May 12 Watch 7:46 Its economy in shambles, Puerto Rico also stares down the Zika virus By PBS News Hour As if a crumbling economy and crippling debt weren’t enough to handle, Puerto Rico is also in the throes of a new looming crisis: the mosquito-borne Zika virus is gaining ground. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control predicts an astounding… Continue watching
May 10 Too many American women die during pregnancy By Michael Ollove, Stateline The Joint Commission, a nonprofit that accredits health care organizations and programs, calls maternal deaths “sentinel” events. “For every woman who dies, there are 50 who are very ill, suffering significant complications of pregnancy, labor and delivery,” Dr. William Callaghan,… Continue reading
Apr 27 These hospitals are trying to reduce surgeries by inexperienced doctors By Sandra G. Boodman, Kaiser Health News A contentious, long-running battle focuses on the largely unfettered ability of surgeons with minimal expertise to perform high-risk procedures. Continue reading
Apr 21 How Canada is working with indigenous peoples to prevent suicide By Laura Santhanam The Canadian government is working with indigenous communities to improve well-being and prevent suicide. Continue reading
Apr 18 Why genetic counseling is more popular than ever By Todd Bookman, WHYY The sheer number of genetic tests has exploded in the past decade or so. There are now thousands of different testable genetic disorders. Continue reading
Apr 18 Here’s what we know about Zika’s threat to pregnant women By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press Zika may stand convicted of causing devastating birth defects but there still are lots of questions about how much of a threat the virus poses to pregnant women, and what to do about it. Continue reading
Apr 05 What’s behind skyrocketing insulin prices? By Ed Silverman, STAT The cost of insulin more than tripled — from $231 to $736 a year per patient — between 2002 and 2013, according to a new analysis. Continue reading
Mar 22 Disputed health law rule would broaden transgender rights By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press Big companies are pushing back against proposed federal rules they say would require their medical plans to cover gender transition and other services for transgender people. Continue reading
Mar 19 Watch 8:56 South Africa mulls regulating traditional healers for the modern age By Connie Kargbo In South Africa, practitioners of traditional medicine, including herbalists, midwives, and faith healers who claim to speak to ancestors, have historically practiced openly and freely. But the government now aims to formally register and regulate the estimated 250,000 self-described healers,… Continue watching
Mar 11 For this scientist, brain tumors are an artistic inspiration By Corinne Segal An artist-in-residence at a brain tumor research center visualizes the often-unseen issue in ink, paint and text. Continue reading