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State highlights: Medi-Cal rate cuts loom; Latin American docs help meet need

In an office decorated with Chinese art and diagrams of body parts, Dr. George Ma cares for more than 4,000 patients. Nearly three-quarters are covered by Medi-Cal, the state's public insurance program for low-income Californians, and Ma said he receives $10 a month to treat most of them (Gorman and York, 6/10).

12 Jun 2013

Communication gap between moms and providers in low-income countries puts babies at risk

Mothers in low-income countries may not understand why their babies are hospitalized after delivery, putting sick newborns at higher risk of health problems and death after being released from the hospital, a new study shows.

12 Jun 2013

Insider probe over Medicare rate decision hits Congress

News outlets report on developments in the story of alleged insider trading after a Medicare rate decision.

12 Jun 2013

Telemedicine: A way to decrease patient wait times in ED

Emergency department overcrowding has been a major issue nationally for 20 years and continues to increase in severity. To address this issue, a pilot study has been launched at UC San Diego Health System's ED to use telemedicine as a way to help address crowding and decrease patient wait times.

12 Jun 2013

Mayo Clinic suggests five simple steps to improve health care quality

Instead of wondering what your doctor wrote in your patient record after a visit, ask him or her to read back the notes to ensure accuracy. It's one of five simple steps Mayo Clinic suggests doctors and patients take to improve health care quality.

12 Jun 2013

MHN, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals launch new health awareness program on Peyronie's disease

Men's Health Network and Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, have announced the launch of a new health awareness program called "Ask About the Curve" to provide information about Peyronie's disease and to help empower men to have meaningful discussions about their condition with their partner and their healthcare provider.

11 Jun 2013

ECG in your mobile!

A research scientist working at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a user-friendly smart phone application that allows consumers to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) in the comfort of their own homes.

11 Jun 2013

Going viral with public health messages

Kaiser Health News reports on how one doctor is using YouTube to communicate public health messages while The Washington Post reports on how a data event leads to consideration of health care cost solutions.

11 Jun 2013

The 'parallel challenge:' Coordinating care for mental and physical health issues

While the Los Angeles Times reports on the challenges of helping patients who struggle with physical and mental illnesses, the Boston Globe reports on a creative approach to reduce hospital readmissions.

11 Jun 2013

Director of Sinai's Diabetes Resource Center receives Compassionate Doctor of 2012 Award

Sally M. Pinkstaff, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the Diabetes Resource Center at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and a member of the Division of Endocrinology in the Department of Medicine at Sinai, has been honored with a Compassionate Doctor of 2012 Award.

10 Jun 2013

Study: Rate of suicide among men is almost three times that of women

The study, a collaboration between Lund University in Sweden and Stanford University, showed that the rate of suicide among men is almost three times that of women. Being young, single and having a low level of education were stronger risk factors for suicide among men, while mental illness was a stronger risk factor among women. Unemployment was the strongest social risk factor among women, whereas being single was the strongest among men.

10 Jun 2013

Debate over a dying child and a lack of transplant organs

Several columnists explore the difficult questions raised by the case of Sarah Murnaghan, a 10-year-old with cystic fibrosis who needs a lung transplant to survive.

10 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 10, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about President Barack Obama's efforts last week to urge uninsured people to sign up for the coverage that will soon become unavailable as a result of the health law.

10 Jun 2013

Poll reveals that half of Canadians are directly touched by stroke

More Canadians are surviving strokes due to advances in awareness and medical services but a new report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation reveals that more than one-third of Canadians mistakenly believe that the recovery period is limited to a few months.

10 Jun 2013

FDA panel loosens Avandia safety restrictions

Despite some concern over whether the diabetes drug Avandia can increase heart problems, an FDA panel Thursday loosened restrictions on how doctors can prescribe the drug.

10 Jun 2013

State highlights: Ore. schools face insurance exchange choice

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. wages are so low they force many of its employees onto the public doles, creating a drag on taxpayers and the economy, according to a new report from the staff of congressional Democrats. The report analyzes data from Wisconsin's Medicaid program, estimating that a single 300-person Wal-Mart Supercenter in that state likely costs taxpayers at least $904,542 per year and could cost up to $1,744,590 per year, or roughly $5,815 per employee (Lazo, 6/7).

10 Jun 2013

Genetic testing of chronic neutrophilic leukemia reveals presence of new mutation in patients

A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine describes genetic testing of a rare blood cancer called atypical chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) that revealed a new mutation present in most patients with the disease.

7 Jun 2013

Heartburn complaints in children may be due to spicy food

Did you know the number one reason children complain about chest pain is because they actually have heartburn? A lot of people believe that adults are the only ones who get it, but I have been seeing more and more children complain about heartburn, and there are some common reasons why.

7 Jun 2013

Longer looks: Obamacare explained; the dark side of medical school; tatoos removed

Whether you love it, hate it or are just plain confused, the ACA is the law of the land. The thousand-page law covers a lot of ground and figuring out what part of it has to do with you can be a challenge.

7 Jun 2013

Study shows success in pinpointing individualized treatment for women with metastatic breast cancer

Funded by volleyball tournaments, a new study released this week shows success in pinpointing individualized treatment for women with metastatic breast cancer, according to George Mason University researchers.

6 Jun 2013