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The number of self-pay accounts is increasing significantly in many patient access departments due to rising unemployment and other factors.
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Anna Dapelo-Garcia, director of patient admitting services at Stanford (CA) Hospital & Clinics, says that since staff have become involved in setting specific goals, she has noticed "an increase in their engagement. They are excited and proud to be part of their unit, department, and organization."
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Resistance to antibiotics continues to pose a serious problem in treating infections. While new pharmaceutical agents are being developed, interest in alternative treatments is also growing. Grapefruit seed extract is one commercially available antimicrobial that has attracted considerable attention.
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Several large observational studies have suggested that vitamin E supplementation lowers the risk of coronary heart disease. However, the results of large randomized controlled trials failed to show a clear benefit of a-tocopherol supplementation on cardiovascular outcomes.
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Subgroups of U.S. adults who are minorities, poor, or undereducated with chronic cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia have large disparities in treatment for these conditions compared with white, high school-educated adults when they are uninsured or underinsured.
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According to results of a gallup organization survey released during the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 57th Annual Clinical meeting in Chicago, women are delaying important preventive care—in the form of pregnancy and annual check-ups—as a result of the economy.
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In-depth laboratory analysis suggests that human semen (SE) contains a peptide that enhances HIV infectivity, but the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) inhibits the increased infectivity associated with the peptide. This raises the possibility that topical intravaginal EGCG could be a useful adjunct in controlling the spread of HIV infection.
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A randomized, double-blind study found that alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) supplementation provided few additional benefits for older adults participating in a 12-week resistance-training program.
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This brief pilot intervention trial grew out of data suggesting that symptoms of fibromyalgia are often worse during cold weather, and that the skin temperature associated directly with specific trigger points may be lower than in healthy subjects.
