Health News E-Clips

An electronic healthcare news link service provided by UHA,

Utah Hospitals and Health Systems Association

 

Tuesday, May 6, 2008  

 

Utah Healthcare Headlines

Spreading HIV: Convicted prostitutes must be tested and tracked (Editorial Salt Lake Tribune, May 6, 2008) In 1993, well into the second decade of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the Utah Legislature belatedly sprang into action. But instead of teaching contraception in the public schools, or handing out condoms in clubs and on college campuses, state lawmakers pursued the crime and punishment angle of HIV prevention. http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_9162127

 

GE Healthcare's Salt Lake City-based business restarts (Salt Lake Tribune, May 6, 2008) GE Healthcare's surgery business started up again Monday, 20 months after General Electric Co. signed a consent decree with the federal government to halt the manufacture of X-ray surgical equipment. http://www.sltrib.com/health/ci_9160276

 

Artful healing — Council works to make care more pleasant (Salt Lake Tribune, May 6, 2008) Weekdays, Kyle Spencer teaches drama at Sego Lily School. On weekends, he uses his drama skills with youths in an adolescent treatment center, where they can "act out" in a literal sense and process much of what's going on in their lives. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695276751,00.html

 

How's your heart? (Daily Herald, May 6, 2008) Some people come from a genetic background of cardio problems, but even if no one in your family tree has ever had a heart health hiccup, it's probably wise to be mindful of the well-being of your body's most vital organ. Heart disease is one of the leading health risks for both men and women in America. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/264899/149/

 

American health-care system needs intervention and a cure (Opinion, Deseret Morning News, May 3, 2008) I saw a cutter in my office. She was about 15 and had the telltale linear tracks on her forearm. She had been treated successfully for depression in the past but had been off her medicine for more than a year. She said that she had been cutting during that time, but her mother had just noticed the upswing in self-destruction. In spite of this relapse, I have great hopes for her full recovery. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695275929,00.html

 

U. eyes old Coca-Cola bottling plant (Salt Lake Tribune, May 5, 2008) The University of Utah plans to buy a large concrete building just south of downtown Salt Lake City to store the massive amounts of digital data generated by the state's major research, academic and medical complex. http://www.sltrib.com/education/ci_9155051

 

Donation supports health scholarships at WSU (Salt Lake Tribune, May 6, 2008) Weber State University is the recipient of a $1 million donation to support students aiming for careers in health care professions. http://origin.sltrib.com/education/ci_9158324

 

Firms praise Matheson's counterfeit-drug effort (Deseret Morning News, May 4, 2008) Some of the nation's largest pharmaceutical companies are praising a bill by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, designed to help combat counterfeit drugs. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695276296,00.html

 

Youthful Utah a plus (Editorial, Deseret Morning News, May 3, 2008) Surprise! Utah's population has the lowest median age in the United States. The state's residents average 28.5 years. The rest of the nation clocks in at 36.6 years. Almost 10 percent of Utahns are under 5 years old. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695275946,00.html

 

For the Elderly, Being Heard About Life’s End (New York Times, May 5, 2008) Edie Gieg, 85, strides ahead of people half her age and plays a fast-paced game of tennis. But when it comes to health care, she is a champion of “slow medicine,” an approach that encourages less aggressive — and less costly — care at the end of life. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/health/05slow.html?th&emc=th

 

States Look to Rein In Private Medicare Plans (New York Times, May 5, 2008) State officials say they will soon ask Congress for more power to regulate the marketing of private Medicare insurance plans to older Americans because they are still receiving complaints of high-pressure sales tactics that have led some beneficiaries to sign up for unsuitable policies. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/health/policy/05medicare.html?th&emc=th

 

National Healthcare Headlines

Democrats Warn About Hospital Capacity (Washington Post, May 6, 2008) Hospitals in seven major U.S. cities would be overwhelmed if any of the cities were struck by a terrorist attack on the scale of the 2004 train bombings in Madrid, and shortages of emergency room capacity and intensive care beds will grow worse if Bush administration Medicaid changes are implemented, House Democrats charged yesterday. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/05/AR2008050501174.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Even the Insured Feel Strain of Health Costs (New York Times, May 4, 2008) The economic slowdown has swelled the ranks of people without health insurance. But now it is also threatening millions of people who have insurance but find that the coverage is too limited or that they cannot afford their own share of medical costs. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/business/04insure.html?th&emc=th

 

Report: 10M children die from lack of health care every year (USA Today, May 6, 2008) More than 200 million children worldwide under age 5 do not get basic health care, leading to nearly 10 million deaths annually from treatable ailments like diarrhea and pneumonia, a U.S.-based charity said Wednesday. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-06-child-health_N.htm

 

A Breath of Hope (Washington Post, May 6, 2008) Derrick Farley, a 29-year-old Army sergeant stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., has seen many people die. He served in Iraq for three year-long tours of duty with only six-month breaks between them. He remembers driving trucks along the dirt roads of Tikrit, ever alert for telltale signs of a sniper or the sudden blast of a hidden roadside bomb. His vehicle, he said, was hit 13 times. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/02/AR2008050203426.html?wpisrc=newsletter \

  • Iraq War Strains U.S. Army Mental Health System (New York Times, May 6, 2008) Fort Drum, a bleak U.S. Army base in upstate New York, is a test case for how the military is handling a looming mental health crisis. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-usa-military.html

 

Five Doctors, Stumped (Washington Post, May 6, 2008) A. Bruce Munro wonders how things might have turned out if he hadn't lost it and dialed 911. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/02/AR2008050203399.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Prepping Robots to Perform Surgery (New York Times, May 4, 2008) What do you call a surgeon who operates without scalpels, stitching tools or a powerful headlamp to light the patient’s insides? A better doctor, according to a growing number of surgeons who prefer to hand over much of the blood-and-guts portion of their work to medical robots controlled from computer consoles. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/business/04moll.html?th&emc=th

 

All Substitutes Are Not Equal (Washington Post, May 6, 2008) Mary Poppins knew this secret: We are born with an innate preference for sweetness. As she liked to sing: "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/02/AR2008050203362.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Redefining Disease, Genes and All (New York Times, May 6, 2008) Duchenne muscular dystrophy may not seem to have much in common with heart attacks. One is a rare inherited disease that primarily strikes boys. The other is a common cause of death in both men and women. To Atul J. Butte, they are surprisingly similar. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/health/research/06dise.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

 

Evidence a High-Fat Diet Works to Treat Epilepsy (New York Times, May 6, 2008) A formerly controversial high-fat diet has proved highly effective in reducing seizures in children whose epilepsy does not respond to medication, British researchers are reporting. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/health/research/06epil.html?th&emc=th

 

Provider, Doctors May Pull Out of Program (Washington Post, May 6, 2008) A proposal to mandate health-care coverage for all District residents -- the city's version of universal health care -- may not be mandated or universal at all. And the region's largest private health-care provider may pull its planned $5 million annual contribution and its doctors network out of the deal. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/05/AR2008050502281.html

 

A Living, Breathing Lobby (Washington Post, May 6, 2008) The air we breathe may be free. Oxygen is not. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/05/AR2008050502302.html?hpid=moreheadlines

 

Afghan medical college struggles to rise from the ashes (Washington Post, May 6, 2008) The gutted, hollow shell of the Ali Abad training hospital in Kabul is a symbol of the state of Afghanistan's medical system, battered by decades of war. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/05/AR2008050502322.html

 

Rockville Biotech Buys Rival's Anthrax Vaccine (Washington Post, May 5, 2008) The effort to protect the country from another anthrax attack will take an unexpected turn today when Rockville firm Emergent BioSolutions plans to announce that it has bought for $2 million an anthrax vaccine from a California company that federal health officials dropped in 2006. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/04/AR2008050401771.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Surgery Shows Promise For Treatment of Diabetes (Washington Post, May 4, 2008) Rocco Turso was injecting himself with insulin three times a day, swallowing pills twice daily and restricting his diet. But his diabetes was still out of control, blurring his vision, making his feet numb and sapping his energy. So he decided to try an experimental operation. Within days, his blood sugar was normal and he was off all his medications. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/03/AR2008050301837.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Meat That May Contain Fatal Germ Is Recalled (Washington Post, May 4, 2008) Gourmet Boutique recalled about 286,320 pounds of fresh and frozen meat and poultry after regulators found it might be contaminated with potentially fatal listeria germs, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/03/AR2008050301820.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Sharing the Gift of Life (Washington Post, May 4, 2008) On the day that Jamie Robyn Thompson was to share her 14th birthday celebration with family and the woman who gave birth to her, a movie spoofing surrogate mothers as trashy opportunists opened, and the news was rife with stories of infertile women "outsourcing" childbirth to poor women in India. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/03/AR2008050301735.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

California Sued Over Health-Care Cuts (Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2008) A coalition of California hospitals, doctors, dentists and other health-care providers has sued the state to block a 10% cutback in payments to them for treating the poor who are covered by Medi-Cal, a joint federal and state program. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Merck Will Cut About 15% Of Its U.S. Sales Force (Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2008) Merck & Co. will cut 1,200 sales positions amid slowing use of two cholesterol drugs and regulators' rejection of a promising medicine last week, reflecting pressures that have cost some 42,000 jobs industrywide since the beginning of last year. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

To Cut Risks of Sleeping Pills, Hide Car Keys, Unplug Phone (Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2008) One woman woke up with a paintbrush in her hand, having painted her front door in her sleep. People have set fire to their kitchens while trying to cook, cursed their bosses on the phone and crashed their cars into trees -- all in a sleeping-pill-induced haze and with no memory afterward. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Tenet Posts $31 Million Loss But Notes Rising Admissions (Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2008) Tenet Healthcare Corp. reported a first-quarter net loss Tuesday as a litigation charge pared results, but the hospital company cited further signs of progress in its turnaround efforts, notably higher admissions, pricing increases and a higher adjusted earnings margin. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

China Says No Direct Link Between Heparin, U.S. Deaths (Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2008) China's drug safety agency said Tuesday no direct link had been proven between deaths in the U.S. of people using a blood thinner and a substance in the drug. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Guidelines: Test men for osteoporosis (USA Today, May 6, 2008) Men ages 65 and older should get screened for osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease once thought of primarily as a woman's problem, a physicians group said today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-05-osteoporosis-men_N.htm

 

Doctors decide whom to let die in pandemic (USA Today, May 6, 2008) Doctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding who to let die. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-06-pandemic-care_N.htm

 

Experimental meningitis vaccine shows promise (USA Today, May 6, 2008) An experimental meningitis vaccine appears to generate more potent immunity than the version now available in young people who suffer most from the disease, researchers reported Monday. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-05-meningitis-vaccine_N.htm

 

Healthcare on the Campaign Trail

Dr. McCain's snake oil (Editorial, Boston Globe, May 5, 2008) John McCain pretended last week to treat health insurance, an essential of modern life, as something that could be relegated to the marketplace and individual choice. A robust government role, however, is a precondition to extend coverage to the 47 million Americans who are without it. The market alone cannot achieve that result. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/05/05/dr_mccains_snake_oil/

 

Parsing McCain on the Democrats’ Health Plans (May 3, 2008) Senator John McCain has been repeatedly suggesting that his Democratic rivals are proposing a single-payer, or even a nationalized health care system along the lines of those in countries like Canada and Britain. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/us/politics/03check.html?ref=politics