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St. Joseph’s parent changes name to Dignity Health
01/23/2012 | Arizona Republic | Ken Alltucker
Catholic Healthcare West, the parent organization of St. Joseph’s Hospital and two East Valley hospitals, announced Monday that it has ended governing ties with the Catholic Church and changed its name to Dignity Health as it embarks on plans to grow the organization.
Bioscience hub a benefit to all (Editorial)
01/22/2012 | Arizona Republic
Phoenix’s new mayor wants to create a second, larger bioscience campus around the Mayo Clinic Hospital. Scottsdale’s leaders should cheer him on.
Incubation Inc.
01/22/2012 | Arizona Daily Star | David Wichner
Last week, the Arizona Center for Innovation celebrated a move to new upgraded facilities and program improvements made possible by a $1.5 million stimulus grant. The money helped the center move to larger spaces at 9040 and 9030 S. Rita Road, expand and upgrade laboratory spaces with new equipment and roll out expanded entrepreneurial education and mentoring programs, including new online tools and a manual for entreprenuers. The center also opened a “collaboration center” where clients can meet and hobnob.
Health-care I.T. demand heats up
01/21/2012 | Arizona Republic | Ken Alltucker
The field of health-care information technology (IT) is fueled by the industry’s move to digital. Hospitals and physician practices are swapping out traditional paper charts for computerized medical records. States are launching electronic health information exchanges that allow doctors and other medical workers to seamlessly share information. In Arizona, hospitals have beefed up their health-care IT staffs. Some larger physicians practices have hired their own IT workers, and smaller and medium-size practices often rely on consultants or software vendors to establish and maintain electronic records.
In Dramatic Move, Flu Researchers Announce Moratorium on Some H5N1 Flu Research, Call For Global Summit
01/20/2012 | Science | David Malakoff, Martin Enserink, Gretchen Vogel, Jon Cohen
Stung by a growing global controversy over the potential dangers of experiments involving the H5N1 avian flu virus – and fearful of heavy-handed government regulation — the world’s leading H5N1 researchers have agreed to 60-day moratorium on research “to allow time for international discussion.” “We recognize that we and the rest of the scientific community need to clearly explain the benefits of this important research and the measures taken to minimize its possible risks,” a group of 39 researchers write in a statement published today by Science and Nature.
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center going strong, 10 years later
01/19/2012 | Arizona Republic | Sonja Haller
The formation of the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare began with a question: What do you want to be? More than a decade ago, locals had to drive to Tucson for a comprehensive cancer center. So when the $25 million center opened in December 2001, the answer was a loose affiliation of community doctors dedicated to advancing oncology treatment that would serve people in Scottsdale and the rest of metro Phoenix. The Piper Cancer Center has become an international destination for its treatment in areas of pancreatic and basal-cell cancers.
Campo Verde stands out in bioscience
01/19/2012 | Arizona Republic | Hayley Ringle
Paige Stokes plans to major in biomedical engineering at Arizona State University because of the skills she learned in Campo Verde High School’s biomedical-sciences class. The class is offered through Project Lead the Way, a non-profit that works with school districts to offer the four-year biomedical courses as well as courses in other fields related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
ASU gets $10 million for health research
01/19/2012 | Arizona Republic | Ken Alltucker
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust today will announce a $10 million investment for Arizona State University-led programs that aim to improve health-care delivery. The Piper Trust will contribute $2 million each year over five years to help fund nine ASU programs that focus on areas such as nutrition and health, obesity and curbing the threat of potential epidemics such as swine and bird flu.
Brewer dedicates new facilities at the Arizona Center for Innovation
01/18/2012 | The Explorer | Randy Metcalf
Governor Jan Brewer attended the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for new facilities at the Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI), on Wednesday. Located at the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park, AzCI is a major high-tech business incubator that assists in bringing new technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace. In 2010, Governor Brewer awarded AzCI a $1.5 million state grant that enabled the new office and laboratory facilities dedicated today.