A group of Florida lawmakers on Tuesday sent a letter urging Gov. Charlie Crist (R) to include proposed changes to KidCare, the state’s version of SCHIP, on the legislative agenda for a 10-day special session scheduled for June, the AP/Florida Times-Union reports. [click link for full article]

A new vaccine aimed at preventing cervical cancer is nearly 100 percent effective against the two types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. Results of a nationwide study of the vaccine are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide, resulting in nearly half a million diagnoses and 240,000 deaths each year. [click link for full article]

Eight in 10 (81%) of those now living in Greater New Orleans have seen their quality of life deteriorate in at least one of seven critical aspects of their lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, including economic well-being and access to health care, according to a survey released on Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation, [click link for full article]

The discomfort caused by esophageal (non-cardiac) chest pain is often severe, driving many patients to emergency rooms and physicians’ offices despite the fact that the ailment has no definable pathology. Although this pain may sometimes be the result of acid reflux disease, when this is absent most patients present hypersensitivity of the esophagus, and a recent study suggests a potential new way of managing this and other symptoms. [click link for full article]

An esteemed cardiologist and pioneering advocate for the benefits of information technology in medicine, Dr. Joseph G. Hayes has been named the recipient of the 27th annual Maurice R. Greenberg Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center on a member of its professional staff.The award, which recognizes Dr. [click link for full article]

The following highlights recent news about stem cell- and emergency contraception-related legislation and proposals.Florida: Lawmakers on Friday ended the session without approving two measures that would have provided state funds for stem cell research, the Lakeland Ledger reports (Lakeland Ledger, 5/5). [click link for full article]

Enactment of the Geriatric Assessment and Chronic Care Coordination Act of 2007 (S. 1340) will represent a marked departure from Medicare’s practice of paying physicians only for episodic and acute care, the Senate Special Committee on Aging was told today by the American College of Physicians (ACP) in a statement submitted for the record. [click link for full article]

A simple procedural change may significantly reduce cardiopulmonary arrests outside a pediatric hospital’s intensive care unit, according to a study reported at the American Heart Association’s 8th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke. [click link for full article]

Legislation to reauthorize the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration should provide states with more flexibility in the use of grants awarded by the agency to improve substance abuse and mental health treatment, witnesses testified on Thursday at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, CQ HealthBeat reports. Sen. [click link for full article]

The heart needs a steady supply of energy to function properly. MUHC researcher Dr. Vincent Gigure’s and his colleagues recently identified several genetic programs which work together to ensure this energy is available. Dr. Gigure’s findings, published in the May 2007 issue of Cell Metabolism, may suggest new approaches to the management of some forms of heart disease.”The heart is a pump,” says Dr. Gigure’s. [click link for full article]