Health Care News

PhRMA Statement on Senate Health Care Reform Bill

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Senior Vice President Ken Johnson released the following statement about the Senate health care reform bill: “We applaud the Senate for taking an important and historic step toward expanding high-quality, affordable health care coverage and services to tens of millions of Americans, many of whom are struggling today financially. While considerable...Full Article

Medicaid and Smoking

More than seven of 10 smokers say they’d like to quit. Beyond the undeniable health risks, it’s getting hard to find a place where it’s legal or socially acceptable to light up — indoors or even outdoors. Another factor is cost. Cigarette taxes are a favorite public strategy, since smoking has...Full Article

New York scores high on emergency health preparedness in national report

The H1N1 flu outbreak exposed serious problems with local, state and federal governments' ability to handle public-health emergencies, but New York is one of eight states that met nine of 10 preparedness measures, according to a national report released Tuesday....Full Article

Report criticizes New York's cuts in tobacco-prevention programs

New York, which once ranked fifth in the nation for spending on tobacco prevention and cessation programs, now ranks 22nd among all states, according to a study released Wednesday by a coalition of public-health groups. After cuts enacted last week to help close New York's budget deficit, the state is spending $57 million on initiatives to reduce ...Full Article

Regeneron plots $40M expansion, 400 new hires

New York-based Regeneron is blueprinting plans for a $40 million expansion of its facilities, paving the way for the developer to add 400 new jobs--primarily in research. One hundred of those positions will be in East Greenbush, while 300 hires are planned for its Westchester County complex. As part of its expansion, Regeneron is upgrading ...Full Article

Vassar Brothers Medical Center Plans Expansion

Vassar Brothers Medical Center has announced plans for a 78,000-square-foot, $66 million expansion of its Poughkeepsie campus. The structure will include an ambulatory surgery center, medical office building and a 900-space parking garage. There will also be a café and retail space....Full Article

UR gets $2.3M for heart study

The University of Rochester Medical Center has won a $2.3 million National Institutes of Health grant to study the electrical patterns of the heart with the idea of reducing the toxicity of drugs used in cardiac treatment. The formation of the Center for Quantitative Electrocardiology and Cardiac Safety is intended to foster research into ways to treat...Full Article

Senate OKs $36.9M for Conandaigua V.A. Plans

A bill passed by the U.S. Senate this week and already approved by the House would provide $36.9 million for new facilities planned by the Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The Senate bill would amount to the first flow of funds for a new 120-bed nursing home for vets and a 50-bed residential rehabilitation unit on the V.A. grounds. These facilities are the key ...Full Article

PhRMA Statement on Misleading Report About Price Growth

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Senior Vice President Ken Johnson issued the following statement today: “It’s pretty obvious that the calls to hold hearings or involve GAO are based on the misleading use of statistics and sensationalized meclaims, the government’s Consumer Price Index ...Full Article

Breaching a Barrier to Fight Brain Cancer

Dr. Howard Riina threaded a slender tube through a maze of arteries in Dennis Sugrue’s brain, watching X-ray images on a monitor to track his progress. At the site where a previous operation had removed a malignant tumor, he infused a drug called mannitol...Full Article