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إذا كنت مدخنًا ، فربما تكون قد وصلت إلى النقطة التي تريد التوقف عندها ، لكنك بحاجة إلى دليل ينقلك من “هنا” ، أي أنني أدخن إلى “هناك” ، أي تركت. فيما يلي نصائح حول كيفية البدء في رحلتك للإقلاع عن التدخين من MD ، MD ، Patrick Pejauette ، MD ، من Mayo Clinic Health System في مانكاتو ، مينيسوتا..
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Newswise — The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) is pleased to add Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, a part of University of Missouri (MU) Health Care, to its membership roster.
The Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital opened in 1940 as an 85-bed facility equipped with the latest technology of the time for combating cancer. It was the first cancer center west of the Mississippi River, the second in the country, and a trailblazer in establishing multidisciplinary cancer care.
Today, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center provides cancer care, conducts groundbreaking research, and offers high-quality education, training, and community outreach programs.
The center is directed by Gerhard Hildebrandt, MD, chief of hematology/oncology and Nellie B. Smith Endowed Chair of Oncology at the MU School of Medicine. With more than 200 cancer- focused researchers across four Missouri campuses, the center has launched an innovative plan to create a consortium partnership with another AACI member, Siteman Cancer Center.
“We are delighted to welcome the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center as AACI’s fourth new member of 2022 and 107th overall,” said AACI Executive Director Jennifer W. Pegher. “The institute’s commitment to outstanding cancer care, groundbreaking research, and high-quality education, training, and community outreach programs is a catalyst for accelerating progress against cancer.”
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AACI’s mission is to accelerate progress against cancer by enhancing the impact of North America’s leading academic cancer centers. For more information, please visit aaci-cancer.org.
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Newswise — BOSTON – Anthracyclines are a class of chemotherapies effective in treating many forms of cancer, including leukemias, lymphomas and breast cancer. Anthracyclines — such as doxorubicin, frequently used against breast cancer — kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA. However, these effective chemotherapies also cause toxic effects in the heart in about ten percent of patients that can eventually lead to heart failure, particularly in older patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Currently, physicians lack robust strategies to predict which patients are at risk for this anthracycline-associated heart damage — called cardiac toxicity, a decline in heart function that can lead to heart failure — or to detect it in its earliest stages.
Now, a team led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has identified a protein linked with the onset of anthracycline-associated cardiac toxicity. In two studies conducted in women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, levels of a protein known as hemopexin circulating in the blood were associated with increased cardiac toxicity. Follow up studies in mice revealed the protein has heart-protective properties. These findings, published in Science Advances, suggest the body produces the protein as a protective measure against the therapy-induced cardiac toxicity. If so, clinicians might one day use the protein to monitor patients undergoing anthracycline cancer treatment for signs of abnormal heart function with a simple blood test.
“Given the increasing burden of both heart failure and cancer in the aging population, the development of new biomarkers and heart-protective strategies is essential to minimizing the impact of cancer therapy-associated cardiac toxicity,” said senior and corresponding author Aarti Asnani, MD, a cardiologist and director of the Cardio-Oncology Program at BIDMC. “This study identifies the induction of circulating hemopexin as a heart-protective mechanism relevant to patients treated with anthracyclines.”
Asnani and colleagues studied 30 women diagnosed with breast cancer and scheduled to undergo treatment with anthracycline chemotherapies. Participants had bloodwork and other data collected at baseline before receiving the doxorubicin regimen. Questionnaires, blood samples and echocardiograms were obtained every three months during the study period.
At three months after initiating cancer treatment, the scientists saw an overall decline in heart function across the cohort of participants, with six patients developing symptoms of heart failure within a year. During this time, the researchers monitored 1,317 proteins circulating in participants’ blood plasma. The team observed changes in a total of 39 proteins, with increases in hemopexin being most strongly associated with early heart toxicity. A second study with a cohort of 31 women yielded nearly identical results.
“Based on these human findings, we used a mouse model that closely mirrored the heart issues observed in patients treated with doxorubicin,” said first author Jing Liu, MD, PhD, a post-doctoral researcher in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at BIDMC. “As we saw in patients, plasma hemopexin was elevated in mice within 24 hours after completion of chemotherapy and was strongly associated with subsequent cardiac function.”
Having established a clear link between anthracycline-induced cardiac toxicity and increased hemopexin levels, the scientists sought to determine hemopexin’s functional role. When researchers treated wild type (normal) lab mice with doxorubicin, they found that administering hemopexin prevented the development of cardiac dysfunction. However, when they performed a similar experiment in genetically altered mice that lack the naturally occurring hemopexin protein, the hemopexin-deficient mice demonstrated increased doxorubicin cardiac toxicity compared to wild type mice. The findings suggest the body may produce hemopexin as a protective response to anthracycline-induced cardiac damage.
“These findings serve as the basis for future investigations to develop hemopexin as both a biomarker and a protective therapy for patients at risk of chemotherapy-related heart toxicity,” said Asnani, who is also an associate member of the Cancer Research Institute at BIDMC. “We are now working to investigate whether our findings apply to a larger group of patients of different genders and other types of cancer, such as lymphoma.”
Co-authors included Sarah Lane, Rahul Lall, Laurie Farrell, and Robert E. Gerszten of BIDMC; Michelle Russo, Emanuela Tolosano and Alessandra Ghigo of University of Torino; Melis Debreli Coskun and Jonghan Kim of University of Massachusetts, Lowell; Raquel Araujo-Gutierrez and Barry H. Trachtenberg of Houston Methodist Heart and Vascular Center; and Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie of Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
This work was supported by the National Institute of Health (grants K08HL145019 and R01HL 163172) and the American Heart Association (#20POST352109680). Asnani has consulted or served on an Advisory Board for Sanofi, AstraZeneca and Cytokinetics and serves as the principal investigator on a sponsored research agreement with Genentech, all unrelated to the current work. Ghigo is a cofounder and board member of Kither Biotech, a pharmaceutical product company developing P13K inhibitors for the treatment of respiratory disease, not in conflict with statements present in this article. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Medical tourism is on the rise. Every year millions of Americans save between 40-80% in medical fees by crossing the border or taking a short plane ride to receive the care they need. Even after the pandemic slowed international travel, more people looked abroad for shorter wait times, better service, and lower fees.
Bitcoin can boost the medical tourism sector and help patients get the treatment they need at a price that is affordable. Bitcoin can make transactions abroad easier and ensure that everyone gets a fair deal.
Medical tourism has a bad reputation. It’s commonly associated with experimental treatments, suspicious surgeons, and concerning cosmetic procedures. However, these issues are largely overplayed and overstated. For millions, medical tourism is a lifeline that helps folks get the treatment they need at a price they can afford.
The CDC defines medical tourism as the practice of traveling to another country for medical care. Common medical tourism destinations include Canada, as well as countries in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
The CDC does warn that medical tourism carries risks. Flying shortly after surgery increases the patient’s risk of deep vein thrombosis. Medical tourists may be exposed to bacterial infection due to a lack of immunity and should research any care providers thoroughly before going through with treatment.
People elect to travel abroad for many different treatments. However, medical treatments are particularly popular for treatments that have shorter recovery times like cataract surgery. People who have cataract surgery can usually drive the day after treatment, so negotiating an airport shouldn’t be an issue.
Patients who are considering medical tourism should consult with their primary care provider before moving forward. The primary provider has a complete medical history and will know whether or not a procedure is viable. They’ll also be able to arrange follow-up care when patients arrive home.
Bitcoin transactions may be particularly important in the future, as the U.S. medical economy appears to be set for a black swan event following the pandemic. Trillions of dollars of medical debt have accumulated in the U.S., which may push folks to seek better service and lower costs abroad.
Medical debt is a serious issue in the U.S., though most people can avoid medical debt by researching billing codes and negotiating a payment plan that works for them. This may involve negotiations with partial payments in bitcoin, too.
Bitcoin has the potential to make medical tourism more affordable for all. This can close the care gap, and ensures that everyone has access to high-quality, reliable medical care.
This sentiment is echoed by Renée-Marie Stephano, CEO of Global Healthcare Resources and the Medical Tourism Association. Stephano notes that there has been a “sharp uptick in the utilization of cryptocurrency” to pay for medical treatment abroad.
Decentralized currencies like bitcoin return power to the patient and make it easier for patients to pay for their treatment. Bitcoin can help patients avoid issues with currency conversions and international payments. Bitcoin payments to clinics are fast and come with minimal charges compared with traditional transactions.
Providers who accept bitcoin find that the process is easy and can be quickly converted to national currencies. Ken Fryer, a spokesperson for Vinci Hair Clinic in the United Kingdom, admitted that their clinic had to cancel previous treatments for international patients due to issues with fund transfers and banking restrictions.
Fryer says that Bitcoin solved these issues and gave patients the ability to pay quickly in large sums if needed.
Medical tourism often occurs in less economically developed countries (LEDC). Bitcoin can help these nations close the wealth inequality gap by encouraging a fair, free-flowing exchange of funds in return for legitimate healthcare services.
Despite the recent downturn in cryptocurrency markets, Bitcoin utilization remains high in many countries where medical tourism is popular.
Currently, the top 10 countries for Bitcoin adoption include Brazil, India and Pakistan. Many of these countries are popular destinations for medical tourism.
India is a particularly popular destination for medical tourism in Asia. India has a favorable medical visa policy, which allows family members to stay with patients. India also scores highly in Bitcoin adoption and is ranked first in centralized service value received and retail centralized service value received.
Bitcoin has the potential to improve medical tourism and help everyone get the treatment they need. Bitcoin is particularly important in today’s post-pandemic world, where medical bills are spiraling and the U.S. medical sector holds trillions of dollars of debt.
Bitcoin can be particularly useful when traveling to countries with tricky transfer laws. Treatment can be delayed or even canceled if patients aren’t able to pay on time. Bitcoin can negate this issue, and help everyone get a fair deal.
Before paying for medical treatment in Bitcoin, patients should consult with their primary care provider to ensure that they get the treatment they need when they return home.
This is a guest post by Frankie Wallace. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine.
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Newswise — ROCKVILLE, Md. – Dec. 23, 2022 – The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, molecular diagnostic professional society, today applauded Congress for reaching an agreement on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and recognizing that it was not the appropriate mechanism for advancing the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act. The VALID Act proposed dramatic oversight modifications that would have been disruptive to clinical testing laboratories and harmful to patients throughout the U.S.
“AMP members have worked tirelessly to lead advocacy efforts to inform policymakers on how to best modernize the current regulatory framework for laboratory testing services,” said Mary Steele Williams, Executive Director, Association for Molecular Pathology. “We are grateful for champions in Congress such as U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who shared our concerns about the significant flaws in the VALID Act. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress and other stakeholders in 2023 to help ensure widespread patient access to high-quality, essential medical procedures.”
“For decades we have allowed clinical labs in our nation’s academic medical centers the freedom to innovate under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). The VALID Act would have upended that system and replicated the testing nightmare of the early days of the COVID pandemic, putting all lab-developed tests under the FDA’s control,” said Senator Paul. “I have been fighting to stop the VALID Act for years, so I am pleased to say that despite a major push all year by powerful special interests, the VALID Act was kept out of the 2022 year-end legislation.”
AMP also thanks Congress for including the following provisions and protections for clinical laboratory professionals in the Consolidated Appropriations Act.
ABOUT AMP
The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) was founded in 1995 to provide structure and leadership to the emerging field of molecular diagnostics. AMP’s more than 2,900 members practice various disciplines of molecular diagnostics, including bioinformatics, infectious diseases, inherited conditions, and oncology. Our members are pathologists, clinical laboratory directors, basic and translational scientists, technologists, and trainees that practice in a variety of settings, including academic and community medical centers, government, and industry. Through the efforts of its Board of Directors, Committees, Working Groups, and Members, AMP is the primary resource for expertise, education, and collaboration in one of the fastest-growing fields in healthcare. AMP members influence policy and regulation on the national and international levels, ultimately serving to advance innovation in the field and protect patient access to high-quality, appropriate testing. For more information, visit www.amp.org and follow AMP on Twitter: @AMPath
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WASHINGTON—
Statement attributable to:
Shannon Haymond, PhD
President, American Association for Clinical Chemistry
“AACC applauds the decision of the United States Congress to exclude the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act from its end of year omnibus bill. We are grateful that Congress listened to the united voices of the more than 100 medical and patient groups that joined AACC in opposing the bill. The fact that such a large number of different organizations had concerns about the VALID Act underscores that it was a deeply problematic piece of legislation that would cause significant patient harm.
“We continue to advocate for the modernization of how laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) are regulated—discussing whether additional LDT oversight is necessary and, if so, what that level of regulation should be to maintain clinical testing quality without limiting patient access or innovation. We urge the FDA and those who supported the VALID Act to join with us to make any necessary changes.”
To speak to Dr. Haymond about this issue, please contact Molly Polen, AACC Senior Director of Communications & PR, at [email protected] or 202-420-7612.
About AACC
Dedicated to achieving better health through laboratory medicine, AACC brings together more than 70,000 clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists, and business leaders from around the world focused on clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science. Since 1948, AACC has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing programs that advance scientific collaboration, knowledge, expertise, and innovation. For more information, visit www.aacc.org.
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Newswise — Edison, NJ – December 22, 2022 – Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation is pleased to announce the receipt of a generous $100,000 gift from an anonymous private foundation to benefit behavioral health patients at Hackensack Meridian Retreat and Recovery At Ramapo Valley, a division of Hackensack Meridian Carrier Clinic, a nationally recognized leader in substance use disorder treatment and care.
The Retreat & Recovery at Ramapo Valley, located in Mahwah, was established in 2019 as a tremendous effort of community collaboration, including the inspired vision of foundation friends and benefactors Caryl and James Kourgelis.
“We are truly grateful for this much-needed support to benefit our critical programs at The Retreat & Recovery At Ramapo Valley,” said Michael Loch, director of development, Behavioral Health, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation. “Philanthropy is crucial in providing our team and patients with what they need, especially as the mental health crisis continues to grow. The generous gifts we receive allow for a greater number of those in need to receive the best treatment they deserve, close to home.”
Funds will be used to support the important work of The Retreat & Recovery At Ramapo Valley’s treatment team and programs grounded in evidence-based practice, wellness and integrative medicine. The facility’s holistic care model provides every aspect of support and intervention necessary to address the whole person: mind, body and spirit.
“What a heartwarming gift,” said Patricia Toole, president and chief hospital executive, Carrier Clinic. “Community support and philanthropy play a vital role in helping us achieve our maximum potential. The Retreat & Recovery At Ramapo Valley provides comprehensive clinical care designed to meet the specific needs of each patient, and we are so thankful.”
To learn more about Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation or how to support Behavioral Health, visit HackensackMeridianHealth.org/
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH FOUNDATION
Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), is the philanthropic division of Hackensack Meridian Health, a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The foundation oversees fundraising for the network’s three academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and seven community-based medical center foundations, as well as key initiatives, programs and services offered by Hackensack Meridian Health, including nursing support, behavioral health, children’s health, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery & Innovation and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation has been designated as both a High Performer Overall and Healthcare System High Performer by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) within their 2022 Report on Giving.
Visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH
Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The network has 18 hospitals and more than 500 patient care locations, which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers, physician practice locations, and a fitness and wellness center. With more than 35,000 team members and 7,000 physicians, Hackensack Meridian Health is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy and committed to the health and well-being of communities throughout New Jersey.
The network’s notable distinctions include having more U.S. News-ranked hospitals than any other health system in New Jersey, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, 2022-23. Hackensack University Medical Center is nationally-ranked by U.S. News & World Report in four specialties, more than any other hospital in New Jersey. Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, are ranked #1 in the state and top 20 in the Mid-Atlantic Region by U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospital Report. Additionally, their combined nephrology program ranks in the top 50 in the United States. To learn more, visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.
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Newswise — Edison, NJ – December 22, 2022 – Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation is proud to announce that Sheila Wolfinger has been appointed executive director at Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, where she will lead integral fundraising efforts for Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
“Sheila brings an impressive wealth of knowledge and significant fundraising experience to this role,” said Joyce P. Hendricks, president and chief development officer, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation. “There are many areas within Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine that can benefit from donor support, including endowed chairs and scholarships for medical students. I look forward to all that Sheila will accomplish to help advance medical education in collaboration with our dedicated faculty, medical students and philanthropic partners.”
Before joining Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, Wolfinger was executive director for principal gifts and strategic imperatives at Seton Hall University. In her role, she created, led and implemented the Principal Gifts program campus-wide; oversaw a personal portfolio of principal gift prospects with a capacity of more than $1 million; collaborated in the development of principal gift strategies to continually identify, cultivate, solicit and provide stewardship to donors; and worked closely with university leadership and academic partners to coordinate strategic development and fundraising activities that support interdisciplinary centers and programs, thereby emphasizing campaign imperatives. Prior to that, Wolfinger also held development roles at Montefiore Medical Center, Changing our World, Inc. and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Wolfinger received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Temple University and is currently pursuing her Master’s of Public Administration in Non-Profit Management at Seton Hall University.
“I am so pleased to welcome Sheila to our School community,” said Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., dean, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “The School of Medicine faculty and team look forward to working closely with her to support our mission: providing the best, most patient-and community-centered medical education to our students. This will enhance the future of health care in New Jersey, and beyond.”
Wolfinger will work closely with Dr. Boscamp, as well as other School of Medicine leadership and the board of trustees, to lead vital fundraising initiatives for the school and its programs.
“I am delighted to join Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation and lead important fundraising initiatives at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine,” said Wolfinger. “I strongly believe in the School of Medicine, its forward-thinking mission and its dynamic leadership, and I am thrilled to be a part of the team.”
To learn how you can make a gift to Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, please email [email protected] or visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH FOUNDATION
Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), is the philanthropic division of Hackensack Meridian Health, a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The foundation oversees fundraising for the network’s three academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and seven community-based medical center foundations, as well as key initiatives, programs and services offered by Hackensack Meridian Health, including nursing support, behavioral health, children’s health, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery & Innovation and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation has been designated as both a High Performer Overall and Healthcare System High Performer by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) within their 2022 Report on Giving.
Visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its first class of students in 2018 to its On3 campus in Nutley and Clifton. Hackensack Meridian Health assumed its independent operation in July 2020. The school’s vision is that each person in New Jersey, and in the United States, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, will enjoy the highest levels of wellness in an economically and behaviorally sustainable fashion. The School’s unique curriculum focuses on linking the basic science with clinical relevance, through an integrated curriculum in a team-oriented, collaborative environment. The school prides itself on outreach, through programs like the Human Dimension, which is active in communities across New Jersey.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH
Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The network has 18 hospitals and more than 500 patient care locations, which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers, physician practice locations, and a fitness and wellness center. With more than 35,000 team members and 7,000 physicians, Hackensack Meridian Health is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy and committed to the health and well-being of communities throughout New Jersey.
The network’s notable distinctions include having more U.S. News-ranked hospitals than any other health system in New Jersey, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, 2022-23. Hackensack University Medical Center is nationally-ranked by U.S. News & World Report in four specialties, more than any other hospital in New Jersey. Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, are ranked #1 in the state and top 20 in the Mid-Atlantic Region by U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospital Report. Additionally, their combined nephrology program ranks in the top 50 in the United States. To learn more, visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.
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Newswise — Pain in the back or the neck is extremely common and accounts for more healthcare spending than any other health condition. A study led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, compared two non-invasive interventions for treating spine pain, assessing both how well these methods worked at reducing pain and whether either method reduced spine-related healthcare spending. In a clinical trial of 2,971 participants, patients with spine pain were randomized to receive usual care or one of two interventions. The first intervention used the identify, coordinate and enhance (ICE) model, in which patients receive specialized counseling, physical therapy and a specialist in pain medicine or psychiatry consults with their primary care physician. The second intervention was individualized postural therapy (IPT), a technique that attempts to realign and rebalance spinal muscles to relieve pain. Compared to usual care, both interventions provided a small but significant improvement in pain-related disability after three months. These changes were sustained and clinically meaningful at 12 months, long after the interventions were over. Both interventions reduced resource utilization (such as diagnostic imaging, procedures, and specialist visits). Overall, the ICE intervention lowered spine-related spending by $139 per person compared to usual care (p=0.04), although this difference was not statically significant at the threshold used in the trial. Spine-related spending for the IPT intervention was significantly higher than usual care.
“Both methods examined in this clinical trial led to small but meaningful reductions in pain-related disability,” said corresponding author Niteesh Choudhry, MD, PhD, executive director for BWH’s Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences and a practicing hospitalist. “Given the high cost of spine-related healthcare spending, it is critically important to find cost-effective ways to effectively improve pain management.”
Read more in JAMA.
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Newswise — ARLINGTON, Va., December 20, 2022 — The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) issued the following statement from ASTRO Board of Directors Chair Geraldine Jacobson, MD, MBA, MPH, FASTRO, in response to today’s release of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill.
“On behalf of ASTRO’s 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating cancer patients with radiation therapy, ASTRO is disappointed that Congress failed to stop the full Medicare physician payment cuts for 2023, demonstrating that the Medicare physician payment system is broken. Radiation oncology has faced among the most significant cuts of any medical specialty, leaving community-based clinics at the breaking point. We urge the new Congress to immediately begin payment reform discussions, including working with ASTRO and the radiation oncology community to create a new, sustainable payment approach for radiation therapy services.
The omnibus package leaves all physicians with a 2% reduction in the Medicare physician payment conversion factor for 2023, and radiation oncology with an additional 1% decrease due to clinical labor price changes, at a time when patients are returning to clinics and facing more complex cancer care due to delays caused by the pandemic. Cancer clinics must also contend with a wide range of increasing overhead and staffing costs when determining their ability to provide care to Medicare beneficiaries. Payment relief in the omnibus bill is insufficient and could endanger some clinics’ ability to stay open and provide needed care to people with cancer.”
ABOUT ASTRO
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with nearly 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. For information on radiation therapy, visit RTAnswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit our website and follow us on social media.
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Newswise — December 20, 2022 – Medicare costs for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer have risen sharply within the last 15 years – reflecting increased use of new medications under Medicare Part D, reports a study in Urology Practice®, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
“Our study shows rapid increases in the cost to Medicare per-patient and total annual costs, corresponding with the approval and adoption of newer, more costly drugs for metastatic prostate cancer,” comments senior author David H. Howard, PhD, of Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta.
Annual Medicare costs for metastatic prostate cancer exceed $30,000 per patient
Using data from the SEER-Medicare database, the researchers assessed trends in treatment costs for metastatic prostate cancer. The analysis included 30,489 male fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 years or older with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2007 and 2017. About 21% of the men were initially diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, while 79% had primary prostate cancer that progressed following diagnosis.
Cost data were compared to those of a group of 216,000 men not diagnosed with prostate cancer during the same time period. In both groups, average age was about 76 years. Medicare expenses were collected for both groups for claims between 2007 and 2019.
Average annual Medicare spending was $45,391 for men with metastatic prostate cancer, compared to $16,906 in men without prostate cancer (all figures in 2019 dollars). Average costs were lower for patients initially diagnosed with metastatic disease, compared to those with later metastases: $40,471 versus $47,029.
With adjustment for demographic and health-related factors, men with metastatic prostate cancer incurred average additional costs of $31,427 per year. About one-third of the difference ($8,756) was due to spending on drugs under Medicare Part D.
Rising costs linked to increased use of new prostate cancer therapies
Annual per-patient costs increased substantially during the study period: from $28,311 between 2007 and 2013 to $37,055 between 2014 and 2017. This trend – and particularly the increase in Medicare Part D costs – was attributed to the introduction of several new treatments for metastatic prostate cancer, such as radium-223, sipuleucel-T, abiraterone, and enzalutamide. Although these novel therapies are effective, they are more expensive than previous treatments, with many costing close to $10,000 per month.
The proportion of men receiving the chemotherapy drug docetaxel – before 2010, the only effective treatment for patients who do not respond to hormone-blocking (androgen deprivation) therapy – decreased from 14.7% in 2007 to 6.1% in 2017. Meanwhile, the use of newer treatments grew rapidly: use of the novel hormonal therapies abiraterone and enzalutamide increased from 5.1% in 2010 to 26.0% in 2017.
Overall annual health costs attributable to metastatic prostate cancer were estimated at $5.2 billion (based on Medicare reimbursement rates) to $8.2 billion (based on private insurance reimbursement rates). “These figures probably understate current costs because they were based on our analysis of data from 2012 to 2019,” Dr. Howard and coauthors note.
The U.S. incidence of metastatic prostate cancer has increased in recent years, possibly reflecting recommendations against routine prostate cancer screening with prostate-specific antigen. “Metastatic prostate cancer is associated with substantial per-patient and aggregate health care costs,” Dr. Howard and colleagues conclude. “These should be taken into account when prioritizing biomedical research funds and assessing the value of interventions, like screening, to reduce the incidence of late-stage disease.”
Read [The Cost of Metastatic Prostate Cancer in the United States]
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About Urology Practice
An Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA), Urology Practice focuses on clinical trends, challenges and practice applications in the four areas of Business, Health Policy, the Specialty and Patient Care. Information that can be used in everyday practice will be provided to the urology community via peer-reviewed clinical practice articles (including best practices, reviews, clinical guidelines, select clinical trials, editorials and white papers), “research letters” (brief original studies with an important clinical message), the business of the practice of urology, urology health policy issues, urology education and training, as well as content for urology care team members.
About the American Urological Association
Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 23,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health care policy. To learn more about the AUA visit: www.auanet.org
About Wolters Kluwer
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Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students in effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. We support clinical effectiveness, learning and research, clinical surveillance and compliance, as well as data solutions. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.
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Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott
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Newswise — There were 465 candidates for graduation at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing commencement exercises Saturday, Dec. 17 at the United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock, Texas.
Among those graduates was the first cohort of the School of Nursing satellite campus in Mansfield, Texas. The satellite campus, which welcomed its first group of student nurses in 2021, is a result of a collaboration with Methodist Healthcare System, Methodist Mansfield Medical Center and the city of Mansfield to address the shortage of nurses in the region.
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Texas will be short almost 16,000 nurses by 2030.
Of the 19 graduates, 13 are staying in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
“We believe that our implicit mission has to be to create what we can in terms of creating more nurses to ease the ever-present shortage of nurses all over Texas,” School of Nursing Dean Michael L. Evans, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, said. “What this means for the community is that they’re going to have better health care and better access to health care. Nurses aren’t just in hospitals. They’re in primary care clinics and schools. Anything having to do with health care in the community, whether it’s in Mansfield or greater Dallas-Fort Worth, it’s going to be improved by having an increased number of nurses per year in the region.”
The Mansfield satellite campus is an extension of the same program the School of Nursing currently has on its campuses in Abilene, Permian Basin, Lubbock and Amarillo.
“Many new nurses are attracted to the large, DFW hospitals,” said Amanda Veesart, Ph.D., R.N., Traditional BSN Program director. “Having a nursing school in the city of Mansfield, that is attending classes and clinical in the area, is a great recruiting tool. We are placing the students in the community early which directly correlates to learning the culture and system of the area. Many of the hospitals are looking to TTUHSC to graduate BSN-prepared nurses who will stay and help with the nursing shortage in the suburban area.”
The School of Nursing is nationally accredited and has a highly regarded reputation for nursing excellence. Nursing Schools Almanac ranked the School of Nursing number one in Texas, No. 10 among public nursing schools and No. 18 among nursing schools in the U.S.
According to Evans, Red Raider nurses are very much in demand because they have the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful. When they graduate, 90+ percent already have a job secured.
“We do a very good job of selecting those on who can be successful in this program and then helping them be successful after,” Evans said. “The reason we’re here is to improve health care through collaboration and innovation. We’re doing it through collaborating with community resources and our own internal resources to be able to bring a very innovated nursing education program.”
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Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
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Newswise — The transition to telehealth-based care at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was followed by an increase in initiation of and engagement with specialty alcohol treatment, according to a study of health records at one large U.S. health system. The study, published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found the greatest increases in odds of initiating treatment were among 18- to 34-year-olds, a group that has historically been less likely to seek treatment for alcohol problems. Notably, the transition to telehealth did not appear to worsen racial and ethnic disparities in treatment for alcohol problems and may have facilitated treatment for specific populations. The findings provide timely considerations for structuring post-pandemic models of health care for alcohol use problems.
The authors analyzed data from over 50,000 health records and claims for insured adults diagnosed with alcohol use disorder at a large California health system during two periods: March to December 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and March to December 2020, when care began to transition to telehealth due to the pandemic.
Utilization of alcohol treatment increased during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic for all racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The proportion of people initiating treatment after diagnosis of an alcohol problem rose from 24% before the pandemic to 32% after the onset of the pandemic. The rates of people engaging in two or more treatment sessions after initiating treatment also rose—from 34% before the pandemic to 41% after the pandemic began.
Telehealth appeared to provide particular benefits to specific age groups. Adults aged 18 to 34 years old without medical and psychiatric conditions had the highest increases in treatment initiation, by telehealth in particular. And adults aged 35-49 who initiated treatment via telehealth remained engaged in treatment during the pandemic at higher rates.
The transition to telehealth did not appear to worsen disparities among racial and ethnic groups. Further, people living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods had some of the greatest increases in telehealth treatment initiation during the pandemic.
The study did not examine telehealth treatment effectiveness or the reasons for increased treatment utilization, some of which may be due to other circumstances presented by the pandemic. Additionally, the study was limited to people who remained insured by the plan throughout the study. The authors recommend further research to understand whether telehealth removed barriers to treatment and to address persistent disparities in alcohol treatment utilization by age, race, and ethnicity and for people with psychiatric and medical conditions.
COVID-19 pandemic-related changes in utilization of telehealth and treatment overall for alcohol use problems. V. Palzes, F. Chi, V. Metz, C. Campbell, C. Corriveau, S. Sterling. (pp. xxx)
ACER-22-5361.R1
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Research Society on Alcoholism
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Newswise — University of Northern Colorado honors student Madison Gremillion received national recognition for her research exploring the quality of conversations healthcare professionals have with patients receiving end-of-life care.
Gremillion, a senior in UNC’s College of Natural and Health Sciences, Biological Sciences — Pre-health and Biomedical Sciences Concentration program, won the Sloane Prize for Undergraduate Research at the 57th annual National Collegiate Honors Conference (NCHC) in early November. Her project, titled “Comfort of Healthcare Professionals with End-of-Life Patient Communication: Exploring Comfort, Communication, and Education of Healthcare Professionals for End-of-Life Care,” placed first in the Biological Sciences category poster presentation.
For her research project, Gremillion interviewed healthcare providers (HCPs) in end-of-life specialties, such as hospice and palliative care, as well as those in general healthcare settings. She wanted to identify why professionals in general healthcare settings may feel under-prepared to have end-of-life discussions with dying patients compared to HCPs who practice in end-of-life care specialties. She’s hoping her research can be used to provide areas of focus for the development of education material for HCPs in general healthcare.
“Although I had hoped to have a great experience at the conference, I never expected to have the possibilities of my future opened,” Gremillion said. “It has given me the courage and confidence to pursue goals I never would have otherwise.”
Gremillion’s research is part of her participation in the university’s Upper Division Honors Program, which provides students with opportunities to engage in various types of research. According to Loree Crow, executive director for Undergraduate Academic Engagement in UNC’s University Honors Program, the university has been sending students to NCHC for the past 10 years. This is the second time a UNC student has won a poster presentation, but just being chosen to participate is already a significant achievement.
“Only about 50% of students from honors programs around the country who submit to present at NCHC are accepted into the competition,” Crow said. “This experience is a great opportunity for our students, not only to gain experience presenting their research, but also getting to meet other top honors students from around the country and attend sessions that provide them with professional and academic development.”
Gremillion was one of two UNC students who attended this year’s conference. Shukuru Rushanika, a senior Biological Sciences — Pre-health and Biomedical Sciences Concentration major, presented in the Natural Sciences poster category with a project titled “Utilizing Nurr77 as a Surrogate Biomarker for CD8+ T-Cell Activation to Assess the Immunological Effects of Berberine and Exercise.” His research will provide insights into ways that the medical community can better combat many auto-immune disorders. His experimental project will shed more light on the metabolic behavior of certain T-cells, important to the body’s immune response, when engaged in strenuous activity. Rushanika is a member of both UNC’s Upper Division Honors and the Ronald E. McNair Research Scholars programs.
“I really enjoyed getting to see what other research projects are being conducted around the country by fellow honor students,” Rushanika said. “Networking with students, staff, and directors made the experiences fun. I learned something new from each person I spoke with.”
The NCHC is run by the National Collegiate Honors Council, an organization designed to support and promote undergraduate honors education throughout the United States. According to Crow, the organization provides standards and best practices, along with lots of idea sharing, and by bringing together faculty, directors and students from all honors programs, develops a space for innovation in honors curriculum and program design.
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University of Northern Colorado
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Newswise — For six decades, the University of Northern Colorado’s School of Nursing in the College of Natural and Health Sciences has had a strong history of educating nurses to provide compassionate, courageous and competent care to patients across Colorado and beyond through research and practice.
Like the health care industry, the School of Nursing has evolved throughout the years since it was founded in 1962. The first class was enrolled in 1963 and the following year, the first capping ceremony was held with five nursing students. Sixty years later, in the fall of 2022, 477 students were enrolled in the 10 programs currently offered. And in total, more than 6,000 students have graduated from the School of Nursing prepared to assume leadership roles in practice, education and research, since its inception.
To celebrate this achievement, a ceremony was held on Friday, Dec. 2, in the Campus Commons where faculty and alumni were honored for advancing the health of the public.
“We are incredibly grateful to the previous faculty and alumni who have, and still are contributing to, the strong foundation of excellence of the School of Nursing programs, for which we continue to build upon,” said Director Melissa Henry, Ph.D.
The anniversary celebration included an open house in Gunter Hall and a reception that featured live music, a silent auction and dinner. Attendees were also able to enjoy pictures throughout the last 60 years, reminisce on the evolution of nursing attire and take a picture with Florence Nightingale, one of the founders of modern nursing, in a photobooth.
Meet four inspiring health care professionals and UNC alumni who are impacting patients’ lives:
Jennifer Higgins ’92, ’15 MSN, RN,NPD-BC, CNL
Manager Professional Development Northern Region, UCHealth
At UNC, I was inspired by: I’m a two-time grad from UNC’s School of Nursing. In my undergrad program, my biggest influence was my mom. She’s a nurse and I grew up with conversations about the hospital at every dinner. I loved to go to her work after school to wait for her and I felt comfortable in the hospital setting even as a kid. (At UNC), I was influenced by all my professors, but the one that made the biggest impact was Dr. Deb Leners. I appreciated the perspective I got on nursing from her that nurses are professionals with an invaluable contribution to the world. In my grad school experience, the person who affected who I am as a master’s-prepared RN is Dr. Kathleen Dunemn. I appreciate her kind, calm, realistic approach to the rigor of a graduate program. She inspires me through her career and the level to which she has impacted the profession.
What brings me back to work each day: The idea of long hard days at work took on a new perspective with the pandemic. Never in modern times have we faced the kind of challenges we did during the COVID surges that changed life for everyone. I equated leaving work to escaping a burning building with my friends inside, day after day. As a nurse, I took on the task of caring for patients alongside my peers, and as a leader I had to help create processes to protect patients and staff all the while having the rules continuously changing. Direction given in the morning oftentimes changed by lunch. Keeping my team focused and moving forward together without losing morale was the biggest challenge I’ve faced. I kept coming back and continue to come back every day because that’s what nurses do.
I know I’ve made a difference when: Every nurse remembers certain moments in their career. I have had a long career and have gotten to do many things with my nursing degree. Each of those experiences have given me moments of knowing I was meant to be in that place at that moment. The kids I’ve taken care of have made a mark that will be with me forever. One newborn I took care of was very premature and had a difficult start in life. I took over her care one night and realized she didn’t look very good. I had cared for her since birth and there was something about her that was a little “off.” I followed procedures for alerting providers and within hours, she was transferred to a higher level of care to be treated for sepsis. This is a very dangerous diagnosis for a fragile preemie and she did very well, partly because it was caught early. My proudest moments are those when I find out that something I did impacted someone in a way I couldn’t have imagined. Being an educator means that every patient is your patient. I tried to include pediatric education because kids are my thing, and because they can show up anywhere at any time. I ran a mock pediatric code blue where the child experiences a cardiac arrest. Just a week later, I was contacted by that manager to say “You know what you taught us last week? We had to use it last night. Everything went well. Thank you.” Asking any nurse about one moment in their career that stands out is impossible because every day is an opportunity to have that moment.
UNC’s Nursing program stands out because…: I am now a leader in a department where new RNs are supported, educated and developed into professionals. I get to work with those nurses who used to be my instructors and mentors. I see their dedication and the passion they put into taking a novice and turning them into the enthusiastic and knowledgeable new nurse. I have gotten to teach alongside some of them and see their world in a whole different way. Just as I feel educators impact every patient, I also realize that the nursing instructors at UNC have the same impact on the future of nursing itself.
Donnie DeCamp ’11 RN, MSN, VA-BC, CRNI
Guest Lecturer, University of Northern Colorado
At UNC, I was inspired by: I was really impacted by one of the courses in advanced pathophysiology. I was allowed to explore a topic of interest to me, HIV, and create an interactive teaching PowerPoint that was impressive. The cohort I was in started calling me “Mr. Megabyte.”
What brings me back to work each day: The look on a learner’s face when things click and make sense to them, especially with difficult topics and concepts.
I know I’ve made a difference when: As a vascular access specialist RN, I’m often praised by patients when venous access is obtained on first attempt.
UNC’s Nursing program stands out because… of the caliber of the faculty and staff.
Melissa Chevarria ’18 MSN, RN
Practical Nursing Faculty at the Community College of Denver
At UNC, I was inspired by: So many faculty members and clinical instructors at UNC made a difference in my life and education! Professors Deb Rojas, Barb Garrity and Wayne Potter specifically acted as mentors for me during nursing school and supported me through difficult times in my career. I recently obtained my master’s in Nursing with an emphasis in Nursing Education so I may have the same impact on others one day. This past summer, I was fortunate to complete 150 practicum hours for my MSN alongside Deb Rojas, with the opportunity to connect with Barb and Wayne again. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
A program in the School of Nursing that not only set me up for success but introduced me to some of my closest friends was the Student Nurses Association (SNA). I was an active member throughout nursing school, and SNA opened so many doors for me. I had the opportunity to connect with students in other cohorts, volunteer within the community, and build leadership skills. I encourage all nursing and pre-nursing students to join SNA!
What brings me back to work each day:My nursing students encourage and inspire me every single day. I teach in a nursing program that serves culturally diverse students and disadvantaged populations. My students come from various backgrounds with incredible experiences and powerful stories. Their drive, courage and resiliency motivate me to be the best nurse and educator that I can be each day.
I know I’ve made a difference when: I don’t have a specific moment or memory to share, but I do believe that small moments of compassion and caring can change our patients’ lives. Before my current position, I worked in the Emergency Department at Children’s Hospital. As an Emergency Department nurse, you’re continuously meeting new patients and families. It can be challenging to build relationships with patients when you’re providing care for a brief period. To connect with my patients and improve their experience, I always made an effort to learn something new about them every time I entered their room. This small gesture went a long way; it allowed me to build trusting, therapeutic relationships. I encourage my students to take the time to get to know the person they’re taking care of; everyone comes with a story that we can learn from.
UNC’s Nursing program stands out because…I can speak to the rigor of the program and clinical experiences that impacted my path as a nurse, but it wasn’t just these aspects that stand out to me and impact how I practice. The nursing program at UNC never felt like school to me, it always felt like my home. Our professors were more than educators; they were our mentors, our support system, and always went the extra mile for us. They created an incredibly safe and nurturing environment for their students to grow in that was impactful to our development. I strive to bring that same level of compassion and dedication to the growth of the nursing profession.
Mari Schlie Mutter ’03, ’11 MSN, RN, FNP-BC
UNC School of Nursing instructor; St. Matthew’s provider – free clinic
At UNC, I was inspired by: So many outstanding faculty members currently and throughout the years! Faye Hummel inspired me from the first time she walked in the classroom. Never have I known of a woman/person who is able to inspire so many people just by the way she carries herself and her overall confidence. Faye walked her talk, which was international education, vulnerable populations, transcultural nursing and social justice. Faye’s contributions to Vietnamese medical education for 20-plus years has been invaluable through Friendship Bridge Nurses Group. Alison Merrill inspired me by her example of standing up against great odds with kindness. And, through the years, Melissa Henry has been my trusted colleague, gentle advisor, and friend. When I was not sure of myself, Melissa encouraged me of what I was capable of and was meant to do.
What brings me back to work each day: Caring changes us—meeting the needs of people at the most vulnerable time of their life and being there for them is a privilege. The connection made between nurses and patients is one of trust.
I know I’ve made a difference when: It is all the simple things that we do each day. It is when we see a need and meet that need. And, being an advocate for our patients every day.
UNC’s Nursing program stands out because… We are taught to validate people—to listen and ensure dignity. To be advocates. To show up each day remembering that we are there to serve and not expect anything in return. The returns are great.
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University of Northern Colorado
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Newswise — Worries about what emergency care might cost them have kept some older adults from seeking medical attention even when they felt they might need it, a new study shows.
In all, 22% of older adults who may have needed care from the emergency department didn’t go because of concerns about what they might have to pay, according to the new findings published in the American Journal of Managed Care.
People in their 50s and early 60s, women, those who lack health insurance, people with household incomes under $30,000, and those who say their mental health is fair or poor were most likely to say they’d avoided getting emergency care because of cost concerns.
The study, based on a survey conducted in June 2020, asked older adults to think back on the previous two years, including the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even among those who hadn’t had a medical emergency in this time, worries about what an emergency visit might cost them were high. Four out of five older adults said they were concerned about the cost of emergency care (35% somewhat concerned and 45% very concerned, and 18% were not confident they could afford a visit.
The data from the study come from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, based at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and supported by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center. The findings build on the poll report published earlier and are based on responses from a nationally representative sample of 2,074 people age 50 to 80.
The findings confirm the experience of lead author Rachel Solnick, M.D., M.Sc., who trained in IHPI’s National Clinician Scholars Program before joining the faculty at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Health System in New York.
“As an emergency physician, I have seen patients come to the emergency room having postponed their care. They often come in sicker than they would have been had they received care sooner,” she said. “That scenario is what I find most alarming in this survey’s findings. Some groups that are medically vulnerable or have suffered worse outcomes from COVID-19 were more likely to report cost-related avoidance of the ER than their counterparts. These findings highlight the importance of reducing the number of uninsured individuals and the need for insurers to clearly communicate coverage for emergency services.”
Keith Kocher, M.D., the study’s senior author and an associate professor of emergency medicine at U-M, notes that the federal No Surprises Act was enacted after the study was done. That act seeks to reduce “surprise billing” for emergency care when a privately insured person receives it from hospitals or providers outside their health insurance plan’s network. At the time of the study, Medicare and Medicaid already prohibited emergency care providers from doing this kind of “balance billing.”
Even so, a person with private insurance might owe hundreds of dollars in co-pays or deductibles for an emergency visit, the authors note. That’s especially true for people with high-deductible health plans, which are growing in enrollment.
Even though the percentage of older adults who lack any health insurance is small (4% of the study sample), they were 35% more likely to say they were not confident they could afford emergency care. Solnick notes that both the pandemic’s economic impacts, and the decision by more than a dozen states including Texas and Florida to not expand Medicaid to all low-income adults, mean that millions of people may face paying out of pocket for emergency visits.
American Journal of Managed Care, 2023;29(4): In Press, https://www.ajmc.com/view/older-adults-perspectives-on-emergency-department-costs-during-covid-19
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Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan
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Claim:
The parents of Baby Will are right to insist on unvaccinated blood. The safety of the blood supply is unknown. We have a medical community which is not trustable on anything vax related.
Claim Publisher and Date: Steve Kirsch, among others on 2022-12-04
In New Zealand, the parents of a baby who needs life-saving open heart surgery insist that his blood transfusion comes from donors who haven’t had the COVID-19 vaccine. Anti-vaccine campaigners have recently used this case to focus on the lingering claim that those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 have “clean blood” or “pure blood” and that it’s dangerous for them to receive a transfusion from someone who is vaccinated. For example, anti-vaccine activist Steve Kirsch claims that because of COVID-19 vaccination, “The safety of the blood supply is unknown.” The parents of the baby have appeared on far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars podcast, defending their position.
The claim is completely false. Blood from an inoculated person cannot transfer any of the messenger RNA to the blood recipient. The vaccines that are available in the U.S. would not pose any risk of infecting either the recipient of the vaccine with the virus that causes COVID-19 or anyone who might receive a blood transfusion from that person, since none of the available vaccines use a live attenuated virus. The Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies have issued guidance to help doctors answer patient questions on the issue.
“There is absolutely no contraindication,” says Edward Michelson – Professor and Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine (PLFSOM), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.
“There is no increased risk in receiving blood from vaccinated donors. When it comes to your medical care, you should listen to your doctor, not Alex Jones,” says Dr. Brian Labus, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
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Newswise — LOS ANGELES — When Bridget, 57, moved from the East Coast to Los Angeles, she sought health care to maintain and monitor her hormone therapy.
She was quickly disappointed. One provider admitted they knew nothing about transgender health, and another labeled her transgender status as a “medical problem.”
She then discovered the Keck Medicine of USC Gender-Affirming Care Program and met with Laura Taylor, MD, a Keck Medicine family medicine specialist and medical director of the program. Taylor has been Bridget’s primary care doctor ever since.
As Bridget experienced, transgender people often face barriers to equitable health care. According to a 2021 study from the Center for American Progress, one in three transgender adults said they had to teach their doctors about transgender health to receive appropriate care. Nearly one-half reported having negative or discriminatory experiences with a health care provider.
To address the many health care disparities faced by transgender individuals, Keck Medicine has launched the Gender-Affirming Care Program to meet the comprehensive needs of the transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse community. Services include everything from routine health care, such as preventive cancer screenings, yearly checkups and flu shots, to gender-affirming hormone therapy and surgery.
The program is comprised of physicians from several disciplines including family medicine, plastic surgery, gynecology, urology and otolaryngology. Specialists in voice, occupational and physical therapy are also available to patients.
A nurse navigator coordinates care with the providers to ensure patients receive seamless specialized treatment. The physicians and program staff have collectively received more than 600 hours of gender-affirming sensitivity and inclusivity training.
“Our program brings together a multidisciplinary group of physicians across specialties to address the specialized needs of this underserved population,” said Taylor. “We’re proud to offer a full range of health care services in a safe and supportive environment.”
Another key aspect of the Gender-Affirming Care Program is that it was designed with input from the local transgender community.
“Due to historic marginalization of the transgender population, some within the community view medical providers with distrust,” said Roberto Travieso, MD, surgical director of the program. “It was important to make our local community part of the process as we built the program.”
As part of its outreach, Keck Medicine partnered with The [email protected] Coalition, the largest trans-led nonprofit organization in Los Angeles that advocates for the needs of transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex immigrants across the country.
This collaboration helps Keck Medicine establish a strong foundation within the transgender community and provides ongoing feedback on how the program can best serve patients.
The Gender-Affirming Care Program was in development for several years, but came to full fruition with the arrival of Taylor and Travieso to Keck Medicine, respectively in 2020 and 2021. Taylor is trained in LGBTQ+ health care and Travieso is fellowship-trained in gender-affirming surgery.
The program leaders hope to hire and train more gender-affirming practitioners, build more mental health services into care and foster additional community partnerships.
Meanwhile, for patients like Bridget, the Gender-Affirming Care Program is a gift.
“I am doing really well under Dr. Taylor’s care, and feeling happy and healthy,” she said.
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For more information about Keck Medicine of USC, please visit news.KeckMedicine.org.
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Keck Medicine of USC
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根据世界癌症研究基金会2020年的报告，全球在该年度新诊断出约620,000例淋巴瘤。随着在治疗手段上取得进步，例如嵌合抗原受体-T细胞疗法的推出，患者的存活率有所提升。
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Mayo Clinic
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To start 2023, investors will have a choice to invest in a brand new $18 billion company with some 50,000 energized employees and a plan to create shareholder value.
To close out 2022, that company—GE HealthCare—is on the road, introducing itself to investors. With each new detail that emerges investors get a better sense of where the new stock should trade.
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