News - Part 31

Komen fallout leaves Colorado patients suffering

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Donations for breast cancer took at hit in Colorado last year and the public battle between national Komen leaders and Planned Parenthood could further reduce fundraising this year, leaving breast cancer survivors without critical help. Already groups like Sense of Security, a small Denver nonprofit that serves low-income breast cancer patients throughout Colorado, have lost thousands of dollars. Sense of Security did not receive funding this year from the Denver affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, leaving a $60,000 gap in its $400,000 annual budget. Another nonprofit, Rocky Mountain Cancer Assistance, lost $70,000 of its $425,000 annual budget…

Opinion: HB-1130 a personhood bill, plain and simple

By State Rep. Cherylin Peniston These “personhood” zealots will not give up. Not once but twice Colorado voters have overwhelmingly rejected proposed constitutional amendments that would confer “personhood” rights on fetuses. But instead of respecting what the voters have said, Rep. Janak Joshi, R-Colorado Springs, is trying to circumvent the will of the people and impose “personhood” by legislation. House Bill 12-1130, sponsored by Rep. Joshi, would create a new class of crime victim – “an unborn member of the species homo sapiens.” In an essay posted in this space, Rep. Joshi claims it “does not confer the status of ‘person’ upon…

Local farms can boost nutrition and the economy

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon One of the biggest myths about the obesity epidemic is that Americans cant afford fresh fruits and vegetables, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan said during a visit to Colorado this week. We have 18 million kids in this country who are food insecure while we also have an obesity epidemic, Merrigan said during a talk at the University of Colorado Denver on Thursday. I like to do some myth-busting, she said. People say if we increase the number of fruits and vegetables, it increases the cost. Fruits and vegetables are too expensive. We have a…

Opinion: Protecting pregnant women, upholding victims’ rights

By  State Rep. Janak Joshi District attorneys and law enforcement officials have repeatedly requested legislation to fix a glaring loophole in Colorado’s criminal justice system. By not creating a separate crime for the death of a pregnant woman’s child through a criminal act, Colorado law fails to protect the rights of pregnant women and their children. To correct this failure in our criminal justice system, I’m sponsoring House Bill 1130. This bill will allow prosecution for a criminal act that results in the death of a pregnant woman’s child. Similar legislation has already been passed in 34 states, including California,…

Few Americans would have to buy new health policies under Affordable Care Act

Analysis by The Bell Policy Center Only 6 percent of Americans will become new buyers of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The Bell Policy Center analyzed data from the Urban Institute and found that just 2 percent of people who are now uninsured will have to buy health insurance without some sort of subsidy. An additional 4 percent of Americans will be required to buy health insurance, but their incomes will allow them to qualify for subsidies to help pay for the insurance. The remaining 94 percent of Americans already have private health insurance through work, have coverage…

Eliminating ‘candy bribery’ in schools

By Rebecca Jones of Education News Coloradoand EdNews Parent Colorado Samara Williams candy epiphany came on the morning she saw the dental van parked in front of Rose Hill Elementary, and the volunteers preparing to provide free teeth cleanings for second-graders. Rose Hill in Commerce City serves some of the poorest kids in the metro area and dental care is a precious commodity that many of their parents simply cant afford. Suddenly, it all clicked for Williams, the school principal. Why, she wondered, would the school arrange to clean the kids teeth in the morning and then pass out candy…

Obesity levels spike in Colorado

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Colorados adult obesity levels recently jumped at the second-fastest rate in the country, a disturbing increase for a state that has long bragged of being the leanest in the nation. Its not good news. If anything, its even more of a wake-up call. One of the things we know about obesity is its much easier to prevent than to reverse it. Weve got the opportunity to use prevention in Colorado. Were going to rapidly lose that, said James O. Hill, director of the Colorado Center for Health and Wellness at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical…

New project aims to give Coloradans voice on health debate

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Do you wear a seat belt when you drive? Do you recycle? Do you think smoking is unhealthy? Its likely your answers are yes, yes and yes again. But decades ago, cars didnt have seat belts, no one bothered to recycle and once upon a time, Americans viewed smoking as glamorous, not as a killer habit to be uniformly condemned. Education campaigns over years convinced people to change their attitudes. Thats the long-term goal of a new effort that is being launched today to engage Coloradans about important health coverage and care issues. The campaign, Project…

Bill would cut drug possession from felony to misdemeanor

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Possession of small amounts of meth, cocaine, marijuana and other illegal drugs would become misdemeanors rather than felonies under a new bill introduced in the Colorado legislature this week. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum formed a coalition to sponsor Senate Bill 12-163,which aims to give drug addicts treatment instead of costly prison sentences. State budget analysts are still determining the bills fiscal impact. The bill calls for savings to fund more drug treatment programs. A fiscal note is due within about a week. Sponsors acknowledged that they introduced the bill late in the session in…

Opinion: Report Card highlights “Winnable Battles” in health

By Dr. Chris Urbina Never have I been satisfied with average at least when it comes to report cards. Unfortunately, the results of the Colorado Health Foundations 2011 Colorado Health Report Card, to be released this week, show Colorado is generally getting above average to below average grades when compared to other states in 38 health indicators. But while the report card indicates how Colorado is doing in certain national rankings, it doesnt provide a complete picture of how the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is working with the states 54 local public health agencies and other partners…