How Using Antibiotics In Animal Feed Creates Superbugs
Researchers have shown how a bacterium resistant to antibiotic treatment passed from humans to pigs to humans. And now the new resistant human bug appears to be spreading beyond people with direct exposure to livestock. >>
Latest Local Health Headlines
Sen. Merkley Fights Against Moral Exemption Amendment
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley is trying to rally colleagues to reject an amendment that would permit health plans to opt out of certain coverage on moral grounds.
Benefits Managers Can Slow Pharmaceutical Deliveries
When you go to the pharmacy, you expect whoever's behind the counter to fill your prescription, right?
But a fight between pharmacists and the half dozen big companies that manage prescriptions is leaving some patients empty handed -- and sometimes in serious pain.
Portland Police See Increase In Suicide Calls
Portland Police say the number of calls they receive regarding suicides and mentally ill people have increased 90 percent since 2001.
Crook County Battles Meningococcal Outbreak Through Vaccinations
A major vaccination campaign is underway in Crook County. That’s after health officials declared an outbreak of a rare type of bacterial infection known as meningococcal disease. Crook County has confirmed 6 cases there in the last 11 months.
Kids Without Vaccinations Face 'Exclusion' Wednesday
Parents of Oregon kids in schools or day care have two more days to get required immunizations, before the state's "exclusion day" on Wednesday.
CDC Attempts To Put A Price On Child Abuse
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that the cost of dealing with one child who's been abused is more than $200,000 -- over the person’s lifetime.
Crook County Sees Jump In Meningococcal Cases
Health authorities in Crook County say they’re seeing an unusually high number of cases of meningococcal disease in recent months.
State Medicaid Cuts Blamed For Legacy Health Layoffs
Legacy Health has begun notifying some of its employees to be laid off in a round of job cuts.
Oregon Praised For Progress On Health Insurance Exchanges
The White House is praising Oregon and 27 other states for their progress toward implementing the federal health care overhaul.
CD-1 Race: How Health Care Issues Affect Voters
Ballots are popping up in mailboxes all over the five counties of Oregon's First Congressional District. The district has some unique attributes. And its demographics reflect many of Oregon's health care challenges.
Q&A: Getting Employees To Take Better Care Of Themselves
The state of Oregon is trying to get its employees to take better care of themselves -- to give up smoking and exercise more. So it has introduced a new health care model.
Consultant: Oregon's Health Care Revamp Saves Money Down The Road
An effort to overhaul the way Oregon delivers health care should create huge savings. That's according to a consultant's report issued Tuesday. But it would not be as much as expected in the short term.
Coordinated Care Organizations Getting Closer But Not Clearer
After months of activity, the Oregon Health Policy Board has rolled out its idea for changing the way the state delivers health care to low-income Oregonians. But there's still a lot of confusion.
Study: Oregonians Who Have Registered Their Wishes Don't Want Resuscitation
Most Oregonians who are sick and have registered their medical wishes with their doctor, don't want to be resuscitated -- according to a new study of in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association.'
Children's Health Insurance Program Gets Financial Boost
The federal government has awarded Oregon $22 million in bonus payments for healthy numbers in its Children's Health Insurance program.
Another Stolen Laptop, Another Breach Of Confidentiality
Administrators at Central Oregon’s largest hospital say the theft of a work laptop may have compromised the personal health information of more than 140 patients.
Research Into Rat Emotions Could Help Develop Human Drugs
A Washington State University researcher says new findings about the emotions of rats could lead to treatments for mental illness in humans. Jaak Panksepp writes in the latest issue of the journal, Science. He was reacting to a new study showing that rats demonstrate empathy and altruism toward a fellow rat who was stuck in a trap.
USDA Grant Will Expand Remote Stroke Treatment System
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $250,000 grant to Providence Health & Services.
Oregon: Quitting's Easier Here Lung Association Says
Oregon gets high marks for its bounty of resources to help smokers quit. The American Lung Association ranks the state 6th among the most quit-friendly states.
Gov't Gets More Aggressive To Curtail Wood Stove Smoke
The cold nights we've been having are leading people to fire up their wood stoves and fireplaces. This also means we're in the season of the dirtiest air of the year in the Northwest.
Oregon Rate Of Insured Children Improves
Oregon has made significant progress in reducing the number of uninsured kids in the state -- according to new research out of Georgetown University.
More Than 2,000 Show Up For Charity Dental Clinic
More than 2,000 people from the Northwest are thankful this week for something you might not expect — a trip to the dentist. Dentists and hygienists volunteered their time for a charity clinic this week in Portland.
Early Intervention Key To Treating Mentally Ill Teens
The research is clear that the key to keeping a mentally ill teen in treatment and out of trouble is early intervention. Yet, most counties in the Northwest do not offer comprehensive treatment to kids in the initial stages of a mental breakdown.
Home-Care Workers Protest Stalled Contract Negotiations
Scores of protesters marched outside the offices of the City of Portland Monday. They're upset about union negotiations with the state.
Idaho, Wash. Among States Heading To Supreme Court Over Health Care Reform
Washington and Idaho are among the 26 states whose objections to federal health care reform will be considered at the nation's highest court. The Supreme Court Monday agreed to hear a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the so-called individual mandate in President Obama's health care overhaul.
Looking For New Ways To Measure Health Care Success
Oregon health officials are looking at some fundamental changes to the state’s health care system.
And one of their goals is to figure out a way to measure how the changes are working -- and to grade success.
Suicide-Prone West Suffers From Stigma, Few Services
Idaho is releasing a new plan that seeks to combat the state's high rate of suicide. Idaho ranks sixth in the nation for suicide, according to the latest figures. Oregon's not far behind at number 12. It's part of a trend in the West, where the suicide rate is higher than the national average.
Oregon State Hospital Faces $10 Million Lawsuit
An Oregon State Hospital patient is suing the mental institution for $10 million. Joshua Jaschke claims doctors at the hospital unnecessarily prescribed medications that resulted in a pair of heart attacks.
Study: Prescription Painkiller Deaths At Epidemic Levels
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study Tuesday saying overdoses from prescription painkillers are at epidemic levels.
Report: Oregon's Preterm Birth Rates Among Lowest
Pre-term birth rates in Oregon are the second lowest in the nation, according to a report released Tuesday by the March of Dimes.
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