Author: Melissa Patrick
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It’s time to get school-age children vaccinated; state requirements are in place for kindergartners and rising sixth graders
An editorial in the Bowling Green Daily News about the importance of getting your child vaccinated before school starts is applicable to all communities in Kentucky. Health.com State law requires...
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E-cigs: How safe or how risky? Vox reporter looks at evidence
Electronic cigarettes are becoming more popular, but how safe or how risky are they? At this point, the bottom line about e-cigarettes is: “If you’re a chronic smoker looking for...
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Generals ask Congress to renew school nutrition rules, note 73% of young adult Kentuckians too fat to fight, 8th highest in nation
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News A new report from the Department of Defense found that 73 percent of young adults in Kentucky aren’t qualified to serve in the military,...
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CDC report finds heroin use increased by 63 percent since 2002, with greatest increases seen among women and whites
Heroin use increased 63 percent and heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled since 2002, according to a report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As heroin use has increased,...
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CVS Health leaves U.S. Chamber over lobbying for tobacco in foreign countries; Paducah editor calls lobbying ‘thick-headed’
CVS Health announced it would end its membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over reports that the Chamber had lobbied foreign governments to ease restrictions on tobacco sales, Jacob...
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Ky.’s pro-Obamacare policies led to more enrollment and support for it, but many poor are still uninsured and under-informed
Update: This story was updated to reflect the study’s results for those who said they were hurt by and not directly impacted by the ACA. State policy appears to have...
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Pulaski County hits the mark with a community program to get kids up and moving; a great model for other communities to follow
Communities wondering what they could start that is fun, and will also improve the health of local families, might consider hosting something like “The Longest Day of Play,” which Pulaski...
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Centers for Disease Control working to find ways to prevent traumatic brain injury; affects one in five Kentucky households
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is using a public-health approach to find strategies to prevent traumatic brain injuries and reduce the physical, psychological, economic and social impacts...
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Medicaid managed-care firms get new contracts with new rules aimed at resolving health-care providers’ issues with program
Kentucky has signed new contracts with five managed-care firms that will manage Medicaid coverage for more than 1.1 million Kentuckians. Contracts were awarded to Anthem, Coventry Cares, Humana, Passport and...
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As vacation season arrives, here are travel tips for diabetics
It’s vacation season. Traveling offers unique challenges for diabetics, but nothing that careful planning and a few precautions won’t overcome, says the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Image:...