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FDA issues warning letter to companies on dangerous, unapproved stem cell…

Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied Healthcare

After 12 people were hospitalized for infections associated with unapproved stem cell treatments, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to Genetech, Inc. about the umbilical cord blood-derived cellular products distributed by Liveyon, LLC. The FDA warned Genetech for processing umbilical cord blood into unapproved human cellular products and for significant deviations from current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) and current good tissue practice (CGTP) requirements.

Are hospitals compliant with patient access to medical records?

Christina Thielst Healthcare Administration

Are U.S. hospitals compliant with federal and state regulations in their medical records processes? That is the central question in a cross-sectional study of 83 hospitals featured in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital Rankings for 2016-2017. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act establishes the patient’s right for access of their protected health information within 30 days and in the format they prefer. In the study, researchers attempted to conduct scripted interviews (simulating a patient experience) with each medical records department, but three were deemed nonresponsive.

Bringing a stop to nurse cannon fodder syndrome

Keith Carlson Healthcare Administration

Nurses are virtually irreplaceable as the vital lifeblood and connective tissue of any healthcare organization or facility. From the emergency department and the ICU to home health and dialysis, nurses do the highly skilled work that keeps the healthcare engine humming. When nurses are treated as so much cannon fodder thrust on the front lines without appropriate support from an enlightened and forward-thinking leadership, things can go terribly awry. Being thrown under the metaphorical bus is unpleasant in any circumstance, but when nurses are left to fend themselves while healthcare outcomes and patient safety are compromised, such circumstances are morally and ethically unacceptable.

Getting clever to beat the flu

Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied Healthcare

We all dread the flu. From late fall to early spring, from mild to severe to even deadly varieties, the flu is anticipated and discussed every year. Since 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) have recommended routine annual influenza vaccinations for all persons 6 months of age or older who don’t have contraindications. However, the flu virus is a moving target, and it is often difficult to study the exact number and locations of proteins on any individual virus, and scientists have always known that a flu virus in our bodies can be a lot different than viruses grown in the lab petri dish where viruses are uniform and spherical. In our bodies, these viruses vary in shape and composition.

Study supports fasting as a means of improving overall health

Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied Healthcare

It's the new year. Many people are integrating new habits into their lives to help them reach their health and wellness goals. The rise in popularity of intermittent fasting as part of an overall wellness plan has people researching, Googling and seeking out information on fasting more than ever before. In a University of California, Irvine-led study, researchers found evidence that fasting affects circadian clocks in the liver and skeletal muscles, causing them to rewire their metabolism, which can ultimately lead to improved health and protection against aging-associated diseases.

‘Tuning in’ to people’s feelings, body language and voice…

Frank R. Myers Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

I do not claim to be an expert, psychologist or therapy worker; however, I do believe I have a knack for "tuning in" to what people are projecting to me through their various mannerisms. With time and experience, anyone can fine tune their people "reading" capabilities through dealing with them on a day-to-day basis. This is especially true when your line of work is in the medical field. Over several years of being a crew member and then officer on an ALS (advanced life support) rescue unit with my former department, I could quickly determine what is real and what is not real.

How empathy training for your doctors will benefit your patients

Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare Administration

Compassion is a key quality that every physician should demonstrate — and when they don't, patients notice. Research from Massachusetts General Hospital found that patients who have a good relationship with their doctor can benefit as much as they would from taking a daily aspirin to prevent a cardiac event. What's more, research from the Loyola University Health System found that residents who scored high on emotional intelligence and empathy also demonstrated better impulse control and more social responsibility — making for safer and more humane care as a whole.

Adaptogens: Plants that combat stress

Heather Linderfelt Pharmaceutical

In an age where Western healthcare costs are rising — and drug resistance is a serious problem, more people turning to natural remedies to aid in their health. For thousands of years, people have used certain plants to combat illnesses and stress as a part of their traditional medicines. These include adaptogens, a class of plants that have amazing abilities to adapt to tough conditions and stresses in the environment; they can also help human bodies adapt to certain stressors in the body, leading to more robust health. Adaptogens support the entire endocrine system, especially the adrenal functions of the body.

Study: Mobile health apps used by millions but effectiveness is lacking

Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied Healthcare

There's an app for seemingly everything to help us live better healthier lives, but it seems the outcomes of these apps show little evidence of positive prognoses. Perhaps the best way to describe these digital health tools is that they have a big hat but no cattle. According to a study published by Health Affairs, even though the developers of the technologies study their effectiveness, these studies "rarely used randomized controlled trials, depended on small study populations and generally focused on healthier individuals."

Exploring the pegan diet: The next big thing in food trends

Bambi Majumdar Food & Beverage

Trendspotters are projecting that the "pegan" diet will become popular in 2019. A combination of paleo and vegan diets, searches for the pegan diet rose 337 percent on Pinterest in recent months. People looking to inculcate healthier eating habits may opt for this diet that promotes gut health. The term was introduced by Dr. Mark Hyman, director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and a New York Times best-selling author, when he detailed his own diet, a mashup of paleo and vegan diets.

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