Author: Elizabeth B

In a new lawsuit filed this week, lawyers for 23 coal companies owned by Gov. Jim Justice and his family argue that federal courts cannot hold the companies in contempt for failure to pay fines because they can’t afford them. The memorandum, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia and first reported by West Virginia MetroNews reporter Brad McElhinney, came after the federal government took steps earlier this month to hold the companies in contempt of court for owing about $600,000 in mine health and safety fines assessed at the companies’ mines over the past…

British health officials have rejected a drug that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, saying the benefits are not big enough to justify the costs of the treatment and close monitoring of patients for signs of “serious side effects”.Administered twice a month, lecanemab removes sticky clumps of amyloid-beta protein in the brain that are thought to be a hallmark of the disease. The drug is not a cure, but in clinical trials the treatment slowed cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimer’s patients by 27% compared with a placebo.Britain’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), gave the…

COSTA MESA, Calif. (KABC) — Hospitals, clinics and the city of Costa Mesa launched a street health program this week to provide both medical and social service services to homeless people.Residents who live near Lions Park in Costa Mesa frequently encounter homeless people while walking around.Anderson Seale was out walking his dog, Brutus, on Wednesday morning.”They’re going to be lined up across here,” Seale said.He is aware of the impact homelessness has on many of them.”There’s a lot of things that aren’t being taken into consideration in terms of health, nutrition, that sort of thing,” Seale said.CalOptima Health has partnered…

Health authorities said the patient had travelled from Africa and ordered new arrivals from 42 “risk countries” to get tested.Thailand has confirmed its first case in Asia of the more contagious and deadly MPOX virus. The disease control agency confirmed on Thursday that a 66-year-old European patient who had travelled to Saudi Arabia from Africa was infected with lineage 1b of the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global public health emergency regarding clade 1b, a strain that is transmitted through casual contact and causes death in about 3.6% of cases. The variant is causing a surge…

From an early age, Idania Rodriguez understood the importance of being confident, speaking up and advocating for herself and others.Rodriguez watched and learned from her parents as they struggled to build a new life for their three children. Moving from Puerto Rico to Tampa, Florida was not an easy transition. At times, her family struggled to make ends meet, but their strength and perseverance never wavered.From their examples, Rodriguez learned how to harness her own voice and use it to help those around her.Rodriguez, a freshman at Carolina University, founded the nonprofit Mental H2O when she was 16. Inspired by…

Last October, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot shut down the engines and nearly crashed the plane. That story is covered in “Lie to Fly,” and while it may sound like a rehash of the kind of graphic crime stories often featured on shows like “Dateline,” it’s not. “Lie to Fly,” the latest installment in FX’s “New York Times Presents” documentary series, offers a moving and engrossing look at not only why this man descended into psychosis but also why it has to do with what many experts say are counterproductive FAA rules on the use of mental health and anxiety…

STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ReFocus Eye Health is pleased to announce its newest partnership with Dulles Eye Associates. This collaboration represents ReFocus Eye Health’s commitment to expanding world-class eye care in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and Northern Virginia.Founded by Dr. Ahmed Nasrullah, Dulles Eye Associates’ five clinicians provide comprehensive eye care to patients throughout the Northern Virginia area with offices in Lansdowne, Annandale and Reston. ReFocus Eye Health and Dulles Eye Associates Partner to Expand Delivery of World-Class Eye Care in Washington, DC and Virginia “When evaluating potential partners, ReFocus Eye Health stood out. Their experience…

If you have a child heading off to college this month, you may vaguely remember an email from the school about student health insurance.Most elite private universities and many public colleges automatically enroll students in student health insurance plans, which, on average, cost $2,924 a year at public universities and $3,874 a year at private universities for the 2023-24 academic year, according to an industry survey of top universities.And the thing is, many students don’t need that.Colleges often require students to have comprehensive health insurance, and student health insurance essentially exists to cover students who arrive on campus without insurance.Some…

Jeff Thomas, former CEO of Frontier Behavioral Health, built his legacy as a key architect of the region’s transition to integrated mental health care, a practice that considers both physical and mental health. Thomas, who died a year ago from respiratory complications, worked hard to ensure these services were available to everyone who needed them. Now a local college scholarship and a Frontier outpatient facility are named after him. The Jeff Thomas Behavioral Health Scholarship and Fund was established at Eastern Washington University by the Coordinating Care Organization. The scholarship is intended to improve access to higher education for underrepresented…

New Zealand’s project to build a national health information platform has been put on hold due to cuts to its digital health budget. In a statement to Healthcare IT News, Te Whatu Ora (New Zealand Ministry of Health) director of digital channels Michael Dreyer confirmed that the Hira project had been suspended. “After completing the first phase of Gila and building a solid foundation for the project, we are pausing the project to consider future plans.” He said Hira would form part of Te Whātu Ora’s 10-year infrastructure investment plan, which is currently being developed and could reportedly be published…