11/22/2009

Flu Update
Concerned that holiday travel may increase the spread of swine flu, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a launched a “Travel Health” campaign, listing four steps everyone can take to prevent transmission. “As families gather over the holiday, we might see an increase in influenza or other infectious disease activities, but there’s a lot all of us can do to reduce the spread of flu,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

11/21/2009

Flu Update
Vaccinations

R.I. insurers required to pay for annual mammograms at age 40
In response to reports questioning the effectiveness of mammography, the state health commissioner announced on Thursday that Rhode Island law still requires health insurers to pay for mammograms.

11/29/2009

Not every cancer progresses, but no one knows why
Rare cases force experts to revisit their theories

Men get breast cancer, too
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — When death came calling 18 months ago, Val Lucier put it in its place.

11/20/2009

$227 million
BY THE NUMBERS

Flu Update
Vaccinations

11/19/2009

R.I. swine flu cases decline sharply
But Health Department reports two women with underlying health conditions died recently

Brown professor says swine flu ‘could get much worse’
PROVIDENCE — Physicians should treat the high fever and dry cough of classic flu promptly with antiviral medications, whether or not patients test positive for H1N1, the virus which is making people sick in epidemic proportions.

Flu Update
Vaccinations

11/18/2009

Community help sought for flu shots
State asking religious groups in Providence to spread word about importance

Flu Update
Vaccinations

11/17/2009

Flu update: Today’s question
Q. Can you please tell me when the H1N1 vaccine will be available to people with compromised immune systems?

R.I. reduces Medigap insurance rates sought by private companies
Hikes of only 3 percent to 4 percent will save $1 million, insurance commissioner says

11/16/2009

Flu Update
Q. My 4-year-old son has not been able to get vaccinated against swine flu, even though he has asthma. His pediatrician says she does not have the vaccine. Why not? Are preschoolers being forced to wait until after all the school-age children get their shots first?

11/15/2009

Get free flu shots on Tuesday, Thursday
People without health insurance can get free shots against the seasonal flu –– not swine flu or H1N1 –– at the Rhode Island Free Clinic on Tuesday and Thursday.

11/14/2009

Flu Update
Absenteeism rates at Rhode Island schools continue to drop, with a statewide average of 7.3 percent on Thursday. That’s down from the peak of 11.2 percent on Oct. 30 and again on Nov. 2 — but higher than 2008 averages, which hovered around 6 percent.

11/22/2009

Health Matters
The Arthritis Foundation will sponsor a free public seminar, “Inflammatory Arthritis: Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis,” Dec. 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bayside Family YMCA, 70 West St., Barrington.

Smart holiday dining
Eat breakfast, be a picky eater, skip the drinks, take a walk

11/13/2009

Lawmakers asked to be wary of reform injustices
PROVIDENCE — A nonprofit group fighting bias and racism is sending a message to Rhode Island’s congressional delegation:

Flu Update
Vaccinations

11/12/2009

R.I. pediatricians swamped by parents concerned about flu
Doctors report long hours and twice as many patients as they usually see in a day

State OKs new nursing program
New England Institute of Technology to welcome its first class of 50 nursing students in March

R.I. has plenty of vaccine for expectant moms
Clinics scheduled Saturday in Providence, Woonsocket, Wakefield for pregnant women

Flu Update
Vaccinations

11/11/2009

Senate Democrats seek passage of health-care bills by Christmas
Debate could begin next week though abortion remains stumbling block

Flu update
WASHINGTON — Against the backdrop of the H1N1 flu pandemic, congressional Democrats are pushing for emergency sick-leave legislation and using the crisis to garner support for a wider-ranging bill, both of which they say would help prevent a more rapid spread of the virus by mandating that employers provide workers paid time off.

11/10/2009

R.I. Hospital receives $11-million stem-cell grant
Doctor awarded money to aid in research of cell-repair mechanisms

Flu update: Nov. 10
Q. If infants are too small, or too young, to receive the H1N1 flu shot, then how can a pregnant woman get the shot without it affecting the unborn child?

11/09/2009

Flu Update
Q. I have three children at colleges out of state. I am concerned about them receiving the swine flu vaccination. Are there any plans for college-age students to get the vaccination over their Thanksgiving or Christmas breaks?

11/08/2009

Flu Update
Q. My son, age 13, just got the regular flu shot, and his school is giving the H1N1 shot on Nov. 18. Is that too soon? Does he need to wait a certain amount of time between the different types of flu shots?

11/07/2009

Number of students receiving swine flu shots varied widely
But health officials are concerned that turnout for vaccine in Providence lags results elsewhere

R.I. flu update
You can learn more about H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, from an expert at Roger Williams Medical Center.

11/15/2009

Mediterranean diet may be good for your head, too
A diet rich in nuts, fish, vegetables, legumes and olive oil may even decrease depression

Boomer times for medical breakthroughs
Growing older is getting a little easier thanks to a new generation of advances in surgery and healing

11/06/2009

Pregnant R.I. women line up for shots
More vaccine is coming, but for those yet to be inoculated there is good reason to worry

Flu Update
In a change of policy, the Health Department plans to organize a clinic or clinics offering swine-flu vaccinations to school-aged Rhode Islanders who attend private schools out of state. Originally, these children were supposed to attend clinics in their schools, but there were too many variations in the vaccine programs in neighboring states.

Small supply of vaccine for seasonal flu arrives in R.I.
After weeks of shortages, some doses of seasonal-flu vaccine have become available.

R.I. bar association plans legal clinic for seniors
The Rhode Island Bar Association is hosting legal clinics to help guide senior citizens in authorizing someone to make health-care decisions on their behalf should they become unable make choices themselves.

11/05/2009

Swine flu in R.I.: It’s hand-to-hand combat in the war on germs
Sales of hand sanitizer skyrocket as schoolchildren, office workers and others heed health officials’ advice

Swine-flu death confirmed
The state Health Department has confirmed that the middle-aged woman who died Monday had swine flu, and swine flu was the cause of death.

Wash your hands
Wash your hands

Flu update: Two hospitals put restrictions on visits
Children under 18 and anyone exhibiting flu-like symptoms are prohibited from visiting patients at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence and Westerly Hospital as a precautionary measure against spreading swine flu, the hospitals announced Wednesday.

Hasbro Children’s Hospital reports seeing record numbers in ER
The emergency room at Hasbro Children’s Hospital has seen record-breaking numbers of children in recent days, nearly double the number seen earlier this year.

11/04/2009

H1N1 to blame for girl’s death; new case probed
Health officials confirmed Tuesday that the 12-year-old Lincoln girl who died over the weekend did have swine flu, and revealed that a middle-aged woman died Monday of a suspected case.

Get your swine-flu questions answered on the air
If you’re looking for answers to questions about swine flu, Wednesday is your day.

Flu update: Tamiflu doesn’t work if you wait
A recent check of prescribing data from pharmacies around the state found that 15 percent of Tamiflu prescriptions were filled five days after they were written.

11/03/2009

Flu Update
www.ride.ri.gov/Applications/attendanceReports.aspx). The figures, for all public and private schools, are drawn from the previous school day.

Hospital fined for wrong-site surgery
For operating on the wrong finger of a patient, Rhode Island Hospital will have to pay a $150,000 fine and have surgeries monitored for a year

11/02/2009

Vaccinations begin at R.I. schools
The first school-based clinics to vaccinate children against swine flu begin Monday at 10 elementary schools. The clinics, which are free and voluntary, will be held in the afternoon or evening for grade-schoolers.

Flu update: Vaccinations schedule
Vaccinations

11/01/2009

Why do people refuse to get flu vaccines?
As Rhode Island prepares for the start of school-based swine-flu clinics Monday, one of the biggest unknowns is how many children will actually get the vaccine.

Nationwide, 114 children died of swine flu since April
Nineteen more children died of pandemic H1N1 influenza in the week ending Oct. 24, bringing the total to 65 since Aug. 30 and to 114 since the beginning of the pandemic in April, according to the newest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two-thirds of those children had underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a Friday news conference. In a normal flu season, 40 to 50 children die, so the swine flu is affecting children much more severely than seasonal flu. Comparable numbers are not available for adults because there are no similar reporting requirements for them.

Q&A: Is the flu vaccine safe?
Q. Why do health officials keep saying that the swine flu vaccine is safe and NOT new, when the virus itself is new?

10/31/2009

Flu Update
With the seasonal flu season starting, more people are visiting the emergency room at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, but spokeswoman Ellen Slingsby says, “It’s not a record.”

11/08/2009

Workout shoes now a shopper’s dilemma
The right pair of exercise shoes can do a lot to prevent discomfort and injuries, personal trainers say. Here are some shopping tips:

Health Matters
www.ritutorial.org.

Gym mishaps not that common
Surely our friendly neighborhood health clubs, supposedly temples of longevity and Lycra, cannot actually be injurious to our health.

Funny faces are new exercise trend
Now there’s an excuse for making funny faces behind your boss’s back at the office. Just say that you’re exercising.

10/30/2009

Chat: R.I. health director addresses concerns over swine flu
Dr. David Gifford, the director of the R.I. Department of Health, returned to projo.com on Friday, Oct. 30, for his second live chat on swine flu, as the H1N1 virus becomes widespread in Rhode Island.

R.I. health director may have the flu
PROVIDENCE — The state’s health director is down with the flu, or something like it.

Some religious rituals curtailed by bishop
Parishioners advised to avoid handshakes and hugging during Catholic Mass

R.I. parents want high-risk children to be vaccinated first
Parents who say their children are at high risk challenge state’s method of distribution

Flu Update
Q. A member of our household is being tested for swine flu. If he has it, how likely are the rest of us to carry the infection to others? We have isolated the sick individual and wear masks and disinfect our hands after visiting him.

State says health insurer finances are healthy
While profits, surpluses dip, still well off compared with New England counterparts

Kennedy, Tobin agree to meet
The two are locked in a dispute over health-care reform and how it deals with abortion

R.I. foundation raises $42,000 for breast-cancer programs through race, WaterFire
PROVIDENCE — The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation raised $42,000 during a recent race through downtown Providence, said Bryan Sawyer, director of special events.

Study of Providence children: Even slightly high lead levels hurt abilities
Half the Providence students in a new study fell short of reading readiness standards

10/29/2009

R.I. Health Department confirms that swine flu killed 12-year-old girl
The 12-year-old Bristol girl who died Monday had been infected with swine flu, test results confirmed Wednesday.

R.I. flu update – answers to questions
Q. My children had mild flu-like symptoms this past week, which they seem to have gotten over. If it was swine flu (and I do not know if it was), would the swine flu vaccination still be necessary? Would it be okay to receive it?

2 R.I. hospitals set to affiliate in 2010
Business arrangement linking St. Joseph Health Services and Roger William OK’d by attorney general

10/28/2009

Bristol girl with flu-like symptoms dies
The 12-year-old Portsmouth student had experienced mild flu symptoms

Flu can leave children vulnerable to infection
A child may appear to be recovering only to suddenly fall seriously ill once again

FLU UPDATE
Q. My grandson, age 10, has been hospitalized with asthma attacks this year. The elementary school he attends will be distributing vaccinations on Dec. 4. We feel that this is a long time to wait. Is there somewhere we can take him sooner?

Memorial Hospital announces working relationship with Brigham & Women’s
Memorial Hospital announces working relationship with Brigham & Women’s

10/27/2009

Group works on health bill in R.I.
HealthRIght has received a grant to enable it to draft health-care reform legislation.

Flu update
Q. The photo in Saturday’s Journal showed a person learning to give a shot on an orange. Shouldn’t our children’s flu shots be given by medically trained providers?

10/26/2009

Why swine flu vaccine is still in such short supply
Production of the anxiously awaited vaccine has proven to be more difficult than many first thought.

Flu update
Vaccinations

10/25/2009

Flu update
Vaccinations

10/24/2009

Another wrong-site surgery at R.I. Hospital
An orthopedic surgeon at Rhode Island Hospital operated on the wrong finger during outpatient hand surgery on Thursday, the fifth in a string of wrong-site surgeries at the hospital over the past 2½ years.

Health Dept. releases school flu-shot schedule
The state has prepared a preliminary schedule of school-based clinics to vaccinate children against swine flu, starting with 58 schools during the week of Nov. 2.

Flu update
PROVIDENCE — Women & Infants Hospital, like several other Rhode Island hospitals, is restricting visitors during flu season, the hospital announced Friday. It noted that pregnant women, new mothers, newborns and women being treated for cancer are particularly vulnerable to influenza — both seasonal flu and H1N1 (swine flu).

11/01/2009

HEALTH MATTERS
Southcoast Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care and Infusion Services has a new “Caring for Caregivers” program. Drs. Robert and Barbara Greene discuss how caregivers can care for themselves as they care for others.

Women must learn to put themselves first, experts say
Women who fret about their children’s doctor appointments and their husband’s aches and pains often put their own health last.

10/23/2009

Flu update
www.kenthospital.org and Dr. David Lowe, Kent’s infectious disease specialist, will post the answers.

EPA, First Student reach settlement over bus emissions
First Student agrees to retrofit buses with equipment that will reduce harmful emissions and will install GPS-based systems on buses to track their idling.

10/22/2009

Athletes on the defensive when it comes to flu
High school athletes in Rhode Island have been advised to avoid contact such as high-fives in an effort to reduce the risk of spreading flu germs.

10/25/2009

Breathing is the key to good exercise
My favorite thing about yoga classes — other than the part at the end when you get to lie down and act like a corpse — is that the instructors always remind me to breathe. Pretty much without fail, whenever I get the cue “Don’t hold your breath,” I am. And as soon as I go for a deep, belly-expanding inhale, I feel amazingly able and at ease.

Health Matters
The fall survivorship lecture series addressing life after cancer treatment continues this week and next at Miriam Hospital. The lectures are free and open to the public and will be held in the 2nd floor Steve Baron Lecture Hall, Fain Building, Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Ave., Providence, Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7. Interpersonal relationships will be discussed Tuesday. Sexuality will be discussed Nov. 3. No registration is necessary. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call Ellen Therrien at (401) 793-2909.

Study: Alcohol, sleep apnea don’t mix
For sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea, it doesn’t take much for performance, precision and alertness to degrade dramatically. It doesn’t take much alcohol, and it doesn’t take many hours of sleep deficit either, for things to get really dangerous, new research has found.

Get the most out of your workout
DAYTON, Ohio — Ever wonder if you are getting the most benefit from your current workout program? Here are some important guidelines: