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Food for thought: Resilience in the face of adversity
Karen Childress Healthcare AdministrationTo be human — especially given the complex times in which we live — is to be occasionally faced with adversity, hardships and challenges. One day, you're happily minding your own business, and then out of the blue you're given a diagnosis you never expected, or you're named in a malpractice case, or your trusted practice manager or spouse suddenly announces his/her departure.
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30 years later: Are we any closer to a cure for AIDS?
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was first discovered in 1983. In 1984, HIV was definitively linked to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients and to groups whose members were at high risk for developing AIDS. But are researchers any closer to finding a cure now than when the HIV/AIDS connection was established 30 years ago?
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Study: EHR beliefs tied to gender, personality
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationIt's an established fact that for technology implementation to be successful, there needs to be some flexibility in order to meet the individual needs of those learning the new systems. A recent study finds those individual needs may be determined by gender and personality.
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Attracting young adults to insurance exchanges proves difficult
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationAfter a slow and rocky start, the state and federal health insurance exchanges seem to finally be taking off. By the end of December, enrollment surpassed the 3 million mark for state and federal marketplaces combined. But young adults — who many claim are key to the success of the Affordable Care Act — haven't been as eager as their older counterparts to enroll.
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Discharge marketing: Are you taking advantage of this opportunity?
Jarod Carter Healthcare AdministrationAt a time when hospitals are purchasing medical practices and requiring that physical therapy referrals now stay "in house," and even nonorthopedic practices are starting physician-owned PT clinics, marketing directly to the public has become ever more important.
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The role of antimicrobial peptides in inflammatory skin diseases
Dr. Afsaneh Motamed-Khorasani Medical & Allied HealthcareAntimicrobial peptides play an important role in skin protection. The cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) is an important factor for skin's innate immune mechanism and plays a critical role in prevention of pathogen infection. Previous studies indicated that the production of CAMP was regulated by vitamin D3. But a new signaling mechanism, sphingosine 1-phosphate, could be useful in the development of new compounds or drugs that could be used to improve the innate immunity against the microbes.
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Exciting technological advances in oncology
Rosemary Sparacio Medical & Allied HealthcareThe incidence of cancer is increasing in the U.S., fueled by 10,000 baby boomers reaching 65 each day. With that realization, it is estimated that there could be an increase in cancer diagnoses, by 67 percent between 2010 and 2030. The result of these alarming numbers is that oncology has been pushed to the forefront in the healthcare field. Fortunately, the technology and research to detect and treat various kinds of cancers has increased as well. Some of this technology is still in the early, yet promising stages.
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What exactly is the job outlook for nurses?
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareAs 2014 begins, there is a great deal of discussion regarding the job prospects for nurses, especially those just entering the profession. With confusing opinions and projections about the reality of a nursing shortage in the United States, nursing students and recent graduates are understandably concerned.
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Stage 2 meaningful use readiness a growing concern
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationA survey recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found there has been tremendous growth in electronic health record use in the U.S. over the past several years, thanks in part to the meaningful use incentive program. But there may be a speed bump in the road to a connected healthcare system as the meaningful use program enters its second stage.
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Clinical performance measures and the locum tenens physician
Di Hall Medical & Allied HealthcareThe Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, is not only changing how the American public accesses health insurance, but also how healthcare services are reimbursed. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has responsibility under the law to lower Medicare reimbursement to hospitals based on quality measures — moving from "fee-for-service" to "pay-for-quality." This is done not only to improve the quality of care to patients, but also to increase savings and decrease unfavorable clinical outcomes.
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