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Federal Funding Should Be Available For Abortion Services, Opinion Piece Says
"The current debate over government funding for abortion in the health care plan is a reminder of how we have failed poor women," Frances Kissling writes in a Salon opinion piece. According to Kissling, the 32-year-old Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for abortion services, has played a large role in denying impoverished women access to the procedure. "Restoring those funds has not been a top priority for pro-choice advocates, who sadly concluded that because the public does not care about poor women and is actually hostile to poor women who have sex and become pregnant, it would be futile to put too much capital into reversing Hyde," Kissling writes.However, "we have an opportunity to make amends" by reversing the Hyde Amendment and restoring federal funding for abortion services, according to Kissling. "But the portents are not promising," she writes, adding that a group of "pro-life" Democrats in the House in a recent letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "laid down the first major antiabortion challenge to health care reform." In addition, the Obama administration "has refused to rule out including abortion in the health care package, but President Obama is already signaling that the status quo on abortion is likely to endure," Kissling writes."The longer it takes to pass a plan, the more momentum against including coverage for abortion -- and possibly contraception -- will build," Kissling writes, adding that "there is a good chance there will be limits on government funding for abortions in the health care package, if not outright exclusion." A compromise being considered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee would not prohibit or require private insurers offering government plans from covering abortions but would prohibit the use of federal funds to pay for them. "Whether this would result in a reduction of coverage in such plans is unclear, but it is possible," she continues."The timing is critical. The need is great, and growing," Kissling writes, adding, "If abortion services are excluded from the health care reform package, the number of women who will not be able to afford abortions is bound to rise and the number of unwanted children will increase." Kissling concludes, "One hears over and over again that we all agree that the health care system is broken; the status quo is not acceptable. The status quo on coverage for abortion is especially unacceptable" (Kissling, Salon, 7/27).
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Huntington Memorial Hospital Is First In Southern California To Install Toshiba's Aquilion One Dynamic Volume CT System

To meet the growing needs of its high-volume emergency department (ED), Huntington Memorial Hospital has acquired Toshiba"s Aquilion® ONE dynamic volume CT system. As the first dynamic volume CT in Southern California, Huntington Hospital will use the advanced CT system to support the new emergency department, which is currently under expansion. The Aquilion ONE will also serve the hospital"s general radiology, cardiology, neurology and pediatric patients. Developed by Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, the Aquilion ONE is the world"s first dynamic volume CT and the only medical imaging system to image the entire brain or heart in a single gantry rotation and as fast as .35 seconds. It is also the only system to show 4D dynamic movement, such as real-time brain function or a heart beating. In addition to its unparalleled imaging capabilities, the Aquilion ONE is safer for patients by providing less contrast and lower radiation dose. "The Aquilion ONE"s uniquely comprehensive exam will reduce the diagnosis time for patients suffering from life-threatening conditions, like chest pain and stroke," says Dr. Christopher G. Hedley, medical director of radiology. "Its ability to show real-time organ function, image patients quickly and perform multiple tests will improve patient care by empowering us to make a more accurate diagnosis faster than ever before." Designed to accommodate 30,000 patient visits per year, Huntington Hospital"s emergency department actually sees more than 60,000 patients - including 17,000 children. To address this pressing need, Huntington is doubling the size of the ED to serve 80,000-90,000 patients per year. Toshiba"s Aquilion ONE will improve workflow and departmental efficiency by providing a single comprehensive scan within seconds for patients with life-threatening injuries. In addition to the ED, Huntington Hospital will use the Aquilion ONE to image non-emergency radiology, neurology, cardiology and pediatric patients. Using 320-ultra high resolution detector rows, the Aquilion ONE can image up to 16 cm of anatomical coverage, enough to image an entire organ, like the brain or heart. For patients suffering from a stroke, imaging the entire brain can show the exact location of the stroke within minutes rather than hours or days. This timetable is critical in treating patients quickly to prevent further brain damage. For cardiac patients, imaging the entire heart in less than a single heart beat provides more diagnostic confidence and makes it easier to image patients with cardiac abnormalities, such as arrhythmia. Introduced in November 2007, the dynamic volume CT scans an entire organ in a single pass and produces 4D videos that show an organ"s structure, its movement and blood flow. In comparison, a 64-slice, 128-slice or 256-slice CT scan can only capture a portion of an organ in a single pass, requiring physicians to "stitch together" multiple scans of an organ to get a full image. The new technology helps reduce multiple exposures to radiation and exam time. "The Aquilion ONE is designed to handle high-volume emergency settings, as well as the everyday radiology needs of hospitals," said Doug Ryan, senior director, CT Business Unit, Toshiba. "The Aquilion ONE"s ability to replace multiple tests, increase diagnostic confidence and reduce exam time while lowering radiation dose will improve workflow and patient care at Huntington Memorial Hospital, while helping to lower healthcare costs." About Huntington Hospital Huntington Hospital is a 636-bed not-for-profit hospital that is home to the only trauma center in the San Gabriel Valley. Renowned for its programs in cancer care, neurosciences and cardiovascular services, Huntington is an active teaching hospital with a Graduate Medical Education program with tracks in internal medicine and general surgery. The hospital has a regional neonatal intensive care unit, treating babies with the highest acuity. Consistent with its mission, Huntington provides millions of dollars in charity care, benefits for vulnerable populations, health research, education and training. It supports programs that may otherwise be absent from the community, including geriatric psychiatric services, children"s asthma management and diabetes workshops in English and Spanish. About Toshiba"s Aquilion ONE The Aquilion® ONE, the world"s first dynamic volume CT, utilizes 320 ultra-high resolution detector rows to image an entire organ in a single gantry rotation and shows dynamic function like blood flow. Since its introduction in November 2007, the Aquilion ONE has been named Popular Science magazine"s "Best of What"s New 2008 - Personal Health Category," rt Image"s 2008 Most Valuable Product (MVP), Frost & Sullivan"s Global CT Systems Product Differentiation Innovation Award 2007, AuntMinnie.com"s "Minnies 2008 - Best New Radiology Device" and Medical Design Excellence Award Winner in 2009. About Toshiba"s Aquilion CT Product Line Recognition The Aquilion® CT product line has received numerous accolades including the number one ranking in CT from MD Buyline since 2002 (six consecutive years). The Aquilion CT line has also been named Best in KLAS in 2006 and 2007; Best in KLAS in 2008 for 64-detector row and above; and Frost & Sullivan"s "Healthcare Innovation Award in Cardiovascular Imaging" in 2008. (For more information about KLAS, visit http://www.KLASresearch.com). Most recently, Toshiba"s service for the Aquilion line was ranked number one in 21 out of 34 ServiceTrak Imaging"s 2008 report on CT system service. Toshiba


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