ABLEnews MedNotes

                   AMERICAN MEDICAL NEWS (3/23-30/92)

T.B. Hits More Health Professionals (1)
  Multi-drug rsistant strain found in New York hospital workers.

Surgeon General, A.M.A.: Snuff Out 'Old Joe Camel' (1)
  "It is absolutely an outrage and immoral that they have targeted our
  children--prior to the age of consent--bombarding them with cartoon
  images." --James Todd, M.D., American Medical Association.

More Pressure for Congress to Cap Health Care Spending (1)
  Pressure to limit payments to physicians and hospitals to increase.

Plastic Surgeons Develop Plan to Address Implant Fears (2)
  "The antidote for fear is information." --Norman Cole, M.D., American
  Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons.

Term of Acting HCFA Head Expected to Be Short (2)

Scientists Tell of Harassment by Activists (3)
  "If the movement is successful, untold millions will suffer the
  ravages of disease." --M. Roy Schwarz, M.D., A.M.A.

How You Can Bolster Support for Research (3)
  Call 312-464-4574 for information.

Abuse, Taunts, Protests at Home (3)
  "They've made disparaging remarks about my disability." --Sharon
  Juliano, Ph.D.

U.S. Issues Guidelines on Adult Urinary Incontinence (4)
  Urinary incontinence affects more than 10 million Americans, including
  half the nation's 1.5 million nursing home patients.

H.H.S. Ruling Keeps the Heat on Physician Self-Referral (5)
  "After all this warning, courts are not going to be at all
  sympathetic." --Edward Hirshfeld, A.M.A. Associate General Counsel.

Washington State to Enact New Natural Death Act (8)
  Opponents decry "back-door euthanasia. CURE Comment: Reads more like
  front-door to us.

Oregon Right to Life Fights Hemlock Society (8)
  "We're right here in the heartland of the international
  anti-euthanasia movement." --Lynda Harrington, Oregon Right to Life.

Computer Friendly (9)
  Paperless environment "designed by doctors for doctors" seeks to
  decrease health care costs, improve health care quality.

Fertility Doctor's Conviction Fuels Issue of Self-Policing (11)
  Doctors must report unprofessional conduct under Virginia law, but
  while Jacobsen practiced "fraudulent medicine" for 12 years, none did.

Physicians Claim Whistle-Blowing Led to Retaliation (11)
  "We literally commit malpractice here. It is not willful malpractice.
  It is negligence born of necessity." --Kildare Clarke, M.D., associate
  director, Kings County Hospital emergency department, New York City.

Use of Drug Trafficking Law Hit in Cocaine Baby Case (12)
  26-year-old Florida mother convicted of delivering drugs to two of her
  children through her umbilical cord.

Bill Aimed at Preventing, Treating Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (12)
  1 in 90 Indian children are born with F.A.S. compared to 1 in 600 to
  700 in the population.

Heritage Foundation Says Its Reform Plan Saves Money (13)
  But critics say it would cut many out of the health insurance system.

New Democratic Health Reform Proposal Is Unveiled (13)
  Daschle plan similar to Kerry's.

Psychiatrists Pressured by Irish Abortion Decision (13)
  "We're really hopeless at predicting it (suicide)." --Patricia Casey,
  M.D., professor of clinical psychiatry, National University of
  Ireland.

Rehabilitation Facilities Hit in Congressional Hearing (14)
  "I would like to think that most people with head injuries receive the
  best possible care, but we have learned that all too often they are
  warehoused in outrageously overpriced, resort-like facilities."
  --Representative Ted Weiss.

Groups Grapple With Income Issues (15)
  Finding the right compensation plan is tough.

Overhead Expenses Are On the Rise (15)
  Increased non-physician overhead stems from managed care.

Texas County Billing Insured Prisoners for Care (17)
  Others also charge inmates' personal accounts.

Iowa Blues Introduce Pregnancy Management Program (17)

Mountain State Blues in West Virginia Earns Profit (17)

A.M.A. Official Gazes into 2000 and Beyond (18)
  Cutting-edge research will increasingly come from Japan and England.

Experts Call for More Comprehensive Nursing Care (19)
  45% of Americans older than 65 have spent time in a nursing home.

Cholera Outbreaks Expected, But No U.S. Epidemic (19)
  From Latin America travelers.

U.S. Physicians Should Be Prepared for Cholera Cases (19)
  "The general rule 'boil it, cook it, or forget it' may be used."
  --Centers for Disease Control.

Study: More Coronary Bypasses in Whites (19)
  "For patients insured by Medicare, race is strongly associated with
  coronary artery bypass graft surgery rates, and this association is
  greater for men than for women." --Arthur Hartz, M.D., Medical College
  of Wisconsin.

Lung Association Sues to Save California Anti-Smoking Campaign (21)
  "Tough times haven't changed the tough facts about tobacco use."
  --Anthony Nejera, American Lung Association.

Study Details Use of Sigmoidoscopy (22)
  Could lower death rate from colon and rectal cancer by 30%.

Fewer Restraints Used in Nursing Home (22)
  Use of physical restraints decreased 47% from 1989 to 1991.

Report Seeks New Efforts on Toxic Chemicals (23)
  Call 1-800-624-6242 to order "Environmental Neurotoxology" at $24.95
  plus $3 shipping and handling.

Bare-Bones Coverage for Lawmakers?
  Proposal by Washington state legislator that colleagues give up their
  generous coverage for meager policy for working poor raises hackles.

Can a Condom Botique Survive in Portland, Maine? (24)
  School officials ban condom distribution at Maine's Kennebunk High.

Join the A.M.A. Alliance Against Violence (editorial) (25)
  For information about the A.M.A.'s National Coalition of Physicians
  Against Family Violence, write Marshall Rosman, A.M.A., 515 N. State
  St., Chicago, IL 60610. Include your address, phone number, any
  special areas of interest, such as child abuse, elder abuse, etc.

The Domestic Violence Issue: Hear Our Voices (op ed) (25)
  "Conservative estimates...put the annual medical costs of domestic
  violence at almost 10,000 days of hospitalization, almost 30,000
  emergency room visits and almost 40,000 visits to a physician each
  year." --Surgeon General Antonia Novello, M.D.

High Court Urged to Keep Abortion Legal (30)
 by 147 Congressmen, while West Virginia moves to restrict
 taxpayer-funding of abortion.

Immune System Problem Linked to Diabetes (30)
  May explain orgin of Type I diabetes.

How Much Is Enough? (31)
  In 1990, Americans gave $490 per capita for charity.

Volunteers Say Helping Others Is Good for the Health (33)
  "The Healing Power of Doing Good" by Allan Luks.

'Article 99' Offers a Refreshing Break From Doctor-Bashing (34)
  V.F.W. awards gold medal to actor Ray Liotta for drawing attention to
  plight of veterans promised health benefits by a government that
  grossly underfunds the system.

Residency Is Starting, and Oh No, She's Pregnant (first-person) (35)
  "Men and women must change this antiquated system that is a disgrace
  to individuals who have chosen medicine for high-minded ideals."
  --Victoria McEvoy, M.D.

30,000 Doctors, Nurses Protest in Hungary (37)
  "Our wages are more like a tip!" --marchers.

Study: Type A Mothers' Personality Found in Offspring (37)

'Holistic' Approach Is Backed for Children (37)
  "Creating Sound Minds and Bodies," $10, National Commission to Prevent
  Infant Mortality, 330 C St. S.W., Switer Building, Room 2014,
  Washington, D.C. 20201.

Group Allegedly Sells Cadavers of Homeless (37)
  Poor Colombians murdered to provide corpses for medical students?

Study: City Dwellers Smoke More, Die More (39)
  "Smokers' Rights Act" defeated in Idaho House.

Zairian AIDS Research Project Likely to Close Down (40)
  9.5% of blood donors at Kinshasa's largest hospital infected.

Medicare to Keep Beneficiary Lines (41)
  Toll-free lines assist beneficiaries.

Lab Attacks May Become Federal Crime (42)
  Sentences to 20 years, fines to $25,000 proposed.

Research Group Chronicles Thefts, Damage, Protests (43)
  By "animal rights" activists.

Records Destroyed in Michigan Fire (43)
  "It's a very unecessary tragedy, I'd have to relive my research life
  for 10 years to duplicate everything. I will start over." --Karen
  Chou, Ph.D., assistant professor of animal science, Michigan State
  University.

Health Officials Throughout Country See Jump in TB Cases (47)
  To more than 25,000 in 1990.

[The above listing, prepared for ABLEnews by CURE, includes all major
articles in the cited issue and a representative selection of the rest.]

...For further information, contact CURE, 812 Stephen Street, Berkeley
Springs, West Virginia 254511 (304-258-LIFE/5433).
