Posted on April 30th, 2012 by Rick Gulla
It’s no secret to health professionals that Information technology is sweeping through the industry. The Federal government is deciding on “meaningful use” and allocating millions to establish systems. Providers are hurrying to install systems, establish competency and “get up to speed” for both federal and state requirements. And physician practices and hospitals are contending with [...]
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Posted on March 30th, 2012 by Rick Gulla
To reduce the enormous burden of the nation’s number one cause of death, cardiovascular disease, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control has launched the “Million Hearts” initiative, an effort to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is leading the statewide public [...]
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Posted on March 1st, 2012 by Rick Gulla
February 29 was Rare Disease Day, a single day when public attention is focused on the needs of patients and families affected by rare diseases. But rare diseases are always with us, can last a lifetime for patients, and in one sense, aren’t so rare: close to 7,000 such conditions exist, collectively affecting some 30 [...]
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Posted on January 31st, 2012 by Rick Gulla
Having a healthy baby is every couple’s wish, and this month’s Physician Focus brings information from two experienced Ob-Gyn’s to help prospective parents do just that – from the time when one starts thinking about having a baby to the time when the pediatrician enters the picture. Erin Tracy, M.D., M.P.H., (photo, right) Chair of [...]
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Posted on December 30th, 2011 by Rick Gulla
While the human body has a natural and wonderful ability to heal from wounds or injuries, an estimated eight million Americans suffer from chronic or non-healing wounds. Many of those are patients with diabetes, injuries from radiation, venous disease, and spinal cord injuries, and in many cases these patients require specialized care. The January edition [...]
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Posted on December 1st, 2011 by Rick Gulla
Millions of Americans have difficulty with common health tasks such as following directions on a prescription bottle, and even the smartest of people can be challenged by serious illnesses or the constant care of chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. The language of medicine, with its big words unfamiliar to most people outside [...]
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Posted on October 31st, 2011 by Rick Gulla
Who among us hasn’t had a headache? And when it’s really bad, when we think our head is about to explode, we always seem to think the worst is happening. But Brian McGeeney, M.D. (right, photo), a specialist in headache and pain management, believes that patients need to be educated that the head is incredibly [...]
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Posted on September 30th, 2011 by Rick Gulla
Respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), asthma, and tuberculosis affect millions of people around the globe and present major challenges to public health as well as personal health. COPD, for example, is now the third leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming nearly 125, 000 lives each year. The details of [...]
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Posted on September 1st, 2011 by Rick Gulla
Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder affect as many as 10 million females and one million males in the U.S., many of them young. The physical health consequences of eating disorders can be severe — heart disease, diabetes, reduced bone density, among other conditions – and the conditions are usually accompanied by mental health issues, [...]
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Posted on August 1st, 2011 by Rick Gulla
Despite incredible discoveries and advancing technologies, medicine still has its mysteries. Count Parkinson’s disease among them, at least partially. A neurological disorder of the brain that strikes a person’s muscle control and bodily movements and generally hits people 60 and older, Parkinson’s disease affects nearly one million people in the United States, with 50,000 to [...]
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