Three-year grant from BlueCross announced at news conferences in Chattanooga and Memphis today. The funding will be used to support the use of the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) in eight hospitals in Tennessee. The hospitals are expected to be selected by summer, with the program to begin shortly thereafter.

Plaque is a deposit made up of cholesterol-rich fat, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. As plaque accumulates on the artery wall, it reduces blood flow to the heart muscle and increases the risk of blood clots which can lead to a heart attack.

Driven by the digitalization of radiology departments, the need for higher resolution diagnostic images, and the widespread proliferation of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) in hospitals, the world market for digital radiography is projected to reach $844.2 million by the year 2010.

Demand for foot care products is increasing steadily over the last few years. Diabetic and aging baby boomers are two major driving forces for the foot care market. Moreover, fast changing lifestyles and transforming fashion trends have increased exposure of the foot, thereby assisting the foot care products market to expand its scope.

Americas Watchdog has just launched a national investigation into seeing if HMO's, health insurance companies, or health cooperatives were over charged with the drug called Vioxx, when much cheaper alternatives were available.