Category: Public Health Issues - Part 6

‘My dear Watson’ — from ‘Jeopardy’ to a doc’s office near you

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon KEYSTONE Best known for beating brilliant humans at Jeopardy, Watson, the super computer, soon may be coming to a hospital or insurance company near you. But dont call him (or her) Dr. Watson. The more appropriate reference may be to Sherlock Holmes my dear Watson, the indispensable right-hand man or woman as Lucy Liu now portrays Dr. Joan Watson in the re-imagined TV show, Elementary. IBMs Watson is actually named to honor the companys founder, Thomas J. Watson. But as Watsons creators dream up future roles for their intelligent machine medical sleuth, patient watchdog and reading…

Toddler obesity rate ‘a wake-up call’ for Colorado

By Diane Carman While some researchers are celebrating what they see as a new, positive trend toward declining obesity rates among low-income preschool children in a report released this week, James O. Hill is skeptical. Too many toddlers are obese, said Hill, executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. Thats the bottom line. These are very tiny numbers that are bouncing around, he said. I struggle to say there are any real trends here. The report, Vital signs: Obesity Among Low-Income, Preschool-Age Children United States, 2008-2011, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that small but…

Senior tsunami threatens Colorado’s healthy outlook

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon KEYSTONE Colorado faces daunting challenges in providing a healthy environment for both its oldest and youngest citizens, according to a new report from the Colorado Health Institute. The report, Reaching Our Peak: Creating a Healthier Colorado, assesses how Colorado rates in five major areas that affect health: schools, workplaces, communities, medical providers and places where we age. The Colorado Health Institute unveiled the report at this weeks Colorado Health Symposium, a gathering of state and national health leaders sponsored by the Colorado Health Foundation. Colorado scores lowest for healthy aging, according to the reports authors who…

Cycling surges, so do concussions, collisions

By Diane Carman For bicyclists, the rewards from improved physical fitness and stress release to the minimal commuting costs are obvious. So are the risks. Former Gov. Bill Ritter, an avid cyclist, suffered broken ribs after colliding with another bicyclist on one of his regular morning rides in 2010. Then-President George W. Bush attended his daughters engagement party sporting cuts, scrapes and a bandage on his chin after crashing on his mountain bike on his Texas ranch in 2004. Author Stephen Covey died last year at the age of 79 of complications from injuries incurred in a bike wreck in…

Opinion: The perils of privatizing health care American-style

By Donna Smith As health systems around the world grapple with the increasing costs of providing health care for their citizens, far too many are considering more extensive privatization of their systems to emulate the U.S. health care model. This is a mistake not only from an economic perspective but also from a human rights and public health position. As one of the people deeply injured by the profit-driven U.S. health system and as a professional advocate for a universal, public model that provides health care without financial barrier, I know that more privatization of any health system allows for…

Health law alone won’t reverse inequities

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon The Affordable Care Act may leave many of the poor and people of color behind. Thats the view of this years president of the American Public Health Association,Dr. Adewale Troutman, who spoke in Denver last week. We are trying to incorporate 30 million people into a health care insurance system that is broken. The system is fragmented. Inequalities flourish and prevention is an afterthought, Troutman said during an event on health equity sponsored by The Colorado Trust. The system doesnt necessarily change just because you have more people in it, he said. While the Affordable Care…

Opinion: Not so invincible — young people confused about Obamacare

By Danielle Robbio Contrary to what many in the media may believe, young people do care about the implementation of Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But just like many other people in America, many of us may be confused about its provisions, which may apply to us and how. Though I am a senior at Boston University and have studied health policy, I acknowledge that I do not understand everything I may need to know about the new law. Even my classmates pursuing careers in medicine and related fields lack a true understanding of health reform, and while intrinsically…

The quest to ensure safe cantaloupe

By Elise Oberliesen Colorado-grown cantaloupe will start rolling into supermarkets and farmers market stands in mid-August and for many, its long anticipated. Or at least it used to be. No one will forget the deadly listeria outbreak in 2011 traced to cantaloupes grown at Jensen Farms in Holly, 90 miles from Rocky Ford. With at least 34 deaths, one miscarriage and numerous cases of people who became ill, stricter food safety guidelines were implemented immediately. Still, in 2012, a listeria outbreak tied to Indiana cantaloupe claimed three more lives. Food safety advocates and those whove lost loved ones grow more…

Opinion: Worse health in Denver despite robust health care system

By Aubrey Hill Summer in Denver abounds with fun opportunities: Rockies games, festivals, farmers markets, outdoor movies and parks that cover 4,000 acres of the city. Denver is consistently named one of the healthiest cities in the country, and its easy to see why especially when you factor in its robust health care system of 12 hospitals, dozens of safety net clinics and nearly 3,500 doctors. Despite outward appearances though, the data show that Denver residents are actually in worse health. In fact, the data on Denvers population in general is quite striking. Overall, a higher percentage of Denver residents…

Colorado receives $116 million exchange grant

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Colorado will get another $116 million to help launch the states new health exchange, Connect for Health Colorado. Federal cuts known as sequestration chopped $9 million from the states $125 million request. Last month, exchange CEO and Executive Director Patty Fontneau said that some programs may have to withstand higher cuts than others because managers already have signed contracts for services or technology so they cannot spread the cuts evenly across all programs. Myung Oak Kim, director of communications and outreach for the exchange, said the cuts shouldnt impact customers. The reduction in the grant due…