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The AACCA recommends RN-Coder for all coding and transcription certifications.

AACCA Requests Suggestions for Fall Conference

The AACCA is excited to announce plans for a fall conference geared toward all aspects of coding including coverage of:

	New coding requirements and regulations,
	Specialized coding seminars and related panel discussions,
	Employment opportunities and career planning
	And much more

We need your assistance in selecting the ideal location for our conference.  We want to hear from you.

Please e-mail any conference topic and location suggestions to: webmaster@aacca.net.

New Breast-Cancer Methods Promising

New tests that measure water, oxygen and other breast tissue properties could be more effective than mammograms in diagnosing breast cancer, scientists said on Monday.

Researchers at Dartmouth Medical School used several types of electromagnetic waves to also gauge how normal breast tissue absorbed or scattered light.

By first measuring healthy breasts, the new techniques can eventually help researchers better understand and detect changes that could signal cancer, said the study's lead author, Steven Poplack.

Click here to read MSNBC's important information on this issue and learn more about the specific types of electromagnetic waves used in the test, as well as their overall effectiveness.

World on SARS Alert Again

A man hospitalized last week in Everett, Wash., after returning from Beijing with a severe respiratory illness apparently does not have SARS as had been feared, the state health department says.

The quick action to isolate the man and begin testing illustrates the state of alert by the world's health authorities in response to a laboratory-associated outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in China that has so far affected nine people.

Read the updated USA Today online coverage on this continuing health concern, as well as the CDC website for comprehensive updated and information.

It's been 60 years since Dr. Alexander Fleming discovered a drug called penicillin, the first antibiotic.

But now, scientists are sounding the alarm that we have been overusing antibiotics - and that the germs have figured out ways to become resistant to them.

Infections we thought we had conquered once and for all are coming back because of a new breed of germs that doctors call "superbugs" -- bacteria that are resistant to almost all antibiotics.

Click here to read the CBS News coverage on this alarming super-bacteria, as well as what drug maker, the CDC and FDA are doing to counteract the infection rates.

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Study: Corn Syrup May Have Role in Diabetes Rise

Corn syrup and other refined foods may be much to blame for the huge increase in type-2 diabetes in the United States over the past few decades, U.S. researchers said Thursday.

A study of nearly 100 years of data on what Americans eat show a huge increase in processed carbohydrates, especially corn syrup, and a large drop in the amount of fiber from whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

It parallels a spike in the number of cases of type-2 diabetes, caused by the body's increasing inability to properly metabolize sugars.

Learn more about the evidence and trends that support this data on CNN's website.

Risk Information Updated on Irritable Bowel Drug Zelnorm

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the addition of new risk information to the health professional labeling for Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate). Zelnorm is a prescription medication for the short-term treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) whose primary bowel symptom is constipation. The labeling is being revised to ensure health professionals and patients have the most current and complete information available when prescribing and taking Zelnorm.

Read the FDA's recent press release to learn about specific labeling requirements, as well as warning requirements.

CDC Adds Flu to Childhood Shot List

Add another shot to the list of jabs that babies must get by the time they are toddlers -- U.S. health officials now say children aged 6 months to 2 years should get an influenza vaccine.

Influenza has been added to the vaccination schedule every U.S. parent of young children learns about, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

"CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend that, beginning in fall 2004, all children aged 6-23 months, as well as household and out-of-home caregivers for such children receive annual influenza vaccine," the CDC said in a statement.

Read CNN's article on this topic so that hospitals and healthcare providers can be prepared for the upcoming flu season.

Obese Kids More Likely to be Bullies and Victims

Overweight adolescents are more likely than normal-weight children to be victims of bullying, or bullies themselves, a study found, bolstering evidence that being fat endangers emotional as well as physical health.

The results in a study of 5,749 Canadian youngsters echo data from British research and follow a U.S. study published last year in which obese children rated their quality of life as low as young cancer patients’ because of teasing and weight-related health problems.

Learn about the emotional toll obesity has on children's health at MSNBC's site.