This month, Health Imaging & IT visits with a few facilities that have deployed an array of solutions to address the unique challenges of radiation oncology workflow.

A look at the innovative approaches developed for the challenges presented when administering image-guided radiation treatment.

Lung CAD is beginning to make its mark, and systems are evolving with an eye toward improving sensitivity and reducing false positives.

The American Medical Association (AMA) supports a proposal to grant tax credits to U.S. citizens which could help stop mounting problems from healthcare costs. AMA President J. Edward Hill claimed in a speech last week that healthcare costs, especially as they impact the middle-class, add up to a “healthcare crisis.”

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week issued the final enforcement rule for HIPAA’s administrative simplification sections covering privacy, security and electronic transaction standards.

Facing criticism over one of his proposed fixes to rising healthcare costs in this country, President Bush headed to Ohio which should prove to be a battleground later this year during midterm elections. He chose the Wendy’s hamburger chain headquarters to press back at doubts that broader use of health savings accounts (HSAs) won’t be of assistance to those faced with low-incomes or who are uninsured.

The House last week voted 216-214 to approve the fiscal year 2006 budget reconciliation bill (S 1932), which contains more than $39 billion in cuts, including $6.4 billion from Medicare and $4.8 billion from Medicaid, the New York Times reported.

To improve the affordability and accessibility of healthcare in Rhode Island, Governor Donald L. Carcieri this week announced his plan to establish a $20 million bond to create a health information network that will create a real-time and more accurate system of care for patients.