A new survey from Harris Interactive (Rochester, New York) for the PBS health series Second Opinion, says that more than one in three adults (36%) in the U.S. never get a second opinion for a medical diagnosis, and nearly one in 10 rarely, or never, understand their diagnosis.

The survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults was commissioned to understand patient/doctor communication and what methods are most commonly used to seek health-related information.

Doctors disagree amongst themselves about almost everything, said Dr. Peter Salgo, clinical professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York) and host of Second Opinion. Medicine isn t a diagnosis and treatment machine. You don t put symptoms in the hopper at the top of a box, turn the crank and get a prescription at the bottom slot. Folks should think about what they need from their doctor, then ask around to be sure they re getting it.

Digirad certified for new ISO standard

Digirad (Poway, California), a provider of cardiovascular imaging services and solid-state nuclear medicine imaging products to physicians offices, hospitals and imaging centers, said it has been awarded certification to the most recent International Standard Organization (ISO) standard for medical device manufacturer quality management system requirements, ISO 13485:2003.

Pinstripe forms healthcare group

Pinstripe (Brookfield, Wisconsin), a recruitment process outsourcing and recruitment services firm, reported the establishment of a specialized healthcare group. Under the direction of newly appointed Executive Vice President Jill Schwieters, the healthcare group will assist healthcare providers, clinical laboratories, medical equipment manufacturers, and other healthcare organizations in addressing the ongoing challenges of recruitment, utilization and retention of highly qualified healthcare staff.

Recruiting and retaining top talent is today s number one challenge throughout the healthcare industry, said Schwieters. Because of Pinstripe s substantial investments in state-of-the-art technology, best-in-class processes, and experienced HR professionals, we are able to manage this function faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost than healthcare organizations can accomplish on their own.

With nearly two decades of experience in the healthcare industry, Schwieters was formerly regional vice president of human resources at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare.

VITAS opens St. Louis hospice program

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care (St. Louis), a provider of hospice care, said it has received state authority and Medicare certification to open VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of St. Louis.

The newest of VITAS 39 programs, VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of St. Louis now serves patients living in St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson and Franklin counties.