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Mammography and the Right to Choose
November 20, 2009 3:53 PM by Matthew T. Patton

(Editor's note: This is a guest blog written by Valerie M. Chapman, RN, MSN, a pediatric nurse for 25 years. She is a 3-year breast cancer survivor and lives in Medford, NJ, with her husband and two children.) I am a wife, a mother of two awesome kids, Read More...

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Signs of the Times
November 13, 2009 1:46 PM by Matthew T. Patton

Acknowledging healthcare reform has been controversial would definitely be an understatement. Almost everywhere I've traveled lately I've heard highly emotional and passionate positions for both sides of the debate. This past weekend, a large group of Read More...

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(Flu) Shots for All!
August 19, 2009 12:22 PM by Amanda Koehler

This morning I read a story in the New York Times about how New York is mandating flu shots for all healthcare workers, mostly out of fear of H1N1 outbreaks. A healthcare union in the state is protesting, saying: "Healthcare workers on the front lines Read More...

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Rapid Tests for H1N1
August 6, 2009 8:47 AM by Amanda Koehler

Here's a great article from The New York Times featuring the lab and H1N1 testing. The story says rapid tests for H1N1 fail to properly detect infections more than half the time. Have you been finding this is true for your laboratory? Read More...

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Stop Testing for H1N1?
July 8, 2009 11:49 AM by Amanda Koehler

An article I found on the United Press International's Web site said the WHO is getting ready to tell countries to stop testing for the H1N1 virus. Because these tests are flooding labs and making it hard for laboratorians to keep up, healthcare professionals Read More...

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What's Your Type?
February 3, 2009 3:01 PM by Amanda Koehler

Apparently, in Japan knowing your blood type is akin to knowing what your astrological sign is. I ran across this article today and found it interesting. It says four of Japan's top 10 best-selling books in the last year were about how your blood type Read More...

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Healthcare and the Economy
November 4, 2008 10:15 AM by Amanda Koehler

According to a story I wrote for our November 3 issue called "Pinching Pennies," a few lab directors reported to me that the failing economy has not impacted their laboratory too greatly. But this article says the state of the economy is making Americas Read More...

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New AIDS Vaccine Trial a Success in India
August 26, 2008 3:49 PM by Amanda Koehler

When it came to writing the August 25 cover story, "The Quest for an AIDS Vaccine," I found so much information on the potential vaccine that I didn't know what to do with it all. I also discovered many institutions around the world are at different points Read More...

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USA -- Science Savvy?
August 12, 2008 1:39 PM by Amanda Koehler

Today USA Today ran an article about Americans' outlook on science... and some of the statistics in the article are downright depressing. Here's a sampling: 70 percent of people believe the USA is not the world leader in science achievement. 79 percent Read More...

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Mainstream Media Acknowledges Shortage
August 1, 2008 1:34 PM by Amanda Koehler

A reader e-mailed me recently with a link to a Los Angeles Times article about the shortage of allied healthcare professionals. She was excited the mainstream media is "finally paying attention to the laboratory professional shortage." Here's a highlight Read More...

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Too Much Control?
July 2, 2008 8:55 AM by Amanda Koehler

Recently, CNN ran an article about company wellness programs. It discusses the benefits of having health coaches at work, encouraging employees to go to a gym and to eat right, and offering weight-loss and smoking cessation programs. The article's author Read More...

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Undercover Healthcare
June 16, 2008 1:54 PM by Amanda Koehler

USA Today recently ran a story on "undercover patients"-- people who get paid to fake physical illness so they can grade a medical facility's services. The American Medical Association is considering endorsing this practice during its 5-day meeting starting Read More...

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The Celebrity Effect
May 30, 2008 11:29 AM by Amanda Koehler

It seems if a celebrity or her loved one is diagnosed with an illness, it tends to get a lot of ink or television exposure. For example, actress and comedienne Jenny McCarthy has been talking about autism-her son Evan has the disorder. She's even written Read More...

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CDC Says Flu Vaccine Ineffective
April 21, 2008 9:41 AM by Amanda Koehler

CNN recently reported health officials from the CDC said this year's flu season is the worst in 3 years, and the vaccine was only 44 percent effective. Read more... Read More...

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Personal Politics
March 14, 2008 9:25 AM by Kerri Penno

Last month, HHS secretary Michael Leavitt (or Mike, as he goes by in his blog ) posted a comment about the urgent state of Medicare, which accounts for 56 percent of the HHS budget. Left as is, Medicare is just 11 years from going broke, Mike pointed Read More...

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