Medical blog » says

Health Mgmt says 4Q profit grows 17 percent

admin — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:41:28 +0000

Hospital operator
Health Management Associates Inc.
said Monday its profit climbed 17 percent in the fourth quarter, aided by a large gain from early debt retirement.
The company reported net income of $14.5 million, or 6 cents per share. That compares with $12.5 million, or 5 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, Health Management Associates
) said it earned 7 cents per share from continuing operations. Revenue grew 3 percent, to $1.11 billion from $1.08 billion.
The results matched Wall Street estimates. Thomson Reuters said analysts expected a profit of 7 cents per share and $1.11 billion in revenue.
One-time items during the quarter included a $26.4 million gain on the early extinguishment of debt, and a $6.2 million investment impairment.
Health Management Associates operates 56 hospitals, and during the quarter, admissions fell 0.2 percent to 76,562. Including both inpatient and outpatient admissions, adjusted admissions increased 1.1 percent, reaching 132,965. Revenue per adjusted admission grew 2.1 percent. Surgical procedures decreased 2.3 percent to 67,898.
For the year, Health Management Associates’ profit rose 39 percent, to $167.2 million, or 68 cents per share, from $119.9 million, or 49 cents per share. Revenue grew 4 percent, to $4.45 billion from $4.29 billion.
In aftermarket trading, Health Management Associates shares jumped 24 cents, or 14.6 percent, to $1.89. In the regular session, the stock fell 1 cent to $1.65.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Former Manager Says Peanut Plant Complaints Ignored

admin — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:18:28 +0000

A manager at the Peanut Corp. of America’s plant in Plainview, Texas, said he repeatedly complained to the company owner,
, and the Texas Department of Health about unsanitary conditions at the plant.
Kenneth Kendrick said in an exclusive interview today with “Good Morning America” that when he worked at the Texas plant in 2006, he told Parnell about a rodent infestation and a leaky roof.
“Water, particularly anything leaking off a roof, and this is where things get a little disgusting, is there’s bird feces washing in,” Kendrick said on “GMA.”
Peanut Corp. of America, the company at the center of a
, filed for bankruptcy Friday.
Parnell appeared in Washington Wednesday for a congressional hearing about the tainted peanut products, but he refused to answer lawmakers’ questions, citing his Fifth Amendment rights.
Kendrick said Parnell would not provide money to fix problems and unsanitary conditions.
“The owner wouldn’t give us the money to do what we needed to do. The funds were not there,” Kendrick said.
Kendrick said the issue of sick customers never came up. “I don’t know if he [Parnell] even thought about it,” he said. “The concern for Mr. Parnell was the money issues.”
Calls to Peanut Corp. of America for a response to Kendrick’s claims were unreturned.
Kendrick also said he sent an e-mail to the Texas Department of Health but never received a response.
“I wasn’t sure how to take that,” he said. “I was just kind of taken aback.”
Texas officials told ABC News they’ve searched through their database and found no record of any e-mails from Kendrick.
Kendrick said he’s speaking out now because his granddaughter became ill with salmonella-type symptoms for three weeks in December, a time when she only wanted to eat peanut butter crackers.
“So I kept giving her the crackers and she kept getting sicker,” Kendrick said. “I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights over that, a lot of crying over that issue.”
Kendrick said he’s also speaking out after seeing the anguish of other families who have dealt with illnesses.
“I hope he [Parnell] never has to witness anyone in his family going through what my family and other families have,” Kendrick said. “I wouldn’t wish that even on Mr. Parnell.”
Peanut Corp. of America’s Friday bankruptcy filing came after the list of recalled peanut products grew even longer Thursday night, when the company announced it was recalling all products shipped from a second of its plants. Of three plants owned by the company, both its Blakely, Ga., and Plainview, Texas, facilities have found evidence of possible salmonella and unsanitary conditions.
The Plainview plant had a long list of customers that, at one point, did business with the facility, including big names, such as Abbott Laboratories, Frito-Lay, General Mills, Kellogg and Whole Foods. Some 1,900 products now grace the list of one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history.
“The news from Texas state health officials of conditions at PCA’s Plainview plant is alarming,” said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., in a statement Thursday night. “I am pleased Texas officials have taken immediate action to recall every product ever produced at the facility.”
“More alarming is the concern that there could be hundreds or even thousands of food processing facilities operating in this country that have never been inspected by the FDA, just as this plant has been doing since March 2005,” said Stupak, who serves as chairman of the panel that examined the issue Wednesday.
What’s Safe to Eat?
According to a survey released Friday, many Americans are confused about what products the peanut recall includes. A study released by the Harvard School of Public Health found that one in four Americans mistakenly thought big brand names of peanut butter were already included, though they are not. The study also found that one in three are not confident that the food service industry and government inspectors can keep food safe.
Brand name peanut butter is still said to be safe for consumption, whereas smaller peanut butter brands and a variety of other products containing peanuts, from crackers and candies to ice cream, have been recalled.
.
has resulted in 600 illnesses and an estimated nine deaths believed to be linked to bad peanuts.
This week, lawmakers and victims’ families expressed their anger over the outbreak and questioned the ability of the the food industry and the government to keep products safe.
Truck drivers, too, have started to blow the whistle. First reported by
, the driver of a truck traveling from Texas to Georgia said that along the way, packages of peanut paste burst in the back of his rig. After shoveling the paste out and putting it in barrels, the shipment was rejected at one Georgia company, but the Peanut Corp. of America signed for it and accepted the delivery.

FDA says Georgia plant is sole salmonella source

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 09:30:25 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The sole source of the U.S. salmonella outbreak involving contaminated peanut butter appears to be the Peanut Corp of America’s Blakely, Georgia processing facility, federal officials said on Wednesday.
More than 125 products including cookies, crackers, ice cream and even some pet food have been recalled in connection with the outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
Six deaths may be associated with the outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The CDC said at least 486 people from 43 states and one person in Canada have been reported ill from the outbreak of the Salmonella typhimurium strain, with 107 of them being hospitalized.
Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said Connecticut health authorities tested an unopened container of peanut butter from the PCA’s Blakely plant and discovered the strain linked to the outbreak of illness.
The fact that the unopened container had the strain indicates contamination did not occur after it was shipped from the facility, Sundlof said. Coupled with previous evidence, Sundlof said authorities believe the Blakely plant is the only source of the outbreak.
“That is our assumption at this point. We will continue to follow up on any leads that point us in a different direction,” Sundlof told reporters during a conference call.
The plant is not currently operating, he said.
Sundlof said he expects the number of recalled products to continue to increase.
Among the latest was by NutriSystem Inc, which announced on Wednesday a voluntary recall of its peanut butter granola bar. On Tuesday, PetSmart Inc, the largest U.S. pet-products and services retailer, recalled seven of its Grreat Choice Dog Biscuit products.
General Mills Inc, Kellogg Co and other companies also have recalled products.
Authorities say peanut butter sold on grocery store shelves does not appear to be involved.
PCA has recalled peanut butter and peanut paste products manufactured since July at the Blakely plant because of potential Salmonella contamination. Peanut paste is a concentrated product consisting of ground, roasted peanuts.
PCA manufactures peanut butter and peanut paste distributed to food manufacturers to be used as ingredients in commercially produced products. PCA peanut butter also is served in long-term care facilities and cafeterias.
Salmonella can cause abdominal cramping, diarrhea and fever and it can kill the very young and very old.
“More cases are being reported every day. The outbreak appears to be ongoing,” Dr. Robert Tauxe of the CDC said.
Minnesota authorities previously tested an opened container from the plant, and found the Typhimurium strain.
Sundlof said a federal inspection of the Blakely plant turned up evidence of salmonella on the floor, but not the Typhimurium strain.
“It does indicate that there are problems within the plant because salmonella should not be found there,” he said.

Man injured in Annapolis crane accident stable, hospital says

admin — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 11:39:03 +0000

A Pennsylvania man who was injured during a crane accident in Annapolis Thursday was stable in critical condition at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center today, according to the hospital.
Edward Cifaldo, 46, of the 200 block of Main Street in Red Lion, Pa., was sitting in a compartment of a crane that was preparing to lift heating and cooling units onto the roof of a fitness center under construction at Annapolis Towne Centre in Parole. Anne Arundel County Police identified Cifaldo today.
A pulley and other parts fell onto the operator’s compartment, and other employees extricated Cifaldo, officials said. He was taken by helicopter to the hospital.
Annapolis Towne Centre was the same development where a 46-year-old man died 10 months ago, after a piece of a crane that was being dismantled fell on him and he became trapped.

Spectrum says FDA extends review date of cancer drug

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:34:45 +0000

SPPI.O
) said
U.S. regulators have extended the review date of its
experimental cancer drug, Zevalin, to July 2.
The decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration comes
after the regulator received a major amendment to the
Supplemental Biologics License Application for use of Zevalin
as a treatment for patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma (NHL), the company said.
The drug has received priority review status from the FDA.
An estimated 30,000 people in the United States will be
diagnosed this year with indolent NHL, a slow-growing cancer of
the lymphatic system, according to the National Cancer
Institute.
The company also said it would acquire the 50 percent
interest it does not already own in RIT Oncology LLC, a joint
venture between the company and Cell Therapeutics Inc (
CTIC.O
)
to develop Zevalin, for $18 million.
Sales of Spectrum’s Fusilev, a drug approved to treat
osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, will help fund the
acquisition, Chief Executive Rajesh Shrotriya said.
Shares of Irvine, California-based Spectrum closed at $1.65
Friday on Nasdaq, while Cell Therapeutic shares closed at 5
cents.
(Reporting by Anand Basu in Bangalore; Editing by Pratish
Narayanan)

FDA says Georgia plant is sole salmonella source

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:29:40 +0000

FDA pick coming soon, Obama spokesman says

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:39:33 +0000

FDA pick coming soon, Obama spokesman says
President Barack Obama will announce his nominee for FDA commissioner in the next few days, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. The agency faces mounting pressure to address product safety, including recent cases of salmonella contamination in peanuts. Obama’s choice, who would take over for interim chief Dr. Frank Torti, has to be confirmed by the Senate.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009

Conn. lawmaker says state should close hospital

admin — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:28:49 +0000

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Republican leader of the
Senate says the state’s only psychiatric hospital for children
should be closed because costs are much too high at a time when the
state faces billions of dollars in budget deficits.
Sen.
and sent children to other treatment centers.
State officials say it costs $862,000 a year to treat one child
at Riverview, although that figure includes workers’ benefits.
A spokesman for the state Department of Children and Families
says no other treatment center in Connecticut offers Riverview’s
level of services.

ADHD drugs cause hallucinations in some kids, study says

admin — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Doctors have known that some children and adolescents taking stimulant medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder experience psychiatric symptoms from the drugs, such as hallucinations, hearing voices, paranoia and mania. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration ordered manufacturers of stimulant medications to add new warnings about psychiatric and cardiovascular side effects to package inserts. And patient medication guides are also required to explain the risks of ADHD drug treatments. At the time of the FDA order, experts estimated the risk of an adverse psychiatric event from medication use at about 1 in 1,000 children.
, however, estimates the incidence of psychotic symptoms at 1.48 per 100 person-years. (Person-years is defined as total years of treatment with a drug. For example, 100 people taking a drug one year is 100 person-years.) The statistic was based on data from 49 randomized, controlled trials of ADHD medications. In those same studies, no psychotic symptoms were reported in children who did not receive medication. Moreover, an analysis of spontaneous adverse-event reports to the FDA showed more than 800 reports of psychosis or mania. Psychotic symptoms were found with every ADHD drug tested.
Just under 8% of U.S. children, ages 4 to 17, have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to a survey conducted in 2003 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of these children were taking a medication for the disorder. However, the research reported today shows that psychotic symptoms occurred even in children who were not considered at high risk for psychosis or mania, such as children who abuse drugs or have other mental illnesses. In more than 90% of the cases, the children had never experienced hallucinations or psychosis. In most cases, the hallucinations were visual and tactile and involved seeing or feeling bugs, worms or snakes. The symptoms typically disappeared after the children stopped taking ADHD medication.
It’s not clear just why some children experience psychotic reactions to the drugs or what causes the symptoms. However, doctors should explain to parents that any psychosis or mania that occurs during treatment could be from the drug itself, said the authors of the report. And, they add, their paper is fresh evidence regarding the limitations of short-term clinical trials. The clinical trials of stimulant drugs showed a much lower rate of psychotic symptoms, but it wasn’t until the medications were widely prescribed in a broad range of people that psychotic adverse events became prominent.

Recession hitting hard, New Jersey Hospital Association says

admin — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:02:03 +0000

New Jersey hospitals said the nation’s recession is hitting them hard — causing layoffs, delays in capital improvement projects, a jump in charity-care patients and a decline in patients scheduling elective procedures.
“This recession has dealt a staggering blow to New Jersey’s hospitals,” said Betsy Ryan, president and CEO of the
“It has weakened their finances, drained their cash reserves and forced them to make extremely difficult decisions about job and service cuts. And it’s affecting patients as well, who clearly are struggling with tough choices about their health care.”
The association on Wednesday released the results of a survey conducted in January and February, which involved half of the state’s 74 acute-care hospitals. Among the key findings were 45 of hospitals reported layoffs in 2008, with another 21 percent anticipating layoffs this year. In addition, 48 percent of hospitals reported eliminating vacant positions in 2008, while 13 percent have instituted a hiring freeze in 2009.
The survey also found 17 percent of the responding hospitals reported eliminating services such as clinics and inpatient psychiatric care, 60 percent reported a decline in elective procedures, 80 percent reported an increase in charity-care patients and 76 percent logged an increase in ER visits.
Responding hospitals experienced a 27 percent drop in cash reserves, reporting a decline in days cash on hand from 155 days to 113 days. Extended across the entire industry, the association said, the decline represents $1.7 billion vanishing from hospitals’ balance sheets and their net worth.
“Contrary to business myths, hospitals are not immune to an economic downturn,” said NJHA Board Chairman John Gribbin, president and CEO of CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold. “Quite the contrary: Hospitals struggle with the same financial difficulties that other employers face – plus they hold the added responsibility of providing an essential public service at a time when a growing number of individuals are in need.”