Category: Health
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Can We Overhaul Our ‘Broken’ Health Data System?
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Our system for protecting health data in the United States is fundamentally broken, and we need a national effort to rethink how we safeguard this information, according to three experts in data privacy. “Data scandals are occurring on a regular basis, with no end in sight,” said Efthimios Parasidis, a co-author of…
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First Presumptive Positive Measles Case in Alabama for 2019
The Alabama Department of Public Health received notification of a case of presumptive positive measles the morning of May 2 in an infant in St. Clair County. Currently, this is the only presumptive measles case under investigation in Alabama. The infant was considered contagious from April 23, 2019, through May 1, 2019. ADPH is working…
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SURVEY: Prior Authorization Obstacles Unnecessarily Delay Patient Access to Cancer Treatments
ARLINGTON, Va., April 25, 2019 — Restrictive prior authorization practices cause unnecessary delays and interference in care decisions for cancer patients, according to a new survey of nearly 700 radiation oncologists — physicians who treat cancer patients using radiation– released today by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). Nearly all radiation oncologists (93%) said that their…
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National Health Survey Underway in Marengo County
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the most comprehensive survey of the health and nutritional status of the U.S. population, is underway in Marengo County through April 20. This is an “invitation-only opportunity” in which randomly selected participants will receive a free and comprehensive health and nutrition evaluation. Respondents will be compensated for…
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What Happens When Physicians Become Patients?
Physicians are not supposed to get sick. We want to believe they are steely-eyed superheroes who never get a cold, never get broken bones, never need the same treatment for ailments as their patients. Physicians are unwavering in their dedication to their patients and the art of medicine…sometimes sacrificing the one thing they have that…
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How Can Physicians Effectively Address Burnout?
How many of your colleagues are complaining that they are doing more work and getting less for it? How many of them are experiencing ever-increasing levels of frustration brought on by outside influences: governmental regulation, insurance regulation, increased concern about medical malpractice, increasingly negative attitude by society towards physicians, and weakened physician-patient relationships? Most individuals…
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‘Through With Chew Week’ Highlights Dangers of Smokeless Tobacco Use
Smokeless tobacco may not be getting as much press as e-cigarettes and vaping, but it is as addictive and has many harmful side effects. The Medical Association is joining with the Alabama Department of Public Health to encourage smokeless tobacco users to quit the spit during “Through With Chew Week,” Feb. 18-22. The education campaign…
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The Flu is Here! What Can You Do?
Take time to get a flu vaccine. CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against influenza and its potentially serious complications. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. Flu vaccination also has been shown…
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Alabama’s Infant Mortality Rate Lowest Ever in 2017
The Alabama Department of Public Health announced the infant mortality rate of 7.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2017 is the lowest in Alabama history and is an improvement over the 2016 rate of 9.1. A total of 435 infants born in Alabama died before reaching 1 year of age in 2017; 537 infants…
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National Rural Health Day is Nov. 15!
National Rural Health Day is an annual observance that emphasizes the importance of rural America and promotes the need for accessible, high-quality health care. National Rural Health Day falls on the third Thursday in November each year and recognizes the efforts of those serving the health needs of over 60 million people across the nation.…