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Volunteer dentists needed for aid in Puerto Rico
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareA nonprofit medical organization called International Medical Relief is sponsoring outreach trips to Puerto Rico in response to the recent earthquakes that have devastated the region. The U.S.-based nonprofit provides mobile medical clinics and sustainable health education to underserved communities in 70 countries around the world. Puerto Rico and other islands sprinkled throughout the Caribbean were struck by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake and several aftershocks early in the morning on Jan. 7.
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Groupthink and healthcare: An unhealthy alliance
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareThe term "groupthink" has been in popular usage since the 1970s, and its applicability to the multibillion-dollar 21st-century healthcare industry could not be more salient than it is today. Initially coined in 1974 by Irving Janis, a professor of psychology at Yale University, it is defined by Yale Alumni Magazine as when "a group of intelligent people working together to solve a problem can sometimes arrive at the worst possible answer." Those firmly ensconced in the healthcare ecosystem can likely agree that groupthink plays a larger role than we would like to believe.
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ONC outlines plans for health IT during the 2020s
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationFederal health IT officials have, for the first time, released a draft strategic plan that outlines their priorities for the first half of the 2020s. The focus appears to be on moving to a more patient-focused form of healthcare, with health data accessible through smartphone apps and application programming interfaces (APIs). Additionally, the plan is designed to help patients manage their health and shop for care, according to the Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
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FDA issues public safety notification after exosome treatment sickens patients…
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareLast month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public safety notification regarding exosome products following multiple reports of serious adverse effects experienced by patients in Nebraska who received treatment with unapproved products derived from placentas. Derived from endosomes and present in all body fluids, exosomes are a form of extracellular vesicle. Clinics administer exosome therapies through intravenous injection, inhalation, or injection into joints or soft tissue.
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Dentist moves to No. 2 spot on best jobs list, per U.S. News & World…
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareThere is no single job out there that would be best for every person in the workforce. But many of the best professions do have some attributes in common. A few of those commonalities: they pay well, challenge us over time, complement our talents and skills, aren't too stressful, offer room for advancement throughout our careers and offer a positive work-life balance. Whether or not the position is in demand by job seekers is also a consideration in selection. The job of dentist moved from No. 4 to No. 2 in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings of the 100 Best Jobs, the magazine revealed on its website on Jan. 7.
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International College of Dentists celebrates centennial in 2020
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareThe International College of Dentists has a big reason to celebrate the new year. 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the organization, which was founded in 1920 in Nagoya, Japan. When Drs. Louis Ottofy and Tsurukichi Okumura first birthed the idea to create the International College of Dentists, they likely never imagined that the inaugural number of 250 fellows would grow to more than 12,000 fellows in 122 countries. The ICD will celebrate that growth in 2020 with 100th anniversary celebrations all over the world and throughout the year.
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ADA looks for moonlighting dentists who secretly like to write
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareRemember Hermey, the elf who wanted to be a dentist? It’s safe to say you could easily find that beloved, stop-motion TV classic "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on just about any channel this month. Well, the American Dental Association’s award-winning blog New Dentists Now is looking for a few good...OK, not elves. But writers! Specifically, the New Dentist Now blog is seeking contributors interested in writing about their experiences and insights on the unique challenges facing dentists who graduated from dental school fewer than 10 years ago.
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Sodas found to be common denominator between obesity, tooth wear in adults
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareWe all know they're bad for us. But most of us indulge in sugary soft drinks at least occasionally. All things in moderation, right? Well, a recent study published in the journal Clinical Oral Investigations may give us one more good reason to cut back on (or even eliminate) soda consumption. Drawing on survey data, the study has found that sugar-sweetened acidic drinks, such as soft drinks, are the common factor between obesity and tooth wear among adults.
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Award-winning Austin, Texas, dental practice sets a standard for innovation
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareMassage chairs and a technology bar? It sounds like a sleek and modern hotel lounge, but it’s not. It's Toothbar, a new dental practice in a trendy area of downtown Austin, Texas, that recently won first place in the "new build" category in the inaugural Design Innovation Awards by the American Dental Association. The practice, which was built from the ground up by Dr. Lauren Jacobsen and Dr. Kimberley Barclay, was designed to appeal to young, professional Austinites.
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Payers, providers win latest battle in ongoing hospital pricing war
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationIt appears that hospital price transparency proponents have lost a recent battle. Trump administration officials are kicking a political can down the road after push back from hospitals and insurers, who would have had to make previously undisclosed rates public. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it has some 1,400 comments for a proposed rule about the revealing of rates, and the coming rule regarding the topic will include responses to these concerns. So, who wins here? Payers and providers, apparently. Consumers? Not so much.
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