Health & Safety

The Call-In: The Opioid Epidemic And How Opioids Have Affected Your Lives

8:12am February 26, 2017

The opioid epidemic is growing. Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Jim Barnum, whose brother died after an opioid addiction and Chuck Rosenberg, acting administrator of the DEA.

Rai competes at the 2014 Manaslu Trail Race, which passes through Nepal's Himalayan landscapes.

What Makes Mira Rai Run?

7:00am February 26, 2017

by Danielle Preiss

She dreamed of a better life outside her village in Nepal. But she was broke and had run out of hope. Then she tried a 31-mile trail race.

Dr. Joel Funari performs some 300 tooth extractions annually at his private practice in Devon, Pa.. He's part of a group of dentists reassessing opioid prescribing guidelines in the state.

Dentists Work To Ease Patients' Pain With Fewer Opioids

6:37am February 26, 2017

by Elana Gordon

After minor surgeries, many dentists used to reflexively prescribe quick-acting opioids to relieve a patient's pain. Now they're learning to counsel patients about better, less addictive alternatives.

In this 2015 photograph, Lucille Horn stands on the boardwalk outside her home in Long Beach, N.Y.

Lucille Horn, Who Was Nursed To Health In A Coney Island Sideshow, Dies At 96

9:02pm February 25, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

At a time when incubators were rejected by most doctors, Martin Couney treated Horn with one at a sideshow of premature infants. She died earlier this month, 96 years after most experts expected.

Doctor Takes Death Education To High School Classrooms

6:43pm February 25, 2017

NPR's Michel Martin talks with Dr. Jessica Zitter about preparing high-school students to deal with end-of-life care. Zitter is a critical care and palliative medical doctor in Oakland, Calif.

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Dog owners should think about end-of-life care for their pets.

When You Love An Old Dog, Managing Care Can Be A Challenge

1:21pm February 25, 2017

by Preeti N. Malani

Aging dogs often need extra medical care. But there comes a time to be realistic about what can and can't be done, veterinarians say. The pet's comfort is paramount.

Pig farm workers push live pigs into a large grave in Nipah in 1999. To stop the outbreak, the Malaysian government culled almost 1 million pigs, nearly destroying the country's pork industry.

A Taste For Pork Helped A Deadly Virus Jump To Humans

10:00am February 25, 2017

People were dropping dead in Malaysia, and no one could figure out why their brains were swelling. A young scientist solved the mystery. Then he had to get people to believe him.

Some environmental justice advocates say California's cap-and-trade program hasn't done anything to clean up the air in low-income communities like Wilmington, where refineries are located near residential neighborhoods.

Environmental Groups Say California's Climate Program Has Not Helped Them

7:57pm February 24, 2017

by Emily Guerin

California's signature climate plan is under attack from environmental justice groups. Some say the cap-and-trade program hasn't done anything to clean up the air in low-income communities.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., responds to constituents concerned about their coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

GOP Health Bill Draft Would Cut Medicaid, Emphasize Tax Credits

5:08pm February 24, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The plan would replace insurance subsidies for low-income families with tax credits for everyone, eliminate the requirement to buy health care, and end taxes on medical devices.

Health & Safety

Heightened Patient Visitor Screening During Flu Season

4:28pm February 24, 2017

by David Ford

It's peak flu season in the Piedmont, and some local hospitals are will begin limiting patient visits starting Friday in a coordinated effort to prevent the spread of the bug.

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