Noted

Heparin seized from Cincinnati-based Celsus Laboratories Inc. The WSJ reports that the FDA, after issuing two recommendations for recall, seized two lots of Heparin worth $112,000. While an impressive move, it is quiet alarming that the first letter was sent to Celsus in April.

"The FDA said companies who may have purchased heparin from Celsus should contact the company to determine whether the heparin they purchased was from the seized lots." When it comes to very expensive medication, it seems that these companies might not chose to contact the FDA.

A hospital in Detroit is using the automobile industry to improve efficiency. The Detroit News reports that "lean production" is being applied to the medical system. The Detroit Medical Center, for example, hired automotive consultants to review the patient's trip through the medical system to identify inefficiencies. This has helped save the hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars. Other hospitals, using a similar model of critique, has shortened the average ER wait to under 30 minutes.

A joke at every end:

Little Nancy was in the garden filling in a hole when her neighbor peered over the fence. Interested in what the little girl was up to, he politely asked, "What are you up to there, Nancy?"

"My goldfish died," replied Nancy tearfully, without looking up, "and I've just buried him."

The neighbor was concerned, "That's an awfully big hole for a goldfish, isn't it?"

Nancy patted down the last heap of earth and then replied, "That's because he's inside your stupid cat."