Trade Associations
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from national and international trade associations influencing the debate on federal policies.
Featured Stories
THE INTERNATIONAL CEMETERY, CREMATION AND FUNERAL ASSOCIATION NAMES 2023 'KEEPING IT PERSONAL' AWARD WINNERS
STERLING, Virginia, March 16 -- The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association issued the following news release:
The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) has named its 2023 Keeping It Personal (KIP) Award winners, recognizing the best in personalization in the cemetery and memorialization profession.
Created by the ICCFA Personalization Committee in 2001, the KIP Award program honors recipients in four categories: Most Personalized Service/Memorial for Funeral Home, Most Personalized Service/Memorial for Cemetery, Most Personalized Pet Service, and
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STERLING, Virginia, March 16 -- The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association issued the following news release:
The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) has named its 2023 Keeping It Personal (KIP) Award winners, recognizing the best in personalization in the cemetery and memorialization profession.
Created by the ICCFA Personalization Committee in 2001, the KIP Award program honors recipients in four categories: Most Personalized Service/Memorial for Funeral Home, Most Personalized Service/Memorial for Cemetery, Most Personalized Pet Service, andInnovative Personalized Product.
This year's contest attracted entries from ICCFA members in Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, The Philippines, and the United States. Professionals from outside the deathcare profession judged the entries. The 2023 KIP winners and honorable mentions will be recognized during the President's Banquet on Thursday, April 11 beginning at 6:00 PM at the 2024 ICCFA Annual Convention & Exposition in Tampa, Florida, April 10-13, 2024. Descriptions of each winning entry and honorable mention are available at iccfa.com/awards.
The winners are as follows:
Most Personalized Service or Memorial (Cemetery)
* First Place and Overall Grand Prize Winner
Cave Hill Cemetery and Hosparus Join Forces to Serve Children Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum - Louisville, Kentucky
* Honorable Mention
Momentos Que Nos Unen Senoriales Corporacion de Servicios - Guatemala
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Most Personalized Service or Memorial (Funeral Home)
* First Place
Rite of Passage: Jefferson Memorial Cemetery with Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science Students for Burial Event Jefferson Memorial Cemetery, Funeral Home, Crematory & Arboretum - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Honorable Mention
Eldon's Last Ride Pray Funeral Home - Charlotte, Michigan
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Most Personalized Pet Service
* First Place
The Eterneva Diamond That Saves Hundreds of Dogs Per Year Eterneva - Austin, Texas
* Honorable Mention
An Altar Woven with the Traces of Eternal Love Senoriales Corporacion de Servicios - Guatemala
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Innovative/Personalized Product (Suppliers)
* First Place
Life's QR Life's QR - Niagara Falls, Canada
* Honorable Mention
Etern.life Memorial Map
Passages International, Inc. - Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Founded in 1887, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association is the only international trade association representing all segments of the cemetery, cremation, funeral, and memorialization profession. The association comprises over 10,000 members in the cemetery, funeral home, and crematory industries, as well as supplier and related businesses worldwide.
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Original text here: https://iccfa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/KIP23_Winners_FINAL.pdf
[Category: Facilities Management]
International Association for Dental Research: Rapid Specific Detection of Oral Pathogens Using CRISPR-Based Diagnostics
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 16 (TNSres) -- The International Association for Dental Research issued the following news release:
A study aiming to develop a low-cost, rapid detection technique for the widescale detection and screening of oral microorganisms suitable for point-of-care settings was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, USA.
The
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ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 16 (TNSres) -- The International Association for Dental Research issued the following news release:
A study aiming to develop a low-cost, rapid detection technique for the widescale detection and screening of oral microorganisms suitable for point-of-care settings was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, USA.
Theabstract, "Rapid Specific Detection of Oral Pathogens Using CRISPR-Based Diagnostics" was presented during the "Craniofacial Diagnostic Sciences" Oral Session that took place on Friday, March 15, 2024 at 8 a.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-6).
The study, by Batbileg Bor of the ADA Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA, tailored the novel CRISPR-Cas-based diagnostic platform Specific High-Sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter Unlocking (SHERLOCK) for the species-specific detection of oral bacterial pathogens and human papillomavirus (HPV) nucleic acids. The investigators developed a computational pipeline capable of generating guide-RNAs and species-specific gene primers suitable for SHERLOCK. These constructs were synthesized by cell-free biosynthesis systems, and their specificity and sensitivity were experimentally validated by fluorescence readings of reporter RNAs.
The study achieved the detection of oral bacteria within the single-molecule range that remained specific in the presence of off-target DNA found within saliva. Furthermore, the assay was refined for detecting common oral pathogens (e.g., P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum) directly from unprocessed saliva samples. The results of the detection, when tested on 30 patient saliva samples, fully aligned with those of other detection methods such as qPCR and 16S rRNA sequencing. As a proof of principle, investigators also specifically detected HPV strains 6, 11, 16, 18, 33, and 35 from gDNA background.
This method of detecting oral pathogens is highly scalable and can be easily optimized for implementation at point-of-care settings. The detection takes approximately 35 minutes or less, is extremely low cost, and requires no special skills or techniques to run. Because SHERLOCK targets nucleic acid sequences specifically, future assays can be developed to detect other microorganisms (Fungi and Archaea) as well as human gene products.
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About IADR
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission.
About AADOCR
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being. AADOCR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. AADOCR is the largest division of IADR.
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Original text here: https://www.iadr.org/about/news-reports/press-releases/rapid-specific-detection-oral-pathogens-using-crispr-based
[Categories: Dentistry]
International Association for Dental Research: Mediation Effect of Oral Health on Inequalities in Dementia
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 16 (TNSres) -- The International Association for Dental Research issued the following news release:
A study aiming to examine the mediation effect of the number of teeth on the association between income and dementia was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, USA.
The abstract, "Mediation Effect of Oral Health
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ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 16 (TNSres) -- The International Association for Dental Research issued the following news release:
A study aiming to examine the mediation effect of the number of teeth on the association between income and dementia was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, USA.
The abstract, "Mediation Effect of Oral Healthon Inequalities in Dementia" was presented during the "Global Oral Health Inequalities Research Network" Oral Session that took place on Friday, March 15, 2024 at 2 p.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-6).
The study, by Satomi Shimada of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan, was based on the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) and targeted functionally independent older adults aged 65 years followed from 2010 to 2019 (response rate in 2010 = 64.3%, follow-up rate in 2019= 98.5%). Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the association between equivalent income in 2010 (<2.0 million JPY or 2.0 million JPY) and incidence of dementia for 9 years follow-up. The mediating effect of the number of teeth in 2010 (<20 teeth or 20 teeth) was examined by causal mediation analysis. Analyses were stratified by sex and adjusted for age, educational attainment, self-rated health, depression symptoms, marital status, drinking alcohol, walking time, and employment status.
Among the 44,083 participants (mean age: 73.7; female 53.2%), 17.3% had incidence of dementia. Compared to those with higher income, lower income participants appear to have more dementia and fewer teeth (higher income: 15.3 % and 58.6 %; lower income: 19.2% and 70.3 %, respectively). After adjusting for all covariates and income, having fewer teeth was associated with dementia (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.205 [1.108-1.311] for men, 1.104 [1.025-1.189] for women). Causal mediation analysis demonstrated that the number of teeth mediated the association between income and dementia (total effect and natural indirect effect in hazard ratio [95%CI]: 1.140 [1.041-1.249] and 1.012 [1.001-1.023], proportion mediated 9.1% for men; 1.103 [1.015-1.198] and 1.005 [0.997-1.012], proportion mediated 4.7% for women). The study concluded that number of teeth partially mediated the association between income and dementia in older Japanese adults.
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About IADR
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission.
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About AADOCR
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being. AADOCR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. AADOCR is the largest division of IADR.
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Original text here: https://www.iadr.org/about/news-reports/press-releases/mediation-effect-oral-health-inequalities-dementia
[Categories: Dentistry]
International Association for Dental Research: Indigeneity - A Strength-Based Approach to Oral Health of Indigenous Children
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 16 (TNSres) -- The International Association for Dental Research issued the following news release:
A study aiming to determine if a relationship exists between constructs of Indigeneity and untreated caries in First Nations children in Manitoba and Ontario, controlling for selected was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeing of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in
... Show Full Article
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 16 (TNSres) -- The International Association for Dental Research issued the following news release:
A study aiming to determine if a relationship exists between constructs of Indigeneity and untreated caries in First Nations children in Manitoba and Ontario, controlling for selected was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeing of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, inNew Orleans, LA, USA.
The abstract, "Indigeneity: A Strength-Based Approach to Oral Health of Indigenous Children." was presented during the "Late Breaking Abstracts II" Poster Session that took place on Friday, March 15, 2024 at 3:45 p.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-6).
The study, by Anna Ness of the University of Toronto, Canada, explored the potential relationship between untreated caries and constructs of Indigeneity such as traditional language, participation in cultural events, and sharing traditional foods in First Nations children in Manitoba and Ontario, controlling for selected survey and clinical exam results (n=157). Predictor variables measured Indigeneity constructs derived from the First Nations Regional Health Survey. Outcome variables measured untreated caries using the dt index. Chi-Square tests were used to determine the statistical association between mother's Indigeneity and untreated decay in children. Logistic regression using a combination of direct and statistical procedures was used to control for confounders.
The childrens' mean age was 3.4 (SD=1.1), and mean number of decayed teeth was 5.5 (SD=4.1). Three-quarters of the caregivers were biological mothers (n=108/157). A child's odds of having three or more decayed teeth are 59% less (OR=0.41, 95% CI 0.19-0.89, p=.02) if the mother's primary spoken language is a First Nations language. Speaking a First Nations language in daily life remained the most important factor associated with untreated decay after adjusting for child's age, mother's education level, food insecurity, self-perceived racism in the healthcare system, and other confounders (OR=0.341, 95% CI 0.13-0.91, p=.03).
The study concluded that speaking a First Nation language is a powerful predictor that may be protective against dental caries. Indigeneity constructs may be harnessed as strength-based approaches to research and programming with First Nations children as language and traditional culture are positive Social Determinants of Health for First Nations Peoples.
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About IADR
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission.
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About AADOCR
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being. AADOCR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. AADOCR is the largest division of IADR.
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Original text here: https://www.iadr.org/about/news-reports/press-releases/indigeneity-strength-based-approach-oral-health-indigenous
[Categories: Dentistry]
American Property Casualty Insurance Association: Indiana Enacts Protections Against Third Party Litigation Funding
CHICAGO, Illinois, March 16 -- The American Property Casualty Insurance Association issued the following statement on March 15, 2024:
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This week Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed HB 1160, Civil proceeding advance payment contracts and commercial litigation funding. Brooke Kelley, assistant vice president of state government relations at The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) released the following statement:
"APCIA commends Majority Floor Leader Rep. Matt Lehman, Governor Holcomb and the Indiana legislature for their commitment to maintain a fair, efficient, and
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CHICAGO, Illinois, March 16 -- The American Property Casualty Insurance Association issued the following statement on March 15, 2024:
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This week Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed HB 1160, Civil proceeding advance payment contracts and commercial litigation funding. Brooke Kelley, assistant vice president of state government relations at The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) released the following statement:
"APCIA commends Majority Floor Leader Rep. Matt Lehman, Governor Holcomb and the Indiana legislature for their commitment to maintain a fair, efficient, andtransparent civil justice system. Requiring disclosure and discovery of funding by third parties involved in the litigation and to the courts is a critical step to restoring balance to the legal system. APCIA is also pleased the bill will prevent foreign adversaries from influencing the litigation process. These common-sense guardrails around third-party litigation funding are necessary to facilitate litigation transparency and protect consumers and businesses."
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The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) is the primary national trade association for home, auto, and business insurers. APCIA promotes and protects the viability of private competition for the benefit of consumers and insurers, with a legacy dating back 150 years. APCIA members represent all sizes, structures, and regions--protecting families, communities, and businesses in the U.S. and across the globe.
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Original text here: https://www.apci.org/media/news-releases/release/79394/
[Category: Insurance]
American Council of Life Insurers: Women Are Financial Decision Makers And Oppose Federal Proposal To Take Away Supplemental Insurance Benefits
WASHINGTON, March 16 (TNSres) -- The American Council of Life Insurers issued the following news release:
New research finds women with children are likely to be financial decision makers for their households and oppose a proposed federal regulation that would eliminate many supplemental insurance benefits as a financial planning option for their families.
Conducted February 22-27 by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the nationwide survey of 1,006 adult women with children found that 93 percent reported they're either the sole household financial decision
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WASHINGTON, March 16 (TNSres) -- The American Council of Life Insurers issued the following news release:
New research finds women with children are likely to be financial decision makers for their households and oppose a proposed federal regulation that would eliminate many supplemental insurance benefits as a financial planning option for their families.
Conducted February 22-27 by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the nationwide survey of 1,006 adult women with children found that 93 percent reported they're either the sole household financial decisionmaker (51 percent) or they share the responsibility with another household member (42 percent). Among the parents surveyed, 86 percent reported it either very important (55 percent) or somewhat important (31 percent) for the federal government to support access to supplemental insurance benefits. The federal "Tri-Agency Proposal" targets supplemental benefits.
Supplemental benefit policies cover health expenses excluded from primary medical insurance -- coverage a worker receives on the job, for example. They help cover costs not normally covered by medical insurance such as safety modifications to an apartment or home, transportation to a medical facility, co-pays and deductibles, and many other things normally paid for "out-of-pocket". Earlier research found that these benefits are important for middle-income families: 80% of adults with annual incomes between $50,000 and $100,000 view supplemental insurance benefits as valuable for financial protection.
"Health events often deliver significant blows to family budgets," said ACLI President & CEO Susan Neely. "It's clear from this Morning Consult research that women with children view supplemental benefits as a valuable option to protect their family's finances."
The research found most mothers, 82 percent, believe supplemental insurance benefits are valuable; 77 percent of those who are currently employed say that having the option to purchase this coverage through their employer is appealing.
Supplemental benefit policies are commonly sold through employers, though they also can be obtained individually.
Supplemental benefit products are not a form of primary medical coverage and are therefore distinct from the limited medical insurance products, such as short-term limited duration insurance, discussed in the Tri-Agency proposal. Life insurers are committed to ensuring that consumers are informed on what supplemental benefits products cover and the financial protections they provide prior to purchase.
Among other things, the proposal would disallow many benefits now available to policyholders of certain supplemental products. It also questions whether certain benefits from cancer or other specified disease products should be disallowed. The proposal would also create new requirements for employers by making them report supplemental benefits paid to their employees as wages. For the policyholder, that would mean these benefits are taxable and could discourage people from obtaining the financial protection they need.
The combination of higher taxes and the elimination of many existing benefits could make these products much less protective for families.
Nearly half of the women with children surveyed reported having faced financial hardships as a result out-of-pocket medical expenses.
"An average 3-day hospital stay is $30,000. And last year, an average U.S. employee paid $1,763 out-of-pocket in medical expenses. These are very high costs for middle-income families.
"Proposing structural changes to supplemental benefit policies and tax changes that would make them inaccessible to the very people who need to protect their family finances makes no sense at all," said Neely.
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The American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) is the leading trade association driving public policy and advocacy on behalf of the life insurance industry. 90 million American families rely on the life insurance industry for financial protection and retirement security. ACLI's member companies are dedicated to protecting consumers' financial wellbeing through life insurance, annuities, retirement plans, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, reinsurance, and dental, vision and other supplemental benefits. ACLI's 275 member companies represent 93 percent of industry assets in the United States.
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Original text here: https://www.acli.com/posting/nr24-030
[Category: Insurance]
American College of Surgeons: New Research in March - Colorectal Cancer, Kidney Health, OR Supply Costs, and More
CHICAGO, Illinois, March 16 (TNSres) -- The American College of Surgeons issued the following news release:
The March issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS), which includes research presented at the Southern Surgical Association 135th Annual Meeting, features new research on topics ranging from colorectal cancer and social vulnerability to operating room supply costs, the rise in school shootings since 1970, and the impact of permitless open carry laws on suicide rates, among others.
Read highlights from the issue below. The full issue is available on the JACS website.
Social
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, March 16 (TNSres) -- The American College of Surgeons issued the following news release:
The March issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS), which includes research presented at the Southern Surgical Association 135th Annual Meeting, features new research on topics ranging from colorectal cancer and social vulnerability to operating room supply costs, the rise in school shootings since 1970, and the impact of permitless open carry laws on suicide rates, among others.
Read highlights from the issue below. The full issue is available on the JACS website.
SocialVulnerability Index and Survivorship after Colorectal Cancer Resection
Researchers analyzed whether data from the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) can help predict complications and survival rates for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. A high SVI rating was independently associated with major perioperative complications and survival rates after resection of 872 CRC patients. Findings indicate the SVI may be a useful measure to determine CRC patients who may benefit from outreach interventions.
DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000000961
Health Inequities in Likelihood and Time to Renal Recovery after Living Kidney Donation: Implications for Black American Kidney Health
There exists a lack of live kidney donation studies examining health inequities in renal recovery post-donation. Researchers retrospectively analyzed 100,121 living kidney donors reported to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients between 1999-2021. Findings revealed:
* Black living kidney donors, especially young Black males, were less likely to recover kidney function
* Time to renal recovery for Black patients was significantly longer than their White counterparts
* Black living donors appear to have the greatest future risk of end-stage kidney disease
There is a need for enhanced living kidney donor follow-up, authors note.
DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000000970
Decreased Operating Room Supply Costs and Increased Value of Care after Implementing a Sustainable Quality Intervention
Operating room costs are the second most expensive element of surgical care. To reduce costs, researchers implemented a sustainable quality improvement intervention using automated electronic health record data to analyze operating room supply cost data with patient and case characteristics and outcomes. Results show:
* A decrease in operating room supply costs
* A decrease in incidence of cases with out-of-control costs
* No difference in duration of surgery or patient outcomes
* An increase in the value of care
DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000000972
Patients With Obesity and Kidney Failure May Be Newly Eligible for Kidney Transplants
A collaborative study between bariatric and transplant teams has created a viable pathway for patients with obesity who also have end-stage renal disease to become eligible for kidney transplants through weight loss surgery. Postoperative outcomes indicate significant improvements in BMI, hypertension, and diabetes management, enhancing patients' overall health and transplant viability.
Study Reveals the Impact of Behavioral Health Disorders on Cancer Surgery Outcomes
One in 15 cancer patients in the Medicare system have at least one behavioral health disorder (BHD). BHDs, which include substance abuse, eating disorders, and sleep disorders, are linked to worse surgical outcomes and higher health care costs in cancer patients. Patients with BHDs are less likely to undergo surgical resection and have higher odds of postoperative complications.
Study Quantifies Dramatic Rise in School Shootings and Related Fatalities Since 1970
In the 53 years leading up to May 2022, the number of school shootings annually increased more than 12 times. The likelihood of children being school shooting victims has increased more than fourfold, and the rate of death from school shootings has risen more than sixfold. The incidents studied involved 3,083 victims, including 2,033 children ages 5-17 years, and 1,050 adults ages 18-74 years.
Permitless Open Carry Laws May Lead to More Firearm-Related Suicides
Suicide by firearm rates increased 18% in nine years in states that began allowing firearm owners to openly carry a firearm without a permit. U.S. rates of firearm-related suicide rose from 21,175 in 2013 to 26,328 in 2021, an increase that may be related to more permissive open carry laws.
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Original text here: https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/press-releases/2024/new-research-in-march-colorectal-cancer-kidney-health-or-supply-costs-and-more/
[Category: Medical]