VITAS® Healthcare Regional Medical Director Earns AAHPM Fellow Status
Miami based VITAS Healthcare has just announced that Sandhya Bhalla, MD, regional medical director in California, has achieved Fellow status with the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). Dr. Bhalla is among 79 physicians in the AAHPM Class of 2024 recognized at the organization’s Annual Assembly in February 2025. Fellowship is the highest honor awarded to AAHPM physician members. It recognizes dedication, expertise and scholarship in hospice and palliative medicine. Dr. Bhalla now joins several other VITAS physicians who hold this distinction. “Being named a Fellow of the Academy is both an honor and a responsibility,” said Dr. Bhalla. “I’m proud to be part of an...
HIPAA Breach Notification Rule
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Breach Notification Rule is a critical component of healthcare compliance in the United States, mandating that covered entities and their business associates promptly notify affected individuals, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and, in certain cases, the media, following a breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI). Understanding and adhering to this rule is essential for maintaining patient trust and avoiding substantial penalties. Understanding the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule Enacted as part of the HITECH Act in 2009, the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule requires covered entities—such as...
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Pig organs in people: The future of cross-species transplants
Can genetically modified animals help ease the shortage of organs? After years of research into xenotransplantation, the field is at a turning point — yet risks and ethical issues remain. More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a new heart, kidney or some other organ. Many will die waiting. Some scientists see new hope for these people in organs from pigs that have been engineered to work within the human body. Such species-to-species transplants, called xenotransplantation, offer a technical solution to a basic problem: There are more people in need than there are organs, be they from living or brain-dead donors, to go around. “Unfortunately, as we speak, someone is...
The (Lack of) Health in Young Women
Many countries now face a growing problem with an aging population and declining childbirths. Too many infants still die unnecessarily before the age of five years. Countries increasingly struggle to keep their economies stable. While Public Health experts communicate to focus on healthier future generations, declining health in young females is ignored. The healthiest generation with a flourishing economy is achieved by a holistic strategy addressing Young Women’s Health as a Public Health priority. The Healthiest Generation of the World in 2040 A Federation of Organizations involved in Public Health in the Netherlands has the ambition to reach the healthiest generation of the world in...
