Health
Public safety at risk in Champaign County, IL.
In most towns across Illinois and the U.S., the Public Health Department publicizes any health code violation so that consumers can be aware of the risk they are taking by eating at a restaurant. However, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department chooses not to share the roughly 1,300 inspections done in a year. Many in the…
Read MoreHigh lead levels pour from Chicago faucets; raise concern of testing methods
Exposure to lead – even a little – in tap water can cause serious health problems in both children and adults. In this report by Ellen Gabler of the Chicago Tribune, she reveals that a recent federal testing of Chicago’s tap water showed that “nearly 45 percent” of homes “had lead levels spike when more water samples…
Read MoreNational Practitioner Data Bank goes blank
Two decades ago, if a doctor ran into malpractice trouble in one state, all he or she had to do was move to another state and their slate was wiped clean. This posed problems for hospitals so, in 1986, Congress “established the National Practitioner Data Bank: a clearinghouse for hospitals, professional societies and state regulators…
Read MoreEasy to find synthetic drugs pose an alarming, increasing threat
In the series, “A Lethal Dose,” the Star Tribune addresses alarming facts about synthetic drugs. In part II, the Star Tribune reveals how simply it is to obtain these highly dangerous chemicals. All it takes is a credit card and the Internet. The substances are often marketed as harmless bath salts, herbal incense or research chemicals. To find out just…
Read MoreTexas’ top politicians hiding just how much radiation is in the water
In a one-hour comprehensive special, KHOU-TV revealed how Texas and U.S. authorities often allow the public to drink water with more radioactive contamination than is allowed by federal law. “A Matter of Risk” also uncovered a report by state-scientists that nearly a quarter of a million Texans drink water that give them a 1 in…
Read MoreCMS reports over 600 pages of neglect at Dallas County public hospital
Dallas’ Parkland Memorial Hospital, which offers care to much of the poor community in the Dallas County area, have been targeted by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. They found countless incidents of deficiencies in the hospital, including “patients lost in hallways, buckled over in pain. Children discharged without medical screening or stabilizing…
Read MoreFungal infections post Joplin tornadoes spur disagreement between state and local health officials
In the aftermath of the devastating Joplin tornadoes, cases of a rare fungus that cause potentially deadly infections in humans began showing up in Southwestern Missouri.Local health officials in Green County contacted state health officials with the evidence and suggested sounding a statewide alert. However, Missouri officials declined citing the concern of causing public panic.…
Read MoreAre food safety violations becoming the norm for Michigan restaurants?
Brian McVicar from The Muskegon Chronicle investigates the thousands of food code violations that were reported from 2007-2010 in Muskegon County, Michigan (an area with the population size of about 174,000 according to Muskegon County’s website http://www.co.muskegon.mi.us/). However, restaurants aren’t the only ones skirting the law, “Schools, hospitals, and food stands found in places such as Michigan’s…
Read MoreIs your Vet precautious, or just ripping you off?
Fox 9 News in Minneapolis, MN went undercover to investigate the claim that some veterinary clinics are vaccinating pets too often. Jeff Baillon reports on what can happen to your dog if you listen to your vet and vaccinate for rabies every two years, instead of the vaccine’s intended 1 or 3 year dose. The…
Read More‘Designer’ recreational drugs causing violence and death across the country
Pam Louwagie, of The Star-Tribune in Minneapolis, reports on the devastating results of “designer” drug use. These legal substances are marketed online as “herbal incense” and “bath salts,” which seem like a safer alternative to street drugs. However, Louwagie points out that all over the country teens and adults alike are experiencing some terrifyingly dangerous…
Read More