Health News E-Clips

An electronic healthcare news link service provided by UHA,

Utah Hospitals and Health Systems Association

 

Friday, May 9, 2008  

 

Utah Healthcare Headlines

Proposed Orem nursing facility has opposition (Daily Herald, May 4, 2008) A legal storm is brewing over a proposed nursing home in Orem that some say could leave Medicaid patients with nowhere to turn for treatment. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/264902/

 

Births rising among young Utahns, especially Hispanics (Ogden Standard Examiner, May 6, 2008) Births among Utah's young Hispanics rose significantly in 2006. http://www.standard.net/live/news/132339/

 

Doctors' Free Clinic: 'The last stop' (The Spectrum, May 8, 2008) Before moving to St. George, Patricia Nilssen didn't know what the term "pre-existing condition" meant. Having lived around the world, Nilssen, along with her husband and children, always had health care until arriving in St. George to open a business. When Nilssen began looking for another HMO, she found out her family had pre-existing conditions and was unable to get health coverage. http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS01/805070321

 

Hatch Introduces Bill to Fight Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (KCPW, May 8, 2008) Picking up the fight Utah Congressman Jim Matheson has already started in the House of Representatives, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch is supporting legislation to help battle the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. http://www.kcpw.org/article/5934

 

Governor's panel to identify needs of work force in Utah (Deseret Morning News, May 8, 2008) Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. isn't the first governor to describe Utah's labor pool as "world-class," and he's taking action to ensure he's not the last. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695277358,00.html

 

Prescription drugs a top Utah killer (Deseret Morning News, May 8, 2008) Prescription drug overdoses caused more deaths in Utah in 2006 than automobile accidents and illegal drug overdoses, according to the Utah Department of Health. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695277522,00.html

 

Health care access forum at DRMC tonight (The Spectrum, May 8, 2008) Intermountain Healthcare’s Dixie Regional Medical Center is hosting a health care access forum today at 7 p.m. The forum will take place at the Intermountain Sunset Clinic, 1739 West Sunset Blvd. http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/NEWS01/80508009

 

National Healthcare Headlines

White House May Soften Health Policy (Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2008) The Bush administration appears to be softening a policy that states have complained hindered their efforts to expand health-care coverage for poor children under a popular state-federal insurance program. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Officials Testify on Disaster Plans (Washington Post, May 8, 2008) Two Bush administration Cabinet members yesterday acknowledged gaps in the capability of U.S. hospitals to deal with a mass-casualty terrorist attack or other disaster, but they said a congressional effort to block pending Medicaid cuts will not fix the problem. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/07/AR2008050703617.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Hard Sell to Medicare Insurance Buyers Would Get Softer Under New Rules (New York Times, May 9, 2008) The Bush administration proposed on Thursday to crack down on the aggressive marketing of private Medicare insurance plans by outlawing unsolicited visits and telephone calls to beneficiaries, regulating commissions paid to sales agents and increasing the fines that could be imposed on insurers. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/washington/09medicare.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

  • Proposal Would Limit Medicare-Plan Marketing (Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2008)  Addressing a flood of consumer complaints, the Bush administration proposed to bar insurance agents from using aggressive tactics to enroll seniors in Medicare's fast-growing private plans and its prescription-drug program. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Officials: 77 more hepatitis cases may trace to clinic (USA Today, May 9, 2008) Seventy-seven more people who were treated at a Las Vegas outpatient clinic have been diagnosed with hepatitis C, health officials said. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-09-hepatitis-exposure_N.htm

 

Price of blood thinner has doubled since recall (USA Today, May 9, 2008) Major U.S. dialysis centers say the price of blood-thinner heparin has doubled since mid-April because of global recalls and tight supplies since the discovery of contaminated raw product from China. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2008-05-08-app_N.htm

 

Risk Of Bird Flu Pandemic Probably Growing (New York Times, May 6, 2008) The risk of a human influenza pandemic remains real and is probably growing as the bird flu virus becomes entrenched in poultry in more countries, health officials warned on Tuesday. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-risk-bird-flu.html

 

NYC to prep potential organ donors before getting consent (USA Today, May 8, 2008) New York City officials plan within months to dispatch the nation's first ambulance equipped to preserve bodies of the newly dead so that families have time to consider organ donation. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-07-organ-donor-consent_N.htm

 

Health Clinics Inside Stores Likely to Slow Their Growth (Wall Street Journa,l May 7, 2008) The boom in walk-in health clinics located inside pharmacies, supermarkets and big-box retailers is showing signs of slowing. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Study: New dads' depression hurts kids, too (USA Today, May 7, 2008) Fathers of 9-month-olds are about twice as likely as other men their age to show symptoms of major depression, which also can hurt their children: Depressed fathers read less to their kids, and the children know slightly fewer words by age 2, a study suggested Tuesday. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-06-dads-depression_N.htm

 

Identity thieves prey on patients' medical records (USA Today, May 7, 2008) Doctors' offices, clinics and hospitals are a fruitful hunting ground for identity thieves, who are using increasingly sophisticated methods to steal patient information, lawyers and privacy experts say. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-06-privacy_N.htm

 

Slowdown's Side Effect: More Nurses (Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2008) The ailing economy is helping to ease the nursing shortage. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

World Health Official Doesn't Think China Covered Up Disease Outbreak (Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2008) The World Health Organization's China representative said Wednesday that he doesn't believe that China covered up initial cases of the hand, foot and mouth disease that has infected almost 16,000 and led to the deaths of almost 30 people. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Overseas Botox Sales Strong Amid Slowdown in U.S. Economy (Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2008) Allergan Inc.'s first-quarter net income more than doubled amid prior-year charges as the company reported strong international sales of its Botox wrinkle treatment. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Justice Department Requests Data on Schering's Vytorin (Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2008) The Department of Justice has asked Schering-Plough Corp. for information and documents related to its handling of a study of the cholesterol drug Vytorin, the drug maker disclosed this week. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Sanofi, Bristol-Myers May Face Generic Competition to Plavix (Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2008) Sanofi-Aventis SA and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. are facing possible generic competition in Europe to the world's second biggest-selling drug, Plavix, less than a year after they beat back generic competition in the U.S. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Chantix recommended as anti-smoking drug despite risks (USA Today, May 8, 2008) The federal government's new advice to doctors for helping smokers quit recommends the drug Chantix, which has recently been linked with depression and suicidal behavior. The new guidelines mention the psychiatric risks but also say the popular Pfizer Inc. drug is the most effective at helping people get off cigarettes. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-07-chantix-smoking_N.htm

 

Retail chains starting to put out smokes (USA Today, May 9, 2008) Cigarettes are getting harder to find. More retail chains are dropping them, and for the first time, officials in a few states want to ban pharmacies from selling them. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-05-09-cigarettes-sales_N.htm

 

Weighing Blood Sugar's Pregnancy Role (Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2008) Blood-sugar levels far lower than previously thought to be worrisome in pregnancy increase the chances of problems such as high-birth-weight babies and the increased need for Caesarean sections, researchers found. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Barr Shares Sink On Weak Results (Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2008) Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. posted first-quarter results far below expectations and cut its full-year profit view, sending the generic drug maker's shares tumbling Thursday. (You must have an online subscription to view this story) www.wsj.com

 

Drug companies defend TV ads critics call misleading (USA Today, May 8, 2008) Some of the nation's largest pharmaceutical companies defended their TV advertisements Thursday from Democrats pushing for tougher restrictions on what they call misleading marketing. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2008-05-08-advertising-defended_N.htm

 

Respiratory Illness Rose in Children After Katrina Hit (Washington Post, May 9, 2008) Hurricane Katrina provoked increased complaints to doctors of pneumonia, bronchitis and other lower respiratory illnesses among 144 children studied in Mississippi, according to a report released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/08/AR2008050802292.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

Teen Marijuana Use Linked to Later Illness (Washington Post, May 9, 2008) Teenagers who smoke marijuana put themselves at risk for future mental illness and higher rates of depression, according to a report to be released today by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/08/AR2008050803004.html?wpisrc=newsletter

 

A Voice to Still All His Others (Washington, May 9, 2008)  Herschel Walker would like to set things straight: Forget about Sybil. It's not about Eve and her three faces. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde analogy is a useful one, because there were times he certainly felt that way, divided and at war with himself. But even that's resorting to stereotypes. And if anything, Walker is out to dispel the myths about multiple personality disorder, or, as he prefers to call it, DID -- dissociative identity disorder. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/08/AR2008050803390.html?wpisrc=newsletter