Health

Legionnaire's Bacteria Found at Pittsburgh-Area VA Clinic

The Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:46:18 +0000

A Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs clinic in a suburban mall has been closed so crews can superheat its tap water to kill bacteria that cause Legionnaire's disease.

Officials don't believe anyone has become ill from water at the clinic in the Washington Crown Center mall in North Franklin Township, about 20 miles southwest of Pittsburgh in Washington County.

That's according to Brandon Blatt, a vice president of Sterling Medical Corp. of Cincinnati, which leases and runs the clinic under a contract with the VA.

With Sequester Cuts, Head Start Programs Dealt Abrupt Budget Blow

Erika Beras — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:36:10 +0000

On a recent Thursday morning, Antoinetta Lassiter is playing with roller skates she has just gotten for her fifth birthday. She’s in her Beechview home with her mother and grandmother, asking an endless stream of questions.

Her mother Melinda Lassiter said it's nice to have her home, but if things had gone as planned, her daughter would still be enrolled in her Head Start program.

"I went to pick her up from school, and the teacher told us the school was closing on the 19th of April … and that was kind of shocking actually," she said.

Hospital Income Slips in PA, But Most Are in the Black

Mark Nootbaar — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:22:13 +0000

The average hospital in Pennsylvania made money in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2012, but not as much as they did the year before and not enough to make the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) confident about the future.

The PHC4 released its annual study Wednesday, which found the 171 General Acute Care hospitals in the state realized on average a 5.82 percent operating margin in 2011-2012. That was down from 7.04 percent the year before but above the industry benchmark of 4 percent for a healthy hospital.

DPW Initiative Aimed at Reducing Mental Health Stigma

WESA Staff — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:05:59 +0000

The state Department of Public Welfare wants to reduce mental health stigma.

A new initiative, "Mental Health Matters," is being funded by a reduction in Community Hospital Integration Program Project, or CHIPP, funding to a county that was unable to move clients into the community in the time frame that was originally planned and from money set aside for litigation needs that wasn’t used, according to department spokeswoman Donna Morgan.

VA Research Week Highlights Local Robotic Technology

Charlee Song — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:19:58 +0000

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is celebrating “VA Research Week,” highlighting the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System’s Human Engineering Research Laboratories at Bakery Square, where robotic technology is being used to improve the mobility and function of people with disabilities.

PA Lt. Gov. Calls on Pennsylvanians to Become Organ Donors

Mark Nootbaar — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor is hoping that a two-year concentrated effort on organ donation education will help to swell the rolls of organ and tissue donors in the state. The focus of the campaign is that it takes just 30 seconds to register to become an organ donor.

“In the time it takes you to tie your shoes, you can change your life,” said Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley. “You can become a hero and become an organ donor. It takes a half minute ... so do it.”

Bill Calls for Insurance Reimbursements for Diabetes Pain Treatment

Larkin Page-Jacobs — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:30:00 +0000

State Sen. Matt Smith (D-Allegheny/Washington) is introducing legislation that would mandate insurance companies reimburse people with diabetes for pain management.

Smith noted that while patients are reimbursed for other diabetes-related costs, treatment for neuropathy is not one of them.

"Patients who have it experience intense aching, tingling, burning and numbness," he said. "What's really problematic about it is if it's left unmanaged, the condition can worsen to the point where the individual will need hospitalization or further treatment by way of an operation."

Summit Assesses Overall Health Effects of Pittsburgh Air Quality

Margaret J. Krauss — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:29:41 +0000

Air quality in Pittsburgh is getting cleaner, but it continues to negatively affect the health and well-being of city residents.

The Breathe Project and Allegheny General Hospital convened a summit Tuesday — World Asthma Day — to examine the overall effects of poor air quality, from increased instances of asthmatic attacks, higher mortality rates and cancer.

Can Plasma on MedEvac Helicopters Save Lives?

Charlee Song — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:53:55 +0000

It is well known that uncontrolled bleeding can cause multiple organ failure and death. It is also known that plasma reduces bleeding, so some are wondering if administering it early--while a patient is being transported to a hospital would lower mortality.

Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center Teams Up To Quash Malaria

Nick Jovonovich — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:30:00 +0000

The World Health Organization reports that more than 600,000 people die of malaria every year around the world.

In order to help combat that, a local supercomputing center is partnering with the University of Notre Dame and James Cook University in Australia.

Southwest PA Kennel a 'Blessing' for Those in Crisis

Erika Beras — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:49:54 +0000

In rural Lawrence County, part way between Slippery Rock and New Castle, there's a repurposed farm building sitting on 42 acres of land.

Eleven people call it home, and on site there are mental health workers, a director and other staff.

There's also close to a dozen dogs and cats.

That's because the facility, known as the Caritas House, is not just an enhanced personal care home for those with serious mental illness. It's also a crisis center for pets.

Highmark and West Penn Allegheny Health System to Become Allegheny Health Network

Heather McClain — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:18:46 +0000

Highmark Inc. has finalized its partnership with a long list of healthcare providers including the West Penn Allegheny Health System. Now that the Pennsylvania Insurance Department has approved the deal, what happens on Dec. 31, 2014 when the UPMC-Highmark contract expires? Diane Denis, Katz Alumni Chair in Finance and Pitt Professor of Business Administration, dissects the deal.

Highmark Deal with WPAHS Creates Allegheny Health Network

Mark Nootbaar — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:35:49 +0000

Just moments after the Pennsylvania Insurance Department gave its approval to the deal, Highmark Inc. finalized its partnership with a long list of healthcare providers, including the West Penn Allegheny Health System, Jefferson Regional Medical Center and a group of West Penn physicians that will be known as the Allegheny Clinic.

The deal was more than two years in the making, and Highmark Board Chairman Bob Baum said it shows all of those involved have the will and the determination to build the new integrated delivery system, dubbed the Allegheny Health Network.

New Fitness Center Opens at Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services

Charlee Song — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:34:29 +0000

Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh has opened the Michael A. Romano Fitness Center in its facility at 1800 West St. in Homestead.

In the new and larger space are instructors to help people use the new equipment. It meets a need identified by BVRS president Erika Arbogast when she started working there eight years ago.

Highmark, West Penn Get State Approval on Merger

Mark Nootbaar — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:54:40 +0000

The deal to merge Highmark and the West Penn Allegheny Health System has cleared another hurdle, but with a few warnings.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has given approval to the transactional filing that would bring together the nonprofit organizations and create an "integrated delivery network."

Commonwealth Court Denies Injunction to Stop State Health Centers from Closing

Erika Beras — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:57:46 +0000

The Commonwealth Court has denied an injunction to not close state health centers, according to the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, which represents public health nurses.

The Corbett administration is planning on closing or consolidating 26 state health centers. The Department of Health has said that closing centers would allow services to be streamlined and for staff to work in a more mobile capacity. State health centers provide services such as vaccinations and STD testing.

With New Licensing for Specialists, Concern About Impact in the Autism Community

Erika Beras — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:26:57 +0000

Behavior specialists in Pennsylvania who work with autistic children have a soon-approaching deadline to apply for licenses to keep doing their jobs. But parents and advocates say that the requirements and the process to apply are arduous.

When Act 62 passed, those in the autism community saw it as a victory. The 2009 legislation required private insurance companies to pay for services for those with autism — up to $36,000 a year. But it also required the Pennsylvania Department of State to license behavior specialists.

Limiting Reproductive Healthcare in Pennsylvania

Heather McClain — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Under a Pennsylvania House passed bill, women who want an abortion have to buy coverage separate from the affordable care act. This is one of the latest challenges for organizations like Planned Parenthood in providing access to reproductive health care. Joining us to talk about these challenges is Kim Evert, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Western PA.

Empowering Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa

Heather McClain — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

This topic is of a mature nature and may not be suitable for all listeners

It's a sad and troubling fact that women young and old are being raped in Africa by men who believe it will cure them of AIDS. Rape, along with a lack of hygiene products, is causing many women to miss school on a regular basis. We'll talk with Linda Ambroso and Kathy Surma, two Pittsburgh women who, through their volunteer work with the Girl Child Network, are helping the young women in this region live safer and healthier lives.

Tapestries of Hope is a film that documents the experiences of some of the young women they've worked with in Zimbabwe.

http://youtu.be/qdLvIfZwgy0

To make a local donation to GCN, contact Kathy Surma ksurma2008@gmail.com

Pittsburgh Air Is Getting Cleaner, But It's Still Dirty

Jared Adkins — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:49:17 +0000

Pittsburgh’s air has gotten cleaner, but the city still ranks as one of the most polluted in the country.

That's according to the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report released Wednesday. According to the report, Pittsburgh ranks eighth in year-round particle pollution, the mix of tiny solid and liquid particles in the air. These particles can increase the risk of heart and lung disease and adverse birth outcomes.

Living with Autism and Revising the DSM

Heather McClain — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:50:31 +0000

April is Autism Awareness Month and if you or your child has autism you've likely heard of the DSM, published by the American Psychiatric Association. DSM stands for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and the main purpose of the manual is to provide standard guidelines for clinicians to use when diagnosing psychological disorders and conditions. The manual outlines criteria that must be met to receive a diagnosis, as well as labeling and coding sometimes used by insurance companies to identify the diagnosis. The DSM is periodically revised and this spring new revisions to the manual will be published.

Investigation Reveals Failures of Pittsburgh VA Hospital in Legionnaires' Outbreak

Noah Brode — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:26:20 +0000

Southwestern Pennsylvania officials are expressing outrage after learning the details of a Veterans Affairs investigation into the deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak at the VA’s Pittsburgh facilities.

According to VA Office of Inspector General, the VA Pittsburgh Health System failed to follow its own rules during an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that left five veterans dead from early 2011 to late 2012.

Redefining Asperger's: With a Diagnosis, Often Comes An Identity

Erika Beras — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

When the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual is published next month, there will be several changes to psychiatric diagnoses.

Many of these changes are controversial — especially the one made to autism spectrum disorders.

Phil Garrow has Asperger's syndrome. It's what’s written on his medical chart. He says the social struggles that come with the diagnosis is why he hasn’t been able to hold down engineering jobs despite his proficiency in the field.

National Healthcare Decision Day

Heather McClain — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:30:00 +0000

The only sure things in life are death and taxes. Now that tax day has passed its time to consider advance care planning and health care decisions. We'll begin the dialogue with Nancy Zionts, chief operating officer and chief program officer for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. Have you mapped out your end of life plans? How do you talk about it with your loved ones?

Visit Closure.org for information about Living Wills

How to Talk to Kids About Traumatic Events

Erika Beras — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:04:09 +0000

For children who have seen the images of death and destruction and have heard the heartbreaking stories surrounding Monday’s terrorist attacks in Boston, there may be a lot of confusion and fear. They may wonder if they are safe, if their caregivers are safe and how this will affect their daily lives.

Jeff Magill, Project Coordinator for Emergency Management at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at UPMC, said children’s responses will vary according to their age and the perspective in which they have been exposed.