With the imaging workup for acute ischemic stroke is progressing expansively beyond unenhanced head CT, the imaging protocol has become more complex and requires updated attention from radiologists, according to an article published in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Spending to treat diabetes increased from $18.5 billion in 1996 (in 2007 dollars) to $40.8 billion in 2007, according to findings from an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) survey published in December 2010.

Vocera Communications has acquired Toronto-based Wallace Wireless, developer of software that deliver pages, text messages and alerts directly to smartphones, to expand on Voceras healthcare communications portfolio. Financial information about the acquisition was not disclosed.

HIMSS is now accepting applications for the 2011 HIMSS Davies Awards of Excellence. The awards program honors hospitals and health systems, independent physician practices, public health, and community health organizations that have successfully achieved value from EHRs to improve healthcare delivery.

Two draft publications from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) lay the groundwork for a three-tiered risk-management approach that encompasses computer security risk planning from the highest levels of management to the level of individual systems.

The National Quality Forum (NQF) has released two new reports -- Driving Quality: A Model to Measure Electronic Health IT Use and Performance Measurement: A Foundation for Clinical Decision Support.

St. Joseph's Health Centre in Toronto has completed its RIS installation and go-live of technology from Sectra.

As the so-called dead of winter spread across the land, agencies and private companies alike rang in the new year with a raucous assortment of news.