Advocate Health Care, one of the nation's top health systems and the largest integrated health care system in the state of Illinois, and GE Healthcare, a national leader in low dose, high performance imaging, announced a joint effort to help further reduce radiation dose in computed tomography (CT). The goal is to optimize care for patients needing imaging procedures and reduce radiation where possible without adversely impacting image quality. It’s one of the first announcements of the GE Blueprint for low dose, a comprehensive campaign in which GE Healthcare is working alongside leading U.S. health systems to further reduce radiation dose in CT imaging. Leaders from Advocate and GE Healthcare unveiled the Advocate-based GE Blueprint for low dose today during an event at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.

The American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT 1) Editorial Panel has assigned Category I CPT codes specifically for bronchial thermoplasty in its recently published CPT 2013 Professional Edition. Beginning Jan. 1, 2013, physicians and hospitals will be able to seek reimbursement through two new codes to describe the bronchial thermoplasty procedure. Category I CPT procedure codes are recognized by all public and private health insurance payers in the United States.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded a five-year research project grant (R01) to identify harmonized reconstruction parameters for each currently-produced positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scanner for use in clinical trials. The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging’s (SNMMI) Clinical Trials Network (CTN) will serve as an administrative coordinating body for the Image Reconstruction Harmonization Grant, which was awarded in August to the Universities of Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

October 3, 2012 — Sharp Memorial Hospital was the first on the West Coast to participate in Medtronic's SYMPLICITY HTN-3 clinical trial in March, and is currently the leading trial site in Southern California, to test an experimental medical device that aims to lower high blood pressure by using radio frequency energy to disrupt hyperactive nerves that contribute to the condition.

October 2, 2012 — AstraZeneca has announced the results from a sub-analysis of PLATO that evaluated the effects of age on clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Results of the analysis suggest the overall findings from the PLATO study of a greater reduction in thrombotic cardiovascular (CV) events with Brilinta (ticagrelor) tablets plus aspirin compared to clopidogrel plus aspirin were consistent regardless of age.

October 2, 2012 — A new survey of physicians shows that if the U.S. presidential election were held today, 55 percent would vote for Mitt Romney and 36 percent would support President Barack Obama, according to a survey conducted by Jackson & Coker, a division of Jackson Healthcare, the third largest healthcare staffing company in the United States.

October 1, 2012 — Effective immediately, Ziehm Imaging, a market leader for mobile C-arms, is offering operating room (OR) tables from the Swedish manufacturer Stille to complement its Ziehm Vision RFD Hybrid Edition.