Author: Melissa Patrick
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Study shows a decline in obesity rates in preschool children; Kentucky ranks 6th in obesity among pre-kindergartners
The rate of obesity in preschool-age children dropped about two-fifths over the past decade, according to a federal health survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Betsy...
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Rural children are more likely to be obese, but rural communities have several strategies to fight the problem
Children living in rural areas are about 25 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than children in urban areas, studies show. Rural communities have come up with several...
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Henderson County jumps into the fight against childhood obesity, a major problem in Kentucky
Henderson County is investing in a holistic program to battle childhood obesity, a huge problem in Kentucky, Erin Schmitt reports for the Henderson Gleaner. Childhood obesity is at 18 percent...
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Bill to create panels to review medical-malpractice lawsuits passes Senate committee
UPDATE, Feb. 20: The Senate passed the bill 23-13, but House Speaker Greg Stumbo said he does not expect it to make any progress in the House. By Melissa Patrick...
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Kentucky hospitals disagree on how to battle MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant and highly contagious bacteria that plagues them
Hospitals agree that precautions must be taken to fight the potentially deadly super bug MRSA, but they differ in their approaches, Laura Ungar reports for The Courier-Journal. Swab kits are...
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Poll finds 52% of Ky. adults favor legalizing medical marijuana
A slight majority of Kentuckians favor allowing the use of medical marijuana in Kentucky, according to the latest Bluegrass Poll by SurveyUSA for four Kentucky news media outlets. The poll...
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Less than a third of school districts in Ky., which has high child-obesity rates, are in program to increase physical activity
Fifty-four of Kentucky’s 173 school districts have joined a national initiative to increase physical activity in schools, and school officials hope other school districts will soon join in. Let’s Move...
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Patient care, hospitals’ future at stake as smaller hospitals lag behind larger ones in electronic health records
Electronic health records have been hailed as a great boon to patients and health-care providers, but the next phase of their implementation poses obstacles for many small, independent hospitals, Jennifer...
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Pharmacy chain with 65 Ky. stores will stop selling tobacco
CVS Caremark pharmacies will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products in all of its 7,600 U.S. stores by Oct. 1. Kentucky has 65 CVS Caremark stores. This is the...
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Study says overweight kids become overweight teens
If a child is overweight in kindergarten, she probably will be in eighth grade, says a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. And if your baby was...