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Lawmakers Examining Nonprofit Hospitals' Tax Breaks
Nonprofit hospitals will lobby Congress to keep hands off their charitable status - which grants large tax exemptions, costing the government revenue - as lawmakers plan a health care overhaul, the New York Times reports. The leading senators of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, are considering a requirement that hospitals must provide a set amount of free care to benefit from the tax perks.
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Better Outcomes With Computer Aided Surgery - High Costs As An Obstacle To Broad Use
There are many indications that computer aided surgery has a major role to play in improving results in orthopaedic surgery, says Dr. Stefano Zaffagnini, who has played a pioneering role in the use of this technology and who moderates a symposium on this theme at the Congress of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT), taking place from June 3 to 6 in Vienna, with more than 8,000 participants from around the world. This technology should allow total knee prosthesis using minimally invasive surgery to become a standard procedure within a decade. Osteotomy and hip operations are only two of the many other fields where computer aided surgery can also markedly improve results for patients, experts state at the EFFORT Congress in Vienna.
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GOP Sens. Say Sotomayor Filibuster Possible But Unlikely, Obama Defends Judge's Past Comments
Several Republican senators in appearances on various talk shows on Sunday said that they do not expect the GOP to attempt a filibuster to block the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, although none ruled the idea out, the Washington Post reports. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) said that she does not think the "need for filibuster will be there unless we have not had a chance to look at the record fully," adding that the Senate "need[s] to look at the record fully" and in an "expeditious way." Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, on NBC"s "Meet the Press" said that Sotomayor"s 17-year career as a federal judge is "very strong in her favor" and "the kind of background you would look for" in a Supreme Court justice. However, Sessions added that he and other Republican senators are concerned over a remark Sotomayor made in 2001 at a conference on Hispanics in the judiciary. According to the Post, Sotomayor was discussing how her Puerto Rican heritage has influenced her role as a judge when she said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn"t lived that life." Sessions said the remark "goes against the heart of the great American heritage of an independent judge" (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). Judiciary Committee member John Cornyn (R-Texas), appearing on ABC"s "This Week," said that senators "need to know ... whether she"s going to be a justice for all of us or just a justice for a few of us" (Wallsten, Los Angeles Times, 6/1).Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) -- Sotomayor"s sponsor through the confirmation process -- said on "This Week" that she is "virtually filibuster-proof when people learn her record and her story." He added that Sotomayor is "legally excellent" and "not a far-left-wing judge" (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). White House Defends Sotomayor"s Comments White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that he thinks Sotomayor would "say that her word choice in 2001 was poor, that she was simply making the point that personal experiences are relevant to the process of judging." In an interview with NBC News that will air this week, President Obama also defended Sotomayor, saying that "if you look in the entire sweep of the essay that she wrote, what"s clear is that she was simply saying her life experiences will give her information about the struggles and hardships that people are going through" (Eggen/Kane, Washington Post, 5/30). Obama also stood by his decision to nominate Sotomayor in his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday. Obama said that he is "certain that she is the right choice" and that her record as a federal judge "makes clear that she is fair, unbiased and dedicated to the rule of law." While he said he expects "rigorous evaluation" of Sotomayor, Obama said his "hope is that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinkmanship that has bogged down this process, and Congress, in the past" (AP/USA Today, 6/1). First Meetings With Senators Expected This WeekAccording to the AP/Chicago Tribune, Sotomayor is scheduled to hold her first meetings with senators this week, beginning on Tuesday with Sessions and Democratic Sens. Harry Reid (Nev.) and Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (Vt.). Gibbs said a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnnell (R-Ky.) also is possible, adding that he is hopeful there will be other meetings scheduled throughout the week (AP/Chicago Tribune, 5/31).The Wall Street Journal reports that the formal Senate confirmation hearings are not expected to begin for several weeks. The White House would like the Senate to confirm Sotomayor before the August recess so she will be on the bench for the court"s next term, which begins in October. Although some GOP senators say this might not be enough time to fully examine her record, Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed, the Journal reports (Bendavid, Wall Street Journal, 6/1).
Medical Devices

Junior Doctors Across The NHS On Course To Meet New Working Time Target, UK

The overwhelming majority of all junior doctor rotas will be compliant with the requirements of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) by 1st August 2009, Health Secretary Andy Burnham announced today. A small number of services, about three per cent so far, have been given more time to meet the Directive through derogation. These include services delivering 24-hour immediate patient care, supra specialist services and units in rural and isolated areas. An independent scrutiny panel reviewed all services requiring derogation. The panel was chaired by Dr Judith Hulf, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and joint chair of the EWTD Reference Group, and also included representatives from the Royal Colleges, BMA, SHAs and NHS Employers. Andy Burnham said: "The overwhelming majority of UK doctors in training will comply with the Working Time Directive by 1st August this year. "This is great news for patients and NHS staff as it will improve patient safety and the work-life balance of junior doctors. "People will remember the stories of junior doctors working 80-hour weeks. Those days are gone for good to the benefit of all concerned. "For unavoidable and specific reasons, a small number of services will need more time to fully implement the Working Time Directive. "This may be because the Trusts are relatively isolated from large population centres and so found it difficult to recruit more doctors or where hospital services are currently undergoing redesign. "The UK remains absolutely committed to enabling all junior doctors to work and train safely, in compliance with the EWTD. "We recognise that some services may need more time to be fully compliant and we will use the derogation provision where needed. "We are listening to the concerns of clinicians and will continue to work closely with the medical profession and support individual hospitals." National Clinical Director for the European Working Time Directive, Dr Wendy Reid said: "Tired doctors are not safe doctors so this is excellent news for patient safety. We are also concerned for our workforce and the hours they work, so we are delighted that they will have an improved work life balance. "It has been a difficult and long challenge to assure a maximum level of compliance. "The trusts, SHAs and the Royal College teams are to be congratulated on their expertise, know how and perseverance in ensuring that rotas are compliant. We will continue to work with SHAs and Colleges to ensure solutions are sustainable." Chair of the Independent Scrutiny Panel Dr Judith Hulf said: "We reviewed applications from 62 Trusts in England and recommended 200 out of 202 rotas for derogation. "We are pleased that the Department of Health has accepted our recommendation that support for Trusts to achieve sustainable solutions for working 48 hours, which has been in place since January, should continue." Dept of Health (UK)


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