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VIRTUAL SUPERMARKETS

BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore's Health Department has launched a
project that lets residents of two neighborhoods not served by
supermarkets to order groceries at the library and pick them up the
next day.
Officials say residents in East Baltimore and Washington Village
are in so-called "food deserts," or don't have access to healthy
food options. They will be able to order food and pick it up at the
Washington Village and Orleans Street Enoch Pratt Free Library
branches.
The food is sold by Santoni's Supermarket.
Interim Health Commissioner Olivia Farrow says officials hope if
the program is successful, it can be expanded to include
partnerships with more stores and other neighborhoods.

On the Net:
http://www.baltimorehealth.org/virtualsupermarket.html.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TAKING THE SWEETNESS OUT OF SCHOOL

NEW YORK (AP) - PepsiCo plans to remove full-calorie, sugary
drinks from schools around the world in the next two years.
The move, aimed at fighting childhood obesity, follows the
success of similar changes in the U.S. by PepsiCo and rival
Coca-Cola.
The World Heart Federation has been negotiating with soft drink
makers on these moves for the past year. PepsiCo becomes the first
major soda maker to expand the policy worldwide.
World Heart Federation President Pekka Puska says marketing of
sugary drinks in schools is much more intense outside of the U.S.,
and he hopes other companies follow suit.
Coca-Cola this month changed its sales policy to say it won't
sell any of its drinks in primary schools worldwide unless parents
or school districts ask.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

DOCTOR-INDUSTRY CONFLICTS

ATLANTA (AP) - A prominent cardiologist is accusing leading
heart organizations of being too cozy with industry.
The Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Steven Nissen says those financial
ties influence the groups' policies and education programs for
doctors. Nissen criticized the American Heart Association and the
American College of Cardiology in a speech at the college's annual
conference in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Industry influence has been a growing concern, especially its
funding of education programs for doctors. But in citing examples,
Nissen mistakenly said the Heart Association had a financial
relationship with Coca-Cola. The campaign he mentioned is really
between Diet Coke and a government agency.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

WARFARIN GENE TESTING

ATLANTA (AP) - Doctors are reporting an exciting win for gene
testing and personalized medicine. Checking patients' DNA before
starting them on the blood thinner warfarin (WARF-uh-ren) helps get
the dose right and avoid complications.
About 2 million Americans start on warfarin each year to prevent
blood clots after surgery or for other medical conditions. The
right dose can vary widely. Gene tests can guide how much someone
needs.
A study found that people given gene testing had a 30 percent
lower risk of being hospitalized in their first six months on the
drug compared to other patients whose dose was set by trial and
error.
Results were reported Tuesday at an American College of
Cardiology meeting in Atlanta.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

MICHELLE OBAMA ON ANTI-OBESITY CAMPAIGN

WASHINGTON (AP) - Michelle Obama is speaking to some of the
country's largest food companies about her anti-obesity campaign.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association has invited Obama to speak
about the campaign at the group's science forum Tuesday. The group
counts Kraft Foods Inc., Coca Cola Co. and General Mills Inc. among
its members.
Welcoming the first lady and embracing her campaign for
healthier kids could have advantages. The industry is positioned to
take some blows in the coming year, including a child nutrition
bill about to move through Congress that could attempt to eliminate
junk food in schools.
Michelle Obama has not yet gone directly after the large food
companies but said recently that she would like to see more
customer-friendly food labels and healthier foods sold to schools.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

HIV INFECTIONS GROW

NEW YORK (AP) - The head of the UNAIDS agency says that HIV
infections are increasing among high-risk groups.
Michel Sidibe says that homosexuals, drug users and prostitutes
aren't tested or treated because of laws that criminalize their
behavior.
Sidibe said that 85 countries still have laws that criminalize
same sex relations between adults. Seven of those countries impose
the death penalty for homosexual practices.
Sidibe points to a growing conservative political climate as a
cause of the repressive laws. He says that unless the rights of
minorities are upheld, the HIV/AIDS epidemic will begin growing
again.
More than 50 percent of new HIV cases around the world occurred
among homosexuals. The rates among gays between 19 and 25 are even
higher.

%AP Links

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
SMOKING & ARTERIES

ATLANTA (AP) - A new study shows that smokers who quit have
healthier arteries a year later and probably will have less risk of
heart disease as a result.
Doctors say the improvement came even though people who kicked
the habit gained an average of 9 pounds. The study at the
University of Wisconsin in Madison involved 1,500 smokers who were
given one of five methods, such as nicotine patches or lozenges, to
help them quit.
About one-third were successful, regardless of which method they
used. Ultrasound tests were used to measure the health of their
arteries before and after the study.
Results were reported Monday at a cardiology conference in
Atlanta.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TELLTALE GERMS

WASHINGTON (AP) - This sounds like something straight out of a
"CSI" TV episode.
A new report shows forensic experts may one day be able to link
a person to an object the person touched -- through the bacteria on
the person's hand.
It turns out, everyone's bacteria is different. The lead author
of the study says everyone "leaves a unique trail of bugs" in
their wake.
While the project is in its preliminary stage, researchers
believe it could eventually become a valuable new forensic tool.
Overall, the researchers said, their technique is between 70
percent and 90 percent accurate. They expect that to improve as the
technique becomes more sophisticated.
An earlier study found the average human hand contains about 150
species of bacteria with only about 13 percent shared by any two
people.

%AP Links

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AUTISM RULING

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal court has ruled that the vaccine
additive thimerosal does not cause autism.
The court expressed sympathy for parents coping with their
autistic children, but concluded Friday that they had not proved
the children's illness was a result of the mercury-containing
preservative in the vaccine.
Last year, the same court rejected claims that the autism was
caused by a combination of vaccines with thimerosal and other
vaccines.
That decision has now been appealed to the Supreme Court.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

PLAVIX WARNING

WASHINGTON (AP) - Experts don't expect to see genetic testing
become standard procedure for patients taking the blood-thinner
Plavix.
The Food and Drug Administration is adding its strongest
black-box warning to the label, saying that some patients don't
respond to the drug. The agency says patients with a genetic
variation can't metabolize it. And it says that puts them at
increased risk for heart attack and stroke.
Patients can determine if they are "poor metabolizers" by
taking a genetic test. The FDA recommends that these patients use
other blood thinners, like aspirin.
But genetic tests cost around $500. And a New Jersey
cardiologist, Dr. Louis Teichholz, says it's "premature to say
that everyone who gets Plavix needs to be tested."
He says the black-box warning could push more doctors to
prescribe Effient, a competing blood thinner launched last summer
by Eli Lilly.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

UNNECESSARY TESTS

CHICAGO (AP) - A spate of recent reports suggest that when it
comes to health care, too many Americans are being over-treated.
Experts say there are many reasons, including doctors practicing
defensive medicine, and patients used to medical technology who
demand extensive tests and treatments.
New evidence and guidelines are recommending a step back, and
more thorough doctor-patient conversations about risks and
benefits.
A medical journal editorial this week cited President Barack
Obama's recent checkup as an example of more care not necessarily
being better care. The president had a prostate cancer test that
many groups don't recommend routinely, and colon cancer screening
that some doctors think isn't the best method.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

JOHNS HOPKINS CO2

BALTIMORE (AP) - Johns Hopkins University says it plans to cut
the school's carbon dioxide emissions in half over the next 15
years.
University officials released the plan Thursday saying they will
invest more than $73 million in conservation and efficiency
measures. The plan also calls for creation of an Environment,
Sustainability and Health Institute.
The university says institute faculty drawn from across the
university will collaborate on researching and teaching climate
change science and sustainability. The university recently added a
new undergraduate major and minor in global environmental change
and sustainability as well as a new master's degree in energy
policy and climate.

SPORTS INJURIES

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Young athletes who suffer concussions would
be held out of sports games or practice under a bill that has
passed the General Assembly and is on the way to the governor.
The Senate unanimously passed Sen. Ralph Northam's bill
Wednesday, a day after it won unanimous approval from the House.
Northam is a neurologist who said he has treated many
student-athletes who have suffered concussions.
The measure would force coaches to bench players who've had
severe blows to the head until they're cleared to return by a
medical professional. It requires school divisions to provide
student-athletes with information regarding concussions each year,
with the parent or guardian required to sign receipt of the
information.
If approved by McDonnell, the law would take effect July 1,
2011.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

YOGA LEGISLATION?

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed
legislation that will exempt yoga teacher-training programs from
state regulations.
The state's higher education council had sought to regulate
programs in which students were trained to be yoga teachers, just
as it does other vocational programs.
But many Virginia yogis said the regulations, including a
required $2,500 application fee, were overly burdensome. And
several yoga teachers had filed a federal lawsuit arguing the
proposed regulations hindered free speech protections.
The bill exempting yoga from the regulations passed unanimously
in both houses of the Virginia Legislature and McDonnell signed the
measure Tuesday night. The law takes effect July 1.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

BABY SLING WARNING

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government is preparing a safety
warning about baby slings - those popular and fashionable infant
carriers that parents can sling around their chests to carry their
baby.
The concern is that infants can suffocate, and a few have.
Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum says
her agency is getting ready to issue a general warning to the
public, likely to go out this week, about the baby carriers.
She did not single out any specific slings or discuss at least
seven reported deaths linked to them.
Safety advocates have cautioned that some slings, where the baby
falls into a curved or "C-like" position inside the sling, can
lead to suffocation by restricting the baby's breathing.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SHOW YOUR ORANGE PRIDE DURING MS AWARENESS WEEK

Baltimore, MD, MS Awareness Week is your opportunity to encourage everyone to join the movement to end multiple sclerosis. This year, MS Awareness Week is Mach 8-14th, and the National MS Society encourages everyone to paint the town orange to help spread awareness and move us closer to a world free of MS.

They encourage everyone who is affected by MS to show their support by wearing orange, dying your hair orange, putting orange lights on your house, anything to show the world your orange pride. The Maryland Chapter wants everyone to visit their facebook page and upload pictures to show everyone their orange spirit.

Be on the lookout for the unveiling of billboards, Walk MS radio campaigns, exciting fundraising contests and interviews with people affected by MS featured twice a day on ABC2. Whatever you do, be creative and show the world that you are committed to a world free of MS!

About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous
-more-
system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis.
The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. Each year, through our home office and 50 state network of chapters, we devote nearly $130 million to programs that enhance more than one million lives to move us closer to a world free of MS. In 2009 alone, the Society also invested more than $33.5 million to support 340 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.

Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at www.nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-344-4867.

NEW AIDS RESEARCH

WASHINGTON (AP) - New research into AIDS may point the way to
better treatments for the disease.
Researchers at the University of Michigan report that the virus
that causes AIDS can hide in bone marrow, avoiding drugs and later
awakening to cause illness.
In a report in this week's edition of the journal Nature
Medicine, researchers say the virus can infect long-lived bone
marrow cells that eventually convert into blood cells. Then it can
be reactivated and cause renewed infection. The virus kills the new
blood cells and moves on to infect other cells.
Dr. Kathleen Collins of the University of Michigan says
understanding where a latent infection can continue is an important
step to finding a way to get rid of the cells.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

HAITI RELIEF PASSES BILLION DOLLAR MARK

NEW YORK (AP) - Experts who track charitable giving say
donations from Americans for earthquake relief in Haiti have passed
the $1 billion mark.
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University has been
monitoring donations received by 91 charities engaged in Haiti
relief since the quake on Jan. 12. The total surpassed $1 billion
as of Friday. About one-third of it has gone to the American Red
Cross.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy says other major recipients of
Haiti donations include Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. Fund for
UNICEF and the U.S. wing of Doctors Without Borders.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

MOBILE FLU CLINIC

WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. - It's not too late to get the flu, and it's not too late to get vaccinated. During the next week two weeks the Worcester County Health Department will bring the flu vaccines to the community.
The Wellness Van will be set up in Berlin and the Wellmobile will be stationed in Whaleyville.
There are also walk-in clinics for flu shots at each Health Department location throughout Worcester County.
To get a listing of the upcoming clinics and locations, visit www.worcesterhealth.org or call the Public Health Information line at 410-632-4321.

WINDOW BLINDS STRANGLE KIDS

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Consumer Product Safety Commission will be
discussing safety standards with representatives of the window
blinds industry next week.
A commission spokesman says chairman Inez Tenenbaum has urged
blind and shade makers to improve their voluntary standards. She
has also has threatened federal action. But Tenenbaum, who has been
in office about eight months, has set no deadline for manufacturers
to comply.
The agency estimates about 500 children have strangled on the
cords since the early 1980s -- an average of about one child each
month.
Manufacturers don't want new government rules. They say they've
worked to improve safety standards and to warn consumers about
potential dangers.

%AP Links

[<mos><mosID>APPC.MOS</mosID><objID>10043073</objID><objSlug>PrimeCuts Cut 073</objSlug><mosAbstract>PrimeCuts Cut 073</mosAbstract></mos>] 00:16 "the years before"
Christine Simmons
AP Correspondent Christine Simmons reports government records
show child deaths from strangulation on cords for blinds and window
shades have held steady since the early 1980s.

[<mos><mosID>APPC.MOS</mosID><objID>10033286</objID><objSlug>PrimeCuts Cut 286</objSlug><mosAbstract>PrimeCuts Cut 286</mosAbstract></mos>] 00:06 "what they're doing (2nd
reference)"
Linda Kaiser (KY'-zur), founder, Parents for Window Blind Safety
Parents for Window Blind Safety founder Linda Kaiser says the
government should require manufacturers to meet tougher standards
for blinds and shades.

APPHOTO GFX339 (03/03/10)
: Graphic shows estimate cumulative deaths from children
strangling on window covering cords

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
HEALTH CARE LATEST

WASHINGTON (AP) - A congressman who has played a key role in the
long-running health care bill debate says he and 11 other Democrats
will vote against the overhaul bill unless a provision subsidizing
abortion is removed.
Rep. Bart Stupak argued Thursday that the provision in the
Senate-passed version has language that would permit the federal
government to "directly subsidize abortions."
The Michigan Democrat said he supports health care change, but
he said several Democrats who voted for it the House would oppose
it next time around in the absence of change. Stupak told CBS's
"The Early Show" that "we're not going to bypass some principles
that we believe strongly about." The administration argues that
Obama's bill would retain existing restrictions on
federally-financed abortions.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

EXPERIMENTAL PROSTATE DRUG

A study suggests that an experimental drug may modestly extend
the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer who are no longer
responding to other treatments.
The drug, cabazitaxel (kuh-BAH-zuh-TAX-uhl), helped men live an
average of 10 weeks longer in a large study sponsored by the drug's
maker, Sanofi-Aventis. Researchers hope the drug can make more of a
difference in men who aren't so sick. The federal Food and Drug
Administration has said it will give the drug fast review.

MEDICARE FRAUD

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - Federal and state authorities have accused
Universal Health Services and two subsidiaries of Medicaid fraud at
a youth facility in southwest Virginia.
A False Claims Act complaint filed in U.S. District Court says
the companies billed Medicaid for inpatient psychiatric care at the
Keystone Marion Youth Center in Marion that wasn't provided. The
complaint also alleges that records were falsified.
U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy announced the filing Wednesday.
A call to King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal's legal office
wasn't immediately returned.
The complaint also names Keystone Marion LLC and Keystone
Education and Youth Services LLC
The youth center is a residential facility for boys ages 11 to
17.
In a statement, Marion Youth Center denied the allegations and
said it plans to defend the case.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

GUT STUDY

WASHINGTON (AP) - Scientists report finding roughly 170 types of
bacteria in the average person's gut. And they say that's a good
thing.
A study that catalogs all these bacteria found that people with
inflammatory bowel disease had fewer species of the microbes. Many
of these germs keep us healthy. There are at least 1,000 different
types of bacteria living in people's intestinal tracts. Scientists
found at least 57 that inhabit just about about everyone.
Their study is being published in the journal Nature.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

UPDATE: NURSE SHOT

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) - Police in Connecticut say an elderly heart
patient remains hospitalized under guard, charged with shooting a
nurse who tried to wrest his gun away.
Danbury police say 35-year-old nursing supervisor Andy Hull, of
Bethel, was shot three times during a struggle Tuesday with
85-year-old Stanley Lupienski in Danbury Hospital's cardiac unit.
Hull remains hospitalized with injuries described as serious,
but not life-threatening.
Lupienski is being treated for a gunshot wound to his leg, which
police say he sustained during the struggle. He's charged with
first-degree assault and carrying a revolver without a permit.
A Danbury police captain says they are investigating whether
Lupienski "may have had some psychiatric issues."

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

MARKELL RECOGNITION

By: Ryan Hughes

WASHINGTON, DC - Delaware Governor Jack Markell is being recognized today for his continuous support of Multiple Sclerosis programs and services.
The governor was awarded the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's 2009 Governor of the Year.
The Delaware Chapter of the National MS Society highlighted Markell's work that has helped more than 1,500 people living with multiple sclerosis and their families in Delaware.
Governor Markell was chosen from all the governors in the country whose leadership impacted the lives of people with MS the most.
"I'm humbled by this award and by the work of the National MS Society," said Markell. "Their advocacy and support efforts are critically important for those affected by MS, as well as other chronic diseases. I'm glad that I could play a small role, and I challenge my fellow members of the National Governor's Association to beat me on their bikes."
Governor Markell is an avid participant in Bike MS: Bike to the Bay, and has ridden 150 miles with his family.
Since the governor was elected in 2008, he has made great strides on his "Plan for improving the Lives of Delawareans with Disabilities."
Markell has also worked hard to help taxpayers with their return.
He signed legislation that helps taxpayers designate contributions supporting MS programs and services at the Delaware Chapter of the National MS Society.
"Governor Jack Markell is moving us closer to a world free of MS in many ways. He is fundraising for MS, cycling for MS, signing MS-specific legislation, and advancing issues that really impact people living with MS and other conditions," National MS Society President and CEO Joyce Nelson said. "We are proud to have Governor Markell as our Governor of the Year for his commitment to our cause."

NURSE SHOT

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) - Authorities say a Connecticut nurse who
was shot while trying to grab a gun from a patient was seriously
injured, but that his condition has stabilized.
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton says doctors are optimistic about
the nurse's recovery.
Authorities say the nurse was shot three times Tuesday while
trying to wrest a handgun from a patient in Danbury Hospital's
cardiac care unit.
The patient is identified by police as 85-year-old Stanley
Lupienski, of Brookfield. He was under police guard Wednesday in
the hospital, where he is being treated for a gunshot wound to his
leg. He's charged with first-degree assault and carrying a revolver
without a permit.
It's not clear why Lupienski might have had a gun in the
hospital.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

HEALTH CARE LATEST

WASHINGTON (AP) - Although he's emphasizing the Republican ideas
he's including, President Barack Obama isn't winning any new GOP
support for the revised health care reform plan he's outlining
today.
Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa has pushed for higher
Medicaid payments to doctors -- an idea that is now being embraced
by Obama. But Grassley says that won't change his vote. He's still
opposed to much of what Obama wants to do.
Instead of bringing Republican votes, Obama's decision to
include some ideas with Republican roots may instead solidify the
support of some Democratic moderates.
One of them, Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, says he's glad to see
Obama "working with Republicans and trying to find common
ground."
Democratic leaders hope to muscle the overhaul package through
Congress by month's end or sooner, amid what is expected to be
unanimous Republican opposition.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Party chairman Tim Kaine says he
expects health care overhaul will be passed and he's not worried
about Republican threats to make it a premier issue in this year's
midterm elections.
Interviewed Wednesday on NBC, Kaine said, "If they want to run
a campaign of bring back the day of kicking people off because of
pre-existing conditions,' I relish it."
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell had declared Democrats
will enact the plan at their own political peril, vowing to make it
an issue in every congressional race this fall. Kaine said he
considers the picture of "Republicans fighting health care" to be
a political asset for Democrats as they try to retain their control
of Congress.

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The group that helped cut Virginia's youth smoking rate almost in half hopes to reduce childhood obesity.
The Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation has been renamed the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth to reflect its added mission, to help Virginia's young people lose weight. Estimates show that about 31 percent of Virginians age 10 to 17 are overweight or obese.
Executive director Marty Kilgore says the General Assembly has given the group responsibility for cutting childhood obesity because of the success of its anti-tobacco efforts.
The legislature created the foundation in 1999. It is funded with money from Virginia's share of a multistate master settlement with large tobacco companies.

HEALTH CARE LATEST

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says President Barack Obama
will incorporate at least a hint of Republican ideas in the revised
health care overhaul proposal he'll lay out tomorrow.
Spokesman Robert Gibbs says some of the ideas will have at least
a Republican pedigree, in recognition of last week's presidential
summit with congressional leaders of both parties.
When he discusses his plan tomorrow at the White House, Obama is
expected to offer more details on how he wants Congress to proceed.
But Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell says Democrats are
"about to reject any pretense of bipartisanship in order to jam
their plan through Congress." He expects them to use a special
procedure to overpower the outnumbered Republicans.
An Associated Press survey finds at least nine of the 39
Democrats who voted against the House bill in November are now
undecided or withholding judgment until they see Obama's final
product.

%AP Links

[<mos><mosID>APGB.MOS</mosID><objID>1070848</objID><objSlug>GraphicsBank Image 1070848</objSlug><mosAbstract>GraphicsBank Image 1070848</mosAbstract></mos>] 2000x1500
Barack Obama, as US President, during meeting with Republican
and Democratic Congressional leaders at Blair House, Washington,
DC, partial graphic

BILLIONAIRE TALKS ABOUT HEALTH CARE COSTS

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Billionaire Warren Buffett says health care
costs are a major drain on U.S. businesses and act like an
"economic tape worm."
The head of the holding company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said
Monday on CNBC that America's health care system needs fundamental
reform to attack costs because it's not practical to continue
devoting roughly 17 percent of the nation's gross domestic product
to health care.
Buffett says much of the rest of the world is paying about 9
percent of their GDP on health care and have more doctors and
nurses per person.
He says he hopes Congress will develop a new health care reform
proposal that will restrict costs more than any of the current
plans would.

MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC CLOSES

CHESTERTOWN, Md. (AP) - An Eastern Shore mental health clinic
has closed due to budget cuts.
The Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center in Chestertown
closed on Sunday, despite the community's efforts to keep it open.
State health officials wanted to close the facility, which
employs about 85 workers and admits about 200 patients a year, in
favor of community-based programs and service agreements with
private hospitals. Officials expect to save $2.7 million this year
and $7 million each year in the future.
Tonya Rider, who worked at the facility for more than a decade,
says some employees have been transferred and others are now
unemployed. Rider says she wonders what will happen to the hundreds
of mentally ill people they helped each year.

BEEBE RECEIVES AWARD

Lewes, DE (March 1, 2010) Beebe Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines® Silver Achievement Award.

This award represents Beebe Medical Center’s commitment to offering quality healthcare to stroke patients and its participation in American Heart Association/American Stroke Association quality improvement programs.

“Our goal at Beebe Medical Center is to continuously improve the healthcare that we offer to the communities we serve,” says Jeffrey M. Fried, President and CEO of Beebe Medical Center. “I want to congratulate our team members for earning this award. They are committed to making sure that the care we give our stroke patients is of the highest quality.”

The award recognizes that Beebe Medical Center has demonstrated 85% or higher compliance over the past 12 months in each of the seven Get with the Guidelines performance measures in stroke care. Get with the Guidelines is an evidence-based program for in-hospital quality improvement in which the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association work with the hospital to optimize care for patients with coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke. The stroke care measures include the use of prescribed medications to reduce disability and improve the life of a stroke patient.

MENDED HEARTS GROUP MEETING

Lewes, DE (March 1, 2010) First Town Mended Hearts will meet at 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 16, at the McCurry Conference Room, in the Medical Arts Building at the Beebe Health Campus on John J. Williams Highway (Route 24), Rehoboth Beach.

Guest speaker will be Linda Leonard, a consumer health librarian with Delaware Health Source. Ms. Leonard, who works at Lewes Library, will discuss ways to access reliable health information on the Internet.

Mended Hearts is a national nonprofit organization affiliated with the American Heart Association, and supports those who have had heart procedures. It partners with hospitals and rehabilitation clinics across the nation, offering a variety of services.

First State Mended Hearts partners with Beebe Medical Center, and meets the third Tuesday of every month. It began in 2006 and has about 50 members. For more information, call John Marchetti at (302) 227-5251.

VACCINE SKEPTICISM

CHICAGO (AP) - A new study finds that one in four U.S. parents
believes some vaccines cause autism in healthy children. But most
parents continue to follow the advice of their children's doctors
despite their own concerns about the shots.
Extensive research has not found a link between vaccines and
autism, an idea that dates to a flawed British study in 1998.
The survey of U.S. parents' opinions on vaccines was released
Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Lead author Dr. Gary Freed of the
University of Michigan says nine out of 10 parents believe
vaccination is a good way to prevent disease.
---
On the Net:
Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org/

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

OBESITY & MINORITY KIDS

CHICAGO (AP) - New research suggests that the odds of obesity
are stacked against black and Hispanic kids even before they are
born.
The findings help explain disproportionately high obesity rates
in minority children. The study's authors say family income is
often a factor, but so are cultural customs and beliefs.
They looked at circumstances that can increase chances of
obesity. These include mothers smoking during pregnancy, and eating
and sleeping habits in infancy.
A separate study found inflammation markers in obese children as
young as 3 years old. These markers are linked with heart disease
in adults. Their meaning in kids so young is uncertain.
The studies are being published Monday in Pediatrics.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

KROGER CO. RECALL

CINCINNATI (AP) - Kroger Co. is recalling two onion soup and dip
mixes because of possible salmonella contamination.
The grocer says an ingredient in its Kroger Onion Soup & Dip Mix
and Kroger Beefy Onion Soup & Dip Mix may have been contaminated
with the bacteria.
The mixes were sold in a number of states and are being recalled
from its Kroger, Dillons, Fry's, King Soopers, City Market,
Smith's, Food 4 Less, Jay C, Scott's, Owen's, Baker's, Gerbes,
Hilander and Pay Less stores.
No illnesses have been reported in connection with the products.
Kroger says customers who purchased the products should not eat
them and return them to the store for a refund or replacement.

(For more information, contact Kroger: (800) 632-6900)

%AP Links

On the Net:
www.kroger.com/recalls

KIDS AND OBESITY

AUTISM LINK

LACTOSE INTOLERANT OR SOMETHING ELSE?

Are you intolerant of dairy products?
A new government panel says experts do not know enough about lactose intolerance to say if it's as common as people think.
Some studies show that people who think they are intolerant, can actually digest the sugar called lactose, but they end up missing out on calcium and vitamin D because they avoid it.
The panel suggests getting a doctor's diagnosis before closing the door on dairy.

GIRL SCOUTS RECALL

A batch of Girl Scouts Cookies is being pulled.
The "Little Brownie Bakers" in Kentucky says dozens of customers have complained their Lemon Chalet cookies smelled and tasted bad.
Bakery officials say there have been no reports of people getting sick from the cookies.
The bakery website says it believes the foul odor and taste were caused by a breakdown of oils in the treats.
The cookies were distributed in Maryland and Delaware.

PRO-CHOICE PUSHED ASIDE

The President tried to find the prescription for compromise last week.
And, Sunday, the Speaker of the House said compromise is what the health care bill is all about.
"I don't like the Senate language because I am pro-choice, but it meets the test, and the test is our law says that there is no federal funding of abortion, and we will not have it in this bill," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosic.
President Obama has remained optimistic, saying there were areas of agreement at last week's health summit.
However, in the weekly G-O-P radio address, Senator Tom Coburn said he believes Democrats have no interest in a bi-partisan solution.GIRL

SCOUT COOKIES FOUL SMELL

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky bakery that makes Girl Scout
cookies is pulling some batches of its Lemon Chalet Cremes because
people have complained of a foul smell and taste.
Little Brownie Bakers in Louisville is one of two bakeries in
the U.S. that makes Girl Scout cookies. No one has gotten sick from
the stinky cookies sold in 24 states, and the company says they are
safe to eat.
The bakery says on its Web site that the smell is caused by a
breakdown of oils in the cookies.
The cookies were distributed in Alabama, California, Colorado,
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New
York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-26-10 1551EST

HEALTH CARE SUMMIT

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the health
care plan that President Barack Obama is promoting should be the
basis for Congress to move forward and at last pass a bill
overhauling the system.
Pelosi said she thought the White House summit was useful and
she said she would be happy to accommodate Republican ideas when
the issue returns to the House floor. But she also said "we're
going to pass health care reform" and that there will be no
turning back.
Speaking at the Capitol, Pelosi said there is no question that
there will have to be some government regulation of the insurance
industry. She also said insurance "affordability for the middle
class" would have to be in the bill. The California Democrat said
there are "good prospects" to pass it.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

NARROWED NECK ARTERIES COULD LEAD TO STROKE

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - A big study finds that people with narrowed
neck arteries that could lead to a stroke can be safely treated
with a less drastic option than the surgery done now.
Doctors say that hundreds of thousands of Americans a year might
be able to have an artery-opening procedure and a stent, instead of
surgery. A stent is a mesh tube that props the blood vessel open,
The treatments have different complications, though. Strokes
were more of a problem after stents, while heart attacks were more
common in people given surgery.

HEALTH SUMMIT LATEST

WASHINGTON (AP) - The top Democrat on the Senate health
committee says insurance companies who refuse coverage to people
with pre-existing medical conditions are engaging in
discrimination.
Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa told participants at the White House's
health summit that such refusals are akin to racial discrimination
that was legal during parts of the last century. Harkin says it's
time to end discrimination based on health in this century.
Democrats are pushing a health care overhaul that would make it
illegal for insurance companies to refuse coverage to people who
have conditions such as asthma or diabetes.
Harkin says if health companies cover everyone regardless of
health conditions, costs will go down.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

1 YEAR-OLD GOES INTO CARDIAC ARREST AND DIES

HONOLULU (AP) - An autopsy has been performed on a 1-year-old
Japanese boy who went into cardiac arrest aboard a flight about an
hour before it landed at Honolulu International Airport.
The city medical examiner's office says there was no preliminary
cause of death determined for Hyeondo Seo of Tokyo.
State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Tammy Mori says
the child was traveling with his parents aboard China Airlines
Flight 18 from Narita International Airport when he went into
cardiac arrest Tuesday morning.
Mori says a doctor aboard the plane performed cardiopulmonary
resuscitation but the child was unresponsive.
She says a medical team met the flight and took the boy to the
Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center, where he was pronounced
dead.
---
Information from: The Honolulu Advertiser,
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

JIFFY LUBE SUPPORTS HEART HEALTH

SALISBURY, Md. - February is American Heart Month and to raise awareness, Jiffy Lube service centers across the nation have teamed up with the American Heart Association.
The Jiffy Lube in Salisbury said hundreds have already donated to their Maintenance Partners For Life program.
Anyone who donates 3 dollars gets a coupon book with over 100 dollars worth of savings.
Owner Bill Shockley said the cause hits close to home, "Heart disease is something that has touched every family in the United States, same is true here on Delmarva, I had a sister who died of a heart attack at a very young age and my father had heart troubles as well, fortunately he survived it."
Over the past two years, the Delmarva Jiffy Lube centers have raised more than $20,000 to help the American Heart Association fight heart disease.
Shockley said they are currently on track to raise even more this year.

HEALTH SUMMIT SCOLDING

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama scolded Virgina
Republican Rep. Eric Cantor for the stack of paper he brought with
him to the health summit, calling it the type of political stunt
that gets in the way of lawmakers having a serious conversation.
Cantor said he brought a copy of the 2,400-page Senate bill and
the 11-page proposal Obama posted online earlier in the week.
Taking offense at the display as Cantor began to speak Thursday,
Obama said the "truth of the matter" is that health care is a
very complicated subject. He said all the Republican ideas
discussed during the first half of the daylong summit would
generate a bunch of paper, too.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TEEN PREGNANCY ON THE RISE

Planned Parenthood of Delaware is asking lawmakers to take action against the rise in teenage pregnancies. The Guttmacher Institute study ranks Delaware #6 in per capita pregnancies.

"Unfortunately, after more than twenty years of progress in reducing the rate of teenage pregnancy, we are witnessing an increase in the number of teens pregnant," said Dr. Judith Herrman, RN, University of Delaware, and Chair of the Delaware Teen Pregnancy Prevention Advisory Board. "Preventing teen pregnancy is vital. We know that teen pregnancy significantly increases school drop out rates, poverty, and poor health outcomes for mother and child. We must do more."

"This study should serve as a wake-up call to anyone who still believes that teenagers aren't sexually active or that offering traditional abstinence-only education programs curbs the rate of teen pregnancy," added Nanci Hoffman, President & CEO, of PPDE. "Research shows that when youth are educated on sexual health; and parents are involved; unwanted pregnancies are prevented."

Another concern for the first state and the rest of the country is a rise in sexually transmitted diseases among young people.

"Good health starts with good information," said Dr. Catherine Dukes, PhD, Vice President for Education and Training for PPDE. "Now more than ever, we must ensure that our teenagers receive medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education that gives them the tools to make responsible decisions about their health."

Planned Parenthood of Delaware is commending President Obama and members of Congress who are investing money in "medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education for teenagers."

The increase in teen pregnancy follows a steady decline since the early 1990's. Planned Parenthood says more comprehensive sex education must be done to continue reducing unintentional pregnancies.

PRMC CANCELLATIONS

Peninsula Regional Medical Center announces the following weather-related cancellations for Thursday, February 25, 2010.

Infant Care Class scheduled for Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. has been canceled.

BISPHENOL-A BAN LEGISLATION

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The Maryland Senate has approved a ban on
the chemical bisphenol-A in bottles and cups for children under 4
years old.
The Senate passed the measure 46-0 on Thursday. The bill is the
same as legislation that already has cleared the House of
Delegates.
The measures were amended so that the ban would not apply to
toys. The ban won't take effect until 2012.
U.S. health agencies said last month that new research shows
cause for concern over the chemical's potential effect on children,
but that more study is needed.
Connecticut and Minnesota passed similar laws last year.
---
On the Net:
Read Senate Bill 213:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/billfile/sb0213.htm
Read House Bill 33:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/billfile/hb0033.htm

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

HEALTH CARE COSTS

WASHINGTON (AP) - A consensus on how to rein in spiraling health
care costs seems to be emerging at President Barack Obama's health
care summit.
Obama agreed with assertions by Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom
Coburn that such waste and abuse now account for up to a third of
the cost of entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid and is
a major barrier to more widespread insurance coverage.
Coburn said cost is the chief reason millions of people don't
have health insurance. House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer of
Maryland said he believed Coburn had a point. But he also said the
proposals advanced by his fellow Democrats would accomplish just
the kind of cost-containment the GOP says it supports.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

BAYHEALTH CANCELLATION

The Bayhealth Cancer Institute PET Scan Symposium scheduled for Thursday February 25, 2010 from 5:30 - 8:30 has been postponed due to the impending snowstorm.

Milford Tricycle Committee

MILFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL TRICYCLE RACE

"The Second Annual Milford Tricycle Race" is getting ready to hit the track. The race is sponsored by Milford Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and will take place Saturday, May 15, 2010.

Entry fees for the race are $50.00 per team, and must be turned in by May 1, 2010.

For a race application and brochure, call Lois Chamberlain at 302-424 0598.

DOCTORS CUT HOURS

CHICAGO (AP) - Doctors are steadily cutting back on their hours
and some experts believe that may worsen the health care situation.
According to an analysis in the Journal of the American Medical
Association, average hours dropped from about 55 to 51 hours per
week from 1996 to 2008. Researchers say that's the equivalent of
losing 36,000 doctors in a decade.
The decline in hours is said to have occurred among all groups
of physicians.
Work-hour limits for residents, or doctors in training, were
introduced in 2003 and brought down the average. But when
researchers removed the resident doctors -- those in training --
from the analysis, they still found a nearly 6 percent decline in
work hours.
Payment issues may have played more of a role. The overall
decrease in hours coincided with a 25 percent decline in pay for
doctors' services, adjusted for inflation.

THE TACO BELL DIET
Katherine Amenta

There's a different kind of health care debate brewing these days. Can fast food be the new "magic diet"?

Taco Bell says they have the secret recipe, but do the experts agree?
It's the latest craze -- the "Drive-Thru Taco Bell Diet."
Push away the Crunch Wrap Supreme, avert your eyes from the Fiesta Platter and meet the Fresco menu - seven choices all, less than nine grams of fat.
Taco Bell's newest spokesperson, Christine did it, and she says she lost 54 pounds in two years, all by thinking "outside the bun" for lunch and dinner.
It sounds good, but is it really healthy?
Christine says that she slimmed down by eating 1250 calories a day, "Which isn't a whole lot of calories and it's awfully hard to get the nutrients you need in that small amount of calories," said Staci Walden, a registered dietetic technician at PRMC.
With that being said, Walden says it's great that fast food places are starting to take a healthier turn, but real health doesn't come from any dollar menu.
"We really need to get people back into their own kitchens, back to their dining tables, back to cooking whole foods, not depending on what passes through a window," said Walden.
Walden also says just because a diet slims you down, doesn't mean it's a healthy choice.
"It's not, 'What do I want for lunch? What's good for dinner? But, what do I really need?'" said Walden. "There is no miracle menu, I think we're all chasing after that one fix, but nothing really worth doing is that easy."
Taco Bell is very up front about the plan.
They don't call it a weight-loss program, simply a healthier lifestyle.

AUTISM BILL TABLED

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Legislation that would have required many
Virginia employee health care plans to cover a treatment for
autistic children has died.
Sen. Janet Howell's bill was tabled Tuesday on an unrecorded
voice vote by a House Commerce and Labor subcommittee.
The defeat ends a 2010 legislative effort by families of
children with the neurological disorder to secure coverage for a
treatment called applied behavior analysis.
The treatment costs $30,000 a year and up, and is the best hope
for providing autistic children with a normal life. Many
middle-class families forced to pay the costs themselves confront
financial ruin.
Insurers and business lobbies argued that the mandate would be
too costly.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

IN VITRO FERTILIZATION

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The Maryland Senate has approved a measure
that would force insurance companies to provide benefits to certain
couples pursuing in vitro fertilization.
The Senate voted 25-20 to pass the bill on Tuesday.
The bill would apply only to couples with two specific medical
conditions. Sen. Joan Carter Conway of Baltimore says she sponsored
it on behalf of a constituent who couldn't get insurance to pay for
IVF costs arising from her ovarian condition and her partner's
inability to produce sperm.
State analysts estimate only 1 percent of couples pursuing IVF
treatment would have both conditions.
The bill was deadlocked 23-23 on an earlier vote this month. But
Tuesday's approval sends the bill to the House of Delegates for
consideration.
---
On the Net:
Read Senate Bill 27:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/billfile/sb0027.htm
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-02-23-10 1355EST

HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says he
hopes Congress can pass comprehensive health overhaul legislation
like President Barack Obama wants - but it may not be possible.
At his weekly media briefing, Hoyer said in such a scenario,
doing something smaller would also be good.
A day after Obama unveiled a sweeping health bill, the comments
from the Maryland Democrat amounted to an acknowledgment of
reality: in a sour political environment, majority Democrats may
not have the votes.
But Democratic leaders have been insistent throughout the
contentious, yearlong debate that comprehensive legislation is the
way to go. Hoyer said that remained the preferred course. Asked if
it was all or nothing he said: "We may not be able to do all."
He said, "If you can't do a whole, doing part is also good."

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-02-23-10 1208EST

RECEIVE H1N1 & SEASONAL FLU VACCINE IN POCOMOKE

Feb. 22, 2010, Snow Hill, Md. – It’s not too late to receive the H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccine. The Worcester County Health Department is working to make it convenient for anyone who has not yet received the flu vaccines. H1N1 flu vaccination is free. The charge for seasonal flu vaccine is $15, which Medicare covers. Several opportunities will be available in the Pocomoke community for walk-ins:

· Thursday, February 25th: Pocomoke Plaza Parking Lot. Governor’s Wellmobile, 10:00 am- 2:00 p.m.

· Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26th & 27th: Salem United Methodist Church on Second Street (with Soup Kitchen on Friday and Angel Food Bank distribution on Saturday)

· Thursday, March 4th: Midway Chevrolet on Rt. 13, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Also a free Child Safety Seat Check will be available in coordination with the flu clinic.

There are now routine walk-in clinics at the various Health Department locations throughout Worcester County from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. each week. Seasonal and H1N1 flu shots are given in Snow Hill on Wednesdays, Pocomoke on Thursdays, and Berlin on Fridays.

Help protect yourself against illness from the flu. It’s not too late to get vaccinated.

To get a listing of the upcoming clinics and locations, visit www.worcesterhealth.org or call the Public Health Information line at 410-632-4321.

VITAMIN D IN FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

Could Vitamin D be the new weapon in the fight against cancer?

A new study suggests that the vitamin could actually hold the key. Researchers in Arizona have been studying Vitamin D for more than 20 years.

In this study, they took human breast cancer cells, added a potent form of Vitamin D, and in just four days, half of the cancer cells were dead.

However, that's just the beginning: in mice, tumors were treated with vitamin D and the tumors began to shrink. It's also worked on colon and prostate tumors in mice as well.

No word on how effective any treatment will be in humans.

DRUGMAKER MAY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT AVANDIA RISKS

The drug Avandia has been linked with tens of thousands of heart attacks. Now officials say the drug maker, GlaxoSmithKline, knew about the health risks connected with the diabetes medication. A new Senate report criticizes the company for keeping consumers in the dark. But the company is trying to assure consumers that the drug is safe.

PEDIATRICIANS WANT CHOKING WARNING

Pediatricians across the nation want a warning put on more foods like hot dogs. And it's not because of what may or may not be in them. The American Academy of Pediatrics says they may pose a choking hazard to young children. Doctors say hot dogs, raw carrots and grapes must be cut into pea-sized pieces for small children.

They are also calling for things like hard candies, popcorn and peanuts to be withheld from children all-together. Choking kills more than 100 children in the United States every year and thousands more are treated in emergency rooms. Food, including candy and gym, is among the leading culprits.

RAW MILK DEBATE CONTINUES

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Debate about the health attributes and
risks of raw milk is spilling into statehouses and courtrooms
across the country.
Proponents of unpasteurized dairy products are pushing to make
them easier for consumers to buy.
Supporters of the raw milk cause say the pasteurization process
of heating milk to destroy bacteria and extend shelf life destroys
important nutrients and enzymes. They argue that means raw milk is
healthier.
Public health officials disagree. They say raw milk carries an
increased risk for bacterial contamination that can lead to illness
and even death.
Lawmakers in at least six states have introduced measures this
year seeking to change raw milk laws. Lawsuits also have been filed
challenging various states' laws.
Raw milk sales are prohibited in 23 states.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

HELP FOR DELAWARE HOSPITALS

Delaware hospitals are getting a major lifeline.
Thanks to a cash infusion from the federal government, the state's doctors and hospitals will be able to share patient information electronically.
Senator Tom Carper announced the more than $4 million grant. Carper says the funds will support the state's economy and create jobs.

30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST "TEST-TUBE" BABY

SAN DIEGO (AP) - It was more than 30 years ago when the world
greeted its first "test-tube" baby. Now, after years of study,
researchers are finding few medical differences between these
children and kids conceived in the traditional way.
More than 3 million children have been born worldwide as a
result of what is called assisted reproductive technology, and they
account for about 4 percent of live births today.
Researchers say the majority are healthy and normal. Still,
these kids face an increased risk of some birth defects and of low
birth weight - and it's not immediately clear why that is.
The findings are being presented Sunday at the annual meeting of
the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San
Diego.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-02-21-10 1213EST

PAIN KILLER BREAKTHROUGH FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS
It's a simple painkiller that could be a breakthrough for breast cancer patients.
A new study shows that females who were diagnosed with early stage breast cancer were less likely to have the cancer spread if they were taking aspirin.
If they took it once a week, there was no reduction. But women who took it two to five times a week showed a 71 percent reduction.
Researchers say more study is needed.

UNNECESSARY HEART STENTS

BALTIMORE (AP) - Lawmakers have asked a Baltimore-area hospital
to turn over three years of records after patients were told they
may have been given unnecessary heart stents. Lawmakers are looking
for signs of Medicare fraud.
Attorneys recently filed a class-action lawsuit against St.
Joseph Medical Center in Towson. The center told more than 350
patients that they may have received unnecessary heart stents.
Montana Sen. Max Baucus and Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley asked
the hospital for records in a letter shared with The Baltimore Sun.
The two want to know about the hospital's ties to the manufacturers
of the stents. Their Senate Finance Committee will investigate.
The hospital has until March 12 to turn over records. The
hospital said in a statement it would cooperate.
---
Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-20-10 1502EST

RISING HEALTH CARE COSTS

More evidence tonight of rapidly rising health care costs.
A new study finds millions of seniors who signed up for popular private health care plans through medicare will see sharp increases in their premiums this year.
Medicare advantage fees are jumping an average of 14 percent.
That's after an increase of only 5 percent last year.

PILL REMINDER

Remembering to take your prescription can sometimes be difficult.
The new "R-X Cap" has a timer in it.
The digital timer cap replaces the regular cap on your prescription bottle and it automatically resets itself when the prescription bottle is opened.
That way you can keep track of how long it's been since you had a pill.
The device itself only costs about $3.50 and can be found in most pharmacies.

SWINE FLU DEATHS

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's health commissioner says 36
deaths in the state have been linked to the swine flu outbreak.
The commissioner, Dr. Karen Remley, said Friday that about 30
percent of the deaths occurred among black Virginians, who comprise
about 20 percent of the population.
Remley says a study of 10 states, including Virginia, also found
that 35 percent of the people hospitalized with the H1N1 virus were
African-Americans. Those states have a combined black population of
about 16 percent.
Remley says the reasons for the disparity are unknown. Some
health officials speculate that higher rates of such underlying
conditions as diabetes and asthma in blacks may be a factor.
---
Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch,
http://www.timesdispatch.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-20-10 1126EST

EATING DISORDER AWARNESS AT SU

SALISBURY, Md. - Salisbury University will be offering a week of events promoting personal acceptance and social understanding during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Feb. 22-26.

The week kicks off with "Be Comfortable in Your Genes" as students are invited to donate their old jeans to local charities. Drop-off locations are available throughout the SU campus and will remain open the entire week.

February 22 is "Mirrorless Monday," during which mirrors in bathrooms throughout campus are covered with positive affirmation messages to provide a visual reminder that one's value does not come from a mirror image.

During "Talk It Up Tuesday," Feb. 23, an information table at the Commons offers screenings and eating disorder resources from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

SU President Janet Dudley-Eshbach speaks as part of "It's Time to Talk About It and Walk About It Wednesday," February 24, at 12:30 p.m. on the front steps of Holloway Hall. Following the lecture, Sammy the Sea Gull leads a walk around campus.

On Thursday, February 25, award-winning author, bulimia survivor and eating disorder coach Lori Hanson discusses her novel, "It Started with Pop-Tarts … My Story," at 6 p.m. in the Wicomico Room of the Guerrieri University Center. A question and answer session follows.

The week concludes with "Brownbag Lunch and Facebook Friday," February 26. From noon-1 p.m. in the Nanticoke Room of the Guerrieri University Center, Student Health Services and the Counseling Center invites everyone to bring their lunch and join in a discussion of the importance of eating disorder awareness. In addition, the Commons offers information on how to join "Facebook's Media Watchdog," a program created to improve the media's messages about size, weight and beauty, from noon-2 p.m.

Sponsored by Student Counseling Services, admission to all events is free and the public is invited. For more information call 410-543-6070

PAIN KILLER BREAKTHROUGH FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

It's a simple painkiller that could be a breakthrough for breast cancer patients.

A new study shows that females who were diagnosed with early stage breast cancer were less likely to have the cancer spread if they were taking aspirin.

If they took it once a week, there was no reduction. But women who took it two to five times a week showed a 71 percent reduction.

Researchers say more study is needed.

MURTHA DEATH INVESTIGATION

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Navy is reviewing the way its Bethesda,
Md., medical center cared for Rep. John Murtha, who died following
complications from gallbladder surgery.
A Navy spokesman, Cmdr. Danny Hernandez, said Thursday an
in-depth review of the care that Murtha received at the National
Naval Medical Center has begun. He said it's the type of review
required when a patient dies at the facility. Murtha died later at
a different hospital.
The 77-year-old Pennsylvania Democrat was first hospitalized
with gallbladder problems in December at the National Naval Medical
Center and eventually had his gallbladder removed there. A few days
later he came to another hospital's emergency room with a fever and
infection. The Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., said he
died there Feb. 8 from "major complications from surgery" at the
first hospital.

HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL
White House: Dems near accord on health care bill

WASHINGTON (AP) - Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius (seh-BEEL'-yuhs) says President Barack Obama plans to have
a health care proposal ahead of his Feb. 25 summit.
Sebelius says the plan "will take some of the best ideas and
put them into a framework." The White House plans to post the
proposals online by Monday morning.
A senior White House official says Democratic negotiators are
resolving final differences in House and Senate health bills that
passed last year.
The new proposal will be designed to win passage without
Republican support. That signals that Democrats still plan to use
assertive and sometimes controversial parliamentary powers to enact
a far-reaching health care bill if no GOP lawmakers get on board.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins says she's optimistic that a
new bill will come out of the bipartisan summit. She tells The
Associated Press that if bickering is put aside, a bill could be
passed within six weeks.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-18-10 1627EST

PLANNED PARENTHOOD CONTROVERSY

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Some of Virginia's most influential
Christian leaders are asking Gov. Bob McDonnell and other top
officials to block state funding for Planned Parenthood because the
nonprofit organization provides abortions.
The Virginia Christian Alliance presented a petition Thursday
signed by the Rev. Pat Robertson, the Rev. Jonathan Falwell and
others asking Republicans McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to help defund the organization.
Del. Robert Marshall said Planned Parenthood receives $500,000
per year in state funding. The group disputes that figure, saying
it only receives Medicaid reimbursements for about 1,000 women,
some of which is state dollars.
The governor's office could not immediately provide the amount.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-18-10 1718EST

ADVOCATES SEEK TO BLOCK PLANNED PARENTHOOD FUNDING

GAS HEAT MAY BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN ELECTRIC

WMDT 47 NEWS - Many cooks prefer using gas heat over electric, to better control cooking temperatures. But, experts say gas heat could release more harmful chemicals into the air. Cooking fumes contain particles that may cause lung damage. But unless you are a professional cook, you probably aren't getting enough exposure to be concerned.

3D EFFECT ON EYES

WMDT 47 News - Movies like "Avatar" have gone 3D, and while it may be cool to watch, what is it doing to your eyes?

Experts say if 3-dimensional movies or 3D t-v are done incorrectly, the films can cause eye strain or headaches for some viewers, especially younger ones.

Researchers added that once people reach their 50s and 60s, they should fare a lot better.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD CONCERNED OVER PROPOSED VA CUTS

VIRGINIA - A proposal for cuts to health care in Virginia has some concerned. On Wednesday, Governor Bob McDonnell recommended eliminating funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs.
A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood says sex education programs are important for adolescents. Officials with the organization say young people should get age-appropriate information to make informed decisions about family planning.

BAYHEALTH OFFERS SPECIALIZED PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

February 17, 2010 - Bayhealth Medical Center, in partnership with the Wellness Community and the American Cancer Society, offers a support group for African American men dealing with prostate cancer.

Man to Man®, Brother to Brother, is the first support group of its kind serving the needs of men in central and southern Delaware. African American men are part of a unique population that tends to develop prostate cancer at a younger age and usually suffers from a more aggressive form of the disease.

The group meets the fourth Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. Meetings are held at the Wellness Community, 812, S. Bradford Street, Dover. While aimed at African American men, all men are welcome to attend.

For more information, please contact Bayhealth's Cancer Screening Nurse Navigator, Paula Hess, MSN, RN, at (302) 744-6752.

HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF DELAWARE SUPPORT GROUP

February 17, 2010 - Over 31 million people in the United States are dealing with hearing loss today. Bayhealth Medical Center is holding the Hearing Loss Association of Delaware Support Group for individuals with hearing loss and their family members.

The support group is held the first Tuesday of every month (except June through August) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The meeting is located at Kent General Hospital in the 6th Floor Center for Women and Infants Center Conference Room.

The Hearing Loss Association is a national organization dedicated to helping anyone with hearing loss, and their families by providing information, education, support and advocacy. For more information please contact Betty Martin at (302) 674-3272 or Rosemary Cooper at (302) 678-4804.

BAYHEALTH OFFERS FREE OSTEOPOROSIS SCREENINGS

February 17, 2010 - Bayhealth Medical Center offers free osteoporosis screenings (bone density measurement) to the community.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. Patients place their heel in a bone density scanner that checks the bone for early stages of osteoporosis. Screenings are held at the following locations.

· Kent General Hospital's Education Department located at 208 W. Water St. in Dover
· Milford Memorial Hospital Women's Center
· Middletown Medical Center

Pre-registration is required. For dates and times, please call Bayhealth's Education Department to register at (302) 744-7135 or toll-free at 1-877-453-7101.

PARKINSON'S DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP

February 17, 2010 - Bayhealth Medical Center hosts a Parkinson's Disease Support Group at Kent General Hospital. The group provides information about living with Parkinson's Disease and is an open forum for discussion. An occasional guest speaker will stop by to address topics that arise within the group.

The support group meets the first Friday of each month in the General Foods Conference Center from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The support group is open to everyone with Parkinson's Disease as well as their friends and loved ones. For more information, please call Bayhealth's Education Department at (302) 744-7135 or toll-free at 1-877-453-7107.

13TH ANNUAL ALZHEIMER'S STAR SEARCH GALA

Star Charities presents the 13th Annual Alzheimer's Star Search Gala on Sunday, April 11, 2010 at The Clarion Resort, 10100 Coastal Hwy in Ocean City. The event features local "Stars" and professional musicians. All proceeds are donated to the Alzheimer's Association. For more information, please email Stacy Schaffer or call (443) 783-4807.

DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY TO OFFERS A
"DEVELOPING YOUR FAMILY CHILD CARE BUSINESS" COURSE

The Course includes a Business Plan Competition with a Top Prize of $5,000

DOVER, Del. - The DSU Delaware Center for Enterprise Development is offer a course to help all family and center-based child care business owners in the development of business plans and parent handbooks from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on four consecutive Saturdays on March 6, 13, 20 and 27 in room 111 in the Bank of America Building on the campus of Delaware State University.
Topics covered will include:
· Bookkeeping
· Pricing and Cost Analysis
· Financial Records
· Cash Flow Budgets
· Marketing Strategies
· Recognizing the Competition
· Offering Quality Child Care while Managing the Business Confidentially
Participants will have an opportunity to compete in a Business Plan Competition and win up to $5,000.
The four-week course costs $100. Full and partial scholarships are available.
To sign up for the course or for more information, call (302) 857-6953.

AT HOME DNA TESTING

It's a fairly new product, at-home DNA testing.
But, can they really predict the future?
New research says, probably not.
The tests look for a range of illnesses, like heart disease.
But, a new study of 19-thousand women found the test kits create added cost without much information.
And, doctors say people shouldn't need an expensive test to tell them to eat better and get more exercise.

GENETIC DISEASES DECLINE

Studies suggest that some of mankind's most devastating
inherited diseases may be declining, and a few have nearly vanished
thanks to genetic testing.
Researchers say births of babies with cystic fibrosis and
certain neurological disorders have dropped since testing came into
wider use in recent years. Dr. Wendy Chung, a geneticist at
Columbia University, says she is definitely seeing decreased rates
of certain genetic disorders thanks to screening.
Many doctor groups encourage couples to consider testing before
attempting pregnancy to see if they silently carry genes that can
put a baby at risk.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-17-10 0003EST

GEOGRAPHY PLAYS A PART IN YOUR HEALTH

WASHINGTON (AP) - A new report suggests that where you live
plays a role in how healthy, or unhealthy you are.
The report, written by the University of Wisconsin and the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ranks each of the nation's more
than 3,000 counties. It takes a look at the factors that play a
role in one's general health and premature death, such as smoking,
obesity, binge drinking, unemployment, child poverty and air
pollution.
The study illuminates a well-known trend: The least healthy
counties tend to be poor and rural, and the healthiest ones tend to
be urban or suburban and upper-income.
Dr. Patrick Remington of the University of Wisconsin says the
report doesn't compare states, but counties within a state. For
example, Menominee County, Wis., is ranked last in the state, with
15 percent of its residents in poor or fair health and a high rate
of premature death. Remington says the county is an Indian
reservation that has no grocery store, but fast-food restaurants.
Remington says, "Without a grocery store, it's hard to make a
healthy choice about what you're going to eat for lunch or
dinner."

%AP Links

Sound: Upcoming

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-17-10 0137EST

AT HOME COLON CANCER TESTS

Health advocates are trying to boost the number of people getting screened for the nation's number two cancer killer.
Everyone is supposed to get screened for colo-rectal cancer starting at age 50, but experts say only about 55 percent actually do.
Advocates hope an at-home testing kit will encourage more people to get the test done.
The Tunnell Cancer Center in Rehoboth is trying to make sure people get prostate cancer screenings.
They are offering the free tests on February 24th at the center on the Beebe Health Campus.
You must make an appointment.
To make yours call 302-645-3300, extension 2724.

MIT PROFESSOR LECTURES AT UMES

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Neville Hogan has accomplished a lot in his careers as an industrial engineer and an educator. He's been a member of the faculty at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston since 1979. He co-founded Interactive Motion Technologies, a company that develops robotic technology to improve rehabilitation outcomes for patients. Hogan also co-holds several patents and has written over 300 articles in engineering trade publications.
On February 16, as part of the 2010 Engineering Lecture Series, Hogan spoke at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore about using that robotic technology in rehabilitation for patients with brain injuries, such as strokes and concussions. He describes past medical innovations, such as glasses, as only compensating for a problem instead of treating or healing it.
"This is to compensate for a deficiency," Hogan said of glasses during his presentation. "I don't think that's what needs to happen if you have a brain injury like a stroke. You don't want compensation, you want to get better."
Physical therapy students at UMES are using interactive devices used in some hospitals to learn how to treat brain injury patients. One of those devicese is the NeuroCom, which measures reaction time for a patient to regain balance as the center plate moves underfoot.
"We're trying to better understand the disease process and refine our treatments to better help the patients and return them to their prior level of function," said physical therapy student Katie Gilbert.
Hogan told the audience that stroke is the leading cause of permanent brain injury. With a rapid increase in America's elderly population projected over the next 20 to 40 years, he says that new methods of treatment are needed for brain injury patients. He also said that using robotics in therapy is getting more of a positive reception from the academic world, and he was optimistic about the possibility of UMES being involved in developing this new technology.
"This is my first visit, and what I've seen this morning is very impressive. To be honest, I'm envious about some of the resources that are here," Hogan said.

MANDATED AUTISM COVERAGE BILL PASSES

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Senate has overwhelmingly passed
legislation that would mandate coverage for an effective treatment
for small children who have autism.
By a 27-13 vote Tuesday, the measure the powerful insurance and
business lobbies fiercely oppose advances to a much tougher battle
in the House.
But the bill fell one vote from a tie that could have killed it
when Sen. Frank Wagner offered a floor amendment that would have
added coverage requirements for state employees.
Because it would add new spending in a Spartan budget, Wagner's
amendment would have killed the bill. It failed on a 19-21 vote.
In the gallery, two mothers of autistic children wept during the
debate. Without insurance, treatment costs top $30,000 annually.

IN VITRO FERTILIZATION DEADLOCK

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland's Senate is deadlocked over a

measure that would force insurance companies to provide benefits to

certain couples pursuing in vitro fertilization.

The Senate voted 23-23 Monday evening on the bill, but senators

said they would revisit it.

The bill would apply only to couples with two specific medical

conditions. Sen. Joan Carter Conway of Baltimore says she sponsored

it on behalf of a constituent who couldn't get insurance to pay for

IVF costs arising from her ovarian condition and her partner's

inability to produce sperm.

Baltimore County Sen. Andy Harris argued against creating new

insurance mandates for cases he believed would affect one person.

A fiscal note estimates 1 percent of couples pursuing IVF

treatment would have both conditions.

---

On the Net:

Read Senate Bill 27:

http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/fnotes/bil(underscore)0007/sb0027.pdf

AP-NY-02-15-10 2143EST

HEALTH FUNDS

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia is getting $24 million in federal
funding for two health information technology initiatives.
Gov. Bob McDonnell said Monday that the state will receive $11.6
million over four years to advance health information exchange. The
initiative's planning and implementation will be led by the
Governor's Health Information Technology Advisory Commission.
Another $12.4 million was awarded over two years to help
physicians acquire and adopt electronic health records for their
practices. This initiative will be led by the Virginia Health
Quality Center, in partnership with the Center for Innovative
Technologies.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-16-10 0615EST

BLOOD BANK NEEDS DONORS

NEWARK, Del. - The Blood Bank of Delmarva is in need of donors.
Last week's storms caused the blood bank to cancel more than 700 donor appointments.
The blood bank services seventeen hospitals.
They have been able to fill every order, but backup supplies are low.
Donor officials are now hoping for extra help.
They are especially looking for platelet and type O whole blood.
To make an appointment call 1-888-8-Blood-8.

INSURANCE RATE HIKES

UNDATED (AP) - Some recent hikes in the cost of individual
health insurance have people worried about skyrocketing rates for
everyone.
Insurance companies say that's not the case. They argue that the
increase only hits a relatively small number of people, and that
the economy is to blame.
It's true that the biggest hikes apply only to people who buy
individual insurance and are unlikely to spread to the majority of
Americans covered through their employers. But such hikes also hit
a huge number of Americans, about 46 million, with no insurance at
all. For them, the only option is buying individual policies, often
with high deductibles.
Raise prices, and people without insurance are even less likely
to buy it. Meanwhile, older and sicker customers pay more and more,
running up high health bills in a shrinking pool.

VA HOUSE PASSES BILL ON INSURANCE COVERAGE

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's House of Delegates has passed
legislation defying any federal effort to mandate insurance
coverage.
The Republican-controlled House approved three Senate bills
Friday with veto-proof two-thirds majorities, sending them to
Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell.
If McDonnell signs them as expected, it would put Virginia among
the first states to enact laws designed to thwart federal
healthcare legislation.
Opponents of the bill said the measure is unconstitutional.
The bill was an outgrowth of conservative opposition to health
care legislation now before Congress that has the backing of
Democrats and President Barack Obama.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

BIDEN ON HEALTHCARE

WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden says the White House
is ready and willing to listen to health care ideas from
Republicans.
President Barack Obama has invited members of both parties to
the White House for a televised meeting on Feb. 25 in hopes of
reaching a deal on health care.
Obama's top domestic priority has stalled since Democrats lost
their filibuster-proof Senate majority.
Biden says the keys are to control rising insurance premiums,
control government spending on Medicare and Medicare and address
insurance coverage issues.
Biden says if Republicans have a better way than Democrats to
deal with these problems, then the administration is ready, willing
and able to listen.
Biden spoke on NBC's "Meet the Press."

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AUTISM INSURANCE

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Insurance companies would be required to
cover specialized autism treatments under a bill that has advanced
to a Senate floor vote.
The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted 11-4 for the bill
despite business and insurance groups' claims that it would
increase premium costs.
Insurers argue the treatment is educational, not medical.
Sen. Janet Howell's bill would require coverage of those ages 2
to 6, with a $35,000 cap on claims. It would allow companies to opt
out if the premium increased by more than 1 percent.
Coverage for state employees would not be required until 2015.
A similar bill died on a tie vote in a House subcommittee
earlier this month.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-15-10 1642EST

CIVIL RIGHTS ICON RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

ATLANTA (AP) - Civil Rights icon Joseph Lowery has been released
from an Atlanta hospital after two weeks.
An Emory University Hospital spokesman said Sunday that the Rev.
Lowery was released Saturday night.
The 88-year-old Lowery was admitted to the hospital two weeks
earlier with a blood clot in his lung.
He stood with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil
rights movement and offered the benediction at President Barack
Obama's inauguration last year.
Lowery received the Presidential Medal of Freedom several months
later.
He co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference along
with King and was the group's president for two decades.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

HAITI MIRACLE

A man who was pulled alive from rubble in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, 27 days after the devastating earthquake is recovering said to be recovering well in a U.S. hospital.
According to doctors at the University of Miami the man was extracted from the rubble of a flea market
on Monday.

"His big problem right now is that he has these burns to his feet. The skin came off when they were pulling him out of the rubble and so he is not going to be able to walk easily for a while but he should have a full recovery," said Dr. David Chong who is treating the survivor.

The Haitian government says the quake killed some 230-thousand people.
The last confirmed survivor before this man found in Haiti was a 16-year-old girl removed from rubble 15 days after the earthquake.

UPDATE: CLINTON HEALTH

NEW YORK (AP) - A close friend says former President Bill
Clinton has left the hospital where he underwent a heart procedure.
Former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe
said on CBS' "The Early Show" Friday that Clinton has left New
York Presbyterian Hospital. Clinton lives in Chappaqua
(CHAP'-uh-kwah), a Westchester County hamlet about 35 miles north
of New York City.
Cardiologist Allan Schwartz has said Clinton could be back at
work as soon as Monday.
Clinton had quadruple bypass surgery at the same hospital more
than five years ago. On Thursday, he returned to have a clogged
heart artery opened after suffering discomfort in his chest.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

BLACK HIV & AIDS AWARENESS DAY

The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Theta Zeta Zeta Chapter of Dover is encouraging everyone to attend it's "ZHope program for Black HIV & AIDS Awareness Day" on Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at the Solid Rock Baptist Church from 1p.m. to 3p.m.

"Every community should be aware of HIV/AIDS and the precautionary steps to protect themselves" said Carrye Sims, a representative of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Theta Zeta Chapter.

The event will include free HIV testing, entertainment, inspirational testimonies, refreshments, informational presentations, and many other informational tools that will educate the community.

The event is open to the public. Solid Baptist Church is located at 113 West Street, Dover, DE.

NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - An outbreak of the highly contagious
norovirus has prompted visitation restrictions on a unit of a
Norfolk hospital.
Bon Secours Depaul Medical Center spokeswoman Lynne Zultanky
says staff identified the symptoms, which can include vomiting,
diarrhea and fever, on a transitional care unit Friday. City health
officials confirmed the norovirus diagnosis Monday. A dozen
patients and 10 staff members were affected.
Admissions to the unit were halted, and no visitors have been
allowed. The restrictions will be in place until three days have
passed with no new illnesses.
---
Information from: The Virginian-Pilot,
http://www.pilotonline.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-11-10 0431EST

MENTAL DISORDERS

WASHINGTON (AP) - The American Psychiatric Association is asking
for public feedback on proposed changes to its diagnostic manual.
Until May, it wants to hear from laymen as well as professionals
about such changes as "intellectual disability" instead of
"mental retardation." Or referring to Asperger's syndrome as a
mild form of autism.
Debate over the proposed changes is expected to be lively. One
woman with Asperger's Syndrome notes that school autism services
are often geared to help lower-functioning children, while kids
with Asperger's are usually high-functioning.
Other proposed changes would identify compulsive gambling as a
behavioral addiction, and create a new category of learning
disabilities including reading and math.
The proposed update to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders would be the first since 1994.

%AP Links

[<mos><mosID>APGB.MOS</mosID><objID>1057977</objID><objSlug>GraphicsBank Image 1057977</objSlug><mosAbstract>GraphicsBank Image 1057977</mosAbstract></mos>] 2000x1500
Child's face, drawing, with AUTISM lettering, finished graphic

On the Net: http://www.DSM5.org,

PRMC CANCELLATIONS

Peninsula Regional Medical Center announces the following weather-related cancellations for Wednesday, February 10, and Thursday, February 11, 2010.

The following Peninsula Regional Medical Group Family Medicine offices will be closed on Wednesday, February 10: Delaware Family Medicine Offices in Ocean View, Dagsboro and Laurel

The following Peninsula Regional Medical Group Family Medicine offices will be closing a Noon on Wednesday, February 10:

Maryland Family Medicine Offices in Ocean Pines, Berlin and Snow Hill
Virginia Family Medicine in Chincoteague
Peninsula Regional Oncology & Hematology Offices in Salisbury, Berlin and Seaford
Peninsula Regional Gastroenterology office of Dr. Halim Charbel
Occupational Health & Urgent Care at Woodbrooke-Dr. Jim Burns
Peninsula Regional Medical Group Administrative Offices in Salisbury

In addition, the following services/classes are also canceled for Wednesday, February 10 and Thursday, February 11:

Breast Diagnostic Center at Peninsula Regional Medical Center is closing at Noon on Wednesday, February 10.

All Outpatient Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation classes in both Salisbury and Berlin have been canceled for Wednesday, February 10.

Pediatric Cardiology Clinic for Wednesday, February 10 has been canceled.

MD GOVERNOR TO ATTEND LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has confirmed that he will attend this year's legislative reception hosted by the state's Mental Health Association. He will address mental health advocates as part of an in-depth discussion on the state budget hosted by Maryland Public Radio.
Other notable attendees include Senator Benjamin Cardin and Delegat Sue Kullen. They'll be honored for their commitment to improving access to mental and physical health services.
The reception will be held at 4:30 p.m. on February 17, in Annapolis.

PRMC CANCELLATIONS

Peninsula Regional Medical Center announces the following weather-related cancellations for Tuesday, February 9, Wednesday, February 10, and Thursday, February 11, 2010.

All Sleep Center Studies for Tuesday, February 9 have been canceled.

All Outpatient Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation classes in both Salisbury and Berlin have been canceled for Wednesday, February 10.

Better Breathers Club scheduled for Wednesday, February 10 has been postponed until Wednesday, March 10.

Prepared Childbirth class for Wednesday, February 10 has been canceled.

CPR Renewal class for Wednesday, February 10 has been canceled.

Diabetes Education classes for Wednesday, February 10 and Thursday, February 11 have been canceled.

ALS Clinic scheduled for Thursday, February 11 has been canceled. A new date will be rescheduled soon.

DOUBLE HAND TRANSPLANT

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The nation's first double hand transplant
recipient has left a Pittsburgh hospital after medicine cleared up
a rash that signaled he might be rejecting his new hands.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center spokeswoman Amy Dugas
says 58-year-old Jeff Kepner, of Augusta, Ga., was discharged
Monday from UPMC Montefiore (mahn-tah-FEE'-ore) hospital.
Kepner received the hands at the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center in May and went home in October. He was hospitalized
last week after he developed the rash on both hands. Dugas says the
rash went away after doctors applied an ointment to suppress his
immune system.
Kepner, a former pastry chef, lost his hands and feet a decade
ago to a bacterial infection. The donor was a 23-year-old
Pennsylvania man.
---
Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, http://pghtrib.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-09-10 0848EST

AUTISM-MOTHER'S AGE

CHICAGO (AP) - A new study says a woman's chance of having a
child with autism increases as she ages. It also says the risk may
be less with older dads than previously thought.
University of California at Davis researcher Janie Shelton is
the lead author. She says that although the father's age can
contribute, the risk is overwhelmed by the mother's age.
Mothers older than 40 were about 50 percent more likely to have
autistic children than those in their 20s. The risk for fathers
older than 40 was 36 percent higher than for men in their 20s.
Experts say older parents shouldn't be overly anxious, however,
because the risk of a woman over 40 having an autistic child is
still less than 4 in 1,000.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-08-10 1214EST

"CHOOSE LIFE" LICENSE PLATES CONTROVERSY

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Abortion-rights advocates have been unable
to halt the "Choose Life" license plates in nearly two-dozen
states, so now they're working to balance the bumper debate.
Activists are pushing a "Trust Women/Respect Choice" license
plate in Virginia. The state would become only the fourth to offer
a pro-choice plate and the first to require legislative approval
for it. Most other states have administrative agencies approve
specialty plates.
Supporters have threatened to sue if lawmakers don't give
drivers the option.
Opponents, including the state's attorney general and governor,
say they oppose diverting money from plate fees to Planned
Parenthood - not necessarily the plates themselves.
A state Senate committee could vote on the proposal this week.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-08-10 1503EST

CARBON MONOXIDE DEATHS

With millions of people in the dark following the February 6 snowstorm, many families are turning to generators to keep the lights on and their homes warm. However, that decision proved deadly for one family near Pittsburgh.
60-year-old George Mateya and his 19-year-old daugter Joelle died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. Their family was one of thousands in the Pittsburgh area who'd lost power in the storm. Neighbors were shocked and saddened by the news of their deaths.
"I felt really bad and horrible all morning thinking about it that they were down there and suffered like that," said Patty Pomaido, who lives up the street from the Mateya family.
Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion This tragedy shows just how dangerous items such as charcoal grills, generators and other fuel-burning appliaces can become if they're not properly installed and ventilated.

9/11 AP INVESTIGATION

NEW YORK (AP) - An Associated Press investigation has found that
several cases heading for trial in the battle over 9/11 illnesses
contain inconsistent or exaggerated claims about how the workers
got sick or the amount of time they spent at ground zero.
One demolition worker who said he developed health problems
after toiling for months in the toxic ruins of the World Trade
Center has actually been ill since the 1990s.
Lawyers for the workers whose cases were examined by the AP
declined to discuss them.
They say the trials will show unequivocally that workers exposed
to the dust weren't given proper equipment, and as a result are now
sick.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-02-07-10 1414EST

FREE BLOOD SUGAR TESTING

Walgreen's is joining efforts to stem the nation's diabetes epidemic by offering frEe blood sugar testing.
The chain's 24 hour stores and clinics will offer the tests through February 18th.
Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and an estimated 6 million or so are undiagnosed.
Prevalence has increased dramatically over the past decade, partly because the most common type of diabetes is linked with obesity.

MILITARY AND THE MORNING AFTER PILL

For the first time, the Pentagon will require military bases worldwide to offer emergency contraception.
Officials say the decision follows a recommendation by an independent panel of doctors and pharmacists in November.
The panel determined that emergency contraception should be added to the military's list of medications that must be stocked at each military facility.
No time frame was given when the pill would be made available.

FREE H1N1 FLU CLINIC CANCELLED

FRUITLAND, Md. - The The free H1N1 flu vaccination clinic at the Fruitland Wal-Mart is being put on hold.
The clinic was scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 7, but officials are postponing it due to the inclement weather.
The clinic will be rescheduled at a later date.
For the latest up-to-date H1N1 flu clinic information from the Wicomico County Health Department, go to our website and click on 47 Weblinks.

BEEBE MEDICAL CENTER CANCELLATIONS

Beebe Medical Center has closed all of its satellite outpatient facilities on Saturday, February 6, 2010, due to the pending blizzard.
Beebe Walk-in Health Center in Kmart in Rehoboth Beach and the Weekend Walk-in Clinic in Millville also will be closed.

VINAIGRETTE RECALL

COVINGTON, La. (AP) - A Covington company is recalling 16-ounce
jars of spinach vinaigrette because labels don't state that bread
crumbs used to make it included eggs, soy and wheat.
Jack Cousins, owner of Cousins Products LLC, says about 300
12-jar cases were sold in stores in Louisiana and southern
Mississippi and through the internet to Texas, Florida, Illinois
and Virginia.
He says nobody has reported an allergic reaction, and the
omission was found during a state health department inspection.
The company is recalling all jars sold from June 2009 until now.
Cousins says he's relabeling them to show they include the
potential allergens.
He says spinach vinaigrette is one of three products the company
makes. The others are a second salad dressing and a salsa.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-02-04-10 1617EST

CRUTCHES AND WALKERS NEEDED IN HAITI

Asbury United Methodist Church is asking for your help by donating your gently used crutches and walkers. All sizes are in need. You can drop them off to Asbury Church on 1401 Camden Avenue in Salisbury, or drop them by any of the 14 Brumbley Haiti Relief bins provided by St. Paul's Church.
For more information on drop off locations call 410-749-2131

BENEFITS OF SOCCER

Experts say playing soccer can benefit your body in more ways than one.
Research shows men who practice soccer twice a week for three months -- lowered their blood pressure, had a lower resting pulse rate, and a decrease in body fat percentage.
Doctors say if soccer is not your game, consult your physician -- and get up and do something.

A MIRACLE WEDDING

It was a wedding that almost didn't happen.
Both, Clint Larson and his fiance became ill from H-1-H-1.
Clint was in a coma for 17 days.
And after going into cardiac arrest three times, his condition became so serious doctors prepared his family for the worst.
But Clint survived and doctors are saying it is a miracle.
Heshould be out the hospital this weekend, in time to make his wedding.

FLU CLINIC CLOSED

A weather cancellation for those trying to protect themselves from the swine flu.
Worcester County's health Department has canceled the vaccine clinic scheduled for this Saturday.
It was supposed to be held at the Pocomoke Wal-Mart, and will not be rescheduled.

PRMC CANCELLATIONS

Wagner Wellness Van Free H1N1 Clinics (February 6, 7 and 8)
With the forecast of snowy conditions for this weekend, Peninsula Regional Medical Center and the Wicomico County Health Department have canceled their free H1N1 Flu Shot Clinic scheduled for Saturday, February 6 aboard the Wagner Wellness Van at Wal-Mart in Pocomoke City, Maryland; Sunday, February 7 at the Wal-Mart in Fruitland, Maryland and Monday, February 8 at the Home Depot in Berlin, Maryland.

Guerrieri Heart & Vascular Institute "Heart & Sole" Run/Walk (February 7)
With the forecast of snowy conditions for this weekend, Peninsula Regional Medical Center's Guerrieri Heart & Vascular Institute has canceled it's American Heart Month Heart & Sole 5K Run/2 Mile Walk scheduled for Sunday, February 7. The event will not be rescheduled.

Educational Classes
With the forecast of snowy conditions for this weekend, Peninsula Regional Medical Center has canceled and rescheduled the following Educational Classes:
Sibling Class scheduled for 2/5/2010 has been rescheduled to 2/12/2010 from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Newborn Care 101 Class scheduled for 2/6/2010 has been rescheduled to 2/13/2010 from 9:00 a.m.-Noon.

Prepared Childbirth Classes scheduled for 2/6 & 2/7/2010 has been rescheduled to 2/13 & 14/2010 from 1:00 -6:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

HEALTH CARE DEPENDENTS

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Some Maryland parents say a bill that

would allow people under 30 years old to be considered dependents

on a parent's health care plan would ease their minds as much as

their children's.

The parents told Senate Finance Committee members Wednesday that

Baltimore County Sen. James Brochin's proposal would protect young

people who are having difficulty finding work during the recession.

Current Maryland law allows dependent individuals to remain on a

parent's plan until they are 25 years old.

A recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that young

adults between 19 and 29 years of age have the highest uninsured

rate of any age group in the United States. Almost one-third of

individuals between 19 and 29 years old are uninsured, according to

the study.

---

On the Net:

Read Senate Bill 181:

AP-NY-02-03-10 1541EST

MENAL HEALTH CARE INITIATIVE

RICHMOND, VA. (AP) - A $2 million initiative is under way in
Virginia to provide mental health care to uninsured residents.
Gov. Bob McDonnell announced the "A New Lease on Life" effort
Monday. Treatment will be provided through the Virginia Health Care
Foundation.
The foundation received a $1 million challenge grant a year ago
from the Attorney General's office when McDonnell was attorney
general. The foundation raised $1 million to match the grant.
McDonnell says the initiative will help close a gap in
treatment.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-02-01-10 1432EST

HEARING-IMPAIRED INMATES SUE

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Hearing-impaired inmates in Virginia are
suing over alleged discrimination.
A lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria
alleges state officials are violating the Americans with
Disabilities Act by limiting access to sign language interpreters.
It also alleges the inmates don't have adequate access to
communication devices and are not given visual notification of
events and safety announcements.
As a result, the lawsuit alleges, the inmates are denied
participation in educational programs and communication with prison
staff and medical personnel.
Department of Corrections spokesman Larry Traylor declined
comment Monday. Calls to the state attorney general and the
Powhatan Correctional Center where the hearing-impaired inmates are
housed were not immediately returned.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-02-01-10 1448EST

HEALTH FACILITIES BACKGROUND CHECKS

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware public health officials are working
to ensure that health facilities are conducting criminal background
checks on new employees.
The Department of Health and Social Services is proposing that
nursing homes, home health agencies and other facilities be
required to submit quarterly reports listing new applicant hires.
Officials say the lists will allow the Division of Long Term
Care Residents Protection to cross-check records to ensure that
applicants are being subjected to required criminal history record
checks and pre-employment drug testing.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-02-01-10 1246EST

VA AUTISM LEGISLATION

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Legislation that would force health
insurers in Virginia to cover expensive autism treatments faces a
key General Assembly showdown.
A House subcommittee takes up a measure Tuesday by Republican Delegate and Henrico County neurologist John O'Bannon. It also will hear from Donna Shank.
Treatments for her 7-year-old son, Ryan Shank-Rowe, cost about
$30,000 a year and haven't been covered by insurance. It's pushed
her family to the brink financially and emotionally.
Virginia and 34 other states don't mandate insurers to cover a
treatment called applied behavior analysis.
Health insurance and business groups oppose the bill, saying it
would drive up premiums and costs for employers who provide
benefits.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-01-31-10 1244EST

HAITI VICTIMS ARRIVING IN FLORIDA

MIAMI (AP) - Florida's governor says hundreds of people have
been flown from Haiti to Florida, even after the U.S. military
halted medical evacuation flights for critically injured patients.
Gov. Charlie Crist told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Sunday that 700 U.S. citizens, legal residents and foreign nationals have arrived in Florida in the last day.
Military officials said they suspended medical evacuations
Wednesday, after some states refused to take patients. Civilian
flights and other military flights have continued.
Florida officials have said that no hospital in the state turned
away patients. They say no military medevacs have arrived in recent days.
Crist said federal officials have indicated his state would get
help covering patients' medical costs.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-01-31-10 1224EST

UPDATE: BROWN ON ABORTION

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown of
Massachusetts says he opposes federal funding for abortions, but
thinks women should have the right to choose whether to have one.
Brown tells ABC's "This Week" that he disagrees with his
party's position that the Supreme Court decision legalizing
abortion should be overturned.
Brown says the abortion question is one that's best handled by a woman, her family and her doctor.
He also says more effort needs to go into reducing the number of abortions in the U.S.
Brown has said the GOP shouldn't take his vote for granted on
every issue.
He says he's fiscally conservative but more moderate
on social issues.
Brown recently won the Senate seat long held by liberal Democrat Edward M. Kennedy, who died last summer.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-01-31-10 1409EST

CAT PREDICTS DEATH?

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The scientist in Dr. David Dosa was
skeptical when he was told that an aloof cat at the nursing home
where he worked could predict death.
But Dosa has tallied about 50 correct calls Oscar's made over
five years. He profiles the gray, brown and white cat in a book
released this week, "Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat."
Dosa is a Brown University professor and works at a Rhode Island nursing home that cares for patients with severe dementia.
Several years ago, the staff noticed that Oscar would lay beside patients who had just hours to live.
No one knows why he does it.
But when the cat curls alongside a patient, the staff knows it's
time to alert family members.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) AP-NY-01-31-10 1022EST

HAITI RELIEF SCAM WARNING

Officials say innocent people are being robbed by fraudulent organizations, who say they are helping those affected by the earthquake in Haiti.
The Better Business Bureau says to protect yourself, be cautious when giving donations online, and rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity.
In addition, be wary of charities that claim 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims.

WEED SUPPLIES WAREHOUSE

There's a new store in California that's sure to draw a huge cloud of controversy.
"I-Grow" is a 15-thousand square foot warehouse that's being called the Wal-Mart for medicinal marijuana.
The super-store sells soil, fertilizer and growing systems but the warehouse does not sell marijuana itself.
You can take pot seminars, and there's a grow-squad to offer advice on tending to your plants.
To grow marijuana legally in California, you must have a doctor certified medical reason.

HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL ON HOLD

Just days after the President's State of the Union address it seems jobs, not health care have become the primary focus of the Obama administration.
The Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi admitted last week that differences remain in regards to the health care bill.
And though the President focused on jobs in his Wednesday night address he did ask lawmakers to reach a compromise on health care reform.

BROWN AGAINST FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ABORTIONS

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown of
Massachusetts says he opposes federal funding for abortions, but
thinks women should have the right to choose whether to have one.
Brown tells ABC's "This Week" that he disagrees with his
party's position that the Supreme Court decision legalizing
abortion should be overturned.
Brown says the abortion question is one that's best handled by a woman, her family and her doctor. He also says more effort needs to go into reducing the number of abortions in the U.S.
Brown has said the GOP shouldn't take his vote for granted on
every issue. He says he's fiscally conservative but more moderate
on social issues.
Brown recently won the Senate seat long held by liberal Democrat Edward M. Kennedy, who died last summer.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-01-31-10 0824EST

PROPOSAL TO BAN THE WALU FISH FROM THE DINNER TABLE

A state lawmaker in Hawaii is proposing legislation that would ban the sale of
a fish that may pose a danger to humans.
Some who have eaten walu say it can cause a terrible case of diarrhea. "One lady had such bad diarrhea she had an accident in her pants, an adult, her husband had to go to the emergency room. I mean it's pretty serious," said Assistant Professor of the John A. Burns School of Medicine Dr. James Ireland.
The walu is often sold as "Hawaiian Butterfish" but people call it, the
"Ex-Lax" fish.
Now, and Hawaii state representative did some research and drafted a bill that prohibits catching, selling or even possessing Walu in hawaii.
It is already banned in Japan and Italy.

GATES PROMISING BILLIONS FOR VACCINE RESEARCH

10 billion dollars will be donated over the next decade to research new vaccines and bring them to the world's poorest countries.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the one behind it all.
They are are also calling upon government and businesses to contribute.
They said the money would produce higher immunization rates ensuring more children are protected against dangerous diseases. "We think the stage is set for extraordinary progress. We estimate that we will be able to significantly scale up delivering these vaccines and we'll eventually be able to get 90 percent coverage in the key countries across the world."
It's estimated that an additional 1-point-1 million kids will be saved if a malaria vaccine could be introduced by 2014.
They say a tuberculosis vaccine would prevent even more deaths.

TAKE A BREAK FOR YOUR MIND

If you want to remember something, doctors say, take a coffee break.
Researchers have long known that sleep helps us improve memory.
But, a new study has found that resting while awake helps the storage of memory as well.
MRI scans showed that memory areas of the brain were highly active during rest.
So, researchers say take some time for yourself.

HEAVIER, HEALTHIER SENIORS?

We don't hear this a lot, but a few extras pounds could be good for you, if you're over the age of 70.
A new study found that people between the ages of 70 and 75, who were considered overweight, were less likely to die within 10 years, than people of a normal weight.
Researchers say they're not really sure why this happens, but they think the extra pounds may act like a reserve if the person gets sick.
They do caution, the overweight person still needs to stay active.

FIRST LADY CAMPAIGNING AGAINST CHILDHOOD OBESITY

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Campaigning against childhood obesity,
first lady Michelle Obama says she knows firsthand how tough it can
be for stressed parents to fix their kids' bad eating and exercise
habits.
The first lady said her own daughters were starting to get
off-track before their pediatrician warned her to watch it. She
says the family turned things around by cutting out weekday TV
time, paying more attention to portion sizes and sneaking more
fruits and vegetables onto the table.
Mrs. Obama appeared at a YMCA in Alexandria, Va., Thursday with
Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, who issued a report calling
obesity a major public health problem.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)AP-NY-01-28-10 1515EST

SALISBURY, Md. - For a second year in a row Peninsula Regional Medical Center is ranked among the top 5 percent of all hospitals in the nation for its clinical quality. "You don't achieve awards like this by accident. It is by intent. It's by shaping a culture of safety and that we all near and dear to our hearts," said Thomas Lawrence, the Chief Medical Officer at PRMC.
The study was conducted by HealthGrades. The study looked at mortality at complication rates, which were lower than average.
PRMC is one of only 269 hospitals that received this distinction.

BEEBE HONORED

LEWES, Del. - Beebe Medical Center was ranked in the top 5 percent in the nation for overall patient outcomes, by HealthGrades. The CEO of the hospital says the rating reflects the commitment and dedication of the board and physicians, along with medical staff.
The study analyzed 40 million hospitalization records from 5,000 hospitals over the years.
HealthGrades also ranked Beebe Medical Center number one in Delaware for overall orthopedics in 2010 and the only hospital in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia to receive 5-star ratings for all orthopedic procedures measured by HealthGrades.

CALORIES ON THE MENU

It's some "food for thought" in Delaware, a bill to put calorie counts on menus at chain and fast food restaurants has passed the state Senate.
It would apply to most menus or menu boards throughout the state.
The bill now heads to the state House.

PROMISING HIV/AIDS DRUG HEALTH CARE REFORM

There is promising news in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
New research in mice shows that the drug, truvada, may protect people from getting HIV.
In the study, the medication prevented transmission through anal sex and intravenously.
Old studies have already shown that it can protect against vaginal transmission.
But, doctors now say the key is to see if it works in humans, not just mice.
Truvada, is already used to treat people with AIDS and to protect hospital workers who may get exposed to HIV.

HEALTH CARE REFORM DEBATE

What a difference a week makes.
The health care debate has made a complete 180 since last week.
With Republicans picking up a Senate seat, reform has gone back to the drawing board, but a "plan b" is still up in the air. "He's the president of the United States. We're waiting for him to make his initiatives. He was chosen to make the tough decisions. He chose to go hard left the first year. We'll see, beginning Wednesday night, where he plans to be the second year," said Republican Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell.
Wednesday night, the president will talk about that second year, during his first State of the Union address.
And while some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say that the Democrats need to learn a lesson from Massachusetts, the White House is telling a much different story. "I think you're misreading the results out of Massachusetts. The president will not walk away from the American people, will not hand them over to the tender mercies of health insurance companies," said Senior White House Advisor David Axelrod.
But, it was a political storm last week, and now Democrats are trying to salvage health care reform.
Delaware Senator Tom Carper says he is still holding out hope on a bill.
He believes that Republicans wil support at least 80 percent of the Senate's health care reform bill, including Senator-elect, Scott Brown from Massachusetts.
Last Tuesday, Brown defied the odds and won the seat long held by the late Ted Kennedy.
You can see the State of the Union address Wednesday at 9:00 on WMDT.

COUNTERFEIT ALLI WARNING

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing a warning about counterfeit pills of the weight loss drug Alli, that are being sold online.
According to the FDA website, "preliminary laboratory tests conducted by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)-the maker of the FDA approved over-the-counter weight-loss product - revealed that the counterfeit version did not contain lrlistat, the active ingredient in its product. Instead, the counterfeit product contained the controlled substance sibutramine."
Sibutramine, according to the FDA's website should not be used by certain "patient populations or without physician oversight."
The drug can put people with cardiovascular disease at higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure.
Possible symptoms include: anxiety, heart palpitations, nausea and sleeplessness.
The FDA website says sibutramine when mixed with other medications may cause a harmful interaction.
It also stated that counterfeit complaints started coming in in early December 2009.
People who think they've received counterfeit versions of the drug can call 1-800-551-3989 or visit the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations website by clicking going to this website: www.fda.gov/OCI.

MASSIVE MEAT RECALL LINKED TO WIDESPREAD SALMNELLA OUTBREAK?

A seven month long salmonella outbreak may be solved, but not before 184 people have gotten sick, and illness reported in 38 states.
Now, a massive meat recall is underway for a pepper-coated salami sold under the Daniele Brand, but also under Boar's Head, Black Bear, and Dietz and Watson.
This has been one of the longest food poisoning mysteries ever. "The timeline of seven months investigation is unusual, people usually get sick all at the same time. That's not what happened here, the cases have been going on and on over a 7 month period. This tells me, they're having a lot of problem trying to figure out what the product is," said NYU Nutritionist Marion Nestle.
Then a salmonella outbreak in Utah gave food detectives a break in the case.
Eleven people were sickened after buying Daniele Salami.
Investigators say Salmonella was actually found on the salami.
And though salmonella was found on the salami, the mystery may not be over, because it is not the same strain that has been making people sick since July.
As more than a million pounds of the salami are pulled from store shelves, investigators continue to look for other sources of contamination.

GETTING FIT ONLINE

What don't we do online these days?
So, why not add exercise to the list?
The latest online fitness tool to burn the fat is called Fit Orbit.
A real live trainer can log on and help you create a fitness regimen that's right for you on a daily basis.
And if you want to add nutrition to the mix, there's a new mobile meal plan, Sensei.

"Users have the option of choosing from frozen dinners, fast food, home cooked meals; and for each of those meal type options there's an emphasis on healthy food choices," said Emory University Clinical Nutritionist Cheryl Williams.

The program includes recipes and grocery list suggestions.
And if your looking for just a little push in the healthy direction there are free healthy tip emails you can receive by signing up for "Healthy Mondays."
Fit Orbit and Sensei due charge membership fees.

BLUEBERRY JUICE BENEFITS

A new study says ditch the o.j. and pour a nice glass of blueberry juice.
Researchers say the juice can improve your memory significantly.
A study conducted with adults who had already started to lose their memory, drank the juice for three months and researchers said at they end of the study they performed better on memory and learning tests.

H&M AND NEW YORK IN COMPANY TEST FOR LEAD - ABC EXCLUSIVE STORY

The Center for Environmental Health dropped in on 100 of the country's top retail stores and bought purses.
The stores included, H&M, Kohls, Macys, New York & Company, Target and Walmart.
What the Center for Environmental Health found was that some of those everyday accessories contained lead in levels sometimes 30 to 100 times higher than the federal limit for children's items.
The concern in this study was that the lead in the material that makes up that colorful purse you're carrying around can rub off onto your hands.
And the amount that can rub off onto your hands is more than what California laws allow unless a product wears a warning label that the product carries enough lead to cause cancer and birth defects. "When it's something that mom is carrying around with her all the time, it's rubbing against her clothes, it's rubbing against her kids, it's a place you don't want to have lead," said Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University Dr. Alan Greene, a toxicology and lead expert.
Now H&M clothing store officials say they will test their purses for lead and implement tougher standards at home and abroad.
And companies named in a settlement, will pull the bags from their shelves in California, where the lawsuit was filed.

MEDICAL MARAJUANA BILL

After being approved in several other states, medical marijuana could be coming to Virginia.
Delegate Harvey Morgan of Gloucester is proposing legislation that would make small amounts of marijuana available for medical purposes.
However, Morgan says he hasn't found any co-sponsors for the bills, and he doesn't expect any support from law enforcement.

HASHBROWN RECALL

A Pennsylvania-based supermarket chain is recalling its brand of frozen hash browns.
Giant Eagle is recalling the hash browns because of bacteria found in other food products that were processed at the same plant.
Giant Eagle, which has stores in 4 states including Maryland, is urging customers to either throw out the hash browns or return them for a refund.
No illnesses have been reported.

CRIB RECALL

More than 600-thousand cribs sold by Kmart, Sears and Wal-Mart have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission after several injuries and the suffocation death of a 6-month-old boy.
The recall affects 20 models with both drop sides and fixed front rails.

GRACO RECALL

Graco's Children's Products is recalling 1-point-5 million strollers after several children had their fingers either cut or severed when they placed their fingers in the canopy hinge.
The recalled strollers were made in China and sold by major
retailers nationwide from October 2004 to December 2009. For more
information, consumers can call 800-345-4109 or visit www.cpsc.gov.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS RESEARCH

It could become the first line of defense against multiple sclerosis.
A new study finds an investigational oral compound may be a more effective treatment than an approved, injected medication.
Researchers studied more than one-thousand people between the age of 18 and 55.
They were randomly assigned to receive oral fingolomod capsules or a pill with no medical benefit called a placebo, once a day, for 24-months.
Results show when compared to placebo, those that took the fingolomod pill improved the relapse rate, the risk of disability progression, and the loss of brain tissue.

NORMAL WEIGHT OBESITY
It doesn't sound right, but millions of Americans deal with it everyday.
It's three digits many dread, that number you get when you step on a scale.
Regardless what you do to work off those pounds.
Experts say a good chunk of people should be just as concerned with another number, your body fat percentage. "I was just shocked I though that it was a lot lower and I thought I was healthy," said Monicca Sumpter, a woman who works out regulary.
But, Sumpter, and nearly 30 million other Americans are suffering from normal weight obesity.
For example, for a 5 foot 8 woman like Monica,weighing 140 pounds, is in the normal range.
But, if 42 of those pounds are made up of fat, she would actually be considered normal weight obese.
And that's a red flag, the higher your body fat percentage the more at risk you are for obesity related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. "particularly women with normal weight obesity were two times more likely to die than women with low fat and normal weight," said Doctor Lopez Jimenez.
So how do you lower your body fat?
Experts say resistance training is ke
You can ask your doctor for help to figure out your body fat percentage.
Or there's a test you can do at home.
To learn more, go to the news icon and click on 47 Weblinks.

HEAD LICE MYTH BUSTING

It's a word parents dread to hear, lice.
According to the Mayo Clinic, lice is second to the common cold among communicable diseases affecting school children.
Officials say up to twelve-million cases are treated every year.
Doctors say the condition is harmless and lice does not transmit disease.
The most common myth about head lice is that you get them from poor hygiene.
In fact, lice prefer clean hair.
Another myth is, they can spread to your body, not so, head lice stays on your head.
A final misconception is that lice are jumpers.
Doctors say they don't jump or fly.
They are not airborne.

PRMC HONORED

HEARING-IMPAIRED INMATES SUE

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Hearing-impaired inmates in Virginia are

suing over alleged discrimination.

A lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria

alleges state officials are violating the Americans with

Disabilities Act by limiting access to sign language interpreters.

It also alleges the inmates don't have adequate access to

communication devices and are not given visual notification of

events and safety announcements.

As a result, the lawsuit alleges, the inmates are denied

participation in educational programs and communication with prison

staff and medical personnel.

Department of Corrections spokesman Larry Traylor declined

comment Monday. Calls to the state attorney general and the

Powhatan Correctional Center where the hearing-impaired inmates are

housed were not immediately returned.

AP-NY-02-01-10 1448EST

HEALTH FACILITIES BACKGROUND CHECKS

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware public health officials are working

to ensure that health facilities are conducting criminal background

checks on new employees.

The Department of Health and Social Services is proposing that

nursing homes, home health agencies and other facilities be

required to submit quarterly reports listing new applicant hires.

Officials say the lists will allow the Division of Long Term

Care Residents Protection to cross-check records to ensure that

applicants are being subjected to required criminal history record

checks and pre-employment drug testing.

AP-NY-02-01-10 1246EST

VA AUTISM LEGISLATION

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Legislation that would force health

insurers in Virginia to cover expensive autism treatments faces a

key General Assembly showdown.

A House subcommittee takes up a measure Tuesday by Republican Delegate and Henrico County neurologist John O'Bannon. It also will hear from Donna Shank.

Treatments for her 7-year-old son, Ryan Shank-Rowe, cost about

$30,000 a year and haven't been covered by insurance. It's pushed

her family to the brink financially and emotionally.

Virginia and 34 other states don't mandate insurers to cover a

treatment called applied behavior analysis.

Health insurance and business groups oppose the bill, saying it

would drive up premiums and costs for employers who provide

benefits.

AP-NY-01-31-10 1244EST

http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/fnotes/bil(underscore)0001/sb0181.pdf


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