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 'economic stimulus'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:25:31 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253115&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJUZ16IwmECU%2F By David BoazJournalists talk endlessly these days about the need for more consumer spending to revive the economy, and for government programs to juice consumer spending. Economist Steven Horwitz takes on the assumption that spending is the key to economic activity: One of the most pernicious and widespread economic fallacies is the belief that consumption is the key to a healthy economy.  We hear this idea all the time in the popular press and casual conversation, particularly during economic downturns.  People say things like, “Well, if folks would just start buying things again, the economy would pick up” or “If we could only get more money in the hands of consumers, we’d get out of this recession.”  This belief in the power of consumption is also what has guided much of e... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253115 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:02:34 +0100 4253115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957902&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSVng0wQj6Eg%2F By Alan ReynoldsI was a bit critical of Laura Tyson’s New York Times article on “Why We Need a Second Stimulus.” Apparently I wasn’t nearly critical enough. The Nation and National Public Radio are advising President Obama to “stop listening to infrastructure-phobic advisers like Larry Summers and start taking counsel from Laura Tyson, a member of his Economic Recovery Advisory Board who argues that $1 trillion in infrastructure investment is needed over the next five years.” At The Atlantic, senior editor (and Boston Globe columnist) Joshua Green thinks Laura Tyson’s article “underscored what a loss it is for the Obama administration that it couldn’t manage to find a place for her on its economic team.” Mr. Green can’t imagine why a Berkeley professor who ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957902 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:22:27 +0100 3957902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946433&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9rJ3SVWQgKI%2F By Mark A. CalabriaOn Labor Day, President Obama announced his plan for an additional $50 billion in spending, mostly on transportation.  An area Obama specifically mentioned was more spending for bridges, playing on the widely held perception that America’s bridging are falling apart.  While clearly there are bridges that are greatly in need of repair and represent a threat to passenger safety, what has been the overall trend in bridge quality?  In one word:  improving. According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics only about 1 in ten bridges today can be characterized as “structurally deficient”, this is, in need of serious repair.  This may sound high, but it is down from 1 in four back in 1990.  As one can tell from the accompanying chart, the percen... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946433 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:57:07 +0100 3946433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204840&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ff2PsNEkFQuA%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThis new video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity explains how last year’s so-called stimulus was a flop – and also reveals why politicians are pushing for another big-government spending bill. Interestingly, since last year’s stimulus was such a disaster, the redistributionists in Washington are calling their new proposal a “jobs bill.” But as I say in the video, this is akin to putting perfume on a hog. For further background, here is a video explaining why Keynesian economics is wrong and another predicting (in advance!) that last year’s stimulus would be a mistake. And just in case anyone actually wants the economy to grow faster, here’s one about policies that actually increase prosperity. (Source: Cato-at-liber... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204840 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:11:28 +0100 3204840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832125&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-cyxhDqZSO0%2F According to The Hill, in a conference call yesterday with the nation’s governors, Vice President Joe Biden said that “In my wildest dreams, I never thought it would work this well.”  The “it” would be the administration’s $787 billion so-called “stimulus” package. At the same time, USA Today reported: Nearly $10 billion in stimulus aid to repair the nation’s tattered highways has largely bypassed dozens of metropolitan areas where roads are in the worst shape, a USA TODAY analysis shows… The problem is a byproduct of a stimulus package designed to spend as fast as possible to revive the economy. Many roads are in such bad shape that repairs would take too long and cost too much to qualify for funds, says John Barton, head of eng... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832125 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:41:42 +0100 2832125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803885&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fe7l3bFEGGRA%2F This is from the Reagan administration’s deregulatory 1981 energy plan: “All Americans are involved in making energy policy. When individual choices are made with a maximum of personal understanding and a minimum of government restraints, the result is the most appropriate energy policy.” Many modern Republicans claim devotion to Ronald Reagan’s ideas, but they often seem to forget about the “minimum of government” thing. The following points are from Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell’s “More Energy, More Jobs” plan: “McDonnell was the chief sponsor of legislation creating the Virginia Hydrogen Energy Plan.” “McDonnell also supported grant programs for solar photovoltaic manufacturing, tax ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803885 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:42:09 +0100 2803885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2591425&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMbIkuueLfW4%2F The NY Times reports today on various state government efforts to regulate yoga classes by forcing instructors to obtain a government license.  I’m not going to get into why government licensing is a pernicious racket here. Rather, I just want to make a point about the nature of the mini–Washington DCs currently in charge of laundering Uncle Sam’s so-called economic “stimulus” money. From the NYT article: In March, Michigan gave schools on the list one week to be certified by the state or cease operations. Virginia’s cumbersome licensing rules include a $2,500 sign-up fee — a big hit for modest studios that are often little more than one-room storefronts. Lisa Rapp, who owns My Yoga Spirit in Norfolk, Va., said she had canceled her future classes and was pre... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2591425 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:02:19 +0100 2591425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473194&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-z_ze-eEF9s%2F As Dan Mitchell noted below, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has launched a “Campaign for Free Enterprise” to stop the “rapidly growing influence of government over private-sector activity.” Chamber president Thomas Donohue told the Wall Street Journal that an “avalanche of new rules, restrictions, mandates and taxes” could “seriously undermine the wealth- and job-creating capacity of the nation.” Indeed. Given the scope and extent of the Obama administration’s assaults on private enterprise — national health insurance, energy central planning, pay czars, abrogation of contracts, skyrocketing spending, and so on — free enterprise can use all the help it can get. I welcome the Chamber to the fight. But it would be nice if the Chamb... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473194 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:33:48 +0100 2473194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473198&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fw3SxgbQKzVI%2F MarketWatch reports that experts are predicting about $50 billion of fraud will result from the $787 billion pork-barrel spending bill approved by Congress earlier this year. That’s a huge amount of fraud being financed with borrowed money, but there is a silver lining to this dark cloud. Using basic math, that means only $737 billion of the so-called stimulus can be classified as waste: Swindlers, con men, and thieves could siphon off as much as $50 billion of the government’s planned stimulus package as the money begins flooding the economy in coming months, according to David Williams, who runs Deloitte Financial Services Advisory and counsels clients on fraud prevention. …Earlier this month, FBI Director Robert Mueller warned the nation to brace for a potential crime... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473198 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:53:45 +0100 2473198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464102&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fs6NEc8M3nVM%2F President Barack Obama appears to have learned something compared to candidate Obama: protectionism isn’t to America’s advantage.  Unfortunately, it is not clear that Congress has learned the same lesson.  Three free trade agreements negotiated by the Bush administration remain in limbo, while no one is pushing to reinstate the president’s so-called fast track negotiating authority. And past protectionist actions are now bearing ill fruit.  The “stimulus” bill required that construction money be spent in the U.S.  Although the provision was amended in response to foreign criticism, some Canadian firms have been adversely affected.  So Canadian cities have begun boycotting American products. Reports Reuters: Canadian municipal leaders threatened to retali... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464102 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:30:54 +0100 2464102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452379&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F28Ng5aekLZI%2F Ohio lawmakers are hot under the collar about federal stimulus dollars possibly helping Georgia bid away one of its big employers. Here’s the Dayton Daily News: NCR’s news release touting its decision to move jobs from Dayton to the Atlanta, Ga. suburbs includes one factoid that has Ohio lawmakers in a fury: The City of Columbus, Ga. plans to use federal stimulus dollars to buy a building and construct another to accommodate the 870 manufacturing jobs expected to come to the that Atlanta suburb. ‘The fact that economic stimulus dollars were used to move an Ohio company to Georgia at taxpayer expense is an outrage,’ said state Sen. Jon Husted. Added U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Columbus: “Federal stimulus money is being used to create winners and losers among worker... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452379 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:41:36 +0100 2452379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2216483&cid=t_209206_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdentistry-and-finances-with-keith-drayer-american-recovery-and-reinvestiment-act%2F American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now a law and in place! Below are some of the highlights contained in the Bill. Here’s my overview… The Bill, $789 billion, includes federal tax cuts, expansion of unemployment benefits and other social welfare provisions, and domestic spending in education, health care, and infrastructure, including the energy sector. There are nearly $275 billion in economic recovery tax cuts and $550 billion in investments with accountability measures built in. Highlights for healthcare practitioners and their practices are: • $20 billion for health information technology (to modernize health information technology systems), to prevent medical mistakes, provide better care to patients and introduce cost-saving efficiencies. • $4 billion to provid... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2216483 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:59:03 +0100 2216483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200362&cid=t_209206_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F02%2F18%2Feffect-of-stimulus-package-on-ehr-adoption%2F Conclusion I’m not trying to be a pessimist, but I am trying to be realistic. I just don’t see this new stimulus package having the desired effect on EHR adoption. More importantly, I hope that doctors take their time in selecting an EHR properly and aren’t swayed by the dollar signs EHR vendors will certainly be waving for them. Another set of poorly selected and implemented EHR will set back EHR adoption for years to come. Luckily, I’m optimistic that most doctors have seen enough failures around them that they’ll tread lightly and not rush into EHR implementation. Related posts:Detail’s of Obama’s EMR Stimulus Package UPDATE: Check out more specific details on Obama’s EMR stimulus...Economic Stimulus Bill Simplified Today, “The Ame... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200362 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:14:53 +0100 2200362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200363&cid=t_209206_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F02%2F18%2Fvideo-discussion-of-obama-ehr-stimulus%2F Today the following videos came across my Twitter feed and I was interested in video being used to discuss health care IT and in particular the health care IT stimulus package. Props to HealthTechnica for stepping in front of the camera and trying to share some knowledge about health care IT with the world. The videos are a little long for me. The audio was a little soft too, but not too bad. I would have also liked a short intro of who was at the table speaking. I of course don’t agree with everything they said in these videos and would have liked a little more depth on some subjects, but I do like to point to people doing creative things online with HIT. The Obama HIT Stimulus Package Video by Health Technica Part 1 The Obama HIT Stimulus Package Video by Health Technica Part 2 B... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200363 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:19:38 +0100 2200363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194743&cid=t_209206_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FJzSEq35uRhI%2F I predict that “meaningful EHR user” will become the most overused term in EHR and Healthcare IT adoption over the next year.  Since the term seems to be the cornerstone of receiving a part of the $20 billion EMR stimulus package, then I thought it might be a good idea to understand how HHS might define what a “meaningful EHR user” will need to do. Luckily Patricia King, a health care attorney in Illinois, posted the criteria for being a meaningful EHR user on NetDoc as follows. To be a “meaningful EHR user”, the physician must satisfy three criteria: The physician must use “certified EHR technology” in a meaningful manner, including electronic prescribing. The law calls for creation of a health information technology (HIT) Policy Committee... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194743 Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:16:07 +0100 2194743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194744&cid=t_209206_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F6LvwRYoJH1M%2F Today, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” was signed by Obama. In this bill, $59 billion was allocated for health care with approximately $20 billion designated for EHR adoption. Of course, any doctor interested in EHR wants to know how they can get their piece of the $20 billion. The bill was just published and can be read in it’s entirety online. I’d suggest part 2 of 5 for the health care portion of the Stimulus Bill. However, it’s not light reading so I’ll leave that to someone braver than I. It does seem like much of the bill remains intact from what was written about previously by Patricia King on NetDoc. Here’s my short layman’s summary (I’ll update this page as points are clarified): The government is not just ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194744 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:10:30 +0100 2194744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2192564&cid=t_209206_125_f&fid=38161&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdentalheroes%2F%7E3%2FVVO-QXaH2Ao%2F Less than a week ago, our new President, Barack Obama, helped push the Economic Stimulus Bill through the Senate with the hopes that it would inspire economic growth and get out economy back on track. Now the debate seems to be whether the appropriations in the bill will have a stimulative effect. I have my doubts, but I hope for the best. Luckily, we don’t have to rely on the government to do all of the work - and I do mean “luckily”. Private citizens and corporate entities can do their part to stimulate the economy as well. One such company that is taking an active role in stimulating the economy - perhaps with a hint of satire is Dentek. Dentek, the widely known dental product manufacturer is currently running an Economic Stimulus Sweepstakes at their website(Dentek.c... Dental Heroes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2192564 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:22:52 +0100 2192564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2172739&cid=t_209206_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fcorruption-in-legislating-sneaking.html This is why people are so jaded and cynical about their own government. The economic stimulus bill that we are told is too important to really debate and must be passed NOW! NOW! NOW! contains sneak provisions opening the door to national health care. From a commentary by Betsy McCaughey: Tragically, no one from either party is objecting to the health provisions slipped in without discussion. These provisions reflect the handiwork of Tom Daschle, until recently the nominee to head the Health and Human Services Department.Senators should read these provisions and vote against them because they are dangerous to your health. (Page numbers refer to H.R. 1 EH, pdf version). The bill's health rules will affect "every individual in the United States" (445, 454, 479). Your medical treatments will ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2172739 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:30:00 +0100 2172739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2172719&cid=t_209206_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F4tli2LLzE-A%2F One of the key facets of any EHR investment by the government will look at ways to award money for usage of an EHR. The hard question they’ll try to answer is how do you define an EHR that’s implemented. This discussion is not new. Every study you can find on EHR implementation has struggled with the idea of defining when an EHR is actually implemented. I think that most surveys I’ve seen usually allow the user to define whether they’re EHR is fully implemented or partially implemented. The problem with this is that each person is likely to define a fully implemented EHR in different ways. If a researcher has a problem defining an implemented EHR can you imagine how much fun the government will have defining this same thing. Not to mention when you start to attach m... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2172719 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:19:49 +0100 2172719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2168411&cid=t_209206_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FrbwY6uRMG4A%2F The stimulus package currently in congress is set to double spending on special education, and as someone who went to one special education school that was overcrowded to the point they were renting classroom space and another school that could barley pay for new lightbulbs I’m against the stimulus package - heres why. We have one [...] This is an excerpt from an article on AspieWeb.net, A blog writen by an Autistic Blogger. (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2168411 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:22:10 +0100 2168411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2144435&cid=t_209206_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F01%2F28%2Fallscripts-ceos-stunning-take-on-obamas-emr-plans%2F In a recent Wall Street Journal article on electronic medical records, they talk about Allscripts’ CEO’s take on the governments planned $20 billion investment in EMR.  Here’s a portion of the article: Glen Tullman, chief executive of the health IT outfit Allscripts-Misys Healthcare and an advisor to the Obama campaign on health information technology issues, argues that that any legislation should first help doctors buy and install electronic medical records, then give them financial incentives to actually use them in a way that could reduce waste and improve care. “That one-two punch would dramatically change the adoption rate for physicians,” he said in an interview with the Health Blog. I’ve talked about Obama EMR many times before on this blog and over the... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2144435 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:19:20 +0100 2144435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2131257&cid=t_209206_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F_m6Vrw2tkns%2F Details about Obama’s health care stimulus package are out. I prefer to call it Obama funds EMRs for medical practices. Here’s a summary of some proposed changes via HISTalk and John Glaser, VP and CIO at Partners HealthCare System (and thanks to Chris Paton for linking me there). Provision of $40,000 in incentives (beginning in 2011) for physicians to use an EHR Creation of HIT Extension Programs that would facilitate regional adoption efforts Provision of funds to states to coordinate and promote interoperable EHRs Development of education programs to train clinicians in EHR use and increase the number of healthcare IT professionals Creation of HIT grant and loan programs Acceleration of the construction of the National Health Information Network (NHIN) He also adds. &#8220... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2131257 Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:58:46 +0100 2131257 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1911301&cid=t_209206_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fgrowing-dental-practices-can-save-on-taxes-in-2008%2F Remember those rebate checks that the government issued this year? You may not have qualified for your piece of that pie, but there’s a sweeter deal that might interest you. In this month’s issue of Dentaltown, Tom Wheelwright, CEO and founder of ProVision, PLC, tells readers that President Bush’s Economic Stimulus Law of 2008 has opened a window of tax rebate opportunity for you. Bottom line is, if you purchase new equipment for your office before the end of the year, you may qualify for some major deductions – deductions that weren’t around in ‘07 and will be history in ‘09. Read the full article at Dentaltown.com here. (Source: dental blog for dentists about dentistry) dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1911301 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:13:39 +0100 1911301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512378&cid=t_209206_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fmens-health-week-leads-in-to-fathers-day%2F “There is a silent health crisis in America… it’s that fact that, on average, American men live sicker and die younger than American women.” - Dr. David Gremillion Men’s Health Network “Recognizing and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men’s health is truly a family issue.” -Bill Richardson Governor, New Mexico Since 1994, Men’s Health Week has been celebrated each year as the week leading up to and including Father’s Day. The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. In 1920, according to the CDC, women lived o... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512378 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:12:47 +0100 1512378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1472744&cid=t_209206_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fshingles-reduce-your-risk-with-vaccination%2F Shingles is a painful rash caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox, and there are about 1 million episodes of it in the United States every year. If you’ve ever had chicken pox, you are at risk for developing shingles – and your risk increases with age, especially over the age of 50 and increasing thereafter. Recently issued guidelines are now recommending immunization for all individuals over the age of 60 with a vaccine designed to prevent shingles, even if they’ve previously had an episode of shingles and even if they have a chronic medical illness. The vaccine has been available in the United States since May of 2006 and is called Zostavax. It is made using the same virus that’s in the chicken pox vaccine, which is routinely given to children and has been in use since ... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1472744 Tue, 27 May 2008 20:11:07 +0100 1472744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446541&cid=t_209206_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fmad-pride-movement-seeks-to-destigmatize-mental-illness%2F On May 11, in the midst of Mental Health Awareness Month, The New York Times ran a provocative article titled ‘Mad Pride’ Fights a Stigma, which reported on the burgeoning movement to destigmatize mental illness through proud – if not downright aggressive – acceptance, rather than shame-based avoidance. Taking their cue from other previously marginalized groups such as gay-rights activists, some advocates are going public with their mental health stories, using books and online blog and video posts. There are Web sites such as the Icarus Project and MindFreedom International, with the latter recently forming the International Association for Creative Maladjustment (based on an idea by Martin Luther King!) whose first president, appropriately enough, is Patch Adams, M.D., th... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446541 Fri, 16 May 2008 03:55:59 +0100 1446541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1429357&cid=t_209206_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fjill-bolte-taylors-my-stroke-of-insight-inspirational-video%2F About two months ago my 89 year old father suffered a stroke and ever since then I’ve been thinking about whether most people understand just what a stroke is. Then someone told me about an inspirational and informational video of a woman named Jill Bolte Taylor describing her own personal experience about having and recovering from a stroke. And even more recently, Dr. Taylor was named #41 in Time Magazine’s fifth annual list of the top 100 most influential people in the world. So it seems timely and appropriate to share her story with readers of Dr. Z’s Medical Report on HealthTalk. Better yet, her video is in the public domain (thanks to TED Conferences) and is included below for you to watch. As you’ll see, Jill Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroscientist, meaning that she studi... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1429357 Thu, 08 May 2008 21:02:45 +0100 1429357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1415071&cid=t_209206_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Firs-tax-refund-and-economic-stimulus-rebate-checks-are-in-the-mail-spend-them-on-your-health%2F Many of you will soon be receiving an IRS income tax refund check, an Economic Stimulus payment check or both. Why not resolve now to take some or all of the money from those government rebate checks and use it to help improve your health? You can help the President’s Economic Stimulus plan and strengthen your health at the same time, just by spending that tax refund check on health-related products and services. Here’s my top ten list of things on which you could spend your IRS rebate check to improve your health: 1. Smoking cessation classes, kits, products or medications. If you smoke, the best thing you can do to improve your health is to stop. The American Cancer Society has a wealth of information on smoking cessation including aids you can buy. 2. Join a gym or health club, hire... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1415071 Thu, 01 May 2008 23:49:45 +0100 1415071