Author: Melissa Patrick
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At forum on opioid abuse in Corbin, people say they need more treatment services, community education and coalitions
Image from Lauren Osborne, WYMT-TV Mountain News By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News CORBIN, Ky. – After a day of learning and talking about opioid prevention, treatment and mobilization, people at a...
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Air ambulances save lives in rural Kentucky, but are costly; Junction City buys Air Evac memberships for everyone in town
Medical helicopters are especially important to rural Kentucky because they get people to the medical care they need quickly, but this service comes at a cost that many can’t afford,...
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Ky. has plan to keep Zika virus out of state, but needs your help; travelers to Zika-affected areas need to take precautions
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News State officials launched a mosquito prevention campaign May 9 at the Kentucky State University Research Farm near Frankfort as part of the state’s efforts...
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Study shows uninsured rate keeps falling, preventive services are popular and rural hospitals have more uncompensated care
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The share of Kentuckians without health insurance continues to drop, and new Medicaid enrollees continue to take advantage of free preventive health services, according...
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Many Americans, including those on Obamacare plans, can’t afford their health-insurance deductibles, studies show
The United States has entered the era of high out-of-pocket medical cost as a way to keep insurance premiums low, but recent studies have found that many Americans are having...
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Beshear calls for transparency as Bevin and feds work on Medicaid changes and stakeholders prepare to meet Thursday
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Former Gov. Steve Beshear sent an open letter to Gov. Matt Bevin and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell May 9, accusing his...
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Childhood obesity rates continue to rise nationally while Ky.’s rate has leveled off, but 1/3 of kids are still overweight or obese
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Nationally, childhood obesity rates are not declining and severe obesity rates are still rising, especially among minority children. However, in Kentucky, child obesity rates...
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Three more Kentucky counties get needle exchanges; several others discussing, some debating; most are in early stages
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Harrison, Pike and Knox counties are the latest in Kentucky to approve a needle-exchange program, bringing the total number of counties to 14, and...
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Study says intravenous drug users in almost half of Kentucky’s counties are at high risk of getting hepatitis C or HIV
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News A preliminary report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 220 counties in the United States as being most vulnerable...
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FDA to regulate e-cigs: ban sales to minors, require warning signs, require federal approval; did not address advertising issues
In a long-anticipated move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced May 5 that it is assuming regulatory authority over all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, cigars, hookah, tobacco and...