With February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month upon them, academic, industry and government leaders can point to improvements. They formed a Dental Action Committee that has won aid for local health centers; streamlined the Medicaid program; and sent hygienists into the community to provide screenings. They’ve been gaining commitments from dentists to treat poor children. They worry, however, that the bad economy will set back efforts and Read the rest of this entry »

BC-MD–Disaster Preparedness,0122
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BALTIMORE (AP) — A new study finds Maryland tied for last among states nationwide in readiness for a health emergency.
Maryland scored a five out of 10 possible points on indicators for health emergency preparedness capabilities according to the study released Tuesday by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Tied with Maryland were Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Read the rest of this entry »

, an organization of 47 hospitals and health systems, chose Emdeon to provide electronic data interchange services for the state's hospitals.
The Nashville, Tenn.-based company, which helps health care operations automate their payment and revenue mnagement systems, was selected by the hospital association in a competitive process.
The terms of the contract were not disclosed.
“The adoption of electronic data transmission is essential Read the rest of this entry »

The report, Taking Toxics out of Maryland’s Health Care Sector: Transition to Green Pest Management Practices to Protect Health and the Environment, was co-written by the Maryland Pesticide Network, a statewide coalition advocating safe pest management practices, and Beyond Pesticides, a national environmental and public health group, under their joint Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Health Care Facilities Project, and in collaboration with Maryland Read the rest of this entry »

Serving more than 2,000 U.S. hospitals and 53,000-plus other healthcare
sites, the Premier healthcare alliance and its members are transforming
healthcare together. Owned by not-for-profit hospitals, Premier operates
one of the leading healthcare purchasing networks and the nation’s most
comprehensive repository of hospital clinical and financial information.
A subsidiary operates one of the nation’s largest Read the rest of this entry »

filed for state regulatory approval Monday to build a hospital in a fast-growing section of upper Montgomery County.
, which will decide whether to issue a certificate of need so the project can go forward.
The 60-acre Clarksburg site would house a 100-bed hospital, medical office buildings for physicians and outpatient medical services, a nursing home and a day care center.
Since 2002 Adventist has worked alongside county planners, adjoining Read the rest of this entry »

January 04, 2009 10:58 pm
CUMBERLAND — A local gym owner’s request for a federal bill to be considered in the Maryland General Assembly “makes sense” to Sen. George Edwards.
Amy Schwab Owens is co-owner of Life Fitness Management in LaVale. She said state lawmakers’ support of a modified Personal Health Investment Today Act, which would allow state residents to use flex-spending and health savings accounts to purchase Read the rest of this entry »

Although 50% of BSHSI’s $1.1 billion debt consists of VRDOs, and $350
million is currently held as bank bonds, the health system’s interest
rate and term-out risk is relatively low. The cure period for all
reimbursement agreements is 366 days, and bank rates are capped at the
higher of the bank’s prime rate plus 1% or the Federal funds rate plus
2%. BSHSI’s long term credit rating and its strengthening credit Read the rest of this entry »

At least seven people in Maryland have been sickened by a strain of salmonella sweeping the country.
So far, 388 people in 42 states have become infected by Salmonella typhimurium, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People started getting sick between Sept. 3 and Dec. 29, and most of the illnesses started after Oct. 1, the CDC said. Eighteen percent of the people have been hospitalized.
Seven cases with the same DNA Read the rest of this entry »

The Maryland Health Insurance Plan said Wednesday it will offer reduced premiums for individuals and families with limited income.
MHIP provides health insurance to those who aren’t eligible for Medicare, don’t qualify for Medicaid, can’t afford private health insurance or who can’t get coverage because of specific health conditions.
About 15,000 Marylanders are enrolled in MHIP and the new reductions would apply to about Read the rest of this entry »