Old Motels Get New Life Helping Homeless Heal
Using run-down motels to care for and temporarily house homeless people recently discharged from the hospital helps stabilize them inexpensively, preventing unnecessary and costly returns to ERs and hospitals.
Minnesota’s Largest Health Insurer To Drop Individual Plans
More than 100,000 Minnesotans will need to look for new insurance for 2017. Blue Cross Blue Shield is pulling back from the state’s market for individual policies, citing heavy losses.
Politics Makes Abortion Training In Texas Difficult
The hostile climate surrounding abortion in Texas has made it hard for doctors-in-training to learn to do abortions. Professors feel intimidated, and there are fewer clinics where residents can train.
Can Doctors Learn To Perform Abortions Without Doing One?
Accredited medical residency programs have to teach doctors how to perform abortions. But interpretation of the requirement varies, especially in a state like Texas where training options are scarce.
Despite Overdose Epidemic, Georgia Caps The Number Of Opioid Treatment Clinics
Georgia has stopped licensing new clinics that provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. Some call the state’s move irresponsible. Others say the clinics aren’t regulated enough.
A New Sort Of Consultant: Advising Doctors, Patients On California’s Aid-In-Dying Law
A Berkeley doctor begins an unusual practice as a law takes effect this week permitting doctors to prescribe lethal medications to terminally ill patients who request them.
Students Fill A Gap In Mental Health Care For Immigrants
Latinos who’ve recently arrived in the U.S. often have poor access to health care, mental health treatment in particular. UNC Charlotte is among several universities trying to change that.
Details On Death Certificates Offer Layers Of Clues To Opioid Epidemic
Deaths from opioid overdoses are on the rise, and we know that because of data on death certificates. States determine who fills them out and what information they record. And that can vary widely.
Death Talk Is Cool At This Festival
How to make thinking about death less somber? Hold a festival! Indianapolis did. Through art, film and book talks, residents explored everything from bucket lists to advance directives and cremation.
Inventing A Machine That Spits Out Drugs In A Whole New Way
A refrigerator-sized machine could someday make lifesaving drugs on site when outbreaks occur or where medicine is in short supply, like on the battlefield.
FDA Considering Pricey Implant As Treatment For Opioid Addiction
The FDA could soon approve an implantable form of a drug used to treat opioid addiction. While the approach helped patients avoid relapse in tests, its price may be prohibitive for some, doctors say.
Mosquito Hunters Set Traps Across Houston, Search For Signs Of Zika
Harris County, Texas, operates one of the largest mosquito control operations in the country, with more than 50 people who trap, freeze and test mosquitoes for threats such as Zika.
Georgia Women Weigh Zika Risks As Mosquito Season Arrives
The CDC is advising pregnant women, especially in the South, to take some precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus. So far, Zika cases in Georgia are linked to travel, not bites.
New York Aims To Become The Next State To Toss The Tampon Tax
Five states have already eliminated sales tax on feminine products, and New York City is also trying to make the products available for free in schools.
Fix For VA Health Snarls Veterans And Doctors In New Bureaucracy
A program that was supposed to help veterans see doctors closer to home more quickly is not fulfilling its promise.
Women Aren’t Taking First Place In Top Medical Journals
Women scientists get first author credit on medical studies much less often than their male coauthors. That has career implications and could even be skewing the study of women’s health.
In Prince’s Age Group, Risk Of Opioid Overdose Climbs
In 2013 and 2014, people ages 45 to 64 accounted for about half of all deaths from drug overdose, according to the CDC.
Pregnant Women In Houston And Their Doctors Weigh Risks Of Zika
The U.S. Gulf Coast has the right weather conditions and mosquitoes for the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects. But the level of risk is unknown in this country so doctors are advising caution to their patients who are pregnant or trying to have a baby.
Some Firms Save Money By Offering Employees Free Surgery
The idea is this: Negotiate a flat price with a few hospitals to cover surgery, physical therapy and certain other post-op treatments. Companies save money and hospitals gain patients.
Genetic Counselors Struggle To Keep Up With Huge New Demand
After Angelina Jolie disclosed her genetic predisposition for breast cancer, demand for genetic tests went up. Counselors help interpret those tests, and demand for their services has increased, too.
