Eli Lilly takes a dusting but keeps on investing (Morning Read)

Highlights of the important and interesting in the world of healthcare:

Lilly dusts itself off. Indianapolis, Indiana, drug maker Eli Lilly & Co., which has faced a series of clinical setbacks in recent months, plans to invest as much as $150 million in three venture capital funds to help develop new medicines, Bloomberg reports.

U.S. world competitiveness slides. The United States fell to fourth place — overtaken by Sweden and Singapore — in the rankings of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011.

Days numbered for community hospitals? Saddled with deficits and dependent on government healthcare programs, are independent community hospitals like Quincy (Massachusetts) Medical Center on their way out, asks USA Today?

Healthcare costs rising… surprise? Employers expect to spend 5.9 percent more per employee on health insurance next year — even after shifting some costs to workers and making other changes, according to a survey by Mercer.

Reading your mind? Utah researchers have shown that it is possible to translate recorded brain waves into words, using a grid of electrodes placed directly on the brain, the Los Angeles Times reported.

La cucaracha! Experts at University of Nottingham have discovered that tissues of cockroaches and locusts contain molecules that can kill certain bacteria, including MRSA and E. coli, according to the EmaxHealth blog.

Wireless technology tracks health. Three in ten Americans recently surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute would use their cell or smart phones to track their health, while four in 10 would pay for remote monitoring devices that send health information to their doctors.