Special Saturday edition.
- David W. Moore: Gallup’s Anti-Health Care Bias
- Kossack cmhmd reports on the most recent AMA discussion on HC Reform via conference call.
- From American Health Care Journalists blog:
Francis S. Collins, M.D., M.P.H., has been unanimously confirmedas director of the National Institutes of Health, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today.
I briefly met Dr. Collins nearly two decades ago just after he, John R. Riordan and Lap-Chee Tsui announced the discovery of the Cystic Fibrosis gene. I am thrilled at this appointment, and the continued appointments of people of quality to key health positions. No "helluva job, Brownie" stuff here.
- You don't know what you'll do until you're there:
Sir Terry Pratchett has made an emotional plea for the right to take his own life, saying: 'I live in hope I can jump before I am pushed.'
The fantasy novelist gave his views following last week's landmark House of Lords controversial judgment in the case of Debbie Purdy.
'I believe that if the burden gets too great, those who wish should be allowed to be shown the door,' he said. 'In my case, in the fullness of time, I hope it will be in the garden under an English sky. Or, if wet, the library.'
Sir Terry, 61, author of the hugely successful Discworld books, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's diseasein 2007.
- Nothing is easy or free:
France claims it long ago achieved much of what today's U.S. health-care overhaul is seeking: It covers everyone, and provides what supporters say is high-quality care. But soaring costs are pushing the system into crisis. The result: As Congress fights over whether America should be more like France, the French government is trying to borrow U.S. tactics.
What? They want to borrow our screamers?
- The title says it all:
CDC Guidance for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators for School (K-12) Responses to Influenza during the 2009-2010 School Year
This document provides guidance to help decrease the spread of flu among students and school staff during the 2009-2010 school year. This document expands upon earlier school guidance documents by providing a menu of tools that school and health officials can choose from based on conditions in their area. It recommends actions to take this school year and suggests strategies to use if CDC finds that the flu starts causing more severe disease. The guidance also provides a checklist for making decisions at the local level. Detailed information on the reasons for these strategies and suggestions on how to use them is included in the Technical Report. Based on the severity of 2009 H1N1 flu-related illness thus far, this guidance also recommends that students and staff with influenza-like illness remain home until 24 hours after resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- Speaking of CDC:
CDC recommends that people with influenza-like illness remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100° F [37.8°C]), or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
Health care workers are still to stay out 7 days from symptom onset or until the resolution of symptoms, whichever is longer. And not enough people listen to the advice in either setting.
- Diane Rehm had an H1N1 round-up on 8/6 with Tony Fauci (NIH), Anne Schuchat (CDC), Bruce Gellin, Director, National Vaccine Program Office and more...