There are more than 78,000 Americans waiting for a kidney transplant, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Worse, the gap between the number of patients waiting and the number of kidney transplants performed has grown by 110% in the last decade.
Cutting the lengthy wait for a kidney will take more than innovative changes in medical practice, according to the National Kidney Foundation. As part of a new initiative unveiled in late January, Read the rest of this entry »

FAIRBANKS — Fort Wainwright has come under fire from PETA for the possible shooting and burning of pigs on base as part of medical training.
The Army has confirmed that on two occasions in August 2007 and May 2008, live pigs were used to conduct an operational emergency medical skills course. Lt. Col Jonathan Allen, spokesman for U.S. Army Alaska, said he did not know how many pigs were involved in the training, and he did not know what exactly Read the rest of this entry »

RALEIGH, N.C. —
State employees would have to stop smoking or lose weight if they want to receive more generous health benefits under a proposal presented to legislators Thursday.
The financial motivation for workers, retirees and their dependents to improve their health are contained in recommendations from North Carolina State Health Plan administrator Jack Walker to shore up the plan’s finances. The plan last year discontinued its wellness Read the rest of this entry »

“This is a very extensively used group of medications,” said John Jenkins, director of the FDA’s Office of New Drugs. In 2007, he said, U.S. pharmacies dispensed 21 million prescriptions for the 24 opioid products, used by 3.7 million Americans.
Despite label warnings and collaborations between the FDA and other federal agencies, misuse, abuse and accidental overdoses of the products have grown over the past decade, he said. The FDA is concerned Read the rest of this entry »

BERLIN (AFP) — French national anti-doping agency (AFLD) chief Pierre Bordry on Wednesday said there was “considerable evidence” of doping irregularities from blood transfusions taken at this year’s Tour de France.
“We possess considerable evidence from blood transfusions. We will only say later who it is,” Bordry told German TV station ZDF.
He added that anti-doping officials were concentrating on looking for traces of banned blood booster Read the rest of this entry »

LEBANON – A lot has changed since the day back in the
1980s when Karen Switzer, of Lebanon, was surprised to see a
sign proclaiming “females on board” on her door in
the Philadelphia VA hospital where she was being treated.
Today, the VA is adjusting to an influx of female veterans
seeking treatment, and that includes the Lebanon VA Medical
Center in South Lebanon Twp.
A $1.5 million renovation project is under way on the fifth
floor of building Read the rest of this entry »

TALLAHASSEE – The economy is in recession and the budget outlook is bleak. Could 2009 turn out to be state Rep. Ed Homan’s lucky year anyway?
The Tampa Republican is trying for a third year to force insurers to cover mental health treatment at the same level that they cover other health services. Florida law sets minimum requirements for mental health benefits, but does not require parity; as a result, insurers typically offer less coverage of those Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a scalpel in a body during surgery? Medicare paid to get it out. Get an infection from a catheter? Medicare paid to treat it. Same with problems caused by a transfusion of the wrong kind of blood.
No more. Starting this week, Medicare has announced it will no longer pay for 10 preventable conditions that patients acquire because of poor hospital care. Patients won’t pay either because hospitals will be required to bear the costs of their own Read the rest of this entry »

STOCKTON – Organizers of a health event planned from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today hope to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS, especially within the black community, and to empower women to take a more active role in their medical well-being.
“Sisters Taking Care of Themselves” is being hosted by Health Plan of San Joaquin, San Joaquin AIDS Foundation and B. Wise Consultants at Dameron Hospital Annex, 445 W. Acacia St.
Free and anonymous HIV testing will Read the rest of this entry »

, the next chapter in an ongoing investigation into health-care reimbursement rates.
During a news conference in Rochester, AG Andrew Cuomo said he has served a five-day notice of intent to sue Excellus Health Plan, Univera’s parent company. He charged the health insurer with defrauding consumers and patients across the state by manipulating reimbursement rates for out-of-network services through its use of a flawed database managed by
, Read the rest of this entry »