By Martha Bebinger Kaiser Health News She was 15 and recovering from rape, when she realized she was pregnant. She knew right away that she wanted to terminate the pregnancy. But as in many states, Massachusetts required — and still requires — minors to get a parent’s consent before an[Read More…]
Health And Fitness
Effort to control opioids in an ER leaves some sickle cell patients in pain
By Sam Whitehead Kaiser Health News India Hardy has lived with pain since she was a toddler — ranging from dull persistent aches to acute flare-ups that interrupt the flow of her normal life. The pain is from sickle cell disease, a group of genetic conditions that affect about 100,000[Read More…]
Congressional letter takes issue with access to exempt FDA database
CC/KEVIN HARBER SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Dr. Nalini Rajamannan — a specialist for patients with valvular heart disease in Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology, Sheboygan, Wis. — confirms today that patients finally may get answers about whether medical devices placed in their bodies are tested and safe, as the Food[Read More…]
Hospital known for glamorous patients opens new doors to its neediest
By Anna Almendrala and Harriet Blair Rowan Kaiser Health News LOS ANGELES — With its deluxe suites, A-list patients and world-class art collection that includes works by Picasso and Chagall, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s nickname is “ hospital to the stars.” But starting this year, it is making a change for[Read More…]
Loophole averted after surprise-bill brouhaha in Texas
By ASHLEY LOPEX Kaiser Health News It appears Texas will get one of the strongest laws in the nation against surprise medical bills after all. The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, wavered last month when the Texas Medical Board drafted the rules for its implementation. The board, made up[Read More…]
Coping with loss of hospital, rural town realizes: We don’t need a hospital
By Sarah Jane Tribble Kaiser Health News FORT SCOTT, Kan. — Dr. Max Self grabbed a sanitary wipe and cleaned off the small flashlight in his hands. More than 20 years as a family doctor in rural Fort Scott, Kan., has taught him a few tricks: “I’ve got my flashlight.[Read More…]
Government-funded day care helps keep seniors out of nursing homes, hospitals
By Lori Basheda Kaiser Health News SAN MARCOS, Calif. — Two mornings a week, a van arrives at the Escondido, Calif., home of Mario Perez and takes him to a new senior center in this northern San Diego County town, where he eats a hot lunch, plays cards and gets[Read More…]
Vaping waste is a whole new headache for schools, cities
By John Daley Kaiser Health News In her office at Boulder High School, the assistant principal has a large cardboard box where she can toss the spoils of her ongoing battle with the newest student addiction. “This is what I call the box of death,” said Kristen Lewis. “This is[Read More…]
Books, binders, bleed-control kits: How school shootings are changing classroom basics
By Sandy West Kaiser Health News When a student recently opened fire at a California high school, staff members did what they were trained to do. They shepherded students to safe spaces, barricaded doors, pulled shades — and, when gunfire struck, used techniques adapted from the battlefield to save lives.[Read More…]
States turn to tried-and-true remedy to stop teen vaping: Taxes
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez Kaiser Health News Kathleen Hambleton once used to spend $100 a week on Marlboro Reds. The 43-year-old nurse from Saxtons River, Vt., paid a high price for her addiction to smoking, undergoing multiple throat surgeries. The financial hit was also a big burden. After lozenges, patches[Read More…]