Ted Kennedy steps down from the Senate Judiciary Committee to focus on Health Care reform.
“As chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, I expect to lead a very full agenda in the next Congress, including working with President Obama to guarantee affordable health care, at long last, for every American,” said Kennedy. Read more here.

Obama announces plan to include Medicaid and Health Information Technology in stimulus package. Set for January?
Although some “congressional sources have expressed skepticism” about the ability to pass legislation of such magnitude so quickly, “top economic advisers to Obama and congressional Democrats hope to complete work on the package in January to allow Obama to sign the legislation when he takes office on Jan. 20, 2009.”
One aspect of the proposal, computerizing medical records to coordinate efforts and avoid redundancies is said to enjoy “bipartisan support in Congress,” though privacy concerns have been a matter of contention. Read more here.

A Study which examined the hospital treatment for 78,254 heart attack victims shows a disparity in treatment and results for men and women with massive heart attacks.
The study showed a greater mortality rate for women with massive heart attacks, and a lesser likelihood for women to receive recommended medicines such as aspirin within the crucial 24 hour time frame. The study also showed that women were less likely to get treatment to restore blood flow, or that it wasn't given quickly enough. Read more here.