Health care administrators today face unprecedented demands to cut costs. In response, a Minnesota company has unveiled a new claims processing system that can dramatically reduce expenses. Smart Data Solutions’ OneStream EDI Gateway provides a wide array of services designed to reduce costs and improve administrative control and reporting. It represents a breakthrough approach to claims management for Third Party Administrators, Medicare/Medicaid payers, physician networks, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield organizations. OneStream EDI Gateway facilitates direct connections to claims submitters, lowering costs and speeding transaction movement. It also saves time and hassle by standardizing incoming data streams, allowing companies to ...Read More

New research published online, indicates that bioactive compounds in pistachios, and molecules present in pistachios, have anti-inflammatory properties. Pistachio oil decreases levels of an inflammatory marker known as “Ifit-2″ (INF-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 2). Inflammation is a complex biological response to harmful stimuli, pathogens, damaged cells or irritants, and it underlies functional changes associated with many chronic diseases, such as obesity and cancer. “These findings are very important in that they provide new insights about the protective effects that pistachios have on cardiovascular disease,” notes Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State. ...Read More

The International Cellular Medicine Society, a physician professional organization dedicated to the advancement of safe and effective adult stem cell therapies as the practice of medicine, announces the publication of the largest adult stem cell therapy safety study to date. The paper, to be published in the March issue of the peer reviewed journal, Current Stem Cell Research and Therapy, is authored by ICMS members who have pioneered the use of autologous stem cells to treat various orthopedic conditions. In this landmark study, available at the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed on-line system, 227 patients who received adult stem cell therapy as part of usual medical practice were tracked via a strict complications tracking ...Read More

Rheumatoid arthritis, the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the joints, can now be more quickly and reliably detected. This is made possible by a rapid test that can be used to check patients’ blood for antibodies against mutated citrullinated vimentin (Anti-MCV). If inflammation of the joints is present and MCV antibodies are found in the blood, it is very highly probable that rheumatoid arthritis is at the root of the symptoms. However, a negative test result does not exclude rheumatoid arthritis, because MCV antibodies are not detectable in all RA patients. The advantage of the new technique: the rheumachec rapid test only takes 15 minutes. Previously, people suspected of having rheumatoid arthritis had to wait very long ...Read More

For now, there is no cure for bipolar disorder. But bipolar disorder can be managed. Persons with bipolar disorder can live happy, productive, and yes, very successful lives. Medication and therapy are necessary, and usually successful, components of managing bipolar disorder. However, the bottom line is that people with bipolar disorder have to do all the real work themselves. The Bipolar Toolkit provides effective, valuable and simple tools to make the job easier. The Bipolar Toolkit outlines three easy to understand and easy to implement tools designed to build self-awareness, provide an early warning system for the on-set of a mood swing, and minimize the potentially destructive consequences of a manic or depressive episode. Created ...Read More

With the national unemployment rate in double digits and talk about layoffs and the economic crisis dominating newscasts and dinner tables everywhere, it’s no secret that today’s employees and job-seekers are more stressed, discouraged, and drained than ever. To help people find work and career fulfillment in these tough economic times, Stephen Covey, author of the best-seller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Jennifer Colosimo, chief learning officer at Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE:FC), have launched the Great Career iPhone application, which was developed in partnership by FranklinCovey and Signal Patterns. Buy the Great Career iPhone application at iTunes for $9.99: http://bit.ly/GreatCareer The Great Career iPhone ...Read More

High levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) and apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) in women appears to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to new research conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) and apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) in women appears to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease across all levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, “bad” cholesterol). These findings were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions on November 19, 2009. Researchers led by Samia Mora, M.D, MHSc, a researcher and clinician in the Cardiovascular Division at BWH, measured baseline cholesterol and apoA1 ...Read More