January 3, 2008 - Mitchell Sheinkop, M.D., will be the first in the U.S. to surgically implant the just-approved Nex Gen LPS-Flex mobile bearing knee on Feb. 20 at the Neurologic and Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago.

Last week, the FDA approved the Zimmer Holdings knee, which the company says is the next generation of knee prostheses for active adults, especially amateur and professional athletes.

Dr. Sheinkop was one of eight physician investigators in the U.S. who participated in the clinical trial proceeding FDA approval.

January 3, 2008 – California’s safe hospital staffing law, achieved through years of advocacy by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, completes its phase-in period as ratios on several units were lowered on Jan. 1, 2008 to meet state mandates for minimum safe care.

Over the five year course of their phase-in, the association said these ratios have revolutionized hospital care and improved patient safety by mandating hospitals maintain minimum, specific nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for all hospital units at all times.

January 3, 2008 – Philips and the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists (ISRRT) will launch the International Access to Learning (IAL) program, created to extend healthcare education in Europe, Asia and the South Pacific, aiming to improve the quality of radiographic and radiation therapy practice globally through access to education, sharing of best practices and improved collaboration between clinicians.

January 3, 2008 - Siemens Healthcare, Molecular Imaging Division, has delivered the first two newly redesigned mobile Biograph 6 TruePoint positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) systems to the Florida Radiation Oncology Group (FROG), a division of Integrated Community Oncology Network (ICON), in Jacksonville, FL, aiming to simplify treatment follow-up for patients who before may travel up to 60 miles for necessary follow-up imaging.

January 2, 2008 - Anesthesiologists at The Ohio State University Medical Center are utilizing a new ultrasound procedure to help guide a needle to key nerves that are then numbed for surgical procedures in the arms, knees, shoulders or hips.

These areas can be anesthetized before and after surgery, and patients can remain pain-free for more than 24 hours, in most cases. A small catheter inserted next to the nerves can infuse numbing medicine for up to three days following surgery.