By: Cara Rosner As melanoma rates continue to rise nationally, particularly among young people, experts warn that skin cancer will become increasingly common unless community leaders and policy makers emphasize its prevention. More than 9,000…
By: Lisa Chedekel Eight of the top 10 prescribers of a potent narcotic used for cancer pain were paid more than $870,000 in speaking fees by the drug maker in 2013 and 2014 — indicating…
By: Gary Stoller As the federal government advocates increased use of generic drugs, concerns are mounting about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s oversight and the quality or effectiveness of some generics. In the last…
By: Cara Rosner When Ashley Yalof finishes a run, either on a treadmill or outdoors, she gets much more than merely a feeling of accomplishment: she knows her average pace, can compare her performance to…
By: Lisa Chedekel The family of a Meriden man who died in 2013 at age 56 is suing Derby nurse practitioner Heather Alfonso and the pain clinic where she worked, alleging that her rampant overprescribing…
By: Peggy McCarthy | June 30, 2015 ShareEmail Print Women in Connecticut have been denied health insurance benefits in violation of the federal Affordable Care Act, according to a study by the National Women’s…
By: Lisa Chedekel Federal charges against Derby nurse Heather Alfonso center on a powerful and addictive painkiller called Subsys, which has been heavily marketed by the Arizona-based manufacturer Insys Therapeutics, federal officials confirmed Wednesday. Alfonso,…
By: Magaly Olivero Tens of thousands of Connecticut residents who receive federal subsidies to help pay for health insurance won’t be affected immediately by the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act before the U.S….
By: Lisa Chedekel A Derby nurse practitioner identified as the state’s highest Medicare prescriber of potent narcotics has admitted taking kickbacks from a drug company in exchange for prescribing pain medication. Heather Alfonso, 42, of…
By: Kate Farrish A Waterbury home health care agency has been fined $5,000 and ordered to hire a nurse to monitor patient safety for at least three months due to multiple violations found during unannounced…
By: Cara Rosner Thousands of Connecticut children could potentially avert hunger and gain access to healthy foods under proposed legislation to raise a federal nutrition program’s age limit. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro is co-sponsoring legislation…
By: Kate Farrish The medical director of a pain clinic in Derby was reprimanded and fined $7,500 on Tuesday by the state Medical Examining Board for writing prescriptions for patients based on assessments of their…
By: Lisa Chedekel Ten Connecticut prescribers, including a Derby nurse practitioner who is under investigation by the state, were responsible for more than 22 percent of the state’s Medicare spending on potent narcotics in 2013,…
By: Jodie Mozdzer Gil More Connecticut students report feeling sad and hopeless and they are seeking help at school-based health clinics, as more students become aware of the services, counselors say. Their problems range from…
By: Cara Rosner Breast cancer patients who have additional tissue removed during a partial mastectomy are half as likely to need a second surgery, according to a Yale Cancer Center study released today. The study…
By: Cara Rosner People addicted to drugs such as heroin, morphine and prescription pain medicine who receive treatment with medication in hospital emergency departments fare better than those who are merely referred to treatment services,…
By: Kate Farrish A Wallingford nursing home has been fined $7,500 by the state Department of Public Health for numerous violations and has been ordered to hire a nurse consultant to monitor its care of…
By: Kate Farrish A Bridgeport company has been fined $3,000 by the state Department of Public Health for multiple violations, including poor supervision of medication and unsanitary conditions, at two substance abuse treatment centers it…
By: Kate Farrish A Stamford psychiatrist who fabricated a radiology report was fined $7,000 Tuesday and had her medical license placed on probation for six months by the state Medical Examining Board. At its meeting…
By: Lisa Chedekel Rates of heavy drinking in Connecticut spiked 21.3 percent between 2005 and 2012, while binge-drinking rates rose nearly 14 percent, with the largest increases among women drinkers, a new report shows. The…