health care

Seven years ago, Johns Hopkins Hospital collaborated with Baltimore's Safe Streets program to bring violence prevention workers into the hospital to meet with the injured and settle conflicts. Now, the health department in Baltimore is trying to revive th

Baltimore Sees Hospitals As Key To Breaking A Cycle Of Violence

6:35pm April 08, 2016

by Andrea Hsu

The city's health department wants to send ex-offenders who are trained to be "violence interrupters" to hospitals to talk with victims. Chicago has found such a program prevents repeat injuries.

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Abortion Providers In Utah Adapt To New Anesthesia Requirement

3:09pm April 08, 2016

by Andrea Smardon

In Utah, a doctor performing an abortion will soon have to administer anesthesia after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The new law is the first of its kind in the nation, and it's based on the controversial notion that a fetus at that stage in development may feel pain during the procedure. Abortion providers are adapting to this change in the law.

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Private Investors Eagerly Enter Addiction Treatment Business

6:41pm April 07, 2016

by Deborah Becker

The cry for more substance abuse treatment beds has not missed the ears of some private investors. They're eager to get in on the estimated $35 billion treatment business.

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The entrance to Sutter Davis Hospital in Davis, Calif. Sutter Health has hospitals in more than 100 communities in Northern California; it reported $11 billion in revenue last year, with an operating profit of $287 million.

Big California Firms Take On Health Care Giant Over Cost of Care

9:23am April 07, 2016

by Chad Terhune

Sutter Health's network has 24 hospitals and more than 5,000 doctors in Northern California — a huge share of the health care market. Big employers say Sutter has too much clout in setting prices.

Fewer than half of the low-income children eligible for dental care in California actually get checkups or other treatment.

California's Dental Safety Net Fails Most Clients, Report Says

6:38pm April 06, 2016

by David Gorn

Millions of children and adults are eligible for subsidized dental care in California. But the state's program is underfunded and many families can't find a dentist who participates, a report finds.

People in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, make their way through a fumigation fog that's meant to kill the mosquito that transmits the Zika virus.

White House Says It Will Cut Ebola Funding To Address Zika

4:22pm April 06, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

The Obama administration requested $1.9 billion in emergency funds to prepare for Zika, but Congress has yet to respond. Now the White House plans to divert funding intended for Ebola.

Cassandra Steptoe (center) rehearses a performance with fellow actresses as part of The Medea Project, in San Francisco. Steptoe wrote and performs an autobiographical monologue in the production about being HIV-positive.

Theater Helps This HIV-Positive Grandmother Transform Lives

5:00am April 06, 2016

by Farida Jhabvala Romero

Writing her own story, with support from peers, helped Cassandra Steptoe shed the shame she felt in her diagnosis and find psychological healing instead. Now she's inspiring others to do the same.

UVA Study Links Disparities In Pain Management To Racial Bias

5:53pm April 05, 2016

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks to Kelly Hoffman, a doctoral student in social psychology at the University of Virginia. Hoffman recently published a paper that links disparities in pain management to racial bias.

The guy with empty pockets might also be missing health insurance.

IRS Could Help Find Many Uninsured People, But Doesn't

10:49am April 05, 2016

by Phil Galewitz

Many low-income households that claim the earned income tax credit lack health insurance. That status on tax returns could provide a clue about people who would benefit from outreach.

Just Turned 40? An Architect Says It's Time To Design For Aging

6:30pm April 04, 2016

by Meredith Rizzo

An architect looked at communities that serve older adults, and didn't like what he saw. By changing habits earlier in life, he says, we can create vibrant communities that will sustain us.