Author: traci_thomas
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Illnesses and possible flu outbreaks close schools for the week
Several counties throughout Kentucky have closed schools for the remainder of the week due to multiple illnesses “in response to what public health officials are calling a possible flu outbreak...
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Noted heart surgeon found guilty of health care fraud; exaggerated patient conditions to get Medicare payments
Dr. Richard Paulus (Ashland Independent photo) In the latest judgment of health-care fraud in Kentucky, a well-respected cardiologist in Ashland was found guilty last week of performing unnecessary heart procedures...
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Nonprofit grades hospitals on patient safety; the 52 ranked in Ky. improved slightly, but the state still ranks relatively low
By Traci Thomas Kentucky Health News A nonprofit group that rates hospitals released its patient-safety scores Monday, giving most Kentucky hospitals a ‘B’ or ‘C’. The scores are similar to...
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Feds give UK $19.8 million second-round grant to bring health research into communities in Kentucky and Central Appalachia
By Al Cross and Traci Thomas Kentucky Health News A four-year, $19.8 million research grant to the University of Kentucky will bring better health care for people in Kentucky and...
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Kentucky behavioral health specialist says the state has been ‘epicenter’ of the nation’s addiction epidemic for almost 20 years
Though the United States’ addiction problem and overdose deaths has sparked national attention, the epidemic in Kentucky dates back to the late 1990s. Geoff Wilson, a Lexington-based substance abuse counselor, said...
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Study: Ky. kids have more access to oral health care, but still have poor outcomes; 1/2 in Appalachia have untreated cavities
By Melissa Patrick and Traci Thomas Kentucky Health News The oral health of Kentucky’s school children is getting worse, even though access to oral health care is better now than...
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Smoking marijuana isn’t the biggest concern for your doctor, unless perhaps he or she is a Republican
Marijuana use is not among your doctor’s major worries, but that might depend on his or her politics, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy...
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Anthem Blue Cross touts its program to help curb opioid abuse, limiting high-risk members to one pharmacy
The opioid epidemic seems to be focused on heroin, but that’s only part of the picture, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield President Deb Moessner writes in an op-ed for...
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How much do motorcycle helmets reduce the risk of head injuries? A lot, UK study shows
Image from Fox News It goes without saying that wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of head injuries while riding a motorcycle, but a study at the University of Kentucky backs...
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UK College of Public Health study links diabetes to poor blood flow in the brain, but not to Alzheimer’s disease
Diabetes has been linked to cerebrovascular disease, a cognitive disorder that restricts blood flow to the brain, according to a study at the University of Kentucky. Though cerebrovascular disease “is...