Day: February 16, 2017

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House Republican leaders shared general descriptions Thursday with rank-and-file lawmakers of how they’d propose replacing President Barack Obama’s health care law, with little detail. Highlights are based on a document distributed to legislators obtained by The Associated Press and interviews with lawmakers, aides and lobbyists: MEDICAID: Phases out Obama’s expanded Medicaid coverage for more low-income people that 31 states accepted, which is nearly completely financed by federal funds.

Medicaid exposes rifts within the GOP over the programa s future after the ACA

Seema Verma, nominated to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, testifies at her confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Finance Committee. As congressional Republicans move from talking points to details of how to abolish the Affordable Care Act, behind-the-scenes jockeying over the future of Medicaid demonstrates the delicate trade-offs the GOP faces in trying to steer health policy in a more conservative direction.

Seven simple ways to boost heart health

… of radically revamping their diet and exercise routine overnight simply doesn’t stick. Making small steps to better health is less daunting and easier to incorporate into our everyday lives,” says Lucy Wilkinson, a British Heart Foundation senior …

Proposed bill would allow ‘dental therapists’ to perform dental procedures

Need a tooth pulled or a cavity filled? Forget the dentist. A number of states are allowing or considering letting “dental therapists,” professionals with a lower level of training, do the job.  In dozens of countries and a handful of U.S. states, dental therapists also sometimes called advanced dental hygiene practitioners help fill gaps in access to oral care for low-income, elderly and disabled people, and in rural areas where few dentists practice, according to many public health advocates.  In Massachusetts, a group that lobbies on behalf of dentists has for the first time signaled a willingness to embrace the concept, though its proposal is viewed as unnecessarily restrictive by sponsors of a competing bill in the Legislature.  “We are not a silver bullet for helping access to dental care, but we are a great tool,” said Christy Jo Fogarty, a dental therapist in … (more)

Highlights of House GOP health care overhaul proposal

House Republican leaders shared general descriptions Thursday with rank-and-file lawmakers of how they’d propose replacing President Barack Obama’s health care law, with little detail. Highlights are based on a document distributed to legislators obtained by The Associated Press and interviews with lawmakers, aides and lobbyists: MEDICAID: Phases out Obama’s expanded Medicaid coverage for more low-income people that 31 states accepted, which is nearly completely financed by federal funds.

“Superspreaders” identified as driving cause of 2014 Ebola epidemic

A new study has shown that in the catastrophic 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, about three percent of the people infected were responsible for infecting 61 percent of all cases. The issue of so-called “superspreaders,” according to researchers who published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is so significant that it’s important to put a better face on just who these people are and then better reach them with public health measures designed to control the spread of infectious disease during epidemics.

Hardy Jackson: Taking down the Big Top

Bo, an Asian elephant with the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, is fitted with a tux in Philadelphia in 2001. Bo, an Asian elephant with the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, is fitted with a tux in Philadelphia in 2001.

Alzheimer’s Walk wants you

Penticton residents can join a team to participate in the Investors Group Walk for Alzheimer’s and show their support for people who face dementia. The event is Canada’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and takes in 21 communities across B.C. on Sunday, May 7. The walk is a fun and family-friendly event and is unique to each community.

Scientists create scorecard index for heart-damaging chemo drugs

Joseph Wu and his colleagues used lab-grown heart cells to assess the effect of chemotherapy drugs on heart muscle. Steve Fisch Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine used heart muscle cells made from stem cells to rank commonly used chemotherapy drugs based on their likelihood of causing lasting heart damage in patients.

Factors associated with stigma attitude towards people living with…

The effect of HIV-related stigma on HIV prevention and treatment is particularly serious in China. This study was to examine stigma attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS among general individuals in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China and the factors associated with stigma attitude, including socio-demographic factors and HIV/AIDS Knowledge.

Man drops 70 pounds after cancer diagnosis

… doing the surgery,” said Bariatric Physician Assistant Lauren White, “Because it’s an increased risk to your health if we do the surgery now.” The 350-pound Stone has lost 70 pounds with the New Direction program at the hospital. His was a rapid …