Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced an opportunity for healthcare providers to decrease cardiovascular disease risk for Medicare beneficiaries through a new payment model. Using the model, providers can assess an individual patient’s risks for heart attack or stroke and work with them to reduce those risks. Secretary Burwell made the announcement at the White House Conference on Aging regional forum in Boston.

Medtronic announced the launch of the Euphora semicompliant balloon dilatation catheter in countries that recognize the CE (Conformité Européene) mark in February. The first patient case with the Euphora was performed in the same month by Richard Edwards, M.D., consultant cardiologist at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, United Kingdom.

Researchers from the University of Chicago and Stanford University combed through scientific literature on the pharmacogenomics of 71 leading cardiovascular drugs to help physicians better understand how genetic variations can affect patient response. The researchers compiled summaries of the information, published in the June issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, to help physicians make better-informed clinical decisions about these drugs.

Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak is one of the first centers in the United States to use a new minimally invasive heart pump designed to provide temporary support for patients with severe right-side heart failure.

Bracco, Lumason, first U.S. echocardiography procedure, Morristown

Bracco Imaging announced that the first echocardiography imaging procedure with Lumason was performed in May at Morristown Medical Center, part of the Atlantic Health System, in New Jersey. This is the first administration after the development of the agent (sulfur hexafluoride lipid-type A microspheres) in the United States and approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The announcement was made through Bracco Imaging’s affiliate Bracco Diagnostics Inc.

Toshiba's new Assurance 360 program is making it easier for existing computed tomography (CT) customers to lower radiation dose, improve their scanners' performance and achieve compliance with the MITA Smart Dose standard (XR-29). Assurance 360 not only updates a system to XR-29 compliant but takes patient safety a step further with dose reduction technology and the training and support needed to become dose efficient.

CDS, clinical decision support, Rand Corp., study, appropriateness

Using tools that help physicians decide whether to use expensive imaging studies can help reduce the ordering of unnecessary tests, but implementation in real-world settings has many challenges, according to a new RAND Corp. study.

One year after the adoption of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new study by Health eCareers found that the effect of the ACA’s new policies ranked as the third most pressing concern for healthcare recruiters and hiring managers, just behind staff turnover and the projected physician shortage.

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