First: Don’t worry–you will still receive your Social Security benefits. The only change will be the method of delivery. According to an article on WRAL.com, the federal government will be phasing out paper checks for all benefit programs, including Social Security, veterans’ benefits, railroad pensions, and federal disability payments. By next year, everyone will receive …
Health writers are very savvy when it comes to medical procedures. They talk with doctors, nurses, and medical researchers daily, and they read medical journals the way the rest of us read Sports Illustrated or People magazines. That’s what makes the opinion piece in the latest issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association …
Do you have an emergency preparedness plan for your home and family? Do you have an evacuation plan in the event you have to leave the area? Do you keep extra batteries for flashlights… a well-stocked first-aid kit… a supply of bottled water? Well, the federal government requires that nursing homes have specific plans in …
Ray Easterling, former player for the Atlanta Falcons, died Thursday at age 62 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to an article in The New York Times, Easterling was part of a group of former NFL players who sued the league, claiming that it had failed to treat players for concussions, and for attempting …
When workers get hurt on the job, they can rack up thousands of dollars in medical expenses and lost wages. Reputable employers carry insurance to cover their employees’ work-related costs. In fact, workers’ compensation insurance is required for employers who have three or more employees. The News & Observer conducted an investigation into how well …
Injured Workers Finally Getting the Help They Deserve Read More »
After a head injury, patients face numerous physical and emotional challenges. During and even after hospitalization, there are many medical decisions that need to be made as part of treatment. But the very act of making decisions is a problem, according to research published in the April 11, 2012, issue of the medical journal Neurology. …
When it comes to the dangers of raw chicken, most people immediately think of Salmonella. And yes, raw chicken is definitely susceptible to Salmonella. But a new study reveals that E. coli is also surprisingly common. According to an article in The New York Times, researchers bought and tested packaged raw chicken products from 10 …
Half of All Store-Bought Chicken is Contaminated Read More »
North Carolina is notorious for its wild daily temperature swings. You might start the day needing long sleeves and long pants, change to shorts by lunchtime, then put on a jacket after sunset. For most of us, this is nothing more than a minor sartorial inconvenience; but for people over age 65, temperature swings can …
“Drive to Live” is a safety initiative by the North Carolina Highway Patrol. It is designed to reduce the number of collisions and traffic deaths involving teenagers. All this week, troopers will be enforcing all traffic laws around the state’s schools, especially during the hours of 6am to 5pm. Troopers will be looking for violations …
When patients undergo surgery, they do so with the hope of becoming better, of recovery from some condition that requires physical repair or removal. No one, however, expects to leave the hospital with a little something extra–especially if that something is a sponge, forceps, or other surgical instrument left behind inside the body. This problem …
Making Sure Surgeons Leave Less Behind…Inside Patients Read More »