% of children infected by HIV will die before the age of two if they do not have access to AIDS treatments, GSK reports. >>

ECI:  Launches New Healthcare Division
Expert Communications Inc. (ECI), a national direct response firm specializing in marketing solutions for regulated industries, has launched ECI Healthcare, led by Chief Strategist Robin Raff. A reflection of the trend toward consumer-driven healthcare, the new division will address the specific marketing needs of healthcare companies, particularly those targeting the mature market. >>

AT&T:  Lands Daughters of Charity Contract
AT&T Inc., where Judi Manis, Karren Verdolivo and Jon Wellinger are senior executives, announced a new contract with the Daughters of Charity Health System, comprised of six hospitals and medical centers in California. Among other things, AT&T will provide its Frame Relay services for increased bandwidth to accommodate new applications, such as a Physician Portal that will allow DCHS physicians to access secure databases for medical images, test results and medical history, increasing efficiency and patient safety. >>

Appropriate Medical Care Provided 55% of Time
U.S. residents receive appropriate medical care about 55% of the time, regardless of race, income, education or health insurance status, according to a study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. Percentage of Time that Participants Receive Appropriate Medical Care: *Blacks - 57.6% of the time; Latinos - 57.5%; Whites: - 54.1%. *Females - 57% of the time; Males - 52%. *Participants with annual incomes of over $50,000 - 57% of the time; those with annual incomes of less than $15,000 - 53%. *Participants without health insurance - 54% of the time; those enrolled in managed care plans - 55%. *Younger participants and those with higher incomes were more likely to receive diagnostic tests but less likely to receive follow-up care. (Associated Press, 3/16/06) 

Nearly 30% Employers Offer High-Deductible Health Plans
More than four times as many large and midsize companies are currently offering high-deductible health plans, according to a recent Watson Wyatt and National Business Group on Health survey, compared with 7% of companies responding in 2004. The 2006 survey also finds that 60% of companies thought high-deductible health plans would be somewhat effective in controlling healthcare cost increases. (Reuters, 3/16/06)

New Jersey Extends Age of Insurance Dependency to 30
Beginning in May, unmarried New Jersey residents up to age 30 will be eligible for health insurance coverage as a dependent under a parent's policy, regardless of whether they are students or reside with their parents. The new age of dependency will be the oldest in the nation. (USA Today, 3/16/06)

Medicare Pushes for More Transparency
The federal government will soon begin publicly disclosing the prices that federal health programs such as Medicare pay hospitals and doctors for routine medical procedures, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said, as part of a larger effort by the Bush administration to arm consumers with more information, in the hope that they will help drive down healthcare costs by seeking lower charges. The Medicare system will soon post on its Web site the prices it pays to cover certain procedures. As a next step in this effort, the government will later publicize broader healthcare cost information specific to several cities. (Associated Press, 3/15/06)

Bush Nominates von Eschenbach for FDA Commissioner
President Bush has nominated acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach to become permanent head of the agency. Von Eschenbach, who also is Director of the National Cancer Institute, was appointed acting Commissioner for FDA in September 2005 after then-Commissioner Lester Crawford's unexpected resignation. Von Eschenbach plans to resign from his position at NCI. As permanent Commissioner, von Eschenbach likely would focus on streamlining FDA's process for approving new medications for hard-to-cure diseases like certain cancers. FDA also must "establish a framework for regulating emerging fields such as generic medicine." (New York Times & L.A. Times, 3/16/06)

CNA Endorses Universal Healthcare Legislation
The California Nurses Association announced its support of a bill (SB 840) that would create a single-payer healthcare system in California. The bill, introduced by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-L.A.), would establish a state-run health insurance system, including a state agency, commissioner and medical board, to negotiate fees, set medical care policy and pay claims. The union also said it is supporting a national bill (HR 676) for universal healthcare, and plans to place a universal healthcare measure on the ballot by 2008. (Oakland Tribune, 3/16/06)

Some MDs Will Withdraw From Medicare if Payments Are Cut
About 29% of physicians responding to an online AMA survey said they plan to reduce the number of Medicare beneficiaries they take on as new patients if the federal government goes forward with a plan to cut payment rates, and 16% said they plan to stop accepting any beneficiaries as new patients. Medicare payments to physicians are scheduled to be reduced by 4.6% next year unless lawmakers act to change the formula used to reimburse physicians who treat Medicare beneficiaries. The findings are comparable to last year's AMA survey on the issue, and the group in 2005 successfully lobbied Congress to void a scheduled payment cut. (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 3/16/06)

3/29 Innovations in Healthcare Finalists Selection Committee Meets
4/5 - Orange County Round Table
4/13 - Northern California Round Table
4/19 - Life Sciences Round Table
4/21 - Los Angeles Round Table
6/7 - Innovations in Healthcare Awards & Event Ceremony