HCI's Monthly Review of the Healthcare Industry
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Robert J. Stilley
President, CEO
HeartCare Imaging, Inc.
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Dear Colleague -
Facing the music, that sounds like fun if it involves going to see your favorite artist in concert. If it means talking to an unhappy patient or customer, it will not be fun but it will definitely be the 'smart' thing to do. First, it will allow you to discuss a problem with someone that has put their trust in you...that's the right thing to do. Second, you might learn something that you need to fix which could result in you and/or your company's overall improvement. Third, it will prove that you have integrity which is a characteristic that should never be overlooked. I learned this many years ago...early in my career, I had sold a piece of equipment to a hospital and that equipment was not meeting expectations. I received a very irate call from the physician in charge about my company's inability to fix the problem...and when I say irate, I mean irate! The physician was not only the one responsible for selecting the equipment, he was also an industry icon who others looked to for guidance. I had a choice, hide and find others to blame or 'face the music'. When I showed up in his office he looked at me incredulously and said, 'What the hell are you doing here?'. I told him that I was there because I wanted to tell him face to face that I was sorry for the issues and I was going to do whatever it took to get the problem fixed. That began the beginning of a great relationship that included much more business but more importantly a 'trust' that allowed me to learn from one of the pillars of my industry. In fact, when I started HCI years later he was one of the first people I called on for guidance. We've woven this quality, the quality of integrity, into everyone that works for HCI. It's one of the reasons we've had customers for decades. Our business is complicated and there are issues that come up from time to time...but our customers know that when there is a problem they will not stand alone, we will be there to do everything we can to get the problem fixed.
Enjoy the newsletter!
Best Regards,
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NSAIDs Increase Cardiovascular Risk in Osteoarthritis
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For patients with osteoarthritis, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk for cardiovascular disease to more than twice the rate of the general population, new research shows.
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Elevated NT-proBNP Found to Up Cardiovascular Risk in T2DM
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Elevated baseline N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is independently associated with development of major cardiovascular (CV) events, in particular hospitalization for heart failure, according to a study published online May 30 in Diabetes Care.
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Vegan diet, walking, hydration, sleep reduced BP in just 2 weeks
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Lifestyle intervention focused on nutrition, exercise and sleep significantly lowered BP and the need for antihypertensive medications over a period of 2 weeks, according to findings presented at Nutrition 2018.
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Blood test predicts coronary disease patients' death risk
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For the first time, researchers have developed a blood test that predicts the long-term risk of a heart attack and death among those with severe coronary artery disease.
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Job strain could be harming your heart
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Individuals with high-strain jobs are more likely to develop atrial fibrillation, which is a common heartbeat disorder that can significantly raise the risk of stroke.
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Fitness Can't Counteract Fat in Heart Attack Study
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Physical activity does not offset the risk for myocardial infarction that comes with excess body weight, a new analysis from the long-term Tromsø Study suggests.
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Alcohol Consumption Inversely Linked to Nonfatal Coronary Heart Disease
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Alcohol consumption is inversely linked to the risk of nonfatal coronary heart disease (CHD) but not to other cardiovascular events such as ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, according to a study published in the BMJ.
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AHA Science Advisory: Educate Doctors on Nutrition Counseling
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Training physicians to provide diet and nutrition counseling as well as developing collaborative care models to deliver nutrition advice will reduce the health and economic burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) "to a degree not previously recognized," says an American Heart Association (AHA) science advisory.
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High-salt diet may kill off 'good' gut bacteria
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New data suggest that high salt consumption may prove fatal to certain gut bacteria, and that this could contribute to high blood pressure and diseases affecting the immune system.
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IBA to install second US-based Cyclone 70 system in Arizona
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Radioisotope production is headed west to the Grand Canyon state as part of a formal contract between Arizona Isotope Science Research Corp. and Ion Beam Applications S.A.
The Belgium-based particle accelerator manufacturer has agreed to install a Cyclone 70 system for the continuous production and use of isotopes in diagnosing cardiovascular disease and other serious conditions.
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Low vitamin D levels may raise bowel cancer risk
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In the largest study of its kind, low levels of vitamin D are linked with a significant increase in colorectal cancer risk. Conversely, higher levels appear to offer protection.
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Gout Linked to Higher Risk of Dementia
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A new study finds that gout is associated with a 17 to 20 percent higher risk of dementia in the elderly.
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PET-Guided De-escalation Effective in Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma
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PET can be safely used to guide treatment in patients with untreated advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma after 2 cycles of upfront de-escalated BEACOPP (BEAesc), according to findings presented at the 2018 European Hematology Association Congress.1,2 The final analysis of the phase III LYSA randomized study was presented by lead author Olivier Casasnovas, MD.
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Multiple Sclerosis Drug Reduces Disease Activity, Disability Progression in Trials
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Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus, Genentech) demonstrated significant reductions in disease activity and disability progression for patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS), according to data presented at the 70th American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting.
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Scientists find way to eliminate protein linked to ALS symptoms
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Scientists said they have developed a way to remove an abnormal protein associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a finding that could eventually lead to a cure for the degenerative disease.
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Viruses Targeting Gut Bacteria May Be Players in Parkinson’s Disease, Study Suggests
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Viruses that infect bacteria, known as bacteriophages, may contribute to the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease by unsettling the variety and number of the gut’s microbiota, a study reports.
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Dementia, Alzheimer Disease Risk Increased With Lower Branched-Chain Amino Acid Levels
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Lower branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) levels may be associated with an increased risk of incident dementia, independent of other conventional risk factors, according to a study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia.
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Immunotherapy Drug Shows Promise for Melanoma, Lung Cancer
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At the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago this week, pharmaceutical company Merck presented results that support expanding uses for pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy drug for cancer. One study, presented today (June 4), showed success in treating advanced melanoma, while another reported yesterday revealed progress in the treatment of lung cancer.
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The American Medical Association passed its first policy addressing augmented intelligence in the healthcare industry during its annual meeting in Chicago, which ran June 7 to June 13.
"Combining AI methods and systems with an irreplaceable human clinician can advance the delivery of care in a way that outperforms what either can do alone," AMA Board Member Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, said in a June 14 statement. "But we must forthrightly address challenges in the design, evaluation and implementation as this technology is increasingly integrated into physicians' delivery of care to patients."
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Clinicians often misinterpret end-of-life documents
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Clinicians commonly misunderstand or misinterpret end-of-life documents, according to studies and experts. A Pennsylvania report showed health care facilities in the state reported almost 100 patient code-status events in 2016, resulting in 29 cases where patients were resuscitated against their wishes and two cases where patients who wanted to be resuscitated were not.
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Better hospital IT security doesn't mean fewer cyberattacks
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The study argues institutional factors play a role in determining which hospitals — such as smaller health systems, older health systems, for-profit or nonprofit — are less likely to suffer repercussions from a data breach.
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Feds: Skimping can’t save seniors from rising med cost
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Medicare recipients filled fewer prescriptions for pricey brand-name drugs — but spent more on such meds anyway, says a government report released Monday. It blames rising manufacturer prices for squeezing older people and taxpayers.
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Politics that Affect Medicine
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Trump administration finalizes rule to expand association health plan access
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The final rule, released by the Department of Labor, is part of the administration's plan to encourage competition in the health insurance markets and lower the cost of coverage. It broadens the definition of an employer under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA, to allow more groups to form association health plans and bypass ACA rules. ERISA is the federal law that governs health benefits and retirement plans offered by large employers.
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MedPAC proposes imaging payment cuts in June report
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June 15, 2018 -- The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has proposed reimbursement cuts to specialties -- including radiology -- of almost 4%, while increasing payments for services such as clinician and hospital outpatient visits by 10%.
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Bipartisan group of governors denounces Trump move on pre-existing conditions
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A bipartisan group of governors on Monday called on the Trump administration to reverse its decision to argue in court that ObamaCare’s pre-existing condition protections should be overturned.
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Senate committee to advance Creates Act this week
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The Senate is clearing the way this week for a bipartisan bill supported by insurers and provider groups that is supposed to ease generic drugs' entry into the market, although the legislation's future in the House and Senate is unclear.
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CMS releases grades for state Medicaid, children's insurance program
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The Trump administration released a new scorecard to show the quality of state programs for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the first scorecard for CHIP and Medicaid on Monday. The goal is to provide greater transparency on how state programs that manage Medicaid and CHIP are faring in terms of quality.
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For over 25 years, HRSI has provided Authorized User (AU) classroom and laboratory training to physicians. HRSI's training is recognized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and fulfills the didactic training required by law.
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Annual Scientific Session of the
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
Bridging Quality Imaging and Patient Care
September 6-9, 2018 | San Francisco Marriott Marquis | Calif.
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Mark your calendar! The Radiological Society of North America’s 104
th
Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place November 25 to 30 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Every year, radiology’s best and brightest convene at the RSNA annual meeting to learn from the specialty’s top experts and get an exclusive look at the latest in medical imaging technology. RSNA 2017 brought breakthrough science in machine learning, artificial intelligence and 3D printing to the forefront, affirming the Society’s position as the leader promoting scientific innovation for better patient care. Save the date now to see tomorrow’s medical imaging discoveries today at RSNA 2018!
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HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com
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