Indiana Health Insurance and Health Insurance News:

Buckhorn's mission: Changing Tampa's DNA
Biotechnology companies and other tech firms are paving the path for a brighter employment outlook in Tampa, said Mayor Bob Buckhorn. Those changes are needed to keep young people in the area, Buckhorn told about 300 attendees at the Moffitt Cancer Center's Business of Biotech program. Historically the area was dependent on construction and real estate, Buckhorn said. That drew people to the area, but it didn't create a high-technology industry, which he said is needed for a better future for his own children and other young people...

Bill introduced to require diabetes training at Ga. schools
State Rep. Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) has introduced a bill that, if approved, would require Georgia school systems to have at least two personnel trained in diabetes treatment, reports The Associated Press. Ramsey said his child was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. The legislation would require state departments to develop guidelines, including recognizing and treating hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia; understanding the appropriate actions to take when blood glucose levels are out of the target ranges; and understanding physician instructions, AP reports...

States look at limiting – or expanding – what doctors can do
A number of state legislatures are looking at measures that would make it harder – or sometimes easier – for doctors to provide services outside their area of specialty, USA Today reports. A hot topic right now is whether doctors should be allowed to perform surgeries outside their specialties, including in their offices. Another hot topic centers on “scope of practice.” At least 10 bills in Florida involve the scope of practice issue, such as one in which chiropractors are fighting to be able to provide medical clearance for school-age athletes to return to play after a concussion...

UGA develops stem cell gel to help bones heal faster
Researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a new stem cell-containing gel that could help bones heal within weeks rather than months, reports the Athens Banner-Herald. The gel — which the scientists call “fracture putty” — mixes stem cells derived from bone marrow with a gel that can be applied to fractured bones, the newspaper reports. The stem cells produce a protein crucial in bone healing and new bone growth, causing fast bone formation and helping to replace missing tissue, the Banner-Herald reported...

Temple med picks leader for new center
Temple University School of Medicine has recruited Walter Koch to serve as director of the university’s newly established center for translational medicine, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports. Koch, who will also serve as a professor of pharmacology at the Temple medical school, was previously at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia where he was director of translational medicine and vice chairman of research. Translational medicine is a growing field dedicated to accelerating the process of turning biological discoveries into drugs and medical devices that can be used to treat patients.