The Federal Trade Commission has filed an administrative complaint against Covington, Ky.-based Omnicare Inc., moving to stop the company’s hostile bid to buy Louisville-based PharMerica Corp.

The case will be heard before an administrative law judge at the FTC in June.

As Business First reported earlier this month, Omnicare had disclosed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it would extend the deadline for the FTC to review its proposed acquisition until Jan. 26. Earlier Friday, Omnicare also extended its deadline to buy PharMerica shares to 5 p…

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Three of the state’s largest hospital systems have released an explanation for their withdrawal from the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association — a loss to the tune of what some say is $1 million in collective annual dues.

Banner Health, Abrazo Health Care and Dignity Health (formerly Catholic Healthcare West) sent a letter today to Laurie Liles, CEO of the state hospital association, announcing their membership termination, effective March 1.

“The association is no longer consistent with nor reflective of our collective interests on legislative and regulatory issues before the governor and state Legislature,” according to the letter…

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Kaiser Permanente said it plans to “top out” the steel skeleton of its new 280,000-square-foot Redwood City Hospital on Friday.

The structure was to be hoisted to the top of the seven-story building, located at Veterans Boulevard and Walnut Street. The thousand-pound framing structure was signed by hospital physicians, staff and dignitaries.

The contractor is Redwood City’s Rudolph and Sletten Inc., which began erecting the steel on the site Dec. 5.

According to Kaiser Permanente: “Crews from Schuff Steel of Stockton worked nearly every day during December and January to finish the hospital frame…

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With a squeal, Mayor Beth Van Duyne was a bit ecstatic when I called her for comment about Christus Health consolidating its corporate offices in Irving, adding 650 jobs to the region.

The employees will come mostly from San Antonio and Houston. The move will be staggered starting this summer and will be completed no later than next year.

After Irving-based Hostess Brands Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month, and MetLife Inc.’s operation in Irving laying off about 900 employees — this was welcome news, Van Duyne said…

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After a four-city search, Christus Health will consolidate its Houston and San Antonio corporate offices to a new headquarters in Irving.

Most of Christus’ employees at the two corporate offices in Houston and the corporate office in San Antonio, as well as the hospital system’s associates based in other locations, will be requested to move to the Dallas area, said Linda McClung, chief administrative officer.

Between 700 to 800 Houston corporate employees will move to the Dallas area, however, the company will still keep its Houston hospital and ministry employees…

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Holy high-tech hype, Batman!

The other day Kaiser Permanente put out a press release announcing that “9 million Kaiser Permanente patients now can easily access their own medical information anywhere in the world on mobile devices through a mobile-optimized website.”

And trillions – well, lots, anyway – of news, tech and news tech sites picked it up and ran with it. But the reality is a bit less heady.

Not to knock the reality. It’s cool that Kaiser is introducing apps, including one last summer that helps its enrollees/patients – otherwise known as consumers, or even just people – locate the nearest or most convenient Kaiser facility and find their way there…

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Three groups of nursing home services providers received approval on Friday from the state of North Carolina to expand their services in Wake County by a total of 240 beds.

The providers receiving permission to add beds include:

• Britthaven Inc. and Spruce LTC Group LLC will build a 120-bed nursing facility in the Brier Creek area;

•E.N.W. LLC and BellaRose Nursing and Rehab Center will build a 100-bed nursing facility on Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh;

• Universal Properties of Fuquay Varina LLC and Universal Health Care of Fuquay Varina Inc…

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After a four-city search, Christus Health will consolidate its corporate offices in Irving in a move that will add about 650 jobs in North Texas.

Most of Christus’ employees who now office out of the two corporate offices in Houston and the corporate office in San Antonio, as well as the hospital system’s associates based in other locations, will be requested to move to the Dallas area, said Linda McClung, chief administrative officer.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area beat out Houston, San Antonio and Austin as the corporate headquarters site for the Catholic health care system, she said…

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The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center gave a $5 million grant to the Museum of Science Boston on Wednesday to build an exhibit on biology and biotechnology to be called the Hall of Human Life (HHL).

The exhibit, expected to open next summer, will include 10,000 square feet of space relying on life sciences research connections through businesses and universities in the area. The HHL itself is planned to include an interactive segment in which visitors can anonymously record their experiences in areas of food, physical forces, living organisms, social experience and time…

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The World Drug Delivery and Formulation Summit Asia 2012 will be held on the 17th-18th October 2012 in Singapore. This summit will bring together over 150+ senior level drug delivery, biologic and pharma formulation directors to explore and profit from Asia’s prospering growth.
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