Health

KU Doctors Fix 3-Week-Old Girl's Aneurysm With Super Glue

Bryan Thompson — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:46:04 +0000

Doctors at the University of Kansas Hospital expect a three-week-old girl to make a full recovery after they closed an aneurysm in her brain…using super glue.

Jared and Gina Julian knew there was something wrong with their three-week-old daughter, Ashlyn, when she suddenly began screaming.

Her mother says "She was very stiff, and then very rag-doll limp. And then... not super responsive." Later that night after Ashlyn threw up a second time, her parents went to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

KS Medicare Users: Your Statements Are Changing This Month

Associated Press — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:00:37 +0000

Kansas residents who receive Medicare benefits will soon see new information on their claim statements. These changes include:

Report: Medicaid Expansion Vital to Mental Health

Bryan Thompson — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:44:02 +0000

The National Alliance on Mental Illness says gaps in mental health care could be addressed if every state-including Kansas-would expand Medicaid as envisioned in the Affordable Care Act.

Rick Cagan, who heads NAMI Kansas, says the state’s system of community mental health centers is supposed to provide help for Kansans with mental illness, regardless of their ability to pay. But budget cuts have left public mental health providers unable to meet the needs…

Ammonia Leak Sends Seven To Hospital

Associated Press — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:20:18 +0000

Seven people have been released from an Emporia hospital after an ammonia leak at the city's Tyson Foods plant.

Emergency workers were sent to the plant on Thursday.

KVOE News in Emporia reports that levels of ammonia at the site were registering at 10 parts per million, which is well below the lethal limit of 300 parts per million.

OSHA says workers can be exposed to a leak of 50 parts per million during an 8-hour shift.

Sebelius Sets Aside $1.7 Million For Community Health Centers In Kansas

Bryan Thompson — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:05:10 +0000

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $150 million in new grant money for federally-funded community health centers around the country.

The grants--at least $55,000 each--are through the Affordable Care Act and only available to safety net clinics that are already federally funded. More than $1.7 million has been set aside for 16 community health centers in Kansas.

Sebelius says they'll use the money to help uninsured patients determine their eligibility and compare coverage options.

Advocates Seek Reduction In Medicaid Waiting-List Rolls

Kansas Health Institute — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:33:37 +0000

Advocates for Kansans with disabilities are urging legislators to adopt Gov. Sam Brownback's proposal to reduce the number of people on the waiting list for Medicaid services.

Currently, about 5,000 Kansans with developmental and physical disabilities are on the list. Brownback wants to spend $18 million to provide services to approximately 600 of them.

Advocates are using a video to help make their case to lawmakers. It features parents of disabled Kansans and some of the caseworkers who are trying to help them gain access to services.

Medicare Competitive Bidding Program Expands To Wichita

Bryan Thompson — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:27:25 +0000

A competitive bidding program aimed at helping Medicare avoid overpaying for products like scooters, diabetic testing supplies, and oxygen tanks is being expanded to 91 communities nationwide, including Wichita.

The program began a little more than two years ago as a demonstration project in nine communities, including Kansas City.

Bill Raising HIV Quarantine Concerns Advancing

Stephen Koranda — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:42:53 +0000

Lawmakers could soon take a final vote on a controversial bill updating the state's laws for testing people who may have been exposed to some contagious diseases.

KanCare Selection Period Ends Thursday

Bryan Thompson — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:03:53 +0000

The clock is ticking for the 380,000 Kansans whose health insurance comes through the Medicaid program now known as KanCare.

The KanCare program assigned each member to one of three private companies administering the benefits as of the first of the year. Members who prefer to switch to a different company have to do so no later than this Thursday.

At a recent educational meeting in Hays, KDHE policy and program analyst Effie Swanson said one reason to switch might be if your doctor is not signed up with your health plan’s network.

Abortions In Kansas Down 5.4 Percent

Briana O’Higgins — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:24:52 +0000

According to a report issued Friday by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment there were 7,457 abortions reported in 2012, which is 428 fewer than were reported in 2011.

The preliminary report, Abortions in Kansas 2012, is an analysis of data collected by the KDHE Bureau of Epidemiology and Public Health Informatics.