Health News E-Clips

An electronic healthcare news link service provided by UHA,

Utah Hospitals and Health Systems Association

 

Friday, April 04, 2008

 

Utah Healthcare Headlines

What's your health worth? CDC says $15 (Salt Lake Tribune, April 2, 2008) Utah receives a relative pittance from the federal government to prevent disease and injuries, according to a new report released today. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_8779271

  • Utah ranks low in CDC funding (Deseret Morning News, April 2, 2008) Utah's near the bottom in how much money it receives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for public health programs to prevent injury and disease. But it's also one of the healthier states, according to a new report. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695266699,00.html

 

Lawmakers Considering Privatizing State Hospital (KCPW Radio, April 4, 2008) The Legislature is once again looking at privatizing Utah's only state-run mental health facility. The Health and Human Services Interim Committee is scheduled to study the issue this summer, even though a recent legislative audit found no serious problems with the hospital. http://www.kcpw.org/article/5696

 

Utah Physicians Rally Congress for Higher Medicare Reimbursements (KCPW, April 2, 2008) Utah physicians are in the nation's capitol this week to press Congress to reverse a looming cut in Medicare reimbursement rates. Utah Medical Association President Dr. Mark Bair says the reduction could limit health care options for thousands of seniors and veterans. http://www.kcpw.org/article/5682

 

DRMC hosts cancer survivor seminar (The Spectrum, April 2, 2008) Dixie Regional Medical Center Cancer Services will sponsor a Cancer Survivor Skills Seminar on April 8 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Radiation Center Conference Room, located in the Cancer Center at the 400 East campus of the hospital. http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080401/NEWS01/80401009/1002

 

Detecting defects in little hearts (Deseret Morning News, April 3, 2008) They haven't yet picked his name, but Camille and Gary Hood know a great deal about their baby boy, who is due in May. They know he has a complicated set of heart defects and his early future will include close monitoring and staged surgeries. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695267046,00.html

 

Draper council joins smoking-ban crusade (Salt Lake Tribune, April 3, 2008) This city has become the latest to ban smoking in outdoor public areas. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_8792454

 

Conference geared toward minorities interested in medical school (Salt Lake Tribune, April 3, 2008) As a teenager, Sonia Ponce spent most of her summers pulling weeds for $4 an hour at a tree nursery. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_8794705

 

IHC hospital's compassionate services are first rate (The Spectrum, April 3, 2008) The experts agree: how you feel emotionally has a tremendous effect on your physical health as well. That is one reason why the best hospitals now place focus on a combination of clinical expertise and compassionate services to influence healing. http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080403/LIFESTYLE/804030336/1024/CUSTOMERSERVICE02

 

Clark says Utahns can be proud of Legislature (The Spectrum, April 4, 2008) Utahns can be proud of many of the accomplishments of their state legislature. That's what Rep. David Clark, R-Dist. 71, told members of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080403/BUSINESS/804030323/1046/CUSTOMERSERVICE02

 

Culture change initiative 'empowers' (Deseret Morning News, April 4, 2008) Deb Burcombe can imagine what she'd feel like ("gnarly and mean") if she were living in a nursing home and was forced to eat breakfast at dawn when she'd rather sleep in. So she's eager to promote the Utah Health Care Association's new "culture change" initiative. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695267238,00.html

 

Springville couple honored for work to combat prescription drug abuse (Daily Herald, April 4, 2008) Springville residents Kevin and Brooke Scholz have been honored with the Beacon of Hope Award by Intermountain Healthcare's Utah County Regional Governing Board for their work to curb the use of prescription drug abuse in the community. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/261107/

 

Nursing school gets high-tech dummies (Salt Lake Tribune, April 3, 2008) You are preparing to undergo a medical procedure that requires a catheter. The nurse comes in and informs you that a nursing student, who could really use the practice, will be placing it. http://www.sltrib.com/education/ci_8796609

 

UV system to fight county pool germs (Deseret Morning News, April 4, 2008) Salt Lake County-operated swimming pools are being equipped with ultraviolet light systems to help battle the parasite cryptosporidium and other bacteria that hang out in pools. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695267380,00.html

  • S.L. County spends $1M to scrub out pool germs (Salt Lake Tribune, April 4, 2008) Salt Lake County taxpayers are spending nearly $1 million on new pool-treatment systems to avert an outbreak of the diarrhea-causing parasite called cryptosporidium. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8806770

 

National Healthcare Headlines

Nonprofit Hospitals, Once For the Poor, Strike It Rich (Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2008 Nonprofit hospitals, originally set up to serve the poor, have transformed themselves into profit machines. And as the money rolls in, the large tax breaks they receive are drawing fire. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Elizabeth Edwards Issues a Challenge to McCain on Health Care (Washington Post, April 2, 2008) Since her husband suspended his run for the Democratic nomination three months ago, Elizabeth Edwards has remained largely out of the public sphere. A fierce proponent of her husband's run for office and once a regular on the campaign stump -- despite her ongoing battle with cancer -- Edwards stepped back into the fray last weekend with an attack on Sen. John McCain's health-care plan. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/01/elizabeth_edwards_issues_a_cha.html

 

Genetics may affect ability to quit smoking and cancer risk (Deseret Morning News, April 3, 2008) Scientists have pinpointed genetic variations that make people more likely to get hooked on cigarettes and more prone to develop lung cancer — a finding that could someday lead to screening tests and customized treatments for smokers trying to kick the habit. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695266943,00.html

  • Genetics Linked to Lung Cancer (Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2008) A trio of papers published Wednesday identifies for the first time a specific genetic variation linked to increased risk of lung cancer, but the studies disagree about whether the risk is elevated because the gene variant increases smoking behavior or addiction to nicotine. (You must have a subscription to view this article) www.wsj.com
  • Studies: Gene variants raise risks of nicotine addiction (USA Today, April 2, 2008) Three independent research teams have found genetic variations that increase the risk of lung cancer, a finding that may help explain why some smokers develop the disease and others don't. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/2008-04-02-smoker-genes_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

 

Report Cites Abuse of 91,000 Babies Under 1 (Washington Post, April 4, 2008) More than 91,000 babies were mistreated in their first year of life in the United States in 2006, according to the first national estimate of abuse of the nation's youngest, most vulnerable children, prepared by federal officials on the basis of cases substantiated by state and local children's protective services agencies. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/03/AR2008040301895.html?wpisrc=newsletter

  • Study finds nearly 1 in 50 infants are abused (Deseret Morning News, April 4, 2008) Nearly 1 in 50 of the most vulnerable U.S. residents — infants — have been abused and neglected, according to the first national child safety study in that age group. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695267287,00.html
  • Study: 1 in 50 U.S. infants are victims of neglect, abuse (Daily Herald, April 4, 2008) About 1 in 50 infants in the U.S. have been neglected or abused, according to the first national study of the problem in that age group. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/261386/36/
  • Neglect, Abuse Seen in 90,000 Infants (KSL, April 4, 2008) About 1 in 50 infants in the U.S. have been neglected or abused, according to the first national study of the problem in that age group. Nearly a third of the victims were one week old or younger when the maltreatment was reported, government researchers said Thursday. The study focused on children younger than 1. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=201&sid=2998217
  • Abuse, neglect seen in 90,000 infants (USA Today, April 4, 2008) About 1 in 50 infants in the U.S. have been neglected or abused, according to the first national study of the problem in that age group. Nearly a third of the victims were one week old or younger when the maltreatment was reported, government researchers said Thursday. The study focused on children younger than 1. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-04-03-infant-neglect_N.htm
  • Study Spots Abuse, Neglect In 91,000 U.S. Infants a Year (Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2008) About 1 in 50 U.S. infants are victims of nonfatal child abuse or neglect in a year, according to the first national study of the problem in that age group. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Study: 25% of very premature babies show autism signs (USA Today, April 2, 2008) A small study of toddlers finds that about one-quarter of babies born very prematurely had signs of autism on an early screening test. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-04-02-autism-premature_N.htm

 

Antiabortion Ballot Initiative Appears Likely (Washington Post, April 2, 2008) Abortion opponents in South Dakota filed petitions this week that are likely to put an initiative on November's ballot calling for a near-ban on abortion, renewing a contentious fight over a similar proposal in 2006. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040102207.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Ignorance Is Bliss, And Then You Get an STD (Washington Post, April 2, 2008) It seems like a lifetime ago, but spring used to be the perfect excuse for me to write lightheartedly about sex. From mating rituals on display at the National Zoo to cherry blossom courtships around the Tidal Basin, this was truly the season to be jolly. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040102433.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Birth control choices abound for women over 40 (USA Today, April 4, 2008) Birth control options are growing for women 40 and older — a group that once viewed its choices as pretty much limited to tube-tying surgery and condoms. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-04-04-contraception_N.htm

 

A Grim Tradition, and a Long Struggle to End It (New York Times, April 2, 2008) Eric Lucero has been addicted to heroin for three decades and says he has known at least 100 people in this pastoral county who died from overdoses, some in his presence. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/us/02overdose.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

 

Overpromoted Cholesterol Drugs (New York Times, Opinion, April 2, 2008) The news keeps getting worse for two heavily promoted cholesterol drugs, Vytorin and Zetia. These drugs were supposed to offer a valuable alternative to the older cholesterol-lowering agents known as statins, a class that includes Lipitor, Zocor and other drugs that not only reduce cholesterol but also reduce the risk of heart attacks. In clinical trial results released this week, the newer drugs failed to reach their main goal: slowing the growth of artery-clogging plaques — a suggestion that they might not help ward off heart attacks. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/opinion/02wed2.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

 

'Good' Cholesterol Drug Fares Well in Tests (Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2008) Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG said its experimental drug to raise levels of so-called good cholesterol was well tolerated by patients in several intermediate studies. (You must have a subscription to view this article) www.wsj.com

 

Wal-Mart Drops Lawsuit Over Health-Care Reimbursement (Wall Street Journal, April 1, 2008) Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is dropping a controversial effort to collect over $400,000 in health-care reimbursement from a former employee who is confined to a southeast Missouri nursing home since she suffered brain damage in a traffic accident. (You must have a subscription to view this article) www.wsj.com

 

WellPoint won't pay for botched surgeries (USA Today, April 2, 2008) WellPoint (WLP) has come up with a new way to protect patients from having a routine surgery go awry: It won't pay for them. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-04-02-wellpoint-no-pay-errors_N.htm

 

Home Defibrillators Save Lives in Study (ksl.com, April 2, 2008) Having a defibrillator at home can help a heart attack survivor live through a second crisis, but so can CPR and at a much lower cost. That's the bottom line from the first test of using these heart-shocking devices. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=201&sid=2984932

 

Kennedy taps ex-legislator as adviser (Boston Globe, April 3, 2008) Senator Edward M. Kennedy has tapped a former Massachusetts legislator and prominent healthcare activist to be his chief adviser on health reform, a move Kennedy's office said was aimed at developing a nationwide universal healthcare plan after the presidential election. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/04/03/kennedy_taps_ex_legislator_as_adviser/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z

 

House votes to increase global spending against AIDS (Boston Globe, April 3, 2008) A bipartisan coalition in the House voted yesterday to significantly expand a popular program aimed at combating HIV and AIDS around the world, renewing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief by authorizing $50 billion - $20 billion more than the White House requested - over five years. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/04/03/house_votes_to_increase_global_spending_against_aids/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z

 

Americans Prefer Energy Fix to Cancer Cure: Poll (New York Times, April 3, 2008) A nationwide survey of nearly 700 people suggests that Americans would prefer more money be invested in technology to solve the nation's energy ailments than to cure cancer or other diseases. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-usa-poll-energy.html

 

Rep. Barton Seeks Probe In Theft of Computer (Washington Post, April 3, 2008) Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), the ranking minority member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, revealed yesterday that he is among the approximately 3,000 heart patients whose medical information was potentially exposed to public scrutiny when an unencrypted government laptop was stolen in February from the car of a National Institutes of Health researcher. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/02/AR2008040203371.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Talking Sense on Tobacco (New York Times, Opinion, April 3, 2008) With all the campaign talk about health care, there is far too little discussion of one of the nation’s most preventable agent of deadly disease: smoking. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/opinion/03thu4.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

 

House Panel Backs FDA Tobacco Oversight (Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2008) A committee in the House of Representatives Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill to give the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco. (You must have a subscription to view this article) www.wsj.com

 

Glaxo AIDS Drug Shows Heart Risk in Study (Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2008) A drug from U.K.-based GlaxoSmithKline PLC commonly used to fight AIDS appears to nearly double the risk of a heart attack, researchers said. (You must have a subscription to view this article) www.wsj.com

 

Glaxo Vaccine for Infant Rotavirus Receives Approval From FDA (Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2008) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Rotarix, a GlaxoSmithKline PLC infant vaccine designed to help protect infants from a gastrointestinal illness caused by rotavirus, the company said Thursday. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Merck to Test Iomai Patch for Boosting Vaccine Immunity (Washington Post, April 4, 2008) Iomai, a small Gaithersburg drug company, said yesterday that pharmaceutical firm Merck would test a patch Iomai is developing that is designed to stimulate a stronger immune system response to vaccines. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/03/AR2008040303847.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Scientists Find Bacteria In Soil That Eat Antibiotics (Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2008) Antibiotics for breakfast? The drugs are supposed to kill bacteria, not feed them. Yet Harvard researchers have discovered hundreds of germs in soil that literally gobble up antibiotics, able to thrive with the potent drugs as their sole source of nutrition. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

  • Hundreds of germs in soil eat up antibiotics (USA Today, April 4, 2008) Antibiotics are supposed to kill bacteria, not feed them. Yet Harvard University researchers have discovered hundreds of germs in soil that literally gobble up antibiotics, able to thrive with the potent drugs as their sole source of nutrition. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2008-04-03-antibiotics-germs-soil_N.htm

 

Health Journal Comes Clean (Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2008) After embarrassing disclosures of financial links between authors of a lung-cancer study and two big corporations -- General Electric Co. and Vector Group Ltd. -- the New England Journal of Medicine published a correction, a clarification and an editorial calling for transparent disclosure of funding sources. (You must have a subscription to view this article) www.wsj.com

 

Amgen Drug Helps Bones (Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2008) Amgen Inc. said its two-year Phase III study showed that twice-yearly injections of its drug denosumab increased bone mineral density. (You must have a subscription to view this article) www.wsj.com

 

Drug costs rise as economy slides (USA Today, April 3, 2008) People with health insurance are having more trouble paying for prescription drugs as higher out-of-pocket costs for medications and a slowing economy strain family budgets, according to surveys and health care analysts. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2008-04-02-drugs_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

 

Drug poisoning deaths on the rise (USA Today, April 3, 2008) Poisoning continues to be the second-leading cause of injury deaths in the USA, outstripping deaths caused by firearms for the second year in a row, a federal report says. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-04-02-poison_N.htm

 

Set yourself up for diet success (USA Today, April 3, 2008) If you want to lose weight — and lose it for good — follow the 10% rule. Try to lower your body weight by that percentage and then stop losing for a while. Fight instead to keep off just that amount. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2008-04-02-set-point_N.htm

 

Appeals Court Panel Throws Out Class Action Over Light Cigarettes (New York Times, April 4, 2008) In a victory for the tobacco industry, a federal appeals court threw out on Thursday an $800 billion class-action lawsuit on behalf of smokers who said they had been misled that light cigarettes were safer than regular ones. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/business/04tobacco.html?th&emc=th

 

Medicare crossroads (Daily Herald, Opinion, April 3, 2008) The following editorial appeared in the Sacramento Bee on Sunday, March 30: While assuring the long-term solvency of Social Security is manageable, Medicare is another story. The financial challenges facing this 43-year-old health care program for the elderly reflect problems in the nation's health care market. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/261280/59/

 

Kidney donor posts journey online (USA Today, April 4, 2008) We like to think there isn't anything we wouldn't do for a friend, but Michael A. Moore has the proof: On Thursday, he donated his kidney to his best friend, and to do so he lost 50 pounds in five months while chronicling his experience in video clips on YouTube. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-04-03-kidney-donor_N.htm

 

Sanofi Seeks Research Partners in China (Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2008) Keen to tap into China's scientific prowess, drug maker Sanofi-Aventis SA aims to strike research partnerships with half a dozen Chinese universities and state-funded laboratories this year, Sanofi's head of research and development said. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com