health care

For Hospitals, Doing More On Ebola May Mean Less Elsewhere

6:50pm October 24, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

The majority of hospitals are training their staff to care for Ebola patients, a survey finds. But infection control specialists say that can mean losing the capacity to handle more common infections.

A lone Mayo Clinic wheelchair sits on the Cascade Creek walking trail near Kutzky Park in Rochester, Minn.

In Minnesota, Abandoned Wheelchairs Are Just Part Of The Landscape

3:20pm October 24, 2014

by Elizabeth Baier

If you live in Rochester, Minn., you'll get used to seeing wheelchairs left in odd places. The city is home to the Mayo Clinic, after all. But some of those wheelchairs venture far afield indeed.

An official at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor says its mix of patients helps explain the infection rates.

Hospitals Struggle To Beat Back Serious Infections

3:58pm October 22, 2014

by Jordan Rau

About 75,000 patients a year die from infections they caught in the hospital. A Kaiser Health News analysis finds that nearly 700 hospitals across the nation have higher than expected infection rates.

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The California Public Employees' Retirement System has capped how much it will pay for some common medical procedures and tests.

More Insurers Put Spending Limits On Medical Treatments

3:29pm October 21, 2014

by Michelle Andrews

To contain costs, some plans are capping how much they will pay for certain routine procedures, such as knee replacements. Patients can be on the hook for anything over the limit.

A man walks past the former site of a clinic that offered abortions in El Paso, Texas.

Despite Legal Reprieve On Abortion, Some Texas Clinics Remain Closed

8:24am October 20, 2014

by Carrie Feibel

Texas clinics that provide abortion services were surprised by a ruling from the high court this week that allows them to reopen. But the bruising legal battle may have already changed the landscape.

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An ambulance carrying Amber Vinson, the second health care worker to be diagnosed with Ebola in Texas, arrives at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Health & Safety

Poll: Majority Of Americans Worried About U.S. Ebola Outbreak

8:24am October 20, 2014

by Scott Hensley

More than half of Americans polled said they were concerned about an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. within a year. When asked the same question in August, 39 percent of people expressed the same concern.

Members of the California Nurses Association rallied in Sacramento, Calif., in May, in anticipation of contract negotiations with Kaiser Permanente that began this fall.

California Nurses' Union Pulls Ebola Into Contract Talks

8:23am October 20, 2014

by April Dembosky

Ebola training, staffing and protective gear are bargaining chips as nurses in California hammer out a new contract with Kaiser Permanente. Their requests mirror the concerns of nurses nationwide.

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Thomas Eric Duncan, the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S., at a wedding in Ghana. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where Duncan was being treated for the disease, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014 said Duncan has died.

Liberians Wonder If Duncan's Death Was A Result Of Racism

7:03am October 19, 2014

by Rebecca Hersher

Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national, died of Ebola in an American hospital. But white American patients have survived. Some Liberians believe racism is the reason for Duncan's demise.

Health & Safety

Getting Medical Advice Is Often Just A Tap Away

6:24pm October 18, 2014

NPR's Arun Rath speaks with infectious disease specialist and HealthTap member Dr. Jonathan Po about telemedicine and hypochondria in a time of heightened health concern.

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One rationale for extending Medicaid coverage to more people is to help them get to a doctor or clinic before a minor illness becomes a medical emergency.

Spike In ER, Hospital Use Short-Lived After Calif. Medicaid Expansion

2:02pm October 17, 2014

by Lisa Aliferis

Previous research found that going on Medicaid increased a poor person's use of costly emergency room visits. Now an analysis suggests that initial spike in ER visits quickly tapers off.