Author: Melissa Patrick
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New health chief says drug crisis takes up most of his time; wants to guide kids to make better choices about tobacco, drugs, alcohol
Dr. Hiram Polk By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News One of new Public Health Commissioner Hiram Polk’s top priorities is to create an early-childhood education program to help Kentucky’s children...
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10 Ky. health departments nationally accredited, 30 in pipeline
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Ten Kentucky health departments are now nationally accredited, with about 30 more in the pipeline, placing Kentucky third in the country for the number...
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Report shows race and ethnicity matter when it comes to health
When it comes to health, your race and ethnicity matter, says a recent Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky report. A study of federal and state polling data found that multiracial...
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Giving employees money to spend on local produce could improve their health, lower insurance costs, pilot program shows
Photo: Charles Bertram, Lexington Herald-Leader A pilot program that gave Lexington-area employees money to spend on fresh, local produce boosted their health and local agriculture, Janet Patton reports for the...
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New guidelines recommend no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day and one sugared drink a week for children and teens
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Children and teens should consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugars a day and drink no more than one 8-ounce sugar-sweetened beverage...
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Bevin submits formal Medicaid proposal to federal government, largely unchanged from his draft; negotiations come next
By Melissa Patrick and Al Cross Kentucky Health News Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration formally submitted its revised Medicaid plan to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell Aug. 24, leaving largely unchanged...
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Bevin joins lawsuit that targets federal transgender rule, saying it will force health-care providers to provide ‘controversial services’
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Gov. Matt Bevin has joined a lawsuit that challenges a federal rule guaranteeing transgender people equal treatment by insurers and medical providers. “Not only...
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Several Kentucky schools start school year with new programs to get their students moving, to improve both learning and health
As the new school year begins, several Kentucky schools are working to increase student movement, with one elementary school in Louisville investing in a programs to increase student movement in...
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Nursing-home rating tool has added 5 new quality measures; here are tips for choosing a facility, and Kentucky’s worst-rated
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Choosing a nursing home is a daunting task and often done in the middle of a crisis, but it doesn’t have to be if...
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Pharmacy benefit managers secretly decide which prescription drugs are covered or not, critics call for more transparency
lexisnexis.com Every year, pharmacy benefit managers in the United States decide which prescription drugs are excluded from health insurance plans, and this list is determined by a secret board of...