Health

Policy | May 21, 2013

Where You Live Affects What Kind of Surgery You’ll Have: Look It Up

Posted by Lisa Aliferis

Where you live matters. And in health care, it matters in all sorts of ways you might not think of immediately. If you're having elective surgery, one of the major factors determining what kind of treatment you will receive depends on where you live, according to new research released Tuesday. In health policy, "elective" does not necessarily mean cosmetic surgery. Treatments for early stage cancers are considered "elective" because there are a range of options. The California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) has been following this issue in its "All Over the Map" project. Previously, the foundation has examined variation in heart procedures, joint replacement and c-sections. Tuesday the foundation added a detailed look at geographic variation in treatments for three more conditions: breast cancer, prostate cancer, and back and neck pain. Continue reading →

You're the Boss | May 20, 2013

Easy to Do, Inexpensive; Music Calms Some ICU Patients

Posted by state of health

The adage stems from the 18th century: music has charms to sooth the savage beast. It's probably safe to say that someone in an intensive care unit, who needs a machine to help them breathe, is in need of soothing. Usually, doctors and nurses administer drugs, powerful sedatives to help calm patients. Now, a study shows that a different kind of intervention might help: music. The study, published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, adds to a growing body of research on how listening to music has a host of health benefits. Continue reading →

Wilmington | Jul 23, 2012

Starting a New Life and Putting a Stop to Health Problems

Posted by Anabell Romero

“Good morning!” says Silvia Cruz as she greets women who enter her nutrition center. “It’s five dollars for a shake and the zumba class, or three dollars for the zumba class only,” she says as she’s collecting the money and putting it into a metal box. Five years ago when Cruz and her husband Roberto Garcia came to the United States, they never imagined they would have their own business. The couple has been married for 25 years. After living a comfortable and stable life in Mexico, Roberto abruptly lost his job.

San Bernardino | Jun 13, 2012

Unmet Need of Homeless Youth in San Bernardino

Posted by Bobbi Albano

Although they are difficult to count, Terrance Stone, CEO of Young Visionaries homeless youth shelter estimates there are 25,000 homeless kids in San Bernardino County at any given time. The California Homeless Youth Project agrees. "Homeless youth are highly mobile and often try hard to avoid detection and contact with adults. ... This means they are often not counted during annual homeless surveys." During 2008-09, 81,000 services were provided by federally-funded runaway and homeless youth programs in California. While these services ranged from beds to street outreach contacts, it isn't known how many homeless kids received no services. There are only two shelters in San Bernardino County for kids who have run away from home, have been kicked out or are living on the streets. Young Visionaries, which has space available to house just four children at any time, is located in the city of San Bernardino. The other shelter, Our House, is in Redlands and has room for twelve homeless youth.

Medical Mistakes

Are California hospitals reporting medical mistakes and infections accurately - or at all? Learn about efforts to reduce these risks, and find out what officials and consumers can do to safeguard against medical mistakes.

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Disordered Eating

This month, Health Dialogues explores what experts call "disordered eating." We look at the causes and effects of abnormal eating patterns, from the less severe to classic eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.

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Baby Boomers and Medicare

In January 2011, a demographic tsunami will hit Medicare as Baby Boomers start turning 65 and become eligible for federal health care benefits. Are there enough doctors to meet the demand for care? Is Medicare ready for the Boomers?

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Mental Health

Health Dialogues takes a look at successes and unmet needs in treating mental illness - from adolescents to veterans, in rural and urban areas. We also check in on the effects of Proposition 63, the state's mental health services act.

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