Under the new clinical integration model being implemented at MGH, the “Marquette General Heart and Vascular Institute” will be developed, placing a wide range of cardio and vascular services under a single, unified umbrella medical service line.

To help reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease, the nation's leading killer, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College have created the Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging. Raymond T. Dalio, a life trustee of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, has made a gift of $20 million through his Dalio Foundation in support of the institute.

Demystifying meditation with science, researchers at the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) have teamed with The Chopra Foundation and The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in a novel study of the ancient practice that uses wireless health sensors to collect physiological data from meditators.

Researchers at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the U.K. are developing urine-powered EcoBots that run on microbial fuel cells modeled after the heart. They described their technology in the Nov. 8 issue of Bioinspiration and Biomemetics. Here is a demonstration of the fuel cell converting urine into electricity to charge a mobile phone.

Novartis today announced the winners of its Mobile Health (mHealth) Challenge, a competition for developers and mobile technology start-ups to participate in creating mobile solutions that can positively impact the lives of caregivers and their loved ones with heart failure. The intensive two-day Challenge brought individuals and teams together to compete for cash prizes totaling $40,000.

An overview of coronary artery anatomy will be reviewed in a live, interactive format that simulates clinical practice.

Digisonics, a Best in KLAS provider of cardiovascular information systems (CVIS), has introduced functionality for Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) calculations.  Appropriate Use Criteria are evidence-based guidelines to assist referring physicians and other providers in making the appropriate imaging or treatment decision for a specific clinical condition/indication. Digisonics recognizes that reimbursement audits will be tied to appropriate use scores in the future, so there is considerable benefit for facilities that utilize the Digisonics CVIS to monitor appropriate use scores and produce the required structured reports.

Richard Winters, MD, a practicing emergency physician and a physician executive coach, offered frazzled physician leaders pointers for resolving common problems that they encounter in their executive roles in a Harvard Business Review guest blog post.