PCA: Philadelphia Corporation for Aging

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Week of 6/29/2008:

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Welcome to the pcaCares.org News Bulletin. This site was designed to provide aging network professionals with current news and information on aging, public health and other areas of interest. This newsletter is maintained by the PCA Library.
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Please note that access to some sites may require free registration. Headlines are added throughout the day; please check back for updates.

Friday, July 04, 2008

Quote of the Day

PCA is closed today. The next News Bulletin will be sent out on Monday, July 7. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Aging Network News

Week of June 29, 2008

PA Insurance Dept. Hosts Public Hearings on Merger of Independence Blue Cross and Highmark (Pennsylvania Insurance Department)

Due to the significance of the proposed merger of Independence Blue Cross and Highmark, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department has scheduled a series of public hearings to allow consumers and professionals to voice their opinions regarding the potential impact on healthcare.

A hearing will take place in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 15 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the
Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel, 201 N. 17th Street. Due to limited space and an expected high turnout, participants who wish to offer comments at are encouraged to pre-register. People who are unable to attend the public hearings, are encouraged to submit comments.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Top Headlines

Study shows how broccoli fights cancer (Reuters)
Meditation, Yoga Might Switch Off Stress Genes (HealthDay)
Catheterization after heart attack helps women too (Reuters)
U.S. Officials Stymied in Salmonella Search (HealthDay)
Tougher U.S. rules for diabetes drugs debated (Reuters)
Extreme Heat a Deadly Risk for Older Adults (HealthDay)
Medication managers, drug stores merge networks (AP)
Health Tip: Giving Medications to People With Alzheimer's (HealthDay)
Pa. health care cost council takes political hit (Philadelphia Inquirer)
E. Coli Illnesses Prompt Beef Recall (New York Times)
A Quandary on Blood Drops in the Brain (New York Times)
Scientists Identify the Brain’s Activity Hub (New York Times)
Medicare Adds Third Recognized Wource to Help Determine Coverage for Anti-Cancer Chemotherapy Drugs (CMS)
Green tea protects against heart disease: study (Reuters)
High fat diet may abet prostate cancer progression (Reuters)
Glaucoma Treatment Can Prevent Blindness (HealthDay)
CMS Reimbursement for E-Visits Could Spur New Insurer Rules (iHealthBeat)
Gene/Stress Interaction Increases Cognitive Decline In Elderly (Medical News Today)
Rising prices hammer seniors on fixed incomes (USA Today)
New study finds coronary arterial calcium scans help detect overall death risk in the elderly (LA BioMed)
ETH Zurich and IBM improve diagnosis of osteoporosis (ETH Zurich/Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)

Quote of the Day

"I think age is a very high price to pay for maturity."
Tom Stoppard, playwright, is 71 today.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Top Headlines

Bloomberg’s Next Battle: Revamping Senior Centers (New York Times)
Administration on Aging: Agency Information Collection Activities... (Federal Register)
Yeast-Based Vaccine Induces Immune Responses and Reduces Tumor Size in Mice (NIH)
Gas, food prices pinch elderly meal programs (AP)
Local Group Honors Seniors and Their Independence (KYW Newsradio)
Software Glitches in Medical Devices Can Pose Patient Risks (iHealthBeat)
CMS Proposes Rule To Pay Physicians for Electronic Consults (iHealthBeat)
Research Links Low HDL Levels With Memory Loss (HealthDay)
Promising Cancer Treatment Ready for Human Trial (HealthDay)
Laser treatment could help kill superbugs: study (Reuters)
Elevated Albumin Levels in Urine Raise Hypertension Risk (HealthDay)
3-D mammograms, cameras may improve breast exams (AP)
Medicare proposes changes for imaging, dialysis (Reuters)
For Hospice, A Higher Authority (Washington Post)
Medicare begins using list of approved suppliers today (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Shots may rouse immune system to fight Alzheimer's (Bellville News-Democrat)
Tight diabetes control may not benefit all elderly (Reuters)
More hot flashes mean worse verbal memory (Reuters)
Grape seed extract may fight Alzheimer's (Reuters)
New 'everyday cognition' scale tracks how older adults function in daily life (American Psychological Association)

Quote of the Day

"I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty."
Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Phillipines, is 77 today.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Top Headlines

Trans Fat Labeling Gets Tricky (HealthDay)
Accidental fungus leads to promising cancer drug (Reuters)
New Molecular Trigger Described for Hypertension, Diabetes (HealthDay)
Device puts steering at the tip of the tongue (Reuters)
Activity-Linked Heat Illness Needs Prompt Attention (HealthDay)
Fake virus could make safe new vaccines (Reuters)
Organ Donation: An Advancing Science Hindered by Supply Shortages (HealthDay)
Shorter time between periods can signal menopause (Reuters)
Bush administration freezing cuts in Medicare fees (AP)
Myriad Genetics to stop developing Alzheimer's drug (Reuters)
After hip replacements, a lawsuit (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Facebook concepts indicate brains of Alzheimer's patients aren't as networked, Stanford study shows (Stanford University Medical Center)
Elevated biomarkers predict risk for prostate cancer recurrence (American Association for Cancer Research)
Weighing the Costs of a CT Scan’s Look Inside the Heart (New York Times)
Chinese Martial Art of Tai Chi Chih Helps Seniors Sleep Better, Fight Shingles Virus (Senior Journal)
US Court won't stop Medicare competitive bidding (Reuters)
Wyeth says Prevnar could ease scourges of elderly (Reuters)
Low vitamin B tied to hip fracture risk (Reuters)
Obesity may interfere with prostate cancer screen (Reuters)
Growth hormone's link to starvation may be clue to increasing life span, researchers find (University of Texas)
Isolation can make elderly vulnerable to abuse [opinion] (Battle Creek Enquirer)

Quote of the Day

"I don't think politicians should be allowed into power who are not familiar with their bodies, because that's where our bottom line is. And I know that they would make totally different decisions if they felt responsible simply for their own bodies."
Twyla Tharp, choreographer, is 67 today.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Top Headlines

Low Income Beneficiaries May Lose Help with Medicare Premiums (NCOA)
Medicare private plans underestimate profits: GAO (Reuters)
Tainted Tomato Toll Tops 750 (HealthDay)
Botox for the Résumé: One Woman's Image Makeover (Wall Street Journal)
Late-life remarriage: Stepfamilies make caring more complex (University of Michigan)
'Silent Strokes' Strike One in 10 Healthy People (HealthDay)
Majority of Baby Boomers will struggle during retirement (Dayton Daily News)
Seniors find the 'Wii' in team sports at library (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Women Don't Notice 40% of Their Hot Flashes (HealthDay)
Medicare Part D plagues system (Barre Times/Montpelier Argus)
Sudden Hearing Loss May Portend Stroke (HealthDay)
MRI combo spots prostate cancer treatment failure (Reuters)
ER visits increasing for elderly patients: study (Reuters)
Experimental Imaging System Helps Detect Breast Cancer (HealthDay)
Poor diabetes control may put elderly at risk for TB (Reuters)
Medicare to cover sleep apnea testing (Chicago Sun-Times)
EHRs, Web Check-Ins With Pharmacists Help Patients, Study Finds (iHealthBeat)
Pennsylvania Insurer Supports Phone Access to Health Records (iHealthBeat)
Doctors Face Payment Cuts for Patients on Medicare (New York Times)
Sen.: Medicare cards open seniors to ID theft (USA Today)
Staying Social May Keep Dementia at Bay (HealthDay)

Quote of the Day

"Everyone seems to be in a kind of accelerated time mode that is beyond their own control." Terry Riley, composer , celebrated his 73rd birthday on June 24.