Author: Melissa Patrick
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Kentucky’s breastfeeding rate is one of the lowest in the U.S.
Photo: Kybreastfeeding.com (Click link for more information) By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says breastfeeding is a key strategy to improve public...
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Louisville man, 73, first this year to die from West Nile virus; officials remind Kentuckians to wear bug repellent when outside
State health officials have confirmed that a 73-year-old Louisville man died from the West Nile Virus during the week ended Sept. 17. Beth Fisher, spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and...
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Ky. confirms 10 flu cases; vaccination (not nasal spray) urged, but some experts tell seniors to wait a bit for best protection
image: www.lex18.com State health officials report that Kentucky has 10 confirmed cases of influenza already this year, suggesting flu season could be starting early. The cases are in Bullitt, Fayette...
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Howard L. Bost Health Policy Forum to be held in Lexington Sept. 19; focus will be on ‘Health as an Economic Driver’
It’s not too late to sign up for the 14th annual Howard L. Bost Health Policy Forum, titled “Health as an Economic Driver,” to be held at the Marriott Griffin...
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Kentucky Health News reporter gets fellowship to report on rural health workforce issues, with a focus on nurses
Melissa Patrick Melissa Patrick, reporter for Kentucky Health News, has been named 2016-2017 Nursing and Health Care Workforce Media Fellow for the Center for Health, Media & Policy. Patrick, a former...
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Kentucky’s uninsured rate drops to 6 percent; states that expanded Medicaid, like Kentucky, saw the greatest drops
The share of Kentuckians without health insurance dropped by more than half from 2013 to 2015, bringing it down to only 6 percent of the state’s population, from 14.3 percent, according...
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Sipping on sugary drinks ruins teeth, perhaps more from the acid in them; it’s almost as corrosive as battery acid, VA dentist says
Many of us constantly sip on a soft drink, especially in Kentucky, but the habit could be ruining our teeth. Most soft drinks have sugar, acid or both and repeated...
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Sept. 23 is deadline to apply for grants that can be used for syringe exchanges; 17 approved, but few in high-risk counties
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The state Office of Drug Control Policy is offering competitive grants to local boards of the Agency for Substance Abuse Policy for them to use toward...
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Feds reject Ohio’s Medicaid proposal, which was a lot like Ky.’s; federal comment period for Kentucky plan runs through Oct. 8
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rejected Ohio’s new Medicaid plan Friday, saying it could lead to the state’s low-income people losing health...
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Open comment period begins today for Gov. Matt Bevin’s Medicaid request to feds for Medicaid waiver; ends Oct. 8
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Kentuckians have 30 days to let the federal government know what it thinks about Gov. Matt Bevin’s new Medicaid plan, starting today and ending...