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HDCN News Archive -- Policy
Jul19 Full text of President Trump Executive Order re kidney disease (PDF)
Jul11 Trump's advancing kidney care initiative
Mar12 USRDS Annual Report 2017
Aug10 Fresenius inks deal to acquire NxStage.
Mar17 Updated CKD booklet for professionals released
Mar09 ISHD publishes practical manual for implementing home hemodialysis
Mar09 Is the FDA allowing promotion of off-label uses of drugs as free speech?
Dec14 Even more news on the new HDCN Facebook page!
Dec14 Primary aldo screening for resistant hypertension cost effective?
Dec12 Ten modules from the ISHD Global Home Hemodialysis Toolkit
Dec09 ISHD Home Dialysis Toolkit: The Home HD Hub: Infrastructure and Governance (Module 1)
Dec06 ISHD Home Dialysis Toolkit: Funding and Planning to Start or Expand a Home HD program (Module 2)
Dec06 Dialysis Patient Citizens group worried about lack of treatment option information given to predialysis patients, esp. those on Medicaid.
Dec04 ISHD Home Dialysis Toolkit: Workforce Development and Models of Care (Module 3)
Dec03 ISHD Home Dialysis Toolkit: Systems to Cultivate Suitable Patients (Module 4)
Dec03 ISHD Home Dialysis Toolkit: Patient Safety (Module 5)
Dec02 ISHD Home Dialysis Toolkit: Patient Selection and Training (Module 6)
Dec02 Clinical workstations found to harbor drug-resistant microbes.
Sep08 Feds propose a new set of rules to protect human subjects during research.
Jul14 U. Penn study suggests that donating a kidney does not affect life expectancy.
Jun03 Baxter presents VIVIA HD machine data at ERA/EDTA
May07 FDA and the Heart Association and other agencies fight over aspirin
Apr16 Diabetes complication rate in the U.S. shows a sharp decline.
Mar13 Smartphones used to take images of the eye for sharing with health providers.
Feb24 New form of pneumococcal vaccine (Prevnar 13) protects elderly adults.
Jan15 Scribes in healthcare settings free up physician time to talk to patients.
Jan14 Potential rewrite of human research guidelines will facilitate database studies.
Nov19 Eveolocumab lowers LDL cholesterol in patients with marked hypercholesterolemia.
Nov18 Controversy over heart disease risk formula being applied as an indication for statins.
Nov18 IBM opens up Watson to developers. Some medical applications underway.
Oct13 Medtronics enters dialyzer market in India. Will focus on the developing world market.
Oct13 NxStage announces opening of NxStage Kidney Care dialysis.
Aug13 NRAA Annual meeting in Seattle, WA to include Medical Director Workshop Sept. 25, 2013
May07 Hospital cost database now publicly available -- shows large disparities.
Apr05 Renal Physicians Association's Guide to Nephrology Practice 8th edition now available.
Mar17 Hospital epidemiology study suggests that 1/3 of antimicrobial drug prescriptions in dialysis patients are inappropriate.
Mar17 Darbepoietin treatment does not improve survival in anemic heart failure patients.
Jan10 DaVita announces drug supply agreement with Fresenius Medical Care.
Jan10 AWAK inks agreement with Baxter for wearable dialysis technology.
Jan10 GAO claims that Medicare is overpaying for dialysis.
Jan10 FMC and DaVita lose legal case in Florida challenging laboratory referral law.
Dec07 Kidney Care Partners initiative (PEAK) cuts initial dialysis patient mortality by 12%.
Dec07 CMS clarified position on outpatient dialysis for patients with AKI.
Dec04 Baxter purchase by Gambro a done deal.
Nov30 Dialysis patients speak video re infection control practices in 2012.
Nov27 More on the Baxter effort to buy Gambro.
Nov26 Firms race to develop renal denervation catheters to treat hypertension.
Nov26 Baxter said to be in talks to buy Gambro.
Nov05 Chicago area facilities board rejects plans for several new dialysis units from FMC and US Renal
Nov05 CMS issues final policy for 2013 detailing policies and incentives in ESRD.
Nov01 DOPPS practice monitor updated in October 2012
Oct25 ASN establishes foundation to fund kidney research: time for a cure
Oct25 Dr. Beth Piraino appointed as new President of the U.S. National Kidney Foundation.
Oct23 RPA: Write your Congressperson to support extended immunosuppressive drug coverage for transplant patients.
Oct09 Appeals court overturns 83 million dollar judgement against Fresenius.
Oct04 National Kidney Foundation launches free magazine for CKD patients.
Oct04 Asahi recalls certain lots of Rexeed dialyzers.
Oct04 USRDS Annual Data Report now available.
Oct04 Cost-efficacy of diabetes screening called into question.
Oct02 National Renal Administrators Conference to begin in Savannah, GA on October 10.
Oct02 Missouri attorney drops inquiry into DaVita without filing any charges.
Sep25 DaVita complains that it is being treated unfairly in Illinois by health facilities board.
Sep19 Cost-effectivenes study of renal sympathetic denervation published.
Sep19 DCI gives large grant to University of New Mexico to create kidney research institute.
Sep12 Serious adverse effects of fluoroquinolones in the news.
Sep07 NNCC announces availability of two advanced level certifying exams for dialysis.
Sep07 CDC MMWR emphasizes poor control of hypertension in the United States.
Sep07 ESRD program being examined as a model for cost-cutting in the Medicare system.
Aug22 Just in time sequence analysis help solve how a multidrug resistant Klebsiella spread.
Aug16 CMS releases 2011 claims-based monitoring results - finds no change.
Aug09 NxStage protests lack of improvement in reimbursement for home dialysis to CMS.
Jul23 CMS announces initial group of practices participating in the ACO (Accountable Care Organization) model.
Jul18 Fresenius' Ulf Schneider talks about plans for global expansion, including china (video).
Jul12 NEJM op ed: Teaching physicians about costs of medical care.
Jul12 CDC (MMWR): Updated recommendations regarding hepatitis B infected health care personnel.
Jul12 Kidney broker sentenced to prison as donor recalls doubts.
Jul12 Affymax inks deal to supply Omontys (peginesatide) to Fresenius in the U.S.
Jul10 JASN publishes paper comparing reimbursement for dialysis in various countries.
Jul05 Consumer Reports rates pediatric practices in Massachusetts
Jul05 CMS leaves reimbursement for home hemodialysis largely unchanged.
Jul03 University of Louisville to partner with American Renal Associates for dialysis clinic.
Jul03 DaVita settles allegations of improper billing for ESAs without admitting any wrongdoing.
Jul03 CMS proposes increasing payment to dialysis units by 3.1%
Jun14 RPA June Public Policy video news brief.
May22 DaVita looks to Accountable Care Organization model with new acquisition.
May19 Bedbugs and dialysis units in the news.
May19 Five-minute unstructured chats with dialysis patients result in improved phosphorus and albumin outcomes.
May14 USRDS reports increases in blood transfusion rate to dialysis patients of 9-22 percent in 2011 vs. 2010.
May14 Portuguese economy adversely impacting care of dialysis patients.
May04 Rethinking the medical school class lecture model.
May01 Facebook sets up a mechanism for its users to declare their organ donor status.
Apr26 More physicians calling the rounds at the newest ACOs.
Apr17 DaVita updated kidneysmart.org CKD patient education website
Apr17 ProPublica dialysis facility tracking website updated and in the news.
Mar27 Warren Buffet loads up on DaVita stock.
Mar20 CDC reports on New Jersey efforts to reduce bloodstream infections in dialysis units.
Mar15 CDC launches 54 million dollar ad campaign against smoking.
Mar08 CMS publishes draft incentive for next stage of physician EMR use.
Mar02 Patient education video regarding dialysis choices.
Mar02 Is the Fresenius monopoly getting too big? FTC orders FMC to divest itself of 54 clinics.
Feb28 Diaverum diaysis provider now includes 250 clinics worldwide.
Feb21 U.S. Congress approves tax package, including temporary fix to Medicare MD reimbursement cut.
Feb21 Fresenius UK chooses the charity that it will support for the coming year.
Feb09 Virtual patient-doctor interactions being used by pharmacy store chain in Detroit area.
Feb03 New Engl J Med Op Ed article questions wisdom of Medicare 3 year limit on immunusuppressive drugs after transplantation.
Jan26 New NKDEP educational material for patients regarding CKD
Dec26 Some dialysis centers to get less money for failing to meet CMS quality targets.
Dec22 MMWR: Transmission of hepatitis C through transplanted donor organs.
Dec20 FDA issues draft guidance that medical device tests should include women.
Nov28 Amgen negotiates 2 large anemia drug contracts with DaVita and Fresenius.
Nov04 Medicare issues final rule for ESRD prospective payment system.
Oct28 Super Committee Dems ready a revised, scaled down Medicare health plan.
Oct26 National Kidney Foundation names Bruce Skyer as new CEO.
Oct26 17 years in prison for two Brazilian doctors for removing kidneys for transplant prior to brain death.
Oct26 FTC orders DaVita to divest itself of 29 /106 dialysis units purchased from DSI to maintain competition.
Oct26 Patients who skip or shorten dialysis treatments will lower reimbursement to facility under new guidelines.
Oct20 Final CMS ACO rule relaxes some requirements for doctors and hospitals.
Oct19 ASN alert regarding Deficit Reduction Committee and expenditures of critical importance regarding CKD
Oct18 Electron-beam sterilization of certain polysulfone dialyzer membranes linked to thrombocytopenia.
Oct14 National Renal Administrators Association Annual Meeting talks
Oct04 DaVita piloting use of solar power in one of its Indiana dialysis clinics
Oct04 Washing your hospital scrubs at home? Water may not be hot enough to kill drug-resistant bacteria.
Sep28 Congressional debt panel meeting in secret, looking at Medicare/Medicaid cuts.
Sep15 Grady hospital and Fresenius reach deal on dialyzing indigent undocumented immigrant patients.
Sep03 Atlanta undocumented immigrant dialysis patients at risk of losing access to care.
Aug30 FDA recall: H and P povidone iodine prep solutions, swabsticks.
Aug30 Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic en route to becoming national brands.
Aug30 Higher patient costs for home dialysis patients in Australia.
Aug30 Survey of U.S. dialysis patients contends that they are largely unprepared for disasters.
Aug19 HHS cutting red tape to speed clinical trials
Aug17 Web cam used to monitor hand hygiene in Japanese ICU hospital.
Aug17 Airborne latex allergens spread by cornstarch used to powder gloves
Aug03 Effect of the debt deal on Medicaid and Medicare.
Aug03 DaVita launches pilot dialyzer recycling project in Southern California
Aug02 FDA to seek public comment on Institute of Medicine's rec to eliminate 510k program
Aug02 Fresenius acquires Liberty Dialysis and American Access Care Holdings.
Jul28 Baxter establishes Baxter Ventures to invest in developing therapies.
Jul25 Fixdialysis.com cites recent newspaper articles about the dialysis industry.
Jul15 CDC infection prevention guidelines for outpatient settings released.
Jul12 HHS releases health insurance exchange rules.
Jul12 French manufacturer Degremont buys Ameriwater.
Jul08 CMS-sponsored ICD-10 slideshows, teleconferences.
Jul07 CMS to hold open forum on its proposed ESRD Quality Improvement Program changes on July 14th.
Jul05 CMS proposes eliminating the minimum 10 g/dL Hgb target for ESAs.
Jul05 CMS looking at physician reimbursement and at auditing high-value codes.
Jul01 New rules provide relief for sleep-deprived medical residents (16-hour shift limit)
Jul01 CMS proposes rescinding signature requirement on lab requisitions.
Jun16 Skype helps home hemodialysis patients link up with health care providers.
Jun09 Hospitals turn to nocturnists to improve care.
Jun09 NEJM Perspective: Dialysis and U.S. Immigration Law
Jun07 CMS to host Webinar on new features in Crown Web III on June 30th.
Jun07 Medicare to offer more waivers pertaining to e-prescribing noncompliance penalty.
Jun07 Universal flu vaccine trials show promise
May28 Biotrends report documents changes in vitamin D use with bundling.
May28 Whistleblower lawsuit against Renal Care Group for home dialysis supplies nets 82 million.
May22 Analysis of the new Accountable Care Organization regulations from Kaiser.
May19 CMS offers new Accountable Care Organization options.
May16 CMS relaxes telemedicine privileging rules.
May12 Five Star Healthcare offers insurance policy for dialysis unit providers.
May03 DaVita launches wireless internet for its dialysis patients and physicians.
Apr26 CROWN Web 4.0 release documents now available on the Web.
Apr25 Dialysis facility inspections in the news (Des Moines Register)
Apr22 CDC issues new guidance on preventing bloodstream infections.
Apr22 Canadian patient data analysis emphasizes high mortality risk of central venous catheters.
Apr14 ACO regulations: Some answers, more questions.
Apr12 Evaluation of three disease management approaches to ESRD patient care (large pdf)
Apr12 Diesel engine exhaust filter can reduce heart-harmful particle level by 98%.
Apr08 Accountable Kidney Care Collaborative to host webinar on April 26th detailing nephrology-based accountable care organizations.
Apr07 CMS eliminates 3.1% transition payment reduction from bundle. Kidney Care Partners comments.
Apr04 New York Times article weighs in on palliative care and eligibility for dialysis.
Mar31 HHS releases proposed rule regarding Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).
Mar29 Feds to follow ProPublica and release previously confidential dialysis clinic outcomes data.
Mar25 GAO issues reports on monitoring of oral drugs for ESRD patients
Mar24 CMS considering eliminating physician signature requirement for certain laboratory tests.
Mar17 CDC recommends retesting live donors for HIV just prior to organ donation.
Mar17 CMS declines to issue a National Coverage Determination for ESAs
Mar17 Intensive care unit central line infections drop by 60% over a 10-year period.
Mar09 Doctors try new models to push health insurers aside.
Mar02 Whistle-blowing nephrologist gets award from the FBI.
Feb22 More CrownWeb simulations available
Feb16 RPA Public Policy in a Minute for February video
Feb16 FDA finalized regulations concerning software that accompanies medical devices.
Feb11 UK's NICE updates its anemia treatment guidelines for CKD, lowering target Hb to 10-12 g/dL
Feb11 Arizona seeks to remove 280 K people from Medicaid coverage
Feb08 Vermont governor proposes single-payer health plan
Feb07 DaVita acquires Nashville-based DSI renal
Jan26 RPA and AMA recommend physician-led Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
Jan26 Fresenius implements bundled dialysis care agreement in Spain.
Jan26 Nearly half of dialysis technicians in California failing newly required skills test.
Jan21 Cost savings of transplantation compared to dialysis in the news.
Jan21 Fresenius to sell bonds to fund new acquisitions
Jan21 Propublica dialysis unit tracker allows patients to check on unit mortality data.
Jan10 Dialysis units - the last open wards of medicine
Jan04 KCER: Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition to host Community Partner meeting at the Annual Dialysis Conference, Feb 22, 2011.
Jan04 Dr. Suhail Ahmad named Chief Medical Officer of Northwest Kidney Centers
Jan04 Euromedic sells Eastern European dialysis units to Fresenius.
Dec29 CMS finalizes quality incentive program for dialysis units
Dec22 U.S. House votes to exempt doctors from ID theft red flags rule.
Dec16 US Veterans Administration to Medicare-based fees to non-VA docs providing dialysis services to veterans.
Dec03 Fresenius enters into agreement with Galenica pharma to develop new IV iron products.
Nov16 Nevada doctor in hot water for prescribing BP pills over the phone without seeing the patient.
Nov10 Second 'Pro Publica' article focuses on dialysis needle dislodgement.
Nov09 ProPublica article on dialysis care in the United States
Nov08 AAKP awards 2011 Medal of Excellence Award to Ray Hakim and Allen Nissenson.
Nov08 Doctors abandon traditional practice modes for concierge medicine and hospital-owned care.
Nov08 Solar-powered BP device could be valuable in underdeveloped countries.
Nov05 Liberty Dialysis and Renal Advantage merge to become 3rd largest dialysis provider.
Nov02 Crown Web update: 2 security IDs may be needed to access the system by some users.
Nov02 Fresenius Medical Care to opt into bundling payment system for ESRD care.
Nov02 Salaries for Life Science majors dropping in the United States.
Oct27 What is the AMA relative value scale update committee and what does it do?
Oct25 Coverage denials by insurers for pre-existing conditions rise sharply.
Sep30 United States Renal Data Systems 2010 annual report now available on-line.
Sep28 HHS asking for comments on their action plan to prevent healthcare-associated infections.
Sep28 EDTNA/ERCA Recommendations for Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression in renal units
Sep22 FDA advisory committee to meet on October 18 to consider the results of the TREAT anemia study.
Sep17 Conference call for Medicare Prospective Payment System on Sept. 27th.
Sep08 RPA vascular access initiative launched.
Sep06 Fresenius to manage dialysis units in Abu Dhabi.
Sep03 Deal would provide dialysis for illegal immigrants in Atlanta
Aug27 Bleeding during dialysis: VA patient advisory that led to the decision to adopt Redsense technology
Aug26 European data shows no increased mortality risk with increased Hb variability.
Aug26 Redsense blood leak alarm to become mandatory for Veterans Administration dialysis patients in the U.S.
Aug26 Baxter fined in Australia for alleged anti-competitive behavior.
Aug26 Fresenius to acquire peritoneal dialysis business from Gambro.
Aug20 National Renal Administrators Association offers new bundlng tool.
Aug15 CMS to host confernce call on its Quality Incentives Program on Aug 24, 2:00 PM EST
Aug15 Type of insurance markedly affects creation of AV fistula rate in incident dialysis patients.
Aug12 CMS may require one physician visit/month to home dialysis patients in order to get paid.
Aug02 Mix-ups of reused dialyzers in the newspapers.
Jul28 Biotrends data suggests that use of ESAs for stage 4 CKD is falling.
Jul26 CMS issues final rule for bundling and prospective payment (large .pdf file)
Jul25 UK National Health Service rumored to be planning draconian cuts in service.
Jul21 FDA freezes enrollment in pioglitazone vs. rosiglitazone safety study.
Jul20 Fresenius signs licensing agreement with company specializing in anti-thrombotic coating technology.
Jul16 RPA Public Policy in a Minute webcast
Jul12 Who is new CMS head Donald Berwick?
Jul12 Florida group to market automobile designed specifically to accommodate a wheelchair.
Jul12 UK national health service to undergo massive structural overhaul
Jul06 Healthcare.gov -- the U.S. government's new website providing insurance plan info to patients.
Jul06 CROWN Web phase III coming in January of 2011.
Jul02 Bundling rule proposal goes to Office of Management and Budget for approval.
Jun30 Effect of moving to a high-diagnostic geographic region on patient risk scores.
Jun24 First year residents to be limited to work shifts no longer than 16-hours
Jun22 Medicare physician payment cut could cost millions more in reprocessing.
Jun22 Price comparison shopping enters the medical marketplace.
Jun18 Senate fails to spare doctors from Medicare cuts.
Jun02 DSI Renal named Dr. Mark Kaplan as chief medical officer.
May26 Watson files abbreviated new drug application for sevelamer carbonate.
May26 Fresenius buys Asia Renal Care.
May20 Federal Trade Commission targets privacy concern about copy machine storage of files on internal hard drive.
May18 Medicare cuts for physicians loom yet again.
May12 Grandfather clauses may represent a sizeable loophole in the health care reform bill.
May10 New law could help hospice patients continue dialysis
May10 GAO report validates physician complaints on Medicare claims contractors
May05 New health law will require industry to disclose payments to physicians
May05 New meta-analysis (Annals Int Med) accentuates increased stroke and thrombosis risk of ESA therapy
May05 NxStage's Q1 revenues jump, losses narrow
May04 FDA orders recall of all Baxter Colleague infusion pumps
May04 Fresenius Q1 report shows increased revenues.
May03 GAO report regading CMS need to evaluate effect of bundling (large .pdf file)
Apr30 GAO recommendation that CMS monitor dialysis quality after implementation of bundled payment.
Apr28 U.S. federal judge dismisses complaint against Amgen alleging use of kickback to increase Aranesp use.
Apr28 B.Braun announces U.S. availability of dialysis machines with built-in Kt/V monitors based on dialysate UV absorbance measured on-line.
Apr28 DaVita reports 1st quarter financial income growth of about 13% higher than previous year.
Apr22 University of Chicago to sell 3 off-site dialysis units to DaVita
Apr14 US Renal to acquire Dialysis Corp of America for 112 million dollars
Apr14 28 states poised to expand role of nurse practicioners.
Apr13 Health Bill Provision On Long-Term Care Will Affect Baby Boomers
Apr11 VA planning to pay Medicare rates (39% reduction) to nonVA clinics for dialysis.
Apr11 Medicare pay cut so that Congress can undo 21% reduction in payments.
Apr11 Generic losartan and losartan + HCTZ now available
Mar31 Home dialysis patients anxiously wait for health care reform to unfold.
Mar31 ASN World Kidney Day 2010 video
Mar30 HHS has 90 days to set up a high-risk pool for patients with pre-existing conditions.
Mar29 U.S. judge invalidates gene patent
Mar29 ANNA action alert - write Congress regardling bundling issues for ESRD care.
Mar29 NKF's legislative action center releases position paper on Health Care Reform bill
Mar29 OIG audit targets Spectra laboratories over billing procedures.
Mar26 House passes edited version of Health Care Reform Reconciliation Bill
Mar26 FDA advisory panel review of ESA risks in CKD (2 hr video)
Mar24 Estimated GFR reporting by laboratories increases nephrology referral; effect on outcomes not yet clear.
Mar24 Fresenius appeals 19.4 M verdict relating to use of Method II billing by Renal Care Group.
Mar20 Gov. Schwarzenegger, Steve Jobs, lobby for new organ donor legislation in California.
Mar19 Sen Kent Conrad's letter to CMS concerning the ESRD bundling proposal.
Mar12 New RPA website on-line. Annual Meeting starts today, March 12th.
Mar11 Today is World Kidney Day
Mar11 Fresenius to offer online hemodiafiltration to its UK clinics.
Mar05 Fresenius acquires National Vascular Care
Feb22 Checklists reduce complications in surgical procedures
Feb22 5-diamond safety program for missed HD treatments (Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition)
Feb12 Texas jury acquits nurse who complained about a physician's care to the Texas Medical Board.
Feb11 Medicare pay fix for doctors hitches a ride on the jobs bill
Feb04 Who will provide unreimbursed dialysis to immigrant dialysis patients in Atlanta?
Feb01 CMS issues new guidelines for adequacy, infection, and access reporting.
Jan27 Financial burden of providing emergency dialysis to illegal immigrants at Las Vegas UMC.
Jan26 AJKD: Series of editorials from different perspectives on CMS 2009 prospective payment system.
Jan25 Providing dialysis to illegal immigrants costing one university dialysis center 2 M dollars/month.
Jan25 FDA schedules premarket clearance meeting re medical devices on 18 Feb, 2010
Jan20 Gambro announces agreement to acquire CHF solutions.
Jan20 New business analysis published on global trends in dialysis markets.
Jan17 Why some doctors are opting out of Medicare.
Jan16 National CKD surveillance system is in the works
Jan16 Uncomfortable arithmetic: whom to cover vs. what to cover.
Jan15 Comments to CMS regarding effect of bundling on frequent hemodialysis
Jan07 Miami's Jackson County health system can no longer pay for dialysis of poor patients.
Jan06 Temporary reprieve eases crisis for dialysis-dependent illegal immigrants.
Jan05 Sharing a hospital room increases the risk of C. difficile infection
Dec31 Political cartoons dealing with health care reform
Dec29 High price of FDA approval - the case of colchicine.
Dec26 Interview with DaVita CEO Kent Thiry re health care reform.
Dec17 Physicians advocate for repeal of Medicare sustainable growth rate approach.
Dec17 House votes to delay Medicare physician reimbursement reductions until March.
Dec16 Mostly immigrant dialysis patients lose lawsuit against closure of Grady dialysis unit.
Dec16 RPA final comments on ESRD prospective payment system.
Dec15 Kidney Care Partners letter to senators regarding immunosuppressive drug reimbursement issues.
Dec15 Reducing dialysis reimbursement to pay for transplant drugs draws opposition.
Dec08 Compilation of international human subject protection laws (large .pdf file)
Dec08 Drug reimportation re-emerges in health care debate.
Dec02 American Indian health care in the U.S. may be reorganized.
Nov27 Interview with NxStage CEO Jeff Burbank discusses home dialysis, impact of bundling.
Nov27 Diabetes expected to double, costs to triple, by 2034 in the United States.
Nov19 What happens to data privacy when a personal genomics company goes bankrupt?
Nov19 ESRD-related language in candidate Senate healthcare reform bill.
Nov17 In LaCrosse, WI, "everyone" has filled out an advance directives form
Nov15 Health Care marketplace: Make and offer on PriceDoc.com
Nov14 New database for out-of-network pay set to replace disputed Ingenix system
Nov10 Amgen lawsuit highlights industry practice of overfilling vials.
Nov10 AMA news reviews current status of health care reform legislation.
Nov05 RPA releases an analysis of the Final Rule for the 2010 Medicare Fee Schedule..
Nov05 Home dialysis experts questions CMS decision to merge home training costs into the bundle.
Nov04 FDA unveils "Safe Use Initiative" to reduce medication-related side-effects.
Oct19 DaVita real estate shopping in Denver for new corporate headquarters
Oct10 American Society of Transplantation pushing to include transplant drug extension in health reform legislation.
Oct10 Fistula first releases strategic plan to get fistulas up from 53 to 66%.
Oct06 CMS to host ESRD and clinical laboratories open door forum 10/15 and town hall 10/23
Oct01 Senate Finance Committee passes a Public Option for persons just above Medicaid income limits.
Sep28 I love my socialist kidney - a patient perspective
Sep28 Funding concerns cause dialysis patients to be steered away from transplantation.
Sep25 When Grady hospital dialysis unit closes, what will happen to its immigrant patients?
Sep25 Study dispels myth that new residents cause increased medical errors in July.
Sep24 Hospital closure of its dialysis unit leaves immigrants with few alternatives.
Sep24 USRDS Annual Report now available for download.
Sep23 New CMS reimbursement rules could help home dialysis companies like NxStage.
Sep19 Just say no to antibacterial burgers
Sep18 Government inspection of dialysis facilities in Texas causing delays.
Sep18 CMS announces details of town hall meeting on ESRD prospective payment system.
Sep17 Satellite Healthcare announces recipients of 2009 extramural grant program
Sep17 CMS prospective ESRD payment system posted on the web for comment
Sep15 Device makers object to new fees in health bill.
Sep11 Fresenius launches telemonitoring system for dialysis patients.
Sep05 Real Canadians talking about their health care system.
Sep01 Fresenius and its mobile generator truck to power dialysis units in times of weather emergencies.
Aug21 CMS panel to review use of ESAs, will meet in March of 2010.
Aug20 OIG audits of dialysis centers comparing ESAs billed for with ESAs ordered.
Aug20 Sharing the load? For profit Las Vegas dialysis centers turfing illegal immigrant patients to university hospital.
Aug18 Providing dialysis to 80 illegal immigrants driving Las Vegas hospital into debt.
Aug11 ANNA: Aug 10-14th is Kidney Disease Awareness and Education Week
Aug11 Canadian Health Care system: How effective is it?
Jul09 Unsung heroes work hard to cut hospital-acquired infection rates.
Jul03 Kidney disease education to be part of CMS 2010 proposal for coverage.
Jul03 CMS releases proposed changes to physician payment schedule for 2010.
Jul02 Fresenius opens specialty pharmacy for renal patients in Nashville.
Jul02 Fresenius inks agreement with ART to market Citrasate dialysate.
Jul02 CME proposes changes to physician payment in 2010, including dropping consultation codes.
Jul01 Institute of Medicine Comparative Effectiveness Report lists 100 priorities, including evaluation of different forms of dialysis.
Jul01 Nephrology consults via telemedicine in California hospital
Jun30 Doctors increasingly communicate with patients on-line.
Jun30 Jeddah to have Middle East region's largest dialysis center, will treat 800 patients
Jun30 Da Vita and Colorado physicians' group in legal battle over non-compete clause.
Jun26 CJASN: Study highlights long term kidney impairment associated with contrast nephropathy.
Jun24 Steve Jobs' liver transplant - why Tennessee?
Jun23 Archives: Meta-analysis suggests QOL benefits largely dissipate at Hb levels above 12 g/dL.
Jun23 Edwards Life Sciences to sell its CRRT product line to Baxter for 56 M.
Jun10 Ferric citrate found to bind phosphate in phase II study with no marked adverse effects.
Jun10 Florida legislation passed that gives access to Medigap coverage to ESRD Medicare beneficiaries.
Jun04 Sixty percent of United States bankruptcies driven by medical problems
Jun04 One in four nursing home residents in the UK carries MRSA.
May29 Holistic approach to CKD offers dialysis in a spa-like environment with numerous support services.
May28 DaVita to move its corporate headquarters to Colorado
May25 Search all abstracts from the World Congress of Nephrology 2009
May22 Institute of Medicine publishes recommendations for controlling conflicts of interest in the NEJM.
May22 Libel laws threaten peer-reviewed publication of data critical of medical devices, procedures.
May20 Donations of organs decline in the U.S. with the economic downturn.
May15 Study emphasizes burden and cost of physician administrative work dealing with health plans.
May15 Congressional Health Subcommittee considers legislation that would allow lawsuits against FDA-approved medical devices in state courts.
May15 Virtual doctor visits similar to real visits in terms of patient and doctor satisfaction in RCT.
May14 New projection is that Medicare funds will be gone by 2017.
May11 CDC issues guidance for H1N1 influenza prevention and management in dialysis settings.
May08 New mapping tool to track emerging diseases.
May07 Debate about pros and cons of comparative effectiveness research in the NEJM.
May05 Fresenius launches national retail pharmacy for dialysis patients.
May01 Survey company releases report on usage trends for vitamin D, phosphate binders, and calcimimetics.
May01 Cyclohexanone, found in plastic IV tubing (dialysis tubing?) and bags, causes taste alterations, myocardial stunning.
Apr27 CDC swine flu guidance for healthcare professionals
Apr27 CDC swine flu update website
Apr27 OSHA pandemic flu guide (2007) for health care workers and employers (104 page .pdf file)
Apr23 Download KDQOL forms and tools
Apr22 Fresenius research focuses on KDQOL-36 and other measures of quality of life.
Apr20 New Medicare billing rules emphasize prompt reporting of change of billing address and billing for retroactive services.
Apr16 J. Michael Lazarus to retire as CMO of Fresenius Medical Care NA; Raymond Hakim to replace him.
Apr14 Medicare announces participants in pilot program designed to prevent hospital readmissions.
Apr12 Pharma support of medical societies raises conflict of interest concerns.
Apr11 One thousand 2007-2009 audiofiles and slide/audio talks added to HDCN's 20 topic-related channels.
A09 The stimulus package and its links to health information technology discussed in NEJM.
A09 Why premature application of guidelines may be dangerous
A07 Has the economic recession temporarily alleviated the nursing shortage?
A02 GAO sting reveals that 1 of 3 commercial IRBs approves clearly risky protocol
M29 Link to slide/audio and audio symposia on HDCN
M26 AHA supports a lower sodium intake limit (1.5 g Na/day) for most Americans.
M12 Dr. Margaret Hamburg proposed as new head of the FDA.
M03 Obama's health czar, Nancy-Ann DeParle, previously worked for DaVita dialysis.
F25 CMS requests feedback on information to be collected via CrownWeb
F25 New position of NKF re incentives for kidney donation in the news.
F17 CMS to cover bariatric surgery in obese type 2 diabetics.
F16 FDA approves Uloric (febuxostat) for treatment of gout.
F16 Restaurant reviewer Zagat plans to review doctors.
F10 Vancouver sets up pilot self-care nocturnal dialysis unit in one of its hospitals.
F05 Regulatory approval for self-care dialysis (discussion blog)
F03 FDA web pages, teaching program, focus on errors in luer-lock connections of IV tubing.
F02 ICD-10 diagnostic code compliance requirements postponed until 2013.
J30 NKF launches program designed to reduce the wait for a transplanted kidney.
J29 Medicaid cuts and payer mix affect financial viability of dialysis units
J29 NEJM Perspective: Universal health care coverage vs. economic relief - a false choice
J23 Mississippi state house of representatives passes bill to fund dialysis patient transportation costs.
J21 Health information technology may be part of the economic stimulus bill.
J20 NICE or not so nice? Congressional bill considers cost-effectiveness of prescribed drugs.
J19 CMS rescales launch of Crownweb to a pilot group of dialysis units.
J19 A look at U.S. government factors that may affect kidney care in 2009
J17 CMS announces start of implementation of CROWNWeb data system to begin February 1.
J17 New 2009 CPT codes for outpatient dialysis
J16 GAO report criticizes FDA on device testing
J16 Obama and Reid take aim at Medicare HMOs
J15 NEJM perspective on chances of health care reform under Obama (.pdf)
J15 Telemedicine outpatient consultations predicted to become more popular in 2009.
J14 Codapedia - a free wiki dealing with proper coding for medical reimbursement, to launch in April of 2009
J10 MedPac approves increased payment to dialysis units
J08 Rep. Stark introduces Americare Health Act of 2009.
J07 CDC reports on outbreaks of hepatitis B or C in outpatient clinics due to staff failures.
J06 NIH Consensus Conference: Management of Hepatitis B
J01 New Year's Resolution? Quit smoking. American Lung Association support info.
J01 Sorin sells its renal care business (Bellco-Soludia) to investor group.
J01 MMWR: Lower acute MI rates after city implements smoke-free ordinance
D24 Bone disease in CKD management tool developed in the UK wins IT award
D23 Court dismisses lawsuit by seven health plans against Amgen
D19 CMS now rating nursing homes with 1 - 5 stars. Are dialysis units next?
D18 FDA raises the bar for new diabetes drugs
D17 Study backs the effectiveness of soap operas and dramas in health education.
D15 Lithonia, GA school sugar-free for 10 years with positive results.
D15 DaVita gets subpoena related to Medicare claims for injectables.
D13 CROWNweb data implementation costs being stressed in the blogosphere
D08 Reducing stress in laboratory mice by allowing nest-building; plus importance of temperature
D05 How many happy people are in your surroundings? Happiness found to rub off on others.
D05 Health care rationing and quality-adjusted years of life: Implications for dialysis in the blogs.
D04 Cleveland Clinic discloses all industry ties of its doctors on the Clinic's website.
D03 Senators Baucus and Kennedy release their vision for health care reform.
D02 Cardiologists debate NEJM study comparing coronary CT scans with percutaneous angiography.
N21 Dialysis Compare website will now report patients with Hb above 12 as well as below 10 g/dL and will also change how patient survival is reported.
N21 MMWR: Survey of implementation of hepatitis B vaccination at birth in various countries
N20 Bill Peckham blogs about Sen. Daschle and what his appointment as HHS secretary might mean for CKD care.
N19 Did you know that your prescribing history is for sale? Fed appeals court supports NH law banning the practice.
N18 CDC updates guidelines for disinfection and sterilization in health care facilities.
N18 AAKP announces the death of its former Executive Director and CEO Kris Robinson
N18 AMA: Obama win accelerates drive for health care reform.
N18 NY Times article highlights growing burden of CKD.
N17 Network 9/10 and RPA sponsored symposia on Conditions for Coverage and Medical Director Responsibilities
N13 Sen.Baucus unveils Universal Health Care proposal
N06 MMWR: CDC recommendations against multiple puncture of parenteral medication vials.
N06 CMS announces Open Door Forum on CrownWeb and Dialysis Facility Compare on Nov 19.
N06 KDOQI announces expansion plans
O29 Comments on KDIGO guidelines on prevention and treatment of hepatitis C in CKD.
O28 Market research firm releases reports detailing changes in management of anemia, phosphate, and PTH.
O27 Costs of treating diabetes has nearly doubled in past 7 years.
O23 Dennis Kogod promoted to be DaVita's Chief Operating Officer (COO)
O23 Kaiser analyzes Presidential candidates' health care plans
O22 JAMA: Adverse case-mix disadvantages some hospitals in terms of pay for performance scores.
O16 Baxter earnings rise 19% in third quarter on sales of plasma-derived products.
O07 Medicare carrier switch causing payment delays and other problems nationwide.
O07 NRAA: Advance copy of ESRD program interpretive guidelines. (pdf)
O06 National Renal Administrators' Association requests that small dialysis organizations be allowed to data batch CPM reporting to Crown Web.
O06 One-dollar-a-month polypill containing ASA, thiazide, ACEI, and statin to undergo clinical testing.
O04 Scandal breaks surrounding pharma payments to Emory University Psychiatry Department Chairman.
O03 On Nov 3, U.S. Supreme Court to hear key product liability court regarding use of FDA-recommended drug labels.
O01 Medicare stops paying for 10 reasonably preventable medical errors.
S26 FDA early communication regarding ongoing safety review of German ESA stroke study.
S26 FDA involving itself in the use of ESAs as part of study trials after increased deaths in German stroke study.
S24 Joint Commission issues safety alert regarding heparin dosing errors in hospitals.
S22 NY dialysis center shut down for unsanitary conditions; story hits the New York Times.
S16 How should one properly dispose of unused drugs? No one seems to know.
S16 US Federal Trade Comission (FTC) restricts FMC's ability to set its pricing on Venofer IV iron using its licensing agreement.
S16 Conbining thiazides with potassium-sparing diuretics markedly lowers cardiovascular mortality.
S14 Hospitals and nursing homes contribute to water contamination with pharmaceuticals through their disposal methods.
S10 University of Pittsburgh to partner with DaVita, FMC in 18 regional dialysis clinics.
S05 Alternating linezolid and vancomycin usage periods in the ICU lowers MRSA prevalence.
S05 High gas prices hit dialysis patients and others who need frequent medical treatment.
S05 Vaccination against core influenza virus antigens may obviate need for annual shots.
S03 RPA and ESRD networks launch kidney patient safety initiative, including a new website.
S02 Genetic data stored at NIH temporarily withdrawn due to privacy concerns raised by new method of forensic SNP analysis
S02 How Tulane University hospital coped with Gustav evacuation
S02 AJKD: Temporary iron depletion and relative thrombocytosis may underline increased mortality with high doses of EPO.
A29 Study suggests that flu shots may not reduce mortality in the elderly.
A29 Morton salt notifies customers of potassium chloride shortage due to labor strike at Canadian potash mines.
A27 Webcam doctor visits take off in Hawaii
A22 Some evidence that Vytorin is, or maybe is not, associated with an increased cancer risk; FDA gets involved.
A22 Fresenius stays strong in tough economic times.
A21 DaVita establishes Florida hotline for dialysis patients to be used during hurricanes.
A20 79 million US adults have problems related to medical care induced debt.
A18 Wall Street Journal health blog debated ethics of organ donation, focusing on NKF opposition to the concept.
A18 Medicare finalizes its list of - no pay - preventable conditions in hospitalized patients.
A15 Infection control requirements from CDC incorporated into CMS conditions for coverage for dialysis units. MMWR, see p. 875.
A14 CMS issues draft interpretive guidelines for surveyors re new conditions for coverage; requests comments (pdf).
A08 FDA-mandated new labeling and medication guide for ESAs now activated.
A08 Dr. Stan Lindenfeld appointed as Chief Medical Officer of U.S. Renal Care
A07 Proposed legislation would protect physicians who volunteer to treat poor patients from medical liability.
A07 Some foreign-trained physicians working under the J-1 visa waiver program complain of abusive working conditions.
A07 U.K. National Health Service decides that 4 new drugs with some activity against kidney cancer are not cost-effective.
A05 Physician and nurse blogs not uncommonly intrude on patient privacy rights and have undeclared conflicts of interest.
A01 FDA forces new labeling changes for ESAs under new law.
J30 A year of quality-adjusted human life is worth 129,000 dollars?
J30 Incenter 3x/week nocturnal hemodialysis in the news.
J29 Difficult patient kicked out of local dialysis center forced to dialyze in local hospital emergency room.
J28 E-prescribers see Medicare bonus, but late adopters will face pay cut
J25 U.S. House approves delay of Medicare trigger measure.
J22 As travel costs rise, more meetings go virtual.
J22 The cold, cruel facts?: Disease prevention programs may not lower costs in the long run?
J21 Drug industry: No more free pens, pads, or mugs for docs.
J21 Singapore mulls legal kidney trading.
J16 Congress overrides Bush veto on Medicare bill that prevents physician payment cuts.
J15 GAO recommends prior authorization by Medicare of physican office-based diagnostic imaging tests.
J15 Bush to veto Medicare physician's pay patch bill today; Congress set to override.
J14 Nurses struggle with implications of new CMS policy re non-reimbursable adverse events.
J11 Dialysis patients in Scotland can access their lab results on-line.
J11 U.S. News issues its annual rankings of hospitals by specialty.
J11 White House threatens to veto bill rescinding physician Medicare payment cuts. Does the Senate have the votes to override?
J10 U.S. National Public Radio examines health care system in 5 European countries.
J09 Medicare bill that rescinds physician payment cuts passes in Senate with veto-proof majority.
J09 ESRD Network 14 (Texas) alert regarding contamination of at least one lot of Morton salt pellets by sodium ferrocyanide.
J09 Fresenius signs sublicensing agreement with Luitpold to use Venofer in United States patients.
J08 Transplant tourists running out of destinations.
J07 Medicare double delay: Senate fails to act and CMS holds physician claims.
J07 Fresenius Medical buys heparin-maker APP pharmaceuticals.
J03 Pfizer will no longer work directly with for-profit CME companies.
J03 CMS releases 2007 ESRD Clinical Performance Measures report (.pdf)
J01 Medicare proposes changes for dialysis reimbursement.
J01 More on the physician Medicare payment cut battle in the Congress.
J01 FDA may start focusing more on software reliability in medical devices.
J01 Bills pending in Congress would remove Supreme Court shield for medical device manufacturers.
J30 Doctors get temporary reprieve on Medicare cuts.
J30 AMA delegates oppose CMS no pay policy for "preventable" conditions that develop during hospital stay.
J28 Mortality rates similar at for-profit and not-for-profit dialysis chain patients; former use more EPO and IV iron.
J28 Senate fails to take up legislation that would delay Medicare physician fee cut.
J26 Allen Nissenson hired as Chief Medical Officer of DaVita
J25 House Medicare bill and the politics of competitive bidding for medical equipment
J25 House votes to block cut in physician Medicare fees.
J25 Impending Medicare reimbursement cuts may affect delivery of care
J24 Take your meds and have a chance at winning the lottery.
J24 House reps Dingell and Barton plan bill pushing nationwide adoption of electronic medical record systems.
J23 Some academic sites offering on-line second opinion services.
J23 Brouhaha over inclusion of Social Security numbers on Medicare ID cards: Would take 8 years to change?
J19 FDA cautions about increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia who had been treated with antipsychotic drugs
J19 Investigation of deaths at Lufkin dialysis center: How alleged criminal activity was uncovered.
J18 Computer generated warfarin dosing as effective as dosing by expert prescribers.
J16 Transportation fees impact some Canadian diaysis patients.
J16 Patients only rarely use online ratings to pick physicians.
J13 Senate Republicans block debate on Baucus bill, that would have delayed Medicare payment cuts.
J13 FDA and EMEA to consider biomarkers of renal injury in animal studies evaluating renal safety of new drugs.
J12 Baxter avian flu vaccine shows promise in early testing.
J12 FDA approves generic form of ramipril made by Lupin pharmaceuticals.
J11 CMS gives researchers access to parts of the Medicare prescription drug benefit database.
J11 Doctor of nursing practice degree - will this grant clinical privileges similar to that of an MD?
J10 Would the proposed Baucus bill threaten smaller dialysis providers?
J10 Baucus unveils Medicare payment reform legislation that would impact on ESRD reimbursement.
J09 Study suggests benefits of a short nap for night-shift healthcare workers.
J05 HHS releases comprehensive plan to speed nationwide adoption of health information technology.
J05 Is your health record already on-line on your health insurer's website? If so, how tightly is this protected?
J03 Senate Bill would delay Medicare payment cuts to physicians.
M27 Louisiana Senate passes bill that would shield disaster responders from civil liability lawsuits.
M23 Automated CPR machine helps save lives.
M21 CMS launches hospital comparison website.
M21 President Bush signs genetic anti-discrimination act (GINA) into law.
M20 NEJM: Palevsky-VA/NIH study shows that daily HD or more intense CRRT of no benefit in acute kidney injury
M20 Google health now accepting patient information.
M17 FDA convenes to examine impact of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical, and now, medical device, advertising.
M16 Heparin-coated thoracic drainage catheters being recalled because of OSCS contamination.
M16 MMWR: CDC recommends herpes zoster vaccine for all persons over age 60.
M15 AFP Pharma raises price of heparin. Cost of a typical dialysis treatment will go up by a half-dollar.
M12 U.S. Health Secretary: Chinese heparin now should be safe.
M08 Dr. Marmot honored as recipient of Baxter-funded health services research prize for his work describing links between heart failure and socioeconomic status.
M07 New hospital superbug to worry about: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
M05 ASN Renal Week abstract archives 2003-2006 now available on-line in .pdf format.
M05 National Physician Identifier number must be used on insurance claim forms to get paid after May 23rd.
M04 Give young persons 50,000 dollars to donate a kidney? Skeptics fear abuse and exploitation.
A29 Families, CEOs, to testify before Congress on tainted heparin.
A28 AAMC taskforce frowns on free pizzas for medical school lunch gatherings, and faculty participation in pharma speaker bureaus.
A28 Am J Med supplement (May, free full text) focuses on computer-assisted diagnosis and errors in diagnosis by physicians.
A25 Lancet Inf Dis: Five percent of health care workers have MRSA.
A22 CMS releases standards for e-prescribing of drugs.
A21 Massachusetts Senate unanimously passes a law banning all pharma gifts to doctors.
A17 NEJM sounding board article considers impact of patient controlled health records on medical research.
A16 Advanced practice nurses seek wider scope in 24 states.
A15 CMS adopts 26 new CPMs effective April 1, 2008
A12 Admissions clerk at New York hospital charged with identity theft; sold data on 50,000 patients.
A12 Cited Arizona dialysis clinic institutes corrective measures.
A12 Fourteen physicians not involved in Britney Spears' case peeked at her records.
A11 Drug companies and device makers to voluntarily reveal CME grants to physicians.
A10 Fresenius in talks to buy Italian group Sorin's renal care business.
A03 New conditions for CMS coverage (.pdf file)
A03 CMS releases new conditions for coverage of ESRD care.
A02 DaVita CMO Charles McAllister, MD, to retire.
M13 CMS: Medicare will continue to pay for CT cardiac scans for coronary artery calcification detection.
M12 Planned U.S. events for World Kidney Day, March 13th.
M11 FDA releases briefing document for Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee on ESAs in cancer.
M10 Hepatitis cluster prompts Nevada-wide inspection of outpatient surgery units.
M07 Bill to encourage e-prescribing for Medicare-reimbursed encounters likely to pass this year.
M06 Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition website
M06 Massachusetts Blues health plan concludes that EMRs for physician offices may not be cost-effective.
M05 Las Vegas endoscopy clinic responsible for spreading hepatitis C after reusing syringes, allegedly to cut costs.
M05 Supreme court votes 4 vs. 4 regarding pharma immunity from product liability for FDA-approved prescription drugs.
M01 Screening test for CKD (SCORED) developed by Cornell and UNC Chapel Hill outperforms NKF KEEP approach.
F28 Google. reveals plans for its health database.
F26 Dr. Jones of Kidney Care Partners issues response to CMS proposal to bundle ESRD payments.
F23 Are medical records stored by Google or Microsoft subject to HIPAA?
F21 Commonwealth Fund prepares report detailing extent of e-health activities across the U.S.
F21 Google partners with the Cleveland Clinic to store patient health records on-line.
F20 Fresenius reports Q4 and 2007 financial results. Revenues grow for both products and services.
F20 Full CMS report to Congress on proposed bundled ESRD payment system (.pdf)
F20 CMS reports to Congress on a fully bundled payment system for ESRD.
F19 Baxter rival APP steps in quicklyl to supply heparin to dialysis clinics.
F14 Three Cornell NY dialysis units show markedly lower mortality after adopting MIQS electronic medical record system (.pdf)
F13 UK's National Health Service approves pancreatic islet cell transplants for type 1 DM.
F11 New website gives comparative prices of various care packages available in Minnesota
F09 Death of waitress after acute asthmatic attack on entering workplace full of cigarette smoke.
J29 Study suggests that overbooking is a good solution to patient no shows for office practice.
J28 Problem of lifetime health insurance caps (1 or 2 million dollars) in the news, because they now are being exceeded.
J28 Vytorin lowers cholesterol, but does not impact on endpoints; House asks FDA to reconsidering hard vs. soft endpoints in proving drug value.
J28 Overzealous Canadian nuclear regulator gets fired for shutting down reactor producing isotopes needed for medical practice.
J28 Need a kidney? Don't become a politician, or you'll run afoul with ethics rules about accepting donations.
J28 Indiana legislature to consider bill affecting insurance company payment for out-of-plan dialysis services.
J24 U.S. News and World Report ranks best hospitals for kidney care.
J19 Study finds significant differences among hospital protocols to determine brain death.
J16 National Renal Alliance files lawsuit against Blue Cross of Georgia
J15 AAKP awards its Medal of Excellence for 2008 to nephrologist Dr. Todd Ing.
J14 Kidney Care Partners lobbying Congress to raise payments for dialysis.
J13 UK considers proposal to remove organs from patients after death without their explicit consent.
J04 DaVita and Phoenix-based Southwest Kidney Institute form broad partnership
J04 U.S doctors prescribe placebos on occasion - now this is in the news.
J02 Doctors express empathy in only 15% of visits where empathy would be expected.
J02 Labeling on adrenaline vials in terms of concentration are confusing, lead to errors.
D28 Widow sues Air France, claiming that bumping led to death of her husband, who was on dialysis.
D18 California House passes bill that would cover 70% of uninsured.
D15 U.S. dialysis center revenue grows by 11%, in 2006 vs. 2005, from 11.63 to 12.95 billion dollars per year.
D15 Dialysis patient dies after being denied boarding on flight from Paris to San Francisco due to overbooking.
D14 Medical transport driver named in lawsuit in dialysis patient death due to fall from wheelchair.
D12 New NIDDK director Rogers shares vision for kidney research.
D11 MedPac debate pay changes for doctors, dialysis, home health care.
D05 Dennis Quaid sues Baxter over label similarities between low- and high-dose heparin vials.
N29 CMS publishes final Medicare physician fee schedule changes for 2008.
N29 Fresenius Medical Care acquires Renal Solutions for up to 190 million dollars.
N26 CMS asks for feedback on its (non)payment policy on hospital-acquired conditions.
N26 Illinois judge voids legislative cap on medical liability awards for pain and suffering.
N16 CMS pushing e-prescribing for Medicare beneficiaries.
N15 FDA approves Roche ESA anemia drug Mircera
N12 Baxter receives 510k clearance for FDA to test a silver-coated IV line luer-lock connector.
N08 Link to new FDA boxed labels for ESAs. Their target Hb range is 10-12 g/dL.
N08 FDA modified boxed warnings, indications, for ESA drugs.
N07 Survival doubles with adoption of new AHA resuscitation guidelines.
N01 Legislation introduced in the House to fight spread of drug-resistant bacteria.
O31 Fresenius Medical 3rd quarter profits up 30%
O31 AAKP helps defeat legislation to extend period of Medicare Secondary Payer coverage for ESRD
O26 Legislation aims to require disclosure of implantable medical device prices paid by hospitals.
O25 AAMI to issue TIR34 - a new guidance document for water quality for reprocessed devices.
O23 AJKD article, editorial, question relevance of Dialysis Compare quality measurements.
O19 Baxter reports strong 3rd quarter sales and earnings
O19 For cancer patients, Aetna will no longer reimburse for epogen unless Hb falls below 10 unless patient is symptomatic.
O17 MRSA-infected high school student dies. Twenty-one schools closed for cleaning.
O10 FDA seeks nominations for new foundation to focus on unmet needs in innovation.
O10 National Provider Identifier must be on Medicare claims as of Jan 1, 2008.
O04 Battle erupts over Medicare coverage of dialysis
S25 Benefits of influenza vaccination in older adults questioned.
S18 New CMS rules changes constraints on dialysis unit medical director salaries.
S18 Representative Pete Stark writes about Epogen reimbursement policy on his blog.
S18 Medicare starting to reject claims with NPI number discrepancies.
S17 Brits will be mandating that doctors wear short-sleeved shirts/coats only, to help reduce spread of infection.
S12 FDA advisory panel rejects idea of setting 11 g/dL as the upper limit of target Hb with ESAs.
S11 FDA advisory panel meeting today in the news
S03 Sheet Metal Workers health plan sues DaVita, Amgen, and Fresenius in a civil action claiming overuse of EPO.
A31 RPA letter to CMS regarding lack of an increase in work value units for dialysis.
A27 Economic issues relating to EPO usage - 5 full text articles from AJKD, September, 2007
A22 59% of DaVita patients have fistulas (52% national average), and 4 have their fistula for 35 years.
A17 Patients who develop kidney failure after use of phosphate-based laxatives initiate lawsuits.
A09 2006 ESRD CPM (Clinical Performance Measures) report now available on CMS website.
A07 ASN: August issue of Renal Policy Express
J25 Genzyme doing well - raises 2007 outlook
J20 CMS: Line item billing requirement for ESAs in program manual update.
J19 FDA meeting planned in September to scrutinize ESA use in ESRD patients.
J19 Kidney patients more likely to reach - doughnut hole gap - in Medicare Part D coverage.
J18 Dutch organ donor numbers soar after - win a kidney - show hoax
J18 Renal Care Group faces lawsuit for false medical care billing.
J16 Older, cheaper pills just fine to treat diabetes.
J14 Robot telerounds reduce length of stay after bariatric surgery.
J09 MMWR: Prevention and Control of Influenza: 2007 update
J07 Waging war on C. difficile - the deadliest superbug.
J06 Medical tourism a growing industry.
J29 Fresenius presents new award for excellence in nephrology nursing.
J29 New ideas re ESRD funding presented at House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing.
J28 Robot fleet for high-tech hospital.
J22 Hospital Compare website link - see where your hospital ranks on the list.
J22 Federal government gets back into rating hospitals - this time lists those where patients most likely to die after heart surgery.
J20 For profit dialysis center proposal in state of New York draws opposition
J05 NxStage announces agreement to acquire Medisystems
M23 Medicare issues proposed coverage decision to limit payment for ESAs in patients with cancer.
M23 FDA orders black box warnings for gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents regarding NSF.
M21 VA rolls out MRSA control strategy to all of it medical centers
M11 Report on FDA panel meeting looking into safety of ESA drugs in cancer treatment.
M07 Bridgepoint to buy Gambro Healthcare.
M03 NEJM: Drug risks and free speech - can Congress ban direct-to-consumer ads?
M02 Early start? How about very late start in patients over 70 with very low protein diet?
A20 Baxter doing well, 1st quarter profits up.
A20 Congressman Stark favoring new ESA reimbursement policy in letter to colleagues.
A20 Wall Street Journal video interview with Fresenius CEO Ben Lipps about ESAs.
A19 Fewer heart patients need antibiotics prior to dental procedures.
A18 Wallenberg family may sell Gambro Health Care.
A18 JAMA: EPO utilization higher in certain for-profit dialysis chains.
A12 NKF releases preliminary anemia guideline update
M20 Medicare contractors owe huge amount of taxes, GAO says.
M20 Lawsuit forces state of Arizona to pay for dialysis for legal and illegal immigrants.
M16 Medicare to review payment policies for ESAs in view of FDA black box warning
M16 Debate about proposed new rules for organ allocation in the news.
M13 Copper in doorhandles and hospital fixtures may fight MRSA
M09 Fresenius gets license to use HITS medical software for its nephrology patients
M09 FDA to require black box warnings on ESAs regarding complications associated with higher Hbs.
M08 UK National Health Service launches tool to help prevent infections in dialysis units.
M02 FDA warns about potential impact of change in calendar onset of daylight savings time on medical devices.
M02 ASN Renal Policy Express. February, 2007.
M01 Medicare financing for dialysis vs. transplant in the news: One patient's story
F27 BBC documentary highlights dangers to hospital and dialysis staff from violence-prone patients
F20 Sick teens in crisis: Organ transplant patients may die when insurance for medicine runs out.
F14 Robot-assisted telemedicine rounds growing in popularity
F08 Stricter standards for dialysis workers proposed by Georgia State Senate.
F06 Allied against kidney disease on World Kidney Day
F04 Annual Dialysis Conference 2007 abstracts (Denver, Feb 18-20, 2007)
F04 International Center / Website for nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy.
F04 Limit Hb to 12 g/dL in dialysis patients? Not so fast! (New study from Europe suggest that 13-15 g/dL may be OK if not better)
F02 National Renal Alliance expands into Indiana
F02 The politics and cost issues relating to EPO in the news
F01 Biotrends report of Dec 2006 survey on use of ESAs and phosphate binders.
J30 DaVita says that government has closed the investigation into its business practices.
J28 New necrotizing toxin identified in dangerous, community acquired strain of multidrug-resistant Staph. aureus
J16 Doctor's sloppy handwriting alleged to kill 7,000 people annually.
J15 House passes Medicare drug bill.
J09 Fresenius buys 51% stake in major dialysis service provider in Taiwan.
J08 California considers widespread changes in its healthcare delivery system
J03 Renal Advantage completes acquisition of Renalab.
D28 NY Times article questions whether blocking for-profit dialysis chains in New York is a good idea.
D27 FDA: Dr. Kessler to Chair Global Task Force for Harmonization of Medical Device Practices
D21 President Bush signs bill that stops reimbursement rate reduction for docs and that ups dialysis payment amount by 1.6%.
D21 Patient sent home from ER complaining of bleeding from access site dies; family files and wins lawsuit.
D19 Last minute Medicare pay package freezes rates, postpones 5% pay cut.
D14 AJKD: Some chains adjust EPO doses more diligently than others when Hb values are high.
D13 Budget increase for VA health care unlikely for 2007.
D13 Kidney Care Partners applauds U.S. Congress legislation incorporating inflation adjustment for dialysis services.
D12 FDA campaigns against use of quinine for conditions other than malaria; cautions against use of quinine for leg cramps.
D12 CMS policy update: Implementation of changes in ESRD payment for calendar year 2007.
D11 FDA proposes rules overhaul to expand access to experimental drugs.
D11 Congress votes to increases the dialysate composite rate by 1.6%.
D10 Three cases of vCJD (mad cow) disease transmitted by blood transfusion in the UK.
D06 GAO report on bundling Medicare's payment for drugs with all ESRD services (pdf).
D04 NIH researcher who received money from pharma and failed to disclose it facing criminal chargers.
N30 MRSA infection becomes the basis for malpractice suits against hospitals in Britain.
N30 House Ways and Means committee schedules hearing (viewable on the internet) on anemia drug safety for December 6th.
N26 HDCN: Search index updated for audiofiles, slide/audio talks, articles, and abstracts
N22 Tail coverage a problem for docs wanting to move to another state,
N10 ASN Renal Policy Express; November, 2006.
N09 US FDA will be strenghtening its postmarket program to monitor medical device safety.
N01 Flat computer keyboard could reduce risk of MRSA spread in hospitals
O30 CMS to fine tune its policy on covering costs of procedures performed in the course of clinical trials
O30 Pharma supported patient education sites under the microscope.
O24 CMS proposes limits on billing for diagnostic tests orders through self-referral.
S29 Utah offers Fresenius tax rebates to expand its operations in state.
S29 US OIG (Office of the Inspector General) upcoming audits to focus on EPO (p. 26, PDF)
S27 U.S. House and Senate pass bill allowing purchase of drugs from Canada
S14 Multidrug-resistant TB spreading in South Africa.
S11 Canadian home dialysis patients seek rebate for water, electricity costs.
S03 Medicare chief McClellan is resigning.
A31 Security, privacy risk from information retrievable from discarded cell phones
A28 DaVita amends supply agreement with Gambro because of import ban.
A10 CMS proposes payment changes for docs and drug add-on adjustment for dialysis centers in 2007.
A10 Record fine expected against Kaiser Permanente for transplant debacle.
A05 Rapist jailed for attacks on dialysis unit staff
J31 Primary care doctors failing to diagnose and refer chronic kidney disease
J15 NEJM: Transmission of tuberculosis from health care workers.
J15 Does the electronic medical record threaten patient confidentiality?
J11 CORA signs agreement with Renal Advantage, Inc.
J07 Florida dialysis units prepare for hurricanes with generators and tanker trucks.
J02 MMWR: Updated 2006 influenza prevention and control guidelines from the CDC.
J28 How to restrict access to your medication prescribing data
J28 Did you know that drug companies have full access to your medication prescribing data?
J24 US berates Kaiser over kidney effort
J21 Woman accused of embezzling 1.5 M from dialysis clinic to buy furs and fancy cars.
J20 ISMP and FDA issue medical abbreviation blacklist - QOD, IU, ug, qHS, all likely to cause errors (pdf)
J16 Spill of dialysis concentrate causes panic in NY city :-)
M16 CMS web course (CME): Medicare Preventive Services Series: Part 3 Expanded Benefits
M09 Recommendations from joint ASN-RPA-NKF-NIH conference on dialysis facility research
M05 NEJM (full text): Injury to research subjects
M01 A way to increase organ donation: Change default policy to YES.
A25 University of Michigan to pay for preventive diabetes meds for its employees.
A02 CMS trumpets success of increasing use of fistulas from 2003 to 2005.
M31 OIG report documents dialysis units profits from darbepoetin - may affect future CMS payment rates.
M30 Federal Trade Commission gives final approval to sale of Renal Care Group to Fresenius.
M27 CMS asks health care providers to rate Medicare FFS contractors
M24 What is XDR tuberculosis? You don't want to get this.
M22 New CMS EPO and Aranesp payment policy in effect after April 1, 2006 - Listen to conference call.
M13 ASN: Contact your Senator to support the Specter-Harkin Health Education Amendment.
M09 Dr. Monaco editorial in KI: In favor of monetizing kidney donation.
M07 Wellbound expanding network of self-care dialysis units
M06 Annals: Dramatic recent rise in community-acquired MRSA infections.
M02 DaVita CEO Kent Thiry testifies before Congress requesting annual Medicare payment review for ESRD.
M01 Aging boomers lining up for dialysis in Canada.
F26 New Zealand kidney foundation launches a campaign for people to drink water vs. soft drinks.
F26 Dialysis for illegal immigrants remains a problem in US southern border states.
F21 ISN and IFKF team up to put together a World Kidney Day each year.
F20 CMS: Update to the composite rate: adjustment of drug add-on percentage
F17 DSI to acquire 100 dialysis clinics from Fresenius Medical Care.
F07 Bush 2007 budget would double time that dialysis costs are covered by commercial payers
F06 Survey of UK dialysis units focuses on late referral, AV fistula use, MRSA.
F01 US House of Representatives passes 1.6% increase in the composite rate.
J25 32% of Americans carry S. aureus in their noses, and 1% (2 million) carry MRSA.
J23 CMS conference call on Part B vs. D medicare drug coverage issues: Tuesday Jan 24, 1 PM.
J21 British study shows that work stress linked to both heart disease and metabolic syndrome.
J21 FDA announces new program to monitor safety of medical devices.
J21 Medicare Part D changeover leaves some Florida patients without payments for transport to dialysis.
J20 CMS relaunches its ESRD reimbursement calculator
J19 New drug label rule intended to reduce medical errors.
J19 Tufts nephrologist Dr. Klemens Meyer wins award from US National Kidney Foundation.
J17 US Supreme court backs Oregon assisted suicide law 6-3.
J13 AAKP to honor Dr. H. Keith Johnson at its Medal of Excellence Awards Dinner on March 19th.
J12 Monitoring your dialysis water treatment system (.pdf) - by Northwest Renal Networks
J10 Satellite Healthcare acquires Peninsula Nephrology patients.
J10 CORA (Clinical Outcomes Resource App) signs data use agreements with over 100 independent dialysis providers.
J06 MedPac (Medicare Payment Advisory Commission) to discuss payment adequacy at Jan 10 meeting.
J04 MMWR: Guidelines to prevent the spread of tuberculosis in health care settings, 2005.
J03 Calendar and Events: ANNA (American Nephrology Nurses Association)
J01 Some Mississippi dialysis patients lose funds to pay for rides to their units.
D29 ANNA hired government relations firm to expand legislative initiatives.
D26 Need a used medical device? Try Ebay.
D23 Amgen's monopoly on EPO-related drugs coming to an end with Roche's CERA (NY Times)
D23 Fresenius acquisition of Renal Care may be delayed until Jan/Feb of 2006.
D23 Joint Comission (JCAHO) launches chronic kidney disease management certification program.
D21 Dialysis consortium praises Congress for passing a 1.6% increase in composite rate.
D21 New tax law slows donations to the NKF's Kidney Cars program in Tennessee.
D21 New study says that two million Americans are nasal carriers of MRSA.
D20 Allergic reactions from drug-eluting stents
D19 Pioneering woman nephrologist Dr. Mary Lou Lewis retires.
D15 MedPac meeting on adequacy of dialysis payments - transcript (pdf)
D13 Baxter recalls dialysis machines due to possible blood tubing kinks.
D11 Tulane University cuts 180 medical school positions after Katrina.
D11 Medicare Payment Advisory Commission pushes for 3.2% rise in dialysis payments.
D08 No one injured in acid spill in dialysis clinic.
D05 Sally Burrows-Hudson, RN to head up business development for CORA.
D05 Medpac advisory meeting Dec 8-9 to discuss adequacy of payment for dialysis.
D03 New CPR device improves blood return to the heart.
D02 Telephone doctors worry medical industry.
D01 CMS releases EXCEL spreadsheet calculator to compute ESRD reimbursement
N24 South Korean cloning pioneer quits over ethics re sources of donor human eggs.
N24 CMS posts draft statement of work for ESRD networks.
N23 Baxter recalls Accura CRRT machines due to software glitch (Search for "Accura")
N23 Baxter to set up home dialysis care centers in India.
N18 Rockwell Medical appoints Scientific Advisory Board
N15 NEJM: Papers on renewal of board certification for subspecialties.
N09 Fresenius among those awarded ESRD demonstration project by CMS.
N07 AAKP patient education plan available in Spanish
N07 ASN special session: Responding to Katrina - lessons learned
N06 More on the new FDA digital drug label submission requirement.
N06 New FDA-supported website lists latest approved drug labels for all meds.
N02 JASN: USRDS predicts 713,000 prevalent ESRD patients by 2015.
O31 Probiotics to prevent MRSA? Wash your hands with soap and apply yogurt.
O30 Kidney thieves prowl Pakistani earthquake zone.
O30 Head of ambulance transport company convicted of fraud over dialysis billing.
O30 Miami-Dade County: Finding dialysis provider difficult for some patients.
O28 Dozens subpoenaed in New Orleans hospital deaths.
O28 American Kidney Fund Disaster Relief Fund for Wilma-affected patients.
O27 South Florida power outages hamper treatment of dialysis patients.
O26 Colorado nephrologist dues Denver-area hospital over dialysis monopoly.
O26 Aksys announces Q3 earnings conference call.
O20 Amgen reports Q3 results; earnings quadruple.
O20 U.S. Japanese and other U.S. Asian dialysis patients live longer.
O17 Two new "ethical" ways to harvest stem cells.
O17 DaVita patient group lobbies Congress and CMS.
O17 Dialysis Corp. of America ranked #17 of America's Best Small Companies.
O17 Death risk 65% higher at "one-star" vs. "five-star" rated hospitals.
O14 Stocking up on Tamiflu vs. bird flu? May not do you much good.
O14 Fresenius to buy hospital chain for 1.8 billion dollars.
O14 Probe of possible mercy killings at New Orleans hospital begins.
O14 NEJM: Hurricane Katrina articles (free full text)
O14 Fresenius third quarter profits up 13%
O12 China ranked 2nd in world incidence of diabetes.
O12 DCA launches 9-station mobile dialysis facility in South Carolina.
O12 JAMA: ESRD incidence, prognosis improving in diabetics.
O11 NxStage Medical sets number and price of shares for its IPO.
O11 USRDS: US rates of kidney failure stabilize, ending a 20-year climb!
O10 Fresenius Medical Care AG involved in shareholder lawsuit.
O09 AJKD: Increased visits by nephrologists do not raise quality of care.
O09 USRDS 2005 Annual Data Report Atlas now available on-line.
O09 Fresenius details its responses to help support Katrina-affected patients.
O07 Toronto mystery illness that killed 16 in nursing home is Legionnaire's disease.
O07 Fraud trial underway of company that transported NC dialysis patients.
O07 Renal Advantage now fourth largest US chain after buying 70 units from DaVita.
O06 1918 killer flu came from birds
O05 Charity and University hospitals in New Orleans "unsalvageable".
O05 HCV cross-infection in Malaysian dialysis unit - poor use of UP highlighted.
O04 DaVita agrees to sell 70 dialysis clinics to seal Gambro deal.
O04 National Renal Alliance secures 30 M financing to fund growth.
O04 Federate Trade Commission approves DaVita acquisition of Gambro units.
S30 Chinese horseshoe bats identified as animal reservoir for the SARS virus.
S29 DaVita opens new dialysis centers to help hurricane victims.
S26 UK experimenting with privatisation of some dialysis services.
S26 Genzyme could see upside if Renagel included in Medicare Part D.
S26 Hurricane Katrina may have displaced up to 6000 physicians.
S22 Past lessons help hospitals prepare for Rita.
S21 Haaretz: Organ donor shortage in Israel: Problem and possible solutions.
S21 Nabi launches study to see if StaphVax will protect dialysis patients long-term.
S21 Sept 21 issue of JAMA focuses on administrative aspects of medical research.
S21 Nashville also to get part of Gambro - Medicaid settlement payment.
S21 Ohio to receive settlement money in Gambro Medicaid overpayment case.
S19 SIMS project Katrina update: Is your dialysis unit open?
S17 DaVita slowly reopening Katrina-affected dialysis clinics.
S16 Focus on dialysis: Medical system strains to cope in Louisiana.
S16 FDA advice on ensuring water quality on reopening dialysis clinics: updated.
S14 Katrina highlights need for electronic medical records
S12 CMS issues correction to proposed 2006 ESRD reimbursement
S09 Double-membrane dialysis system uses nanotech to control pore size.
S07 Shot dialysis technician on the mend.
S06 Network 8 Katrina update
S06 Number of dialysis patients in Scotland rises by 50%.
S06 Dialysis patient shoots technician at Queens dialysis center.
S02 Hospitals in crisis in New Orleans
S01 Backup generator fuel shortage, unrest, plague New Orleans hospitals.
A31 West Nile virus returns - 17 new cases near Chicago.
A31 FDA approves new influenza vaccine for upcoming flu season.
A30 ESRD Network 13: Hurricane Katrina alerts, phone numbers.
A29 AAKP presses Congress to structure Medicare payments rewarding use of AV fistula
A28 New Orleans dialysis patients evacuated to other cities.
A28 Medicare fraud investigation focuses on physician and dialysis billing issues.
A25 Walter Reed military hospital slated to close.
A25 Ten Canadian pharmacies apply for license to sell Rx drugs in Nevada.
A25 Renal Care Group shareholders approve merger with Fresenius.
A24 NKF launches new public service campaign about early detection of CKD.
A24 The American Society of Hypertension ditches AmJH for JCH.
A23 AJKD: More frequent nephrologist visits fail to impact dialysis patient outcome
A19 Report examines use of electronic health records.
A18 Alabama changes rule requiring dialysis units to be within 10 miles of hospital.
A16 CMS Proposed Rule Would Reduce Medicare ESRD Reimbursement
A11 Renal Care Group served with broad-ranging federal subpoena.
A09 Study shows large burden placed on hospitals by Staph. infections.
A04 FMC reports very good Q2 results.
A03 Renal Care Group announces 2nd quarter results.
A03 JASN articles focuses on poor medical care received by CKD patients.
A02 Medlearn: Paying for vaccinations in dialysis facilities.
J29 Frist now backs bill to allow use of stem cells in research.
J29 House approves malpractice noneconomic damage cap - Senate fate uncertain.
J29 Davita to sell 70 dialysis units to Renal America.
J28 Fire destroys Sacramento, CA dialysis unit building.
J26 Medical scans using isotopes set off airport alarms.
J26 Gary Brukardt and other Renal Care execs to join Fresenius Medical Care.
J25 FMC closes 5 dialysis units in DC area due to insufficient funding.
J23 Modernizing renal workforce and services in the UK (.pdf)
J23 Popularity of reimbursable e-visits to physicians is growing.
J20 House bill seeks to reorganize the NIH and its Institutes.
J20 NxStage medical (maker of home dialysis machine) files for IPO.
J19 Reductions in Medicare payments for IVIG lead to problems: Portent for EPO?
J14 NIH finds ethics violations by its employees in 44 cases.
J13 DaVita-RMS gets Medicare demonstration project for CKD patients.
J08 Illinois Public Health directed by governor to establish CKD detection program.
J07 ANNA: Resource guide for use with Hispanic dialysis patients (.pdf)
J06 House bill to mandate reporting of all pharma clinical trials in registry.
J06 Expanding definitions of disease: economic consequences
J06 Renal Care Group acquires mobile apheresis provider in San Francisco.
J06 Law introduced to help prevent counterfeit drugs, especially EPO.
J06 AAKP endorses Grassley-Baucus bill for improved dialysis quality.
J04 Medlearn matters (SE0541) Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
J30 Canadian Health Minister to restrict U.S. access to Canadian meds.
J30 Genzyme, Bone Care International, announce shareholder approval of merger.
J28 Researchers link nursing injuries to staffing levels.
J25 VA faces 1 billion dollar budget shortfall this year.
J23 NIH provides toolkit for African Americans to discuss CKD at family reunions.
J17 Regulatory concerns delay sale of Gambro dialysis units to DaVita.
J16 Rodham-Clinton, Frist, introduce health care IT bill.
J16 FTC wants more info regarding sale of Renal Care Group.
J16 Medicare's investment in quality improvement may not be paying off.
J08 Dialysis technician training school opens in San Francisco area.
J07 What is a kidney worth? Special article on organ transplantatiýon.
J07 FMC: Fresenius unveils new 5008 HD-HDF machine ýn Istanbul.
J07 FMC: European registry data shows 35% lower death risk wýth hemodiafiltration
J07 Bacteria can survive for weeks on hospital surfaces
J04 Editorials, opinions (via Kaiser) on disclosing results of clinical trials.
J03 JHU project connects dialysis kids with on-line games, communities.
J03 Kaiser electronic med system reduces medication errors in CKD patients.
J01 Malpractice premiums of over 200K driving OB-GYNs from some counties, states.
M31 Int Fed Kidney Foundations (IFKF) meeting opens in Dublin.
M30 Kaiser malpractice update: Illinois, Maryland, NH, and Washington, DC.
M27 ESRD Clinical Performance Measures (CPM) 2004 report now available.
M22 Electrostatic charge on plastic nurses' aprons attracts bacteria, ups risk.
M21 Hospitalists coming into their own as a medical specialty.
M21 Medicare to pay for ESRD telehealth services (pdf).
M20 New telemedicine company treats patients by phone without seeing them.
M19 Am J Nephrol: Carnitine therapy associated with decreased hospitalizations
M19 Renal Care Group says class action lawsuit on Fresenius merger is without merit.
M18 US consumers increasingly using websites for health information.
M18 Medicare backs off of initiative to limit procedure at ambulatory surgicenters.
M16 Renal Care Group to take over dialysis for 900 patients in Georgia and Florida.
M13 Dingell re-introduces patients' rights legislation.
M13 Malpractice update: New developments in 5 states (Kaiser)
M12 ESRD outpatient medications project: Request for public comment (via Network 8)
M12 Kennedy-Murphy Bill would promote and standardize Health Info Technology.
M12 Neurochem to plead its case before the FDA for Fibrillex approval.
M12 University Med Center accuses dialysis competitor of overbilling in Las Vegas.
M10 Am Soc Hypertension focuses on Hispanic hypertension.
M09 Two studies document the rise of superbugs in the environment.
M09 Dialysis patient goes on home dialysis strike - insists on in-center treatment.
M09 Is a Medicare Physician COMPARE project in the works?
M09 Subspecialties, including nephrology flourish as IM resident choices.
M04 Genzyme to buy Bone Care International for 600 M.
M04 Fresenius to buy Renal Care Group for 3.5 billion dollars.
M03 Consumer Reports website suggest Best Buys for ACE inhibitors.
M01 Recent malpractice developments in five states.
A30 Advisory Board for bundled case-mix ESRD payment system to meet May 24, 2005.
A29 CMS stakeholder's meeting April 14th: Agenda and speaker slides.
A29 Gambro hiring, expanding manufacturing, in Lakewood, CO.
A29 ESRD patient dies after stopping dialysis to follow alternative health regimen.
A29 Shire first quarter profits fall on higher costs.
A29 Baxter sales growing internationally, but barely in the U.S.
A28 Volunteer / contribute to the RPA PAC (Political Action Committee)
A28 Gambro to make Polyflux dialyzers in Alabama.
A28 DaVita reports first quarter results.
A27 New ID guidelines recommend screening HIV-infected patients for kidney disease.
A27 Substituting nurses for doctors results in high quality care, but few savings.
A27 HCPRO offers dialysis quality and reimbursement newsletter for $299/yr.
A27 Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee top 3 states in terms of CKD risk.
A26 ASN Renal Policy Express, April, 2005.
A26 Keyboards latest culprit in hospital infections.
A26 Charles Bishop returns to Bone Care International
A26 CMS: Billing guidelines for syringes used in ESRD treatments.
A25 Medpac transcript: Modernizing dialysis payment (.pdf, see p. 96-133)
A25 Ray Hakim to retire as Chief Medical Officer of Renal Care Group.
A25 Dialysis unit in Malta being promoted as a tourist service center.
A24 Florida may increased reimbursement for Medicaid dialysis treatments.
A24 Poughkeepsie dialysis unit employees settle contract dispute.
A24 Orlando dialysis unit workers overcome by fumes when cleaning up bleach spill.
A22 MedPAC recommends changes to outpatient drug, dialysis payments
A21 Fosrenol competing with Renagel for phosphate binder market
A21 Baxter profits rise, margins improve.
A21 Amgen's first quarter profits rise 26 percent.
A21 Fresenius acquires Haemotec - Canadian dialysate concentrate manufacturer.
A19 Medpac Public Meeting April 21: Improving outpatient dialysis payment policy.
A18 Kaiser and Wellbound partner to offer home HD and PD.
A18 Tougher CME conflict of interest rules take effect.
A16 Canada: National standards urged for nurse practitioners.
A16 To boost efficiency, hospitals borrow principles from factory floor.
A14 Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc. Secures $6.5 Million in Business
A14 Medical journal editors condemn ghostwriting of scientific articles.
A14 ESRD Composite Payment Rate System Education News
A13 Rochester dialysis unit workers call in federal mediator
A11 Pathogenic bacteria survive on hospital computer keyboards for up to 24 hours.
A11 Physicians in 4 states score tort reform wins.
A11 Deleting computer files is not enough to ensure patient record privacy.
A11 CMS concerned about spike in expenditures for MD services.
A11 April 20th is HIPAA compliance deadline for medical record privacy.
A09 National Renal Alliance secures 43 M funding; plans to double dialysis centers.
A07 Renal Care Group adds three dialysis programs.
A07 House speaker Dennis Hastert has kidney stones surgically removed.
A07 Indentured worker sells kidney to pay off debt - set himself free.
A06 Kidney unit firebugs branded insane.
A06 California hospitals struggling over new nursing to patient ratio requirements.
A06 FMC receives subpoena from US Dept. of Justice regarding physician relations.
A05 Bush malpractice reform legislation stalled in the Senate.
A04 Trial registration policy adhered to by nephrology journal editors.
A04 How new bankruptcy laws affect physicians faced with malpractice suits.
A04 Medicare trustees: Gloomy forecast for physician pay rates.
A04 Physicians lobby Congress to prevent scheduled payment reductions.
A04 Another NIH official to retire because of conflict of interest policy.
A04 RPA NCAP (Nephrology Coverage Advisory Panel) website now live.
A02 Home HD Medicare FAQs for medical professionals
A01 Medicare Part B premiums to rise; physician costs are being blamed.
A01 Hospital compare website
A01 CMS launches Hospital Compare website; rankings based on 17 quality measures.
A01 FDA getting interested in follow-up after market studies for medical devices.
A01 Community MRSA is re-emergence of 1950's pandemic
M31 Dialysis Corp. of America reports record results for 2004.
M31 CMS Medlearn: ESRD provider training guide
M30 New HHS secretary Leavitt announces new goals, appointments.
M30 NKF Singapore hosts swimathon to raise money for ESRD care.
M30 Judge to rule today in med center vs. dialysis unit breach of contract lawsuit.
M29 National Renal Alliance to open new dialysis units in Georgia.
M29 NY dialysis center workers plan 1-day strike.
M26 Dr. Steve Bander to get 56M for exposing Gambro fraudulent billing scheme.
M25 FDA orders seizure of killer hospital beds - 7 patients die.
M23 Tort reform associated with lower liability rates in 3 crisis states.
M21 US Congress debates legislation on a national patient safety database.
M19 Ambulance company gets probation for criminal charges related to dialysis.
M19 US population trends drive growth in dialysis patients.
M17 CDC survey shows 30% of hospitals, and 17% of MD offices have EMR systems.
M17 CMS officially launches FISTULA FIRST initiative.
M17 Feds subpoena Baxter over dialysis filters.
M16 ESRD Outpatient Medications Project: Request for Comments (Network 8)
M16 10,000 petitions in Florida protesting inadequate reimbursement for dialysis.
M15 CMS decides to pay for melphalan with autologous stem cell tx for amyloidosis.
M15 Medpac advisory meeting transcript: Improving outpatient dialysis payment.
M15 Problem with access to dialysis in one part of Florida.
M15 Dialysis corp to acquire Medicore.
M14 Videoconferecing costs drop; teleconsultation applications multiply.
M14 Postcall resident crashes while driving home - is the hospital liable?
M11 JAMA: Unintended consequences of publicly reporting quality information.
M11 JAMA: Computerized physician order system facilitates medical errors.
M11 Uninsured patients who are overcharged are suing.
M11 Medical malpractice developments in seven states.
M11 Senate Committee approves bill to establish medical error reporting database.
M11 FDA issues cancer warning over tacrolimus/pimecrolimus eczema creams.
M11 Senate bill aims to ease fears about genetic testing.
M10 CMS provides calculator to compute reimbursement based on case-mix.
M10 Tumor-targeted immune cells cure prostate cancer in mice.
M08 NY judge denies claim over "misdirected" kidney.
M07 DaVita gets another DOJ subpoena
M06 Fraudulent medical discount cards widespread in the U.S.
M05 Medpac advisory meeting 3-11: Improving outpatient dialysis payment policy.
M04 Curis issued patent for use of BMP-7 to treat CKD.
M04 Some NIH scientists chafe at new ethics guidelines.
M02 ESRD composite rate system fact sheet
M02 FDA posts warning: Reduce starting dose of Crestor in Asians.
M02 Bill would require disclosure of clinical trial results in electronic database.
M02 Fresenius North America chooses Siemens for its Info Technology system.
M01 Renal Care Group Q4 profits up 15%.
F24 Fresenius Medical Q4 net rises 14% on patient-derived revenues.
F24 MRSA-associated hospital death rate becomes political issue in the UK.
F24 Consumer group sues FDA demanding that salt in foods be regulated.
F23 Transfer of VRE by health care workers' hands.
F22 Bush plan slows Medicaid, research funding.
F22 Tort reform for nonphysicians sparks debate.
F22 New CMS payment system from ESRD: Impact and effect of political action.
F21 Big three automakers launch e-prescribing initiative.
F18 FTC (Federal Trade Commission) sends query about Gambro-DaVita merger.
F17 Community nurses in Ireland being outfitted with Blackberry handheld computers.
F16 City of Evanston donates dialysis machines to sister city in Belize.
F15 AAKP's Kris Robinson, and Owen and Wish to serve on CMS Advisory Board
F15 MMWR: Blacks and Hispanics less aware of high cholesterol problems.
F15 Older docs adhere less rigorously to some standards of care (Annals paper)
F15 Medicare tests pay for performance: 10 large practices chosen for demo project.
F14 Hypertension awareness among Hispanics found to be critically low.
F14 Fresenius deploys Applix data management software at multiple business units.
F14 Virtual training used to school physicians in practice management.
F10 Serious MRSA infections linked to two strains.
F06 NIH publication policy in PubMed database released.
F03 NIH asks for internet access to funded studies 1 year after publication.
F03 Not for profit publishers call NIH access rule a missed opportunity.
F03 Illinois may streamline nursing licensing in face of shortage.
F03 NIH bans all consulting
F03 New recs to improve care in CKD, ARF, and palliation put forth in the U.K.
F03 Australian group calls for government to pay kidney donors.
F02 AAKP to honor Dr. John Sadler and Dr. Mark McClellan
F01 CMS announces centers participating in pay for perfomrance demo project.
F01 Brazil reshapes debate on intellectual property.
F01 Open-source software to store gigabyte-sized CT scans on I-PODs
F01 Avoiding malpractice lawsuits: Prompt apology and cash up-front.
F01 Non-physicians gaining legal right to write drug prescriptions.
J30 CMS posts draft Conditions for Coverage for ESRD facilities
J24 Physicians being targeted in identify theft scheme.
J24 New Medicare bonus payments kick in for rural doctors.
J21 Sen. Bill Frist outlines new vision for Healthcare in 21st century (NEJM).
J21 ESRD Stakeholders meeting set for April 14, 2005 in Baltimore.
J20 Merck threatens to cut off supply to Canadian pharmacies that sell to U.S.
J19 Spire gets contract to sell dialysis catheters to hospitals.
J18 New research shows that all COX-2 inhibitors may have CV health risks.
J18 U.S. launches diabetes campaign aimed at seniors.
J18 Dialysis Corp America opens new units in South Carolina.
J17 National Patient Safety group puts up web-CME educational module for physicians.
J15 MedPac recommends 2.5% increase in payments to dialysis providers.
J15 RPA files lawsuit against HHS-CMS on Stark II Interim Final Rule
J14 Computer crash blamed for adverse effect on dialysis patient care.
J14 Open access announcement regarding NIH research withdrawn for unknown reasons.
J14 One third of world population expected to have HTN by 2025.
J13 Sleep-deprived residents at risk for motor vehicle crashes.
J13 AAKP Washington policy report, Jan 2005.
J11 US Supreme Court rejects HMO appeal against racketeering charge.
J11 NIH implements royalty disclosure policy among its staff.
J10 Medical Economics: Special issue devoted to malpractice crisis.
J10 Tort reform loophole in Wisconsins excludes first year resident physicians.
J07 Text message cellphone alerts could provide geographical disaster warning system
J06 Pharmacy prescription errors increase at the start of each month.
J06 Canada considers shutting down internet drug trade.
J06 Baxter participating in relief efforts to aid tsunami victims.
J06 Publication bias in the news - leads to incorrect regulatory decisions.
J05 Florida dialysis center reopens months after hurricane Frances shut it down.
J05 RCG group acquires dialysis program in Missouri
J05 Bush to open major campaign to cap NEDs in malpractice lawsuits.
J05 Fresenius raises more than 1.1 million for tsunami disaster victims.
J04 Amgen donates $1M for tsunami relief programs.
J03 Bismarck, ND dialysis center receives 300K donation.
D30 Changes in U.S. physician ESRD payments summarized on ANNA website.
D30 Importance of specifying payment schedules in insurer contracts underlined.
D30 AMA t o work with CMS for clarification on E&M coding.
D23 Davita acquires more U.S. dialysis units
D23 CMS decides to cover HDM/AuSCT for elderly patients with amyloidosis.
D22 CMS: Emergency change to carrier instructions re ESRD 50/50 rule.
D22 CMS: Coverage of routine costs of clinical trials using IDE Category A devices
D22 Mayo clinic researchers find that PDAs do not interfere with pacemakers.
D21 Kaiser Foundation launches Medicare HMO health plan tracker.
D21 Fresenius Medical Care expanding services in Romania.
D20 Medicare Payment Advisory Commission: Payment for Dialysis (pdf) see p.228
D19 Consumer Reports: How to save money on buying statins.
D19 Consumer reports BEST BUY website now operational
D19 Grassley to introduce bill in U.S. Congress to mandate clinical trials database.
D16 JASN: Payment for quality in ESRD
D16 RPA: Analysis of Medicare 2005 Medicare Fee Schedule Final Rule
D14 EPA Chief Leavitt picked for Secretary of Health & Human Services.
D10 NKF Singapore to co-develop non-profit management program in India
D10 FMC not worried about Davita acquisition of Gambro dialysis units.
D08 Amgen announces 5 billion dollar stock repurchase plan
D08 RPA lawsuit against CMS over Medical Director Fees safe harbor provision.
D08 Davita pays 3 billion for Gambro's U.S. dialysis clinics
D07 Gambro may agree to sell dialysis operation to Davita; share trading suspended.
D02 Gambro reaches full settlement with U.S. Department of Justice
D02 Fresenius buys dialysis units in Memphis
D01 Todd Ing to be honored by American Kidney Fund at Torchbearer Award
N29 Voluntary self-regulation of CMEs and MECCs debated
N29 Blood product study sparks informed consent debate
N26 WHO warns of bird flu and possible upcoming flu pandemic.
N26 HHS-OIG advisory opinion (11/24/04) nixes lab support to units for sample prep.
N20 Dialysis Corporation of America reports Q3 results
N20 Sit-down rounds improve outcomes for dialysis patients
N14 Community-associated MRSA becoming more prevalent
N13 Allan Collins voted President-Elect of the NKF
N12 Rockwell Med Technologies reports Q3 sales
N09 Gambro gets DOJ subpoena as well regarding vitamin D usage
N07 Lawsuits against health plans crumble in wake of Supreme Court ruling
N07 Church-based program focuses on increasing organ donation from African Americans
N07 Fresenius expands to 19 clinics in Puerto Rico
N03 Fresenius Medical raises forecast on more patients
N03 Medicare Program published revisions to MD payment policies for 2005
N03 Research confirms that mad cow disease prions can be removed from blood
N03 Transmission of mad cow disease by transfusion leads to fears of a second wave
O29 Bone Care International receives DOJ subpoena
O27 Fresenius Medical receives U.S. subpoena
O27 Bone Care Int;l. reports Q1 results
O27 Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) decision charts
O26 KDIGO.org website now up for international kidney disease guidelines
O26 Renal Care Group receives Justice Department subpoena
O26 DaVita gets Justice Department subpoena
O25 CDC refines flu vaccine allocation strategy
O25 Congress renews visa waiver program for IMGs
O25 CME providers face stricter financial disclosure
O25 Dialysis Corp of America to open new dialysis unit in Cincinnati
O24 Tech whiz uses handheld computers to improve 3rd World health care
O22 Free computers not enough to get doctors to use technology
O22 Is Baxter on the rebound?
O20 Ambulance company pleads guilty to fraud relating to dialysis patient transport
O19 Denver hospital OKs web-arranged live-donor kidney transplant
O19 NEJM: Weathering the influenza vaccine crisis (.pdf)
O18 Internet service automates process of appealing disputed claims
O18 CMS trades payment for new technology with requirement for study enrollment
O18 Physicians scramble to direct high-risk patients to scarce flu vaccine
O15 Mississippi agrees to restore Medicaid benefits
O15 AAMI: Plumbing codes put dialysis patients at risk
O14 Ethnic nursing homes grow in Chicago
O14 Nightline on ABC covers drug reimportation: video of Frist vs. Stabenow
O14 AAKP requests open formulary for kidney patients without restrictions
O14 Tax law changes reduce deductions for car donations, but NKF optimistic
O14 U.S. NKF announces availability of nephrologist toolkit for CKD
O14 Flu crisis need not cost lives
O13 RPA announces multifaceted educational initiative
O10 Massachusetts e-health network to go live in 2005
O10 ACCME changes conflict-of-interest rules
O08 FDA unlikely to clear Chiron flu vaccine for the U.S.
O06 CDC director urges voluntary rationing of flu vaccine due to shortage
O06 Court rules dialysis a disability; chastises Walmart for not allowing CAPD
O05 City utilities accused of misconstruing lead levels in water supply
O05 Renal Care Group acquires dialysis clinics in Danville, VA
O04 Should I buy EMR now? The experts weigh in.
O02 Booming business in hospital equipment to care for extremely obese
O02 Consortium of Cleveland Hospitals wins NIH grant to train clinical researchers
O02 House Ethics Committee Admonishes DeLay, Miller, Smith re Medicare vote conduct
O01 House Judiciary Committee approves extension of J-1 Visa waiver program for FMGs
S27 Class action suit against Gambro in favor of former REN stockholders
S27 Lawsuit attempts to halt Medicaid cuts in Mississippi affecting ESRD pts.
S24 NCQA reports that half of patients get bad care, esp. HTN management is poor
S24 MMWR: Tuberculosis transmission in a dialysis unit
S22 Wellbound signs contract with Kaiser to supervise self-care dialysis program
S22 CMS Manual Transmittal: Change in payment for outpatient ESRD services
S20 Medicare part B premium rise blamed partly on payments to doctors
S17 Ambulance company fined over questionable billings for dialysis transport
S16 Dialysis center in Montana to shut down because of financial woes.
S16 Denise Fletcher joins DaVita
S14 A third of patients who forego meds because of costs don't volunteer this info
S14 Staff less tolerant of rude doctors
S14 Well-educated patients guide their own care
S13 HIPAA privacy rules are constraining outcomes research
S10 Feds approve Medicaid waivers for Mississippi dialysis, transplant patients
S08 NIH proposes making clinical trials data free to public
S01 Lawsuit challenges hospital translator requirement
S01 Carriers give wrong answers to Medicare policy questions 96% of the time
A26 ESRD Network helps solves dialysis problems in Florida in hurricane's wake
A24 CMS MedLearn Matters 2004 documents pertaining to ESRD, anemia
A23 Australian dialysis costs projected to hit 5 billion in next decade
A21 US Dept. of Justice investigates medical supplies industry
A21 Email consultations could improve health care delivery
A20 West Nile virus patients in Georgia may have been infected from dialysis machine
A19 Southwest Florida dialysis units struggle in aftermath of storm
A19 Inadequate Medicare reimbursement cited in closing of Montana dialysis center
A17 Hiring boom and rising salaries for nurses
A17 Newspaper examines industry bias in reporting sponsored trial results
A16 Dialysis Corp of America reports 2nd quarter results
A15 H1-B visa cap puts strain on Veterans Administration Hospital staffing
A13 Maine dialysis sues Medicare for increased dialysis reimbursement
A09 GAO report accused JCAHO of missing many deficiencies
A07 Senate Bill: Medicare Quality Improvement Act of 2004 - see Secs. 4-6
A06 Handheld computer Trojan virus steals and reports passwords
J31 Two doctors put on a musical spoofing Managed (e.g., "Damaged") Care
J31 Newspapers weigh in on new Medicare obesity treatment coverage policy
J30 Financial breaks speed adoption of cardiovascular health guidelines
J28 CMS proposed regs for preventive healthcare coverage released
J28 CMS revision to physician fee schedule for 2005
J28 Renal Care Group announces second quarter growth
J24 Federal Trade Commission and Dept. of Justice rec dropping certificates of need
J23 Kidney Care Partners applauds new House Medicare Modernization Act Bill
J23 FDA approves two-in-one cholesterol pill Vytorin
J23 Specialists, including urologists, dropping out of Medicaid program
J23 HHS Thompson unveils EMR, health IT strategies; announces grants
J22 Baxter posts loss, cuts 2004 outlook; trouble in Brazil
J22 DaVita to buy Physicians Dialysis for 150 million
J21 U.S. government may force hospitals to go to electronic medical records and Rx.
J21 Florida Medicaid cuts in transportation affecting dialysis patients
J21 Gambro press release relating to settlement of Medicare billing issues
J21 Gambro reaches deal with US authorities over alleged Medicare billing problems
J19 Not-for-profit hospitals being sued for marking up care to the uninsured.
J17 Mississippi scrambles to avoid cutting off dialysis, transplant patients
J17 CSPI: Journal authors often fail to disclose economic conflicts of interest
J16 DaVita acquiring dialysis units in Nebraska
J16 Medicare to cover some obesity treatments
J16 DaVita acquires dialysis facilities treating 750 patients
J16 Ambulance driver gets jailtime for failing to secure dialysis patient wheelchair
J14 UK; Continued superbug infection problem attracting concern of regulators
J13 Governments drafting laws, policies, to tackle obesity
J13 Congressional task force ready to tackle Medicaid reform
J13 ESRD Modernization Act of 2004: Text of proposed Senate bill
J09 Projected ceiling imagery lowers boredom, anxiety during dialysis session
J08 Alberta issues dialysis rules about premixed dialysis after potassium error.
J07 Mould-contaminated dialysis unit to be completely demolished
J07 Nurses overtime hours linked to medical errors
J07 Bush administration admits that high cost estimates of Rx drug program concealed
J06 Alonzo Mourning to be in Washington DC July 7th to lobby for dialysis patients
J05 Some dialysis center funding restored in San Francisco
J05 Online consultation growing, but slowly
J02 Holland's tough approach to treating MRSA
J01 Renal Care Group to broadcast its Q2 conference call July 28th.
J01 Florida dialysis patient convicted for attacking a technician
J01 MedPAC Members Discuss Medicare Reimbursements with Rural Providers
J29 June GAO report to congress on Medicare dialysis facilities
J24 NCQA lauds Baucus proposal to link payment to quality of care
J24 Baucus Bill would link Medicare ESRD payments to quality of care
J24 San Francisco General Hospital's dialysis unit may close due to budget cuts
J22 Videoconferencing use grows in New England hospitals
J21 Office of Human Research Protections has a new website
J21 RPA releases comments on Stark Interim Final Rule
J21 DaVita adds eight dialysis centers to its operation
J21 Supreme Court rules in favor of HMOs, limiting patient ability to sue
J12 MedicalMutual offers case management for ESRD patients
J12 Medical, dialysis waste found at NH landfill
J08 Canadian researchers present data against privatization of dialysis units
M29 CMS ESRD Information Resource
M19 RCG identifies, honors top dialysis units within its system
M16 Getting an EMR (electronic medical record) up and running: some tips
M12 California elder abuse law used to bypass tort reforms
M10 Patients and family members et al evaluate CMS Dialysis Compare website (PDF)
M06 Computer data guarding: the next HIPAA mandate
A25 Tom Kelly joins DaVita
A24 U.S. Senate rejects tort reforms bill for ob-gyn and emergency docs
A21 Baxter's new boss has big plans for the company
A15 DaVita acquires five dialysis units in Des Moines
A14 Johnson and Johnson profits up 20%
A14 RCG closes headquarters of National Nephrology Associates
A09 Proposed Florida Medicaid cuts would impact dialysis patients
A09 US docs: What the new Medicare law means to you.
A07 Medicare carrier reimbursement for peripheral venous studies using CPT code 585
A07 Medicare carriers agree to reimburse Doppler arm artery mapping in NW states
A06 Panel predicts Medicare pay cuts in 2006
A06 OIG alerts physicians about added charges for covered services (pdf)
A04 Fresenius Medical Care target stock price raised by analysts
A04 Renal Care group completes acquisition of NNA
M31 Use of clinical messaging in medical practices growing as alternative to e-mail
M26 CMS issues interim final rule regarding physician self-referrals
M25 Voice recognition moves up a notch
M18 Calgary hospital pharmacy substitutes KCl for NaCl: two dialysis patients die.
M18 Dialysis patient with Alzheimer's lost at connecting flight airport
M11 Privacy law makes outcomes research more difficult, more expensive
M08 Reimportation of drugs into the U.S. continues to snowball
M08 FDA requires bar codes on prescription drugs
M07 Automate without an EMR using a document managing system
M02 Dialysis market weathers recession; expands in emerging markets
F28 Florida dialysis clinics rush for licenses
F21 McClellan named new head of Medicare
F14 Mouldy dialysis unit in Calgary to be remodeled
F11 Gary Beil named new CFO for DaVita
F02 Renal Care Group buys National Nephrology Associates for 345 M
F01 Physicians explore group purchasing to cut costs
F01 Small practices take the lead in buying EMRs (electronic medical record systems)
J30 Renal Care Group to acquire Peoria, IL dialysis program
J20 Dialysis Corp of America announces stock split
J09 Medical malpractice rates in U.S. continue to skyrocket
J09 The new Medicare law: Doctors cheer
J08 New CMS physician fee schedule published
J06 Renal Care Group adds two members to board of directors
J05 Tort reform issues winding their way through the courts
J01 AMA News: Intriguing medical facts of 2003
J01 AMA makes available a HIPAA complaint form
J01 HIPAA misconceptions make life needlessly difficult for some physicians
J01 U.S. physician shortage predicted to get worse
D24 More frequent physician-dialysis patient contact does not improve outcomes
D24 CMS FAQ regarding effect of 2004 Medicare Fee Schedule on dialysis
D17 DaVita acquires dialysis programs in Maryland and Georgia
D14 New Medicare law gives boost to disease management programs
D14 Watson faced OIG probe regarding alleged fees paid to physicians
D13 Fistula First: CMS- Network QA-QI program for AV access
D09 Congress OKs drug reimportation from Canada with safety caveat
D09 Bush signs Medicare reform bill into law
D07 Is your coding on target? Compare yours vs. benchmark profiles.
D07 Sample letters to patients that a physician no longer wants to treat
D06 Cutting medical errors means systems, money
D06 Tort crisis in U.S. spreading; shows few signs of abating
D02 DaVita acquires kidney dialysis units in Nebraska and Iowa
D01 Quality of care questioned for dialysis patients
N28 J&J suspends trial of Procrit in cancer patients due to increased clotting risk
N26 U.S. physician board recertification gets tougher
N25 Physician assistant numbers increasing steadily in the U.S.
N25 US Senate passes 400 billion Medicare reform bill with drug benefit
N24 Medicare drug bill heads towards passage
N20 Carlos Del Salto to take over Baxter Renal Division from Al Heller in January
N14 Criminalization of fatal medical mistakes
N11 Medicare formula spells pay cut of 4.5% for docs in 2004
N11 GAO report highlights (PDF)
N11 Here is the GAO report critical of dialysis units (PDF)
N11 Most clinical study patients don't care about physician conflicts of interest
N10 RPA: New dialysis doc payment guidelines may hurt home, rural patients (PDF)
N08 GAO report critical of dialysis unit care
N07 AAKP calls for Dialysis Quality Commission in response to GAO report
N07 DCA dialysis chain reports Q3 results
N06 Confidential peer review info leaked to newspaper and published; court says OK
N05 AAKP comments on proposed new CMS dialysis doc payment scheme
N05 New CMS physician fee schedule for 2004
N05 Davita stock performing well, but investigation of billing practices looms.
N03 Medicare announces 2004 physician fee schedule and payment policy changes
N01 Peer review immunity provision in HCQIA withstands challenge in court
O31 Hospitals shifting to private label products for their supplies to save money
O30 John Risfelt new president of Gambro products
O29 Arizona appellate court rules that immigrants not eligible for dialysis funds
O29 Renal Care Group Q3 profits up 9%
O28 AMA Board of Trustees' guidance on Internet prescribing (Word file)
O24 Coping with clinical uncertainty
O24 The Connected Physician: A technology update (from Medical Economics)
O19 More physicians are fighting frivolous lawsuits
O19 Physician? Your practice patterns are being watched by health plans.
O17 Medical privacy law creates widespread confusion
O14 Wall Street Journal examines use of asset protection trusts by physicians
O13 Doctor establishes cash only practice based on email and phone contacts
O06 HHS eases interpreter mandate, but doctors must pay the bills
O04 CMS posts new ESRD information resource website
O03 CMS Memo S26: Hospital based units should bill using their own RDF number
O03 Bush, Mass, Pennsylvania considering tort reform laws
O03 Texas malpractice vote to amend state constitution for noneconomic damage cap
O01 Medical Economics reports survey on US physician incomes
S30 Even leading hospitals can make big mistakes in patient care
S26 Problems cited at Illinois dialysis center (Urbana-Champaign)
S25 Kaiser denies kidney transplant to HIV-positive patient
S25 New EU directives may complicate, limit collaborative trials in Europe
S23 ASN requests input in preparing response to CMS over nephrologist fee schedules
S19 World Medical Association postpones modifications to Declaration of Helsinki
S18 Doctors' cell phone use may spread germs to patients
S17 Costs of Staph infections in ESRD patients is high says Staph vaccine maker
S16 CDC: Alcohol hand rubs and fire safety issues
S16 States enacting mandatory medical error reporting laws: Oregon's version
S06 New Jersey docs stage job action protests against malpractice rates
S06 Coding alert: How to fight bundling
S03 HIPAA compliance, electronic data exchange conferences
S03 Register on-line for RPA coding and billing seminars
S03 RPA guidance on proposed CMS ESRD Demo project
S03 CMS posts coding initiative edits on the internet
S03 ASN requests letters to U.S. senators to support NIDDK funding
S01 Nurse with ESRD lobbies Washington for Daily Dialysis Quality Act
A31 Small practices can file paper claims and avoid HIPAA; CMS worries over loophole
A27 How one New York dialysis center coped with the blackout
A26 Comment on pending CMS regulations re ESRD
A26 AMA issues guidance regarding internet drug prescribing by MDs
A26 California medical staff has the right to sue its hospital
A26 California hospital sued under elder abuse law, bypassing tort reform
A26 Florida enacts tort reform with 500 K noneconomic damage cap
A25 AHRQ RFA: Request for patient measures evaluation their dialysis experiences
A23 Peoria nephrologists partner in a radiol/surg Renal Intervention Center
A20 Fed Register: Proposed payment reform for Medicare part B drugs
A18 Federal crackdown on bogus copies of popular drugs
A18 CMS sticks to 4.2% Medicare pay cut to physicians
A17 CMS proposed new rules to pay for Medicare-covered drugs
A17 Hidden (deleted?) information remains in MS Word and Adobe .PDF files
A14 DCA (Dialysis Corp America) reports Q2 results
A13 GAO: Medical liability insurance price hike fueled by high awards
A13 Godfather of patient safety sees progress
A13 Danish ban on routine antibiotics for farm animals cuts drug-resistant bugs
A13 Renal Care Group extends stock repurchase program
A12 Medicare proposed revisions to physician payment fee schedules
A09 A win-win alternative to noncompete clauses in physician practice contracts
A09 HIPAAs top cop gives insight on enforcement of new privacy rules
A09 FDA cracks down on drug ads
A06 Wired hospitals keep innovating
A05 Hospitals count costs due to reduced resident working hours
A05 GAO investigating CMS Scully for retaliation against U Wisc re Nursing Compare
A05 Fresenius Medical grows at 6.3% in Q2 as number of ESRD patients rise
A02 U.S Homeland Security issues new rules for overseas health professionals
A01 DaVita earnings jump on second quarter revenue
J25 ASN July Renal Policy Express newsletter
J25 House approves bill allowing reimportation of drugs from industrialized nations
J25 Vets can get drugs from private docs filled at VA, but there are snags
J25 CMS comments on Senate passage of Pediatric Research Equity Act
J25 AMA's Palmisano addresses the medical liability crisis
J25 CMS issues guidance document re HIPAA transactions
J22 Tort reformers lick their wounds, regroup, after Senate defeat
J22 State damage caps linked to boost in physician supply
J22 Da Vita acquires dialysis units in Rockford, Illinois
J21 New trend: Patient's ordering their own lab tests without physician involvement
J18 US News WR ranks hospitals: MGH, Brigham, Mayo, Hopkins tops in kidney disease
J16 Innocence by association: Corporate money co-opts not-for-profit groups
J14 Tort reform stalled over size of damages cap
J12 Cost effectiveness of virtual consultations is not a given
J11 In Britain, long journey to dialysis unit strains dialysis patients
J11 Recent DaVita stock price impresses financial analysts
J10 DaVita to buy Baxter units
J10 Senate Democrats block medical malpractice award caps
J05 Indiana interpretation of Medicare/Medicaid law hurts dialysis patients
J04 Supreme court won't block Filipino dialysis patient deportation from U.S.
J01 U.S. veterans to gain online access to some of their medical records
J01 Resident workload limits may impact attending physicians
J01 AMA adopts new internet prescribing guidelines
J28 Bush ready to sign Medicare Rx bill, but House and Senate need to compromise
J28 Supreme Court allows patent infringement case involving research by Duke U
J27 U.S. House, Senate pass Medicare drug coverage bills
J26 The benefits of proper Medicare coding - where to find good coders
J20 Gift of dialysis machines to India caught up in red tape
J19 CMS asks for bids for new flat-fee total care demonstration project for ESRD
J19 Texas passes tort reform with 250K cap on noneconomic damages
J17 Moving to an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system: pros and cons
J17 New U.S. physician resident work-rules to take effect on July 1
J17 U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital audit: Part-time doctors often absent
J13 Stephen Everett takes over as CEO of Dialysis Corp of America (DCA)
J10 Is failure to identify potential organ donors a medical error subject to QA?
J05 The waiting game: When will Medicare cover new technology?
M30 BMJ: Drug companies and pizza (2) : Disentanglement (1)
M30 BMJ: Drug companies and pizza: Entanglement (1)
M20 Cannizzaro to replace Tannenbaum as CEO of Nat'l Nephrol Assoc (NNA)
M16 Medicore, parent of DCA, reports Q1 results
M16 5.75 M lawsuit; proteinuria/hematuria misdiagnosed, kidney failure ensued
M14 U.S. regulators issue guidelines regarding industry-sponsored CME, doctor gifts
M14 Concerns raised about October HIPAA electronic data protection deadline
M13 New Zealand solves problem of providing dialysis to overstaying immigrant
M11 VA Inspector General audit finds part-time VA docs time commitment undocumented
M11 UK dialysis funding crunch consequences in the news
M11 U.S health professionals struggle with new privacy rules
M11 ASN Renal Express. May, 2003
M07 Fresenius reports Q1 results - doing well
M05 Davita reports 1st quarter results - doing well
M05 Obstacles and solutions to e-prescribing medications
M03 Managed care demonstration project shows Kaiser patients had good outcomes
A29 Gary Brukardt named CEO of Renal Care Group
A11 How do your staff salaries compare to those in other practices?
A11 Firing patients: When it's time to say farewell.
A11 April 14th is deadline for HIPAA privacy compliance
A02 Blagg, Lockridge urge write-in support for HR1004 home dialysis bill
A02 Provide feedback to JCAHO on Safety Rec #3 impact on inpatient HD
A01 Tort reform clears House, moves forward in States
M25 Restrictions on visas of foreign-born scientists may be stalling U.S. research
M20 Renal Care Group founder Sam Brooks dies
M15 Did your U.S. House Rep vote for liability reform?
M14 Baxter cuts substantially its earnings forecast for 2003
M14 Blind student who missed school for dialysis sues after being removed from class
M14 U.S. House passes medical malpractice limits
M11 FDA to propose adding barcodes to meds to help prevent errors
M10 Malpractice cap bill working its way through Congress
M04 Dialysis Corp America (DCA) reports strong growth in 2002 vs. 2001
M02 HMOs may lose malpractice immunity
F27 Illinois doctors stage insurance protest
F26 Direct consumer advertising of Rx drugs may have patient benefits
F26 Amgen sales projected to double
F25 Fresenius Medical Care earnings unexpectedly strong
F25 JAMA paper analyzes racial disparities in ESRD care
F20 NEJM: U.S. consent form templates at 10th grade reading level
F18 United States Veterans seeking healthcare from the VA increase sharply in number
F18 Washington Post highlights Bush medical malpractice proposal
F18 Private health insurance in India to cover kidney dialysis
F18 Marked regional differences in Medicare spending not related to outcomes
F17 Congress approves Medicare physician pay increase, rescinds 4.4% cut
F15 New web-based journal focuses on medical errors
F14 DaVita Q4 profit rises 80% on kidney treatments
F13 Bill to establish national medical error databank passes House Committee stage
F12 Malpractice causes, solutions, being debated on in a US Senate Committee Hearing
F11 UK dialysis resources being strained by increased patient load
F06 Florida docs join New Jersey physicians in work slowdown over malpractice
F05 AMA medical liability crisis talking points - focus on California
F01 New FDA initiative to facilitate review of new medical devices and products
J25 Financial conflicts of interest in biomedical research
J24 U.S. JCAHO to focus on hospital-acquired infections
J19 Congress weighs bills to stop Medicare pay cut
J14 FDA issues new industry guidance for sharps injury prevention