Photo by 401K via flickr

I thought I would kick off the week by pointing out two stories related to health care spending that I read this weekend.

The first was printed Sunday in The Roanoke Times detailing the government’s case against the Saltville Rescue Squad. Federal prosecutors say the volunteer rescue squad defrauded Medicare of nearly $1 million by repeatedly driving patients to dialysis treatments and the illegally billing the government. The story, reported by Laurence Hammack, also offers insight into the larger crackdown on health care fraud in Western Virginia.

Next, I caught up on a report from the Institute of Medicine estimating that the US health care system wastes $750 billion annually. That’s “roughly 30 cents of every medical dollar – through unneeded care, byzantine paperwork, fraud and other waste,” according to the Associated Press story.

If my email inbox is any indication, a lot happened during my week off. While I sort through the tips and press releases, I thought I would point out a few stories as a way to begin catching up:

• The Virginia Department of Health confirmed, as of  Tuesday, five cases of West Nile Virus in the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, the state public health officials have joined the national plea for people to avoid mosquito bites as a way to prevent the disease. Among the health department’s hints are to use insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants at dusk and dawn, and eliminate  standing water to deter mosquito breeding areas from forming in your yard.
• The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine announced plans to open a second branch campus. The latest addition to the private Blacksburg-based school will be in Alabama and is expected to open by 2015. The  college’s first branch campus welcomed its second class in South Carolina earlier this summer.
• A community health survey released last week by Carilion Clinic revealed some local residents need better access to medical care, more nutritious food, increased health education and opportunities to build their physical fitness. The findings didn’t surprise those who conducted the survey, my colleague Neil Harvey reported. Read the entire executive summary.
• Finally, if you missed it, I posted an entry earlier today on Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia’s plans to open four four medical offices as a way to begin providing health care directly to Medicare recipients.

Recommendations on screening tests for diseases are in the news with a government panel recommending against routine prostate cancer screening for healthy men, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proposing that baby boomers be screened for hepatitis C.

First, the news on the PSA test from the Associated Press:

“Healthy men shouldn’t get routine prostate cancer screenings, says updated advice from a government panel that found the PSA blood tests do more harm than good.

Despite strenuous protests from urologists, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is sticking by a contentious proposal it made last fall.”

Next, the government has proposed all baby boomers get tested for hepatitis C. Here is what the Associated Press reported:

“For the first time, the government is proposing that all baby boomers get tested for hepatitis C.

Anyone born from 1945 to 1965 should get a one-time blood test to see if they have the liver-destroying virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in draft recommendations issued Friday.

Baby boomers account for more than 2 million of the 3.2 million Americans infected with the blood-borne virus. It can take decades to cause liver damage, and many people don’t know they’re infected.

CDC officials believe the new measure could lead 800,000 more baby boomers to get treatment and could save more than 120,000 lives.”

The hat signed by the Blacksburg Police Department and given to Daniel Whittaker as part of the Caps for Kids program. (Photo by Eric Brady / The Roanoke Times)

To kick off the week, I have two stories worth reading.

The first comes from my colleague Mike Shaw over at The Burgs. He reported a touching story about a four-year-old cancer patient who, when given the chance to get a signature from any celebrity, chose the Blacksburg Police Department. Daniel Whittaker was presented the hat last week at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital as part of the Caps for Kids program.

Next, we ran this story from the Associated Press on the front page today, detailing how both unpaid and paid medical bills can drag down credit scores. The report cites research that estimates 30 million Americans were contacted by collection agencies for unpaid medical bills in 2010.

“Surprisingly, even after the bills have been paid off, the record of the collection action can stay on a credit report for up to seven years, dragging down credit scores and driving up the cost of financing a home,” AP reports.

Good morning. After having the day off yesterday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, I thought I would start out today with a round-up of headlines.

• The Food and Drug Administration has fined the American Red Cross $9.6 million for blood safety lapses caught during inspections in 2010. The lapses include those found at the Appalachian Region in Roanoke and at 15 other locations. In a letter detailing the violations the FDA cites poorly trained staff, bad record-keeping and evidence donated blood was mishandled or misplaced.
• Solstas Lab Partners had 154 open jobs on its website Friday, according to an editorial in the News & Record. The company, co-headquartered in Roanoke and High Point, N.C., has been growing rapidly since its formation two years ago and is looking to continue to expand its business, according to the Greensboro paper. This is the lab company that formed from the merger of Carilion Labs and Spectrum laboratory Network.
• The media were on hand yesterday for a press conference to meet a 13 year old Haitian girl who is in Blacksburg of surgery. Kethia Sirena will get free medical care to undo some of the damage done when she fell into a cooking fire a decade ago.

The change of leadership at Carilion Clinic is just one of the big stories of the year in Southwest Virginia health care. (Photo by Stephanie Klein-Davis / The Roanoke Times)

I didn’t think it would be proper to let 2011 come to a close without first reflecting on some of the important health stories in Southwest Virginia during the year.

This isn’t the final word in important health news. So, please tell me if you agree, or point out what stories I failed to include.

(And, to be clear, this is not a ranking. The order is entirely random) Read more »

Does caffeine help improve workouts?

What are Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine’s thoughts on the individual mandate?

How is Facebook looking to help prevent suicide?

Answers to these questions can be found in the following articles I came across today:

The New York Times Well blog shares information on how researchers at Coventry University in England found men who drank caffeine before a standard weight-training gym regimen reached exhaustion faster than those who didn’t have the stimulant.

Over on the Blue Ridge Caucus, Mason Adams shares Kaine’s thoughts on health reform and the individual mandate. Kaine was in Roanoke yesterday for a tour of the new Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute.

And, the Associated Press reported on a new Facebook tool aimed at helping people expressing suicidal thoughts. The feature, which launched yesterday, lets users connect to a counselor “through a confidential chat session triggered after a friend reports distressing content,” according to the article.