Useful News Archive
Death by Ideology
The reality is that many people in America really do die every year because they don’t have health insurance.5 Myths About Canada’s Health Care System
The truth may surprise you about international health care.Med schools start picturing their place in a medical home world
Medical schools and residency programs seek to teach teamwork, quality improvement and community-based care to prepare students for practicing in a patient-centered medical home.Building a Better Physician — The Case for the New MCAT
Fundamental knowledge about behavioral and social sciences is critical to the effective practice of medicine.MCAT changes require curriculum shift
The revamped test will consume a nearly seven-hour time frame and place more emphasis on areas beyond the natural sciences.Officially approved changes to MCAT could affect premedical students’ coursework at UCLA
For UCLA premedical students, months of studying and the five-and-a-half-hour-long exam could determine whether or not they can pursue careers as medical doctors.MCAT2015 for Students
A better test for tomorrow’s doctors. The changes preserve what works about the current exam, eliminate what isn’t working, and further enrich the MCAT by giving attention to the concepts tomorrow’s doctors will need.To Understand Health Overhaul, Try A Comic Book
Health care reform is no laughing matter, but MIT economist Jonathan Gruber's new comic book on the subject aims to communicate some pretty complicated policy details in a way that, if not exactly side-splitting, is at least engaging.Obama administration to announce effort to expand health-care workforce
The Obama administration will announce as much as $1 billion in funding to hire, train and deploy health-care workers, part of the White House's broader "We Can’t Wait" agenda to bolster the economy.Medical school enrollment on the rise
For those worried about the shortage of doctors in the U.S. healthcare system, here is a bit of good news: The number of students enrolling in medical schools has reached its highest level in more than a decade.Physician assistants see big growth in U.S.
The ranks of physician assistants, who perform many duties once handled only by doctors, are rapidly growing in the United States, allowing healthcare providers to treat more patients, say authors of a new report.U.S. Losing Ground on Preventable Deaths, Despite High Medical Spending, Results Trail Other Wealthy Countries Read More.
Health-Care Reform, Tracking the National Health-Care Debate
Read More.Revamping MCAT and Pre-Med Education
Panel proposes major overhaul: adding social sciences, killing the writing section and opening the way for consideration of personal qualities.House Committee Approves Health-Care Package
The House Energy and Commerce Committee Friday night approved a sweeping package of health-care measures, clearing a critical hurdle that sets the stage for a five-week battle for both Democrats and Republicans to define the legislation in voters' minds before the full House votes next month Read More.Dr. Shannon's Reflections on Today's Pre-Med Students
Dr. Shannon recently spoke at "The 7th Annual Pre-Medical and Pre-Public Health Conference," a pre-med/pre-public health student event at the University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) campus.Four Osteopathic Medical Schools Rank Among Top 20 in Nation for Hispanic Students
Hispanic Business, Inc. has named four colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) in its annual assessment of top medical schools for Hispanic students.House Energy and Commerce Committee concludes health system reform mark up Read More.
House health reform bill first to tackle Medicare physician pay
The legislation would establish a primary care bonus and make E&M services and preventive care less prone to cuts than all other services. Read More.Hospital system tries letting patients read physicians' notes
Electronic medical records and a push for consumer involvement make it more acceptable -- and imperative -- to release more information, say Beth Israel project backers. Read More.Health plan requirements cost practices billions, with the per-doctor average near $70,000:
Primary care physicians spent the greatest amount of time dealing with health plan administrative tasks. Read More.Senate panel finishes health reform hearings, foresees bill by mid-June:
One option being studied is limiting Medicare spending for physicians and hospitals based on adjusted national or regional averages. Read More.AMA letter backs Obama's broad principles for health system reform:
The Association outlines the next steps Congress and the White House should take to turn the tenets into policy changes. Read More.Stressed Health Care Workers Battle 'Compassion Fatigue'
It's an emotional detachment that can have an impact on patients. A type of emotional burnout called "compassion fatigue" is common among doctors, nurses and other health care workers tending to people with cancer, yet experts say little research has been done on the phenomenon, which can lead to anxiety, cynicism, chronic tiredness, irritability and problem drinking. Read MoreCoalition of Insurers, Consumer Groups, Business Associations To Make Recommendations on Health Care Reform
The Healthcare Reform Dialogue - a coalition of health insurers, consumer groups and business associations - on Monday is scheduled to issue a report to Congress that includes recommendations to overhaul the U.S. health care system. Read MoreRecession, Medicare cuts not enough to stop skyrocketing health spending growth
(American Medical News) President Obama holds a budget summit and calls rising health care costs the "single most pressing fiscal challenge" faced by the nation. Read MoreObama Proposes $634 Billion Fund For Health Care
(Washington Post) President Obama is proposing to begin a vast expansion of the U.S. health-care system by creating a $634 billion reserve fund over the next decade, launching an overhaul that most experts project will ultimately cost at least $1 trillion. Read MoreConfronting the Racial Barriers Between Doctors and Patients
(New York Times) The election of the nation's first African-American president raises questions about racial disparities in health care. Read MoreTen Biggest Myths Regarding Primary Care in the Future
(Medicine and Social Justice) Myth Number 1: Primary Care has collapsed. Primary care internal medicine has collapsed with lowest production and lowest primary care retention levels. Those associated with internal medicine primary care perceive collapse. But primary care remains. Read MoreExpanding Coverage without Increasing Health Care Spending
(The Dartmouth Institute) Dartmouth Institute White Paper Recommends Course for the Obama Administration. A new Dartmouth Atlas white paper makes the case that the United States can extend coverage to the country's uninsured without substantially increasing overall health care costs. The paper argues that the incoming Obama Administration and the Congress can adopt measures that will improve health care quality and patient outcomes, while reducing the growth of health care spending. Read MoreNews and Updates from the Center for the Health Professions University of California, San Francisco
(Center for the Health Professions) Centering on...Now What? Changing US health care is among the greatest change management processes ever due to the lack of connectedness in our system and the self-interests of system incumbents Read More