Volume XVI | Issue 8 | August 2024 | |
HCI's Monthly Review of the Healthcare Industry | |
Robert J. Stilley
President, CEO
HeartCare Imaging, Inc.
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Dear Colleagues –
I’ve had the chance to visit with some of our partner clients in the West and Midwest this month. As I’ve mentioned in an earlier newsletter, I’m not a fan of travel. That said, these trips are invigorating because they allow me to meet with and learn from the incredible healthcare professionals we work with. In addition to my travels, our HCI team visited 15 of our partner-clients in 8 different states in the past two weeks. These visits offer opportunities for patient and physician education, clinical training for staff, and outreach to providers in the communities we serve. We also collaborate with our physicists and technologists to ensure all licenses and accreditations are up to date. While all these tasks are essential, I believe the most important outcome is the trust we build, which is crucial for delivering excellent healthcare.
This is why we prioritize face-to-face interactions regularly—something that’s backed by clinical research. In fact, I encourage you to read the attached neuroscience article, which discusses the effectiveness of in-person meetings compared to virtual ones like Zoom.
I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter and have a great September!
Best Regards,
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Novel PET/CT Technique Accurately Detects Neuroblastoma in Children with Short Scan Time and No Anesthesia
A new molecular imaging technique that pairs a novel tracer with a next-generation PET/CT scanner can identify neuroblastoma in children with high sensitivity, requiring a scan time of only minutes and no sedation or anesthesia.
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Novel Molecular Imaging Tool Objectively Measures and Diagnoses Smell Disorders
A new fluorescent imaging probe can for the first time objectively and non-invasively measure loss of smell, clinically known as anosmia. Targeting the olfactory nerve, the new tool has potential to eliminate biopsies used to diagnose certain anosmia conditions and to aid in the development of therapeutic interventions. This research was published in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
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FDA's New Stability Testing Mandate Sparks Concern Over Potential PET Drug Shortages
At a workshop held at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last fall, the agency stressed that the PET Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) require stability testing at each facility annually. SNMMI opposes that change, which could have a strong negative impact on the supply of PET drugs in the United States.
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'Game changer' prostate imaging agent granted FDA's Fast Track designation
A new prostate cancer imaging agent has been given the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Fast Track designation.
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Cardiology groups share new AUC for cardiovascular imaging prior to noncardiac surgery
The American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) and several other industry groups have collaborated on new recommendations designed to help care teams know when and how to perform imaging-based cardiovascular evaluations on patients undergoing nonemergent, noncardiac surgery.
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FDA clears AI-powered POCUS platform for structural heart disease, heart failure
AISAP, an Israeli healthcare technology company focused on using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance medical imaging results, has gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its new point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) software platform, AISAP Cardio.
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Outsized Death Risk for Women With Afib After Heart Surgery
After cardiac surgery, women were particularly vulnerable to poor outcomes in the long run if the most common procedural complication had occurred, according to a large retrospective study from two tertiary care centers.
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Here's How Compounders Make Popular Weight-Loss Drugs
Shortages of popular new weight-loss drugs have driven a compounding boom that has raised questions about how compounding pharmacies can create copies of drugs that are still protected by patents -- and how they produce these products in general.
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Popular artificial sweeter linked to blood clots and heart disease, study says
The popular sugar substitute erythritol found in keto products, sweets and low- or no-calorie diet drinks might increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to new research.
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Weight loss drug's heart benefits extend to people with heart failure
The researchers looked at data from 4,286 people -- out of a total of 17,605 from the landmark Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes (SELECT) trial who were randomly assigned either semaglutide or a placebo -- who were followed up over an average of more than three years.
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Tiny killers: How autoantibodies attack the heart in lupus patients
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients suffering from lupus, an autoimmune disease in which our immune system attacks our own tissues and organs, the heart, blood, lung, joints, brain, and skin. Lupus myocarditis -- inflammation of the heart muscle -- can be very serious because the inflammation alters the regularity of the rhythm and strength of the heartbeat. However, the mechanisms underlying this complex disease are poorly understood and difficult to study.
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Gut microbial pathway identified as target for improved heart disease treatment
Researchers have made a significant discovery about how the gut microbiome interacts with cells to cause cardiovascular disease. The study found phenylacetylglutamine (PAG), produced by gut bacteria as a waste product, then absorbed and formed in the liver, interacts with previously undiscovered locations on beta-2 adrenergic receptors on heart cells once it enters the circulation.
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Recreational drug use elevates chance of repeat serious heart-related event
Among patients admitted to the cardiac ICU, those engaging in recreational drug use were more likely to have a CV event within 1 year. Cannabis, opioid and MDMA use were most strongly tied to CV event risk.
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Deep-learning model based on retinal images may help assess cardiovascular disease risk
The BioAge model, which uses retinal images, accurately stratified individuals by traditional cardiovascular disease risk biomarkers. Leukocyte telomere length shortening was associated with higher BioAge score.
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Rate of stroke deaths among middle-age US adults hit two-decade high during Covid pandemic, report shows
Middle-age people in the United States are more likely to die from a stroke than they have been in about two decades, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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With pandemic memories fresh, town’s voluntary curfew to prevent spread of lethal mosquito-borne virus draws ire
The idea to end outdoor activities near sunset to protect people from a deadly mosquito-borne virus is not new. This year’s public outcry about the measure is.
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Doctors Can Now Save Very Premature Babies.
Babies born 22 weeks into pregnancy have increasingly better odds of survival—but parents often don’t know what’s possible.
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You Can Get Shingles Under 50. Here’s When to Worry.
Starting in 1998, shingles rates increased across all ages for nearly two decades. When is the right time to think about getting a vaccine?
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Eli Lilly to Sell New Zepbound Option for About Half Price of Injection Pens
Patients would draw their own doses of the weight-loss drug from glass vials that are easier to produce
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West Nile and EEE: What to Know About Mosquito-Borne Illness in the U.S.
These diseases may be causing a buzz, but they're not doing anything unusual this season.
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Will MDMA Rejection Cast a Chill on Psychedelic Research?
The future of psychedelic research was dealt its biggest setback in years after the FDA declined to approve midomafetamine (MDMA)opens in a new tab or window capsules for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) earlier this month, according to experts who spoke with MedPage Today.
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Sleeping longer on the weekend may help lower heart disease risk
For adults who struggle to get the recommended amount of quality sleep, new research suggests “catching up” those lost hours on the weekends may significantly decrease the risk of heart disease.
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Living in tree-filled neighborhoods may reduce risk of heart disease, study shows
Living in a tree-filled neighborhood may be as beneficial to the heart as regular exercise, new research shows.
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Bitter polyphenols in plant-based foods may help lower obesity and diabetes risk
Polyphenols are a type of chemical naturally occurring in plant-based foods that are antioxidants.
Because polyphenols taste bitter, they interact with the bitter taste receptors on the tongue, known as the Type 2 taste receptors (TR2). Past studies show that TR2 taste receptors are not only on the tongue, but can also be found in other body organs, including those that make up the gastrointestinal system. Researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan have found that polyphenol-caused activation of T2R in the GI tract causes the secretion of hormones that may help lower a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity.
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Health Care Industry News | |
CEO got big bucks as his hospital chain imploded. Here's who suffered.
The chain is led by a former heart surgeon who collected more than $100 million in compensation and bought a $40 million yacht while employees at Steward hospitals complained about a lack of basic supplies, according to a Senate committee. More than 2,200 employees now expect to be laid off in Massachusetts and Ohio, according to notices filed with state regulators.
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Inside the fight to build a rural Georgia hospital
Political drama involving a rural Georgia county reflects how state regulations that govern when and where hospitals can be built or expanded are evolving.
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Hospitals boost operating margins in July: report
Increased demand for services helped offset high expenses for hospitals, according to analytic solutions firm Strata.
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J&J Takes Aim at Hospital Drug-Discount Program
Drugmaker told hospitals participating in the discounting program that they will have to pay full price upfront, then wait for rebates.
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AI still the most exciting emerging technology for healthcare: survey
AI was the most compelling new technology for the fourth year in a row, with leaders also saying the technology had shown the most improvement, according to the Center for Connected Medicine.
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Johns Hopkins, CareFirst, Techstars launch healthcare AI accelerator
The 13-week program will offer funding and guidance to up to 12 health tech, medtech and biotech startups working on AI tools.
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Zoom Conversations vs In-Person: Brain Activity Tells a Different Tale
A study reveals a significant disparity in neural activity during face-to-face conversations compared to Zoom interactions.
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New brain-computer interface allows man with ALS to 'speak' again
A new brain-computer interface translates brain signals into speech with up to 97 percent accuracy. Researchers implanted sensors in the brain of a man with severely impaired speech due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The man was able to communicate his intended speech within minutes of activating the system.
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Music Therapy Helps in Brain Rehabilitation
Music-based movement therapy, the Ronnie Gardiner Method, shows promise in aiding rehabilitation for stroke and other brain disorders, according to a review from researchers. This rhythmic and engaging approach, which involves coordinated movements and sounds, has been well-received by participants for its enjoyable and social nature.
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Brain Scans Improve Concussion Care by Predicting Lasting Symptoms
Advanced MRI scans, particularly diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), have shown promise in predicting which concussion patients are at risk for long-term symptoms. While standard CT scans often fail to detect brain abnormalities in concussion cases, DTI can identify subtle changes in the brain’s white matter that are linked to persistent symptoms.
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Ultrasound devise shows promise for treating chronic pain
Engineers have developed a device that noninvasively stimulates deep brain regions, potentially disrupting the faulty signals that lead to chronic pain. Preliminary trials show the therapy relieves pain after a single treatment.
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Dogs Using Soundboard Buttons Understand Words
A new study reveals that dogs trained with soundboard buttons can comprehend and respond to specific words, indicating they may truly understand the words and not just react to cues from their owners. Researchers found that dogs responded appropriately to words like “play” and “outside,” regardless of who pressed the buttons, suggesting genuine word comprehension.
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Judge strikes down FTC noncompete ban nationwide
The ruling — essentially a win for employers like hospitals and a loss for medical workers — comes just 15 days prior to the ban’s effective date.
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Insurers can restrict mental health care. What laws protect patients in your state?
Accessing mental health care can be a harrowing ordeal. Even if a patient finds a therapist in their network, their insurance company can overrule that therapist and decide the prescribed treatment isn’t medically necessary.
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PBM executives threatened with fines and jail time for alleged perjury in House hearing
Testimony from the heads of Express Scripts, Optum Rx and Caremark in July defending pharmacy benefit managers’ business practices could be coming back to bite them.
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CMS has received 12K complaints of No Surprises noncompliance; won $1.7M in restitution
The most common complaints against providers were for surprise billing, while the top complaints for health plans included incorrectly calculating qualifying payment amounts.
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Medicare drug price cuts could have limited early impact, but grow with time
Some industry watchers described the level of price discounts announced by Medicare as a “relief,” though they warned of bigger future implications for drug research.
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HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com | | | | |
