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The battle for the big contracts, government and private industry continues. Both UnitedHealthCare and Aetna stand to gain. United will get to 
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STOSSEL and ACRE WHERES the BEEF?
Thomas Stossel from Harvard is at it again. As Daniel Carlat has humorously described, Stossel is planning the inaugural meeting next week of a group to counter those he calls pharmascolds. The group is named ACRE Association of Clinical Researchers and Educators. Here is its website: http://www.acreonline.org/ For months, Stossel has been warning of the dire negative consequences that will result from tightened conflict of interest policies, but he has not presented any persuasive examples of damage to productive relationships between industry and physicians involved in clinical research and educational outreach. At the same time, Dr. Stossel has conveniently overlooked the shenanigans of the bad actors whom Senator Grassley exposed. Dr. Stossel is a blowhard, as I have described here before.
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This has to be the ultimate for using Twitter, SurfaceTwitter using Windows Presentation Foundation. Surface is very cool and not too long ago I had the opportunity to do some protein folding on Surface, which was very cool. Not too long ago Microsoft stated they were working on an even larger Surface hardware/software application and table that will be dedicated for use with healthcare too, so stay tuned as more information on the healthcare side emerges with Surface. BD
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Well, no, actually. Irish physicians did not opt out of “maintaining” the healthcare of patients and refuse to release their medical records. Even imagining such an event is absurd.
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Is this somewhat stating that Primary Care is perhaps not an emphasis at Harvard without enough academic education? You can also read the CEOs message from Harvard Pilgrim Health resignation speech here. BD
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This is an event in New York City to raise money so take a look if you live in the area. BD
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Not too long ago I had an extensive interview with the Leg Therapies Division of Cook Medical too, follow the link below for the full story.
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Is that a phrase you have heard? “Elder law” attorney? I often get calls from very nice people who have been told they need an elder law attorney.
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Earlier this year, a remarkable commentary in JAMA suggested major reconsideration of the relationships among professional medical associations (PMAs) and health care corporations.(1) Because of the influence of PMAs on clinical care, education, research, and policy, Rothman et al suggested that these organizations sever most of their financial ties to corporations such as pharmaceutical, device, and biotechnology companies. The authors suggested that the only acceptable payments to PMAs from these companies are those for advertising in publications that is clearly labeled as such, and advertising exhibits in meetings, again that is clearly labeled. Furthermore, the authors suggested that people with current or recent (within the last two years) relationships with such corporations ought not to serve as officers or trustees of PMAs, and ought not to serve on program or practice guideline committees. Rothman et al thus suggested that professional medical associations return to their roots, to be advocates for their physician members, and those members core values, not marketers of drugs and devices, and promoters of the interests of health care corporations.