Medical Properties Trust Reports on Recent Expansion.
HEALTH AND BEAUTY CLOSE-UP-10 July 2008-Medical Properties Trust Reports on Recent Expansion(C)2008 - CloseUpMedia - newsdesk@closeupmedia.com Medical Properties Trust announced that it has made investments in five new hospital facilities for an aggregate of approximately $92.6 million. According to a release, the Company entered into...

Vibra Healthcare Expands with 2 Hospitals in Southern California.
HEALTH AND BEAUTY CLOSE-UP-7 July 2008-Vibra Healthcare Expands with 2 Hospitals in Southern California(C)2008 - CloseUpMedia - newsdesk@closeupmedia.com Vibra Healthcare announced that it has completed the acquisition of two specialty hospitals in Southern California. According to the Company, the acquisition included the Continental Rehabilitation Hospital...

NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR.
Joseph Despres, June Hillier, Michael Mathieu, Preben Christensen, William Chviruk, and Steve Levine, all of RE/MAX First Choice Real Estate in Northboro, were recognized during the Educate and Celebrate Event at the Marriott Hotel, Copley in March for achieving individual awards from RE/MAX of New England. Despres,...

Differences in Rehabilitation Services and Outcomes Among Stroke Patients Cared for in Veterans Hospitals.
Objective. To examine the relationship of services for post-acute care (PAC) to stroke patient outcomes. Data Sources/Study Setting. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals from two facility-level surveys and extant data files. Study Design. Cross-sectional study of veterans hospitalized with acute stroke during the period June...

Geographic variation in the use of post-acute care. (Post-acute Care).
BACKGROUND Payments for post-acute care (PAC) represent one of the fastest growing categories of Medicare spending. Medicare post-acute care includes care provided in skilled nursing care, rehabilitation hospitals, and home health used following the patient's discharge from an acute care hospital. The growth rate for PAC services...

Acupuncture for central pain affecting the ribcage following traumatic brain injury and rib fractures--a case report.
Abstract This case report describes the use of acupuncture in the management of chronic central pain in a 51 year old man following severe traumatic brain injury and multiple injuries including rib fractures. The patient reported rapid and significant improvements in pain and mood during a course...

What happens when hospital-based skilled nursing facilities close? A propensity score analysis.
In recent decades, postacute care services, which include skilled nursing facility (SNF) care, inpatient rehabilitation, and home health care, have emerged as an important component of the Medicare program and the U.S. health care system as a whole. In 2002, Medicare's spending on SNFs, home health agencies, and other...

Bush proposes 2009 cuts to Medicare, Medicaid.
In the final budget proposal of his presidency, President Bush is proposing substantial cuts to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and graduate medical education. Leaders in the Democrat-controlled Congress instantly declared the proposal dead on arrival. Under the plan, the Bush administration has put forth legislative...

Bush proposes 2009 cuts to Medicare, Medicaid.
In the final budget proposal of his presidency, President Bush is proposing substantial cuts to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and graduate medical education. Leaders in the Democrat-controlled Congress instantly declared the proposal dead on arrival. Under the plan, the Bush administration has put forth legislative...

MEDICAL MEMOS.
COLUMN: MEDICAL MEMOS Dr. Thu Malikowski, a board certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, has joined the staff of Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital, Worcester. Dr. Malikowski also serves as a physiatrist at UMass Memorial Medical Center and as an assistant professor at UMass Medical School. A graduate of...