I joined American Medical News, “the newspaper for America’s physicians,” in 2005. I worked as a reporter covering medical ethics, health care quality and patient safety for the newspaper’s Professional Issues section.

Here is some general information about the newspaper, which was shut down in September 2013. Below, find a nearly complete archive of my work for the paper.

Note that the legacy website for the paper, amednews.com, is sometimes down. I am in the process of replacing these links to that site with my PDF copies of articles. If there is a particular article you are looking for, please request it by email.

Follow my Facebook and Twitter accounts for medical news.

Sept. 2, 2013:

• American Medical News ceases publication after 55-year run
• Confronting bias against obese patients

Aug. 26, 2013:

• Study details how primary care diagnoses get delayed

Aug. 19, 2013:

• Small doctor groups using IPAs to deliver care management
• Patients improve test compliance by considering health impact

Aug. 14, 2013:

• Care for back pain often out of sync with medical guidelines

Aug. 12, 2013:

• Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change
• Doctor-assisted suicide laws pose hospice care dilemmas

Aug. 5, 2013:

• Quality initiative nets modest drop in readmissions

July 31, 2013:

• Vaccine opt-outs higher in states where exemptions are easier

July 30, 2013:

• More hospitals earn good grades for LGBT-friendly policies

July 24, 2013:

• Better patient safety is goal of confidential EHR error reports

July 22, 2013:

• Patient location and condition signal odds of drug compliance

July 17, 2013:

• Primary care shortfall could be worse than predicted

July 15, 2013:

• Palliative care’s role grows in solving end-of-life conflicts

July 10, 2013:

• New pain management CME addresses opioid complexities

July 8, 2013:

• Emergency department relief? Keep doctor offices open late

July 1, 2013:

• How med schools will spend innovation grants
• Primary care case study: Quality at every step
• Facebook grapples with rules for patients seeking organ donors
• AMA meeting: Medicaid organ transplants need federal money
• AMA meeting: Low morale a problem at every physician career stage

June 24, 2013:

• Redesigning the patient experience for safer care

June 15, 2013:

• 11 medical schools earn AMA grants for education innovation

June 12, 2013:

• Mentoring project aims to increase minorities in medicine

June 5, 2013:

• Research uncovers formula for enhancing informed consent

June 3, 2013:

• Serious work put into making primary care fun again

May 29, 2013:

• State takes first-ever path to approve assisted suicide

May 27, 2013:

• Cancer prevention: Jolie’s choice creates patient demand for tests

May 22, 2013:

• Federal action sought to curtail drug noncompliance

May 13, 2013:

• Pediatricians offer newborn care standards for home births

May 8, 2013:

• Doctors often miss nonmedical clues in patient visits

May 6, 2013:

• Diagnostic errors are lead cause of medical liability payouts

May 1, 2013:

• Doctors warned on traveling to practice in Emirates

April 29, 2013:

• AMA targets 2 diseases to improve outcomes in multiyear initiative

April 22, 2013:

• Cancer center goes public with assisted-suicide protocol
• Med schools improve grades on cutting links to pharma

April 17, 2013:

• Emergency doctors promote patient handoff checklist

April 15, 2013:

• Top 10 ways to improve patient safety now
• Hospitals teach being “conversation-ready” for end-of-life care

April 8, 2013:

• Cardiac treatment improves after taking page from Toyota playbook

April 1, 2013:

• Quality effort yields big drop in death rate at hospitals

March 25, 2013:

• Doctor-pharma ties defended on eve of pay reporting mandate
• Primary care rebounds on Match Day

March 18, 2013:

• Warning sounded on demoralized health care work force
• How to talk about hospice care

March 11, 2013:

• Primary care time squeeze explains errors in diagnosis
• Personality fit trumps finances in medical specialty choice

March 4, 2013:

• Campaign to fight unneeded tests targets “more is better” mindset
• Drawing the line on racially motivated patient demands

Feb. 26, 2013:

• Toolkit offers new ideas for preventing hospital falls

Feb. 25, 2013:

• Black men increasingly hard to find in medical schools
• Ways EHRs can lead to unintended safety problems

Feb. 19, 2013:

• Harm of hospital “July effect” further cast into doubt

Feb. 18, 2013:

• Motivating patients to make wise choices
• Pharma gift bans for budding doctors have long-term impact
• AMA details plan for cutting hospital readmissions

Feb. 12, 2013:

• Patient respect drops when doctors diagnose with computer

Feb. 4, 2013:

• EHRs: “Sloppy and paste” endures despite patient safety risk

Jan. 28, 2013:

• Disparities in care for blacks linked to segregation, unconscious bias
• AMA pledges millions to jump-start innovation in medical education

Jan. 21, 2013:

• Surgical errors: In ORs, “never events” occur 80 times a week

Jan. 18, 2013:

• Keys to drug compliance may be trust and pill shape

Jan. 14, 2013:

• EHR-related errors soar but few harm patients
• Reformulated opioids thwart misuse of the painkillers

Jan. 7, 2013:

• Using mindfulness to soothe physician stress

Dec. 31, 2012:

• Despite warning, some hospitals get harsh patient safety grade

Dec. 24, 2012:

• Project aims to get 80% of hypertension patients under control

Dec. 12, 2012:

• Simple steps to prevent surgical site infections

Dec. 10, 2012:

• Doctors caution on initial bleeding risk with warfarin

Dec. 3, 2012:

• New ED drama? Hospitals demand upfront fee for nonemergencies
• Health care satisfaction appears higher among new immigrants, survey shows

Nov. 26, 2012:

• Patient satisfaction: When a doctor’s judgment risks a poor rating
• AMA meeting: Delegates adopt physician employment principles
• AMA meeting: Guidance on health care teams approved
• AMA meeting: Standards sought as clinical use of gene sequencing speeds up
• AMA meeting: Call for flu-shot mandate in long-term care setting
• AMA meeting: Policies target doctor shortages, GME cuts

Nov. 13, 2012:

• AMA adopts principles to govern possible Medicare switch to a defined-contribution system

Nov. 12, 2012:

• Few clinical guideline panels follow financial-conflict standards

Nov. 11, 2012:

• AMA delegates debate defined-contribution Medicare financing

Nov. 5, 2012:

• Hospitals urged to end punitive responses to error reports
• Rise in extreme obesity creates new level of treatment complexity

Oct. 31, 2012:

• More than half of hospitals don’t screen all ICU patients for MRSA

Oct. 28, 2012:

• Meningitis outbreak tests physician trust in compounding pharmacies

Oct. 22, 2012:

• Comparative effectiveness research faces obstacles in changing how doctors practice

Oct. 15, 2012:

• Misconduct accounts for most journal retractions

Oct. 8, 2012:

• Will a “silent exodus” from medicine worsen doctor shortage?
• Doctors cast skeptical eye on pharma-backed studies

Oct. 5, 2012:

• Patients won’t ask physicians to come clean on hand-washing

Oct. 1, 2012:

• Managing 4 risky drug types sending seniors to the ED
• New products pitched to improve injection safety

Sept. 25, 2012:

• Nationwide initiative cuts central-line infections by 40%

Sept. 18, 2012:

• No pay for UTIs has little effect on hospitals’ bottom lines

Sept. 17, 2012:

• Tax breaks do little to encourage living organ donations

Sept. 11, 2012:

• Patients’ medical decisions benefit from DVD guidance

Sept. 4, 2012:

• 73% of patients worry about medical errors, poll says

Sept. 3, 2012:

• CT cancer risk prompts high-tech efforts to cut radiation dose

Aug. 22, 2012:

• Charity helps medical practices donate unused drug samples

Aug. 20, 2012:

• Will smart pills, cash boost drug compliance?
• Are opioids only for patients with “severe pain”?

Aug. 14, 2012:

• Hospital initiative cuts readmissions and ED wait times

Aug. 8, 2012:

• Most hospital adverse events not reported to state systems

Aug. 6, 2012:

• Coming wave of Medicaid patients will test quality at safety-net hospitals
• Hospital websites don’t tell whole story on robot-assisted surgery

July 31, 2012:

• Surgeons balk at withdrawing life support after medical errors

July 30, 2012:

• Physician quality: What’s age got to do with it?
• New “weekend effect” seen in cardiac care

July 25, 2012:

• FDA approves in-home HIV test that gives results within an hour

July 23, 2012:

• Ban on pharma meals for physicians overturned

July 18, 2012:

• UNOS to publicly report transplants involving foreigners

July 16, 2012:

• National Quality Forum upholds rehospitalization measure
• Push for “death with dignity” in Massachusetts picks up steam

July 11, 2012:

• Heavy smokers should get annual CT screening, thoracic surgeons say

July 9, 2012:

• Rise in ED crowding tied to sicker patients needing more tests
• Minority patients less interested in hospice care

July 2, 2012:

• Shift to medical home may not increase patient satisfaction
• CDC: Less than half of Americans get key heart attack and stroke prevention services
• Doctors advised to consider costs in care choices
• Telemedicine can pose ethical problems, delegates warn

June 27, 2012:

• Hospitals get A, B or C grades on patient safety

June 25, 2012:

• CT orders level off as awareness of radiation risk grows

June 18, 2012:

• Hectic pace pressures practices on medical quality
• Is honesty the best policy when giving placebos to patients?

June 13, 2012:

• Checklist approach to be tested in end-of-life care planning

June 11, 2012:

• When a patient visit includes a request for prayer
• Early “sunshine” laws show little effect on prescribing

June 5, 2012:

• Drugs in physician sample closets often past expiration dates

June 4, 2012:

• At-home HIV test could expand screening, hinder follow-up care

May 28, 2012:

• Transplant experts question impact of Facebook’s organ-donor registration push
• Hospital-acquired infections linked to higher readmission rates

May 23, 2012:

• Some patients fear speaking up will upset their doctors

May 21, 2012:

• Drugmakers pledge transparency to tackle credibility problem in journals

May 14, 2012:

• Celebrities make pitch for patient safety panel
• Medicare’s no-pay rule sharpens infection-control efforts

May 8, 2012:

• Family presence does not impede pediatric trauma care

May 7, 2012:

• Aggressive end-of-life care for Medicare dialysis patients is pervasive

May 1, 2012:

• Telemonitored patients show no drop in readmissions and ED visits

April 30, 2012:

• Innovative ways to slash ED overuse
• Stressed physicians reluctant to seek support
• Wisconsin doctors get support to help patients complete advance directives

April 24, 2012:

• National Quality Forum adopts cost metrics for value-based purchasing

April 17, 2012:

• 5 Hawaii doctors offer assisted suicide to terminally ill patients

April 16, 2012:

• End-of-life care: Pain control carries risk of stigma as killer
• Website offers Q&A on patients’ ethical quandaries

April 9, 2012:

• California, Vermont consider tougher vaccine-exemption rules
• Most communities unprepared for disasters

April 4, 2012:

• Sleeping pills pose added risk for obese patients

April 2, 2012:

• Only 14 states post hospital data on surgical site infections

March 26, 2012:

• Pharma scales back drug samples to physician offices

March 23, 2012:

• Family physician who supported assisted suicide dies with a doctor’s aid

March 19, 2012:

• Hospital report cards fall flat at improving outcomes
• The ABCs of health literacy

March 12, 2012:

• Hospitals find success in slashing health disparities

March 5, 2012:

• Advanced medical home elements didn’t lead to better outcomes

March 2, 2012:

• Male newborn circumcision rate falls to lowest level

Feb. 29, 2012:

• Patient room notes, pop quizzes boost hand hygiene

Feb. 27, 2012:

• 76% of patients neglect end-of-life care planning

Feb. 20, 2012:

• Fear of punitive response to hospital errors lingers
• Study: Doctors often lecture noncompliant patients too much
• Georgia high court strikes down assisted suicide law

Feb. 14, 2012:

• Major employers support flu shot requirement for health professionals

Feb. 13, 2012:

• Home births rise despite higher neonatal mortality rate

Feb. 8, 2012:

• Almost half of preventive services not offered during checkups

Feb. 6, 2012:

• Outcry over disabled girl’s transplant care renews eligibility debate

Feb. 1, 2012:

• Average hospice length of stay is falling

Jan. 30, 2012:

• FDA drug warnings often ineffective, study says

Jan. 25, 2012:

• Depressed patients benefit from team model in managing numerous illnesses

Jan. 23, 2012:

• Clarity needed on how and when to report medical adverse events

Jan. 18, 2012:

• Doctors should weigh costs in treatment, ACP says

Jan. 16, 2012:

• Former drug reps eyed to pitch physicians on referrals

Jan. 9, 2012:

• Safety research found lacking for outpatient visits
• Hospitals alerted to fatigue’s dangers

Jan. 2, 2012:

• Doctors have to manage smartphone distractions
• Disaster medicine dilemmas examined

Dec. 26, 2011:

• Physicians earn nearly perfect ratings from most patients

Dec. 19, 2011:

• Appeals court OKs payments to marrow donors

Dec. 14, 2011:

• Brain scans yield clues to physician decision-making

Dec. 6, 2011:

• Can a computer program teach patient empathy?

Nov. 28, 2011:

• AMA delegates detail steps to confront national drug shortage emergency
• Patient-rating websites top Google searches for best doctors
• More help sought to fight opioid abuse
• Training, EMR tracking can slash risk of radiation overdoses

Nov. 22, 2011:

• Physicians, theologians examine faith and medical practice

Nov. 21, 2011:

• IOM calls for monitoring and probe of health IT hazards

Nov. 14, 2011:

• When the office visit is a family matter
• Critics rap delay in doctor-payment reporting rules

Nov. 11, 2011:

• Only one in 10 physicians asks patients what they expect from care

Nov. 7, 2011:

• Using unclaimed bodies for dissection draws outcry
• Medical school applications reach new high

Oct. 31, 2011:

• Stanford cuts liability premiums with cash offers after errors
• Education key to helping Americans break off love affair with salt

Oct. 24, 2011:

• Gap on guideline use between HMOs and PPOs narrows
• CMS incentive plan could worsen care disparities, study finds

Oct. 19, 2011:

• Heeding advice on primary care “don’ts” would save $6.7 billion annually

Oct. 17, 2011:

• States try more aggressive Rx opioid controls

Oct. 10, 2011:

• Hospitals make almost no headway in cutting readmissions

Oct. 4, 2011:

• Demand drives more hospitals to offer alternative therapies

Oct. 3, 2011:

• HHS wants to give patients results straight from the lab
• Tactics to improve drug compliance
• Explaining residents’ role in surgery may keep patients from consenting

Sept. 26, 2011:

• HHS removes public access to National Practitioner Data Bank
• “Million Hearts” initiative aims to reduce cardiovascular disease burden

Sept. 19, 2011:

• Face transplants starting to gain acceptance
• AMA group sets new framework for patient outcome measures

Sept. 12, 2011:

• As CME funding shifts from industry, others foot the bill
• Temporary health workers double risk of harmful drug mix-ups

Sept. 6, 2011:

• Elected coroners report fewer suicides than their appointed counterparts

Sept. 5, 2011:

• HHS bolsters scrutiny of researchers’ drug industry ties
• NQF endorses pediatric quality measures

Aug. 29, 2011:

• Menthol smokers find it harder to kick the habit

Aug. 22, 2011:

• Revealing their medical errors: Why three doctors went public
• High-tech solutions add to success of checklists in cutting bloodstream infections

Aug. 19, 2011:

• CT scans rise fourfold in EDs, but hospitalizations fall by half

Aug. 15, 2011:

• HHS cutting red tape to speed clinical trials

Aug. 12, 2011:

• Eli Lilly reports $48 million in first-quarter physician payments

Aug. 8, 2011:

• Caregiving takes toll on 42 million Americans

Aug. 5, 2011:

• Study casts doubt on effectiveness of hospitalist care

Aug. 3, 2011:

• Informed-consent documents called too long and complex

Aug. 1, 2011:

• Call for civility aims to stop disruptive behavior in the OR

July 25, 2011:

• Adapting JAMA for tomorrow’s physician readers
• Exhibit channels emotional — and orthopedic — wounds of war

July 8, 2011:

• Chronic pain costs U.S. $635 billion a year

July 4, 2011:

• AMA backs challenge of “don’t ask” gun law
• AMA house seeks repeal of OTC drug-spending rule
• Delegates ask AMA council how to just say no to patients

June 27, 2011:

• 4 items added to serious reportable events list
• Massachusetts bill would give patients the right to film surgery

June 20, 2011:

• How you can help stressed surrogates (Bronze award [tie], best how-to article, American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors)

June 13, 2011:

• Quantifying adverse drug events: Med mishaps send millions back for care

June 10, 2011:

• Medical board could discipline physicians for torture under N.Y. bill

June 3, 2011:

• Panel targets primary care “don’ts”

May 30, 2011:

• Tele-ICU technology improves patient outcomes, study finds

May 26, 2011:

• Donor families join anatomy students at ceremony honoring their loved ones

May 25, 2011:

• Feeding tube risks for dementia patients often not discussed

May 23, 2011:

• New York bill seeks physician dress code to cut infections

May 13, 2011:

• Doctors failed to inquire about Gitmo detainees’ injuries, study alleges

May 11, 2011:

• Coalition pushes for safe injection practices

May 9, 2011:

• Quality of health news reporting found lacking

May 2, 2011:

• Rx side effects causing more hospitalizations

April 25, 2011:

• Humanizing anatomy: a medical student’s first patient
• Hospitals’ high-tech tools track who’s washing their hands

April 22, 2011:

• Quality metrics seek to slash unneeded CT scans

April 19, 2011:

• CDC issues guidance on preventing bloodstream infections

April 18, 2011:

• 1 in 3 patients harmed during hospital stay

April 11, 2011:

• Financial ties to industry widespread on clinical guideline panels

April 8, 2011:

• Communicating health risks can be tricky

April 1, 2011:

• Medical oaths less of a moral compass for physicians

March 28, 2011:

• Kidney transplant plan would give preference to younger patients
• 51 died under Washington’s assisted-suicide law in 2010

March 23, 2011:

• Universal coverage may not eliminate health disparities

March 21, 2011:

• Opioid prescribing requires close monitoring

March 14, 2011:

• ICU central-line infections drop dramatically nationwide
• 1 in 3 surrogate decision-makers carries lasting emotional burden

March 7, 2011:

• Comedic skills for a serious role
• Flu activity up but way behind 2009-10 season

March 3, 2011:

• Scrubs vs. white coats: equal opportunity bacteria spreaders

Feb. 28, 2011:

• Patient satisfaction high even in doctor shortage areas

Feb. 23, 2011:

• Illinois Blues partners with hospitals to reduce readmissions

Feb. 14, 2011:

• Costliest hospitals report lowest death rates
• Oncologists shouldn’t delay frank talk with patients

Feb. 9, 2011:

• 2 physician-assisted suicide bills face off in Montana

Feb. 7, 2011:

• Reducing readmissions: How 3 hospitals found success
• Elective deliveries before 39 weeks widespread

Feb. 2, 2011:

• Hospitals can save $10 million a year with safety measures

Jan. 24, 2011:

• Regaining trust after vaccine threat debunked

Jan. 17, 2011:

• Prescription drug containers may get simpler labels

Jan. 11, 2011:

• Palliative care researchers tackle whether to stop statins for terminally ill

Jan. 10, 2011:

• Kidney exchange program makes 1st matches

Jan. 3, 2011:

• AMA webinars demonstrate how quality metrics improve care

Dec. 27, 2010:

• Pain contracts can undermine patient trust, critics say

Dec. 21, 2010:

• Health reform law will boost care quality, Sebelius says

Dec. 15. 2010:

• Disclosing errors good for reputation but won’t reduce lawsuits

Dec. 13, 2010:

• Quality initiative claims it saved 22,000 lives

Dec. 8, 2010:

• Suicide screening should be part of hospital procedure, panel says

Dec. 6, 2010:

• Diagnostic errors: Why they happen
• Nazi war crimes provide lessons in medical ethics
• Technology and counseling help improve drug compliance

Nov. 29, 2010:

• Drug industry ties to doctors weaken as disclosure, gift rules spread  (graphic)
• FDA initiative targets safe use of medicines

Nov. 24, 2010:

• Turning off heart devices near life’s end stirs ethical, legal debates

Nov. 19, 2010:

• Long shifts, nights on call lead to depression and burnout in surgeons

Nov. 16, 2010:

• Surgical diversity initiative has double bonus

Nov. 15, 2010:

• Surrogate decision-makers’ dilemma on end-of-life care requires more input from doctors

Nov. 11, 2010:

• Drug rep visits rarely result in better prescribing, study says

Nov. 8, 2010:

• New recognition for first black U.S. doctor with medical degree

Nov. 4, 2010:

• AMA announces EVP’s departure
• Joint Commission quality initiative reduces poor patient handoffs

Nov. 1, 2010:

• Wrong-patient, wrong-site procedures persist despite safety protocol
• Preventive measures shown to cut hospital C. diff rates

Oct. 28, 2010:

• Tool kit aims to prepare physicians for legal implications of social media

Oct. 25, 2010:

• Opioid safety is focus of $1 million-a-year educational initiative

Oct. 20, 2010:

• IOM urges greater role for advanced-practice nurses

Oct. 18, 2010:

• Nobel Prize reflects IVF’s acceptance as medical procedure
• Put me in, Doc (Interviewed about this story on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” [video]; finalist, feature writing, specialty/trade, Chicago Headline Club Peter Lisagor Awards)

Oct. 11, 2010:

• Posting emergency wait times: Good marketing or good medicine?

Oct. 6, 2010:

• Chicago doctors to spread system of reporting, reducing medical errors

Oct. 4, 2010:

• Doctors use Formula One pit crews as safety model (graphic)

Sept. 27, 2010:

• Million-dollar payouts to researchers often go undisclosed in journal articles
• Physician background doesn’t tell the whole quality story

Sept. 23, 2010:

• Large-scale adverse events deserve disclosure, study says

Sept. 20, 2010:

• Quality ratings on coronary artery bypass made public with surgeons’ help

Sept. 14, 2010:

• JAMA editor-in-chief to leave in 2011

Sept. 13, 2010:

• Drugmakers hold to too much influence over doctors’ decisions, public says
• Cough medicine abuse prompts FDA to consider restrictions

Sept. 9, 2010:

• Emotional problems linger for children displaced by Katrina

Sept. 6, 2010:

• Social media pose ethical unknowns for doctors
• Katrina’s legacy: Rethinking medical disaster planning (Gold award, best feature article series, American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors; finalist, in-depth news story or series, specialty/trade, Chicago Headline Club Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism)
• Early palliative care lengthens survival for lung cancer patients

Aug. 30, 2010:

• Most ED patients willing to wait longer to avoid nondoctor care

Aug. 23, 2010:

• Prescription data opt-out law upheld in Maine

Aug. 16, 2010:

• Katrina’s legacy: Moving beyond the storm (graphic) (Gold award, best feature article series, American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors; finalist, in-depth news story or series, specialty/trade, Chicago Headline Club Peter Lisagor Awards)

Aug. 9, 2010:

• Arkansas doctor guilty in bombing that injured medical board chair

Aug. 5, 2010:

• Organized medicine should take leadership role in quality, study says

Aug. 2, 2010:

• Physicians reluctant to report impaired colleagues, study says
• Iowa practices get recruiting help from state medical society (graphic)

July 29, 2010:

• Hospitals boost response rates for timely angioplasties

July 12, 2010:

• Prescription drug overdose cases skyrocket at emergency departments

June 28, 2010:

• Safety records of surgery centers found lacking
• AMA meeting: Doctors’ online conduct addressed at CEJA forum
• AMA meeting: Delegates seek pay for care delivered via telemedicine
• AMA meeting: Penalize Medicare contractors for pay delays

June 18, 2010:

• Living wills’ lack of specifics limits their usefulness

June 14, 2010:

• Central-line infections declining, CDC reports
• Patient safety: What can medicine learn from aviation?

June 7, 2010:

• FDA task force calls for more disclosure of drug, device information

June 1, 2010:

• FDA calls on physicians to report misleading drug ads

May 31, 2010:

• Heart devices can be turned off near end of life

May 24, 2010:

• Flood of test results prompts new attention on how to manage flow
• Medicare to test allowing more than palliative care in hospice

May 17, 2010:

• Informed consent: Hospitals explore personalizing risks
• Patient compliance highest with compatible physicians

May 14, 2010:

• More tobacco control efforts recommended at state, local level

May 11, 2010:

• Primary care shortage evident in Connecticut

May 10, 2010:

• Specialty societies set new policy on drug company influence

May 4, 2010:

• Infusion pumps targeted for tighter FDA scrutiny

May 3, 2010:

• Doctors at religious hospitals face ethical conflicts over care

April 27, 2010:

• Quality of care, patient safety see gains

April 26, 2010:

• Infection checklist effort expands, but national rates unchanged

April 21, 2010:

• “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House” dramas inspire ethics lessons

April 19, 2010:

• Quality experts hope health reform delivers substantial improvements in care
• Safety on the syllabus: Patient safety becoming part of medical education
• JAMA urges journals to toughen data review

April 16, 2010:

• Advance care planning focus of awareness campaign

April 12, 2010:

• Health reform’s next challenge: Who will care for the newly insured?

April 6, 2010:

• Joint Commission gives final OK to medical staff standard

April 5, 2010:

• Health reform mandates disclosure of industry gifts

March 29, 2010:

• New medical schools open, but physician shortage concerns persist
• Primary care gets boost in resident Match

March 25, 2010:

• Assisted suicide laws cited in 95 deaths in Washington, Oregon

March 22, 2010:

• Parents of dying children may ask doctors to hasten death
• Payments found to increase willingness to donate a kidney

March 19, 2010:

• Kidney paired donations may expand under pilot program

March 12, 2010:

• Medical errors: Doctors, risk managers take different approach to disclosure

March 8, 2010:

• Hospital-acquired sepsis, pneumonia kill 48,000 each year

March 5, 2010:

• TV medical dramas misleading on seizure first aid

March 2, 2010:

• Interpreter services offered at more than half of physician practices

March 1, 2010:

• Infection rates drop as Michigan hospitals turn to checklists

Feb. 26, 2010:

• Flu-shot mandate nets 98% vaccination rate in Mo. health system

Feb. 22, 2010:

• Doctors who aid in executions unlikely to face sanctions

Feb. 17, 2010:

• Doctor who linked vaccines, autism acted unethically, British medical council rules

Feb. 15, 2010:

• Helping Haiti: U.S. doctors reflect on crisis care experiences

Feb. 12, 2010:

• N.Y., Minnesota consider new rules on pharma gifts

Feb. 8, 2010:

• California limits how long HMO patients wait for appointments

Feb. 3, 2010:

• Quality improvements being seen at hospitals

Feb. 1, 2010:

• “I’m sorry”: Why is that so hard for doctors to say?

Jan. 28, 2010:

• Help Haiti: AMA registers physician volunteers

Jan. 26, 2010:

• Joint Commission revises medical staff standard

Jan. 25, 2010:

• Halting ambulance diversions didn’t affect ED waits

Jan. 18, 2010:

• Physician-assisted suicide legal in Montana, court rules

Jan. 14, 2010:

• MRSA surgical infections exact heavy clinical, financial toll

Jan. 8, 2010:

• Aviation-based training improves safety at 2 hospitals

Jan. 4, 2010:

• Hospitals make big strides in delivering timely angioplasties

Dec. 31, 2009:

• N.J. could be first to target doctors who accept industry gifts

Dec. 28, 2009:

• Patient safety improving slightly, 10 years after IOM report on errors
• California gets tougher on substance-abusing physicians

Dec. 25, 2009:

• Obesity could negate health gains from decline in smoking

Dec. 21, 2009:

• Ban on paying bone marrow donors challenged in court

Dec. 18, 2009:

• Racial gap in preventive care found to increase hospitalizations

Dec. 11, 2009:

• Wrong surgeries a product of poor communication

Dec. 3, 2009:

• Quality of care low on hospital boards’ priority list

Nov. 30, 2009:

• Patient safety surveillance: keeping watch in hospitals, from sinks to surgery

Nov. 23, 2009:

• Digital divide emerges at hospitals serving poor patients
• AMA meeting: “Don’t ask, don’t tell” said to hurt patient care; repeal urged
• AMA meeting: Delegates support review of marijuana’s schedule I status
• AMA meeting: Keep hands off the handhelds, drivers urged
• AMA meeting: Nap time mandate for on-call residents rejected
• AMA meeting: No flu shot mandate for doctors; hand sanitizer pushed
• AMA meeting: Are doctors responsible for controlling health care costs?

Nov. 18, 2009:

• DEA enforces written order requirement for schedule II drugs

Nov. 10, 2009:

• Physicians give hospital chaplains high approval rating

Nov. 9, 2009:

• Journal editors propose detailed disclosure form for authors
• Fertility doctors tighten guidelines in wake of “octomom” controversy

Nov. 6, 2009:

• Patient safety after hospital discharge challenging

Nov. 3, 2009:

• Family physicians’ partnership with Coke draws criticism

Oct. 29, 2009:

• 10% of seniors’ ED visits related to falls

Oct. 26, 2009:

• Doctors called on to screen all adults for depression
• Medicare’s no-pay rule has little financial impact

Oct. 19, 2009:

• Assisted-suicide statute challenged by 2 Connecticut doctors
• Commercial CME loses funding from second drug firm
• EMR alerts can signal abnormal tests, but some doctors don’t use them

Oct. 12, 2009:

• Quality improvement tool available for doctors, hospitals

Oct. 5, 2009:

• Doctor’s rap on H1N1 prevention wins HHS contest
• Resident duty hours: Does more sleep mean safer care?

Sept. 30, 2009:

• Joint Commission opens center to develop patient safety solutions

Sept. 28, 2009:

• Doctors often register unconscious bias against blacks, study finds

Sept. 21, 2009:

• Surgical quality program cuts complications, patient deaths

Sept. 18, 2009:

• New quality measures gauge medication adherence

Sept. 14, 2009:

• Pfizer pays record $2.3 billion in off-label drug marketing settlement

Sept. 9, 2009:

• Research subjects want to know investigators’ financial ties

Sept. 7, 2009:

• Outsourcing clinical trials: Is it ethical to take drug studies abroad?
• Physicians know FDA-OK’d uses for drugs half the time

Sept. 2, 2009:

• Bioethicists fight myths over rationing, end-of-life care

Aug. 31, 2009:

• 75% of discharge summaries don’t mention pending test results
• Quality-of-care concerns add to doctors’ stress

Aug. 28, 2009:

• Cancer mortality rates declining with each generation

Aug. 24, 2009:

• End-of-life care provision stirs angst in health reform debate

Aug. 20, 2009:

• AAP approves withdrawal of artificial nutrition from children in certain cases

Aug. 17, 2009:

• Has kidney trafficking come to the U.S.?

Aug. 10, 2009:

• Industry gift bans slammed for overreaching

Aug. 7, 2009:

• Patients can cope with learning their Alzheimer’s risks

July 27, 2009:

• Liver transplant for Apple CEO turns spotlight on organ system inequities
• New York OKs paying women who donate eggs for research

July 24, 2009:

• Half of parents misinterpret OTC cough and cold medication labels

July 22, 2009:

• CMS releases more hospital quality data

July 20, 2009:

• Can protecting patients be made recession-proof?

July 16, 2009:

• Patients don’t hear of abnormal results 7% of the time

July 13, 2009:

• Treating celebrities not all glitz and glamour

July 8, 2009:

• FDA found lax in regulating medical devices

July 6, 2009:

• 5 people die under Washington physician-assisted suicide law
• Transplant physicians face ethics of paternity discoveries

June 29, 2009:

• AMA meeting: Doctors get to see how ethics bar is set
• AMA meeting: AMA exhorts doctors to offer charity care, help the uninsured
• AMA meeting: Delegates see boosting quality of care as duty

June 26, 2009:

• Pertussis risk much higher among unvaccinated children

June 22, 2009:

• Many hospitals cut back on infection-control efforts

June 18, 2009:

• Retail clinics avoid medically underserved areas

June 15, 2009:

• Doctors, lung cancer patients skirt hospice talk

June 4, 2009:

• Clinics fall short in treatment of transgender patients, doctors

June 3, 2009:

• First-degree murder charge brought in slaying of Kansas ob-gyn

June 2, 2009:

• Kansas physician who performed abortions killed

June 1, 2009:

• Vermont bans industry gifts, tightens reporting rules
• Prevalence of C. diff in hospitals

May 27, 2009:

• Health care quality showing slow improvement

May 25, 2009:

• Industry conflicts common in cancer studies

May 19, 2009:

• Hand hygiene tough to enforce, measure

May 18, 2009:

• Yale obstetrics plan cuts adverse events by 40%
• N.C. court overturns ban on doctor participation in executions

May 15, 2009:

• Lingering myths discourage organ donation

May 11, 2009:

• IOM warns about physician-pharma conflicts of interest
• Court upholds Vermont law on prescribing data privacy

May 7, 2009:

• Medical professionals involved in Guantanamo interrogations

May 4, 2009:

• NIH policy loosening stem cell research restrictions disappoints both sides in debate
• Doctor discipline inches up but still off 14% from peak
• Medical students taking free online courses in quality, safety

April 30, 2009:

• Patient safety experts see aviation group as model for health care

April 27, 2009:

• IRB disclosure policies, review procedures found lacking

April 23, 2009:

• Maryland short on surgeons

April 16, 2009:

• 1 in 5 Medicare patients readmitted within a month after hospital release

April 13, 2009:

• Pharma support of medical societies raises conflict-of-interest concerns
• Success from surgical checklists breeds idea for ethical checks

April 9, 2009:

• 2% leave hospital against medical advice

April 6, 2009:

• Initiative to cut catheter infections expands
• Mass. sets new rules for contact with drug industry

April 2, 2009:

• Calif. pay-for-performance program gets mixed reviews

March 30, 2009:

• A miscarriage of medicine (book excerpt: “Three Generations, No Imbeciles”)
• Discussing death with patients can cut costs, ease abandonment fears

March 23, 2009:

• Doctors increasingly close doors to drug reps, while pharma cuts ranks
• Doctor faces assisted-suicide charge in Georgia
• Bills seek to regulate in vitro fertilization

March 19, 2009:

• National Quality Forum sets bar for culturally competent care

March 9, 2009:

• Doctors override most e-Rx safety alerts
• Mailing reminders boosts colon cancer screening
• Wash. completes final rules on physician-assisted suicide

March 5, 2009:

• Racial gap in surviving patients after surgical complications

March 2, 2009:

• Most IRB rules don’t ban finder’s fees for clinical trials

Feb. 26, 2009:

• New treatment guidelines address chronic pain

Feb. 23, 2009:

• Kidney foundation plan targets financial barriers to donation
• “Sunshine” bill sets $100 trigger for disclosing industry pay to doctors

Feb. 16, 2009:

• Octuplets case sparks ethics uproar over IVF excess and patient screening (Gold award, best single news article, American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors)

• States consider requiring hospitals to screen for MRSA

Feb. 12, 2009:

• Hospital error-reporting systems falling short

Feb. 9, 2009:

• Doctor quits prison job over execution
• AMA makes Web site more doctor friendly

Feb. 5, 2009:

• Intricate cancer treatments raise drug error risk, study says

Feb. 2, 2009:

• Guidelines target stem cell medical tourism

Jan. 29, 2009:

• Montana judge rejects stay of physician-assisted suicide ruling

Jan. 26, 2009:

• TV doctors’ flaws become bioethics teaching moments

Jan. 19, 2009:

• Redefining death: A new ethical dilemma

Jan. 15, 2009:

• Technology used wrongly harms patients, Joint Commission warns

Jan. 12, 2009:

• Quality reports for hospitals inconsistent

Jan. 5, 2009:

• Medical centers reveal doctors’ industry pay
• Defective directives? Struggling with end-of-life care

Dec. 29, 2008:

• Montana court OKs assisted suicide
• New partnership targets health care quality

Dec. 22, 2008:

• New Hampshire ban on sale of prescribing data upheld

Dec. 15, 2008:

• Many doctors say they offer OTC meds or other placebos

Dec. 8, 2008:

• Doctors urge: Rescue primary care or work force shortage will mount

Dec. 1, 2008:

• AMA meeting: Disruptive behavior standard draws fire
• AMA meeting: Doctors told to reveal financial stake in referrals
• AMA meeting: Delegates weigh ethics committee’s role
• AMA meeting: Global warming has health toll, delegates warn

Nov. 24, 2008:

• Washington becomes 2nd state to allow physician-assisted suicide

Nov. 17, 2008:

• Drugmakers vow to disclose their payments to physicians

Nov. 10, 2008:

• Calif. law mandates discussing end-of-life options

Nov. 3, 2008:

• More hospitals start palliative care programs

Oct. 27, 2008:

• Polls show Washington voters favor physician-assisted suicide

Oct. 20, 2008:

• Elections seen as turning point for stem cell studies

Oct. 13, 2008:

• Flu shots plentiful, doctors urged to get as well as give
• Other nations, other answers: In search of a solution to the organ shortage

Oct. 6, 2008:

• Trade “accreditation” could confuse medical tourists
• Drug samples can mean fewer generic prescriptions for the uninsured

Sept. 22, 2008:

• HHS site invites public to compare mortality rates at 4,700 hospitals
• Sponges, surgical instruments miscounted in 13% of cases

Sept. 15, 2008:

• Researchers urge pay for egg donors

Sept. 8, 2008:

• Time to get tough? States increasingly offer ways to opt out of vaccine mandates
• Legal risk for prescribing painkillers is small, study says

Sept. 1, 2008:

• Medical blog analysis fuels call for standards

Aug. 25, 2008:

• Most states have good rules on pain medicine

Aug. 18, 2008:

• New Joint Commission standard tells hospitals to squelch disruptive behaviors
• Psychiatrists scrutinize APA’s revenues from drug industry
• Quick View: Uninsured problem lowers U.S. health system’s performance score

Aug. 11, 2008:

• Hospitals shine light on mistakes by publicly saying: “We’re sorry”
• Ethics consultants get doses of realism through simulations

Aug. 4, 2008:

• P4P found to have little impact on quality
• Ethics panel may back universal coverage, ponders access as a “moral imperative”

July 28, 2008:

• Drug industry: No more free pens, pads or mugs
• AMA apologizes for past inequality against black doctors

July 14, 2008:

• Medicare’s no-pay events: Coping with the complications
• California bill would mandate discussions of end-of-life options

July 7, 2008:

• AMA tool kit helps doctors measure, boost patient comprehension
• AMA meeting: AMA OKs palliative sedation for terminally ill
• AMA meeting: Delegates seek to change law on organ donor incentives
• AMA meeting: Delegates explore on-call coverage, at-home genetic tests

June 16, 2008:

• National safety effort targets perinatal injuries
• FDA drug safety review to start with Medicare
• Quick View: Barriers to prescribing opioids

June 9, 2008:

• Formula for rationing care: Task forces plan for disaster

May 19, 2008:

• Hospitalized kids found at risk for drug errors

May 12, 2008:

• Doctor disciplinary actions down for 3rd year
• CMS seeks to add 9 hospital-acquired conditions to no-pay list
• Oregon still stands alone: Ten years of physician-assisted suicide (Gold award, feature article, American Society of Business Publication Editors Midwest-South Region)

May 5, 2008:

• Public pleas for organs fuel ethical qualms

April 28, 2008:

• U.S. report finds sluggish increases in quality of care

April 21, 2008:

• Patients generally pleased with hospital care

April 14, 2008:

• ACOG may redo abortion conscience policy
• Similar drug-name pairs nearly double 2004 tally

March 24-31, 2008:

• Is their integrity on the line when doctors pitch products?

March 17, 2008:

• CMS metric may prompt excessive antibiotic use
• Quick View: To err is human, to report is hard

March 10, 2008:

• Michigan patient safety study gets HHS approval to resume

March 3, 2008:

• More heart transplants done, better outcomes

Feb. 18, 2008:

• Study questions impact of quality report cards
• IOM panel seeks program to evaluate research, guidelines

Feb. 11, 2008:

• New plan would require D.C. drug detailers to be licensed

Feb. 4, 2008:

• HHS shuts down Michigan patient safety study

Jan. 28, 2008:

• Economists’ study says paying for organs would cut wait lists
• Doctors use placebos but don’t tell patients
• Willing, but waiting: Hospital ethics committees

Jan. 21, 2008:

• New ACOG position on abortion refusal drawing fire

Jan. 7, 2008:

• No pay for “never event” errors becoming standard
• CT scans implicated in 2% of cancers

Dec. 24-31, 2007:

• Survey: Physicians falling short on professionalism

Dec. 17, 2007:

• Future doctors flunk military medical ethics test

Dec. 10, 2007:

• Stem cell breakthrough uses skin cells rather than embryos
• Quick View: Tracking MRSA

Dec. 3, 2007:

• AMA meeting: Principles aimed at better physician-hospital relations
• AMA meeting: Consent should be required for HIV testing, AMA says
• AMA meeting: CEJA to study doctors’ duty to guarantee access
• AMA meeting: Delegates seek tax credit to help pay for EMRs

Nov. 26, 2007:

• Bigger practice, better quality? Practice size not the complete answer

Nov. 19, 2007:

• Legislation targets drugmaker gifts, incentives to physicians
• Hospitals look to improve informed consent process

Nov. 12, 2007:

• Project seeks framework for quality, public reporting

Oct. 22/29, 2007:

• North Carolina medical board can’t discipline doctors for execution work

Oct. 1, 2007:

• Doctors often dismiss side effects, patient survey says
• Drug info firms target prescriber data laws
• Quick View: Testing the U.S. News rankings

Sept. 24, 2007:

• Washington state doctors lead their own quality appraisal
• New reps, new rap: The counter-detailers

Sept. 17, 2007:

• Annual study shows states moving to more balanced pain policies

Sept. 10, 2007:

• Report seeks more action on medication noncompliance

Sept. 3, 2007:

• Campaign targets TV’s skewed view of organ donation
• Drug rep creates stir with details on tricks of his trade

Aug. 13, 2007:

• EMRs don’t guarantee quality care, a review of 50,000 patient records shows
• Grand jury clears Dr. Pou; medicine wants to protect future disaster responders

Aug. 6, 2007:

• “SiCKO” tells sad story, but not the whole one
• New evidence finds disparities aren’t usually due to bias
• Quick View: Reluctant to prescribe

July 23-30, 2007:

• Katrina nurses might be forced to testify against physician

July 16, 2007:

• AMA meeting: CEJA to study how ethics may shift during disasters
• AMA meeting: Anti-discrimination policy extended to transgendered

July 9, 2007:

• Confronting eugenics: Does the now discredited practice have relevance to today’s technology?
• MRSA infection rate higher than earlier thought
• Quick View: EMRs don’t guarantee quality

July 2, 2007:

• Quality movement is “here to stay”: AMNews interviews Robert Haralson III, MD

June 25, 2007:

• Majority of hospitals slow to adopt routine apology policy

June 18, 2007:

• Medicare plans to stop paying for 6 hospital-acquired conditions
• House bill earmarks $3 billion in funds for comparative research

June 11, 2007:

• Quick View: Drug rep interaction widespread

June 4, 2007:

• Physicians pushing lawmakers to regulate burgeoning retail clinics
• Internists outline principles for quality ratings
• Quick View: Assessing quality on cardiovascular care

May 28, 2007:

• New Hampshire ban on sale of prescribing data is overruled

May 21, 2007:

• Pain doctor again found guilty of drug trafficking

May 14, 2007:

• Physicians resist push for execution involvement
• Battle over futile care erupts in Texas

May 7, 2007:

• Virginia: 14 is old enough to decide on medical treatment

April 23/30, 2007:

• Cost vs. compliance: Physicians encouraged to discuss prescriptions

April 16, 2007:

• More states eye reporting infection rates to give scrutiny to hospitals
• Physicians uneasy about how plans will set rankings
• Assisted-suicide bill in California clears first hurdle

April 9, 2007:

• Prisoner organ donation proposal worrisome

March 26, 2007:

• USP report details extent of surgery medication errors

March 19, 2007:

• High-deductible plans seen as risky for kids

March 12, 2007:

• Merck ends push for HPV vaccine mandate
• Physician-ethicist explains “Ashley treatment” decision

March 5, 2007:

• Big retail health clinics agree to AAFP operating guidelines
• Online tool helps assess safety procedures

Feb. 26, 2007:

• Will states follow Texas on HPV shot mandate?
• Testing embryos and ethics: Where do we draw the line?
• Quick View: First, determine what an error is

Feb. 19, 2007:

• Proposed uterine transplant sets off ethical debate

Feb. 5, 2007:

• Growth-curbing therapy spurs rights dispute

Jan. 29, 2007:

• States propose laws requiring HPV vaccine

Jan. 22, 2007:

• Effort cuts down on catheter-related infections

Jan. 15, 2007:

• Studies link infections to hospital processes

Jan. 1-8, 2007:

• IHI kicks off new patient safety initiative

Dec. 25, 2006:

• Will industry follow Pfizer lead on drug rep cuts?
• Testifying to torture: How doctors find the truth
• Doctors catalysts for pay-for-performance program

Dec. 4, 2006:

• Doctors demand more input on hospital standards
• AMA: It’s not OK to use placebos deceptively
• Ethics forum considers duty of physicians in public positions
• Delegates rally against unjust health plan conduct
• AMA wants limits on insurers’ use of EMR, claims data
• AMA to lead funding study to fight obesity

Nov. 27, 2006:

• Election 2006: No veto-proof majority on stem cell funding

Nov. 20, 2006:

• Hospitals hang up on cell phone restrictions
• Minorities wary of vague clinical trials

Nov. 6, 2006:

• Oregon nixes use of the term “physician-assisted suicide”
• Massachusetts coalition creates tracking form for patients’ medications
• FDA advised to rethink recall language on heart devices

Oct. 23/30, 2006:

• U.S. health care lagging behind other countries

Oct. 9, 2006:

• Screening after-hours calls can hurt patients, study finds

Oct. 2, 2006:

• DEA to let doctors write advance prescriptions for schedule II refills

Sept. 25, 2006:

• Study: Americans get a good return for their health care dollar

Sept. 18, 2006:

• IOM panel wants prisoners to be available for research

Sept. 11, 2006:

• New culture for coping: Turning to peer support after medical errors
• Physicians’ intents should be considered in pain cases
• Lobbying for her community: Looking for a paradigm shift

Aug. 28, 2006:

• North Carolina considers limits on physicians’ role in executions
• To heal or to enhance? Medicine grapples with “cosmetic neurology” (Silver award, best single news article, American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors)

Aug. 21, 2006:

• Doctors, nurses link bad behavior in the OR with errors
• E-prescribing urged as one strategy to prevent medication errors

Aug. 7, 2006:

• Doctor, nurses arrested in Katrina deaths
• Bush vetoes bill allowing more federal funding for stem cell research
• Care for dying patients may be too aggressive

July 24/31, 2006:

• States to get pain policy report cards

July 17, 2006:

• Kidney transplant turns doctor into activist
• New group’s goal: 95% of heart patients get recommended care

July 10, 2006:

• IOM panel seeks lead federal agency on emergency care
• Insurers using more physician profiling, delegates told
• AMA: Doctors must tell patients the whole story

July 3, 2006:

• AMA adopts policy on interrogations
• Delegates focus on needs of terminally ill patients
• Hospitals beat “100,000 Lives” goal by 22,300

June 26, 2006:

• Debate arises over paying for eggs for research

June 19, 2006:

• Tests often ordered when not needed

June 12, 2006:

• Spotlight shifts to outpatient safety
• Harvard adopts a disclosure and apology policy

June 5, 2006:

• School aims to boost organ donation in brain-death cases

May 22/29, 2006:

• AMA opt-out program will keep prescribing data from drug reps
• The quality quandary: The problems with ratings

May 8, 2006:

• Hospitals try to improve patient safety in the OR

May 1, 2006:

• Volume-quality correlation not clear cut, study says

April 24, 2006:

• Rx monitoring effect on minorities questioned

April 10, 2006:

• Quality of care nearly equal if access is equal

April 3, 2006:

• Physicians speak out on prisoner force-feeding

March 27, 2006:

• Safety by design (Gold award, best case history, American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors)

March 20, 2006:

• More states considering gift-disclosure legislation
• Spanish prescription labels available, but quality at issue

March 13, 2006:

• Controversial California ruling focuses on physician role in execution

March 6, 2006:

• Broader conscience clauses would expand physicians’ right of refusal

Feb. 27, 2006:

• U.S. looks to boost safety rules for medevac flights

Feb. 20, 2006:

• Only 1 medical school uses classic version of Hippocratic oath

Feb. 13, 2006:

• Ruling may ease DEA pressure on pain prescribers
• Washington state hospital sees 96% compliance with flu shots

Feb. 6, 2006:

• Care better for blacks, worse for Hispanics
• Impact of Oregon ruling: Will more states allow assisted suicide?

Jan. 30, 2006:

• Money offer spurs questions about face transplant ethics

Jan. 23, 2006:

• Wisconsin group to measure physician quality, efficiency

Jan. 16, 2006:

• Quality evaluations enhanced by patient feedback
• Buy your own lunch: No chance of reciprocity

Jan. 2/9, 2006:

• States target serious errors that never should happen
• Ethical considerations found lacking in preparedness plans for bird flu outbreak

Dec. 19, 2005:

• Korean stem cell lie stirs up ethical debate

Dec. 12, 2005:

• New York sues over device maker’s lack of disclosure

Dec. 5, 2005:

• AMA honors Dr. O’Leary for JCAHO leadership

Nov. 28, 2005:

• Delegates urge more effective use of doctors in disaster response
• AMA to set guidelines on control of record data
• Doctors responsible for reality TV show participants’ health
• AMA adopts plan for pandemic
• Delegates back collecting fees from patients at point of service
• CEJA to study GME funded by drug, device makers

Nov. 21, 2005:

• Doctors favor physician-assisted suicide less than patients do
• NCI to focus on cancer disparities in Asians

Nov. 14, 2005:

• New stem cell methods seek to break ethical impasse
• New insurance options may lead patients to skip care

Nov. 7, 2005:

• 100,000 Lives Campaign: Hospitals join patient safety plan

Oct. 24/31, 2005:

• Court hears physician-assisted suicide case

Oct. 17, 2005:

• Face transplant plans renew ethical debate
• Patients may ignore “unnecessary” care

Oct. 10, 2005:

• President’s bioethics panel gets new leadership, direction
• Federal law aims more money at curbing drug diversion

Oct. 3, 2005:

• Doctor training starts here in 7th grade

Sept. 26, 2005:

• Bill barring genetic discrimination stalls in House

Sept. 19, 2005:

• FDA once again delays Plan B’s OTC bid

Sept. 12, 2005:

• Surgery, chronic care are worst in racial health gap

Sept. 5, 2005:

• Panel sets primary care standards for Medicare pay-for-performance
• Data highlight health gaps for Hispanic kids

Aug. 22/29, 2005:

• Physicians caught in a spot with heart-device recalls

Aug. 15, 2005:

• Quality changes by hospitals aren’t across the board
• Wisconsin physicians bracing for jump in insurance costs