Health Care


Joint Commission Publishes Study on Successful Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs

Implementing them remains challenging for many hospitals, according to the commission.

Philadelphia Officials Support Safe Injection Sites to Address Opioid Crisis

Health Commissioner Tom Farley said the sites would be medically supervised and provide services such as referral to treatment for drug use, access to sterile injection equipment, wound care, and the overdose-preventative naloxone.

West Virginia Releases Analysis of 2016 OD Deaths

The 61-page analysis identifies multiple key findings, including that men working in blue-collar industries with a higher risk of injury may be at increased risk for overdose death. About 705 -- 85 percent -- of the analyzed overdose deaths were opioid related.

IAFF Firefighter Cancer Summit Set for Feb. 1

"Cancer can be devastating for fire fighters, and we are just beginning to understand the scope of this problem," said IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger, who is scheduled to deliver opening remarks at the event. "That's why we're bringing together the best and brightest minds on this subject. We must continue to learn all that we can to save more lives."

CDC Study Finds Highest Adult Asthma Deaths in Construction, Health Care

The annual number of asthma deaths among persons ages 15 to 64 declined significantly from 1999 to 2016, "most likely reflecting improvements in asthma management and effectiveness of prevention efforts," the authors find.

Canada Planning Regs to Lower Sodium in Processed Foods

Health Canada announced it will conduct an in-depth analysis of each category and will meet with industry stakeholders and scientific experts to better understand the challenges encountered in reducing sodium.

FDA, DoD Prioritize Availability of Emergency Medical Products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Defense's Office of Health Affairs have launched a joint program to prioritize the efficient development of safe and effective medical products intended to save the lives of American military personnel.

New Kansas Chief Medical Officer Appointed

Dr. Greg Lakin, D.O., has worked as a family practitioner, as well as in emergency medicine, skilled nursing and long-term care, and with patients suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.



Flu Widespread in California, State Officials Urge Vaccination

For the week ending Dec. 30, 2017, which was the most recent report available as of Jan. 9, there had been 27 flu-associated deaths in persons under 65 years of age reported to CDPH. But because only influenza deaths in persons less than 65 years are reported to CDPH, the total number of deaths due to influenza is higher, according to the agency.

SAMHSA Updating Substance Abuse Confidentiality Regs

Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz, the nation's first assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, said the new final rule will allow health care providers, with patients' consent, to more easily conduct activities such as quality improvement, claims management, patient safety, training, and program integrity efforts.

IARC Hiring New Director

The International Agency for Research on Cancer is searching for a new director. The WHO agency plans to appoint the director in May 2018 for a five-year term that will begin on Jan. 1, 2019

WHO Prequalifies Typhoid Vaccine

Prequalification is a crucial next step needed to make TCVs available to low-income countries where they are needed most, according to WHO.

$2.3 Million Settlement in Unprotected Health Records Case

21st Century Oncology, Inc. determined that 2,213,597 individuals were affected by impermissible access to their names, social security numbers, physicians' names, diagnoses, treatment, and insurance information.

IAEA Conference Eyes Better Radiation Protections in Medicine

The participants agreed more training, more awareness, and better compliance with regulations are needed to improve protection for patients and health professionals during medical procedures.

Trauma Center Agrees to Ensure Effective Communication with Deaf Individuals

Two complainants alleged UVMMC failed to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services necessary for effective communication while they were receiving medical treatment. Both of the complainants are deaf and use American Sign Language as their primary means of communication.

Flu Activity Widespread in a Dozen States

Four states experienced high flu activity (Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas), while five states (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, and Kentucky) experienced moderate activity in the week that ended Dec. 9.

CDC Links a Salmonella Infection to Rattlesnake Pills

CDC Links a Salmonella Infection to Rattlesnake Pills

The CDC and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment have linked one person's Salmonella Oranienburg infection to taking rattlesnake pills.

Minnesota Health Commissioner Resigns

Gov. Mark Dayton already had directed the Minnesota Department of Human Services' Office of the Inspector General to help the Health Department improve the management of its investigations of elder neglect and abuse.

Canadian Opioid Overdose Deaths May Top 4,000 This Year

Western provinces and territories continue to report higher rates of opioid-related deaths, and the data show fentanyl continues to be a growing problem in this crisis. From January to June 2017, 74 percent of apparent opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogs, compared to 53 percent during 2016.

Ambulance bills in general can often top $600 or $800 or more, and most ambulance services tack on an "emergency response charge" that tops $300 on average.

Fatal Work Injuries Rose to Eight-Year High in 2016

Workers age 55 and older had 1,848 fatal injuries, the highest number for this age group since CFOI began reporting national data in 1992, and fatal injuries in the leisure and hospitality sector were up 32 percent year over year (from 225 to 298) and reached an all-time series high in 2016.

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