Eric Dishman: Health care should be a team sport
When Eric Dishman was in college, doctors told him he had 2 to 3 years to live. That was a long time ago. One rectified diagnosis and a transplant later, Dis...
By: TEDtalksDirector
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Brewer vetoes individual health care shopping bill
PHOENIX -- Saying there are technical problems with the proposal, Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed legislation Friday which would have allowed individuals to shop around for the best price on health care needs.
The legislation crafted by Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, would essentially have put hospitals and doctors in the same position as retailers: They would have to give people an opportunity to learn what certain procedures will cost, before they show up in a waiting room.
That would have included both a requirement for online posting as well as making a price list available on site.
Barto promoted the legislation as a cost-containment measure, especially for patients without comprehensive health insurance who end up having to pay all or part of their medical bills.
In her veto, the third of the legislative session, Brewer said she supports the idea of transparency "which will provide useful information to help patients manage their health care needs." But the governor said there are "practical and potential legal implications of this bill."
Barto, however, called the veto "an incredible insult to consumers."
The senator said she had been in contact with the governor's office all along about her proposal and had not heard any objections -- until now. Barto said she would have made necessasry changes had the Brewer's staff raised issues before final approval -- and before this year's legislative session was so far along as to make it too late to start over.
And Barto said it may be that Brewer's veto has less to do with the text of the legislation than the fact she has been an outspoken foe of the governor's push to expand the state Medicaid program.
"It's not to her benefit to play those games," Barto said of the governor. "She's not going to gain votes by being petty."
Gubernatorial press aide Matthew Benson said the veto is totally unrelated to Barto's opposition to the Medicaid plan. He said there were "technical concerns."
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Health care roundtable May 8 at Hyatt hotel
The Wichita Business Coalition on Health Care and the Sedgwick County Health Care Roundtable will host an annual conference from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on May 8 at the Hyatt Regency Wichita.
This is the 35th year of the roundtable, which was established to provide a forum for employers, providers and health care insurance carriers to discuss at the local level changes affecting health care within our area, the premise being that having a dialogue among decision makers allows for problem solving, said Jon Rosell, executive director of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County.
Janet Hamous, executive director of the coalition, said this is the second year that the coalition has partnered with the roundtable.
The thrust of this years program is the Affordable Care Act and the next level, Hamous said. All of us are focused on the details around implementation but with this program, were wanting to take this to the next level when we look down the road a few years.
Were hoping to learn a lot about different perspectives and how the whole game will be changing in future. In many cases, its really a crystal ball viewpoint because nobody really knows for sure.
The keynote speaker is Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief of Health Affairs magazine. She will speak about the reinvention and renewal of the countrys health care system.
Were really excited about having someone of her caliber with us, Hamous said. Its valuable to hear that global perspective, to not only sees things differently from being in a different part of the country and involved with different players.
Other speakers on the agenda include Stephene Moore, regional director of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Region 7; Steven Smith, an attorney at Hinkle Law Firm; Joaquin Santos, internal medicine physician at Via Christi Clinic; and Kendra Tinsley, Kansas Healthcare Collaborative director.
There will also be a health care provider panel discussion and a payer panel discussion.
Coalition members will elect new board members and officers at the conference.
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Roundtable highlights local health care needs
FARMINGTON A community roundtable held recently in Farmington gave participants an opportunity to learn what the Mercy health care system will bring to its new partnership with Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City.
More importantly, said Lynn Britton, Mercy president and CEO, this event is allowing community leaders a chance to provide input on the regions health care needs.
The event, held April 4 at Alexanders, was attended by approximately 50 people who were treated to a meal and special presentation given by Mercy.
Mercy is the sixth largest Catholic health care system in the United States and serves more than 3 million people annually. The highly integrated organization includes 32 hospitals, 300 outpatient locations, 39,000 co-workers and 1,700 integrated physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Jefferson Regional Medical Center became a part of Mercy two months ago and was renamed Mercy Hospital Jefferson. Established as Jefferson Memorial Hospital in 1957, it is a 251-bed private, not-for-profit hospital managed by a local board of directors.
During the presentation, Britton expressed his pride in Mercys humble beginnings and its continued commitment to ministry.
Mercy has always been about caring for those who need it most, Britton said. From the beginning, the Sisters who began our ministry often used methods that were considered unconventional. That pioneering spirit and desire to change things for the better has always been part of Mercy.
According to the health systems website, Mercy traces its U.S. roots to New York in 1846. In 1856 the Sisters of Mercy came to St. Louis and founded the Religious Sisters of Mercy of the St. Louis Province. Fifteen years later in 1871 they opened a 25-bed infirmary for women and children. Over the years, the Sisters of Mercy expanded their health ministry in the Regional Communitys seven-state area: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. While the hospitals and other health care facilities sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy were not formally linked, as early as the 1960s they shared management and consulting staff resources.
In 1986, to position the individual hospitals for coming changes in health care, the Sisters of Mercy created the Sisters of Mercy Health System, Britton explained. Today, Mercy carries a simplified name and a focus on providing the best care in our hospitals, physician clinics, outpatient facilities, outreach ministries and other health and human services. We are sponsored by Mercy Health Ministry, which was established by the Catholic Church to oversee the healing ministry and Catholic identity of Mercy Health.
Britton explained that, when the Sisters of Mercy came to the decision to turn their ministry over to the health care system, the agreement had to receive approval from the Vatican. They also made the requests: 1) Never let Mercy become a relic; 2) Love it and nurture it; and 3) Please dont forget us.
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DNA Genetic Engineering – Video
GM Human Gene Therapy – Video
GM Human Gene Therapy
Class project on human gene therapy.
By: ratnemil
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5040_Human Gene Therapy – Video
Human Gene Therapy – Video
Gene Therapy Developed for ALS Treatment: New Biotech Company Neuralgene Enters Evaluation Phase
BOGOTA, Colombia, April 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Startup biotechnology company Neuralgene (http://neuralgene.com) has announced that it will begin animal studies in May to evaluate the efficacy of PRCN-829, its new gene therapy agent for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). PRCN-829 is the first gene therapy for sporadic ALS.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130412/PH93428-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130412/PH93428-b )
Neuralgene's neurotropic AAV-based gene therapy platform for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is based on the stem cell work performed by Jason Williams, M.D., founder and CEO of Neuralgene. "This technology addresses several key aspects of the underlying pathology of ALS," said Leonardo Gonzalez, M.D., clinical researcher for Neuralgene. "In his stem cell work, Dr. Williams had identified that production of Factor H by fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells may be a key mode of action."
The gene therapy is based on Dr. Williams' discovery that certain proteins produced by stem cells inhibit the attack of ALS. During the development of the gene therapy, he added new targets: neural growth factors and a protein implicated in ALS named TDP-43. "When Dr. Williams demonstrated the concept behind stem cells and how to address the treatment of ALS using gene therapy, we immediately knew that this was a revolutionary new concept," said Dr. Gonzalez.
The PRCN-829 gene therapy is designed to not only target gene delivery to the brain and spinal cord, but also to genetically engineer stem cells. The AAV9 viral vector delivers multiple genes, which include Factor H (a regulator of complement activity), neural growth factors and regulators of TDP-43, to the neural cells. Initial animal studies have demonstrated the safety of the gene therapy platform.
"The problem with stem cell therapy for ALS is that the results are generally partial and temporary," stated Dr. Williams. "This is because the stem cells produce the growth factors and other proteins for a short period, but then cease. Several stem cell studies have confirmed this. Now with gene therapy, we can increase those factors by a millionfold or greater so that recuperation lasts for many years or maybe is even lifelong."
"ALS is a complex disease with many different underlying causes," continued Dr. Williams. "Our gene therapy will target several of the main underlying mechanisms related to ALS with the hopes of getting a good response in a larger group of patients. However, our platform is versatile, allowing us to change and add different target genes. We expect that soon we will be able to perform a detailed genetic analysis of the patient, identifying their exact underlying cause of ALS. Then we will be able to tailor the therapy to each individual patient."
The company has partnered with several labs for the development of its patent-pending neurotropic AAV-based gene therapy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. In fact, Neuralgene partnered with Dr. Williams' imaging and image guided treatment facility, Precision StemCell in Bogota, to begin studies using image-guided administration of gene therapy to the spinal cord.
"This is a completely new therapy for ALS, and the groundwork for this technology will lead to the treatment of many other diseases," said Dr. Williams. Neuralgene has several other AAV gene therapies in its research and development pipeline for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). After initial testing of PRCN-829 in Colombia, Neuralgene plans to seek approval from the FDA for trials in the United States.
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Gene Therapy Developed for ALS Treatment: New Biotech Company Neuralgene Enters Evaluation Phase
Hail, Hail, Freedom in Cyprus: Turning on Immigrants Amid Crisis – Op-Docs – Video
Hail, Hail, Freedom in Cyprus: Turning on Immigrants Amid Crisis - Op-Docs
On the island of Cyprus, the filmmaker Iva Radivojevic explores how the economic crisis has contributed to a rise in hostility toward immigrants. Related art...
By: TheNewYorkTimes
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Hail, Hail, Freedom in Cyprus: Turning on Immigrants Amid Crisis - Op-Docs - Video
Egyptian Freedom…or Straitjacket? – Video
Egyptian Freedom...or Straitjacket?
With the revolution in Egypt, freedom can be misunderstood. Locals are learning that on a busy urban street, unbridled freedom can become a straitjacket for ...
By: RickSteves
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Oxnard's Freedom House marks 15 years helping men through recovery
For 15 years Freedom House has lived up to its name.
The large Victorian home at 460 South F. St. in Oxnard has served as refuge for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.
Director Jeff Simpson was a former client at the home when it was a state-licensed rehabilitation facility under the name Primary Purpose, which declared bankruptcy in 1995. The location has served its residents for nearly 35 year.
Now a sober living home, Freedom House has provided a haven for hundreds of men eager to free themselves from alcohol and drug dependency.
There were people who didnt think this would last, Simpson said.
Simpson started the program in 1998, believing the strength God gave him to recover from his own addiction would help him help others.
It wasnt easy at the beginning, said Simpson, who was in the restaurant business for more than 20 years but has no formal business education.
Simpson worked hard to get recognition from jail officials, probation officers, mental health workers and others.
The facility can accommodate 21 men in the main house and seven more in a house on the back of the property, set aside for graduates who have been with the program for more than six months.
Most of the men are on parole for alcohol- and drug-related offenses and need help with the fundamentals of living, Simpson said. Residents must complete a 60 to 90 day program but some have stayed for three years.
Originally posted here:
Oxnard's Freedom House marks 15 years helping men through recovery
Press freedom and its abuses
Editorial Desk
The Daily Star
Publication Date : 13-04-2013
There is no question that the Bangla Amar Desh newspaper and its editor have, over time, abused press freedom by publishing unverified and sometimes maliciousreports and provocative comments. At times, the paper seems out todeliberately arouse religious fury in Bangladesh through false or exaggerated reports with the avowed purpose of inciting violence. Much of its recent reporting on bloggers, for instance,was highly exaggerated and hateful,enveloped inthe so-called atheism controversy.While professing love for religion, it did not hesitate to falsifying news or photos, without a thought as to whether this was right.
Having said all the above, we arestill concerned that the editor has now been arrested, and Amar Desh's printing press put under police control. We recall that it is not the first time that this paper and its editor have been on the receiving end of government action.
Wherever there is freedom, there are those who abuse it. But the answer cannot be to curtail it. Abusing press freedom is not an uncommon thing in a democracy, and ways to handle such cases are also well known. We believe that the abuses of press freedomthat Amar Desh indulged in should, first of all,have been handled through appropriate legal action, namely going to the Press Council, issuing legal notices, filing of cases for false reporting, among other avenues.
Our worry is further compounded by the specific charges that have been brought against the editor. The publication of the text of the said Skype conversation was already in the public domain. The Economist had already published it and it was widely available inside the country via the Internet. We are of the opinion that reproduction of that text was in public interest and the cause of proper trial of the war criminals were better served by exposing the incident. This gave the Tribunal an opportunity to correct itself, which it did, before the trial went to the appeal process.
As for the other two charges against Mahmudur Rahmanregarding inciting violence during shutdowns and obstructing the police in carrying outtheir duties- in both instances, his name was not on the originalFirst InformationReports, and therefore the accusationspatently lack credibility, and appear meant only to harass him.
Given the above circumstances, we are forced to stand in opposition of the governments move as one meant to stifle a critical voice, which cannot be a healthy practice for any country or people valuingfreedom of press. Just as we take a firm position in support of freedom of the press we also would like to caution all against abuse of this freedom which we have gained through decades of struggle, both on the part of the general public as well as the journalist community.
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Report: Arizona trails 10 states in overall freedom
WASHINGTON -- Arizona has a reputation as a state full of mavericks and independent thinkers, but a couple of academics have bad news for state residents.
We're No. 11.
The George Mason University report, Freedom in the 50 States, ranked Arizona 11th in the nation on a scorecard of personal and economic freedoms that takes into account everything from tax burden to seatbelt laws - to the freedom to party unfettered.
It may have been that bachelor-party ranking - Arizona finished 49th in the category that measured alcohol, prostitution and marijuana laws - that brought the state's overall standing down.
"We happily concede that different people value aspects of freedom differently," the report's authors wrote, by way of explaining why they break freedom into 40 different areas based on 200 types of policy.
The report, the third produced by George Mason's Mercatus Center, measured overall freedom by balancing tax policy and regulation - high points for Arizona - against personal freedoms, where Arizona lost ground.
Arizona was No. 1 for gun-control freedom, second for educational choice and 15th for its tax burden. The report made fiscal and regulatory policies count for almost 70 percent of the overall grade, which is why Arizona did well. The state moved up 12 places in the standings from the last report, in 2009.
Jason Sorens, a political science professor at State University of New York at Buffalo and one of the authors of the report, conceded that the final score is not a perfect measure of individual freedom. What they were trying for was an index that reflects the average American's idea of freedom, he said, an almost-impossible goal.
"Some people might be happy to pay taxes as long as everyone else is," Sorens said of the relative importance the report placed on freedom from taxation, for example.
The goal, Sorens said, is to "get people to think about what freedom means to them."
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PAKISTAN: Does the country enjoy freedom of expression?
PAKISTAN: Does the country enjoy freedom of expression to any extent?
Baseer Naveed
Freedom of expression is today at its lowest in the history of the country. The people of the country have, in fact, never enjoyed freedom of expression. However, during the last decade or so the governments have claimed that they have given freedom of expression to the media. This is not borne out by the number of journalists that have been killed, tortured or struggled as victims of unemployment due to working to the dictates of their conscience and not to the self-censorship the government and media houses would like to see. A point of confusion is how the people compare the freedom of expression with the freedom of the media houses. The two are completely difference and far distant from each other.
In fact, much of the self-censorship comes from the media houses themselves as they do not wish to draw the ire of the government, judiciary, the armed forces and more so, that of the Muslim fundamentalists. Sadly the voices that really need to be heard, those of the peasant farmers and labourers in the industrial areas are ignored and therefore silenced by the media whose sole purpose is to gain advertising revenue. It is no longer a secret that the media houses are 'driven' by the armed forces through their Inter Services Public Relations office. The judiciary, which has always been a poodle of the armed forces, neither of which has never really served the nation in its history, have both been given the status of a sacred cow.
One point of proof that freedom of expression is absent in the country is the fact that the media houses seldom allow any real criticism of the military, Muslim militants or religious extremists.
One example is as to how the state institutions and media houses have curbed free speech. The restriction on the freedom of expression may be dated back to the very creation of the country. Pakistan was created on the 14th August 1947 and the father of the nation gave his inaugural speech three days earlier on the 11th August. It is interesting to note that the speech of the Governor General-to-be, Mr. Jinnah, was itself censored. The interesting point was that only those portions were censored which were purely secular in their nature where Mr. Jinnah said that you are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State. He further said now I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.
Two years after the creation of Pakistan the so-called legislators passed a resolution entitled the Objective Resolution of Pakistan. In this resolution it was declared that sovereignty lay with Allah. This later became part of the constitution and denied the people the right to democracy, thereby creating the guidelines on the restrictions for the freedom of expression and the freedom to practice the religion of your choice. The country was declared a theocratic society where only Islam can prevail and no one else had any rights, the citizens were divided into Muslims and non Muslims. A clear demarcation was made between the majority and the minority, so all rights were recognized for Muslims and those who were not Muslim had no rights. The concept of equality for various sections of the society was supposed to be determined on this basis.
Again through the 1973 constitution, which was the first time anything was passed unanimously, the state took the responsibility to decide who is Muslim and who is not by making the fourth amendment in the constitution where the Ahmadis were declared as non-Muslim. Through this amendment state has the power to declare who is Muslim, strengthened the pressure groups, the Muslim fundamentalists, to take the responsibility of declaring Muslims and non Muslims.
The objective resolution was made part of the pre-amble of the constitution. But during the military regime of General Zia ul Haq the Objective Resolution was made as the part of the constitution. Those rights of minorities which were given in the original Objective Resolution were also deleted. General Zia has made three famous laws, the Blasphemy laws by inserting clause B and C, Qisas and Diyat, through which the evidence from women denied and the Had ordinance. So the rights of women and religious minority groups were denied.
This has resulted in self censorship of the media as the rules and regulations concerning the blasphemy laws are not being adhered to. These are that the arresting and investigating officer must be of the rank of Superintendent of Police. However, people are being arrested by the mob and if they are lucky, handed over alive to any police officer who happens to be present.
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EDITORIAL: Press freedom and its abuses
Dhaka (The Daily Star/ANN) - There is no question that the Bangla Amar Desh newspaper and its editor have, over time, abused press freedom by publishing unverified and sometimes malicious reports and provocative comments. At times, the paper seems out to deliberately arouse religious fury in Bangladesh through false or exaggerated reports with the avowed purpose of inciting violence. Much of its recent reporting on bloggers, for instance, was highly exaggerated and hateful, enveloped in the so-called "atheism" controversy. While professing love for religion, it did not hesitate to falsifying news or photos, without a thought as to whether this was right.
Having said all the above, we are still concerned that the editor has now been arrested, and Amar Desh's printing press put under police control. We recall that it is not the first time that this paper and its editor have been on the receiving end of government action.
Wherever there is freedom, there are those who abuse it. But the answer cannot be to curtail it. Abusing press freedom is not an uncommon thing in a democracy, and ways to handle such cases are also well known. We believe that the abuses of press freedom that Amar Desh indulged in should, first of all, have been handled through appropriate legal action, namely going to the Press Council, issuing legal notices, filing of cases for false reporting, among other avenues.
Our worry is further compounded by the specific charges that have been brought against the editor. The publication of the text of the said "Skype conversation" was already in the public domain. The Economist had already published it and it was widely available inside the country via the Internet. We are of the opinion that reproduction of that text was in public interest and the cause of proper trial of the war criminals were better served by exposing the incident. This gave the Tribunal an opportunity to correct itself, which it did, before the trial went to the appeal process.
As for the other two charges against Mahmudur Rahman regarding inciting violence during shutdowns and obstructing the police in carrying out their duties - in both instances, his name was not on the original First Information Reports, and therefore the accusations patently lack credibility, and appear meant only to harass him.
Given the above circumstances, we are forced to stand in opposition of the government's move as one meant to stifle a critical voice, which cannot be a healthy practice for any country or people valuing freedom of press. Just as we take a firm position in support of freedom of the press we also would like to caution all against abuse of this freedom which we have gained through decades of struggle, both on the part of the general public as well as the journalist community.
Go here to read the rest:
Land of the free? Report says Arizona trails 10 states in overall freedom
WASHINGTON Arizona has a reputation as a state full of mavericks and independent thinkers, but a couple of academics have bad news for state residents.
Were No. 11.
The George Mason University report, Freedom in the 50 States, ranked Arizona 11th in the nation on a scorecard of personal and economic freedoms that takes into account everything from tax burden to seatbelt laws to the freedom to party unfettered.
It may have been that bachelor-party ranking Arizona finished 49th in the category that measured alcohol, prostitution and marijuana laws that brought the states overall standing down.
We happily concede that different people value aspects of freedom differently, the reports authors wrote, by way of explaining why they break freedom into 40 different areas based on 200 types of policy.
The report, the third produced by George Masons Mercatus Center, measured overall freedom by balancing tax policy and regulation high points for Arizona against personal freedoms, where Arizona lost ground.
Arizona was No. 1 for gun-control freedom, second for educational choice and 15th for its tax burden. The report made fiscal and regulatory policies count for almost 70 percent of the overall grade, which is why Arizona did well. The state moved up 12 places in the standings from the last report, in 2009.
Jason Sorens, a political science professor at State University of New York at Buffalo and one of the authors of the report, conceded that the final score is not a perfect measure of individual freedom. What they were trying for was an index that reflects the average Americans idea of freedom, he said, an almost-impossible goal.
Some people might be happy to pay taxes as long as everyone else is, Sorens said of the relative importance the report placed on freedom from taxation, for example.
The goal, Sorens said, is to get people to think about what freedom means to them.
Originally posted here:
Land of the free? Report says Arizona trails 10 states in overall freedom
Freedom beats Parkland 1-0 in battle of one-loss softball teams
12:51 p.m. EDT, April 13, 2013
Freedom senior Emily Gundrum tossed a two-hitter and struck out 11 and freshman Alexis Szaro had the game-winning single in the top of the seventh as the Patriots edged Parkland 1-0 in the first game of three at Pates Park on Saturday, part of the Lehigh Valley Conference Service Electric Don Hunt Memorial "Play Day."
Sam Cabrera started the top of the seventh with a single, moved to second on a sac bunt, moved to third on a Carly Deichman single and scored on Szaro's hit throught the right side.
A walk and a hit batsman gave the Trojans a chance in the bottom of the seventh, but Rachel Smerdon's sacrifice bunt attempt was caught by Szaro at third base and turned into a double play.
Freedom improved to 8-1, while Parkland fell to 7-2. The game did not count in the LVC standings.
In another "Play Day" game, this one at Parkland, Liberty defeated Dieruff 13-2.
Both teams are 4-1 in league play.
Freedom 000 000 1 -- 1 6 0
Parkland 000 000 0 -- 0 2 0
Gundrum and Kline; Rentzheimer and Augustus.
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Freedom beats Parkland 1-0 in battle of one-loss softball teams
GGN: Iran Quake Punishment by West?, In-Vitro Eugenics is Coming, Passthoughts Replace Passwords – Video
GGN: Iran Quake Punishment by West?, In-Vitro Eugenics is Coming, Passthoughts Replace Passwords
April 9, 2013 Part Two (2/3) DONATIONS WELCOME Visit http://www.ggnonline.com to make a PayPal donation because it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. -...
By: DDarko2013
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Rockefeller and eugenics ! he’s looking for the holy grail ? – Video
Rockefeller and eugenics ! he #39;s looking for the holy grail ?
The globalists hope to gain eternal life through technology, but satan is a lier, all their efforts will be in vain.
By: mrstepintime
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Rockefeller and eugenics ! he's looking for the holy grail ? - Video