Air pollution was a huge worry for Metro Vancouver in the 1970s and early 1990s, but health care and traffic congestion have taken over as bigger concerns, according the latest Urban Futures survey released today.

The 2012 regional survey, which replicates two surveys in 1973 and 1990, found health care was the most pressing challenge among 1,407 people surveyed, followed by traffic congestion, homelessness and increasing housing supply.

Air and water pollution, which held first and second place in 1973 and 1990, fell to fifth and sixth place last year. Concerns about crime also fell from No. 4 in 1972 to 11 last year.

Ken Cameron, director of PlaceSpeak, a new startup that provides a virtual consultation forum, said the results reflect the work that's been done in the past 40 years to address the earlier concerns, as well as highlight what's needed to deal with rising issues like health care and transportation.

Health care had been ranked ninth on the priority list in 1973 and third in 1990. The survey suggests the change in ranking may reflect in part the aging population, as well as concerns over reliable service delivery.

"Health care may be a function of aging population but it's seen as a critical need," Cameron said. "I've got the feeling people are feeling the health care system is under stress."

Traffic congestion has also become a bigger issue - rising from sixth and seventh respectively in the 1973 and 1990 surveys - as a result of public policy to emphasize transit, walking and cycling over single-occupant vehicles.

But the survey found the significance of those issues varied across the region, and by the age of the respondents. Those under 35, for instance, were less likely than the older demographic to see health care and transportation as critical priorities and were more sensitive to socio-economic difficulties.

Housing supply, which may reflect the difficulty many encounter finding an affordable first home, and homelessness were bigger issues for the under-35 set than for those who were older.

Individual respondents in Vancouver also aren't as worried as those in the rest of the region about health care, ranking it "fairly consistently as the third most important issue in the region," behind homelessness and housing, which were generally ranked third and sixth respectively in other municipalities.

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Health care, transportation top concerns, survey says

Money Matters: Why you need a health care proxy
You may someday face a sudden health crisis that leaves you unable to make your own medical decisions. Fortunately, there is a means to address this potentia...

By: wmurtv

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Money Matters: Why you need a health care proxy - Video

By David Eggert, Associated Press

LANSING (AP) - For 35 years, Michigan law has protected health care providers who refuse to perform an abortion on moral or religious grounds.

Hospitals and clinics cant be sued. Doctors and nurses cant lose their jobs for objecting to terminating a pregnancy.

Legislation that could be voted on as early as this week in the Republican-led Legislature would extend the same legal protections for any medical service such as providing contraception or medical marijuana, or taking someone off life support. Employers and health insurers not just medical providers also could opt out of paying for services as a matter of conscience.

Supporters say the legislation protects religious freedom and is needed particularly in the wake of the federal health care law mandating employer-provided birth control in their health plans. Opponents counter that the bill is an overreach that wrongly lets health workers and organizations impose their beliefs on patients, putting their treatment at risk.

We feel like its the right balance between patient care and the rights of individuals who work in that field to have a clear conscience, said Sen. John Moolenaar, a Midland Republican and sponsor of the bill pending on the Senate floor.

While he acknowledged the state cannot override the federal health law, Moolenaar said Michigan needs a framework to proactively safeguard health providers from possible mandates from state government or their employers.

The legislation would require health facilities, doctors and pharmacists to adopt a policy for situations in which an employee objects to a service as a matter of conscience. Employers would be prohibited from asking prospective employees about their objection to a health service unless it is a regular or substantial portion of the duties for the job.

To critics, the bill is too broad inviting the potential for abuse and unnecessary.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said it is on the front lines of protecting peoples right to practice their religion and it gets few complaints from health workers about not being accommodated for their religious views.

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Bill Allows Refusal Of Health Care On Moral Basis

Elsewhere, the growth potential is even greater. Starting from a low base of around $600 per capita in the world outside the US, spending is forecast to grow at rates of up to 15pc a year in the developing world. In many economies, health care spending is growing much faster than the GDP.

There are three drivers of this growth. First, the world is ageing fast which increases the incidence of age-related diseases such as many cancers and Alzheimers disease. Endologix, a heart disease specialist, has been doubling sales for the past five years and, with only 10pc of the US market in its focus area of aortic aneurysms, it has plenty of scope for further expansion.

Second, sedentary lifestyles are causing growth in a range of chronic diseases. Diabetes is an increasing problem as waistlines expand. A major beneficiary is Novo Nordisk, a global leader in insulin production with a 50pc share of the fast-absorbing variety. Third, demand for better health care is growing in emerging markets as incomes increase and life expectancy rises. Chinas pharmaceuticals market, for example, was already the eighth largest in the world in 2006 and is predicted to be the third biggest by the end of this year.

Apollo Hospitals, the worlds largest private hospital operator, has plans to expand the number of its sites in India by more than 50pc in the next five years.

One of the reasons why health care is so interesting to investors, apart from the scale of its growth, is the sectors diversity. That means it can appeal to different styles of investor, with big, cash-rich pharmaceuticals firms offering secure dividends, mid-sized health care companies offering growth prospects and biotech start-ups offering high risk, high return potential and the chance of a takeover.

Big pharmaceutical companies routinely use acquisitions to fill in products or skills where they dont have the right expertise. Many of the sub-sectors within health care march to very different beats, which makes it easier to smooth returns while different parts of the supply chain from manufacturing to marketing, will be in favour at different points in the cycle.

Big companies might fare better in a downturn while small-caps offer growth when markets are rising fast.

There arent many things that are certain in todays world but population growth and ageing are two about which we need have no doubts. The expansion of the emerging worlds middle class looks unstoppable too, and the combination of all three means that increasing demand for health care is as close to a given as investors can hope for however dreary the IMFs outlook.

Tom Stevenson is an investment director at Fidelity Worldwide Investment. The views expressed are his own.

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Health care offers remedy to IMF's gloomy diagnosis

Central Georgia Health System Inc. in Macon is facing about $200 million in funding cuts over a 10-year period under the new health care law.

It is one of 1,500 hospitals across the country known as safety net providers who care for a large number of uninsured patients.

Even though the hospital system will gain a new source of revenue as more uninsured people gain coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government is cutting payments to Medicare and Medicaid programs.

We are certainly lucky we have a lot of managed care here, but we are the lead tertiary facility for central and south Georgia, and we see a great deal of Medicaid and Medicare business, said Bryan Forlines, assistant vice president of government relations and reimbursement for Central Georgia Health System Inc., the parent company for The Medical Center of Central Georgia, its rehabilitation facility and home health care program.

A tertiary facility is a regional referral center, and the Medical Center gets patients from smaller hospitals in the area.

This is a time of uncertainty for (safety net hospitals), said Stu Guterman, vice president of the Commonwealth Fund. On the one hand, they should be thrilled because a lot of the patients they treat will have payment attached to them. On the other, theyre losing some of the funding they rely on.

Cuts for Central Georgia Health System are expected to be significant.

We are looking at a lot of money over 10 years, Forlines said. This years impact is about $7 million in total cuts, including the sequester, and then it jumps to about $14 million the next year, and it starts going up pretty fast.

The sequester, or sequestration, refers to budget cuts of federal spending that began March 1, affecting nearly all entities receiving federal money.

For the hospital, the sequester has caused a 2-percent reduction in Medicare payments beyond all the other cuts, Forlines said. This cut began April 1.

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Health care law creates funding cuts, challenges for Macon hospital

Song Bung 4: Better Health Care and Education
A hydropower project in Central Viet Nam offers better health care and educational opportunities - and a better future.

By: AsianDevelopmentBank

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Song Bung 4: Better Health Care and Education - Video

About a million of California's poorest undocumented immigrants would have access to basic low-cost health care under a plan being pushed at the Capitol.

President Barack Obama's federal health care overhaul excludes undocumented immigrants, but some California leaders want to fill that gap by offering a safety net of primary and preventive care that does not consider immigration status.

The county-run program would give undocumented immigrants and legal residents who can't afford health insurance but don't qualify for Medi-Cal the ongoing opportunity to see a doctor, get tested and receive treatment before minor health problems become severe.

Funding would come from an estimated $700 million in county savings tied to expansion of the Medi-Cal program.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said he strongly supports the concept of improved care for undocumented residents, which is pushed by officials of health care, labor and immigrant groups.

"I think that people who are living in this country, working hard and pursuing (citizenship) ought to be able to care for themselves and their loved ones," he said.

Assembly Speaker John A. Prez said he wants to ensure that counties have adequate funds to serve needy residents who lack health insurance but it's premature to comment further until more is known about cost and number of people requiring care.

"There will always be a population that isn't covered and there will always be an impact on counties. We need to make sure counties have the revenues and the resources to address those needs," Prez said.

Gov. Jerry Brown has taken no public position on expanding care to undocumented immigrants, but his budget proposal does not contemplate such a move and the federal government would not subsidize it, said Toby Douglas, director of the state Department of Health Care Services.

The Brown administration is focused instead on overhauling health care in a way that's "affordable and sustainable," Douglas said.

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Some California leaders want low-cost health care for undocumented immigrants

April 17 To the Editor:

The Chidester (op-ed) correctly identifies the problems in health care today: uncontrolled costs and the rising number of uninsured.

He advocates for a simple solution, but fails to deliver one.

His numbers are absolutely wrong. A review of the Census Bureau Web site clearly states that the uninsured number for 2010 was 49,904,000. His number is one-sixth of that. However, it doesn't really matter. At Physicians for a National Health Program, we feel that one uninsured person is too many. This is reflected in our motto: Everybody In, Nobody Out.

He then advocates for free markets as the solution, comparing buying health insurance to purchasing cell phones and computers. Free markets have been around for a long time, giving us premium increases multiple times inflation for the past decade. Just this week, the Herald reported the York School Department is facing a 13 percent increase in health care premiums. Health care inflation for 2012 was only 3.7 percent.

Free markets don't work in health care. Every business wants more customers. In health insurance, however, that isn't true. They only want the healthy, who won't hurt their bottom line of excessive profits, inordinate executive compensation and returns to stockholders.

Chidester then says he wants a simple solution. OK, so does everyone else. Let's look at the Vermont Plan, authored by Harvard economics Professor William Hsiao. He outlined four goals:

(1) Universal health insurance coverage; (2) provision to every Vermont resident of an adequate standard benefits package and equal access to health care; (3) control of the rapidly escalating costs of health care in Vermont; and (4) establishment of a system that prioritizes community-based preventive and primary care, as well as integrated health care delivery.

He accomplishes this with a single-payer plan that dramatically reduces administrative expenses. In fact, his plan will immediately reduce health care costs in Vermont by 8-12 percent and reduce health care costs by an additional 12-14 percent over time. Keep in mind that every resident is covered and they won't have to decide which policy they want, with what combination of co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs that are a deterrent to good health. Now that is a simple plan. Do you want the Chidester plan or complete health care security for you and your family?

Thomas P. Clairmont, MD

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Single-payer plan is best health care solution

Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, discusses issues ranging from the budget, Medicaid expansion and high school athletics.

It's an expensive irony: Health care workers who can't afford health insurance, but in Florida that is the plight of some full-time employees of local nursing homes and other smaller or independent health-industry players.

As the number of employers in the state who offer health insurance continues to decline10 percent fewer today, compared to about a decade agoand the cost of coverage employees must contribute continues to rise, some health care workers say they have been forced to forego health insurance.

Marie Milicent has worked nearly two decades at Hillcrest Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hollywood. She had coverage for her two children, ages 10 and 12, until recently, when changes in the plan priced it out of her reach.

"Most of us dropped our health insurance at Hillcrest," Milicent said. "The deductible is $2,000. It's crazy."

Health insurance is particularly important for industry employees, according to Milicent, a certified nursing assistant.

"When you're working with sick people, anything could happen to you," she said. "Now that I don't have health insurance, I don't feel secure."

As the state legislature continues to debate the future of Medicaid in the state, local healthcare workers like Milicent and the union they belong to are lobbying hard for Medicaid expansion.

"Our members of SEIU Florida, 55,000 curent and retired membersare very much committed to passing and securing the expansion of Medicaid in the state of Florida," Monica Russo, president of the SEIU Florida State Council. With more than 1.1 million members in the field, the national Service Employees International Union represents nurses, lab technicians, nursing home workers, and home care workers.

"The people who are saying no to [Medicaid expansion] have very good health care packages, and we're paying for it," said Susan Gershman of West Palm Beach, who said her son works two jobs but cannot afford insurance coverage. She joined other healthcare workers in a protest last week calling on lawmakers to expand Medicaid.

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Uninsured health care workers push for medicaid expansion

Health Care Decisions: Talk About Them Now With Your Family and Your Clients
Most Americans have not exercised their right to make decisions about their health care in the event that they cannot speak for themselves. Elder law attorne...

By: statebarofwi

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Health Care Decisions: Talk About Them Now With Your Family and Your Clients - Video

Barrett #39;s esophagus and its link to esophogeal cancer - Aurora Health Care

By: AuroraWisconsin

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Barrett's esophagus and its link to esophogeal cancer - Aurora Health Care - Video

ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The recent filing for bankruptcy by Universal Health Care has left 37,500 Florida seniors scrambling to find new health insurance before their window to make a choice closes on May 31. In response, the nations premier online resource designed to help seniors select the right health insurance coverage has established a special hotline to help with this urgent need.

Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Universals Medicare Advantage plans are understandably concerned about their coverage and urgently in need of a new Medicare plan, said Kyal Moody, senior vice president of Joppel. While Universal can no longer provide the Medicare coverage for their enrollees, there are Medicare Advantage plans in their service areas that will be able to provide beneficiaries with the coverage and peace of mind they deserve. Joppel is here to make sure that happens.

The Joppel 3.0 website (http://www.joppel.com) helps consumers and brokers easily evaluate, compare and enroll in private insurance plans participating in Medicare. Through Joppel, seniors and others eligible for Medicare can view all of their options side by side and go through a simple needs assessment that narrows down hundreds of plans through criteria specific to them such as what medications are covered, cost of co-payment and plan premiums. Each year more than 70,000 people visit joppel.com to research Medicare insurance plan options.

Complementing Joppels online technologies is a live, telephonic customer sales and support team that helps seniors walk through the entire process. Current Universal Health Care members are encouraged to call Joppel toll free at 877-274-9316 (TTY 711) to find a new plan that will best meet their needs and preferences.

It is imperative that Universal Health Care members as well as all of Floridas 3.5 million Medicare recipients find coverage that will continue to meet their healthcare and budgetary needs, said Moody. Our specially trained call center team can assist Medicare beneficiaries in finding and enrolling in a plan that is right for them. It is truly a one-stop shop designed for ease and simplicity.

The Joppel website is based on years of study as to how people on Medicare, their families and caregivers navigate through a website and access information most important to their particular healthcare needs. In December it was named one of the healthcare industrys best overall Internet sites by the eHealthcare Leadership Awards.

Joppel is a division of HealthCompare, an online resource expressly designed to help consumers and brokers easily shop and select the right coverage from hundreds of commercial and Medicare health plans available nationwide. It is part of The Word & Brown Companies, the nations recognized leader in developing and offering innovative technology, health benefit plan models, and sophisticated employee benefits services. In addition to HealthCompare and Joppel, The Word & Brown Companies include CHOICE Administrators, the nations only private health insurance exchange; CONEXIS, the nations oldest and most trusted employee benefits administrator, providing COBRA, FSA, HRA, commuter benefits administration and direct bill services; and Quotit Corporation, the leading Internet application service provider for the health insurance and employee benefits industry. http://www.wordandbrowncompanies.com.

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Joppel Website Helps Universal Health Care Medicare Members Find New Health Insurance Coverage in Wake of Recent ...

An estimated 40,840 Clark County residents will be eligible for help paying for insurance coverage under the 2010 Affordable Care Act and most of them don't know it, according to a health-reform advocacy group.

Families USA released a report this week that estimates that nearly 598,000 Washingtonians will be eligible for the new premium tax credits in 2014. The vast majority 88 percent of those eligible for the credits will be in working families, according to the report.

The health care act not only extends Medicaid coverage for the low-income uninsured, it also provides subsidies to those with incomes as high as 400 percent of the federal pov

erty level. That's $46,000 for an individual and $94,200 for a family of four.

"This reaches deeply into the middle class," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. "The tax credit subsidies are a game-changer: They will make health coverage affordable for huge numbers of uninsured families who would have been priced out of the health coverage and care they need."

But those eligible for the subsidy won't receive it automatically. They have to apply.

"The overwhelming majority of people who are uninsured today who will be eligible for these premium subsidies aren't aware of it," Pollack said in a teleconference. "That's why it's so important that people learn about it."

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner is already preparing for enrollment, which begins Oct. 1 and ends March 31. In subsequent years, the enrollment window will be shorter.

The state insurance commissioner is reviewing insurance companies' plans to make sure they cover essential services, said Stephanie Marquis, a spokeswoman for the office. In a few weeks, the office will begin reviewing proposed rates for the plans, she said.

Once the plans and rates are approved, then they can be included in the Washington Health Benefits Exchange, which already has a website. Consumers will be able to use Washington Healthplanfinder to apply for coverage as well as subsidies, said exchange spokesman Michael Marchand.

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Health care benefit to apply to many in Clark County

Advice offered by Marc Hebert, president ofThe Harbor Group Inc., a registered investment adviser.

You may someday face a sudden health crisis due to an accident or serious illness that leaves you unable to make your own medical decisions. Fortunately, there is a means to address this potential future concern -- it's called a health care proxy. A health care proxy allows you to legally designate someone -- a proxy -- to make medical decisions for you. Keep in mind that in some states you may even be able to combine a health care proxy and living will into a single document.

Hospitals and nursing homes are required to ask about the existence of any advance directive when you are admitted. In most states, a health care proxy does not take effect until you can no longer make medical decisions for yourself; until then, only you can legally consent to any treatment. In addition, you can always change or cancel the document as long as you are mentally alert. If you decide to make changes to any of these documents, be sure to do so in writing.

Know the Potential Drawbacks

Though it is a legal document, a health care proxy cannot handle every medical situation. Here are some key points to consider before you designate a proxy.

-- Some caregivers could override your document. Most states permit a doctor or health care facility to reject any advance directive for reasons of conscience. In these cases, the doctor or facility must tell you or your health care proxy about this when you are admitted to care and must offer to help transfer you to another party or facility that will comply with your wishes or the health care proxy.

-- The advance directive may not be followed by emergency medical services (EMS). If EMS is summoned to treat you in case of a life-threatening situation, they are usually required to resuscitate and stabilize you until you reach the hospital, regardless of an existing advance directive.

-- Know state laws. Though all states accept health care proxies as legal, each varies considerably in what is required of these documents. Also, if a health care proxy is written to your state's specification but you undergo medical treatment when visiting another state, the rules regulating health care proxies in the state in which treatment takes place will usually prevail.

-- Do not use a health care proxy unless you fully trust the person you have named. If you don't have a health care proxy, many states will appoint a person to make medical decisions on your behalf. Usually, this person is your closest relative, whose values may or may not coincide with your intentions.

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Money Matters: Why you need a health care proxy

CHICAGO, April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers who worked with a specially trained customer service champion to help them navigate the health care system were found to make more informed decisions that resulted in significant cost savings, according to data analyzed by Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the nation's largest customer-owned health insurer.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130401/AQ85974LOGO)

HCSC, which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, developed the Benefits Value Advisor program to help its members improve their quality of care and achieve cost savings in the overall health care system. A Benefits Value Advisor is a health care expert who uses data, cost estimators, provider-finders and other tools to provide consumers with choices that allow them to maximize their health care benefits.

From April 9, 2012 through December 31, 2012, HCSC analyzed the use of BVA for approximately 2,000 members from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and Texas. Key findings include:

Recent research indicates that consumers may pay as much as 683% more for the same medical procedures, such as MRI's, CT scans and other medical procedures, in the same town, depending on the facility they choose.[i] The following example further illustrates the potential variation in cost from one facility to another.

Customer A was in need of a colonoscopy with biopsy and found that in his home town of Duncanville, Texas, there were 46 facilities that offered his procedure. He decided to go to a facility recommended by a friend, and paid $2,438 for his services.[ii]

Customer B was in need of the very same procedure in the same town and rather than call a friend, he consulted with a BVA who used custom tools and found that the price for that procedure could range from $1,055 to $4,389. After speaking with a BVA, he decided to visit a facility near his home, which was significantly less expensive than the one Customer A chose, spending only $1560 on his procedure.[iii]

"HCSC is dedicated to finding ways to better deliver access to quality, affordable care in our communities," said Thomas Meier, vice president, product development. "Through this pilot program we found that members who utilized the company's Benefits Value Advisor achieved significant cost savings and higher quality of care - through more informed decision making."

Benefits Value Advisor's use the following tools to help demystify healthcare for consumers:

"As the healthcare system continues to go through significant changes, we believe it's important for consumers to have a high-touch, personalized option to help them better understand their health care decisions," said Dr. Stephen Ondra, chief medical officer, Health Care Service Corporation. "Today's technology, coupled with personal interaction, provides an effective combination that engages members and helps them to make better health care decisions for themselves and their families."

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Health Care Consumers Realize Significant Cost Savings Through Benefits Value Advisor Program

Jorge Riopedre, an influential networker in the local Hispanic community, has morphed into the role of executive director of a nonprofit health clinic.

In his latest incarnation, he is running Casa de Salud, which translates to House of Health in Spanish. The St. Louis organization provides clinical and mental health care for the uninsured, with a special focus on the Latino community.

Were proud to do what we do here, Riopedre said. Heres the next generation of immigrants who come to the United States with hope of a better life, and heres Casa. ... Its a feel-good job.

In 2010, Riopedre served as the paid executive director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for Metropolitan St. Louis. In 2008 and 2009, he was the chambers volunteer chairman and president. He previously ran two independent video production companies in the St. Louis area.

Casa de Salud opened its doors in 2010. Last year, the clinic delivered more than 10,000 patient services to an estimated 4,000 individuals, Riopedre said.

Patients pay a $25 fee for an office visit.

Casa de Salud mainly serves immigrants and asks no questions about a persons immigration status.

About half of these patients are undocumented workers, Riopedre said. Many do manual labor, including construction and landscaping, or work in service businesses, such as restaurants and hotels.

Casa de Salud also provides counseling services for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

The clinic serves adults only and refers children to the Peoples Health Center. Unlike adults, immigrant children often have insurance through federal programs.

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Jorge Riopedre delivers health care to immigrants

April 17, 2013 Updated Apr 17, 2013 at 7:59 AM EDT

Four counties in Western New York are among the areas of the state with the greatest need for expanded primary care resources, according to a new statewide report.

Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties are among 22 counties statewide and 16 neighborhoods in the New York City identified by the Community Health Care Association of New York State in a report on community health centers, supported by the New York State Health Foundation.

Already, the eight-county region is home to four federally-qualified health centers (FQHC), with another five sites slated to open or expand in the coming months. But changes in how centers operate are vital if the health care system is expected to meet the demand created by federal health reform, said Elizabeth Swain, CHCANYS president and CEO.

"Federal health reform makes FQHCs a cornerstone of its plan for expanding access to health care because they are proven to provide high quality and comprehensive care to underserved communities," she said, adding that the existing system of health centers will need to double its capacity to serve nearly three million patients by 2015.

"If you were to ask me a year and a half ago what our need is, it would be far more severe than it is now. We've had a lot of progress," said Ann Monroe, CEO at the Health Foundation of Central and Western New York, which provided grants and assistance to help two existing centers expand and three new sites gain federal approval.

A steering committee made up of representatives from hospitals, clinics and other safety net providers is now meeting to assess more precisely the needs for the region moving forward. Once that assessment is completed later this summer, the foundation will be in a better position to know what the next set of strategies will be, Monroe said.

"We'll look where there are gaps, and where the data supports having more capacity of any type," she said.

The five new sites approved last year address each of the four counties identified in the CHCANYS study: Buffalo Community Health Center is opening a site in Lockport, its third location; while the Buffalo Neighborhood Health Center has already opened its second site, this one on Buffalo's West Side. The first site in Chautauqua County is in the development stages now, while an existing clinic in Olean is now designated as an FQHC. And in Wyoming County, Oak Orchard Community Health Center is working to convert a county health department clinic into a new access point.

FQHCs in New York provide care to 1.5 million needy individuals every year, but hundreds of thousands more could be served if productivity were enhanced and improvements were made to recruitment and retention efforts. The report projects as many as 1 million more patient visits could be possible if existing health providers adjusted the way they schedule patients, while another 800,000 patient visits could be possible if vacant health care provider slots were filled or created.

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Business First: Expanded health care needed

Shares of Health Care REIT Inc. (HCN) touched a new 52-week high of $71.76 on Monday, Apr 15, 2013, as it gained momentum following an upgrade of the companys rating by Standard & Poors Ratings Services. The closing price of this healthcare real estate investment trust (:REIT) on Apr 15, 2013 was $70.31, representing asolid year-to-date return of 16.4%. The average trading volume over the last 3 months was 1.91 million shares.

Factors Driving Momentum

On Apr 4, Health Care REIT received a rating upgrade from Standard & Poors Ratings Services. Consequently, the company now enjoys a corporate credit rating to BBB from BBB- with a stable outlook. The rating upgrade came on the back of Health Care REITs diversified and quality portfolio. Moreover, the rating agency acknowledged the companys capacity to produce a stable cash flow as well as improve its credit metrics. This plays a major role in preserving investor confidence in the stock and helps boost its creditworthiness in the market.

Being one of the largest and oldest healthcare REITs in the U.S., the company boasts a strong portfolio of senior housing, long-term care and medical office facilities. Moreover, the completion of the acquisition of Sunrise Senior Living facility during the fourth quarter of 2012 boosted the companys high-quality senior housing portfolio and extended its reach in the high-barriers-to-entry affluent markets.

However, Health Care REITs fourth-quarter results were not very encouraging. On Feb 25, the company reported fourth-quarter results with normalized FFO (funds from operations) of 85 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. However, this was lower than the year-ago FFO of 91 cents. The decrease in year-over-year FFO per share was primarily attributable to increased number of outstanding shares in the reported quarter. For full-year 2012, the companys normalized FFO came in at $3.52 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3 cents and was significantly ahead of the year-ago figure of $3.41.

Health Care REIT is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2013 earnings on May 7. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and has an earnings ESP (Read: Zacks Earnings ESP: A Better Method) of 0.00%. Thus we are not sure about an earnings beat when it reports its first-quarter results.

Estimate Revisions

Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year 2013 has remained unchanged at $3.81 per share. On the other hand, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year 2014 has marginally moved down to $4.02 per share.

Of late, a number of REITs crafted 52-week highs. They include DCT Industrial Trust Inc. (DCT), Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT) and CBRE Group Inc. (CBG).

Note: Funds from operations, a widely accepted and reported measure of REITs performance, are derived by adding depreciation, amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.

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Health Care REIT Hits 52-Week High

In the next 30 years, the U.S. Census Bureau expects the number of people age 65 or older to double, jumping to 80 million. That domestic trend mirrors a larger global trend: By 2050, more people worldwide will be older than 65 than younger, according to the United Nations.

These are clear signals of a long-term shift in global demographics. And that trend has health care investors drooling over opportunities to invest in the growing demand for health care products and services.

Because of health care's importance, there is no shortage of great health care stocks to invest in. Cancer drug specialists like Biogen Idec (BIIB) and Celgene Corp. (Nasdaq: (CELG) have been posting huge gains. Medical equipment makers such as Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) have also performed well.

But there is one company that stands out because of its undervalued share price. Despite a bullish double-digit gain in the past six months, its shares still trade at a record-low valuation.

With a market cap of $25 billion, Stryker Corp. (SYK) is a global leader in medical products and devices. Although Stryker is up a market-beating 24% in the past six months, it's not too late to get in. This company is in a great position to cash in on the aging domestic and global population.

Stryker specializes in a wide variety of surgical tools and neurotechnology products. This diversified set of offerings protects Stryker against weakness in any single market. That is a far cry from branded drugmakers, which carry billions of dollars' worth of product risk in pending Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals.

Stryker is also world-renowned, with dealers and distributors operating in more than 100 countries. That provides the company with an ideal foundation to expand its presence in developed economies such as the United States and Japan while entering high-growth markets in South America and Asia.

Stryker has been busy building on its market-leading position in the past few years, using its strong balance sheet to boost its product portfolio and geographic exposure. It completed its acquisition of Boston Scientific's neurovascular unit in January 2011 for $1.5 billion in cash.

In the second quarter of 2011, Stryker completed its acquisition of orthobiologic and biosurgery products maker Orthovita for $316 million. In January of this year, Stryker announced plans to buy China-based Trauson Holdings -- a competitor of Stryker's spine segment -- for $685 million.

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Buy This Global Leader In Health Care At A Huge Discount

CARY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer recently accredited Baylor Health Care System with the CEO Cancer Gold Standard. The Gold Standard recognizes Baylors efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for its employees and covered family members by promoting healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and providing access to quality treatment.

Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi, chairs the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, the nonprofit organization of cancer-fighting CEOs who created the CEO Cancer Gold Standard, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, many of its designated cancer centers, and leading health non-profit organizations and professionals. Today, more than 3 million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of the nearly 150 employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.

Baylor Health Care System is leading by example in promoting healthier behavior, said Viehbacher. I hope their vision and commitment to better health will encourage other employers in Texas and across all industries and geographies to become Gold Standard accredited.

The CEO Cancer Gold Standard calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and corporate culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace. To earn Gold Standard accreditation, a company must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by discouraging tobacco use; encouraging physical activity; promoting healthy diet and nutrition; detecting cancer at its earliest stages; and providing access to quality care, including participation in clinical trials.

In addition to Baylor Health Care System, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fifteen NCI-designated cancer centers and nearly 30 other hospitals and medical centers have earned Gold Standard accreditation. As a not-for-profit health system, Bayloris dedicated to improving the health of its community, and the organization has positioned itself in Dallas-Fort Worth as not only a provider of quality health care, but as a business that truly cares about people.

CEOs from across industries are keenly aware of the tremendous impact they can have in improving health, controlling health care costs and making a difference beyond their organizations walls in the fight against cancer and other chronic diseases. Other Gold Standard employers include insurers like Aetna, Cigna, State Farm and several Blue Cross affiliates; law firms, such as Hogan Lovells and Jenner + Block; technology companies such as Dell and SAS Institute; institutes of higher education and a range of leading employers including American Century Investments, Johnson & Johnson and Lowes.

About The CEO Roundtable on Cancer

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was founded in 2001, when former President George H.W. Bush challenged a group of executives to "do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families." The CEOs responded by creating and encouraging the widespread adoption of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard which calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and workplace culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace. For more information on the CEO Cancer Gold Standard and the web-based accreditation process and support, please visit http://www.CancerGoldStandard.org.

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Baylor Health Care System Earns CEO Cancer Gold Standard Accreditation