University of PA study shows that the more nurses a hospital employs, the less likely its patients are to die
Ten to 13 percent fewer surgical patients in Pennsylvania would die if our hospitals had as many nurses as California law requires, says the study.
Sen. Leach introduces bill to improve access to eating disorder treatments
Senate Bill 1138 would require Pennsylvania’s health insurers to cover non-hospital, in-patient treatment for eating disorders and the underlying issues that may cause them.
Mental illness advocates in Lehigh Co. ask commissioners to restore their funding
The county cut funding to the local branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Spending on services for the mentally retarded is one of the budget issues
A point of particular contention is funding for adult day care programs.
Pennsylvanias travel to D.C. to join healthcare reform rally
Pennsylvanians from all across the state traveled to Washington, D.C. yesterday to join a health care rally calling on Congress to enact reform measures. U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter was among those who spoke at the rally.
PA doctor: Physician-patient relationship is being destroyed by the cost-driven decisions of health insurers
Says health insurers’ practices impede physicians’ ability to care for their patients.
Assisted living advocacy group says facilities need revamped regulations
PALCA says that recent events illustrate the need for stronger and more closely followed regulations for care given to seniors at assisted living facilities.
Advocacy group for disabled people sues DPW for their handling of mentally retarded adults
The group has filed a federal class action lawsuit against the Dept. of Public Welfare challenging its practice of holding mentally retarded adults at state psychiatric hospitals.
Health coalition’s new campaign will try to figure out new guidelines for how to decide the best health treatments
They will discuss that provision in the economic stimulus bill that calls for “comparative effectiveness” research, which will aim to determine which treatments work best, but that some worry will cause the government to refuse effective treatments that are considered too expensive.
Sen. Leach introduces bill to implement new patient safety requirements at health care facilities
Called the Pennsylvania Hospital Patient Protection Act of 2009, Sen. Leach modeled the bill after a successful California law.