Health care is one of the top problems facing the U.S. and is threatening the country’s well-being, former President Bill Clinton said Saturday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Speaking at a daylong symposium for KCBS Health Etc. in San Francisco, Clinton called the U.S. [click link for full article]

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco’s (D) administration has proposed a $6.2 billion fiscal year 2008 state Medicaid budget that includes funding for a pilot project to redesign the health care system in New Orleans, according to Fred Cerise, secretary of the state Department of Health and Hospitals, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports. [click link for full article]

By combining two techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and near-infrared optics, researchers at Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School may have devised a new, potentially more accurate method for diagnosing breast cancer. Their pilot study, demonstrating the feasibility of the concept, is published in the journal Optics Letters, published by the Optical Society of America. [click link for full article]

Childhood obesity is increasing among the general population in Canada, but the statistics are even more alarming among First Nations, Inuit and Métis children. In a study published recently in the American Journal of Public Health , University of Alberta researchers found that up to 65 per cent of Cree preschoolers in northern Quebec communities were overweight or obese.Dr. [click link for full article]

Several newspapers this week published editorials related to the Senate votes on Wednesday to pass two stem cell research-related bills. Federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research is allowed only for research using embryonic stem cell lines created on or before Aug. 9, 2001, under a policy announced by President Bush on that date. The Senate voted 63-34 to pass a bill ( [click link for full article]

CMS on Friday announced a proposed rule that would increase the Medicare inpatient reimbursement rate for hospitals that report data on quality of care to the agency and base payments on the severity of beneficiaries’ illnesses, CQ HealthBeat reports. The 3,500 acute care facilities affected by the proposal would receive an additional $3. [click link for full article]

Within hours of the first reports of devastating spring floods reaching the Afghan capital, the United Nations World Food Programme accelerated relief plans that by today have managed to deliver 1,000 tonnes of emergency rations, enough to feed 60,000 victims of the rising waters for 30 days. [click link for full article]

As the mental Health Bill begins its passage through the House of Commons, BMA Cymru Wales warns that the Bill will not deliver for Welsh patients. Welsh psychiatrist, Dr Sian McIver said: “We believe that unless the Lords’ amendments are kept, the Bill will have a severe impact on mental health in Wales. [click link for full article]

April 1st kicks off Stress Awareness Month, a national, joint effort to inform people about the prevalence of stress in our society, the dangers it poses, and successful coping strategies. It should come as no surprise that people are more stressed today than ever before. This is due to the countless demands that are being placed on people from all angles, including home and at the workplace. [click link for full article]