Coventry Health Care to buy workers’ comp services for $387.5M

Coventry Health Care is in a deal to buy Concentra Operating Corp.’s workers’ compensation and related businesses. Under the deal, worth $387.5 million, Coventry will receive Concentra’s bill review services, case management services, medical exams and pharmacy benefits management for workers’ compensation programs. BusinessWeek/AP

Editor’s Note: Mergers and acquisitions are apart of every day life today. This acquisition will be interesting to watch as Coventry Health Plan has not been in the workers’ comp arena.

Pacemaker-like device shows successful weight-loss in early trials

A new device, similar to a pacemaker, works to block hunger signals carried by the vagus nerves and has shown impressive results in an Australian study. “These early trials are geared towards trying to work out the dosage and how often this thing needs to be turned on so that it will optimize the fully implantable device, which is still very much in a prototype stage,” a researcher said. The Age (Melbourne, Australia)

Editor’s Note: This is an interesting study on a new device that has shown somepromise and bears watching.

Patients can help ensure safety in hospitals

Hospitals nationwide are working to prevent medical errors, but many experts say patients can join the efforts by participating in their own care. Some tips include: bring an advocate, prepare a medical history, double-check medications and take notes on any instructions from health professionals. USA Today

Editor’s Note: This is an interesting article in USA Today that informs consumers on the hazards of today’s healthcare system and what they can do to stay safe. The article includes a sidebar with a checklist consumers can use to protect themselves or their families when they enter the hospital.

Some tie increase in teen suicides to SSRI black-box warning

The first increase in suicide rates among children and teenagers in 10 years is the result of FDA orders that SSRI antidepressants include a risk warning, some psychological experts believe. Black-box warnings added to Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft and similar drugs led to a 20-percent decrease in prescriptions to children in 2004, a year in which suicidal thinking in patients from ages 15 to 19 increased by more than 12 percent, according to newly released U.S. statistics. ABC News

Editor’s Note: This is an important article for all to read who work with children and adolescents.

Pilot program helps reduce MRSA spread at hospitals by 70 percent

Doctors in Pittsburgh say they have shown that hospitals can prevent the spread of a particularly dangerous drug-resistant staph infection by immediately identifying and quarantining patients carrying the virus. A pilot program at the Pittsburgh Veteran Affairs Healthcare System that used such measures was able to substantially reduce the rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, by 70 percent, officials said. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/AP

Editor’s Note: Hospitals are looking for ways to deal with MRSA. Feel free to share this article with your Infections Control Department.

Study links depression with early heart disease symptoms

Depression and its physical symptoms, such as loss of appetite and fatigue, can increase the risk of the early signs of heart disease, according to a new study. Researchers looking at 324 men and women found that those who had mild or moderate depression had greater progression of hardening of the arteries and increase of the artery wall. Yahoo!/HealthDay News

Editor’s Note: As case managers know, screening for depression is an important part of the assessment process. The February/March 2007 edition of Case in Point has an excellent article on this entitled “Unmasking Depression.” You should receive your copy by the end of February.

OSHA issues guidance on flu pandemic planning

Companies should develop plans for a possible flu pandemic that address how to minimize employee infections and operate with a reduced work force, according to guidance issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The document ranked workplaces by exposure risk and issued information on practices to adopt for each risk category. Reuters

Editor’s Note: I mentioned in last week’s News You Can Use that the government is starting to educate employers, healthcare professionals and consumers on the need to prepare for a flu pandemic. OSHA has taken the next step by issuing guidelines that employers can review and implement so they can begin preparations to handle what all are saying may be a devastating time.

HPV shots fuel public debate

A public health researcher warns that requiring vaccination against human papillomavirus could produce a backlash leading to fewer girls being immunized. Lawmakers in 23 states are considering proposals to require HPV vaccination and the governor of Texas ordered the shots for girls entering the sixth grade, provoking a public debate on the issue. USA Today

Editor’s Note: This is an important issue that I am sure many of you have been following, especially if you have a young daughter.

Report: Americans consuming heart-healthier diets

Americans came closer to following heart-healthy diets between 1980 and 2002, but there has been either little improvement or trends in the wrong direction for the areas of energy balance, sodium intake and fish intake, according to a new study. The areas in which Americans have shown improvement, however, include eating more fruits and vegetables, total grain, and whole grain and drinking less alcohol. Reuters

Editor’s Note: Nutrition is not a topic that many of us paid attention to when we were in school. The American Dietetic Organization has done a lot of work to educate consumers and healthcare professionals on changing eating habits. This story from Reuters shows that the educational efforts are starting to show some positive changes.