By: Lisa Chedekel Connecticut hospitals reported record numbers of patients killed or seriously injured by hospital errors in 2013, with large increases in the numbers of falls, medication mistakes and perforations during surgical procedures, a…
By: Marie Shanahan Candid online posts describing the challenges of breastfeeding fill the Facebook page of Breastfeeding USA’s Connecticut chapter. The daily stream of anecdotes, questions and comments alternate in tone from exasperated to celebratory….
By: Jenifer Frank Yale cancer scientist Melinda Irwin says that the connection between obesity and cancer are so strong — as are recent findings about the effectiveness of exercise and diet in treating cancer —…
By: Susan Jaffe Next year, seniors with private Medicare Advantage insurance policies whose doctors leave their plan may be able to leave, too, under a new Medicare rule. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services…
By: Cara Rosner The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides inconsistent treatment to veterans with depression and may be underestimating the number of vets who suffer from the condition, according to a government watchdog agency….
By: Kate Farrish The state Medical Examining Board fined a New London obstetrician $5,000 Tuesday for mistakenly cutting ligaments on the sides of a woman’s uterus instead of the fallopian tubes during a tubal ligation….
By: Lisa Chedekel Veterans ages 18 to 54 had similar, or slightly lower, rates of unemployment than their civilian counterparts from 2000-2013, but older veterans were more likely than their peers to be unemployed, according…
By: Cara Rosner By analyzing dynamic brain scans, Yale researchers have pinpointed a different brain response between male and female smokers, a finding that could lead to breakthroughs in developing gender-specific treatments to help smokers…
By: Cara Rosner State health officials have fined four Connecticut nursing homes following lapses in care that resulted in falls and injuries. St. Joseph’s Center in Trumbull was fined $1,020 after a state Department of…
By: Lisa Chedekel Connecticut’s acute-care hospitals saw gains from their operations tumble 35 percent in the last fiscal year, with seven of 29 hospitals reporting operating losses, according to a new state report. While hospitals…
By: Cara Rosner Four Connecticut nursing homes have been fined by the state Department of Public Health following injuries and falls, including one fall that later resulted in a resident’s death. Avon Health Center was…
By: Cara Rosner Those who visit a medical spa in Connecticut for Botox, hair transplants or other cosmetic procedures can be assured they will see a licensed medical professional there, which hasn’t always been the…
By: Lisa Chedekel State health inspectors visiting Stamford Hospital in late 2012 turned up several infection-control violations, including the improper drying and storage of endoscopes, instruments used to look inside the body. An inspection of…
By: Cara Rosner Pediatricians can be a vital asset to new mothers when it comes to identifying mental health problems and connecting them to treatment, according to a new report. As many as one in…
By: Magaly Olivero Plans are underway to provide thousands of individuals under age 21 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with home-based interventions and other services through the state’s Medicaid program beginning Jan. 1. “This is…
By: Lisa Chedekel The state will use a $4 million federal grant to launch a pilot program in a New Haven neighborhood that officials hope will be a statewide model for improving early identification and…
By: Kate Farrish The state Department of Public Health has fined a New Jersey company $200,000 for operating eight blood collection centers throughout Connecticut without state approval. Dr. Marc Grodman, president of BioReference Laboratories Inc.,…
By: Lisa Chedekel Connecticut patients who pick up a prescription for Percocet at their local pharmacy pay an average of 58 cents a pill. But the same pill, dispensed by a physician, costs more than…
By: Cara Rosner Ninety-six percent of veterans awaiting appointments at VA medical centers in Connecticut are being seen within 30 days, new data show, with Connecticut performing slightly better than the national average. At Connecticut…
By: Magaly Olivero Medicare-funded breast cancer screenings jumped 44 percent from $666 million to $962 million from 2001 to 2009, yet those added costs did not improve early detection rates among the 65 and older…