A new survey of close to 8,000 zip codes nationwide found that nearly one-third all of all homes are located in housing areas with a high or exceedingly high risk for hazardous material. Specifically, the company found that the presence of poor air quality, superfund sites, pollution, brownfields, and former drug labs at these sites. … Continued
Read MoreA recent Wall Street Journal investigation into “critical-access hospitals,” or small rural hospitals, revealed some frightening information about these facilities potentially performing surgeries that they are not qualified to perform for financial incentives, leading to some serious complications (and even death) for some patients. Most of these hospitals are concentrated in the Midwest and South … Continued
Read MoreOn December 21st, The Washington Post reported on a new type of elder abuse in nursing homes that involves posting pictures and videos of residents on social media networks without their permission–violating the residents’ privacy rights and a host of other laws. Some of these photos and videos have also managed to capture actual, physical … Continued
Read MoreThe New York Times recently highlighted a phenomenon that has taken over in many U.S. hospitals and urgent care centers: the age of electronic health records and how it has replaced a lot of “human” work in these facilities. One nurse in particular expresses concern over unnecessary hospital paperwork and the damage it could be … Continued
Read MoreRecent studies indicate that tanning beds account for as many as 400,000 cases of skin cancer a year, including 6,000 cases of melanoma (the most deadly form of skin cancer), specifically. As a result, on December 18th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed banning anyone under the age of 18 from using tanning … Continued
Read MoreParents have been receiving conflicting advice recently about the dangers of children wearing coats in car seats. On the one hand, the latest information has indicated that wearing a coat in a car seat could pose a serious risk to children because that extra space that it could create could mean that the child is … Continued
Read MoreIn late November, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will “vacate its approval” of “Enlist Duo,” an herbicide registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which is now believed to be more harmful than initially thought. Approved a year or so ago, the herbicide was developed for use on … Continued
Read MoreAccording to a new report issued on December 8th, the statistics on tobacco use prevention programs in Louisiana are particularly dire. Specifically, for every $43 spent by the big tobacco industry to promote the use of tobacco, only $1 is spent trying to prevent kids from smokers and help smokers quit smoking. These dire statistics … Continued
Read MoreIn a recent study by Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, it was reported that the study authors found that there was some type of medication error in one out of two operations. Which means that a medication error of some type occurs 50% of the time. This was a shockingly high number. These medication errors statistics … Continued
Read MoreRecent news coverage of military medical mistakes made at veteran’s hospitals and other clinics has the public wondering if our service members are receiving less than adequate medical care. One young man’s sad story of participating in physically exerting activities after failing medical tests and having a known genetic condition that can lead to sudden … Continued
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