Women
Mammogram Recommendation – What to Do Now?
Last week the U.S. Preventive Task Force Services (USPTF) recommended that screening mammograms were no longer routinely required for women in their 40s and that self-breast exam is no longer advised. What!? Is this just cost-cutting or is this good medicine? Read this post to learn more.
How to Lower Prescription Drug Costs
I have an idea about how to lower prescription drug costs and save millions (if not billions) of wasted dollars.
I know how to decrease confusion and eliminate much of the unnecessary anxiety related to prescription drugs. And I know how to decrease the cost of prescription drugs for individuals. How?
Pass a law to make it illegal for drug companies to advertise directly to consumers. Read on see why this is good idea.
Texting While Driving is a Serious Health Risk - Duh!
I know, it’s not you - it’s the other guy. I want to talk about a serous health risk that more than 80 % of us admit to engaging in – texting while driving or talking on a cell phone while driving.
How much faith to you have in yourself as a driver? And how much faith do you have in other drivers? I’m betting you believe you are more competent than most of the drivers with whom you share the road. Be honest, am I right? I think its human nature to find ourselves more competent than everyone else on the road, but when I scrutinize that belief it’s just doesn’t hold up.
Please read this post and get real for a minute about the dangers of texting while driving an automobile or using a cell phone when you are behind the wheel.
Swine Flu Symptoms and When You Need Tamiflu
The swine flu (AKA H1N1) has gotten our attention. At my practice we are getting getting calls from patients asking about the symptoms and for prescriptions for Tamiflu to have at home “just in case”.
In this post I want to explain the symptoms of swine flu and when you do and do not need Tamiflu (oseltamivir) – or the other anti-viral medication, Relenza (zanamivir). Also, I want to give you a link to good information sources about swine flu. There is a lot of hype out there and as this is a story that is still being written, so I want you to have reliable sources for the best information.
Nurse “Edge Runners” Honored by Maverick Health
The Edge Runner program is a part of the Raise the Voice initiative funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and directed by the American Academy of Nursing. It recognizes nursing professionals who are finding new ways to improve and promote the health of patients.
It hasn’t gotten nearly the media play it should, nor have these Edge Runners had as much recognition as they deserve. To honor their achievements Maverick Health is inducting them into its Hall of Fame.
Read on to learn how these innovative nursing professionals are delivering health care that rocks!
“Smart Choices” Food Labels Dishonored in Maverick Health Hall of Shame
This week I am introducing the first of two new categories to my Areas of Focus on the blog – the Maverick Health Hall of Shame and the Maverick Health Hall of Fame. (Next week I will introduce the first Maverick Health Hall of Famer.)
“Smart Choices” is a shameful food labeling campaign bought and paid for by giant food processers. It is a sham and so deserves its place of dishonor in the Hall of Shame. In these days of contentious debate about health and health care reform I want to do what I can to bring fame to those doing good work and shame to those trying to bamboozle us for a quick (or big) buck.
After reading this post if you want to protest this food labeling deception you can sign a petition at this link.
Read on to see why this is SO shameful.
Flu Shots: Who Needs Them and Why
Labor Day has come and gone heralding the end of summer. I’m back here at the blog after a (great) summer break. I hope you had a healthy summer and are ready to move forward this fall and winter continuing to improve your health and speaking out for health care reform.
This post will remind you about immunizations you may need to get in the next 8 weeks and provide an update on the current status of the swine flu vaccine – when it will be given and whether you need to be vaccinated.
NP World News: How NPs Can Reform Health (Care)
NP World News is the official news publication of nurse practitioners. Its contributors and columnists are thought leaders in the NP profession.
This is the third of 5 columns I will write for NPWN this year on subject of NP practice, health and health care reform.
Click “Read Full Post” if you would like to leave a comment.
Beyond Exercise – Fitness Will Save Your Life
There is a lot written about “exercise”. We all know we need to exercise, eat right and control our weight – but most of us don’t do any of those things with enough regularity to change either our shape or our health. If we did 66% of us wouldn’t be overweight and chronic lifestyle diseases like diabetes wouldn’t be epidemic.
In the May 20, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association researchers in Japan analyzed data from 33 previous studies that included a total of 102,980 subjects whose fitness had been measured. They wanted to see how fitness related to developing cardiovascular disease or preventing death.
Read this post to see what they found.
Asbestos - Have You Been Exposed?
The folks at Asbestos.com contacted me to ask me to give you a heads up about mesothelioma, an environmental cancer. If you are like me, when you hear “asbestos” and “mesothelioma”, you think of those TV commercials for lawyers asking you to call them if you know have been exposed.
On page 79 of my book I write: “We are only beginning to understand the extent to which toxins (or poisons) in our environment are increasing the occurrence of cancers. Substances like pesticides, herbicides, asbestos, arsenic, nickel, nuclear waste, and industrial emissions have all been implicated in causing cancer.“
My advice? If you think you are at risk - read this post, contact your health provider, and check out Asbestos.com before your call a lawyer.
