LocalHealthGuide - Part 197

Picture of an elderly man's hands resting on a cane.

January 31, 2019 Seniors

Program helps frail seniors live independently

Participants in the program — Community Aging in Place: Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) – experienced 30% fewer difficulties with such activities.

January 30, 2019 Fitness / Seniors

A 10-step fitness boot camp for seniors

Kaiser Health News interviewed three other prominent experts on aging and health about how seniors can find the will to adopt healthier habits.

January 29, 2019 Medicare

New app shows what Medicare covers

The new app lets people with Original Medicare, caregivers and others quickly see if Medicare covers a specific medical item or service.

January 29, 2019 Hospitals

Small hospitals linking to big name centers

For prospective patients, it can be hard to assess what these relationships actually mean — and whether they matter.

January 29, 2019 Measles / Vaccines

Measles outbreak update

36 cases of measles have been identified in Washington state.
fficials in Oregon have confirmed a case that has been linked to the Washington state outbreak.

January 28, 2019 Emergency Medicine / Health Costs / Hospitals

Hospital Charge for Fainting Spell: $4,700

Total Bill: $4,692 for all the hospital care, including a $2,961 ER admission fee, a $400 EKG, $348 for a chest X-ray, and nearly $1,000 for blood tests.

1000px Map of Washington highlighting Clark County.svg

January 28, 2019 Measles / Vaccines

Measles outbreak update.

In Washington, 34 confirmed cases and 9 suspect cases of measles have been identified in Clark County, 1 case in King County, and 1 in Multnomah County, Oregon

January 28, 2019 Antibiotics

‘Superbug gene’ found in the high arctic

The resistance genes that were found in Arctic soils that were likely spread in the fecal matter of birds, other wildlife and human visitors to the area.

January 28, 2019 Health Costs / Hospitals

Analysis: Pulling Back Curtain On Hospital Prices Adds New Wrinkle In Cost Control

For years, these prices have been a tightly guarded industrial secret. When pressed to release them, hospitals have argued that they are proprietary information.

January 28, 2019 Health Policy / Hospitals

Hospitals Check To See If Patients Are Donor-Worthy — Not Their Organs, But Pockets

Hospitals conduct nightly wealth screenings — using software that culls public data such as property records, and contributions charities.

January 27, 2019 Measles

New cases of measles in Washington and Oregon

Clark County Public Health officials have identified 30 confirmed cases and nine suspect cases. No new public exposure locations have been identified.

January 25, 2019 Measles / Public Health

Inslee declares emergency in response to measles outbreak

Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency today in all counties in response to more than two dozen confirmed cases of measles in the state.

January 25, 2019 Influenza/Flu

Study to map this season’s flu virus in Seattle

The study will recruit 10,000 residents and visitors who show flu-like symptoms, creating a first-of-its-kind citywide network for infectious disease tracking.