MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'alliance'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:56:31 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181787&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F5nzekSZKljs%2F The following is a guest post by Karen Orloff Kaplan the CEO of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. TEAL is on trend this September. Not only is teal a top fashion color for fall 2011, it’s the color of ovarian cancer awareness—and September is national ovarian cancer awareness month. Here’s how you can help raise awareness of this disease. To support ovarian cancer awareness you can get involved in the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance’s United States of Teal campaign. The goal of the campaign is to have every state in America teal—which happens when state legislators pledge their support for ovarian cancer awareness. Twenty-four states are already teal—visit www.unitedstatesofteal.org to see if your state supports women with ovarian cancer. The website also shows how you can... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181787 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:15:09 +0100 5181787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159439&cid=t_133386_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fo71YDxEQEUA%2F We just noticed that the Alliance for Aging Research offers an excellent list of references on Brain Health Research, organized in these 10 sections below. Enjoy! #1 Nourish Your Noggin: Eat a Brain Healthy Diet #2 Use It or Lose It: Stay Mentally Active #3 Work Out for Your Wits: Exercise and Keep Fit #4 Interact with Others: Stay Social #5 Rest for Restoration: Get Plenty of Sleep #6 Unwind for Your Mind: Manage Your Stress #7 Guard Your Gray Matter: Protect Your Head #8 Think Overall Health: Control Other Conditions #9 Give Your Brain a Break: Avoid Unhealthy Habits #10 Understand Your Risk: Consider Your Genes Related articles: The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Brains Debunking 10 Brain Myths (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159439 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:52:32 +0100 5159439 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140143&cid=t_133386_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-us-says-meh-well-think-about-it-ncd-alliance%2F “Noncommunicable Disease Alliance Fights to Retain Goals” – a quick and clear post about the upcoming NCD Alliance Summit and the dangers we face as major players hesitate to step up to the plate. More Links about this:—————————-Interview with NCDA Chair Ann KeelingPost on DiabetesMine.comInternational Diabetes Federation The US Says “Meh, we’ll THINK about it…” NCD Alliance! is a post from: Scott's Diabetes (Source: Scott's Diabetes Blog) Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140143 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:00:13 +0100 5140143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008379&cid=t_133386_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fsmall-isolated-rural-hospitals-show-pooerer-results-measures-quality-care-patient-outcomes In the first national study to examine care at critical access hospitals (CAHs) in rural areas of the U.S., Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that CAHs have fewer clinical capabilities, lower quality of care, and worse patient outcomes compared with other hospitals. The researchers found that patients admitted to a CAH for heart attack, congestive heart failure, or pneumonia were at greater risk of dying within 30 days than those at other hospitals. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008379 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:19:48 +0100 5008379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008449&cid=t_133386_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fq6v6sBUFKL4%2F Thinking globally to improve mental health: NIH announces international research initiative (press release): - “The Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health Initiative, led by the National Institutes of Health and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, has identified the top 40 barriers to better mental health around the world. Similar to past grand challenges, which focused on infectious diseases and chronic, noncommunicable diseases, this initiative seeks to build a community of funders dedicated to supporting research that will significantly improve the lives of people living with MNS disorders within the next 10 years.“ – “Participating in global mental health research is an enormous opportunity, a means to accelerate advances in mental health care for the diverse U.S. popul... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008449 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:53:39 +0100 5008449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992995&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FrmAxL8gOtko%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Arno Therapeutics hired Alexander Zukiwski as chief medical officer. Most recently, he was executive vp for clinical research and chief medical officer at MedImmune, where he was responsible for developing and implementing clinical research, me... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992995 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:56:35 +0100 4992995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872473&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FliBV1h4EAXA%2F File this under sticking point. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations is coming under fire because a large vaccine maker that provides most of its income is about to become a pharma representative on its board. The move is prompting concerns about conflicts of interest amid demands for lower vaccine prices, The Financial Times writes. In July, Johnson & Johnson’s recently acquired Crucell unit will replace GlaxoSmithKline on the GAVI board (see this), which next month meets in London in hopes of raising $3.7 billion. But some non-governmental organizations say GAVI, which last year sent $825 million in donor funds to vaccination programs in poor countries, is not doing enough to lower prices paid for vaccines. “We think some conflicts are too big to manage,”... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872473 Fri, 27 May 2011 13:02:26 +0100 4872473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847951&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FwO2_l_PCpZI%2F By Lois Privor-Dumm. We’ve all heard these words: “There is tremendous need here at home,” or “money in Africa has been wasted for so long.”   This is why this simple video from the ONE campaign struck me. Through a public health lens it is a no-brainer: of course you want to spend on cost–effective interventions that will save lives.  For others, while they admit that it is an admirable goal, the connection is not made.  In times of financial uncertainty, we have to be more careful with our money, don’t we? One of the best and prudent ways to invest though, is in future generations.  In the US, we provide all of our children the best chance at life, with fewer worries about preventable, devastating disease.  Imagine what that kind of security could do for a family in A... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847951 Fri, 20 May 2011 13:27:50 +0100 4847951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841986&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FQdEauZbTgWI%2F There is nothing new or surprising that fewer government funds are available for state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, or ADAPs. But the crisis is growing. As of May 12, there were 8,100 people on AIDS Drug Assistance Program, or ADAP, waiting lists in 13 states, which is a whopping 706 percent increase from 1,004 individuals in 10 states who were on ADAP waiting lists exactly a year ago. Meanwhile, 16 more state ADAPs have undertaken various cost containment strategies, such as reducing formularies and capping enrollment, over the past two years. This is up from 10 states at this time last year, according to the latest report from the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors. And five other states are considering the same measures (see here and here). For those who may ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841986 Thu, 19 May 2011 11:48:35 +0100 4841986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4795056&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FgtIUt5aYG24%2F How closely tied are professional medical societies to drug and device makers? Just how much money do some receive? And how obvious is the spending at annual meetings? The answers - some have very close ties, get lots of money and the outlay can be enough to burst a blood vessel. Take the Heart Rhythm Society, which is holding its annual to-do in San Francisco this week. For instance, Sanofi-Aventis shelled out a total of $351,00, which was divided this way: $110,000 on programs & guides; another $110,000 on educational support; $96,000 for exhibit space; $25,000 for ‘turndown service,’ and $10,000 for bag inserts and cards. Similarly, Johnson & Johnson spent $386,750. Here’s how: $275,000 for exhibit space and lounge;s $36,000 on educational support; $25,000 for ban... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4795056 Fri, 06 May 2011 13:44:32 +0100 4795056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768248&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGYUstGjx3OI%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Alliance Life Sciences hired Animesh Gandhi as a director on aggregate spend, which refers to the state and federal reporting process for payments to healthcare professionals. Previously, Gandhi worked as a management consultant at Daiichi Sank... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768248 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:11:10 +0100 4768248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642996&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FWCD_uX1CWRo%2F For the second time in recent months, California State Controller John Chiang has written a drugmaker asking for a reduction in the price of a key AIDS med. This time, Chiang wrote Gilead Sciences to lower the price of its Atripla drug, which costs about $21,900 a year per patient and accounts for about 20 percent of all expenditures made by the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) nationally. The move comes amid shrinking budgets for state ADAP programs (back story) and nearly a dozen states maintain growing waiting lists that, cumulatively, number more than 7,200 people, according to the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (see this). And Chiang maintains California can no longer keep up with rising demand and rising prices, according to his letter. Specifically... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642996 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:03:59 +0100 4642996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622243&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FylvsM-A6Df0%2F By Meryl Bloomrosen. “They” say that being a teenager is NOT easy.  Well, being the parent of a teenager is certainly isn’t easy either.  And it is usually the case that all of us will experience some bumps along the way.   Yet, to some such concerns and crises seem insignificant or trite in comparison to recent headlines such as those about the Tsunami, earthquake and nuclear reactor explosions in Japan; Haitian elections; social unrest and justice in Egypt and elsewhere; and attacks in Libya. Or the ongoing headlines about the economic meltdowns on Wall Street; bank, savings and loans failures; or the continuing high unemployment statistics; and plummeting real estate values.  Or even NCAA March madness. Although, there has been periodic news and media attention on teen ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622243 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:31:28 +0100 4622243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610804&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FhuDcKGAA0X8%2F A letter from the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA) CEO, Karen Orloff Kaplan, to the Washington Post explains the importance of the Defense Department’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program. Her letter, published March 18, 2011, is included below. The Pentagon’s Valuable Cancer Research I am one of the advocates prodding lawmakers to increase funding for the Defense Department’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program [“Cancer research is in Pentagon budget,” news story, March 13]. Advocacy groups and members of Congress have been strong champions of Pentagon-conducted cancer research for one reason: Defense Department cancer researchers get amazing results with minimal investment. Cancer research performed by the Pentagon is unique in that it funds high-risk, high-reward projects that ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610804 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:14:07 +0100 4610804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575246&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FDiD_H2Gzp3I%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that MCS Healthcare Public Relations promoted Brian Thompson to senior vp, which means he will also join the agency’s executive committee. For the past five years, he has worked with several drugmakers to promote meds in various therapeutic areas,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575246 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:39:14 +0100 4575246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575260&cid=t_133386_167_f&fid=36994&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition-news.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Ffight-cancer-with-chocolate-mousse-nbc.html : Free cooking classes promote nutrition to prevent and fight cancerAt 27 years old, Katherine Lawrence was an Iraq war veteran, but it was the battle she was facing at home that would prove to be the toughest."I started to have really bad pain in my abdomen, and I found out I had severe endometriosis and uterine cysts and ovarian cysts," said Lawrence."My doctor wanted to put me into early menopause, and then schedule me for a hysterectomy," said Lawrence.Desperate to avoid that, she started eating a low-fat, vegan diet and in just five weeks her health problems were virtually gone."My doctor was amazed," said Lawrence.Now, she teaches cooking classes to help prevent and battle cancer in conjunction with a non-profit group called The Food for Life Alliance working with the charity The Can... Healthy Eating and Nutrition News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575260 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:50:00 +0100 4575260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532572&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJhdgNC8Xh6E%2F The European Medicines Agency is being criticized for not objecting to a pharma industry consulting gig taken by its former executive director, Thomas Lonngren, who left at the end of the December. However, he only told the EMA board of his intention to pursue consulting in a December 28 letter - and his new consulting job was to begin on January 1. Instead of asking questions, the EMA chair, Pat O’Mahony, responded that the agency had no objections to Lonngren’s new position, according to consumer advocacy groups, which wrote a letter to the EMA to complain about its decision (here are the letters between Lonngren and O’Mahony, although the Lonngren letter is misdated). The groups charge in their own letter that the EMA board did not request details from Lönngren about his cons... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532572 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:43:18 +0100 4532572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477753&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FFUfdKvy9hJA%2F By Lois Privor-Dumm. A decade can make a difference.  Eleven years ago this month, I had the privilege of launching pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) here in the US.  It was a vaccine that I knew would have a profound impact on children and families all over the country, Protection against severe meningitis and other infections allowed American children to move along the path of their lives –with a low risk of this potentially life-changing catastrophic disease. Children in developing countries though faced a different picture over the past decade. Pneumococcus in the developing world not only causes severe meningitis, but is a leading cause of pneumonia.  Without access to PCV, 3 month-old Dominic Mwangi, found himself in the district hospital undergoing antibiotic treatment for... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477753 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:00:30 +0100 4477753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4446034&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSZss_ZM6lJg%2F For the past few years, Abbott Laboratories has regularly mailed a survey to new moms about breastfeeding and the use of infant formula. The marketing move reflects a vested interest, since Abbott sells the Similac baby formula, which recently made headlines after beetles were discovered in one of its factories, prompting a recall (see this). The survey, however, comes from the National Institute for Infant Nutrition, a non-existent entity, which has caused a few quizzical moms to post questions and skeptical remarks on chat boards (look here and here). Not surprisingly, a few suspected the source was, in fact, an infant formula maker. “I think this is a front for the formula companies. They should just be honest about it, imo, and offer to send you free coupons,” wrote one mom... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4446034 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:29:48 +0100 4446034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436900&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F04%2Ffeeling-powerless-so-far-away-from-egypt-help-change-the-canadian-governments-response%2F Like so much of the world I have been transfixed on the dramatic events in Egypt, but feeling a little powerless to help – until I read about the Harper government’s response (which, I guess, we shouldn’t be surprised about)! What follows came from the Canadian Peace Alliance. Stephen Harper backs Mubarak’s ‘transition’ plan Contact [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436900 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 22:07:26 +0100 4436900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436750&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftoo-drunk-to-drive-your-car-will-tell-you-if-s%2F2011.02.04 Drunk driving continues to be a serious problem. In 2009 for example, alcohol was a factor in more than 10,000 highway deaths. The same year, a stunning 10 percent of respondents to a survey of U.S. adults said they had operated an automobile while drunk during the previous year. Nearly 6 percent said they had done it more than once. So how would you feel about a car that can instantly detect whether a driver is drunk and prevent that person from starting the car? You better make up your mind quickly, because scientists are close to perfecting this technology. “We’re five to seven years away from being able to integrate this into cars,” Robert Strassburger, the VP for safety at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) told the Washington Post. The AAM, an automotive trade... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436750 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:00:23 +0100 4436750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405995&cid=t_133386_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F27%2Foutside-the-body-filtration-device-may-reduce-ovarian-cancer-cells-in-abdominal-fluid%2F A paper published in the January issue of the journal Nanomedicine could provide the foundation for a new ovarian cancer treatment option — one that would use an outside-the-body filtration device to remove a large portion of the free-floating cancer cells that often create secondary tumors. A paper published in the January issue of the [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405995 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 22:13:24 +0100 4405995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394751&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FCvf7cwE0jD4%2F Hello, everyone, and nice to see you again. We hope your weekend was relaxing and refreshing. Now, of course, the time has come to resume the routine as those meetings and deadlines beckon. We know the feeling. To cope, we are brewing our usual cup of stimulation - our flavor today is Pumpkin Spice - and we invite you to join us. Meanwhile, here are some interesting tidbits to help you along. Hope your day goes well and do stay in touch… Supreme Court Rejects Vanderbilt Bid On Lilly Cialis Patent (Indianapolis Star) Glaxo Stopped Running Levitra Ads In Late 2009 (Dow Jones) EU Price Cuts And US Reform Weigh On Drugmakers (Reuters) Sanofi Extends Genzyme Bid To February 15 (Bloomberg News) China Health Deal To Boost US Pharma Exports (Pharma Times) Families Drop Case Against Epilepsy ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394751 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:57:03 +0100 4394751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318328&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FVf7qikM2ErY%2F By Sharon Terry. A peek into the past can reveal a lot about your future. Family health history is the story of diseases that run in your family. It is one part of the entire history of your family. Along with culture, values, environment, and behaviors, family health history influences the way you live your life. Learning about your family health history can help you make healthy choices: It is a cheap, easy way to improve your own health and the health of your family. Share the information you gather with your healthcare provider to further reduce your risk of disease and create a partnership around your health. Check out the Does It Run In the Family? toolkit in English and Spanish! “A Guide to Family Health History” explains the importance of family health history, how to collect ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318328 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:05:46 +0100 4318328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4313959&cid=t_133386_85_f&fid=34798&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommitmenttoliving.com%2F2011%2F01%2F04%2Fhelping-at-risk-patients-who-rarely-show-up%2F From early on in my quest to understand the unique challenges mental health professionals face in working with patients at risk for suicide, I’ve wondered aloud about the things that make us the most nervous. I’m still working my way through a  list of questions I posted based on my notes from a series of trainings I delivered across New York State. One that has kept coming up since that time is this one: How do we handle individuals at risk who are only marginally involved in treatment-they miss more appointments than they make, but still come enough that they remain on our caseloads? Mental health care was not organized to fit the way many people at risk utilize services. Much of outpatient mental health is organized around a fantasy that most patients will (1) Make an appoi... Commitment to Living blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4313959 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 02:21:31 +0100 4313959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305101&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FCNvylDI-Y7k%2F Concerned that many of its drugmakers may be taken over in a wave of mergers and acquisitions, the Indian government is considering a proposal that would place a 49 percent lid on foreign direct investment in its pharmaceutical companies. Officials from the ministry of commerce and industry and ministry of health have met several times in recent weeks, and more meetings are scheduled, according to LiveMint. The initiative stems from a paper floated last summer by the Indian Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in response to a growing wave of deals in which multi-national drugmakers have been acquiring Indian pharma companies. Global drugmakers have espoused the “emerging markets’ trend as they desperately seek to bolster their thinning pipelines. “Most of these companie... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305101 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:49:51 +0100 4305101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4251169&cid=t_133386_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F12%2F01%2Femr-safety-event-reporting%2F The PDR Network in partnership with the iHealth Alliance has launched a new reporting system for adverse EHR events called EHREvent.org. Some of these adverse EMR events might include: software problems, inadequate user training, security breaches and near-misses. Here’s a short quote from the press release about the new website: Using a standardized online format, EHRevent will collect reports from physicians and other health care providers who use EHRs, and create reports that medical societies, professional liability carriers and government agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will use to help educate providers on the potential challenges that EHR systems may bring. The form breaks out the EHR safety events into 4 categories: Incident: An EHR event that re... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4251169 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:21:10 +0100 4251169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214036&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fconfidentiality-clause-or-oath-of.html The advancement of modern scientific medicine depends on the search for and dissemination of truth. Academic medicine, like the rest of academia, ought to be based on openness, transparency, and academic freedom. The 1940 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure opened with:The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Yet we have written about dark clouds of secrecy spreading over medicine and health care. The increasingly powerful leaders of health care increasingly use opacity and secrecy to keep what they are doing out of the public eye. We have frequently discussed the anechoic effect, how it is just not done to discuss certain topics, particularly those related to the adverse effects ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214036 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:27:00 +0100 4214036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183582&cid=t_133386_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F19%2Famerica-fails-in-eating-fruits-and-vegetables%2F By: Elizabeth Jarrard The National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance (NFVA) recently released a report that showed in an average day, only 6 percent of individuals consume the recommended amount of vegetables and 8 percent the recommended amount of fruit. The US’s report card didn’t look to great, and even received a couple Fs. The societal cost of NOT eating fruits and vegetables: $56.2 billion (grew 9% each year over last 5 years), growing health care cost of treating diet-related diseases To put this in perspective, eight of the states with the lowest fruit and vegetable consumption are also in the top 10 states with the highest obesity rates.  William Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity said, “A diet high in fruits and... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183582 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:14:16 +0100 4183582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139480&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FQQmWLy0WjS4%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Weill Cornell Medical College hired Steve Paul to head the Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Research. Before joining the institution, Paul was vp of science and technology and president of at Eli Lilly Research Labs and was the scientific ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139480 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:32:57 +0100 4139480 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954261&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwho-partners-with-traditional-healers-in-africa%2F2010.09.09 There’s an AIDS epidemic in Africa, and efforts to fight it are hampered by the endemic social problems of that continent. Chief among them are the lack of sufficient modern health resources, the spread of destructive rumors and myths about HIV/AIDS, and even the persistence of HIV denial in Africa (although this last factor is better than in the past). The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance are teaming up with the Traditional Health Practitioners Association of Zambia (THPAZ) to address the first problem –- the lack of health services. Most Zambians use traditional healers for primary healthcare. The WHO has therefore decided to utilize traditional healers in the fight against AIDS. There are interesting pros and cons to this policy, but it mus... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954261 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:00:20 +0100 3954261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3943025&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FciVEK-I929s%2F Last December, the Senate Finance Committee’s Chuck Grassley sent letters 33 medical advocay groups, including the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and American Academy of Family Physicians for details about the money they and their board members received from drug and device makers (background here). The move came several months after Grassley and his staffers discovered that the National Alliance on Mental Illness received sizeable pharma donations while also conducting lobbying efforts with drug makers and pushing legislation that benefits these companies. Since then, NAMI has posted that sort of info on its web site (look here). But what about the others? Well, The Chronicle of Philanthropy has done an update by checking in wit... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3943025 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:14:41 +0100 3943025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294767&cid=t_133386_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FQCzq2r90Zdc%2Ffall-speaking-engagements.html My fledgling speaking career—one that seems to be finding me rather than me pursuing it—is getting a big boost this fall.Next week, I'm part of the opening keynote session at the mHealth Initiative's 2nd International mHealth Networking Conference in San Diego.On Thursday, Sept. 16, it looks like I will be moderating a roundtable on mobile patient management at the half-day Mobile Healthcare and Medicine Symposia in Toronto, as part of Mobile Innovation Week in that fantastic Canadian city.I'll be headed to Las Vegas in mid-October to moderate three sessions at the Mobile Health Expo 2010:"The Real Time Healthcare Enterprise," Oct. 19, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PDT"Carrier or Wired Connectivity as the Backhaul From a Central Aggregator? Wireless Architectures and Industry Alignments for ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294767 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:05:00 +0100 4294767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3925054&cid=t_133386_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F01%2Fcall-to-action-protect-expand-u-s-federal-ovarian-cancer-research-funding%2F Do you live in AL, CA, HI, IL, IA, KS, KY, MD, MI, MO, NH, ND, PA, TX, UT, VT, WA or WI? If so, one of your Senators sits on the U.S. Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee that determines how much funding is given to the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program. Ask your [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3925054 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:42:46 +0100 3925054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889072&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvRa2WL-7944%2F Politico has obtained and published a confidential messaging-strategy presentation that essentially admits ObamaCare supporters are losing the battle for public opinion.  The presentation was delivered to professional leftists by the left-wing Herndon Alliance, based on public opinion research by Democratic pollsters John Anzalone, Celinda Lake, and Stan Greenberg, in a forum organized by the left-wing group Families USA,  “one of the central groups in the push for the initial legislation.”  It is a stark admission that the public has not warmed to the new health care law, despite predictions that they would do so.  Here’s how Politico describes the presentation and its implications: Key White House allies are dramatically shifting their attempts to defend health care... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889072 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:04:57 +0100 3889072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746987&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F_M88yNNu-KI%2F In response to the funding crisis facing state programs that provide AIDS and HIV drugs to the public, the US Department of Health and Human Services late last week provided an additional $25 million to the states where patient waiting lists have ballooned and various belt tightening moves are under way (see statement). The only problem is that advocates say the long-sought reallocation isn’t nearly enough. “It’ll help some people who are on waiting lists at a growing number of states, but it’s far from the amount that’s needed for the rest of the fiscal year. The situation continues to get worse,” Carl Schmid, deputy executive director of The AIDS Institute, an advocacy group, tells us. “It’s welcome news,” says Ann Lefert, associate ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746987 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:03:58 +0100 3746987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3648477&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FakmCkkPASJs%2F By Jim HarperMore than once I’ve come across reports in the immigration area that start from false premises. A good example is a report from the Smart Card Alliance titled “Securing Identity and Enabling Employment Verification: How Do Immigration Reform and Citizen Identification Align?” In the second paragraph of the executive summary, the report states:  ”A robust system of identification and secure identification documents is a key requirement that needs to be addressed in the immigration reform debate.” This premise is wrong. Reforming immigration law is what should be addressed in the immigration reform debate. Identity security, just like border control, will flow naturally from reforms to immigration law that create legal avenues for entry. There... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3648477 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:58:16 +0100 3648477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3515639&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FyPZffgAk_4I%2F The latest chapter in the saga involving the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, and the amount of money accepted from the pharmaceutical industry has millions being contributed to NAMI state chapters. And Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, who has been probing the relationship between patient groups and drugmakers and how this may influence the practice of medicine, wants to know what the national organization is doing to make the state chapters more transparent, and how the money is used. You may recall that a majority of donations made to NAMI, a big advocacy group, have come from drugmakers in recent years. And the disclosure comes after protracted criticism of NAMI for coordinating lobbying efforts with drug makers and pushing legislatio... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3515639 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:59:52 +0100 3515639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3436288&cid=t_133386_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F04%2Fharriet-shetler-co-founder-of-nami%2F Harriet Shetler has passed away at the age of 92. She helped found the organization that eventually became the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), and was a tireless advocate on behalf of people with mental health concerns. It’s no wonder — her son had schizophrenia. Today the organization Mrs. Shetler helped start, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has affiliates in every state and more than 1,100 communities. It offers support to the mentally ill and people living with them; promotes research and education on mental illness; and lobbies governments on mental health concerns. NAMI was formed in 1977 when Shetler and Beverly Young, a mother who also had a son with schizophrenia, met over lunch to discuss the similar challenges they shared raising a child wit... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3436288 Sun, 04 Apr 2010 13:19:32 +0100 3436288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378732&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fj_XwUiio9VA%2F The move is designed to jumpstart testing and approval of new regimens for so-called drug cocktails to combat tuberculosis, AIDS and cancer. The guidelines would apply only to drugs for life-threatening illnesses for which options don’t already exist, and that drug cocktails are believed necessary. Among those involved: the Critical Path to TB Regimens, which includes Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and a unit of Johnson & Johnson; Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, the Critical Path Institute and Treatment Action Group, as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The companies have agreed to share data and test combo treatments. “This represents a bigger issue - the strengthening of regulatory science” to encompass scientific advances,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378732 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:10:42 +0100 3378732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346456&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theglobalhealthinitiative.org%2Fdocuments%2Freport_rmnch.pdf Editor’s note: This past December, the Disruptive Women in Health Care blog launched a series on The Value of Health: Creating Economic Security in the Developing World. In addition to Disruptive Women’s own pool of experts, a number of guests were invited to post on this critically important topic. We invite you to download the ebook or read the original posts. By Lois Privor-Dumm. It’s really simple.  8.8 million children die every year.  Not here in the US, but in developing countries where they don’t have access to the same care that we do here.  How much of our global health budget goes to address these basic needs?  Less than $1 of every $10. Children are the future of every country.  Providing them with basic care to ensure they survive until their fifth birthday doesn... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346456 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:02:29 +0100 3346456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276081&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwCnXGEF-d30%2F Western Europeans spend an estimated $14.3 billion each a year on illicit meds, many of which are believed to be counterfeit, according to a new survey sponsored by Pfizer. Overall, 21 percent of 14,000 people surveyed in 14 countries say they bought meds illicitly, ranging from 38 percent in Germany to 10 in the Netherlands. The purchases occurred over the Internet or on overseas trips, in nightclub and through friends. Weight-loss pills accounted for nearly half of all online purchases, followed by prescription drugs for the flu, impotence, smoking cessation and painkillers. Separately, Syria recently shut down a ring selling counterfeit meds in the Middle East, The Wall Street Journal reports. Jim Thomson, chairman of the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines, which receives in... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276081 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:55:37 +0100 3276081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3273059&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2162 LGBT ally Rep Diane Watson will not run for re-election by Karen Ocamb February 11, 2010 Longtime LGBT ally Congressmember Diane E. Watson (D-CA) formally announced Thursday that she is not seeking re-election. She wants Karen Bass, the outgoing Speaker of the California Assembly and another pro-LGBT ally, to replace her representing California’s 33rd Congressional District. Watson’s openly gay legislative deputy Charles Stewart describes below how his boss told her staff she was retiring. But first something about Watson. I first met Diane Watson in the early 1990s at AIDS activist Phill Wilson’s house for a meet and greet with the California State Senator, where she’d been serving since 1978. First thing that struck me was how tall she was – statuesque and elegant and smart. Tu... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3273059 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:26:33 +0100 3273059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267133&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2160 new media toolkit one-pagers chers— this is an excellent set of posts on the new media from the AIDS.gov blog. they are intended to give you an overview of just what we’re talking about when we say “new media,” with links to more information and resources as you want and/or need them. plan spending some time with these pages, namaste —rk Resources and Information from the AIDS.gov blog: Accessibility Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, interact with, and contribute to the Web. Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities…read full Accessibility One-Pager Download PDF Version ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267133 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:17:31 +0100 3267133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267135&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2154 new media toolkit resources Here are some new media resources we’ve come across at AIDS.gov. Please note that this list is just a sample of the many new media resources available on the web. Please leave a comment if you have other suggestions. Click on the topics below to see resources: Blogs Data on New Media Use eCards Mashups New Media Basics Online Games Photo Sharing Services Podcasting RSS Feeds Social Networking Text Messaging Twitter Video Sharing Virtual Worlds Wikis Website Accessibility and 508 Compliance Website Usability Blogs Where can I learn about blogging basics? Common Craft’s video on blogs “in plain English” What are examples of government public health blogs? AIDS.gov Blog Health and Human Service Secretary Mike Leavitt’s Blog CDC’s Health M... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267135 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:16:43 +0100 3267135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267136&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2150 new media toolkit strategy Here are two tools to help you develop your new media strategy: POST Method Worksheet (PDF 49 kb), remixed from Forrester , a quick one-page form to help you get started with your new media planning. New Media Strategy Map (PDF 38 kb), remixed from the WeAreMedia project funded by the Surdna Foundation , a more in-depth tool to help you build your comprehensive new media strategy. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267136 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:01:26 +0100 3267136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262837&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2148 Researchers find ‘broad spectrum’ antiviral that fights multitude of viruses By Enrique Rivero February 01, 2010 Compound could be used against HIV-1, Nipah, Ebola and other deadly viruses Viruses are insidious creatures. They differ from each other in many ways, and they can mutate — at times seemingly at will, as with HIV — to resist a host of weapons fired at them. Complicating matters further is that new viruses are constantly emerging. One potential weapon is a small-molecule “broad spectrum” antiviral that will fight a host of viruses by attacking them through some feature common to an entire class of viruses. For example, there are two categories of viruses: lipid-enveloped and non-enveloped. Enveloped viruses are surrounded by a membrane that in effect ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262837 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:05:14 +0100 3262837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262839&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2141 Zelda Rubinstein Dead at 76 by Neal Broverman Posted on Advocate.com January 27, 2010 Zelda Rubinstein, the Poltergeist actress and HIV activist, died Wednesday at the Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 76. The 4-foot, 3-inch actress had various health problems following a mild heart attack she suffered late last year. Rubinstein will be remembered by gays for being one of the first celebrities to lend her name and face to an HIV/AIDS public awareness campaign aimed at gay men. In a series of billboards and posters that blanketed Los Angeles in the mid ’80s, Rubinstein portrayed “Mother,” a sweet maternal figure who urged her “sons” to play safe. The posters soon spread nationally and then internationally. The actress spoke to Advocate.com rec... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262839 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:47:10 +0100 3262839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259184&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latalkradio.com%2Fimages%2FTerry-013110.mp3 Terry LeGrand’s The Alternative Internet Radio Channel 1Sunday nights 6:00-7:00 http://www.latalkradio.com/ chers— click below to listen or download the audiofile namaste —rk Broadcast date: Sunday, January 31, 2010 Guests Richard Kearns, a poet, journalist, activist, organizer for the LA Grassroots Elder HIV/AIDS Advocacy Summit, and long time AIDS survivor, and Elliott Katz discussed LA Grassroots Elder HIV/AIDS Advocacy Summit along with a special visit from LATalkRadio’s Greg Rempe discussing BBQ. Please click this sentence to Play audio recording of show Please click this sentence to Download audio recording of show Terry Le Grand transfers his show “The Alternative” from KTLK 1170 Los Angeles to LATALK Radio. Terry Le Grand, has been a GAY activist fo... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259184 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:59:28 +0100 3259184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3246886&cid=t_133386_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2Fnewsjack-bbc7-040210.mp3 Jump to follow-up I don’t know about you, but I’m bored stiff with homeopathy. There are a lot more important things. Nevertheless, it remains a gross insult to reason, and there has been such enormous success in combating it over the last five years so, this is not the moment to stop. Hats off to the Merseyside Skeptics Society. I admit that when I first heard about the 10:23 campaign, it seemed to be a bit of a gimmick, but in fact it turned out to be an enormous success., not just in the UK but also in Canada, Australia and New Zealand The campaign was focussed on Boots, the UK’s biggest pharmacy chain, In particular the fact that Boots sell homeopathic pills. and regularly gives appallingly bad advice about all forms of quackery that they stock. I&#82... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3246886 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:31:28 +0100 3246886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243979&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2134 This study examined the relationships between HIV-related stigma and a range of demographic, social, physical and health characteristics. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the overall strength and direction of these relationships. Twenty-four studies of PLHIV, conducted in North America and published in peer-reviewed journals between January of 2000 and November of 2007, were examined and their findings integrated. The heterogeneity of reported results was also assessed and examined. Our review revealed substantial variability in the ways researchers measure participants’ HIV-related stigma as well as their physical, emotional and mental health. In spite of this variability, high stigma level was consistently and significantly associated with low social support (r = -0.369, p&l... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243979 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:03:46 +0100 3243979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236038&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2128 Study predicts HIV drug resistance will surge By Enrique Rivero January 22, 2010 chers— there are several useful lilnks at the end of this post. namaste —rk New research based on a novel mathematical model predicts that a wave of drug-resistant HIV strains will emerge in San Francisco within the next five years. These strains could prove disastrous by hindering control of the HIV pandemic. In a study published Jan. 14 on the website of the journal Science, researchers from the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and the University of California, San Francisco’s HIV AIDS Program at San Francisco General Hospital, developed a complex network model that tracks the transmission of multiple strains of HIV. The model can be used to predict drug resista... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236038 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:28:44 +0100 3236038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236039&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2124 Los Angeles City Council approves medical marijuana ordinance that will shut down hundreds of dispensaries By John Hoeffel January 26, 2010 In a 9-3 vote, the Los Angeles City Council today gave its final approval to an ordinance that will shut down hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries and impose strict rules on the location and operation of the dispensaries that are allowed. The measure passed quickly, without debate. The ordinance, which the council first began discussing more than 4 1/2 years ago, will cap the number of dispensaries at 70 but make an exception to allow all those that registered with the city in 2007 and have remained open. City officials believe that number is around 150. Hundreds of dispensaries have opened in Los Angeles as the City Council debated its proposed ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236039 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:01:54 +0100 3236039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236040&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2121 Medical cannabis advocate and rastafarian minister Ali Rashi offering public comment at a december Los Angeles City Council meeting about safe access and distribution. a great photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Image captures some of the feel of the debate —rk LA City Council members talk about their marijuana use by Frank Stoltze Jan. 26, 2010 The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday [approved] a new ordinance that would shut down most medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. It would place a cap of 70, with up to about 140 pot shops grandfathered in. KPCC surveyed councilmembers about whether they’d ever smoked pot – medical or otherwise. It was 1968, and Councilman Tom LaBonge was a high school kid sweet on a girl. She offered him some pot. “I was 15. It was after school. I w... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236040 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:36:13 +0100 3236040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159940&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2115 chers— if this works, share my joy of this unhistoric moment of major insignificance, la la la namaste —rk after the jump [december 15, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk copies of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a 58-year-old gay man living with AIDS in los angeles for more than 20 years, an angelino poet advocate. i am delighted to announce to you this morning that on friday, february 12th, 2010, upstairs in the tom bradley conference center, on the 27th floor, we will hold, the LA city grassroots elder HIV/AIDS advocacy summit & new media training “new tricks for old dogs & their allies” sponsored by councilmember rosendahl & the city AIDS coordinators office HIVers over 50 — el... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159940 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:49:11 +0100 3159940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159941&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2108 chers— terry has just migrated to LA TalkRadio (channel 1), and his premiere show tonight features medical cannabis adevocates don duncan, scott imler and richard eastman. i’m not quite sure what next week’s topic will be. but i’ll be there on January 31st, talking about HIV/AIDS & aging and the upcoming summit/training february 12. Listen live @ http://www.latalkradio.com/Terry.php. namasté —rk Jan 10- This week’s topic is Medical Marijuana in Los Angeles. Guests include Don Duncan, from ASA (Americans for Safe Access), Rev. Scott Imler, the first person to open a collective in the LA area, and activist Richard Eastman……..Tune in live and call in your remarks and questions. Call-In telephone number 323-203-0815 Jan 17- “Cut Off Funding to UGA... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159941 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:59:20 +0100 3159941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136689&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2104 text of flyer after jump SAVE THE DATE! LA City Grassroots Elder HIV/AIDS Advocacy SUMMIT & new media TRAINING February 12, 2010 Tom Bradley Center (26th & 27th floors) LA City Hall 200 N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 hosted by - LA 11th district City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl - the City of LA AIDS Coordinator’s Office - richard kearns publisher of http://AIDS-write.org & http://havvacc.wordpress.com [seal of city of los angeles ) FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact rk@aids-write.org or call 310-488-1328 “new tricks for old dogs & their allies” (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136689 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:06:09 +0100 3136689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136690&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2101 Step into the GLM Time Machine by Maeve Maddox january 1, 2010 The Global Language Monitor (GLM) is an Austin, Texas-based entity that documents, analyzes and tracks trends in language and publishes a list of the year’s most used English words, names, and phrases. According to GLM’s algorithm, 2009’s most used word, both online and in print, is Twitter. GLM’s top ten for 2009: Twitter Obama H1N1 stimulus vampire 2.0 (as a suffix attached to the next generation of everything. Ex. Web2.0) deficit Hadron healthcare transparency A look at the Words of the Year for 2000-2008 recalls the prominent events and personalities of those years: 2000 chad 2001 GroundZero 2002 misunderestimate 2003 embedded 2004 incivility 2005 refugee 2006 sustainable 2007 hybrid 2008 change Taking the decad... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136690 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:01:35 +0100 3136690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136691&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2098 2009 AIDS IN BLACK AMERICA City Sheet Los Angeles, California chers— this is a comprehensive resource list. print out all four pages and stick it on the frig. add phone numbers and email addresses on your contact lists, both phone and internet. use them. local & state stuff. links to officials after the jump. namasté —rk The CitySheet Series This CitySheet is a resource intended to provide Black community stakeholders that want to get involved in stopping the disease with AIDS information and potential partners. These numbers represent real people in your community who are impacted by HIV and AIDS. These organizations represent traditional Black leadership and have an important role to play in ending AIDS in the Black community. In our annual State of AIDS reports, we as... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136691 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:27:21 +0100 3136691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111640&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2096 Sunnie Rose says: January POZ Weekend Seminar - Jan 23rd and 24th! Reservation Page is now open! The Next POZ Life Seminar is Jan. 23 and 24 in the West Hollywood area. Download the PDF Flyer Registering for the POZ Life Weekend Seminar can be easy! You can either drop us a note at registration@thelifegroupla.org or call us TOLL FREE at (888) 208-8081 and we will contact you, or you can simply follow this link to the registration form. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111640 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:27:21 +0100 3111640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111641&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2093 commemorating the first long night that ended when raven stole the sun & moon & stars & put them in the sky (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111641 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:22:56 +0100 3111641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3097016&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2091 [december 15, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk copies of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a 58-year-old gay man living with AIDS in los angeles for more than 20 years, an angelino poet advocate. i am delighted to announce to you this morning that on friday, february 12th, 2010, upstairs in the tom bradley conference center, on the 27th floor, we will hold, the LA city grassroots elder HIV/AIDS advocacy summit & new media training “new tricks for old dogs & their allies” sponsored by councilmember rosendahl & the city AIDS coordinators office HIVers over 50 — elder Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) — are predicted to double in community prevalance over the next five years to con... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3097016 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:34:19 +0100 3097016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089549&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FZtSmA8ZT-34%2F The National Alliance on Mental Illness is on the defensive. After reports that most donations made to the big advocacy group came from drug makers in recent years, NAMI agreed to disclose its funding sources. The disclosure, however, came after protracted criticism of NAMI for coordinating lobbying efforts with drug makers and pushing legislation that also benefits the pharma industry. The embarassing episode prompted NAMI’s executive director, Michael Fitzpatrick, to acknowledge industry donations were excessive and that things would change (see funding sources here). Meanwhile, board member Richard Lamb resigned over the issue, complaining little was changing, saying NAMI’s dependence on drugmakers made some actions impossible, such as warning against the use of some mental health d... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089549 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:20:31 +0100 3089549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089288&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsabin.org%2Ffiles%2Fattachment%2Fvalue_vaccination_bloom_canning_weston.pdf The following post by Lois Privor-Dumm, IMBA, Director of Alliances and Information for the PneumoADIP at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is part of Disruptive Women’s “The Value of Health: Creating Economic Security in the Developing World” series. Lois heads up several vaccine projects related to advocacy and communications as well as access and implementation. She is currently working as Director, Large Country Introduction for the Accelerated Vaccine Introduction Technical Assistance Consortium (AVI TAC), a GAVI-funded project with an aim to accelerate introduction of pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines in low-income countries. Lois has been at Johns Hopkins since 2005 helping guide strategies and accelerated uptake on both the Hib Initiative and Pneu... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089288 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:03:19 +0100 3089288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089493&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2082 Perez chosen Assembly speaker By Jim Sanders jsanders@sacbee.com Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 Assembly Democrats this afternoon choseAssemblyman John A. Perez as their new speaker, making the first-term Democrat the first openly gay man to hold the post. Members emerged from a closed-door caucus at the historic Stanford Mansion to announce that Democrats had chosen Perez, of Los Angeles, on an unanimous vote. A public vote on the Assembly floor is expected in January. Perez walked arm-in-arm from the caucus meeting with current Assmbly Speaker Karen Bass and Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat who had fought fiercely for the job but ultimately bowed out and formally nominated Perez before today’s voice vote. Perez said it was an “incredibly moving experience to have the un... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089493 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:21:57 +0100 3089493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084931&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2079 will be making announcement during public comments at LA city council meeting tuesday, december 15, 2009 text of jpeg after jump SAVE THE DATE! LA City Grassroots Elder HIV/AIDS Advocacy SUMMIT & new media TRAINING February 12, 2010 Tom Bradley Center (26th & 27th floors) LA City Hall 200 N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 hosted by - LA 11th district City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl - the City of LA AIDS Coordinator’s Office - richard kearns publisher of http://AIDS-write.org & http://havvacc.wordpress.com [seal of city of los angeles ) FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact rk@aids-write.org or call 310-488-1328 “new tricks for old dogs & their allies” (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084931 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:03:17 +0100 3084931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067312&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVaK7NxxlzzY%2F As part of an ongoing probe into conflicts of interest, the Senate Finance Committee’s Chuck Grassley has sent letters to the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society and 31 other medical advocacy groups for details about the money they and their board members received from drug and device makers, The New York Times reports. Such funding is often considered proprietary, but critics contend the influence leads them to lobby on behalf of industry, the Times writes. An AMA spokesman tells the paper industry funding comprised less than 2 percent of its budget (see AMA letter) and an American Cancer Society spokesman wrote the Times to say it “holds itself to the highest standards of transparency and public accountability, and we look forward to working with Senator Gra... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067312 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:19:02 +0100 3067312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3044967&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2074 [december 1, 2009, world AIDS day] richard kearns, poet advocate. here is my poem for world AIDS day, 2009. (i have given the clerk copies) jeff was dying, i was not a hundred karposi lesions covered his body & made him look like nijinsky in afternoon with a faun, only skinny he was my captain of bright & stormy mornings my saint & my man he was my AIDS hero (more than mine) & i hated he was leaving me i wanted to pour into him all the life left to me — because i could never hope to be good enough to survive this plague by myself, let alone for anyone else — because i was cannon fodder — because we needed him i told him so one day he laughed & then — i don’t remember how — he scooped up my tanned gym-hard bod in his pale & thin ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3044967 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:42:18 +0100 3044967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037062&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2071 [november 24, 2009] good morning president pro tem perry, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk copies of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a 58-year- old gay man living with AIDS in los angeles for more than 20 years — a long-term survivor & AIDS activist, a medical cannabis patient & advocate, a poet & journalist. an angelino. my intent in addressing you this morning is to comment on the character of the meetings i missed last week: monday’s joint PLUM & public safety committee meeting & the city council meeting that followed it wednesday. i was too sick to make it downtown last week — i wish medical cannabis cured everything, but it doesn’t. however, i did listen & watch on the internet (thank you for making tha... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037062 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:23:47 +0100 3037062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037063&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2062 LA City Attorney wrong about AG by Don Duncan November 25, 2009 The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office misrepresented the position of California Attorney General Jerry Brown today, implying that the state’s top law enforcement official said that all sales of cannabis are illegal. That never happened. On Saturday, KFI Radio in Los Angeles broadcast a previously recorded statement by the Attorney General Brown in which he says, “Unfortunately, in some communities, Los Angeles in particular, there’s a lot of exploitation and just getting into the drug business, the dope business.” Pundits at the notoriously conservative radio station (home to Rush Limbaugh and anti-gay crusader “Dr. Laura” Schlesinger) then added their own spin to the Attorney General’s comments. The reporte... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037063 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:43:04 +0100 3037063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037064&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2058 Global Fund Approves $2.4 Billion For Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Programs By Nora Proops Nov 21, 2009 On November 12, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria approved grants worth $2.4 billion to support treatment of these diseases worldwide. Although it is the second largest amount ever approved by the Global Fund, the number of accepted grants fell by 35 percent from the year before. The Global Fund is an organization that attracts aid from wealthy governments and the private sector for distribution among poor countries to prevent and treat people with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. These diseases account for 12.5 percent of deaths in low-income nations, according to 2004 World Health Organization estimates. Since its inception in 2002, the Global ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037064 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:36:32 +0100 3037064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037065&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2055 Discussion Top We suggest four factors that could explain the diminishing proportion of HIV/AIDS borne by the populations moving through CFs; these four factors could contribute either alone or in combination. First, with increased life expectancy for persons with HIV with the advent of better therapeutics, infected persons are aging out of the crime-prone years, generally considered to be between the ages of 15 and 24. Second, while a person may have been infected in his or her crime-prone years, with HAART, prison AIDS mortality has fallen [20], and that person is more likely to survive incarceration, be released, and stay out. Third, the past decade has seen a decline in the number and proportion of HIV/AIDS cases among injection drug users [21], [22], probably due to interventions ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037065 Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:48:32 +0100 3037065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3017195&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2052 Amending motions to LA medical marijuana ordinance posted online by brett stone mmjnews november 19, 2009 All of the amending motions to the 5th draft ordinance regulating medical marijuana collectives in Los Angeles that were presented in city council on Wednesday are posted online at - http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrec\ ord&cfnumber=08-0923 Also the agenda for next Tuesday’s city council meeting has been released, the medical marijuana ordinance is item #10. See - http://ens.lacity.org/clk/councilagendas/clkcouncilagendas363681_1124200\ 9.pdf Peace brett (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3017195 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:43:35 +0100 3017195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015273&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7E687QE2Rk0%2F The Taxpayers’ Alliance has published a new study examining a sample of 240 government capital projects in Britain, including weapons systems, highway projects, computer upgrades, health care spending, and other items. The results mirror the serious cost overrun problems we have in the U.S. federal government. The Alliance study found that 32 percent of projects sampled had cost overruns, while 24 percent came in under budget, but that the projects with overruns were generally much larger. As a result, the average net cost overrun on all the projects was 38 percent. Thus, when the government says that a new project will cost taxpayers 1 billion UK pounds, on average it will actually cost them 1.38 billion. The study also explores the reasons why UK government projects run into troub... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015273 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:25:20 +0100 3015273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004039&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2049 D.A. chides L.A. council, says he’ll target pot dispensaries Steve Cooley insists sites that sell marijuana are violating state law and will be prosecuted. Of the City Council’s effort to pass an ordinance, he says: ‘Quite frankly we’re ignoring them.’ By John Hoeffel November 18, 2009 With the Los Angeles City Council poised to take up a medical marijuana ordinance after two years of contentious debate, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley warned Tuesday that he intends to prosecute dispensaries that sell the drug even if the city’s leaders decide to allow those transactions. “The L.A. City Council should be collectively ashamed of their failure to grasp this issue,” Cooley said, arguing that state laws do not allow medical marijuana to be ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004039 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:46:19 +0100 3004039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004040&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2047 D.A. will prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries — even if L.A. does not ban sales [Updated] “It makes no sense to play political football with people’s lives.” says councilmember Reyes in update below [after jump], by John Hoeffel November 17, 2009 Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley said today he will prosecute dispensaries that sell medical marijuana even if the Los Angeles City Council adopts an ordinance that does not ban such sales. On Monday, two council committees rejected the city attorney’s advice and changed a provision in the proposed ordinance, allowing cash transactions as long as they complied with state law. “Undermining those laws via their ordinance powers is counterproductive, and, quite frankly, we’re ignoring them. They are absolutely so irrelevant it’s not... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004040 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:33:43 +0100 3004040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004041&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2045 In rebuff to city attorney, council committees support pot dispensaries Rejecting advice that Los Angeles must ban sales, lawmakers endorse patients’ cash contributions to outlets, which cannot make a profit. By John Hoeffel November 16, 2009 Two Los Angeles City Council committees rejected the advice of the city attorney and voted Monday to approve an ordinance that allows marijuana dispensaries to continue to sell the drug to people with a doctor’s recommendation. The city attorney’s office has maintained for a year and a half that Los Angeles has no choice but to ban sales because state law and court decisions are clear that collectives can only cultivate marijuana. That opinion had stalled the council’s deliberations because dispensary operators insisted it wou... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004041 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:11:28 +0100 3004041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004042&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2043 West Hollywood’s medical marijuana success story The small city enforces a strict ordinance and eliminates the drama that plagues L.A. By John Hoeffel November 16, 2009 A few miles from Los Angeles City Hall, a small experiment in marijuana regulation has been underway for years. While the state’s largest city passed a flawed moratorium, failed to enforce it, debated proposed rules endlessly and watched flummoxed as dispensaries multiplied, West Hollywood pressed ahead. Confronted with its own dispensary explosion in 2005, the city surrounded by L.A. imposed a moratorium on dispensaries, clamped interim rules on the ones that were open, passed a strict ordinance and capped the number allowed at four, all within two years. When the West Hollywood City Council updated its ordina... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004042 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:54:25 +0100 3004042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004043&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2041 boxer We are honored to have Senator Barbara Boxer share with Courage Campaign members her commitment to strip the horrific Stupak Amendment from any healthcare reform bill and pass true health care reform. Her message is powerful. We need to show her — and the nation — that thousands and thousands of us stand with her by signing the petition. –Rick Jacobs, Chair, Courage Campaign Dear Friend, Ten days ago, the House passed the Stupak Amendment, which would be one of the biggest setbacks to women’s health in recent decades - unless we stand together and stop it. That’s why we are launching a petition at FightForWomensHealth.com, because women must not be denied access to safe and legal medical procedures. Will you join us? Click here to stand with us t... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004043 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:49:37 +0100 3004043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999759&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2034 L.A. City Council panels reject ban on medical marijuana sales John Hoeffel at City Hall November 16, 2009 Rejecting the advice of the city attorney, two Los Angeles City Council committees voted today to scrap a proposed provision that would have banned the sale of medical marijuana. The controversial measure, first proposed a year and a half ago, delayed deliberations as council members debated the wisdom of ignoring the opinion of the city’s top prosecutor. But about four hours into a raucous hearing, council members made it clear they were ready to move on. “When can we finally stop the merry-go-round?” said Councilman Dennis Zine, who kicked off the City Council’s consideration of the issue in 2005 when concerns about dispensaries first surfaced. He proposed a... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999759 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:00:48 +0100 2999759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2993908&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2024 Pesticides & Politics, Part 2 the second of two guest blogs concerning medical cannabis safety by M. Backes November 11, 2009 The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office found 5.25% of the cannabis samples tested from purchases made at Los Angeles dispensaries (3 out of 52 samples) to contain pesticide residues. Legal thresholds of pesticide residue on cannabis have not yet been established by the EPA or CDPR. By comparison, when the CDPR tests fresh ginger root purchased from California supermarkets, it has found that 5% of samples contain illegally high levels of pesticide residues. Questions: Should California state and local officials be concerned about pesticide contamination on medical cannabis? How does the risk of contaminated cannabis (an unregulated agricultural product) compa... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2993908 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:07:32 +0100 2993908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2993909&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2021 Pesticides & Politics, part 1 (This is a guest blog by M. Backes, responding to allegations by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich about pesticides on medical cannabis.) October 15, 2009 LA City Attorney, Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich, has been all over the media trying to convince Los Angeles that a pesticide used to kill Mexican fire ants is evidence that medical cannabis provided by dispensaries is poisonous and supporting Mexican drug cartels. Having abandoned the flawed interpretation of the California Supreme Court’s decision in People v. Mentch, Mr. Trutanich and LA County District Attorney Steve Cooley have now latched onto toxic reefer as their latest justification for shuttering LA’s pot shops. According to Trutanich, three samples of medical marijuana from “controlled buys�... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2993909 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:48:59 +0100 2993909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2993910&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2018 Medical marijuana gets a boost from major doctors group The American Medical Assn. changes its policy to promote clinical research and development of cannabis-based medicines and alternative delivery methods. By John Hoeffel November 11, 2009 The American Medical Assn. on Tuesday urged the federal government to reconsider its classification of marijuana as a dangerous drug with no accepted medical use, a significant shift that puts the prestigious group behind calls for more research. The nation’s largest physicians organization, with about 250,000 member doctors, the AMA has maintained since 1997 that marijuana should remain a Schedule I controlled substance, the most restrictive category, which also includes heroin and LSD. In changing its policy, the group said its goal was to cl... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2993910 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:37:16 +0100 2993910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989356&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2015 [tuesday, November 3, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk copies of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a 58-year-old gay man with AIDS, a long-term survivor & activist, a medical cannabis advocate, a poet & journalist. i am here this morning to suggest a plan B for medical cannabis in LA please empower a special high-speed ad hoc medical cannabis team, who, starting with the text of the city’s legislative analyst submitted to the plum committee september 25th can finish translating the whereases to section numbers inside a month (sort of like going from iambic pentameter to dactylic hexameter) & not to “correct” them, but to produce a good faith medical cannabis ordinance, one that spells out fees... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989356 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:49:10 +0100 2989356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989357&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2010 chers— wanted to put up reference info from the wikipedia entry for satyagraha, not only because it doesn’t get enough circulation, but also because i believe it could be a successful strategy when applied to the development of an LA medical cannabis ordinance. i don’t think it has truly been applied yet. take a read namasté —rk Satyagraha theory also influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. during the campaigns he led during the civil rights movement in the United States: Like most people, I had heard of Gandhi, but I had never studied him seriously. As I read I became deeply fascinated by his campaigns of nonviolent resistance. I was particularly moved by his Salt March to the Sea and his numerous fasts. The whole concept of Satyagraha (Satya is truth which equals love, and ag... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989357 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:25:22 +0100 2989357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989358&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2007 chers— this is my favorite essay on the term “namasté,” which belongs in the mix before we go too much further along. i make no claims about divinity here, because nothing can really be verifiably known about divinity. but we all share & perceive & express greatnesses whose roots reach into an inner invisible realm of spirit. namasté —rk . . . while we are singing the praises of namasté, it should be observed how efficient a gesture it is in an age of mass communication. A politician, or performer can greet fifty thousand people with a single namasté, and they can return the honor instantly. In such a situation a handshake is unthinkable . . . “Shake hands and come out fighting.” It’s the referee’s final counsel to two pugilists ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989358 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:17:18 +0100 2989358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977521&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1997 chers— this is the second publication of this letter, which originally went to rocky degadillo, the LA city attorney at the time (march 4, 2009). in it, i itemize the many problems with a “cultivation only” type ordinance for people who are sick & dying, an ordinance such as the current city attorney, carmen trutanich, has currently proposed, an ordinance whose intent is to shut down medical cannabis in los angeles by making the regulations unreasonable, contrary to the intent of voters and the LA city council. i will be offering a copy of it to mr. trutanich at the lgbt community forum tonight. he is a big supporter of same-sex marriage, and rode in gay pride in councilmember dennis zine’s motorcycle brigade. what’s the problem with medical cannabis? his... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977521 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:31:01 +0100 2977521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977523&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1990 Dear friends and colleagues, I am reaching out to you today to invite you to join the World AIDS Day “Testing Millions” campaign.  A global coalition is working hard to make HIV testing free and accessible with linkages to antiretroviral treatment (ART).  Be a part of this worldwide movement to conquer AIDS. We at AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) believe that the best way to reach the estimated 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS is to identify those who do not know they are infected and link them to treatment. This is also the best route to combating the spread of the disease, as it is believed that the source of the majority of new infections are people who are HIV positive, but do not know it. Clearly, testing in much greater numbers is urgently needed.  AHF’s Testing Milli... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977523 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:26:18 +0100 2977523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2974158&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1987 ViiV vows joint venture will help fight HIV By Andrew Jack November 3 2009 The new head of the pioneering HIV joint venture between GlaxoSmithKline andPfizer predicts his company can operate for at least five years without fresh funding from its shareholders. Dominique Limet, chief executive of ViiV Healthcare, which was formally launched on Tuesday, says it will generate £1.6bn a year in sales to finance its own research and would begin paying a dividend to its two owners in 2011 as it sells new products. A woman infected with HIV prepares her medicines in Indonesia. She could be one of thousands who would benefit from more effective treatments EDITOR’S CHOICE Novartis to expand Chinese research labs - Nov-03 French crackdown on parallel drugs trade - Nov-02 Interactive grap... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2974158 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:10:49 +0100 2974158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2974159&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1984 Larger Merck says merger will actually increase R&D efficiency pharmatimes.com 05 November 2009 The new Merck & Co has opened its doors for business, and the company has been laying out its plans for future growth now that Schering-Plough has been added to the group. Chief executive Richard Clark says that “our integration teams prepared us well for a strong start…with thorough plans designed to ensure a seamless transition”. The new entity now has more than 15 late-stage candidates “spanning critical therapeutic categories” and has 106,000 employees in more than 140 countries. That figure is expected to be reduced by 15%, or some 15,000 jobs, as Merck has set itself a target of cost savings of $3.5 billion annually beyond 2011, “which are expected to co... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2974159 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:11:25 +0100 2974159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2974160&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1980 Drug Policy Changes Under New Director Talk of the Nation The Department of Justice will no longer prosecute medical marijuana users who comply with state laws. Some reform advocates hope the move means decriminalization of pot may be in the works. Drug czar Gil Kerlikowske talks about the direction of U.S. drug policy. REBECCA ROBERTS, host please click here to kisten to audio recording of Kerlikowske’s interview on the NPR site This is TALK OF THE NATION. I’m Rebecca Roberts in Washington. Last month, medical marijuana advocates cheered when Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Department of Justice will de-prioritize cases against medical marijuana users and dispensaries, as long as they comply with state laws. But Gil Kerlikowske, the director of the Office of N... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2974160 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:52:54 +0100 2974160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2974161&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1978 text transcribed from jpeg follows jump LGBT forum with los angeles city attorney carmen trutanich an evening of discussion on how the los angeles city attorney’s office may address issues concerning the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities tuesday, november 10, 2009 the village at ed gould plaza, renberg theatre 1125 n. mccadden place los angeles, ca 90038 reception 6pm refreshments will be served community forum 7-8pm presented by asian pacific islander pride council la gay & lesbian center jordan/rustin coalition log cabin republicans stonewall democratic club 2009 LA Pride Parade held in West Hollywood, California Los Angeles City Attorney Elect Carmen Trutanich rides in the 2009 LA Pride Parade in West Hollywood, California on June 14, 2009. (UPI Photo/Phil Mc... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2974161 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:10:52 +0100 2974161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2963281&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1961 World AIDS Day Federal Conference Call Tuesday, November 17, 2009: 2:30pm - 4:00pm (EST) AIDS.gov is hosting a World AIDS Day Conference Call for Federal staff and grantees. The call will provide a brief update on the state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. and a brief overview of the global epidemic. Participants will have a chance to ask these representatives about Federal HIV/AIDS programs: Dr. Howard Koh, HHS Mr. Christopher Bates, Office of HIV/AIDS Policy Ambassador Eric Goosby, PEPFAR Dr. Kevin Fenton, CDC Mr. David Vos, HUD Dr. Deborah Parham Hopson, HRSA Dr. Carl Dieffenbach, NIH/NIAID Ms. Beverly Watts Davis, SAMHSA Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, VA To participate, register here by November 15. Conference call capacity is limited to the first 3500 callers. If you have logistical... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2963281 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:50:06 +0100 2963281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2948449&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1958 Is LA’s City Attorney a Wolf in Loose Cannon Clothes? CityWatch By Ken Draper Oct 30, 2009 So what are we to think of our Carmen Trutanich? Is the City’s attorney a sad buffoon or a wonderful, much needed, City Hall bully? As has become the case in this considerably divided national and local political climate, the answer to who won the game depends on which side of the field the fans are sitting. As a society we’ve become quite good at defending … making excuses for … the foolish performances of those we blindly support. Such is the case these days with LA’s heat-seeking and controversial City Attorney. A bunch of folks love him and rationalize away his over-the-top behavior. (“He knows what he’s doing … it’s all part of a plan … he has City Hall right where he wan... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2948449 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:14:55 +0100 2948449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2948450&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmpegmedia.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2Faudio%2Ftwt%2F200910%2F20091030-twt-6-marijuana-tussle.mp3 US vows crackdown on medical marijuana By Kim Landers for The World Today, ABC news australia Fri Oct 30, 2009 Audio: LA officials to clean up the joint(The World Today) Officials in the United States are vowing to crack down on medical marijuana facilities even as the Obama administration signals a new hands-off policy on the drug. Los Angeles officials have been agonising for two years over a move to introduce what they call sensible guidelines to help regulate the booming industry. In the US, 14 states have laws allowing the use of medical marijuana, but no state has gone further than California and no city has gone further than LA, where there are more marijuana dispensaries than public schools. Brian Berens is the owner of Green Oasis, a medical marijuana dispensary in LA. “Da... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2948450 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:29:14 +0100 2948450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2947090&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1946 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act Signed into Law REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT SIGNING OF THE RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS TREATMENT EXTENSION ACT OF 2009a Diplomatic Reception Room 11:58 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. AUDIENCE: Good morning. THE PRESIDENT: We often speak about AIDS as if it’s going on somewhere else. And for good reason — this is a virus that has touched lives and decimated communities around the world, particularly in Africa. But often overlooked is the fact that we face a serious HIV/AIDS epidemic of our own — right here in Washington, D.C., and right here in the United States of America. And today, we are taking two important steps forward in the fight that we face here at home. It has been nearly three decades since this virus first... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2947090 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:40:17 +0100 2947090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2944018&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1936 Obama to sign Ryan White reauthorization Friday Measure would provide funds for an additional four years By CHRIS JOHNSON Oct 29 2009 President Obama plans to sign into law on Friday a reauthorization of funds under the Ryan White Care Act, according to Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 would provide funding for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS for an additional four years. First enacted in 1990, the Ryan White Care Act is the nation’s largest federally funded program for people living with HIV/AIDS and is designed to assist low-income patients who are underinsured or who have no insurance. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2944018 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:47:52 +0100 2944018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2944019&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1927 ONLINE JOURNALISM & BLOGGING AS A PROFESSION Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009 4:30pm English Dept. University Hall 3226 Loyola Marymount University Featuring Siel Environmental Activist & Founder of Green LA Girl Blog http://greenlagirl.com/ Richard Kearns Blogger & Activist, HIV/AIDS issues http://aids-write.org http://havvacc.wordpress.com Simon Samano Associate Editor, NFL.com http://www.nfl.com/ Sponsored by the LMU English Department • Refreshments will be served For more info, contact Molly Youngkin, 310-568-6226 DIRECTIONS TO LMU We will be meeting in University Hall 3226, which is at the east end of the building. Please ask for a visitor’s pass, which is free, at the entry gate on Lincoln Boulevard and park in Visitor Parking in P2 or P3 in University Hall. If you p... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2944019 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:22:24 +0100 2944019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2944020&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1923 Farr Introduces Medical Marijuana Fair Trial Bill Wed. October 28, 2009 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Sam Farr on Tuesday introduced legislation that would allow individuals accused of violating federal marijuana laws to offer evidence in federal court that their use of medical marijuana followed state medical marijuana laws. Rep. Farr introduced the bill, called the Truth in Trials Act, in the wake of a recent directive from the Justice Department telling federal prosecutors not to prosecute individuals who are following state medical marijuana laws. The bill would codify legal protections for defendants caught between state and federal laws, ensuring that state medical marijuana laws remain a defense in federal trials even if a future administration overturns the recent guidelines. &#... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2944020 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:50:58 +0100 2944020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2944021&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1921 One City’s Insane Fight Against Obama’s Sane New Pot Policy The administration has officially put a stop to crackdowns on the medical-marijuana business, but to hear the dispensers tell it, nothing’s stopping Los Angeles from finding every last ridiculous loophole By John H. Richardson October 27, 2009 Two years ago, in the throes of a Bush administration that disregarded states’ rights whenever it felt like getting high on itself, there were fewer than two hundred medical-marijuana outlets in Los Angeles. Today, even the most conservative estimates say that number has quadrupled. On one stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard alone, four thriving pot shops estimate their tax payments at $4 million a year. Got an emergency radiation treatment and can’t find the n... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2944021 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:22:49 +0100 2944021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2944022&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1915 POT GROUP: BANNING MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES WOULD COST L.A. MILLIONS Story Published: Oct 25, 2009 Los Angeles’ proposed medical marijuana ordinance, which would outlaw the sale of pot at dispensaries, would cost the city $36 million to $74 million in lost sales taxes, a marijuana advocacy group asserted Sunday. Under the proposed ordinance, only nonprofit medical marijuana collectives — groups of qualified patients and their primary caregivers — would be allowed to cultivate the drug to relieve pain from serious illnesses. According to the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the proposed ordinance would “effectively shut down the city’s medical marijuana distribution system by banning all sales of marijuana... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2944022 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:46:34 +0100 2944022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2944023&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1913 Los Angeles could act on medical pot in early November A proposal to ban all sales of medical marijuana in the city is unlikely to be taken up next week. Aides to Councilman Smith say he supports it and believes it would force most dispensaries to close. By John Hoeffel October 23, 2009 The Los Angeles City Council moved Thursday to consider a controversial medical marijuana ordinance in early November, as a poll released by a national organization that supports marijuana legalization found that more than three-quarters of voters in the county want dispensaries regulated, not prosecuted and closed. FOR THE RECORD: Medical marijuana: An article in Friday’s Section A on medical marijuana misattributed a quote to Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti. It was Councilman Gre... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2944023 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:23:33 +0100 2944023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927563&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAxaWCJgBeKM%2F Last week, the National Alliance on Mental Illness vowed to lessen its ties to the pharmaceutical industry after a US Senate Finance Committee probe found the most donations to the big advocacy group came from drug makers. Since then, documents have surfaced indicating the extent to which NAMI cavorted with one drug maker, AstraZeneca (see here and here). The latest batch include the presentation that NAMI officials made in December 2003 to AstraZeneca execs at their Wilmington, De., headquarters (you can look here). One of the NAMI officials present was , Jim Dailey, a NAMI state advocacy director in Kentucky, who agreed to participate in the Seroquel consultant program run by AstraZeneca. The slides would appear to underscore the close ties that NAMI has long refused to discuss or disclo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927563 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:24:51 +0100 2927563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927521&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1905 chers— eight posts on HIV/AIDS & H1N1 at http://HAVVACC.wordpress.com (the HIV/AIDS volunteer virtual assisted care community) weho news: free flu shots tuesday by cedars (056) cdc recommendations for HIVers (full text) (055) about.com — difference between  seasonal & swine flus (054) AIDS-meds no evidence HIV worsens H1N1 severity (053) natap-sickest H1N1 patients have comorbidities (052) weho news – michael mooney on vaccine drawbacks (051) wikipedia: 1918 flu epidemic (050) cdc swine flu social media toolkit (049) namaste —rk (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927521 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:32:34 +0100 2927521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923436&cid=t_133386_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F23%2Fovarian-cancer-research-funding-slashed-in-half-take-action-call-your-u-s-congressman-senators-today%2F As a result of a recent U.S. Senate mark-up, the funding for the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program (DOD OCRP) has been slashed in half from $20 million to $10 million. Research conducted under the DOD OCRP program is critical because it is solely dedicated to ovarian cancer. … Please help us [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923436 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:31:11 +0100 2923436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920485&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F-sBoF-qb64E%2F For those who might have missed this yesterday - we included it in an item about NAMI here - we thought we’d point out more specifically an example of how the advocacy group developed close ties with drug makers. In this case, Jim Dailey, who was the NAMI state advocacy director in Kentucky (in photo, at left), agreed to participate in the Seroquel consultant program run by AstraZeneca for $600, including $100 in travel expenses (these are the documents). “The purpose of the Seroquel Consultant Program is to discuss ways that AstraZeneca can better partner with our consumer groups at the national, regional and local levels,” reads the Oct. 30, 2003, letter to Dailey from the drug maker. Ironically, the letter closes by noting that AstraZeneca “fully abides by the Ph... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920485 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:51:46 +0100 2920485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920435&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1900 City of Angles L.A. Medical Marijuana Scene in Tumult By Brian Doherty October 22, 2009 8:57 AM The medical marijuana scene in Los Angeles gets more uncertain, with judges knocking down the existing moratorium, the city attorney threatening a severe crackdown, and the city council ready to act on a new wave of restrictions. First on the court action, from the L.A. Times account: A Superior Court judge concluded today that Los Angeles’ moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries is invalid and granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the ban sought by a dispensary that had sued the city. Judge James C. Chalfant determined that the city failed to follow state law when it extended its initial moratorium. “The city cannot rely on an expired ordinance,” he ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920435 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:57:42 +0100 2920435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920436&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1898 LAnow Medical marijuana poll: Most L.A. voters support dispensaries by John Hoeffel October 22, 2009 | 10:00 am More than three-quarters of the voters in Los Angeles County want to see medical marijuana dispensaries regulated, rather than prosecuted and forced to close, according to a poll released today by a national organization that supports marijuana legalization. The poll, completed Monday and Tuesday, also found that 74% support the state’s medical marijuana law, while 54% want to see marijuana legalized, regulated and taxed. The Marijuana Policy Project, based in Washington, D.C., commissioned the poll by an independent firm, Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, after Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley threatened all dispensaries in the county with prosecution. Cool... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920436 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:44:25 +0100 2920436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916167&cid=t_133386_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F22%2Fnami-nearly-75-percent-of-funding-from-pharma%2F As we noted in April, NAMI gets a significant portion of its funding from pharmaceutical companies. We had to guess at what that percentage was, however, because the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) refused to detail their pharmaceutical grants and donations in their annual reports and IRS filings. At the time, I was generous and said that it’s likely that 30 to 50 percent of NAMI’s funding came from pharmaceutical companies. I was off. Way off. The New York Times reported yesterday that nearly 75 percent of NAMI’s funding comes from pharmaceutical companies — $23 million over 3 years’ time: The mental health alliance, which is hugely influential in many state capitols, has refused for years to disclose specifics of its fund-raising, saying the det... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916167 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:07:40 +0100 2916167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920247&cid=t_133386_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F22%2Fnami-nearly-75-percent-of-funding-from-pharma%2F As we noted in April, NAMI gets a significant portion of its funding from pharmaceutical companies. We had to guess at what that percentage was, however, because the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) refused to detail their pharmaceutical grants and donations in their annual reports and IRS filings. At the time, I was generous and said that it’s likely that 30 to 50 percent of NAMI’s funding came from pharmaceutical companies. I was off. Way off. The New York Times reported yesterday that nearly 75 percent of NAMI’s donations come from pharmaceutical companies — $23 million over 3 years’ time: The mental health alliance, which is hugely influential in many state capitols, has refused for years to disclose specifics of its fund-raising, saying the de... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920247 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:12:58 +0100 2920247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916438&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F3YOWAJO8oDk%2F A majority of donations made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a big advocacy group, have come from drug makers in recent years, according to Congressional investigators. The disclosure comes after protracted criticism of NAMI for coordinating lobbying efforts with drug makers and pushing legislation that also benefits the pharma industry, The New York Times reports. Last spring, Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, sent letters to NAMI (see here) and other disease and patient advocacy groups asking about their ties to drug and device makers as part of his investigation into industry influence on the practice of medicine. One whistleblower lawsuit that was part of Pfizer’s $2.3 billion settlement detailed how Pfizer funded NAMI to promote its... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916438 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:10:04 +0100 2916438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916386&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1893 Los Angeles City Council to rush vote on medical pot law The draft ordinance currently being urged would severely restrict the operations of medical marijuana dispensaries, which have exploded across the city in the absence of permanent regulation. By John Hoeffel October 20, 2009 | 10:25 p.m With its moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries declared unlawful, the Los Angeles City Council is now poised to act quickly on a strict ordinance that it has struggled with fitfully for more than two years. On Tuesday, the city attorney’s office delivered a draft that some members want the council to take up within a week. The sudden acceleration stems from a Superior Court ruling Monday that left the city unable to enforce its ban and derailed its four-month-old drive to shut down ne... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916386 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:09:07 +0100 2916386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916387&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1890 Medical Pot Is Bringing L.A. Together In the increasingly acrimonious pot wars, all sides agree City Hall is incompetent By PATRICK RANGE MCDONALD AND JILL STEWART Published on October 21, 2009 at 5:04pm When Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant ruled on October 19 that the Los Angeles City Council’s two-year moratorium on medical-marijuana dispensaries was illegal, invalidating the ban, few legal experts seemed surprised — including City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, whose aide promptly admitted that the City Council had indeed been in the wrong. The judge issued an injunction banning L.A. from enforcing its moratorium against Green Oasis, a popular pot shop in Playa Vista. That decision is widely expected to prevent City Hall from enforcing its ban throughout Los Angeles.... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916387 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:36:16 +0100 2916387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916388&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1888 Rally Thursday!! What: LA Rally & Protest - and Statewide Day of Action When: Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 2:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Where: Los Angeles City Hall - N. Main St. entrance (between Temple and 1st St.) LA is going to pass regulations that will close our dispensaries.  The raids have already started.  It’s time for ALL of us to take a stand. Call all your friends and gather at City Hall today. Stay safe and be well. Sincerely, Degé Coutee Education & Advocacy Director Patient Advocacy Network www.CannabisSavesLives.com (323) 334-5282 (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916388 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:24:58 +0100 2916388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916389&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1885 What Gets You Out of Bed in the Morning (when over- whelmed, discouraged, etc.)?: Answers to Sunday’s Question Julie Cristal had a good idea: so many good answers today (October 18) they should be “preserved” in a single note. Here they are: K.D. Miller: the fact that I have a world to change for my eight year old sister!! Lisa Hirzel: the need to keep my job. Peggi Cella: The belief that every new day holds endless possibilities and I want to be available to them. Kathleen C. Rolenz: Putting on my running shoes and running. Like I am doing right now Steve Louzos: I think of a dear friend who died a few years back. Steven would call up, blurt out a phrase and then abruptly hang up. Here’s what he would say, “Something wonderful is gonna happen today!” ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916389 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:50:18 +0100 2916389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916390&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1882 Medical pot advocates say law still a purple haze By MARCUS WOHLSEN and LISA LEFF Associated Press Writers Tuesday, October 20, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO — A new Obama administration policy loosening guidelines on federal prosecution of medical marijuana on Monday signaled to users that they had less to fear from federal agents but still left their suppliers to contend with a tangled mesh of state laws and regulations. The Justice Department told federal prosecutors that targeting people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws was not a good use of their time. Marijuana advocates and patients called the memo an encouraging step forward from the strict anti-pot policies of the Bush administration. But many worried that the web of laws in the 14 states that allow... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916390 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:09:46 +0100 2916390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916391&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1879 Judge rules L.A.’s ban on new medical marijuana dispensaries is invalid The Superior Court judge’s decision undermines the city’s 4-month-old drive to shut down hundreds of the stores. By John Hoeffel October 20, 2009 Los Angeles’ ban on new medical marijuana dispensaries is invalid, a Superior Court judge said Monday in a decision that undermines the city’s 4-month-old drive to shut down hundreds of the stores. The judge issued an injunction banning enforcement of the moratorium against Green Oasis, a dispensary in Playa Vista that had challenged the ban. But city officials acknowledged the ruling would effectively block current efforts to enforce the ban against other dispensaries. The decision came on the day the Obama administration issued guidelines that ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916391 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:37:51 +0100 2916391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916392&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1874 .LA NOW . Judge grants injunction against city’s medical marijuana dispensary ban by John Hoeffel at L.A. Superior Court October 19, 2009 | 11:13 am A Superior Court judge concluded today that Los Angeles’ moratorium on new medical marijuana dispen-saries is invalid and granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the ban sought by a dispensary that had sued the city. Judge James C. Chalfant determined that the city failed to follow state law when it extended its initial moratorium. “The city cannot rely on an expired ordinance,” he said. Green Oasis and a number of other medical marijuana collectives sued the city last month, challenging its efforts to control the dispensaries. The lawsuit argued that the City Council violated state law when it extended... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916392 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:21:06 +0100 2916392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916393&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1871 MEMORANDUM FOR SELECTED UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS October 19,2009 FROM: David W. Ogden - Deputy Attorney General SUBJECT: Investigations and Prosecutions in States Authorizing the Medical Use of Marijuana This memorandum provides clarification and guidance to federal prosecutors in States that have enacted laws authorizing the medical use of marijuana. These laws vary in their substantive provisions and in the extent of state regulatory oversight, both among the enacting States and among local jurisdictions within those States. Rather than developing different guidelines for every possible variant of state and local law, this memorandum provides uniform guidance to focus federal investigations and prosecutions in these States on core federal enforcement priorities. The Department of Just... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916393 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:36:00 +0100 2916393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916394&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1868 Pelosi Applauds House Passage of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement in support of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act, which passed the House of Representatives today by a vote of 408 to 9. The Senate passed the bill earlier this week so the bill now goes to President Obama for his signature into law. “As everyone knows, San Francisco was hit early and hard by the devastation of AIDS. But San Franciscans responded to the needs of our neighbors by developing a system of community-based care that became the model for the Ryan White CARE Act when it was first enacted in 1990. “Today, Ryan White-funded initiatives are a fundamental component of the systems of care upon which low-income individua... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916394 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:43:11 +0100 2916394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916395&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1864 STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY S. 1793 — Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 (Sen. Harkin, D-Iowa) The Administration strongly supports Senate passage of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. The Ryan White program provides critical health care and related services to uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV/AIDS. This legislation authorizes appropriations for the program for the next four years. The Administration is committed to strengthening access to care for people living with HIV/AIDS. The legislation reauthorizes all parts of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and supports continued funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative, the goal of which is to address the disproportionate impact of the disease on racial and ethnic minorities. When ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916395 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:19:24 +0100 2916395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876298&cid=t_133386_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1857 chers— this was a very thoughtful & (i thought) useful overview looking at the spread of HIV/AIDS as driven by social structures. Dr. Lynne C. Todman, Director of the Institute of Social Exclusion (ISE) at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, presented it at the HIV Prevention Justice Alliance teleconference call may 27, 2009. Toddman’s point: “Poverty reduction must be at the core of any long-term, sustainable solution to ending HIV/AIDS.” these are the official notes from the session, which also included presentations by  Marisa Franco, National Lead Organizer, Right to the City Alliance & Jaime Grant, Ph.D., Director of the Policy Institute at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) also, see the link to the book toddman recommends below, ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876298 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:10:12 +0100 2876298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741427&cid=t_133386_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F28%2Fself-esteem-the-great-weight-debate-acceptance-v-diet%2F Here’s the thing. There are people out there who hate their body for what it is. A lot of overweight people judge themselves in a way they would never judge anyone else. When we get like this, every ounce of our self-esteem is wrapped up in what the scale says. Our lives are measured by pounds lost and gained from day to day, week to week, month to month. At its worst, this way of thinking can lead to a serious, life-threatening eating disorder. But even at its best, self-esteem/weight dependency is not good. Yes, I struggle with being overweight, but I try not to hate myself for it. I am grateful for my body. It’s worked hard to keep me healthy over the years through all my relapses and dealings with chronic illness. God made us the stewards of the earth and our bodies. It&#82... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741427 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:51:45 +0100 2741427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737889&cid=t_133386_125_f&fid=38161&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalheroes.com%2Fmarket-oral-healthcare-cant-wait-awareness-campaign%2F What is the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign? Most of you are probably familiar by now with the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign spearheaded by the Dental Trade Alliance in early July. If you’re not yet familiar, the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign is an industry-wide initiative to warn consumers about the risks of postponing regular checkups and neglecting recommended treatments in this down economy. Furthermore, the campaign aims to encourage dental professionals to proactively educate their patients about the potential overall health problems that can develop as a result of avoiding the dentist. There’s no doubt that this is a tall, but necessary task as most dentists report a drop in patient visits over the... Dental Heroes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737889 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:41:04 +0100 2737889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2626240&cid=t_133386_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FZ2Q-_i8b9Bw%2Fnational-alliance-for-caregiving-and.html This year's award winners are: Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) of New York, NY for the SAGE Caregiver Program, the only program in the country specifically designed to meet the complete care and support needs of LGBT caregivers, who are often marginalized from mainstream service and support.The Pro Bono Counseling Project of Baltimore, MD for its Caring for Caregivers program, which links low-income, uninsured caregivers with... This is a content summary. Continue reading on the website. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The) Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2626240 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:33:28 +0100 2626240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570934&cid=t_133386_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdental-trade-alliances-oral-healthcare-cant-wait-free-resources%2F Intro from DentalBlogs: Dental Trade Alliance is launching a new campaign intended to help dentists and dental professionals underline the importance of checkups and following through with treatment plans. To you, this means free resources for marketing - logo, tagline, posters, brochures, a video for your website or YouTube, and more. Visit the website by clicking the green smiley on the left to learn more. ————————- Dental Industry Unites to Warn Consumers About the Risks of Putting Off Regular Chekcups and Recommended Treatment ARLINGTON, VA – JULY 1ST, 2009 – The Dental Trade Alliance (DTA), a nonprofit trade association representing leading dental manufacturers, distributors, and laboratories, recently launched its “Oral Healthcar... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570934 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:46:29 +0100 2570934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473225&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fwaba-breastfeeding-photo-contest-winners%2F The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) has announced the 10 winners of its annual breastfeeding photo contest. This year the contest centered around the 2009 theme of “Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response. Are You Ready?” Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response The photos are fascinating but heart-wrenching in some cases, like the image of the woman who was a victim of domestic violence. Here I am grateful to be nursing my baby through a simple case of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, and there are women breastfeeding in relief camps, in war zones, in areas severely damaged by an earthquake. You can view all of the photos in WABA’s 2009 World Breastfeeding Week Action folder (large PDF download), or you can view them temporarily on the WABA WBW home page... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473225 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:52:13 +0100 2473225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2417086&cid=t_133386_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FvBTu2sCT-t8%2F I previously posted about the EHR stimulus tour (no link since I don’t want to promote them). Today I saw what seems to amount to a press release that talks about the “EHR Stimulus Alliance” and their tour to “educate 500,000 U.S. physicians about opportunities aligned with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.” This type of puffery just makes me sick. No. Not the educating 500,000 physicians. That’s a good thing and part of the motivation for this blog. The thing that makes me sick is this seems like just a big marketing campaign for Allscripts. Sure they have a list of other partners, but they’re basically partners of Allscripts. Check out the list: Allscripts, Cisco, Citrix, Dell, Intel, Intuit, Microsoft Corp., and Nuance. ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2417086 Tue, 19 May 2009 03:53:22 +0100 2417086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390017&cid=t_133386_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FebtR8OO3CsE%2F Turns out the fish are starting to feed. Check out this website that talks about the “EHR Stimulus Tour: Educating the Nation.” Ok, I don’t really want you to check out the website, since I think it’s kind of sad. At the bottom it lists the “EHR Stimulus Alliance.” The following companies are listed in this EHR alliance: Allscripts Cisco Citrix Dell intel intuit Microsoft Nuance What a group of large companies trying to sell a bunch of product. I guess we should have expected something like this, but maybe I’m just a little surprised that they made a website for an EHR stimulus tour and everything. Interestingly the twitter link on the site goes to an Allscripts twitter account. I think we can clearly see who’s behind this website. Honestly, ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390017 Mon, 04 May 2009 22:54:02 +0100 2390017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347914&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Ffamily-caregiver-alliance-subtly.html This is subtle, but I think, very alarming. The Family Caregiver Alliance touts itself as a resource for people providing care for family members and others. From its "End of Life Choices" published on the FGA Web site:Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) seeks to improve the quality of life for caregivers through education, services, research and advocacy... FCA provides direct family support services for caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease, stroke, head injury, Parkinson's and other debilitating disorders that strike adults.Sounds good, and I am sure it is. But then it gets scary: One of the "resources," indeed the first listed after the group itself (due to alphabetization), is the assisted suicide advocacy group Compassion and Choices.In light of that listing, following statement a... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347914 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:15:00 +0100 2347914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2314608&cid=t_133386_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D779 For the afternoon session, I attended a session on creating EHR networks for Community Health Centers. While the discussion was intended to be directed at CHCs, the information discussed is applicable to any practice type. Julie V. Murchinson, MBA, the Executive Director of Mannatt Healthcare Solutions compared the scope of a vendor/clinic model versus a network model: Vendor/Clinic: Software, implementation, training, support Network: All activities in the scope of vendor/clinic, plus change management, process change, workflows, customization, HIE since data already aggregated Murchinson also explored the cost/benefit model for EHR networks. Currently, EHR networks are slightly more costly than vendor/clinic relationships. This is attributable not only due to the difficulty in accounti... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2314608 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:10:52 +0100 2314608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2201696&cid=t_133386_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F543532638%2F Last week, in this article's first part, we discussed the importance of actually teaching children how to get themselves into a physical state of being relaxed, explored several suggestions I hope you found useful. Let's continue. Teachers can help student overcome stress by teaching them to identify the impediments they might encounter in doing a certain task. The teacher can ask: What's going to get in the way of you doing this work? He or she may have to jump-start the students’ thinking by suggesting such things as: - competing events (family activities, friends call, IM-ing, new video game, etc.) - lack of adequate place to study - inadequate prior preparation or skills - a negative attitude (this is not necessary, I can't do math, I’ll never need to know this, etc). - health fac... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2201696 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:12:45 +0100 2201696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2177968&cid=t_133386_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F536996407%2F Teaching kids how to relax. Consider this vignette: -Roxanne: (agitated and loudly) “I can’t stand this freakin’ book!” -Teacher: “Roxanne, you need to take it easy. Just calm down! Try to relax.You need to finish your reading. -Roxanne: (to herself) “Right easy for you to say, teacher. But very hard for me to do. What do you mean calm down? I feel like my head is going to explode.” -Teacher: (seeing no response) “Well if you can’t settle down, maybe a trip to the office will help you!” Some kids are so agitated that even if they know how to relax, they can’t. If you think about it, calming down when you’re upset is the hardest time to do it! Other kids can’t “calm down” or “relax” because they don’t know what that feels like. Teachers, occupational ther... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2177968 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:25:17 +0100 2177968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033417&cid=t_133386_97_f&fid=35606&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theangriestpharmacist.com%2F2008%2F12%2F12%2Fwhy-apha-sucks%2F APhA - American Pharmacists Association - “Improving medication use. Advancing Patient Care.” - Dictators of coveted domain “Pharmacist.com” We all know they suck…but do you know why? Is it because they are pushing all this clinical pharmacy/residency bullshit down the throat of our schools and therefore our students? Well, yeah. Is it because they promise to lobby for pharmacy but refuse to accept that retail pharmacy is the backbone of our pharmaceutical (and entire healthcare) system? Well, yeah. Is it because they have yet to use the power of the pharmacists they represent to achieve the goals they haven’t yet set for themselves (because they failed to see the necessity)? Well, yeah! Is it because they have taken the money of pharmacists across the n... The Angriest Pharmacist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033417 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:51:05 +0100 2033417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005695&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Ftwo-important-resources.html Last month, I was fortunate to be able to attend the 13th International Anti-Corruption Conference in Athens, Greece, where I learned about two important additions to our resources relevant to the issues discussed on Health Care Renewal, specifically to improving integrity and transparency to the manufacture, promotion, and use of pharmaceuticals.The Medicines Transparency AllianceFormed this year, this group seeks to bring "together at both the international and national levels, a diverse group of people with an interest in the pharmaceutical sector (stakeholders) to find ways to improve information flows, and increase transparency and accountability about the selection, regulation, procurement, sale, distribution and use of medicines in developing countries. By doing so, MeTA will improv... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005695 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:42:00 +0100 2005695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984768&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fmore-gutter-journalism-from-taxpayers.html Gutter journalistIn a very short period of time the TPA has risen from nowhere to become a high profile pressure group. Their meteoric rise has been fuelled, not by their deeply flawed message, but by their skills in media manipulation and their unprincipled pursuit of cheap tabloid headlines.Matthew Elliott, the co-founder and chief executive of the TPA is frank when detailing how the alliance has built up this media profile, doing the work that once would have been done by journalists themselves."What we've tried to do since 2004 is understand how the media works, so we've tried to give news stories to journalists on a plate. Journalists have 101 things to do in their day and don't often have time to read long and dry reports from think-thanks. So we use the Freedom of Information Act an... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984768 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:37:00 +0100 1984768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984769&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fback-to-good-old-days.html It seems that Gordon is going to increase the top rate of tax by 5p in the pound for those earning over £150,000 a year. If he does, it’s another broken promise, another abandonment of self-determined principals. Mind you, it is difficult to be angry about the prospect of those earning this level of salary paying a little more tax if that will help us out of the economic crisis.Tory boy Matthew Elliot, of the right wing Taxpayers’ Alliance, is not happy but then he wouldn't be, would he?  His organisation is run for and supported by a wide array of British fatcattery.The Taxpayers' Alliance described the move as "a totally backward step".Its chief executive Matthew Elliott said: "To recover from the recession, Britain needs to be a low tax, competitive economy, not one that punishes ... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984769 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:09:00 +0100 1984769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1969323&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F457116387%2F Now that the US Supreme Court has heard her case (this is the transcript), the Vermont musician is getting more assertive about publicizing her plight and the issues involved. We interviewed her earlier this year (take a look), but now everyone has a chance to ask Levine the loss of her right arm in a clinic after being administered Wyeth’s Phenergan. She sued for inadequate labeling and won; Wyeth is appealing. At issue is the notion that FDA approval of a drug supercedes state law claims challenging safety, efficacy, or labeling. Drugmakers and the FDA argue that preemption exists by maintaining the agency’s actions are the final word on safety and effectiveness. The court’s decision, therefore, will be closely watched because its ruling will determine whether patients can sue ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1969323 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:13:27 +0100 1969323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961216&cid=t_133386_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F453016042%2F Now that the US Supreme Court has heard the controversial case that pitted Wyeth against Diana Levine, who claims an insufficient warning on a Wyeth med contributed to the loss of part of her right arm, a non-profit group, Alliance For Justice, is trying to keep the issue in the public eye with a new documentary that argues against preemption. Preemption is the legal notion that FDA approval of a drug supercedes state law claims challenging safety, efficacy, or labeling. Drugmakers and the FDA argue preemption exists by maintaining the agency’s actions are the final word on safety and effectiveness. The court’s decision, therefore, will be closely watched because its ruling will determine whether patients can sue a drugmaker through state law when a product has already been approved by... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961216 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:42:04 +0100 1961216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901488&cid=t_133386_85_f&fid=34798&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommitmenttoliving.com%2F2008%2F10%2F22%2Fclinical-reflections-on-armys-approach-in-interactive-suicide-prevention-video%2F A colleague pointed me to a Washington Post article describing an interactive suicide prevention video the Army has produced and will make mandatory for all soldiers.   I experimented with the online demo of Beyond the Front, which shows scenes from the life two soldiers and allows the viewer to make choices that either lead toward or away from help and survival.   The demo portion I reviewed focuses on the decision a distressed soldier faces in deciding to talk with the chaplain or not.   I was impressed with the quality of the video and interested by the approach. I am not expert enough in public awareness and mass media approaches to prevention to comment or speculate about how effective this video might be in preventing suicide in the Army.  But I would like to comment on some i... Commitment to Living blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901488 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:21:38 +0100 1901488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790710&cid=t_133386_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F390824692%2F Several months ago we came across an excellent resource for cognitive/ brain fitness aimed at helping companies offer quality brain health information to their employees. While it is true that we often tend to believe all this "brain fitness" stuff is most relevant to our parents and/ or grandparents, trust me, if you are reading this you have a brain which would also benefit from learning about how it works and how to maintain it with proper care. And, from a company's point of view, isn't "talent" and "human capital" all about brain fitness and cognitive performance, really? The Conference Board and the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives (descriptions below) launched last year a program to "teach simple, practical strategies for incorporating brain-fri... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790710 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:05:40 +0100 1790710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1785805&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Ffutile-care-dehydration-stopped-in.html The Alliance Defense Fund, which helped save Jesse Ramirez's life, has won another one, at least for now. From its press release: On May 16, the patient's husband filed the suit P.C. v. K. against the hospital and a doctor in order to keep the medical staff from removing his wife's life support, which would have terminated her life. [ADF lawyer Kenneth] Kirk subsequently filed a motion for stay on the husband's behalf to keep the hospital from doing so.The motion was granted, and the Alaska Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on May 30 prohibiting the hospital from discontinuing life support pending appeal and further order of the court (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4544). The hospital then determined that it would remove her feeding tube instead, which would have cau... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1785805 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:24:00 +0100 1785805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1727809&cid=t_133386_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F16%2Fpov-documentary-in-the-family-one-womans-journey-through-the-unpredictable-world-of-predicative-genetic-testing%2F “At the age of 27, filmmaker Joanna Rudnick tested positive for the BRCA mutation. Joanna now faces an impossible decision: remove her healthy breasts and ovaries or risk incredible odds of developing cancer. Armed with a positive test result that leaves her essentially “a ticking time bomb,” she balances dreams of having her [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1727809 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:51:22 +0100 1727809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1556546&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F323421500%2F This year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) theme of “Mother Support: Going for the Gold” gives a nod to the 2008 Olympics. In keeping with that theme, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) has announced two ways to win gold, silver, and bronze WBW medals: 1. WBW 2008 Marathon Celebrations (celebrations that last seven, five, or three days and consist of at least five, three, or two events, respectively). 2. WBW 2008 Global Breastfeeding Wave Event (mass breastfeeding events of 200, 100, or 50 mother-baby pairs breastfeeding for at least one minute). For more information, visit the WABA WBW site. Tags: angela white, breast feeding, breastfeeding, breastfeeding blog, lactation, WABA, WBW 2008, World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, World-Breastfeeding-WeekSha... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1556546 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:07:29 +0100 1556546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1488815&cid=t_133386_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F303174651%2F This month the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) launches a “Virtual Torch Run” around the world, running from June to December 2008. The Virtual Torch Run will be marked by a torch on the world map for each World Breastfeeding Week event registered during that time. To mark your event, submit the simple pledge form to WABA. To view the map, click here. La Leche League (LLL) groups in the United States should also remember to register their events with LLL. Non-LLL groups can also register by filling out a form for other registrants. Tags: angela white, breast feeding, breastfeeding, breastfeeding blog, La-Leche-League, lactaqtion, LLL, WABA, WBW, World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, World Breastfeeding Week 2008, World-Breastfeeding-WeekShare This (Source: Bre... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488815 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:22:29 +0100 1488815