Dallas « D Healthcare Daily

05/21/2013 by Steve Jacob

Pharmaceuticals

FDA Alert Targets Dallas-based NuVision Pharmacy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an alert to healthcare providers not to use sterile products made and distributed by Dallas-based compounding pharmacy NuVision Pharmacy because of concerns about a lack of sterility. The FDA issued the alert after a recent inspection of the NuVision Dallas facility, where FDA investigators observed what they considered poor sterile production practices. In April, NuVision recalled methylcobalamin and lyophilized injection products due to a lack of sterility assurance and concerns associated with the quality control processes identified a previous FDA inspection.

05/8/2013 by Steve Jacob

Technology

Irving Proton Therapy Facility Dedication Next Week

Texas Center for Proton Therapy plans a dedication ceremony Wednesday for its $105 million proton therapy facility in Irving. The construction of the facility will begin after that ceremony and is expected to be complete by June 2014. Company officials plan to begin treating patients by early 2016. The center, located at 1501 W. Royal Lane, is expected to employ about 50 people. The project is spearheaded by Dallas-based Texas Oncology, and supported by McKesson Specialty Health; and Baylor Health Enterprises, an affiliate of Baylor Health Care System, Gary Barlow was hired as the facility’s director in January. Barlow previously… Full Story

03/12/2013 by Jessica Melton

Physicians

Morning Rounds (03.13.13)

Dallas-based Surgical Notes has launched a new networking site called Surgery Center Network that connects Ambulatory Service Centers to healthcare consumers.

Nearly 1 out of 3 physicians with electronic health records either plan to switch vendors in 2013 or would like to do so.

The law firm of Polsinelli Shugart will shorten its name to Polsinelli PC in late April

The CDC uses social media sites to track levels of illness based on use of the company’s search engine to look at flu-related topics.

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03/12/2013 by Steve Jacob

Polsinelli Shugart to Change Name in April

The law firm of Polsinelli Shugart will shorten its name to Polsinelli PC in late April, according to its chairman W. Russell Welsh. The law firm, which has an office serving the healthcare industry in Dallas, has 630 attorneys in 16 offices nationwide. The law firm merged with Shughart Thomson & Kilroy in February 2009. Since that merger, 150 additional attorney have joined the firm.

01/8/2013 by Steve Jacob

Compass Buys ACAP Clinical Care Initiative

ACAP Health Consulting has sold its Clinical Care Engineering (CCE) product to Compass Professional Health Services. The sale, effective Jan. 1, will create Compass Care Engineering, which will be headed by David Toomey, former principal of ACAP Health. Both ACAP and Compass are based in Dallas. CCE initially was developed in late 2011 as part of ACAP Health’s “accountable care” initiative. It aims to establish and communicate clinical care and service standards directly to physicians and hospitals. The goal is to close the communication gap between employers and health care providers. “As CCE developed under ACAP Health, it became clear… Full Story

01/3/2013 by Steve Jacob

Hospitals

Parkland: 97 Percent of Improvement Plan on Schedule

Parkland Health & Hospital System officials say they plan to tell the Board of Managers at a Jan. 22 meeting that the hospital is on schedule to meet 97 percent of the action items on its Corrective Action Plan (CAP). Because of the progress, management said it plans to shift its focus to improving staff communication on the CAP changes and ensuring proper implementation. Ron Laxton, Parkland’s chief implementation officer and interim chief operations officer, said in a statement, “We are now entering the most challenging and the most crucial phase of our corrective action plan. Parkland has always anticipated… Full Story

12/26/2012 by Steve Jacob

Hospitals

Preventable Hospital Stays By County

Preventable hospital stays reflect the hospital discharge rate for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions per 1,000 Medicare enrollees, according to County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Hospitalization for diagnoses that could be treated with outpatient services suggests quality of care provided in the outpatient setting was less than ideal. The measure may also represent the county’s tendency to overuse the hospital as a primary source of care. Denton County’s rate of preventable stays per 1,000 Medicare enrollees is 80, which exceeds the Texas rate of 73. Tarrant, Collin and Dallas counties are below the state rate at 67, 66 and 60, respectively.

12/24/2012 by Christine Perez

Research

Morning Rounds (12.24.12)

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a molecular mechanism needed to unleash the heart’s ability to regenerate itself.

Debbie Branson, chair of the Parkland Board of Managers, calls the hospital’s tardiness in paying a $750,000 fine to the state “inexcusable.”

Dallas-based Epic Health Services Inc., a provider of pediatric and adult home health care, has acquired Boston-based AmeriCare, a Medicare-certified home health agency. Full Story

12/20/2012 by Steve Jacob

Medical Devices

International Heart Valve Conference Bolsters Dallas’ Profile

Dallas has quietly become the U.S. showcase for innovative heart valve techniques. Earlier this month, about 1,200 cardiologists and cardiac surgeons converged on the city to hear 70 international experts in the treatment of heart valve disease. The weeklong meeting included “wet lab” sessions, during which surgeons learned about and practiced new valve replacement techniques on pig cadaver hearts. The conference name—Dallas- Leipzig Valve 2012—reflects that the meeting rotates annually between Dallas and Leipzig, Germany. This year’s conference was the third held in Dallas. David Brown, MD, and Michael Mack, MD, were co-directors of the conference. Brown is a cofounder… Full Story

12/18/2012 by Steve Jacob

Violent Crime Rate By County

Violent crimes are offenses that involve face-to-face confrontation between the victim and the perpetrator, including homicide, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, according to County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. High levels of violent crime compromise physical safety and psychological well-being. Crime rates can also deter residents from pursuing healthy behaviors such as exercising out-of-doors. Increased stress levels also may contribute to the obesity rate, even after controlling for diet and physical activity levels. The Dallas County rate of 618 per 100,000 residents far exceeds that of Texas. The Tarrant County rate of 501 is slightly below the state rate of 503.… Full Story

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