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When health care workers need someone to take care of them, they come to hospital's 'Zen Den'
BALTIMORE -- When Kathryn Fritze was nine in the late 1960s, her family was involved in a horrific car crash. She and three siblings were "scattered around" the homes of different relatives, she said, while her parents recuperated from their injuries and a brother spent months in intensive care.
It was then that the little girl discovered her ...Read more
UnitedHealth Group profit doubles to $6.6 billion with COVID-19 slowdown
UnitedHealth Group's second-quarter profit jumped to $6.6 billion -- double the earnings from the same period last year, and far beyond expectations -- as the nation's largest health insurer paid out far fewer claims with the temporary shutdown of elective procedures due to COVID-19.
The Minnetonka, Minn.-based health care giant said Wednesday ...Read more
GoHealth raises $914 million through IPO and plans to expand its Medicare offerings
CHICAGO -- GoHealth, an online health insurance marketplace, raised $914 million through an initial public offering Tuesday, but shares of the Chicago-based company fell 7.3% on Wednesday's first day of trading.
The company will use the funds raised through the IPO to expand, said Brandon Cruz, co-founder and chief strategy officer.
The ...Read more
Masks and gowns in short supply, leaving hospital workers exposed
American health care workers still face dangerous shortages of personal protective equipment as the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 fills hospitals across the nation and threatens patients and workers in long-term care facilities.
Dayna James, an emergency department nurse in Miami, said some days she's had to clean patient rooms with hand ...Read more
Wearables and sleep: What can they really tell us?
Smart devices are everywhere, including wrist-based monitors. These wearables promise to count our steps, remind us to move, and provide insight on our sleep. But can we trust them to measure our sleep accurately?
Most wrist-based devices are based on an accelerometer, which measures wrist movement. The data gathered from the accelerometer — ...Read more
Watermelon refreshers
Watermelon is a slice of Americana, perhaps best enjoyed on a hot summer day. Those cooling, thirst-quenching bites that lead to sweet juicy drips off the chin are a nostalgic part of many childhood memories.
The folklore
Watermelon originated in Africa 5,000 years ago and was first cultivated in Egypt around 2,000 B.C., where it’s depicted ...Read more
3 reasons to eat blueberries
Even through ever-changing nutrition science and trends that come and go, blueberries continue to be viewed as a powerhouse — and for good reason. Multiple studies have linked blueberries with healthier aging, better memory, decreased inflammation and more. Keep reading to learn about blueberry nutrition, why they’re so good for you and how ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Check daughter regularly because of family history of scoliosis
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What causes scoliosis? Do genetics play a role? I was diagnosed with it as a teenager, and several of my cousins had it, too. Now I’m worried that my daughter, who’s 8, may be affected when she gets older. Should she be checked for scoliosis soon?
ANSWER: The exact cause of scoliosis isn’t known. But it tends to run in ...Read more
Can you safely go on vacation amid coronavirus? We asked an expert
With coronavirus cases rising in popular vacation spots, including the Carolinas and Florida, with the highest number of new cases in a day on Sunday (15,300), should people be going on vacation?
Yes, with the same precautions you would be taking if you were home, said Dr. Keith Armitage, medical director of the University Hospitals Roe Green ...Read more
As millions lose health insurance, Trump administration offers little help
WASHINGTON -- As millions of people lose jobs in the coronavirus outbreak, jeopardizing their health benefits, the Trump administration and many states are doing little if anything to connect Americans with other insurance coverage.
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department hasn't launched any special effort to publicize the availability of...Read more
Fact check: Azar says federal law had preexisting conditions covered before ACA.
One of the most popular features of the Affordable Care Act is its guarantee of insurance coverage -- at no greater cost -- for people with preexisting health conditions.
Thus, even as the Trump administration argues before the Supreme Court that the entire Affordable Care Act should be declared invalid, the president and his administration ...Read more
How risky is using a public restroom during the COVID-19 pandemic? Minnesota experts weigh in
Luggable Loos. SheWees, GoGirls and Tinkle Belles.
Suddenly, portable camping potties and female funnels have become must-have products, selling out at camping stores and back-ordered online.
"We have seen a noticeable uptick in hygiene and sanitation categories," said Melissa Paul, a merchandising manager at REI, where sales of the Luggable ...Read more
Diets high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains linked to decreased risk of diabetes, study says
The findings of two new studies link a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes to a high consumption of fruit, vegetables and hearty whole grains.
The studies, recently published in The BMJ according to Science Daily, suggest that even a modest increase in consumption of these foods as part of a healthy diet could help prevent type 2 diabetes....Read more
Adding to COVID-19 stress, families of health workers fight for denied workers' comp benefits
James "Mike" Anderson was a hospital employee in suburban Philadelphia with a low-profile though critical job: changing air filters in COVID-19 patients' rooms.
By late March, new COVID-19 cases in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, had ramped up to as many as 90 per day. At the hospital, Anderson handled air filters and other surfaces that might have...Read more
Black mental health patients hit hard by COVID-19, social injustice: 'We were already at a breaking point'
CHICAGO -- Dr. Brandi Jackson, a psychiatrist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said the COVID-19 pandemic has been her most difficult period as a psychiatrist. With an uptick in anxiety and depression in her primarily Black clientele, she's seeing patients who have been clean for years relapsing on drugs -- and citing the ...Read more
'I am now paying the price.' Kentucky sheriff shares COVID-19 pains, recommends masks
The Grayson County sheriff contracted COVID-19, and he had advice for others, according to his Facebook page.
Sheriff Norman Chaffins, a law enforcement veteran of over 20 years, detailed the hardship he has faced after he, his wife Lauren and his son Greyson tested positive for the virus, leaving him with severe symptoms.
"On Monday, I lost ...Read more
Contact tracing and COVID-19: What is it and how does it work?
Question: I've heard about contact tracing being done during the COVID-19 pandemic. What is it and how does it work?
Answer: Contact tracing is a tool that can help slow the spread of infectious diseases, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In communities using contact tracing, clinics, labs and hospitals send the names of people who ...Read more
COVID patients can be overwhelmed with inflammation. Doctors are learning to calm that 'storm'
In the millions of tiny air sacs tasked with absorbing oxygen in Brett Breslow's lungs, the scene was chaos.
Some of the sacs were swollen with fluid that had leaked from surrounding blood vessels. Others had simply collapsed. The grim result: the Cherry Hill man was starved of oxygen, leading doctors at Cooper University Hospital to put him on...Read more
Colorado, like other states, trims health programs amid health crisis
As a teenager, Paulina Castle struggled for years with suicidal thoughts. When her mental health was at its most fragile, she would isolate herself, spending days in her room alone.
"That's the exact thing that makes you feel significantly worse," the 26-year-old Denver woman said. "It creates a cycle where you're constantly getting dug into a ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q And A: Safety tips for hot weather exercise
Dear Mayo Clinic: Our family loves to exercise outdoors. With summer coming, I want to make sure our family stays safe. What advice do you have for staying hydrated and avoiding issues while working out in the heat?
Answer: Exercising in hot weather puts extra stress on your body. If you don't take care when exercising in the heat, you risk ...Read more
Popular Stories
- As millions lose health insurance, Trump administration offers little help
- 'I am now paying the price.' Kentucky sheriff shares COVID-19 pains, recommends masks
- How risky is using a public restroom during the COVID-19 pandemic? Minnesota experts weigh in
- Fact check: Azar says federal law had preexisting conditions covered before ACA.
- Masks and gowns in short supply, leaving hospital workers exposed
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