Health News E-Clips

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Utah Hospitals and Health Systems Association

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Utah Healthcare Headlines

Key to reform: Get all Utahns covered (Salt Lake Tribune, October 14, 2008) For months, they've been brainstorming Utah's blueprint for health reform.  Now, with just weeks to go before the Legislature's Health System Reform Task Force wraps up, its work groups - providers, hospitals, the community and insurers - are finally rolling out the results. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10714314

• Health Reform Emerging from Cloud (KCPW Radio, October 14, 2008) There's no silver bullet, no miracle pill that will overhaul Utah's ailing health care system, stakeholders told lawmakers yesterday, during the latest Health System Reform Task Force meeting. The ailing system is so complex that after a summer of study, specific solutions are only now visible, says Rep. David Clark, the House chairman of the task force. http://www.kcpw.org/article/6842

No one way to fix health care, expert says (Deseret News, October 14, 2008) The single, most-important change health-care reformers must make if they are to have any hope of actually improving the way the system works in Utah is fully realizing that a single, most-important change doesn't exist. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705255140,00.html

Cash woes bruise health (Salt Lake Tribune, October 13, 2008) The tanking economy hurts the wallet - and the body. Scrimping Utahns are skipping preventive checkups and forgoing needed dentures and crowns. More are seeking treatment for depression and anxiety. They're lining up for nearly free health care or heading to emergency rooms. http://www.sltrib.com/health/ci_10708494

• More people postponing medical care to save money (KSL.com, October 14, 2008) A tight economy means some Utahns are cutting back on preventive medical care. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4516718

Utah state hospital works to reduce wait (Salt Lake Tribune, October 10, 2008) The number of defendants declared incompentent to stand trial who may end up in jail while waiting for beds to open up in the state hospital has been reduced, state officials said. http://www.sltrib.com/justice/ci_10687832

Stress, diet key 'triggers' for women (Deseret News, October 13, 2008) Stress and diet are two key considerations when figuring out what to do about irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, according to Dr. Holly Clark, gastroenterologist at LDS Hospital. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705254784,00.html

Silent health issues stymie women (Deseret News, October 13, 2008) Urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse are among the most common — and least discussed — women's health issues. http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705254542,00.html

Future hospital room focuses on integration, efficiency (Deseret News, October 13, 2008) The hospital room of the future is more interactive, integrated and efficient. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705255085,00.html

A prescription for death (Editorial, Deseret News, October 13, 2008) "First we seek excuse from pain," wrote Emily Dickinson. She must have glimpsed modern America where prescription pain pills have become more plentiful than popcorn, and abuse is rampant. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705254614,00.html

U. neuroscientists get $5.7M in grants (Salt Lake Tribune, October 13, 2008) University of Utah neuroscientists have won $5.7 million in grants to study neurodegenerative diseases and disorders. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10708503

WorkMed, InstaCare offer options (The Spectrum, October 14, 2008) The waiting rooms of both InstaCare and WorkMed look nearly identical - a mom rocking a crying baby, a husband and wife waiting for blood tests, a young man rubbing his back in pain. http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081014/NEWS01/810140302

Law requires health, physical benefits to be equal (Salt Lake Tribune, October 14, 2008) Before Martha Jensen realized how much her daughter's therapy would cost, the teenager began to blossom in treatment. Then Jensen learned about her steep $2,500 mental health deductible - which she couldn't afford - and ended the sessions. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10714322

New doctors in the house / They're hospitalists, and they're always there for you (Ogden Standard Examiner, October 14, 2008) You're admitted to the hospital and expect to see your doctor each day, but then a physician you don't know walks into your room and announces you will be under his care during your stay. http://www.standard.net/live/news/145759/

Former guv's guidelines vita (Editorial, Deseret News, October 14, 2008) East of the Rockies he may be Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, but in Utah he's still Governor Mike. While in Washington, D.C., Utah's former chief executive has been working hard to help improve the health and well-being of the nation's citizens. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705255106,00.html

National Healthcare Headlines

Nonprofit Hospitals Leave The City for Greener Pastures (Wall Street Journal, October 14, 2008) Ascension Health, the country's largest nonprofit hospital system, says its mission is to serve all, "with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable." But in this city, where one in four people don't have health insurance, it's become harder for the poor and vulnerable to find Ascension. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122393747851830485.html?mod=article-outset-box

Roche Loses Appeal on Anemia Drug (Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2008) A U.S. appeals court sided with Amgen Inc. in its fight to keep an anti-anemia drug from Roche Holding AG off the U.S. market. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122387215474828061.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace

Study: Many cancer patients forgoing care because of cost (USA Today, October 13, 2008) At a time when they're already fighting for their lives, more cancer patients are now struggling to pay for their medicines. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-12-cancer-costs_N.htm?csp=34

Health care costs rising, but expenses can be controlled (USA Today, October 14, 2008) Let's see a show of hands. Who got a 9% raise this year? http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/block/2008-10-13-health-care-costs_N.htm

Equal Treatment for the Uninsured? Don't Count on It. (Washington Post, October 14, 2008) When I walked into the hospital room of a 19-year-old woman, a foul smell all but overwhelmed me. I called a nurse to assist me and saw her, too, catch her breath. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002679.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Keeping Your Own Health Chart, Online (New York Times, October 13, 2008) Busy people can easily forget to take their medications, or to write down symptoms or reactions during a course of treatment — information that could later be meaningful to a doctor. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/business/12novel.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

For Immigrants, Checking to See if the Doctor Is In (New York Times, October 13, 2008) Two years ago, Dr. Katrina S. Firlik, a neurosurgeon at Greenwich Hospital, was called in on a case she had never seen before — certainly not in moneyed Greenwich. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/nyregion/long-island/12Rhospital.html?ref=new-jersey

Family Blames Soldier's Suicide on Anti-Malaria Drug (Washington Post, October 12, 2008) Juan Torres didn't believe that his son, Army Reservist Juan "John" M. Torres, had killed himself in Afghanistan just weeks before he was to return home in July 2004. He figured that John, 25, was murdered because of his opposition to the reportedly rampant heroin trade around the base. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/11/AR2008101101516.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Therapy helps patients likely to reject transplants accept kidney (USA Today, October 14, 2008) Nearly one in three patients who need a kidney transplant may never get one because their bodies are abnormally primed to attack a donated organ. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-13-kidney-transplant_N.htm

Jury awards $10.7M to woman who waited for brain scan (USA Today, October 13, 2008) A jury has awarded nearly $11 million to a woman who became partially paralyzed after waiting two hours for a hospital brain scan. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-13-brain-lawsuit_N.htm

Women weigh options on breast reconstruction (USA Today, October 13, 2008) When actress Christina Applegate announced she had had a double mastectomy this summer, she also said she had begun immediate reconstruction surgery — and was looking forward to having "cute boobs till I'm 90 … the best boobs in the nursing home," as she put it in a Good Morning America interview. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2008-10-12-your-health_N.htm

Breakout drug Herceptin brings new age in breast cancer care (USA Today, October 13, 2008) Barbara Bradfield has lived to see dramatic changes in breast cancer. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-12-herceptin_N.htm

HPV Vaccine Gaining Acceptance (Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2008) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 25% of teenage girls received at least one dose of Merck & Co.'s Gardasil vaccine in 2007, providing the first national estimate of use. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122358240586520167.html

Worrisome Infection Eludes a Leading Children’s Vaccine (New York Times, October 14, 2008) A highly drug-resistant germ has become a common cause of meningitis, pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions in young children. The culprit — a strain of strep bacteria — can conquer almost all antibiotics in pediatrics, and has dodged a vaccine otherwise credited with causing the number of serious infections in children to plummet. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/health/14vacc.html?nl=8hlth&emc=hltha1

Children: Higher Expectations Help Fight Asthma (New York Times, October 14, 2008) If doctors want to help children suffering from asthma, they should spend some time offering encouragement to their parents, researchers say. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/health/research/14chil.html?nl=8hlth&emc=hltha2

Limit on cold remedies for kids was FDA's idea (USA Today, October 11, 2008) When drug makers made a surprise announcement this week that they no longer recommend cough and cold remedies for youngsters under 4, they didn't let on that it was the government's idea. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-10-999323866_x.htm

Doubling of Vitamin D for Children Is Urged (New York Times, October 14, 2008) The country’s leading group of pediatricians is recommending that children receive double the usually suggested amount of vitamin D because of evidence that it might help prevent serious diseases. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/health/policy/13vitamind.html?th&emc=th

China orders more testing for liquid milk, powder (USA Today, October 14, 2008) China is ordering all liquid and powdered milk manufactured before Sept. 14 to be taken off the shelves for melamine testing, the first time it has issued a blanket recall of products since the tainted dairy scandal broke last month. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-14-china-taintedmilk_N.htm

States ask baby product companies to avoid BPA (USA Today, October 13, 2008) Attorneys general from Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware sent letters Friday to 11 companies that make baby bottles and baby formula containers, asking they no longer use the chemical bisphenol A in their manufacturing because they said it was potentially harmful to infants. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-13-baby-bottles_N.htm Also found at http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705255033,00.html (Deseret News, October 13, 2008)

The Scan That Didn’t Scan (New York Times, October 13, 2008) This is a story about M.R.I.’s, those amazing scans that can show tissue injury and bone damage, inflammation and fluid accumulation. Except when they can’t and you think they can. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/health/14scan.html?nl=8hlth&emc=hltha1

Vioxx risk lingered after use, study finds (Deseret News, October 14, 2008) A doubled risk of heart attack, stroke and death persisted at least a year after people stopped taking withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, according to an analysis of long-term data from the study that led drugmaker Merck & Co. to stop selling the drug. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705255203,00.html

Boston Scientific Stent Wins Approval (Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2008) Boston Scientific Corp. won approval to sell a new heart stent in the U.S., suggesting the medical-device maker may soon be free of a government-imposed moratorium on new products. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122368020945224709.html

Can drinking coffee help control type 2 diabetes? (Deseret News, October 13, 2008) Nutrition scientists aren't ready to recommend coffee as a dietary supplement, but they say something in it is definitely beneficial to controlling the course and perhaps the onset of type 2 diabetes — a mostly diet-based, self-induced metabolism disorder linked to dozens of serious illnesses. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705254918,00.html

Insurer Gives Health Tips Via Facebook (Washington Post, October 14, 2008) One health insurance company is signing on to Facebook to educate its customers. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002677.html

Firms Offer Payouts to Those Who Work Out (Washington Post, October 14, 2008) Debbie and Larry Ward of Jefferson, Md., each get $75 from Debbie's company when they go for their annual physicals. Arlington County police officer Darrin Cassedy received a two-night hotel stay in Florida and an MP3 player from his employer for losing weight and exercising. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002658.html

Genetics sheds light on mental illnesses (Boston Globe, October 14, 2008) For decades, scientists seeking genes involved in mental illness reaped mainly frustration. But in recent months, painstaking analysis of the DNA of thousands of patients has yielded important, and surprising, insights into the roots of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/10/14/genetics_sheds_light_on_mental_illnesses/

Study Warns of Hearing Loss From Music Players (New York Times, October 14, 2008) Noise from personal music players is a routine annoyance for travelers on buses, trains and planes. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/technology/13noise.html?th&emc=th

BPA and the Donor (Editorial, New York Times, October 14, 2008) For an agency that claims to be rooting out conflicts of interest, the Food and Drug Administration has done a poor job of handling what looks like a potential conflict on a committee evaluating the safety of bisphenol-A, known as BPA. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/opinion/14tue3.html?th&emc=th

Neither Snow, Nor Rain, Nor Anthrax ... (Opinion, New York Times, October 14, 2008) Important planning for responding to a future anthrax attack has quietly been under way since the last attacks seven years ago. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/opinion/13wein.html?th&emc=th

Exercise: Program Reduces a Knee Injury in Women (New York Times, October 14, 2008) A newly designed program of strengthening exercises may help guard against a knee injury that sidelines many girls and young women who play sports, a study says. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/health/nutrition/14exer.html?nl=8hlth&emc=hltha2

New Doubts About Popular Joint Surgery (Wall Street Journal, October 14, 2008) People with painfully damaged knees and hips have increasingly turned to "minimally invasive" joint-replacement surgery. But these relatively new procedures, though they promise shorter recuperation times, are raising concerns about potential complications. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122394041078330741.html

Hair Apparent? New Science on the Genetics of Balding (Wall Street Journal, October 14, 2008) The conventional wisdom on baldness has long held that men inherit their mother's father's hair, or lack of it. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122393553747430381.html

Tobacco, health groups want smoking ruling revised (USA Today, October 14, 2008) The tobacco industry is asking a federal appeals panel to overturn a landmark ruling that could open the door to more lawsuits from smokers claiming they were harmed because they were deceived by cigarette companies. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-10-14-tobacco-court_N.htm

• Court to hear appeals in landmark tobacco case (Salt Lake Tribune, October 14, 2008) The tobacco industry is asking a federal appeals panel to overturn a landmark ruling that could open the door to more lawsuits from smokers claiming they were harmed because they were deceived by cigarette companies. http://www.sltrib.com/health/ci_10715657?source=rss

Healthcare on the Campaign Trail

Guest Opinion: Candidates' plans suggest health-care solutions (Daily Herald, October 12, 2008) Overall, Barack Obama's health-care plan is preferable to John McCain's. Obama's approach -- which would require employers to provide insurance or pay into a fund, subsidize those unable to afford coverage on their own and set up new purchasing pools -- would cover more people and would help those who have the hardest time obtaining insurance. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/284169/59/

Health care: Utahns see good, bad and risky in McCain, Obama plans (Salt Lake Tribune, October 13, 2008) For Jesse Shirley, having health insurance can mean the difference between life and death. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10710537

Social issues: Roe v. Wade a deal-breaker for McCain, Obama (Salt Lake Tribune, October 13, 2008) Tucked behind the crumbling economy, two wars and the high cost of gasoline are the issues that have become the warm underbelly of American politics. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10710211

Drug Industry, Having Long Smiled on G.O.P., Now Splits Donations Equally (New York Times, October 14, 2008) After favoring Republicans by a ratio of more than two to one for most of the last decade, pharmaceutical companies and others in the health care industry are now splitting their contributions evenly between the two major parties, campaign finance reports show. (You must register to view this link—no fee) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/us/politics/14money.html?_r=1&partner=MOREOVERNEWS&ei=5040&oref=slogin