Health & Safety

Charlton Memorial Hospital closed in 2013, but it may now be able to offer some ER services thanks to a limited license Georgia is now offering to struggling rural hospitals.

Georgia Looks To Reopen Some Closed Hospitals As ERs

8:10pm May 28, 2014

by Susanna Capelouto

Financial problems have led many hospitals to shut down completely. Georgia is issuing licenses to rural hospitals that would allow them to become nothing more than free-standing emergency rooms.

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Fishermen drag a net in Lake Malawi in 2012. About the size of New Jersey, the lake is home to hundreds of fish species and is considered one of the most biologically diverse lakes in the world.

Thriving Towns In East Africa Are Good News For A Parasitic Worm

6:17pm May 28, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

The worm causes a debilitating intestinal disease called schistosomiasis. And the parasite is spreading rapidly because of an economic boom along the shores of East Africa's Lake Malawi.

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Health & Safety

WFU Law Professor Presents Healthcare Reform Research to Congress: Hopes to Testify at NC Hearings

6:30am May 28, 2014

by Keri Brown

The Affordable Care Act is once again being debated on Capitol Hill, as well as at kitchen tables across the country.

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Current water-filtering technology is costly, but MIT scientists are testing a simpler and cheaper method that uses wood from white pine trees.

To Clean Drinking Water, All You Need Is A Stick

3:25pm May 27, 2014

by Joe Palca

Removing bacteria and other impurities from water could be done more cheaply thanks to researchers at MIT. They're taking advantage of the way trees move water to filter it.

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Work can be rough, but a researcher has found that for many people, being at home is more stressful than being at the office.

Health & Safety

Think Work Is Stressful? For Many, It's More Relaxing Than Home

9:41am May 23, 2014

by Jennifer Ludden

Many people say their jobs stress them out, but new research finds that for most people — parents and nonparents alike — the most relaxing part of the day is when they're at the office.

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For Physicians, The Ethics Of Treating Athletes

9:21pm May 21, 2014

Robert Siegel interviews orthopedist Michael S. George, co-author of a study about the ethics in sports medicine and also a former team doctor.

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Health & Safety

Free Community Workshop Will Focus on Growing Needs of Alzheimer’s Patients & Their Caregivers

5:46am May 21, 2014

by Keri Brown

Alzheimer's Disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is typically a disease of the elderly. Caring for someone afflicted with this terminal illness can be a 24 hour job for many families.

Mosquito-Borne Breaking Bone Disease Spreads In Haiti

10:20am May 20, 2014

by Peter Granitz

Transmitted by mosquitoes, the chikungunya virus causes rash, fever and excruciating joint pain. It has no cure. The good news: It's rarely fatal. Epidemiologists say the virus is headed to the U.S.

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Contaminated water can spread diseases like cholera and typhoid. A new project aims to provide water filters in the form of an educational book.

Filtering A New Idea: A Book That's Educational And 'Drinkable'

10:32pm May 17, 2014

by NPR Staff

Improving access to clean water can reduce the spread of diarrheal diseases in developing countries. The "Drinkable Book" should help: It has water safety tips and each page works as a filter.

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Tom Tarantino, chief policy officer at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill Thursday about holding the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable.

Veterans Advocate Says He Fears Loss Of Faith In VA

6:52pm May 17, 2014

by Dana Farrington

Veteran Tom Tarantino says allegations of delayed health care for veterans should be taken more seriously. But he says the care can be great, "once you actually get in" the system.

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