Coronavirus positive-test rate in Ky. went up again, but more slowly, as cases, deaths and hospitalizations dropped last week

State Department for Public Health map, adapted by Kentucky Health News; to enlarge, click on it. By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Three key metrics of the coronavirus in Kentucky dropped last week, including new cases, deaths and hospitalizations. However, the share of Kentuckians testing positive...

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Feds say they are investigating whether state hospitalizes too many Louisville metro-area residents who have mental illness

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The U.S. Department of Justice says it is investigating whether adults with severe mental illness in the Louisville metropolitan area are being subjected to excessive institutionalization in psychiatric hospitals.   “When people do not receive the community-based mental health...

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Many rural areas short of doctors; UK's health VP says recent federal funding increase for med-school residents was inadequate

Photo from The Lane Report Just like the rest of the nation, Kentucky needs more doctors, and people and institutions in the state are working on several initiatives to address the challenge.  The U.S. faces a projected shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034, including upwards of 48,000 primary-care...

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FDA chief says baby formula supply is expected to remain short through late July; meanwhile, shortage gets worse in Kentucky

Photo from The Associated Press By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The baby formula shortage continues to worsen in Kentucky, with the state's out-of-stock rate increasing by 20 percentage points since May 8, according to the retail data firm Datasembly.  Datasembly reports that in the week starting...

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Reducing screen time can help children be more physically active

Illustration by Becky Wright, Happiful Reducing screen time seems to encourage children to be more physically active, but it's unclear whether it can help them get better sleep. A study by researchers at the University of Southern Denmark involved 89 families from 10 municipalities in the region. The researchers...

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Kentucky extends post-birth Medicaid coverage to one year

CDC photo By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has approved a plan to expand Medicaid coverage for postpartum care in Kentucky from the current 60 days to 12 months, which will allow an estimated 10,000 mothers to maintain their health coverage for one year after giving...

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Generics are usually cheaper, but can also cost more than brand names, due to rebate deals between insurers and drug makers

By Wendell Potter I’m not in the habit of wishing bad things to happen to anybody, but last week, when I was at the pharmacy counter, I was wishing every member of Congress would have to experience the same insanity I was experiencing. If they did, they just might do something to fix the growing crisis they helped create when...

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Study says one in five adult Covid-19 survivors in the U.S. may develop 'long Covid;' for those over 65, it's one in four

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report illustration By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News One in five adult Americans who have recovered from a Covid-19 infection have experienced a health condition that may be related to a previous infection, and that makes prevention efforts...

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Women, trust your gut if you suspect a stroke; here's how to judge

Stroke is the fourth-most common cause of death in women, and rural women are particularly in danger because stroke victims must get treatment quickly to improve their odds of a good outcome, and that can be harder to find in rural areas, Madelyn Ostendorf reports for Successful Farming.  When women have a stroke, they're more likely than men to experience sudden confusion as an initial symptom. Here are some other common symptoms: sudden...

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Kentucky's coronavirus surge continued last week, but at a slower rate; vaccine for young children lining up for approval

Kentucky Health News graph, from state Dept. for Public Health data By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Kentucky's surge in coronavirus cases continued last week,  at a slightly slower rate than the week before. Hospitalizations from the virus remain low, and deaths, a lagging indicator, kept declining. The...

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UK program helps pregnant women overcome opioid-use disorder

Gabi Espinosa and Ashlee Vogelsang at the Polk-Dalton Clinic (University of Kentucky photo by Mark Cornelison) By Dani Jaffe University of Kentucky For expectant mothers, the top priority is to do everything in their power to ensure their baby arrives healthy. For some women, this task is harder than it sounds. In...

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Carter County student goes to hospital with adverse vape reaction

An ambulance took a student from East Carter High School in Grayson to Kings Daughters Medical Center in Ashland Thursday after the student had an adverse reaction to an electronic cigarette, Carter County school officials said. They said the student was being treated for non-life threatening symptoms, and school administrators and law enforcement were investigating the incident while students were being asked to stay in their classrooms, the Lexington...

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Appalachian counties continue to dominate lowest level of County Health Rankings; most counties moved at least 10 notches

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The annual County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report, showing how the health status of every county in the United States compares to that of every other county in the state, has been released. Many Kentucky counties showed little change, but 76 of the state's 120 counties shifted up...

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Attorney general issues alert about scam sales of infant formula

Image from WKDQ.com Attorney General Daniel Cameron issued a consumer alert Wednesday warning Kentuckians of scams related to the nationwide shortage of infant formula.  “Scammers often attempt to take advantage of those in stressful situations, and right now that can include Kentuckians who are desperately trying...

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CDC says McCracken County has a high level of coronavirus and 33 other counties have medium levels

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News McCracken County is red on the latest national Covid-19 risk map, indicating a high level of coronavirus transmission. Thirty-three counties, most of them in Western Kentucky, are yellow, indicating a medium level of transmission. Yellow counties are: Hickman, Carlisle, Ballard, Graves,...

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While Covid-19 cases in Ky. are on the rise, Beshear says "We should not be scared" because cases are less severe; Booster for 5-11-year-olds nears finish line

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News As Covid-19 cases and the share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus went up again this week, Gov. Andy Beshear stressed that Kentuckians are not getting as sick from the virus and that is good news.  "And that means, in my opinion that, yes, we should be mindful of what's...

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Owensboro Health plans education facility for health professions

Google map locates business center where health-professions training facility will be housed. Owensboro Health, which operates the largest hospital in Western Kentucky and owns two others in Greenville and Leitchfield, is planning to build a training facility for nurses and other medical professions. The Commonwealth...

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Remote Area Medical and health insurers serve more than 180 people at free clinic in tornado-devastated town of Mayfield

Remote Area Medical workers do a vision exam. (Photo from Kentucky Association of Health Plans) More than 180 people received free medical treatment or vision exams and glasses this weekend at a two-day clinic in Mayfield, the West Kentucky town devastated by the massive December tornado. The clinic was sponsored...

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University of Pikeville says it will build Kentucky's third dental school with a $25 million gift from an anonymous donor

University of Pikeville website logo The University of Pikeville plans to create Kentucky's third dental school with a $25 million gift from an anonymous donor's family foundation, the largest in the school's 133-year history. UPike President Burton Webb announced the gift last Saturday during the private university's...

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Do you use or prescribe medications for opioid-use disorder? Researchers at UK would like to know what you think about it

Illustration from University of Kentucky Primary-care providers who prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid-use disorder, and people receiving treatment for the disorder, are invited to participate in studies led by researchers at the University of Kentucky and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Opioid...

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