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 'california'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:54:12 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169549&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fschool-nurse-gives-some-insight-into-her-job%2F2011.08.27 Well, what better time to post my interview with Erin at Tales of a School Zoned Nurse than now, when everyone’s headed back to the classroom? Erin is a school nurse in the “cash strapped state of California.”  Her position covers two elementary schools and a middle school – almost 2000 students!!  She has been blogging since last year and her blog has definitely become one of my favorites. She says she was never too set on working in a hospital.  After nursing school, she worked at a couple of summer camps, which gave her the idea to look into being a school nurse. She was hired right away and “leapt in without a second thought.”  She is starting her second year in this position. Erin’s daily schedule is quite varied: (more…) *This blog post was originall... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169549 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:00:17 +0100 5169549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169614&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FCCw8IHSGY6Q%2F These are my links for August 26th from 18:21 to 18:39: California State Democratic Party targets mail vote to boost L.A. turnout – Los Angeles County is crawling with Democrats – 2.3 million, in fact, far more than the six San Francisco Bay Area counties combined and the foundation of blue clout in an overwhelmingly blue state. But all those L.A. Democrats have a peculiarity: They don’t like voting by mail. In part, that stems from county election officials who over the years were not aggressive in developing a vote-by-mail system, Democrats say. “First, it’s because (former registrar) Connie McCormack made it very difficult for vote by mail and, second, minorities are less trustful in general of voting by mail,” said Democratic consultant Steve Mavigl... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169614 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:40:11 +0100 5169614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140036&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FzbB6f6VIsiE%2F These are my links for August 18th from 09:02 to 14:06: Los Angeles to quit hiring Standard & Poor’s to rate investments – Los Angeles, which recently saw its $7-billion investment portfolio downgraded by Standard & Poor's, has decided to no longer hire the rating company to rate the soundness of the city's investments. "We have really lost faith in S&P's judgment," Interim Treasurer Steve Ongele said. After its downgrade of U.S. debt last week, S&P cut its rating of L.A.'s general investment pool to AA from AAA. It also downgraded dozens of other municipalities with large investments in U.S. Treasury notes. One of them, Northern California's San Mateo County, has decided not to renew its contract with S&P. Florida's ... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140036 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:06:27 +0100 5140036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130904&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FyfRNL74giP8%2F Conn, I think you just might have the answer: JOBS. But then how do we explain California? From the time of the Gold Rush through 2000, the number of California residents not born in California grew every census. But, for some reason, that stopped in the 2000s. The number of Californians born in a different state actually fell by almost 1 million over the last decade. Why? Thanks to native births and immigration, California’s population did grow. But Texas’ native birth rate and immigration flows were about the same. Yet over the same decade the number of Texans born out-of-state grew by almost a million. Why? Matt is despereate to have you believe that Americans suddenly stopped wanting to live in California and started wanting to live in Texas. But why did this happen? Couldn... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130904 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:39:12 +0100 5130904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118640&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrlindagalloway.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fbreastfeeding.jpg Could breastfeeding kill a newborn?  That is the question a California district attorney will ask a jury at the trial of a breastfeeding mother. Most women do not intend to harm their children but substance abuse and addiction comes with a heavy price. Such was the case of Maggie Jean Wortman, who has been charged with second degree murder after medical tests revealed that her newborn son died from methamphetamine intoxication obtained through her breast milk. Wortman’s 19-month-old daughter also tested positive for methamphetamine and was placed in protective custody. How could this happen? The transfer of drugs from the mother’s blood to human milk depends on the chemical composition of the drug. Antibiotics such as penicillin will remain in the mother’s blood for long periods of ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118640 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:00:00 +0100 5118640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107667&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2F2-ways-hospital-new-construction-provides-long-term-growth-strategies At a medical office conference I attended, influential hospital executives stated that investing their capital in infrastructure needs and health information technology (IT) took priority over building new or renovating existing hospital ancillary facilities. However, the many advantages to  new facility construction support hospital growth strategies and has the potential to help the long term viability of any health system. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107667 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:24:12 +0100 5107667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077874&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FnyzqjIWWzyI%2F Well, almost final. The commission just voted out the new state lines on a 12-2 vote (with two Republicans voting no) and placed them on the Agenda for an official August 15th final vote.  Until then feel free to whine, complain, cuss and gripe to commissioners about their failures.  They can hear you, but they’re probably done listening. On August 15th the only option is an up-or-down vote on the maps.  You cannot have your city reunited, get your Assembly Member back.  The plans are final and the only option now would be for the commission to vote the plans down and send them directly to the courts. The game now transitions from the 14 members of the commission to the 67 members of Congress and the Legislature that have been drawn out of their seats, nested with ot... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077874 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:42:23 +0100 5077874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069650&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FpIZV7XBirSQ%2F The California Legislature and Democrat Governor Jerry Brown REALLY think they will be able to capture additional state revenue with the Amazon tax? Their track record with the California “Mary Kay Tax” is not so good, as exposed in this piece over at Cal Watchdog. Call it the Mary Kay Tax. It hits small businesses —  such as Mary Kay and Avon distributors — with heavy administrative costs, while bringing a pittance to the state treasury. It’s a tax program the Legislature passed in 2009 to help balance the budget. Then it was signed into law by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. But it has been a colossal failure as well as absurdly expensive. Despite the failure and added expense, the program is not getting the ax. AB X4-18 created the Board of Equalization’s Qual... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069650 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:11:42 +0100 5069650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062368&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FhZ6KJmreR5w%2F Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., speaks during a rally at the Delaware County fairgrounds in Manchester Iowa, Monday, July 25, 2011 A Friday night speech which is NOT prime time but coming to California must mean fundraising time. GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann will make a trip to Southern California in September to speak at the California Republican Party’s fall convention. The conservative Minnesota congresswoman is scheduled to address delegates on the first night of the three-day convention, which will be held in Los Angeles Sept 16-18. CRP Chairman Tom Del Beccaro said in a statement that he believes Bachmann’s “pure energy, vibrancy and leadership will be a hit with our delegates.” “This is a great opportunity... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062368 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:29:10 +0100 5062368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062371&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FlyAfVQLs4w4%2F A morning collection of links and comments about my home, California. However we vote, Amazon loses A Times-USC poll last week showed a close contest. After registered voters were read some arguments on both sides, the so-called Amazon tax was supported by 46% and opposed by 49%. Looking inside the numbers, two factors stood out, neither shocking. A majority of Democrats (52%) favored collecting the tax online; the majority of Republicans (59%) opposed it. Independents were almost evenly split. There was a generational divide: The younger the voters, the more opposed they were to online tax collections. The older, the more supportive. Specifically, 55% of people under 50 were opposed, 52% of the over-50 crowd supported it. The conflicting political dynamic is this: The best bet is there&#8... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062371 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:32:19 +0100 5062371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051234&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSuPzOqs71VA%2F How is this for grave conditions in the workplace? A Baxter Healthcare unit was fined $371,250 for “deliberate and willful” safety violations that resulted in the death of a technician and serious injury to two others, according to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. All together, there were four willful citations issued, indicating intentional violation or knowledge of a violation. “We will not tolerate employers who intentionally sacrifice the safety of their workers,” California Department of Industrial Relations acting director Christine Baker says in a statement. “Our goal is to prevent these needless tragedies and ensure employers live up to their responsibility of protecting their workers.” Here’s what happened: On January 21, a 3... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051234 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:13:21 +0100 5051234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050928&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FehSRUii3wCs%2F These are my links for July 21st from 16:57 to 17:21: Conservative groups want to repeal law on teaching contributions of gays – A referendum drive has been proposed to repeal a recently signed state law requiring California schools to teach about the contributions to history of gay, lesbian and transgender Americans. A coalition of conservative groups announced Thursday that it has filed papers required before it  can begin collecting signatures. "We think the bill goes way too far and costs way too much," said Karen England, executive director of Capitol Resource Institute, one group supporting the repeal. "We don’t need it to be mandated to teach about transgender historic figures in our schools." England said the coalition, which also inc... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050928 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:21:32 +0100 5050928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050929&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2F6hCRp_AEq1Q%2F These are my links for July 21st from 10:55 to 16:42: Poll shows Californians prefer easing prison terms to paying more – Cash-strapped Californians would rather ease "third-strike" penalties for some criminals and accept felons as neighbors than dig deeper into their pockets to relieve prison overcrowding, a new poll shows. In the wake of a court order that the state move more than 33,000 inmates out of its packed prisons, an overwhelming number of voters oppose higher taxes — as well as cuts in key state services — to pay for more lockup space. The survey, by The Times and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, shows a clear shift in attitude by residents forced to confront the cost of tough sentencing laws passed in recent decades. The poll ... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050929 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:25 +0100 5050929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050784&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=22291&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedgadget%2F%7E3%2F551pYVef_DQ%2Fscientists-create-artificial-neural-network-from-dna.html Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have successfully created an artificial neural network using DNA molecules that is capable of brain-like behavior. Hailing it as a “major step toward creating artificial intelligence,” the scientists report that, similar to a brain, the network can retrieve memories based on incomplete patterns.  Potential applications of such artificially intelligent biochemical networks with decision-making skills include medicine and biological research. The researchers predict that, eventually, neural networks could be developed that operate within cells to gather information for disease diagnosis. More details from Caltech: Consisting of four artificial neurons made from 112 distinct DNA strands, the researchers’ neural network... Medgadget blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050784 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:33:15 +0100 5050784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036316&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ftrimming-medicare-save-economy-social-media-reactions President Barack Obama seems desperate for a compromise with Republicans over the debt ceiling. In a press conference on Monday, he once again agreed to consider cuts in Social Security and Medicare. The deal would cut benefits within Medicare and Social Security, in addition to raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. But as the weeks roll by, congressional Democrats are showing more displeasure on that endorsement, creating difficult choices for the administration. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036316 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:58:06 +0100 5036316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036311&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FiOwGujYEzao%2F Remember back in February when I cut my face open at the HIMSS conference and needed medical assistance while 1,000 miles from home? I blogged then about how I used Google Maps to find an urgent care clinic close to the convention center instead of riding to a hospital emergency room in an ambulance? I’m guessing that course of action saved me at least $1,500, money that would have come out of my pocket because, as a self-employed individual, I was only able to qualify for an afford an insurance policy with a high deductible. Though most Americans still aren’t engaged as consumers when they seek healthcare services, there are tens of millions of uninsured people and a smaller number of people like me with high-deductible plans that would face the same conundrum when they have a... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036311 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:05:14 +0100 5036311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028573&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fradiology-needs-reassert-their-it-leadership Radiology groups and imaging centers have been on the leading technology edge for many years. The leadership principles of radiology CEOs and CIOs shine in how they approach: Documenting and streamlining workflows Selecting and implementing technology to enable the workflows Measuring the results and focusing on how to continue to enhance the workflows read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028573 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:50:18 +0100 5028573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992991&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FrcQNRvANhJM%2F Once again, the vaccines for thwarting HPV, notably Merck’s Gardasil, are causing a stir. In the latest dust up, the California Catholic Conference is urging state residents to contact their legislators to oppose a bill that would remove parental consent for vaccinating children 12 and older against sexually transmitted diseases. Although California law already allows children 12 and older to consent to treatment for sexually transmitted diseases without involvement from their parents, the proposed bill would expand that right to immunizations (read the bill here). In an action alert, the bishops’ group warns parents that “minors do not have adequate judgment to make a decision about a vaccine that as of January 15, 2011, had 21,171 adverse reactions and 91 deaths report... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992991 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:10:17 +0100 4992991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984421&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2xbpOrm84Pw%2F By Jim HarperThe Los Angeles Times has a good article on California’s move to require Amazon and other out-of-state retailers to collect taxes for it. Good because it accurately portrays what’s happening. Many such stories will say that California is seeking to tax Amazon. In fact, says the headline, “California Tells Online Retailers to Start Collecting Sales Taxes From Customers.” You see, Californians generally don’t pay their “use taxes“—the alternative to sales taxes, for things brought into the state from outside. If the tax authorities tried to collect use taxes, going door to door to tally up the goods that haven’t yet been taxed, there would be bedlam. So they want out-of-state companies that sell into California to collect the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984421 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:42:27 +0100 4984421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953061&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fdoes-father-know-best-when-it-comes-pediatric-phrs My musings in a recent blog about my pie-in-the sky dream of an effective pediatric personal health record (PHR) for parents were turned on their head recently when I came across news about a California-based company creating just such a product. (I should know by now that I’ll always be at least three steps behind the development gurus of healthcare IT.) read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953061 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:16:54 +0100 4953061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902556&cid=t_107167_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FqyQ9VHauy60%2F These are my links for June 6th from 11:24 to 11:39: Vitamin D levels should be higher in people taking certain osteoporosis drugs, experts say – Vitamin D works with calcium to strengthen bones. But adequate levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream also appear to boost the power of bisphosphonates, medications used to treat osteoporosis, according to research presented Monday. The study adds to the evidence that the current recommendations for vitamin D may be too low. Late last year, the Institute of Medicine issued a report that declined to make changes to the recommendation — despite many new studies supporting the need for more vitamin D than is typically consumed. In the new study, presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, researchers found that having a ci... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902556 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:00:05 +0100 4902556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902502&cid=t_107167_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fvery-pregnant-patient-from-us.html After three years of trying to conceive our first child (with efforts that included three rounds of Clomid with IUI, plus one un-medicated IUI) with some of the top infertility specialists in California, my husband and I were feeling sad, discouraged and borderline broke (our insurance didn't cover any infertility treatment), with still no baby in sight. We realized that IVF was the appropriate next step for us, but were daunted by the incredibly high costs in the US (our fertility center's rates start at $15K per cycle and can go up to $25K when taking on ICSI and other add-ons, but they couldn't tell you exactly how much it would cost until you were already committed to a cycle). We knew that giving up on our dream of having a family was not an option, but that paying upwards of $20K for... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902502 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:21:00 +0100 4902502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841986&cid=t_107167_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=4813242&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FN1KhQQSxd_Q%2F By Tad DeHavenFlorida Governor Rick Scott deserves a big round of applause for dealing a major setback to the Obama administration’s costly plan for a national system of high-speed rail. As Randal O’Toole explains, the administration needed Florida to keep the $2.4 billion it was awarded to build a high-speed Orlando-to-Tampa line in order to build “momentum” for its plan. Instead, Scott put the interests of his taxpayers first and told the administration “no thanks.” That’s the good news. The bad news is that the administration is going to dole the money back out to 22 passenger-rail projects in other states. Florida taxpayers were spared their state’s share of maintaining the line, but they’re still going to be forced to help foot the bill for passenger-rail projects in... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813242 Wed, 11 May 2011 20:21:43 +0100 4813242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813360&cid=t_107167_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F11%2Fva-mental-health-care-is-so-bad-its-unconstitutional%2F So says a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, after reviewing the evidence about the ability of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer an appropriately level of mental health care and treatment to returning soldiers. In this way, the costs of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been grossly underestimated, because they don’t take into account the increased needs and costs of the vets’ ongoing and increasing mental health care. The longer we’re at war, the worse it’s going to get. According to the article on TIME.com about the recent ruling, not only do some vets have to wait weeks to get in to see a mental health professional at many VA medical centers, but there’s often no significant triaging ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813360 Wed, 11 May 2011 15:30:28 +0100 4813360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775397&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-regular-medicine-doesnt-pay-doctors-turn-to-cosmetic-work%2F2011.05.01 This MSN article states that doctor-owned hospitals are on the rise. In California, the opposite is the case. The hospital business is a lousy business in which to be. I would rather open a surgical facility. I had an opportunity to be a part of a group that bought a hospital a few years ago and passed. In California, real medicine is going into the toilet as doctors realize that the work they have put in to get educated makes practicing fairly unrewarding. Niche markets and gimmicks are replacing the conventional medical landscape. That’s the reason we have so many non-plastic surgeons turning to cosmetic work. The bottom line is that you need to pay doctors enough so they can make a decent living or they will find something else to do. Sad but true. *This blog post was origi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775397 Sun, 01 May 2011 14:00:16 +0100 4775397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762797&cid=t_107167_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F28%2Fintroducing-boomers-on-the-rise-aging-well%2F I’m pleased to introduce our newest blog, Boomers on the Rise: Aging Well with Tamara McClintock Greenberg, Psy.D. This blog will discuss the increasingly complicated landscape of modern day aging, because, let’s face it, none of us is getting younger. Topics relate to healthcare and medicine, gender differences related to aging, coping with illness, and the many demands today’s middle-aged and older adults face. We’re all getting older, and with a generation of baby boomers getting to retirement age, this is the largest group of individuals that will become seniors in our nation’s history. There is a lot to navigate as we age, and few of us get a handbook to help guide us on our journey. I hope this blog will help give us the valuable tips and information that will make ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762797 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:02:31 +0100 4762797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719888&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY52cONji5A8%2F By Ilya ShapiroJust a decade ago in Palazzolo v. Rhode Island, the Supreme Court rejected the idea that those who buy property subject to burdensome regulations lose the right the seller otherwise has to challenge those regulations. The Court ruled that the Takings Clause does not have an “expiration date.” Sadly, not all government authorities or courts took Palazzolo to heart. In 1997, Daniel and Susan Guggenheim bought a mobile home park that, at the time of purchase, was in “unincorporated territory” of Santa Barbara County, California. The Guggenheims did not challenge the county’s 1979 rent control ordinance but instead challenged the 2002 adoption of that ordinance by the City of Goleta when the city incorporated the Guggenheims’ land. The Ninth C... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719888 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:10:50 +0100 4719888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676714&cid=t_107167_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fpatient-april-langstraat-benefits-kidney-exchange%2F April Langstraat has been on the kidney transplant waiting list for five years after her organs failed because of polycystic kidney disease. She received a donated kidney recently as part of a five way swap at the California Pacific Medical Center. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676714 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:03:30 +0100 4676714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642996&cid=t_107167_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=4615188&cid=t_107167_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F20%2Fwhy-is-religion-important-to-mental-health%2F As a member of NAMI FaithNet, which “supports faith communities in mental illness outreach, education, and advocacy,” I receive their newsletters. A recent issue featured an interview by Gale Bataille and Bill Berkowitz with Jay Mahler, activist and founder of a grassroots movement which became The California Mental Health and Spirituality Initiative, and Rev. Laura Mancuso, Director of the initiative on the relationship between spirituality and mental health, religion and psychology. Below are some excerpts. Historically, religion and mental health issues have had an uneasy relationship–and it goes both ways: people with mental illness have long faced stigma in religious communities, and mental health professionals have, for the most part, been suspicious of religion. M... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615188 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:11:42 +0100 4615188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610996&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FRIn2KcUFrXo%2F In an unusual move, the California Insurance Commissioner has intervened, or joined, a whistleblower lawsuit that was filed in 2007 by three former Bristol-Myers Squibb employees, who charged the drugmaker with bribing doctors to prescribe its meds - Abilify, Avapro, Glucophage, Plavix, BuSpar, Pravachol and others. In all, private insurers in the state paid more than $3.5 billion to cover the drugs. “This sort of fraud has long plagued our health insurance system, leading to billions of dollars annually in added health care costs nationally,” Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says in a statement. “Besides the obvious and deplorable ethical violations in such cases, health care fraud also leads to higher premiums for consumers and an unnecessary and unjust increase in hea... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610996 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:20:28 +0100 4610996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605810&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOpTZuC8QPxk%2F By Ilya ShapiroThis is a big week for private property rights.  Two epic eminent domain struggles are playing out on opposite sides of the country.  First, National City, California, is ground zero for eminent domain abuse.  City officials declared several hundred properties blighted even before conducting a blight study that was riddled with problems. The city wants to seize and bulldoze a youth community center (CYAC) that has transformed the lives of hundreds of low-income kids, so a wealthy developer can build high-rise luxury condos: CYAC has numerous volunteers, including local law enforcement officers, providing free mentoring in boxing as well as academics.  The gym is famous for getting kids off the street and back into school.  As Rick Reilly explained in a feature in Sport... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605810 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:35:22 +0100 4605810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592718&cid=t_107167_180_f&fid=38607&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fsuccessbeginstoday%2FBHWQ%2F%7E3%2FwnX9ZyDvEj8%2F After watching the unfolding events in Northern Japan, I was blown away by the magnitude of the devastation. While the earthquake did massive damage, the ensuing tsunami completely decimated coastal Japanese towns. The scary thing was the speed of the water as it encroached onto flat land and through city streets. The water had an almost eerie seductiveness. It came on slowly at first and then just seemed to explode. Instead of huge tidal waves, the water rose from the bottom almost invisibly. I cannot imagine what those people must be going through. Everything they had has been washed away. And now the nuclear reactors are spewing radioactivity. It’s like a Hollywood disaster movie gone bad. When I was a kid, growing up in California, we used to worry about a massive earthquake and... Success Begins Today blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592718 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:20:08 +0100 4592718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560278&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmission-impossible-getting-a-medical-license-in-california%2F2011.03.07 I first applied for a license to practice medicine in the state of California on July 9, 2008. I was licensed on March 3, 2011 — a whopping 967 days after they first received my application. I haven’t had a problem getting a license in any other state, and I am licensed in six of them. Just to give you a sense of how long it usually takes to process the paperwork for a medical license, Maryland completed mine in under three weeks. So what’s going on in California? Dr. Val’s Experience I think the best way to tell this story is with a timeline, and let the facts speak for themselves. I know this represents just one physician’s experience (namely mine), so results may vary: July 9, 2008 – The Medical Board of California (MBC) received my licensure appl... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560278 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:30:00 +0100 4560278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545030&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FyENL-jmhHiI%2F The first Health Wonk Review since last week’s HIMSS conference is up, courtesy of Jared M. Rhoads of the Lucidicus Project. While I’m no fan of organization’s ideological bent (it seems to think CMS Administrator Don Berwick is more interested in socialism than in improving healthcare), I’m happy to say this roundup has more IT than normal. For one thing, Rhoads mentions my post detailing my injury at HIMSS and the consumerism and EMR use that played into the care I received at a walk-in clinic in Orlando, Fla. I’m happy to report that I got the stitches out on Tuesday and the deep laceration is healing well. There’s a good chance that the resulting scar might kind of blend into my eyebrow, so I’m hoping it won’t be too conspicuous. Four oth... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545030 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:58:59 +0100 4545030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4472949&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-nursing-shortage-a-big-disconnect%2F2011.02.13 With the aging of America, it’s well known that there will be a shortage of registered nurses and nursing assistants to take care of the population. It’s predicted that the shortage of nurses in California will climb to 80,000 by 2015. California has just 653 registered nurses employed per 100,000 people. One of the problems is a lack of qualified faculty to teach at nursing schools. California was forced to turn away 23,000 qualified applicants from nursing programs during 2008-2009. And this week Humboldt State University announced plans to discontinue the school’s nursing program because of financial concerns and inability to retain nursing faculty. Shortage of nurses and closing nursing programs — now there’s a big disconnect. *This blog post was ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4472949 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0100 4472949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433290&cid=t_107167_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F02%2Frisk-of-death-doubles-for-early-stage-ovarian-cancer-patients-who-are-not-checked-for-lymph-node-metastases%2F University of California Davis Cancer Center and California Cancer Registry researchers determined that the risk of death doubles for those women with apparent early stage ovarian cancer who are not checked for lymph node metastases. A team of University of California (UC) Davis Cancer Center and California Cancer Registry researchers determined that more than a quarter of women [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433290 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:40:46 +0100 4433290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424237&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffire-department-app-theres-a-hero-in-all-of-us%2F2011.02.01 Just admit it: Deep in your heart you’ve always wanted to be an emergency medical technician, if at least for a few moments. If you’re located in San Ramon Valley, California, you can now live that dream: The local fire department has released an iPhone app that will alert you of any emergency activity in the area. The well thought-out application will send out a push notification to users who have indicated that they are proficient in CPR whenever there is a cardiac emergency nearby. In addition, the closest public-access automated external defibrillator (AED) is located by the app. Current response status of dispatched units are shown and incident locations are pinpointed on an interactive map. There’s even a log of recent incidents including a photo gallery. For the ol... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424237 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:00:12 +0100 4424237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4414549&cid=t_107167_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F29%2Fan-interview-with-author-tim-farrington%2F This week I have the honor of interviewing Tim Farrington, the acclaimed novelist of Lizzie’s War, “The California Book of the Dead,” “Blues for Hannah,” as well as the New York Times Notable Book of 2002, “The Monk Downstairs.” Guess what? He’s one of us! And he articulates his journey through the hell of depression in a beautifully crafted memoir of sorts called “A Hell of Mercy: A Meditation on Depression and the Dark Night of the Soul.” Since that topic surfaces often on Beyond Blue, I thought I’d ask Tim to share his thoughts on both (depression and the dark night) with us. Hi Tim, and welcome! 1. Let me skip to the end (sorry, I like to eat dessert first), when you write “It is in surrender, in the embrace of ou... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4414549 Sat, 29 Jan 2011 11:40:25 +0100 4414549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405727&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fmaking-their-numbers-examples-of.html Last week, we discussed how the large incentives for pharmaceutical executives to meet short term financial targets (that is, "making their numbers") may be an important cause of their firms' decreasing capacity to fulfill their most basic mission, manufacturing pure, unadulterated medicines.  In the news recently were two examples of how other health care leaders are incentivized to meet short-term financial targets.University of CaliforniaThe first, and bigger example appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. First, note that the University of California system is currently in dire shape:Finances are so dire at the University of California that it might have to turn away qualified students,....Also,UC President Mark Yudof told the regents that UC will need to close a $1 billion budge... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405727 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:03:00 +0100 4405727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331236&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FED0DYDEIm1U%2F The controversy over so-called pay-to-delay settlements between brand-name and generic drugmakers has prompted attorneys general from 32 states to file an amicus, or friend-of-the-court brief urging the US Supreme Court to review the deals, which the states say thwart competition and block needed access to lower-cost medications. The move comes less than a month after three pharmacy chains and a wholesaler petitioned the court to rule on the issue, which has divided other federal courts (see this) and spurred the Federal Trade Commission into a Quixotic quest to urge Congress to pass a law to restrict these deals (back story). The case that precipitated these filings involved a deal in which Bayer paid Barr Pharmaceuticals, which is now owned by Teva Pharmaceuticals, to drop its patent cha... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331236 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:26:37 +0100 4331236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318291&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwhy-would-directors-of-health-care.html We recently posted about 36 well-paid top executives in the University of California system, including leaders of medical schools, academic medical centers, and public health, who threatened a lawsuit if their pensions were not increased according to what they claim was a promise made to them in 1999.Riddle me this: why would a group of directors of for-profit corporations that provide health care goods and services. plus a director of a leading biotechnology trade group, and the director of a leading mutual fund family band together to support this demand, thus to push for bigger pensions for these top managers of the University of California system?Here is a list of the directors, and their corporations:-  Mark R Laret, director of Varian Medical Systems and Nuance Communicatio... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318291 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:35:00 +0100 4318291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4313968&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fblast-from-anechoic-past-former-uci.html Soon after we started Health Care Renewal, we ran a series of posts about the University of California-Irvine (UCI) medical school and medical center, featuring stories of mismanagement of major programs, especially those involving organ transplantation (liver, kidney, and bone marrow) while the top executives who presided over the mess received generous compensation, sometimes in strikingly irregular ways, and while at least one whistle-blower alleged he lost his job for complaining about safety issues.  Some of the stories went back another 10 years, to 1995.  One particularly striking story involved the UCI infertility program.  Three physicians were accused of stealing ova from some women to implant in others.  One physician was convicted, and two fled the coun... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4313968 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:22:00 +0100 4313968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309562&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fsome-call-it-tyranny-top-leaders-of.html The state of California, and its flagship university system, the University of California, have been under extreme financial pressure lately.  The 36 Executives' DemandsHowever, that apparently has not decreased the University's hired managers' and executives' sense of entitlement.  They are threatening to sue if their pensions are not increased.  As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle,Three dozen of the University of California's highest-paid executives are threatening to sue unless UC agrees to spend tens of millions of dollars to dramatically increase retirement benefits for employees earning more than $245,000.'We believe it is the University's legal, moral and ethical obligation' to increase the benefits, the executives wrote the Board of Regents in a Dec. 9 letter ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309562 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:58:00 +0100 4309562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294551&cid=t_107167_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fplastic-surgeon-dr-ehab-aly-mohamed-loses-license-patient-death%2F California medical authorities have revoked the license of California plastic surgeon Dr. Ehab Aly Mohamed. Calling him an “imminent danger” to the public after the death of one of his patients, he is reputed to have claimed a false affiliation with Harvard University. Related Posts Dr. Naveed Fazlani Arrested in Sex Sting (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294551 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:50:10 +0100 4294551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285187&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fi4gWVYb6rWA%2F By Walter OlsonAssorted media clips worth catching up with over the holiday: You’ve probably seen the ongoing scandal about how local officials used the southern California city of Bell to enrich themselves at taxpayer expense. A Los Angeles Times investigation finds that the city was milking small tradespeople too: “Legal experts point to a lack of due process and judicial oversight in hundreds of ‘civil compromises,’ in which plumbers, carpet cleaners and bottle-gatherers paid up to $1,000 for alleged code violations.” “To get the check, you’ve got to medicate the child”: a horrifying Boston Globe series exposes how the incentives created by the federal SSI dependent disability program result in the overdiagnosis of disability among school-age kids. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285187 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:20:48 +0100 4285187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285202&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchinese-bloodletting-forbidden-in-california%2F2010.12.23 In November 2010, the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) finally decided to act responsibly and forbid the prevalent practice of Chinese bloodletting by licensed acupuncturists. The practice became a concern for the DCA when allegations of unsanitary bloodletting at a California (CA) acupuncture school surfaced. The incident allegedly occurred during a “doctoral” course for licensed practitioners. The instructor was reportedly demonstrating advanced needling and bloodletting techniques. During the process, he took an arrow-like lancing instrument that is called a “three-edged needle” (三棱针), sharpened it with sandpaper, cleaned it with alcohol, and then asked a student-volunteer to roll a towel around his neck. The instructor then cleaned the student’s temporal ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285202 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:00:17 +0100 4285202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275593&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fqgj83FqbBu0%2F Rise and shine. Another day is on the way. Here on the chilly Pharmalot corporate campus, we are doing our best to scurry the short people off to their school houses. As always, this ritual calls for a cup or two of stimulation. Please join us - or grab a bottle of water, whatever you fancy - as we indulge and scan the news of the world. Hope your day goes well… Novartis Moves Infectious Disease Unit From Massachusetts (SF Business Times) Pfizer Recalls More Bottles Of 40 mg Lipitor (Associated Press) Novartis Pill For Advanced MS May Be A $5B Blockbuster (Bloomberg News) Greece Sets Generic Pricing (Pharma Times) Pfizer Settles Two Prempro Cases (Reno Gazette-Journal) AstraZeneca Takes $445M Charge On Failure Of RSV Drug (Bloomberg News) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275593 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:09:42 +0100 4275593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265930&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ftop-5-provider-mistakes-revenue-cycle In a typical primary care or other office-based practice, prompt payment from insurers and patients is essential to smooth operations. When providers mismanage the revenue cycle, the financial impact may seem relatively small on an individual claim, but when multiplied by hundreds of visits a week, the effect on the bottom line is the equivalent of death by a thousand paper cuts -- slow, agonizing and certain. The good news is there is a remedy. Let's begin with some common revenue cycle management mistakes providers make. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265930 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:35:44 +0100 4265930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225252&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprison-overcrowding-does-it-affect-mental-health%2F2010.12.02 In California, the U.S. district court has ordered that tens of thousands of prisoners be released to reduce overcrowding. The case, Schwarzenegger v. Plata, was argued this past Tuesday and the transcript is online. This is relevant to a psychiatry blog because one of the arguments used in support of the releases is the contention that overcrowded facilities reduce access to mental health and medical services and that overcrowding causes mental deterioration and breakdown. The APA filed an amicus brief in the case, but the brief isn’t available online yet. (Keep an eye out for it here.) The challenge with this case is that there is no (or extremely little) actual research to support the link between overcrowding and psychological problems. Correctional systems have spent a lot of ti... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225252 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4225252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172329&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FFbCJyugESOg%2F Rise and shine. Another day is on the way. Although, clouds are hovering over the Pharmalot corporate campus. Nonetheless, we are reminded, once again, of what the Morning Mayor would say: ‘Every brand new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.’ We urge you to tug on the ribbon. And, of course, please join us for a cup of stimulation and the news of the world. Have a great day, everyone… Docs Say Bloodthinner Race Is Too Close To Call (Reuters) Patent Upheld On Bristol-Myers Abilify Schizophrenia Med (Bloomberg News) Value-Based Pricing Is No Magic Bullet: ABPI (InPharm) FDA Approves Eisai Med For Breast Cancer (Bloomberg News) Pfizer Signs R&D Deal With UC San Francisco (The Wall Street Journal) Merck Loses 50 Execs In India (The Economic Times) Lupus Drug To... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172329 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:12:47 +0100 4172329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133675&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5jjDY7jFbOw%2F By Walter OlsonWriting at CNN, my colleague Jeffrey Miron puts his finger on one reason for the disappointing defeat of California’s Prop 19: Prop 19 failed also because it overreached. One feature attempted to protect the “rights” of employees who get fired or disciplined for using marijuana, including a provision that employers could only discipline marijuana use that “actually impairs job performance.” That is a much higher bar than required by current policy. Like so many other developments in employment law in recent years, this would have chipped away at the basic principle of employment at will, which holds that in the absence of a contract specifying otherwise, either party to an employment relation may end that relation at any time for any reason or f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133675 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 01:39:47 +0100 4133675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4122069&cid=t_107167_151_f&fid=35797&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewrecovery.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Frecover-and-be-killed.html [Originally published 29 Oct 2010 on hellowellness.in]Trying to get clean and sober is a pathway to a new life in most places, but in some cities of Mexico it’s a ticket for getting killed.  Gunmen believed to be narco gangsters this week stormed into a drug rehab center in Tijuana, found 13 patients watching a movie, lined them up on the floor, and murdered them with machine gun fire.  A few days later, masked gangsters invaded a car wash in the central Mexican city of Tepic, not far from the tourist destination Puerto Vallarta.  They sprayed employees and customers with automatic weapon fire.  Most of the murdered car wash workers were recovering addicts.The border town Ciudad Juarez has seen a streak of massacres in drug rehab centers.  Minutes after the mass ... New Recovery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4122069 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:36:00 +0100 4122069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4122070&cid=t_107167_151_f&fid=35797&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewrecovery.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fpain-relief-without-addiction-walking.html [Originally published on hellowellness.in on 29 Oct. 2010]Roger T., a middle-aged systems analyst, showed up at a LifeRing recovery support group looking for help with addiction to painkillers.  Years earlier he had been a passenger in an auto collision which left him with chronic pain in his lower back and hips.  His doctors had prescribed the standard opiates, and this had provided him with some relief, but over time he needed larger and larger doses.  He said he had been taking 300 Vicodins® per day.  He knew he had to stop the drugs -- but he couldn’t live with the pain.  Not only patients but also their physicians have to walk a tightrope between pain and addiction.  A hot case in point is the jury trial involving Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, the 42-year old Ho... New Recovery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4122070 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:27:00 +0100 4122070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118888&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FcHnZXPfmm0o%2F By Tim LynchHere’s some recent commentary on California’s Prop. 19 ballot initiative: Today, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof makes the case against the war on cannabis.  Although there is no mention of Cato, Kristoff mentions the work of our senior fellow, Jeff Miron, and links to our report on the Budgetary Impact of Ending Drug Prohibition.  Kristoff also mentions Portugal’s drug decriminalization policies and links to a Time Magazine article that highlights the Cato report on that subject by Glenn Greenwald. Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch make the case that Prop. 19 is the most important item before the voters in this election cycle.  Even more important than whether Barbara Boxer can continue her work in the Senate?  Yes, read the whole thing.  Dan ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118888 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:10:41 +0100 4118888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107951&cid=t_107167_175_f&fid=39258&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FInsidePaTraining%2F%7E3%2FS69mWwPuMyo%2Fgabe-teaches-neuromuscular-assessment One of the things I love about the UC Davis program is the broad experience of the students.  Nurses, EMTs, lab techs, radiology techs, therapists, corpsmen, you name it.  And the faculty aren’t afraid draw from the students to teach.  Here, my classmate and co-blogger Gabe shares his sports physiology expertise with the class.  He’s [...] (Source: Inside PA Training) Inside PA Training blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107951 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 03:24:22 +0100 5107951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105665&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnurse-anesthetists-allowed-to-work-without-doctor-supervision%2F2010.10.25 New Jersey’s state health department is considering a rule that would allow nurse anesthetists to work without a doctor’s supervision, as long as there’s a plan to reach one in case of an emergency. New Jersey would join the 30 states that allow nurse anesthetists to work without direct supervision. On the other end of the country, a California court upheld the state’s decision to opt out of a Medicare requirement that doctors be present while a nurse anesthetist works in order to be reimbursed. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have allowed states to opt out of that requirement since 2001. Since then, there has been no evidence of increased inpatient deaths or complications, researchers reported in the August 2010 issue of Health Affairs. Earlier this ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105665 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4105665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4002874&cid=t_107167_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F26%2Fsunday-news-round-up-the-website-is-done-edition%2F A libraryland interlude: we finally launched the new website (the first overhaul in >8 years) for the library where I work, wrapping up months of work. With it, we launched our Twitter and Facebook accounts, chat ref via Meebo, remote access to UpToDate, online payment for document delivery for departments, a PolyMeta federated search tool, and a new WordPress-based news site. Whew. I’m glad that’s done. Now for some things that have flown through my reader and networks while I’ve been buried in work: I can’t believe I missed this: Planned Parenthood clinic in California damaged; California Planned Parenthood Medical Center Firebombed Madera police say someone threw a makeshift explosive through the clinic’s window early Thursday morning, breaking the gla... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4002874 Sun, 26 Sep 2010 17:40:43 +0100 4002874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987044&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F273u-NWF8og%2F By Ilya Shapiro“These kids today and their violent [blank]….” This refrain has been around for as long as there have been kids – and elders to shake their fists at them. In the 19th century, dime novels and “penny dreadfuls” were blamed for social ills and juvenile delinquency. In the 1950s, for example, psychologist Fredric Wertham’s attack on comic books – in his bluntly titled book Seduction of the Innocent – so ignited the national ire that Congress held hearings on the cartoon menace. In response, the comic book industry voluntarily adopted a ratings system. Similarly, backlash against the movie industry and the music industry (e.g., Tipper Gore’s attack on gangsta rap) caused those respective industries to also adopt volu... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987044 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:06:26 +0100 3987044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954214&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F199150%2F California’s Pollution Problem: A new study shows that air pollution in California is the cause of at least 9,000 premature deaths every year. (via Inhabitat) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954214 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:04:45 +0100 3954214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3934479&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcanadians-warned-to-protect-themselves-against-unvaccinated-californians%2F2010.09.04 The Public Health Agency of Canada has issued a “travel health notice” to its citizens who plan to travel to California. Childhood vaccination against whooping cough (pertussis) has dropped low enough to result in a 7-fold increase in the number of infections over the past year alone. An increasing number of parents are opting out of vaccines, a trend that could threaten to reverse the preventive health gains we’ve made against certain infectious diseases this past century. How scary is that? Incidentally, whooping cough can be lethal — killing a small percentage of kids who suffocate from the damage it does to the respiratory tract. For more information about whooping cough, I recommend the Mayo Clinic’s consumer health website. To all the moms and dads ou... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3934479 Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:17:35 +0100 3934479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929220&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfsrhCElgO7c%2F By Walter OlsonI’m a guest on tonight’s John Stossel program on the Fox Business Network, on the subject of the consequences of the twenty-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The show was shot live to tape yesterday in New York and was fascinating throughout; even those who think they know this subject well will learn a lot. I’m also quoted in John’s latest syndicated column on the same issue. Among the highlights of the taping: a disabled-rights lobbyist defended several extreme applications of the law, including the notion that it might be appropriate to force networks to hire someone who suffers from stuttering as on-air television talent. We also shed some light on the state of California’s up-to-$4,000-a-violation bounty system for freelancers... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929220 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:33:06 +0100 3929220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924872&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F198131%2F Plastic Problem: The California bill that would ban plastic bags has been rejected. (via Huffington Post) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924872 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:41:04 +0100 3924872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924874&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Flady-gaga-likes-coconut-water-and-california-likes-plastic-bags-%25e2%2580%2593-morning-news-roundup%2F Roger Ebert Wrote A Cookbook – After recovering from jaw cancer, the film critic started using a rice cooker, and wrote an entire cookbook about it. (New York Times) Bar Rafaeli Hates Anorexia – She just wishes that all models could be blessed with good genes like she is. (FitCeleb) Lady Gaga Likes Coconut Water – It’s part of a new healthy eating plan that she’s adopted to cope with her demanding schedule. (FitSugar) California Is Keeping Plastic Bags – The state rejected a ban on the environmentally-unfriendly carriers on Tuesday. (Mother Nature Network) Look Like Tina Fey – We might not be as funny, but our hair can look as good. (Self) Post from: BlissTree Lady Gaga Likes Coconut Water and California Likes Plastic Bags – Morning News Roundup (Source: Breastfeedi... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924874 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:55:11 +0100 3924874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911698&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnations-largest-tele-health-network-launched%2F2010.08.27 California launched the nation’s largest tele-health network, a $30 million public/private project to bring broadband access designed to reduce the cost of followup care by 40 percent and overall costs by 6 percent. The network seeks to connect more than 800 California healthcare facilities, including rural, underserved, and Indian health facilities, to a statewide network of healthcare and emergency services. (Healthcare IT News) *This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911698 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:00:00 +0100 3911698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899439&cid=t_107167_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2F1Sj5oTdQbSU%2Fwhen-universities-grow-in-wrong-places.html A bit of a rambling post here but here goes anyway ... Well, normally I have avoided digging in to UC Davis too much here on my blog.  Mostly because it does not really fit with the themes of evolution, open access, microbiology, genomics, etc.  Plus, overall, I really really like Davis and UC Davis.  The town is very pleasant - simple - but very nice.  I lived on my bike in the Washington DC area, taking my life into my own hands, and now living in bike town USA is great.  In fact, I even have a blog about life in Davis.  And UC Davis is overall a great place to be for me, especially with its strengths in evolution and ecology, population biology, and various aspects of microbiology. But alas, now all is perfect here in blissville. And one thing that drive... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899439 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:00:01 +0100 3899439 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3891645&cid=t_107167_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fcalifornia-hospital-refuses-hire-filipino-nurses%2F Reports have surfaced that the St. Lukes Campus of Sutter Health’s California Pacific Medical Center has a defacto ban against hiring Filipino nurses. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3891645 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:50:27 +0100 3891645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880862&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-novel-approaches-fill-primary-care-needs%2F2010.08.18 New primary care arrangements show how primary care is evolving — or splitting apart, depending upon one’s perspective. Retainer fees let one practice handle more patients by phone or email. But, points out Richard Baron, FACP, affluent communities can take advantage of such arrangements, and not every community is. And Sam Fink, FACP, of southern California says tele-visits are no substitute for hands-on care. In another model, nurse-led facilities service the poor in north Philadelphia, and more states are expanding the power of the pen to cover shortages.  Another trend is the shared medical appointment. Led by physicians and conducted by “behaviorists,” the sessions cover a half-dozen or more patients at a time for both primary and specialty care. Even pharmaci... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880862 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:00:00 +0100 3880862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3866984&cid=t_107167_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F14%2Fsurviving-domestic-abuse%2F Today I have the honor of interviewing a woman who is a survivor in all meanings of that word. Kathy Lockhart is a professional Registered Nurse with a Master’s Degree in Psychiatric Nursing from the University of Virginia and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University, East Bay. She became interested in Domestic Violence after being in an abusive relationship. She has been an active volunteer for a community Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Hotline for the past 14 years and is an advocate for victims of domestic violence and rape. She knows Domestic Violence can happen to anyone. She is a living example of how women can break free from abuse and live a meaningful life. When a young woman who has been beaten by her husband calls your hotline a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3866984 Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:00:12 +0100 3866984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854748&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fp51ONR7dpCs%2F After months of tense negotiations and negative publicity over its posture toward AIDS drug pricing for state programs, Bristol-Myers Squibb and the ADAP Crisis Task Force are close to reaching an agreement that could be announced this week, according to people familiar with the negotiations. The agreement may include price freezes, lower rebates and expedited patient assistance programs, says Ann Lefert, associate director of government relations at the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors. The move comes as a growing number of state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs face a crisis, thanks to federal funding that has failed to keep up with demand caused by more people losing health insurance and shrinking state budgets. Some ADAPs have ballooning patient waiting lists a... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854748 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:59:33 +0100 3854748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3827017&cid=t_107167_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F05%2Fmy-highlights-from-the-proposition-8-decision%2F The court decision that ruled unconstitutional Proposition 8 – a ballot initiative which banned same sex marriage in California – has no shortage of online coverage and commentary. Seriously, just google news & blog search it; you don’t need additional comments from me. Instead, I’m highlighting a couple of the passages that make me all happy. I have a warm fuzzy feeling about the following passage that is almost indecent: Many of the purported interests identified by proponents are nothing more than a fear or unarticulated dislike of same-sex couples. Those interests that are legitimate are unrelated to the classification drawn by Proposition 8. The evidence shows that, by every available metric, opposite-sex couples are not better than their same-sex counterp... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3827017 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:30:22 +0100 3827017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798824&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fe8k2-mp0Imw%2F Over the past few weeks, Bristol-Myers Squibb was implored to lower the price of its Reyataz AIDS drug, given the funding crisis facing a growing number of state ADAP programs, which provide AIDS and HIV drugs to the public (see here). Among those lobbying the drugmaker is the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which this week banned Bristol reps from its 11,000 or so clinics (back story). At least one California official, it turns out, has also beseeched Bristol, but has so far been ignored. On July 9, state controller John Chiang wrote Bristol ceo Lamberto Andreotti to explain the combination of fewer available state dollars and rising prices is an “unsustainable situation.” He noted that both the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798824 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:13:17 +0100 3798824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776380&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-insurance-companies-help-kill-primary-care%2F2010.07.21 Most doctors have a love/hate (and mainly hate) relationship with health insurance companies. We struggle with their confusing and complex coding rules in an effort to be reimbursed for our care of patients. When patients leave the office, they may think that a bill is sent to their insurance company and payment follows. More often than not it rarely happens that way. I am staring at an explanation of benefits (EOB) from Blue Shield of California for a patient I saw for a physical exam and Pap test. This patient had recently been hospitalized with a life threatening throat infection and abscess and saw me for needed follow up. I spent about 45 minutes with the patient, reviewing the events leading to hospitalization, coordinating the medications, as well as addressing the routine screening... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776380 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:00:00 +0100 3776380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776611&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FI34zs94vp7w%2F Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed to pay $169 million to settle allegations brought by Texas, California, Florida and the US government that the drugmaker inflated the prices of its meds in order to receive larger reimbursements from various Medicaid programs (here is the settlement). Earlier this year, Teva set aside $315 million to cover settlements and other litigation related to alleged Medicaid fraud (see here). The litigation was initiated by Ven-A-Care of the Florida Keys, which in recent years has filed several suits against drugmakers, including Schering-Plough, Mylan Labs, Abbott Labs and Sanofi-Aventis. Texas also initiated legal action against Mylan Laboratories and Sandoz in 2007, although those drugmakers did not settle the case (see statement from the Texas Attorney General). (Sou... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776611 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:59:30 +0100 3776611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750275&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FQ3eBZlyjWkI%2F The California Supreme Court has overturned a lower court decision that dismissed a price-fixing lawsuit brought by a group of pharmacies. They had charged the largest drugmakers agreed to set artificially high prices, and acted in concert to restrain reimportation of their lower-priced foreign drugs into the US and restrict price competition from generics. As a result, the drugmakers were able to maintain prices 50 to 400 percent higher than for the same drugs sold outside the US. The drugmakers - which included Abbott Labs; AstraZeneca; Novartis; Allergan; Boehringer Ingelheim; Eli Lilly; Johnson & Johnson; Janssen Pharmaceutica; Ortho McNeil; Ortho Biotech; GlaxoSmithKline; Pfizer; Hoffman-LaRoche; Aventis Pharmaceuticals; Amgen; Purdue Pharma; Merck; Bristol-Myers-Squibb, and Wyeth - a... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750275 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:03:55 +0100 3750275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733057&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fshould-your-texts-be-private-at-work%2F So your company provides a pager, phone, or BlackBerry – score! Saving money on phone bills every month is a major job perk, but what if the texts you send could get you fired? Not so perky. In City of Ontario v. Quon, Jeff Quon, a California police sergeant, claimed that the city had violated his privacy when they audited the texts sent through his company phone. Though the lower courts said that he had a right to privacy in this case, the Supreme Court ruled that police officer’s texts weren’t private. The court made it clear that this ruling doesn’t extend to all cases, but the ruling indicates that companies are likely to have protection of the law when auditing employee communications. In Quon’s case, the city found that out of 456 texts sent on his work phon... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733057 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:00:19 +0100 3733057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733125&cid=t_107167_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F07%2Fa-not-so-random-act-of-kindness%2F “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” – Anne Herbert Penn Station, New York City, noon, the beginning of summer. Eighty degrees: A perfect day. Everyone who can be outside is outside. But I have to go in to catch the train back to Jersey. I am not at full sprint, but I am moving, hungry. No breakfast, no lunch. A morning consult brings me in once a month to YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities. I’ve done it hundreds of times. Winters, summers, I know my way around Penn Station. I have it down to a science. I get a sandwich – make the train. There is a deli near the Seventh Avenue exit that has the best grilled vegetable panini sandwich I’ve ever had. I swear I would do the consult just to buy this sandwich. The staff at YAI/NIPD... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733125 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:30:50 +0100 3733125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714187&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpreventive-health-tip-get-vaccinated-for-whooping-cough%2F2010.06.30 California recently declared an epidemic of whooping cough (pertussis) which resulted in the death of five infants under the age of 3 months. The pertussis vaccine, which is already given routinely to infants, is first given at 2 months of age, then 4 months and 6 months of age, with an additional booster at 15 to 18 months of age, and then again at 4 to 6 years old. The vaccines for Bortella pertussis bacteria, which causes whooping cough, does not confer lifelong immunity. In other words, fully-vaccinated children who then become teenagers and then adults lose immunity, can acquire the infection and then spread it. Should babies acquire pertussis, as the public has discovered, it can be deadly. The persistent cough tires the baby, causes difficulty breathing, and can make them turn blue ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714187 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:00:00 +0100 3714187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690915&cid=t_107167_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fhow-to-get-best-medical-care-free-e.html Want to learnhow to choose the right doctor ?how to talk to your doctorhow to get a second opinion ?how to prevent unnecessary surgery ?how to take care of yourself in a hospital ?Check out our free e-learning course, How to Get the Best Medical care ! This is brought to you by HELP, in partnership with G-cubed solutions ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690915 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:38:00 +0100 3690915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671649&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fanimal-weight-loss-elephants-on-diets%2F photo: Thinkstock When you think of naturally, ahem, big-boned animals, we bet elephants leap to mind first. Have you ever seen a skinny elephant? No, because they don’t exist. But zookeepers in Fresno, California put two elephants on a strict diet to help them lose weight and live longer. And together, these Biggest Loser bruisers have lost 2,175 pounds. (News that would no doubt bring Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels to tears.) The zookeepers didn’t know that the elephants were overweight until they had enough money to buy a scale. Now, these formerly pudgy pachyderms eat healthy foods including fruits and vegetables, and keep to an exercise routine. While we wouldn’t call the tusked behemoths shapely (that’s just weird, Seattle Times), these guys most likely have ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671649 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:12:16 +0100 3671649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662607&cid=t_107167_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fmichael-jackson-doctor-dr-conrad-murray-medical-license%2F Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor refused to pull the California medical license of Dr. Conrad Murray, personal physician to Michael Jackson who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter charges in the pop star’s death. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662607 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:42:46 +0100 3662607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662641&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fcalifornia-could-ban-plastic-bags%2F Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake are prepared for California's plastic bag ban. Everyone knows that plastic bags suck (something about the environment, waste, landfills, petroleum), but each time we return from the grocery store, we look at that bundle of plastic bags and think “I wish I knew how to quit you.” Sometimes we need a little extra incentive, and that’s exactly what California would like to give. Thanks to a newly proposed bill, California might be the first state to ban plastic bags, charging shoppers five cents for every paper bag used. Because the average Californian uses 600 plastic bags a year, this bill could have a huge impact on the environment. Walmart has already started a plastic bag initiative in California, experimenting with three stores off... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662641 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:28:32 +0100 3662641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3659158&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FNM47jZabUxw%2F Welcome to the working week. We hope the weekend was refreshing and restful. Now, of course, the time has come to resume the usual routine of meetings and deadlines and what-not. Are you ready? If not, grab a cup of something stimulating and scan the news of the world. What better way to get started? So dig in and have a good day, everyone. Catch you soon… Human Genome Concedes Hep C Drug Approval Is Unlikely (TheStreet) Bayer’s Nexavar Fails Phase III Lung Cancer Trial (Reuters) Glaxo Gets Complete Response Letter For MenHibrix (PharmaTimes) Debating Anti-Counterfeiting Technology In Nigeria (234Next) Dr. Reddy’s Blocked From Launching Version Of Allegra (Business Standard) Abbott Lays Off 120 Workers In California (North County Times) New KV Pharma Board Ousts CEO (St. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3659158 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:41:48 +0100 3659158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3645076&cid=t_107167_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F09%2Ffood-for-your-whole-life-nutrition-today-for-a-healthy-tomorrow%2F By: Carlene Helble-Elite Nutrition Intern It’s no secret; nutrition can affect your health at every stage of life. California Walnuts held an amazing symposium and webinar, Food for your Whole Life, that brought experts like Dr. David Katz, from across the country to focus on each life stage. The panel of specialists included a representative from the USDA, who gave us a sneak peek at what is being worked on for the new food pyramid that is being released this fall. Look for a new view on the calories obtained from fat and carbohydrate sources as well as more information on trans fats. The children’s specialist talked about one of our favorite topics, school lunches. He described studies that he and his team members were working on to increase healthy choices in students. Small changes... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3645076 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:25:37 +0100 3645076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625634&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fnational-privacy-center-backed-trusted-entities Amidst all the millions of federal dollars slated for health IT adoption, HHS understands the importance of protecting patient information in electronic form. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625634 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:59:26 +0100 3625634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625464&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwine-country-photo-of-the-day%2F On our lists of places we’d love to visit, wine country is definitely near the top. Imagine riding a bicycle through the hills of Napa Valley before having a glass of wine, all while gazing at this beautiful view: Photo from National Geographic Post from: BlissTree Napa Valley Wine Country: Photo of the Day (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625464 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:30:10 +0100 3625464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625501&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-much-is-a-primary-care-visit-worth-to-you%2F2010.06.02 How much is a primary care appointment worth? Not much, it appears. Physicians in California decided to embark on an innovative idea, asking patients to simply pay them what they thought the visit was worth. Here’s how it worked: On the day of the events, no insurance was accepted. Care was provided only to the uninsured, who were asked to pay what they could afford. Laboratory tests were provided at cost, and patients who needed additional services were referred to various public resources. Practices also handed out lists of generic medications available for reduced prices at large, discount pharmacies. Physicians who accept Medicare are not allowed to include Medicare beneficiaries in any pay-what-you-can program. Although patients did value the visit, they grossly underestimated its c... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625501 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:00:11 +0100 3625501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592191&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fgreyhound-rock-california-photo-of-the-day%2F It’s a little gray out around our parts, so we’re gazing out at beachy California, thanks to this awesome Flickr photo: Photo from Flickr user the_tahoe_guy Post from: BlissTree Greyhound Rock California: Photo of the Day (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592191 Mon, 24 May 2010 12:27:51 +0100 3592191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581873&cid=t_107167_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F19%2Fnew-chefs-council-cook-up-healthy-and-delicious-foods%2F We know eating healthy is of the utmost importance, but have you ever wondered just how important? Statistically, two thirds of American adults are ‘obese or overweight and a third of American children are currently overweight. According to the United States department of Health and Human Services, unhealthy eating and inactivity contributes to 310,000 to 508,000 deaths per year.’ Esteemed chefs have joined California Walnut Board’s Chefs Council to provide diners with healthy and ‘delicious menu options while illustrating the benefits from eating healthy’.  The group has the admirable goal of ‘helping to change the American menu’s nutritional profile’ by showing how walnuts, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids, can help in a diet. By getting Americans excited and passio... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581873 Wed, 19 May 2010 21:47:09 +0100 3581873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577626&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fh_IpIo82H4Y%2F A federal appeals court last month may have upheld the legality of pay-for-delay deals that thwart the introduction of generics, but the issue isn’t dead yet. A group of consumers, union health and welfare funds, which have been certified as a class, are asking a California appeals court to review the same set of circumstances involving Bayer, Barr Pharmaceuticals and the Cipro antibiotic. At issue in both cases is a deal in which Bayer paid Barr, now owed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, to drop its 1991 patent challenge to Cipro. In 1997, Barr struck a deal with Bayer just two weeks before a lawsuit was set to go to trial, delaying the entrance of a generic version. The US Second Circuirt Court of Appeals ruled the deal was kosher (see here), although the Federal Trade Commission continues... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577626 Wed, 19 May 2010 12:11:47 +0100 3577626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556070&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0rRaylTbIcQ%2F By Walter OlsonCalifornia just adopted effective next year a requirement that all new one- and two-family dwellings include indoor sprinkler systems. Other states are debating similar mandates, spurred by changes to national building code standards. Earlier legal mandates have required the inclusion of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, but the cost of those devices is relatively minor, whereas full-blown sprinkler systems add measurably to the cost of a new home, as well as posing challenges in such areas as maintenance, aesthetics, and risk of property damage through accidental activation. It will surprise not a single reader of these columns, I suspect, to learn that the fire sprinkler industry has been a major force in pushing the new mandate. As for the opposition, home builders... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556070 Wed, 12 May 2010 14:29:47 +0100 3556070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542571&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuhzDuJBH_9Y%2F By David BoazSarah Palin has endorsed Carly Fiorina for U.S. Senate in California, showing commendable charity toward a woman who gave her one of her many Bad Headline Days in September 2008 by telling an interviewer that Palin wouldn’t be qualified to run a major company. (Fiorina did add, “But you know what? That’s not what she’s running for.”) Palin is way off base, though, when she writes: I support Carly as she fights through a tough primary against a liberal member of the GOP who seems to bear almost no difference to Boxer, one of the most leftwing members of the Senate. Ignoring conservative Chuck DeVore, who probably has the support of a lot of Palin fans, Palin is taking aim at frontrunning former congressman Tom Campbell. But if her aim was that far ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542571 Fri, 07 May 2010 15:42:41 +0100 3542571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542584&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6tx3IV4Fd9c%2F By David BoazThe economist Herb Stein famously said, “If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.” That’s a good riposte when people wring their hands over something unsustainable. Of course, that fact doesn’t tell you how unsustainable situations will stop, and some ways are less pleasant than others. I thought of “Stein’s Law” when I read former California Assembly speaker Willie Brown’s response to a question about whether California’s lavish public-employee pensions would bankrupt the state: No, it’s not going to bankrupt the state. My guess is that the State of California, like most places involved with pensions, is going to cease to pay them. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542584 Thu, 06 May 2010 18:06:24 +0100 3542584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519572&cid=t_107167_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FAjxawfNl8LU%2F An independent expert panel organized by the NIH released yesterday a thoughtful report on the state of the science for prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease and cognitive decline. The report, available here, summarizes the panel’s review by saying: “Firm conclusions cannot be drawn about the association of modifiable risk factors with cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease.” “There is insufficient evidence to support the use of pharmaceutical agents or dietary supplements to prevent cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease. However, ongoing additional studies including (but not limited to) antihypertensive medications, omega-3 fatty acid, physical activity, and cognitive engagement may provide new insight into the prevention or delay of cognitive decline ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519572 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:16:41 +0100 3519572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522829&cid=t_107167_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F1wDPZcis6gc%2F November 30, 2009 Nurses, doctors, dentists and other health professionals in California who are in treatment for alcohol and other drug problems will now be subject to stricter oversight and could be immediately removed from practice should they relapse, the Los Angeles Times reported. Health workers will now be required to take more than 100 drug tests during their first year in treatment. One positive drug test result will be enough to have a health professional be temporarily suspended from practice. All restrictions to licenses will be posted online for public access. The new standards were created by the state legislature last year to address the way recovery programs for doctors were being handled. The Medical Board of California ended its diversion program in 2008 after several a... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522829 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 06:20:03 +0100 3522829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467853&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fsurvey-uncovers-strong-growth-phr-usage Yesterday, the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) released a consumer survey report looking at perspectives on healthcare IT, privacy of personal health information (PHI) and use of internet tools, such as PHRs to manage their health or health of a loved one. Having reviewed the slide deck and survey/data report, following are some initial impressions: Inclusive survey sampling a broad cross-section of the US, including age, racial and socio-economic classes. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467853 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:15:46 +0100 3467853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3449079&cid=t_107167_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fdesign-challenge-and-now-a-word-from-our-sponsor.html Actually, we have Veenu Aulakh to thank for putting the DiabetesMine Design Challenge on the map. She heard me give a keynote speech at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Project HealthDesign event a few years ago, calling for more patient involved in medical device design, and it seems that a light bulb went on: the [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3449079 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:00:41 +0100 3449079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429265&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fbilling-companies-are-key-adopting-emrs With the advent of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)/HITECH Act and the promise of stimulus funds, physicians are mulling ways to add electronic medical records (EMRs) to their practices. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429265 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:33:03 +0100 3429265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3424963&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ffive-best-practices-safeguarding-ehrs People who get paid to try to break into information systems are in a great position to give advice. Here at Redspin, Inc., a company of "ethical hackers" and IT security consultants based in Carpinteria, Calif., we've found that the healthcare companies most successful at safeguarding electronic information tend to follow these five best practices. These recommendations are based on years of Redspin's IT security assessment consulting work with dozens of leading companies. 1. An organization-wide commitment to strong security (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3424963 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:40:42 +0100 3424963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408484&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fbeyond-putting-patients-control-and-privacy-safeguards-ehrs In a March 23 opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, Deborah Peel, MD, founder of the Patient Privacy Rights and leader of the bipartisan Coalition for Patient Privacy, argues  that unless we put patients in control of their electronic healthcare records and put safeguards in place to make that data secure and private, the push to have a nationwide EHR system will fail. Peel is absolutely correct. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408484 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:41:56 +0100 3408484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403854&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F3-cool-things-3%2F Three things we like, in no particular order, from Blisstree to you: Fat Toad Farm – Goats’ milk caramel sauce (cajeta) from a family-run dairy in Vermont. Skip dinner. Scarlett Johansson’s Mail – The seductive starlet sent a letter to Representative George Miller of California’s 7th District urging Congress to support the The Healthy School Meals Act of 2010. RedLaser – An iPhone app that lets you bargain hunt: Use it to scan the barcode of items in a store and find out how much they’re going for online. Post from: BlissTree 3 Cool Things (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403854 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:50:17 +0100 3403854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395168&cid=t_107167_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2FzAA-BXJN9ng%2Fuc-regents-324-publicustream-discussion.html Just got this announcement: "The UC Board of Regents, at its March 24 meeting, will hold an extended public comment period and discussion of recent incidents of campus intolerance and UC's efforts to address them. The Office of the President will provide live streaming video of the discussion, available to members of the public and the UC community at: http://www.ustream.tv/regentsmeeting The public comment period begins at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday March 24. Following that 40-minute period, President Mark Yudof, Regents Chairman Russell Gould, Interim Provost Lawrence Pitts, Senior Policy Advisor Christopher Edley and select chancellors will discuss the recent events and the actions they are taking to ensure that these types of incidents do not occur in the future. For employees who are u... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395168 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:10:47 +0100 3395168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378459&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FC2a-Db-bt_8%2F By Mark A. CalabriaMoody’s has announced that it will change its methods for rating debt issued by state and local governments.  Politicians have argued that its current ratings ignore the historically low default rate of municipal bonds, resulting in higher interest rates being paid on muni debt, or so argue the politicians. First this argument ignores that the market determines the cost of borrowing, not the rating.  And while ratings are considered by market participants, one can easily find similarly rated bonds that trade at different yields. Second, while ratings should give some weight to historical performance, far more weight should be given to expected future performance.  Regardless of how say California-issued debt has performed in the past, does anyone doubt that Cali... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378459 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:03:58 +0100 3378459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370359&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fhow-sick-do-i-have-to-be-to-legally-smoke-weed%2F Cast of "Weeds" on Showtime (photo: Wenn) This year, New Jersey joins the ever-increasing ranks of legalized medical marijuana states. With the count now up to 14 states, the qualifications for toking up are basically the same: a severe ailment. However, each state has a different idea of what malady means. The majority of the time, a person must suffer from a serious condition such as terminal cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, glaucoma, or multiple sclerosis in order to legally smoke pot. But in California, the state that first fired up in 1996, your GP could potentially prescribe a legal Marley for your migraine. Michigan will let you grow ganja (in a locked facility, of course) if you have chronic muscle spasms. And New Jersey’s qualifications are pretty sweet: If you live with Cr... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370359 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:59:15 +0100 3370359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362456&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fphysician-practices-need-help-navigating-ehr-gold-rush The current quest of physician practices to purchase electronic health record solutions is reminiscent of the California gold rush of the 1850s. Practices are rushing to claim their share of the government stimulus funding, while more vendors than ever are in the market place offering EHR solutions. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362456 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:06:53 +0100 3362456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358942&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fpregnancy-woes%2F Sad Pregnant Woman I’m always intrigued — and frankly, quite skeptical — when Hollywood star moms-to-be gush over how much they love being pregnant. They wax on about how they’ve never felt better or sexier. They blather about how beautiful their skin looks and silky their hair feels. My all-time favorite, however, is when they exclaim that they wish they could be pregnant forever. Better them than me, I say. For me, pregnancy sucked. Getting pregnant sucked even worse. A little back story: My husband and I had tried for about a year to have a kid the old fashioned way. No baby showed, so we moved on to fertility drugs, and then artificial insemination. Still nothing. So we brought in the big guns – in vitro fertilization – because it turned out we were, reproductively speaking... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358942 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:00:46 +0100 3358942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331270&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJ-S76bBJhZY%2F By Tad DeHavenU.S. News & World Report’s columnist Paul Bedard reports that Transportation secretary Ray LaHood told him that it’s fun playing Santa Claus to states and cities around the nation. So let’s take a look at some recent examples of DOT gift-giving with federal taxpayers’ money: DOT’s Federal Highway Administration helped restore an old brewery in Petosi, Wisconsin with a $450,000 gift. That should make taxpayers want to drink. DOT is sending $116,000 to Calaveras County, California to restore a train that operated in the 1920s. Dolgeville, New York intends to use DOT stimulus money to repair sidewalks even though the village acknowledges that the new sidewalks will have to be torn up and replaced again due to impending water and sewage line upgrades. Keyne... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331270 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:20:25 +0100 3331270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3318660&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FjT3MHE2a-cA%2F Three California officials who oversee billions of dollars in Medi-Cal drug spending failed to disclose free flights, hotel rooms and meals paid for by nonprofit groups funded by drugmakers, according to CaliforniaWatch. One official, Pilar Williams, accepted free travel even though she has a direct role in negotiating rebates with drugmakers. Williams, the pharmacy division chief at the Department of Health Care Services, also helped decide which drugs were among the $8.5 billion worth of meds the state dispensed to low-income patients in the past three years, the . The travel was paid for by several nonprofits that exist for the sole purpose of funding conferences and meetings, a chairman of one group told CaliforniaWatch, which adds that the groups charge registration fees up to $2,000... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3318660 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:47:41 +0100 3318660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3318481&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fonc-himss-communities-connecting-nhin This week, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) is sponsoring a series of demonstrations at the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase that illustrate innovative efforts to achieve progress toward secure, nationwide health information exchange across providers and jurisdictions. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3318481 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:27:45 +0100 3318481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3306876&cid=t_107167_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2FzQGnKsJZKp8%2Fletter-from-ucdavis-chancellor-katehi.html Just got a letter from UC Davis Chencellor Katehi addressed to the UC Davis community (so presumably this went out to 1000s) regarding some upcoming rallies in support of higher education and I thought it might be of interest to share it here because it may be of interest to some who did not receive it: Dear UC Davis Community Members: Next week's rallies in support of public higher education provide us with another opportunity to work together on behalf of the University of California and in support of the California Master Plan for Higher Education -- a visionary plan forged in 1960 that viewed higher education as a collective good and as the primary engine of social mobility. That plan is threatened today with the state's steady and steep disinvestment in UC, in California State Unive... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3306876 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:38:45 +0100 3306876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416284&cid=t_107167_137_f&fid=39091&url=http%3A%2F%2Falzheimmers.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fbook-pleasures-book-review.html Below is a link to Norm Goldman's review of When Can I Go Home? from California Chronicle website:http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/141187 (Source: Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimer's) Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimer's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416284 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:57:00 +0100 3416284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283492&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Funiversity-of-california-ceo-you-can.html The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported how students at the University of California have been providing a satirical approach to the problems of the university's leadership:It's been a seriously dramatic year at the University of California, where hundreds of students seized buildings, demonstrated and shut down regents meetings last fall to protest rising tuition and the perceived privatization of the public school.It's also been a satirically dramatic year, thanks to the UC Movement for Efficient Privatization, a fledgling group of mostly grad students in business attire that uses humor tinged with sarcasm to lampoon UC officials.Their own name is an example. Many UC students believe leaps in tuition and reduced state funding are turning the public university into a private institu... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283492 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:22:00 +0100 3283492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259275&cid=t_107167_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FYABvJaUJNlc%2F The Agnostics 12 Steps For agnostics who would like to work the steps, this version of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous provides slightly different wording of the six steps that make reference to God or a Higher Power. This version of the Twelve Steps seems to have originated in agnostic A.A. groups in California. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable. Came to believe and to accept that we needed strengths beyond our awareness and resources to restore us to sanity. [Original: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.] Made a decision to entrust our will and our lives to the care of the collective wisdom and resources of those who have searched before us. [Original: Made a decision to turn our wills a... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259275 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:18:42 +0100 3259275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220490&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fmore-california-medical-centers-plagued.html Earlier this week, we noted that while executives at one University of California medical center were getting large bonuses supposedly for "improved patient health," the hospital was being cited for serious health care quality deficiencies.  Now, more stories have appeared that raise questions about the rationale for the generous bonuses handed out to multiple top hospital executives at University of California hospitals.  University of California - San DiegoFirst, in alphabetical order by city, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on penalties for poor quality care announced by the California Department of Public Health: UCSD Medical Center in San Diego was fined $50,000.... The state said the hospital staff failed to follow its surgical policies and procedures, which resulted i... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220490 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:16:00 +0100 3220490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208313&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fuci-medical-center-fails-inspection-uci.html Back in the early days of Health Care Renewal, we had many occasions to write about problems with the leadership of the University of California - Irvine (UCI) medical school.  Starting in late 2005, we posted  about various management problems at the institution, involving its liver transplant service, cardiology division, and bone marrow transplant service, (see posts here and here) which lead the new chancellor of the campus to "acknowledge a failure of leadership and accountability" (see post here.) Slightly more recently, we noted the almost 20 year history of questionable financial relationships that involved one of UCI's "biggest stars" in clinical researach and several pharmaceutical companies (see post here).  Then, in 2007, we wrote about some strange contract... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208313 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:11:00 +0100 3208313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163814&cid=t_107167_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2FNqZaQC-7-NA%2Fuc-pres-yudof-markyudof-statement.html Just got this in an email from UC President Mark Yudof Statement by President Mark G. YudofUniversity of CaliforniaJanuary 8, 2010With his proposed restoration of $370 million in funding for UC, including $305 million cut last year, the Governor has taken another important step toward putting California's commitment to higher education back on track. These restorations, in addition to the Governor's proposed constitutional amendment earlier this week, are clear evidence that the Governor understands the vital role public higher education plays in California.We are pleased that the Governor's budget provides $51.3 million to fund enrollments - an important step in light of the fact that UC currently enrolls 14,000 students for whom the state provides no funding. These funds will support ... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163814 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:34:35 +0100 3163814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153354&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLE3EQtuGuQk%2F By Daniel GriswoldThe Center for American Progress and the Immigration Policy Center released a new study this morning that finds comprehensive immigration reform would boost the U.S. economy by $189 billion a year by 2019. The bottom-line results of the study are remarkably similar to those of a Cato study released last August. Titled “Raising the Floor for American Workers: the Economic Benefits of Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” the CAP study was authored by Dr. Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda of the University of California, Los Angeles. It finds that legalizing low-skilled immigration would boost U.S. gross domestic product by 0.84 percent by raising the productivity of immigrant workers and expanding activity throughout the economy. Using a different general-equilibrium model of the U.S. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153354 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:19:45 +0100 3153354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153356&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FON8LqoedHMQ%2F By Daniel GriswoldOne of the more common complaints I hear about illegal immigration is that low-skilled workers from Mexico and Central America allegedly bring with them a wave of crime and incarceration expenses, especially to southern California. Those complaints are hard to square with the mounting evidence that immigrants, even low-skilled, illegal immigrants, are no more prone to commit crimes than native-born Americans. The latest data point comes from Los Angeles, where the Wall Street Journal reports this morning: “Violent crime in Los Angeles hit its lowest level in more than half a century last year, one of a growing number of U.S. cities reporting its streets were remarkably safe in 2009.” I tried to connect the dots on immigration and crime in a recent article I wrote for ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153356 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:46:33 +0100 3153356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3120614&cid=t_107167_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fstricter-sobriety-standards-for-california-health-professionals%2F November 30, 2009 Nurses, doctors, dentists and other health professionals in California who are in treatment for alcohol and other drug problems will now be subject to stricter oversight and could be immediately removed from practice should they relapse, the Los Angeles Times reported. Health workers will now be required to take more than 100 drug tests during their first year in treatment. One positive drug test result will be enough to have a health professional be temporarily suspended from practice. All restrictions to licenses will be posted online for public access. The new standards were created by the state legislature last year to address the way recovery programs for doctors were being handled. The Medical Board of California ended its diversion program in 2008 after several a... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3120614 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:18:11 +0100 3120614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3120412&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fboston-scientific-again-settles-this.html One would think that the stories about bad behavior by health care organizations would quiet down just before Christmas, but no...As reported by the AP:U.S. attorneys in Boston said Wednesday heart device maker Boston Scientific will pay $22 million to resolve allegations its Guidant division paid kickbacks to doctors to get them to use its heart devices.The U.S. Department of Justice said Guidant paid physicians $1,000 to $1,500 each in 2003 and 2004 to participate in four studies, called RaCE, RaCE II, RaCE III, and MERITS. It said the studies were designed to increase sales of pacemakers and defibrillators.Federal officials said the company targeted doctors who favored products made by other companies, hoping the payments would induce them to use Guidant devices more often. They said Gu... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3120412 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:49:00 +0100 3120412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3101066&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FErvcBYlFz9k%2F The deal resolves allegations the drugmaker “deliberately inflated” the price of its Albuterol asthma med and other drugs, causing California’s Medicaid (Medi-Cal) program to overpay millions of dollars in pharmacy reimbursement, according to California attorney general Jerry Brown. “With healthcare costs spiraling out of control, it’s unconscionable that a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company deliberately inflated its drug prices to cheat California’s public healthcare system out of millions of dollars,” Brown says in a statement. “This is a company that made more than $12 billion in profits last year, yet still raided the pockets of California taxpayers.” The case began with a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower against several drugmakers... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3101066 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:37:18 +0100 3101066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071467&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FRFhhyurxd-Y%2F Hello, everyone. There is a great deal of rain falling on the Pharmalot corporate campus this morning, but the pitter patter does not deter us. After all, there is much to do - the usual pile of deadlines and projects awaits. So as we reach for the traditional cup of stimulation, please join us in meeting another day. Hope yours goes well… Glaxo Searches For Stolen OTC Products (FDA.gov) Isis Reacquires Cancer Drug From Lilly (SignOnSanDiego) Bristol Plavix Shareholder Suit Wins Final Approval (Bloomberg News) Glaxo Sees Hungary Profit Dropping (Budapest Business Journal) Sanofi And California Institute Of Technology Form Pact (press release) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071467 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:23:53 +0100 3071467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067159&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fcalifornia-hospitals-implementation-open-source-ehr-bears-watching (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067159 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:41:48 +0100 3067159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048092&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_VXuFTws38Q%2F The state of California recently received $60 million in U.S. Department of Labor stimulus funds to upgrade its 23 year-old unemployment benefits system. But according to the Associated Press, California is yet to spend $66 million it received from Labor in 2002 to upgrade its system. The price tag isn’t whopping by federal standards, but it is another reminder of the need to return to fiscal federalism. Apparently, the Department of Labor couldn’t care less: The federal government has no plans to sanction or fine California for not completing the original technology upgrade. The Labor Department said it was more concerned that new stimulus funding is used in a way that will allow more workers to qualify for unemployment assistance. At the same time, California’s unemployment insuran... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048092 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:03:24 +0100 3048092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3106749&cid=t_107167_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2FPeBOCRLg6RI%2Fopen-letter-from-academic-council-to-uc.html Just got this in my email with a comment to feel free to disseminate it widely.  So here goes: Open letter from the Academic Council to the University of California community We are the Academic Council of the University: we are the chairs of the ten campus divisions, as well as the chairs of the systemwide committees. We write to address the protests on many of UC campuses over the Regents’ decision to increase student fees by $2,500 per year. This decision followed budget shortfalls that have entailed significant staff layoffs and cuts to a range of student services. Faculty and staff also are suffering from significant reductions in compensation due to the current year’s salary reductions and furloughs. We share the anguish over the policies adopted in the face of t... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3106749 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:10:10 +0100 3106749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039873&cid=t_107167_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-healthcare-industry-can-increase-number-successful-ehremr-initiatives (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039873 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:11:51 +0100 3039873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015275&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoW8eMkL5TqI%2F Kids often have a tremendous sense of entitlement. Well, there are a lot of kids in California colleges — and running them. You probably have heard about the University of California Regents voting yesterday for a 32-percent tuition hike over the next two years. Not surprisingly, many students are angry, some enough that they were arrested protesting outside the Regents’ meeting. Now, a 32 percent hike over two years isn’t small. But here’s the thing: California has typically charged students very little relative to both state taxpayer funding and national averages. As you can see in the chart below, which uses data from the State Higher Education Executive Officers, net per-pupil tuition revenue (meaning revenue from tuition minus any state financial aid) in C... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015275 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:47:17 +0100 3015275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004085&cid=t_107167_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FMxO3b2oIN30%2F This is the thinking - if a college student submits a paper written by someone else, it’s considered plagiarism. But what is it called when an academic researcher submits a journal study that was written, shaped or heavily edited by a medical communications firm? Grassley contends there is little or no difference. And so the Iowa Republican, who sits on the Senate Finance Committee and has spearheaded numerous investigations into the drug and device industries, has written 10 top medical schools to ask what they’re doing about the issue, The New York Times reports. The schools contacted: Harvard, Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, Washington University, University of California at San Francisco, Duke, Stanford, University of Washington, Yale and Columbia. In explaining ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004085 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:29:28 +0100 3004085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954474&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fdid-yakuza-boss-pay-million-dollars-for.html One of the more bizarre stories to appear on Health Care Renewal just resurfaced.  To summarize, in June, 2008, we posted about the strange case of four Japanese men, allegedly affiliated with Yakuza criminal organizations, who received liver transplants from the UCLA Medical Center, apparently with some alacrity. All likely paid full list prices for their procedures, and two later donated $100,000 each to the medical center. The case raised concerns by several notables (including Senator Charles Grassley, and Professor Arthur Caplan) about the integrity of the transplant system. Presumably these concerns were based on suspicions that the four may have received a higher priority than others on the list. More concerns should have been raised after it was revealed that shadowy char... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954474 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:52:00 +0100 2954474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943757&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY4k1jLOVBK4%2F You might recall that a  few weeks ago University of California at Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau co-authored a Washington Post op-ed calling on the federal government to provide direct support — meaning taxpayer dollars — to select public universities. Birgeneau decried decades of “material and progressive disinvestment by states in higher education,” despite, as I pointed out, no such disinvestment actually occuring. Well now we know where much of the precious investment in Cal was going — to subsidize sports. According to Inside Higher Ed, over just the past few years Berkeley has provided tens-of-millions of dollars in subsidies and loan forgiveness to its sports programs, which are supposed to be self-supporting. Now, the whole college athletics undertak... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943757 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:59:30 +0100 2943757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934901&cid=t_107167_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FoGwWfDdFAWw%2F Score one for our side: A tactic used by insurance companies to deny expensive behavioral therapy to autistic children has been deemed illegal by a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, who has found that Kaiser Permanente’s refusal to pay for a child’s autism treatment because the provider was not licensed by the state runs counter to California’s Mental Health Parity Act. That act requires insurers to cover care for mental and behavioral problems at the same levels they do for physical illnesses. The ruling came as part of a lawsuit filed by Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica advocacy organization, against the California Department of Managed Health Care to require the agency to side with consumers when insurers refuse to pay for ABA therapy. The ruling also clears th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934901 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:17:41 +0100 2934901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2931257&cid=t_107167_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F10%2F27%2Fchaos-theory-dream-on-california%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily: Dream On, California. Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: california budget, california fiscal, taxes, welfare (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2931257 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:25:14 +0100 2931257 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916047&cid=t_107167_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F21%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-the-risks-of-egg-donation%2F At Our Bodies Our Blog today I have a bit about a California law requiring disclosure of potential health risks to women interested in being egg donors, an egg donation book for younger readers (sounds weird, I know), and a couple more related resources. Posted in Access, Rights, & Choice, Ethics, Laws, Legislation, & Courts, Women's Health (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916047 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:24:04 +0100 2916047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912153&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fwell-be-back-arnold%2F In a disappointing and short-sighted move, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed two breastfeeding bills. One was the bill I took the time to ask my state senators to support — SB 257 the Pavley-Employee Notification/Lactation Accommodation that would have required state entities to inform pregnant employees about the existing California law that requires workplace lactation accommodation. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Image: Zuma PressGovernor Schwarzenegger believed that there was not adequate evidence that mothers are not aware of their right to workplace lactation accommodation. However, the California WIC Association sponsored the bill in the first place because it found that state agencies do not always advise pregnant women of their rights and ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912153 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:38:14 +0100 2912153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2908745&cid=t_107167_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Frpc.technorati.com%2Frpc%2Fpinghttp%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fabuse-of-medical-marijuana-in.html As a medical physician for over 51 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects, and help your read betwwen the lines. You must come to your own conclusions. I have no ties to any organization, pharmaceutical, or lobby group. As an practicing medical acupuncturist since 1982, I find western medicine and medical acupuncture are very complimentary. This results in astounding healing in pain management, addictions to cigarettes and food, and a host of other maladies. Visit drneedles is blogging" at the end of each blog for a complete alphabetical list of all my blogsVisit http://www.americanacupuncture.com/ for more detailed information on mind, body, and spirit healing.ABUSE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA Los Angeles recently started a crackdown closing m... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2908745 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:20:00 +0100 2908745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2881206&cid=t_107167_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F11%2Fa-loved-ones-photo-helps-reduce-your-pain%2F Previous psychological research has demonstrated that the mere presence of a loved one — a partner, family member or friend — can help reduce one’s subjective experience of physical pain (for instance, during a medical procedure), versus experiencing similar pain while alone. This research has been replicated over the years in various settings and in such a way as to suggest that this indeed might be a causal relationship. That is, the presence of a loved one actually helps reduce our feelings of pain. What is this same phenomenon could occur without a loved one being present? Would a photo suffice to also help reduce pain? Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (Master et al., 2009) designed an elegantly simple laboratory experiment to find out. They ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2881206 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:09:34 +0100 2881206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2875989&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fmarijuana-fight-on-in-california%2F It may be a battle worth getting front row seats for: California citizens against the United States federal government. About what? Legalizing marijuana. If all goes well for those who are working for legalized pot, there will be at least one but as many as three measures on the California ballot in 2010, with the goal of legalizing it in the state. The federal government would not be happy, but could they do anything about it? Legalized medicinal marijuana is already a reality in California, although the federal government hasn’t been too cooperative with even that. But, if it’s legalized overall, then the federal agencies may find it impossible to impose their order on Californians because they wouldn’t be able to depend on the State to help uphold their law. You can re... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2875989 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:56:37 +0100 2875989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851740&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7WV-RsICUJA%2F On Sunday, the Washington Post ran an op-ed by the chancellor and vice chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, in which the writers proposed that the federal government start pumping money into a select few public universities. Why? On the constantly repeated but never substantiated assertion that state and local governments have been cutting those schools off. As I point out in the following, unpublished letter to the editor, that is what we in the business call “a lie:” It’s unfortunate that officials of a taxpayer-funded university felt the need to deceive in order to get more taxpayer dough, but that’s what UC Berkeley’s Robert Birgeneau and Frank Yeary did. Writing about the supposedly dire financial straits of public higher education (“Rescuing Ou... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851740 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:02:09 +0100 2851740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2790256&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F09%2Fwhat-voters-really-think-about-evidencebased-health-care.html By ROBERT LASZEWSKI I want to call your attention to an important survey done by the California-based Campaign for Effective Patient Care. They surveyed California voters on their understanding of evidence-based medicine. The bad news is that patients think their... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2790256 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2790256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757735&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqkW3B5Scmw8%2F It’s summer again, which means it is the time of year for the obligatory photos of wildfires in Southern California. This particular fire, known as the Station Fire, nearly doubled in size in the last 24 hours from 98 to 164 square miles. So far, it has burned at least 18 buildings and cost the lives of at least two firefighters. The fire began in the Angeles National Forest, and Congress will no doubt respond by giving the Forest Service even more money to suppress such fires in the future. In fact, as I show in my Cato Policy Analysis, The Perfect Firestorm, the Forest Service has, in effect, a blank check to put out fires. It freely uses that blank check. It has so far spent about $14 million fighting the Station Fire, which supposedly threatens 12,000 homes. But it has also spent... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757735 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:03:33 +0100 2757735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744274&cid=t_107167_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F08%2F29%2Flong-strange-trip-monterey%2F I’m all out of order. I’m back home in Kansas City, but in my Long Strange Trip saga, I haven’t even gotten myself into Los Angeles yet. However, I just found out that a friend who loves to photograph flowers is back online. This weekend I’ll be working on a couple of writing projects, so it may be a few more days before I finish up my travel blogging. But I can post these photos now. More to come. Carmel, California, with Pebble Beach in the distance Flowers and foliage in Carmel, California Big Sur, California Big Sur, California A roadside inn, Big Sur, California View from Nepenthe, a restaurant in Big Sur, California Farmer's market in Monterey, California Shark in the Kelp Forest at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Anchovies swim too fast for my camera at the M... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744274 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:10:28 +0100 2744274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737704&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7X_pJG6gRnI%2F An article published this week by National Review magazine blames the many problems of California on—take a guess—high taxes, over-regulation of business, runaway state spending, an expansive welfare state? Try none of the above. The article, by Alex Alexiev of the Hudson Institute, puts the blame on the backs of low-skilled, illegal immigrants from Mexico and the federal government for not keeping them out. Titled “Catching Up to Mexico: Illegal immigration is depleting California’s human capital and ravaging its economy,” the article endorses high-skilled immigration to the state while rejecting the influx of “the poorly educated, the unskilled, and the illiterate” immigrants that enter illegally from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America. Before swallowing the article’s ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737704 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:34:18 +0100 2737704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2725212&cid=t_107167_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F08%2F21%2Ftrain-dream%2F I’m back home, and soon I’ll be catching up on my Long Strange Trip dispatches. In the meantime, here’s a little movie of the landscape I saw from my windows on the eastbound California Zephyr as it made its way from San Francisco to Chicago, through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, past Ruby Canyon, Green River, Glenwood Canyon, Gore Canyon and Byers Canyon. (A few pictures in this video were taken from the westbound Southwest Chief.) Song is “Train Dream” by the superb Canadian singer/songwriter Allen Dobb. All photographs by me except for the last two, which were taken by a young friend with his Nintendo toy. Posted in Travel Tagged: california zephyr, canyon, colorado, desert, green river, southwest chief, train dream, train trip (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2725212 Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:20:53 +0100 2725212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709134&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Funiversity-leaders-goal-taking-new.html An article from the San Francisco Chronicle noted how the new Chancellor of the University of California - Davis (UC-Davis), Linda Katehi, is already contending with controversy. One brief section about her goals for the campus caught my eye. The article noted that Dr Katehi (who has a doctorate in engineering) holds 16 patents, then:Now Katehi wants to transfer that entrepreneurship to the campus she'll lead.'The campus is in a wonderful position to become a major force in improving and strengthening the economy of the state,' Katehi told The Chronicle, adding that she'll help UC Davis to become more aggressive in taking new biotechnology and agriculture products to market.So it would seem that Dr Katehi's goals are making UC-Davis more entrepreneurial, strengthening the California econom... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709134 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:53:00 +0100 2709134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699657&cid=t_107167_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F13%2Flocking-up-kids-with-mental-illness%2F A few weeks ago, we wrote about the opening of a mental health court in Philadelphia to help deal with a problem that’s overwhelming the U.S. justice system — poor mental health care in prisons, affecting up to 30 percent of those incarcerated. Some of the problems our prisons face can be traced back to a pretty straightforward issue — our prisons are overcrowded. For instance, the prisons have been so overcrowded in California, the California prison system has been under a federal court’s oversight for years. And that court has become so frustrated by California’s lack of interest in the humane treatment of their prisoners, they recently ordered the number of prisoners cut by 27 percent within two years. The case that resulted in the court order began as the ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699657 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:05:14 +0100 2699657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2648997&cid=t_107167_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F07%2Fillinois-ag-shady-aids-charitys-web-campaign-broke-state-law.html By CHRISTOPHER WEAVER Four months after we first reported on a sketchy AIDS "charity" with a nationwide fundraising campaign, authorities have begun to crack down. But the move might not have much impact if other officials don't follow suit. The... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2648997 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2648997