Science and Tech

Health officials in Virginia this week consider emergency regulations which could severely restrict abortion clinics in that state.  The regulations are in response to a bill signed into law by Governor McDonnell earlier this year.  It requires the state to draft emergency regulations to treat abortion clinics as hospitals.  If approved, the regulations would go into effect December 31st and would be in place until permanent regulations are enacted.  It’s an effort to make the clinics safer, says Chris Freund of the Family Foundation of Virginia.

A complaint has been filed against the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners saying a task force it created never complied with state law before deciding optometrists could perform certain laser eye surgery procedures.

If you want to avoid the sneezing, fever, and body aches associated with the flu, doctors say now would be a good time to get a flu shot. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department announced Thursday that it is once again offering flu shots at the Public Health Clinic North on Newtown Circle. The vaccine is recommended for people ages 6 months and older. 

A Kentucky health advocacy group has joined about 50 similar organizations across the country in urging Congress to open hospital accreditation surveys for public access. The group includes Kentucky-based Health Watch USA; Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine; and Mothers Against Medical Error. Dr. Kevin Kavanagh, a Somerset physician who heads Health Watch USA, contends that making the survey results public would give patients more information about hospitals' operations, including their efforts to prevent hospital-acquired infections, and foster greater transparency.

A Winchester nursing home has been placed on the federal government's list of troubled facilities in the United States, joining nursing homes in Lexington and Pikeville on the roster. Fountain Circle Health and Rehabilitation in Winchester has been on the list more than two months, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The Appalachian Regional Commission is joining with Kentucky’s higher education community, in hopes of improving dental health in eastern Kentucky.  In addition to the A-R-C, the partnership involves the University of Kentucky, the University of Pikeville, and Morehead State University.  The main goal is to increase the number of practicing dentists in Appalachia through better training, recruitment and educational assistance.

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center released statistics Tuesday saying that it has a much higher rate of long-term survival for an array of cancers than Kentucky at large — and in some cases, higher rates than patients treated nationwide. UK officials, including Dr. Mark Evers, director of the Markey Cancer Center, said that the numbers, collected from 1995 to 2007, are significant because Markey as an academic medical center often treats patients who have advanced or complex cancers.

The world population is expected to reach nine billion in the next 50 years. On top of that, the growing middle class in China and other developing countries is adapting a western-style diet…the type of diet that many healthy food advocates say isn’t sustainable, not for humans and not for the environment. Slow Food International is one organization that’s pushing for a return to more traditional eating styles. The head of the organization, Paolo di Croce, visited slow food advocates in Louisville this week. He also sat down with WFPL’s Gabe Bullard to discuss the global lifestyle changes that need to take place in order to foster good, clean and fair food. 

The debate over sharing medical records via the internet continues tomorrow during a summit in northern Kentucky.  A deputy director with the Governor’s Office of Electronic Health Information says a quick exchange of information can save lives and money.

Being diagnosed with is a scary experience, but Suzi Shoemaker of Midway says a screening program at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center saved her life. In 2006 doctors discovered she had ovarian cancer. "I had the advantage of a team of people who could find out what was wrong and give me the best possible chance for survival at that initial point." 

The two sides in a longstanding health care contract dispute have announced an agreement. Humana, Incorporated and University Physicians Associates say they’ve reached a contract that will become effective October 1. UPA is a group of hundreds of doctors affiliated with the University of Louisville.

Bullitt County is waiting to hearing whether smoking will be banned in restaurants, bars and other public places. A county judge is expected to make a decision before Sept. 19, when the ban is scheduled to take effect. The Bullitt County Health Department passed a smoking ban that puts restrictions on where people may smoke, citing health reasons for the ban. But the county government says it can’t do that.

Boyle County Senior Citizens Center may soon become a testing ground for using computer technology to bridge mental and generational divides for the elderly. On Tuesday, Jack York, founder and president of It’s Never 2 Late, gave a presentation for the staff and community members to show what his company has been doing at nursing homes for many years. The Colorado-based company uses 23-inch Hewlett Packard touch screens with large icons leading to interactive programs that can be accessed by even those with severe cases of dementia.

The hospital merger that is meant to enhance care across Kentucky will result in some procedures being moved to facilities outside of the merger.The University of Louisville has expanded its decade-old partnership with Baptist Hospital East to relocate procedures that will eventually be banned at U of L Hospital. The hospital is merging with Jewish Hospital and a division of Catholic Health Initiatives. Afterward, all doctors will have to follow Catholic care directives in merged facilities. That means women will not be able to have their tubes tied at University Hospital.

Gov. Steve Beshear will welcome leaders from multiple Appalachian states to Prestonsburg next week to consider the best ways to improve health for the families and children of Appalachia.  The annual Appalachian Regional Commission Conference will be held at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park Sept. 7-9. This year’s conference theme, “Healthy Families: Healthy Futures,” will focus on the unique health challenges of the Appalachian region. Health experts and community leaders from across Appalachia will examine key health issues and highlight successful health-care programs throughout the multi-state area.

The Owen County school system has stopped using an old building as its athletic teams field house after concerns surfaced that at least two cases of MRSA could be traced down to the building. For now, school sports teams are using the cafeteria of a former middle school until the district can build a new field house.

Officials at Maysville Community and Technical College are advising faculty and students to be aware bed bugs have been discovered in the college's tutoring center in the Administration wing of the Maysville Campus.  MCTC President Dr. Ed Story sent a notice out Friday, alerting personnel and students the Buffalo Trace Health Department was contacted. The tutoring center and surrounding areas were closed Friday and being treated by exterminators.

FRANKFORT – About 25,000 Kentucky children in Appalachia will receive preventive oral health services through a new pilot program called Smiling Schools, Gov. Steve Beshear announced Thursday. The program is funded through a $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission and $250,000 in state general fund dollars.

Because they developed and implemented innovative practices in both process improvement and management, Kentucky River Community Care recently picked up a pair of national awards. The Jackson-based private, non-profit Community Mental Health Center was the only organization from Kentucky to win the awards, and one of five groups who took the six national honors. They were recognized as leaders in the field of behavioral healthcare, and presented with the second annual “iAward”.