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Lobbyists Swarm Around Health Reform Activity
NPR began a series of reports on the health care lobbyists who attend Congressional sessions as part of their campaign. Richard Miller, a "longtime lobbyist for the American Chiropractic Association, says it"s important that the chiropractors keep on top of the health care overhaul legislation - and also take pains to make sure that senators and staff see them doing that, because the chiropractors are small dogs in a big fight." President Barack Obama "certainly sees Washington"s lobbyists as an obstacle to change. He"s tried limiting their access to the executive branch, but that runs into the constitutional question." Lobbying is on the rise: "Between 1998 and 2008, the number of registered lobbyists on health care more than doubled, to 3,627, according to the Center for Responsive Politics." Spending also increased: "Organizations lobbying on health care spent $484.4 million in 2008, more than two and a half times the spending in 1998." The project includes an interactive panoramic photo of lobbyists in the Senate HELP Committee hearing room and asks readers to help identify the players (Overby and Seabrook, 6/25).

Access To IVF Increases As New Guidance Makes System Fairer
The NHS is taking a step closer to ending regional variation in the provision of IVF to couples who are unable to conceive naturally, Public Health Minister Gillian Merron announced today.
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Association of American Medical Colleges Supports Hospital Agreement On Health Care Reform
AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., issued the following statement on the agreement reached by the hospital community, the Obama administration, and the Senate Finance Committee in support of health care reform:
Endocrinology

ASGS Issues Position Statement Supporting TIF Natural Orifice Surgery For GERD

EndoGastric Solutions (EGS), the recognized leader in the emerging field of Natural Orifice Surgery (NOS), announced that the American Society of General Surgeons (ASGS) has published a position statement endorsing its Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF) procedure for the treatment of GERD. ASGS is the preeminent society of general surgeons with membership exceeding 2,000. In the position statement published on the society"s website , ASGS" Board of Trustees states, "transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) stands in sharp contrast to other natural orifice options in that it adheres to the fundamental surgical principle, which has guided surgical care for GERD for more than 50 years; specifically the creation of a full thickness gastric fundoplication in support of the lower esophageal sphincter." Based in part on the results of recently published scientific information on the long-term efficacy and durability of the TIF fundoplication procedure (Cadiere et al, Surgical Endoscopy, March 2009), the statement continues, "In clinical studies the TIF procedure has been shown to offer comparable results to more traditional procedures in the treatment of selected patients with GERD." "Surgical care is a continuously evolving healing art, and the pursuit of excellence demands that we continuously evaluate new innovations," explained Robert Sewell, MD, immediate past president of ASGS . "ASGS is excited by the prospect of natural orifice surgery"s ability to further revolutionize the way we treat our patients. One example of such an innovation is the new TIF antireflux procedure, which appears to offer results that are comparable to more invasive techniques. Tens of millions of patients in the U.S. suffer with a variety of symptoms associated with GERD, and many of them would be better served by surgical treatment. Any such treatment must be both effective and able to be performed with the lowest possible risk." "This position statement is an important development in the adoption of natural orifice surgery and TIF specifically," commented Thierry Thaure, President and Chief Executive Officer of EndoGastric Solutions. "TIF is gaining acceptance among ASGS members and non-member general surgeons throughout the U.S. and is on the cusp of broad adoption. ASGS" endorsement will support EGS" ongoing efforts in surgeon training, reimbursement and patient awareness as we invest in making TIF the standard of care in GERD treatment." EndoGastric Solutions®


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