Chilling. It isn’t often that a bit of news is a perfect fit to that one-word description, but the recent decision by a Los Angeles jury in the first case to be decided pitting Johnson & Johnson (J&J; New Brunswick,…
Author Archives: Jim Stommen
Gigantic jury award in first J&J hip implant case is breathtaking as an initial benchmark
March 13, 2013 – 2:00 PM
Awarding an Oscar for best performance in raising awareness of prosthetic technologies
August 14, 2012 – 11:33 AM
Oscar Pistorius didn’t win a medal in the just-concluded Olympic Games. Not a gold, not a silver, not a bronze. In fact, he finished last in his semifinal heat of the 400-meter run (I think they call it the 400-meter…
Consumers take their own tweet time using social media for health questions
June 12, 2012 – 7:43 AM
OK, social media mavens – this one’s for you. This coming from someone who, whenever I see or hear a reference to a Tweet, automatically rack up the chorus to Bobby Day’s golden oldie “Rockin’ Robin” (yes, and the Jackson…
What’s up, doc? Survey says ‘lying weasel’ doesn’t only apply to miscreant football coaches
April 24, 2012 – 10:48 AM
The recent hubbub about ex-University of Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino, which centered on the latest examples of his propensity for lying to his superiors, got me to thinking.
Unhappiness of physicians is reflected in some startling numbers in career-recommendation survey
March 19, 2012 – 1:33 PM
As I read through one particular healthcare-related news item recently, the lyrics to the old “If you’re happy and you know it” song just plain took over my subconscious thinking.
Administration’s proposed cuts in U.S. spending on prevention/wellness programs are beyond puzzling
March 5, 2012 – 5:12 PM
By JIM STOMMEN Medical Device Daily Contributing Writer The recent decision by the Obama administration to propose big-time funding cuts for medical prevention and wellness programs is, like many of the decisions that come out of Washington, puzzling to say…
Medicare’s decision to cover weight-reduction efforts is a good move, but details still matter
January 3, 2012 – 11:49 AM
By JIM STOMMEN Medical Device Daily Contributing Writer
Changing nature of healthcare is reflected in new push for services to become a retail commodity
December 7, 2011 – 11:34 AM
“Okay, hon. I’m headed over to MammothMart. Need to grab some beer and munchies for the Monday night game, a replacement shower head for the bathroom and maybe that new Michael Connelly book.”
A tinkerer at heart, Wilson Greatbatch epitomized what that means to medicine
October 4, 2011 – 11:19 AM
A prolific inventor who died last week in upstate New York at the age of 92, Wilson Greatbatch is credited with more than 325 patents, including coming up with the first practical implantable pacemaker.
Berwick nomination stymied by poisonous partisan politics
April 14, 2011 – 12:56 PM
By most objective accounts, Donald Berwick is doing a pretty decent job as chief administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, giving CMS a much-needed shot in the arm and kick in the . . . well, you…
