May 12 Fears of doctor shortages under new health law may have been overblown By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News The headlines were ominous: Good luck finding a doctor under Obamacare. Not enough doctors for newly insured. Obamacare, doctor shortage could crash health system. Despite these dire predictions, the nation’s primary care system is handling the increased number of insured… Continue reading
May 11 Watch New study looks at immunotherapy to treat common cancers By PBS News Hour A study this week says scientists have devised a new approach that represents the blueprint for making immunotherapy available to treat common cancers, and may allow doctors to target what is unique about each person's cancer. Continue watching
May 11 Watch Bannister recalls the day he conquered the four-minute mile By PBS News Hour Just over sixty years ago this week 25-year-old British runner Roger Bannister did what many athletes, and even doctors, had deemed impossible. He broke the four-minute mile. Bannister reflects on the barrier he somehow knew was psychological not physical. Continue watching
May 10 Which country has the highest organ donation rates? By Kristin Miller In the United States, there are currently 122,592 people waiting for an organ. According to Organdoner.gov, the government gateway for information on donation, 18 people die in the United States each day waiting for an organ. Continue reading
May 10 Mothers-to-be gain new options under health care law By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press The health care law has opened up an unusual opportunity for some mothers-to-be to save on medical bills for childbirth. Continue reading
May 10 Watch Can policy changes lead to an increase in organ donations? By PBS News Hour NewsHour Weekend presents a report from Australia about an initiative that has raised organ donation and transplant rates dramatically. Could the same program work in the United States?… Continue watching
May 09 Paralyzed patients successfully move legs after breakthrough treatment By Jordan Vesey Four paraplegic patients who participated in a study were able to voluntarily move their legs again after repeated epidural electrical stimulation of their spinal cords. The study was funded mainly by the Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation, and the results… Continue reading
May 08 Hospitals boost patient safety, but more work is needed By Jordan Rau, Kaiser Health News Two major safety shortcomings in America’s hospitals—the frequency with which patients get hurt during their stays and the large number who are readmitted—have decreased as government penalties and other programs targeting them kick in. Continue reading
May 08 HHS nominee questioned, praised by GOP Senators By Erica Werner, Associated Press President Barack Obama's nominee for health secretary faced pointed questioning Thursday from Republican senators over the president's health law but also won GOP praise in her first appearance before a Senate committee. Continue reading
May 08 Report: Federal exchange a bargain compared to states’ By Julie Rovner, KFF Health News As rocky as its rollout was, it cost the federal exchange an average of $647 of federal tax dollars to sign up each enrollee, according to a new report. It cost an average of $1,503 to sign up each person… Continue reading