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Study Gives Clues To Increasing X-Rays' Power
Three-dimensional, real-time X-ray images of patients could be closer to reality because of research recently completed by scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a pair of Russian institutes.

Family Of Murdered Abortion Provider Tiller Announces Permanent Closure Of Clinic
The family of murdered Kansas abortion provider George Tiller announced on Tuesday that his Wichita clinic will not re-open, leading some abortion-rights advocates to voice concern about access to the procedure, the New York Times reports. Tiller was one of a handful of abortion providers who performed the procedure in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, and women for decades have traveled to the clinic from across the U.S. and other countries. The clinic, Women"s Health Care Services, also was Kansas" only clinic outside the Kansas City area (Davey, New York Times, 6/10). The Tiller family said in a statement that the clinic will be "permanently closed" effective immediately. The family also said it does not plan to be involved "in any similar clinic" but will "honor Dr. Tiller"s memory through private charitable activities" (Slevin/Stein, Washington Post, 6/10).While abortion-rights advocates expressed empathy for the family, some added that they also are concerned that the clinic"s closure could have devastating effects for women who learn of fatal health problems late in their pregnancies, the Times reports. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, "It is unacceptable that antiabortion intimidation and violence has led to the closing of Dr. Tiller"s clinic." She added, "Not only have we lost a fearless defender of women"s fundamental health and rights in Dr. Tiller"s murder, but the closing of his clinic leaves an immediate and immense void in the availability of abortion" (New York Times, 6/10). Suzanne Poppema, board chair of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health and a retired ob-gyn who performed abortions, said that abortions later in pregnancy would still be available, including through university hospitals that do not advertise the service. The closing is "not going to stop people who want to provide the service, but it will slow them down," she said. Marla Patrick, Kansas coordinator for the National Organization for Women, said abortion-rights advocates are working to open another Wichita-based clinic that provides abortions later in pregnancy (Bello, USA Today, 6/10). The AP/Yahoo! News reports that Kansas state law permits abortion after 21 weeks" gestation only if continuing the pregnancy would endanger the woman"s life or cause a "substantial and irreversible impairment" of a major bodily function, which courts have interpreted to include the mental health of the woman (Hegman/Hanna, AP/Yahoo! News, 6/9).According to the Times, some abortion-rights advocates had hoped other abortion providers would take over Tiller"s work at the clinic. LeRoy Carhart, a Nebraska abortion provider who also worked with Tiller, said he is "currently exploring every option to be able to continue to make second- and early, medically indicated third-trimester abortions available." Warren Hern, a Colorado abortion provider who performs procedures later in pregnancy, said, "Where does it end? The antiabortion fanatics got exactly what they wanted" (New York Times, 6/10). According to the Wall Street Journal, abortion-rights opponents" response to the closure was "subdued." Some expressed concern that antiabortion-rights extremists would think that violence "gets results where legal protest doesn"t," the Journal reports (Simon, Wall Street Journal, 6/10). Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, said that while the group is "thankful" that the clinic is closed, they "wish it would have come through the peaceful, legal channels that we were pushing" (New York Times, 6/10).Broadcast CoverageMSNBC"s "The Rachel Maddow Show" on Tuesday reported on the clinic"s closure and included a discussion with Susan Hill, president of the National Women"s Health Organization, about violence against abortion providers and an increase in the hostility of protesters outside abortion clinics since Tiller"s murder (Maddow, "The Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 6/9). NPR"s "All Things Considered" on Tuesday also reported on the clinic"s closure ("All Things
News of the day
New York Times Editorial Lauds Appointment Of White House Adviser On Violence Against Women
"Domestic violence is a serious law enforcement and public health problem affecting as many as one in four women in this country," but "Washington has devoted too little attention to reducing domestic violence and sexual assaults generally," a New York Times editorial states. The editorial continues, "We welcome President Obama"s decision to create a new post, White House adviser on violence against women, and his appointment" of former National Network To End Domestic Violence Executive Director Lynn Rosenthal, "a seasoned advocate for victims to fill it." According to the editorial, Rosenthal will report to Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, "whose keen interest in the issue dates from his days in the Senate and his key role in enacting the 1994 Violence Against Women Act." The "challenge" facing Rosenthal and the Obama administration "will be to improve the carrying out of existing laws intended to protect women, starting with better coordination of the activities of all the government bureaucracies involved," including the Department of Justice, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the editorial states. It notes that a national survey of domestic violence shelters released in May found "a significant increase in the number of women seeking assistance since last fall, a rise largely attributable to the stresses of the economic crisis and rising unemployment." The editorial recommends that states create more emergency shelters, establish more transitional housing for "people fleeing violent situations" and "do more to help these victims rebuild their lives." Rosenthal "will need to tackle bureaucratic and legal hurdles and find more money to help states, localities and charitable groups address those needs," the editorial states. In addition, Rosenthal must "help end the scandal of the thousands of rape kits sitting untested in crime labs and police storage facilities across the country, allowing countless criminals to escape punishment." The editorial concludes, "All of this will require strong and creative leadership" from Rosenthal, Biden and Obama (New York Times, 7/1).
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Millions Of People With Musculoskeletal Conditions At Risk Of Being Let Down By NHS

One-in-five (21%) primary care trusts (PCTs) do not offer "clinical assessment and treatment services" (CATS) for people with musculoskeletal conditions, denying them services deemed a "keystone" of the government"s 2006 musculoskeletal services strategy1. A report based on Freedom of Information requests and published by the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA) also reveals that just under half (45%) of PCTs do not define life-long conditions such as arthritis as "long-term", meaning people with musculoskeletal conditions are being ignored in large areas of the country1. "The millions of people with musculoskeletal conditions in the UK have long been forced to endure low standards of care from the NHS," said report lead Professor David Marsh, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Royal National Orthopaedics Hospital. "The government has long recognised that the situation must improve and its 2006 strategy should have been the starting point of the process, but people in many areas are still receiving patchy and poor care." The report - supported by an initial grant from the British Society of Rheumatology as well as Roche Products Ltd and DePuy UK - also confirms the huge variation in spending on people with musculoskeletal conditions, ranging from under ÷£100 per head in Lewisham PCT to almost ÷£1,400 per head in Western Cheshire PCT1. To address these variations the report calls for the appointment of a "tsar", to oversee improvements for people at a national level, and lead on revamping the Department of Health"s own musculoskeletal reform strategy. "Long-standing musculoskeletal conditions are a major cause of long-term disability, ill-health and ultimately the inability to work," said Ros Meek, Director of ARMA. "It is truly appalling to find so many serious failings in the identification and management of these conditions across the country. We want to see real leadership from the Department of Health in rectifying this, starting with a new plan for better care. The people living with these conditions deserve not to be ignored." "Musculoskeletal conditions" is a term which encompasses around 200 different problems affecting the muscles, joints and skeleton2. Over 9.6 million adults, and around 12,000 children, have a musculoskeletal condition in England today2. These conditions impose a huge burden on the country with NHS costs in 2006-7 totalling over ÷£3.5 billion3 and 11.2 million working days lost per annum on average over the last three years4. The development and distribution of this press release was sponsored by Roche Products Ltd. Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA) ARMA, a registered charity, is the umbrella organisation for the UK musculoskeletal community, bringing together 36 patient / user and professional organisations campaigning for better services for people living with musculoskeletal conditions. The member organisations of ARMA are: - Arthritis Care - Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC) - BackCare - Birmingham Arthritis Re Centre - British Chiropractic Association - British Health Professionals in Rheumatology - British Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine (BIMM) - British Orthopaedic Association - British Osteopathic Association - British Sjogren"s Syndrome Association (BSSA) - British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (BSPAR) - British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) - British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine - Chartered Society of Physiotherapy - Children"s Chronic Arthritis Association - COT Specialist Section - Rheumatology - Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Network (ERAN) - Fibromyalgia Association - Lupus UK - MACP - Marfan Association (UK) - McTimoney - National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society (NASS) - National Association for the Relief of Paget"s Disease - National Osteoporosis Society - National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) - Podiatry Rheumatic Care Association - Primary Care Rheumatology Society - Psoriasis Association - Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance (PAPAA) - Raynaud"s and Scleroderma Association - Rheumatoid Arthritis Surgical Society - Royal College of Nursing Rheumatology Forum - RSI Action - Scleroderma Society - Society for Back Pain Research (SBPR) The musculoskeletal services strategy The musculoskeletal services strategy was launch in 2006 by current Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham MP. The report The report published - Joint working? An audit of the Department of Health"s musculoskeletal services Strategy- was kindly supported by an initial grant from the British Society of Rheumatology as well as DePuy UK and Roche Products Ltd, who also sponsored the development and distribution of this press release. References 1. Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance. Joint working? An audit of the Department of Health"s musculoskeletal services strategy July 2009 2. Department of Health. A joint responsibility: doing it differently - the musculoskeletal services framework. July 2006 3. Department of Health. Departmental Report 2008. May 2008 4. Hansard. 26 January 2009, Col. 84W NHS


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