PLUK News feed

Web Resource For Hearing Impaired (Provides Health Information in ASL)

Link: DeafMD.org  DeafMD is an innovative website providing accurate, concise, and valuable health information in American Sign Language to the Deaf & Hard of Hearing population. Using health information created by two trustworthy and unbiased government sources—the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, our team of healthcare providers, linguists, and educators translates this complex information into ASL.

Screening Babies for Broken Hearts

Link: Broken Hearts In the middle of one night in August, a seemingly healthy 1-week-old infant named Ryan Olson suddenly began gasping for breath at home in Massachusetts, and his frantic parents rushed him to the hospital. There, emergency room doctors noted the critically ill baby had bluish feet and no pulse in his lower body. That almost certainly meant the boy had a “coarctation,” or blockage of his aorta. Ryan’s story isn’t that unusual. How can we identify these normal-appearing newborns before they leave the hospital, become critically ill like my patient and perhaps die? Recently, researchers have identified a promising new method called pulse oximetry to screen all babies for heart defects.

nytimes.com: Insurers Ease Stance on Pre-Existing Conditions

Link: nytimes.com
WASHINGTON —The health insurance industry said Tuesday that it was willing to end the practice of charging higher premiums to sick people if Congress adopted a comprehensive plan that provided coverage to all Americans.

seattletimes.nwsource.com: Enumclaw's Ashley House is home to fragile children

Link: seattletimes.nwsource.com
Ashley House partners with Seattle Children's Hospital and Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Health Center in Tacoma to bridge the gap between hospital care and care in a foster home or at home.

geneticalliance.org: Making Sense of Your Genes

A Guide to Genetic Counseling

Link: geneticalliance.org
This publication provides a public-friendly introduction to genetic counseling and its applications. A truly collaborative process, this publication is borne out of partnership between Genetic Alliance, the National Society of Genetic Counselors, students at the Johns Hopkins University/National Human Genome Research Institute Genetic Counseling Training Program, and a number of independent advisors and reviewers. The guide includes general information about genetic counseling, tips on how to prepare for an appointment, and details about different specialties in the field.

reuters.com: Vitamin B12 can prevent major birth defects

Link: reuters.com
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Before becoming pregnant, women need to get enough vitamin B12 in addition to folic acid to cut their risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal cord, researchers said on Monday.

aircareall.org: The Air Care Alliance

"Supporting the Nationwide Community of  Charitable Aviators
Flying to Help Others"

Link: aircareall.org
The Air Care Alliance is a nationwide league of humanitarian flying organizations whose volunteer pilot members are dedicated to community service. This site will introduce you to us and to all the groups we list whose volunteers perform public benefit flying for health care, patient transport, disaster relief, educational experiences for youth, environmental support, and other missions of public service.

surveymonkey.com: Emergency Preparedness Survey

Link: surveymonkey.com
 Thank you for your interest in participating in our Emergency Preparedness Survey for parents of children with disabilities or special health care needs ages birth-21.
The Shriver Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School has been a pioneer in research, education and service for people with disabilities and their families for over three decades. The purpose of this survey is to assist us to develop projects and programs related to emergency preparedness.
Your responses to this survey are anonymous. This survey has been reviewed and approved by the University of Massachusetts Medical School Institutional Review Board.
For more information about the survey, or to be placed on a mailing list to receive the survey results, please contact Sue Wolf-Fordham, Project Director, at susan.wolf-fordham@umassmed.edu

disabilityscoop.com: Seeing A Pediatrician At 40? You’re Not Alone

Link: disabilityscoop.com
Adults with disabilities have more trouble finding a physician than people without disabilities, according to a report from The Arc of Massachusetts. And that means many of them are continuing to see pediatricians well into adulthood.

dbtechno.com: Expansion Of SCHIP Passes, Millions Of Kids Get Health Insurance

Link:dbtechno.com
Washington (dbTechno) - The Senate has agreed with the House and has approved an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), supplying millions of low-income children with health insurance.