Boston.com Health & Wellness news

Patients approved to use medical marijuana in Mass would pay annual $50 fee

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:22:02 GMT

Dispensaries granted a license to sell marijuana for medical use in Massachusetts will be required to pay a $50,000 annual fee under proposed regulations unveiled Friday. The regulations also include a $50 annual registration fee for patients.

Clipboard: State’s Medicare windfall in jeopardy

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:11:02 GMT

A $250 million Medicare windfall for Massachusetts hospitals appears to be on the brink of expiring. The state’s congressional delegation is pushing to preserve what critics have dubbed the “Bay State boondoggle,” Tracy Jan writes in today’s Globe.

Forgotten Scores

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:30:17 GMT

As human beings, we have many motives for the things that we do. We are not immune from having fragile egos nor inoculated from social pressures. These things shape our lives in sport and at play.

Your Guide To Grilling Fruits and Veggies

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:18:02 GMT

Source: AICRIf you are finding it challenging to fill half your plate each meal with fruits and vegetables – a recommendation of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, both the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Institute for...

8 Ways to Give Your Child a Safer Diet

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:24:48 GMT

It's nearly impossible to avoid all toxins these days--they are truly everywhere. But here are 8 things parents can do to at least make their child's diet safer.

My first 5-mile race, and why this race is for more than myself

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:28:02 GMT

This Sunday I'm running my first ever 5-mile race. Weird, right? I've racked up the race miles running 5Ks, 10Ks, a half-marathon (and am now training for my first full marathon in October), but this will be my first 5-miler....

Health Policy Commission to review Partners HealthCare plan to acquire South Shore Hospital

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:29:03 GMT

The state’s new Health Policy Commission is moving forward with a cost and market impact review of Partners HealthCare System’s plan to acquire South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, the first test of its ability to influence the ongoing hospital consolidation trend in Massachusetts. A statement issued by the commission staff Wednesday afternoon said executives at South Shore and Boston-based Partners, which owns Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals, were notified that the commission will examine how the proposed merger of the two highly paid health care providers is likely to affect costs and the state’s health care market. The commission was created by last year’s state health cost containment law as a watchdog to monitor changes in the health care market.

Christina Severin will lead the Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:14:01 GMT

Christina Severin will assume the posts of president and chief executive of the Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization in late June. In January, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center launched the organization, known as BIDCO, with doctors and other hospitals as it looked to adapt to a national movement toward payment systems that provide a single, set fee to care for each patient’s health. BIDCO, formed with the medical center’s physician group and partner hospitals, aims to improve care by emphasizing wellness over treatment. Since 2006, Severin has served as president of Network Health, a Tufts Health Plan subsidiary. She has also taught classes in health care administration and management at Boston University, Northeastern University, and Harvard University.

For heart health, avoid angry response to this blog

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:46:48 GMT

New study shows angry episodes can increase risk of heart attack.

Is that 'fat-burning zone' on cardio machines accurate?

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:34:32 GMT

By Ryan Healy Ryan Healy is a personal trainer for the Lynch/van Otterloo (LVO) YMCA in Marblehead. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, and earned her BS in Exercise Sports Science from Elon University. Find...

Tonsil surgery reduces behavioral problems in kids with snoring condition, study finds

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:40:34 GMT

Having surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoids significantly reduces sleepiness and behavioral problems in kids who snore, but it does not improve their performance on attention and memory tests. That’s the finding from a long-awaited clinical trial conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and elsewhere.

Clipboard: Lawmakers cut money to boost pharmacies inspections following outbreak

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:12:02 GMT

After failures at a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy caused hundreds of people to be sickened by tainted drugs, state officials called for better oversight of the industry and Governor Deval Patrick pledged an additional $1 million to help the Department of Public Health conduct routine inspections. But that money has been cut from the Senate’s proposed budget, prompting Rachel Zimmerman, of WBUR’s CommonHealth blog to ask, “Really?”

The Chilling Facts About Frozen Yogurt

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:05:01 GMT

What’s not to love about soft serve frozen yogurt? It can be a delightful way to enjoy a frozen dessert and reap some bone-strengthening calcium to boot. According to the USDA, a half cup of soft serve vanilla frozen yogurt...

Computers vs patients: A day in the life of a modern intern

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:29:02 GMT

If you're a medical intern, most of what you need to do your job can be pulled off a computer screen: Blood test results. Paged messages. Orders to start a medication. All but, of course, how sick a patient is....

Victoria’s Secret says no to mastectomy bra

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:20:03 GMT

After much debate last week over whether sex symbol Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy would help other women with mastectomies feel sexier, Victoria’s Secret announced Monday that it wasn’t going to contribute to the effort by designing a bra for women who had mastectomies and opted not to have breast reconstruction.

Readers applaud Beth Israel Deaconess nurses who healed bombing suspect

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:24:48 GMT

I wrote in Sunday’s Globe about nine trauma nurses at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center who played a very private but critical role in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing: They cared for gravely wounded suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in a heavily-guarded ICU, nursing him back to health. E-mails from readers across the country, commending and thanking them, have been pouring in.

Weekly challenge: sanitize your handbag

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:14:48 GMT

File it high on the list of yuck factors: Purses -- especially their handles -- have up 10 times the level of germs than the average toilet seat. What to do.

Getting back to the pre-baby me

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:28:02 GMT

Happy Monday, kids! Well, I had quite the weekend: Running dates with new friends, gabbing over coffee, gorgeous weather -- it was lovely. When I wasn't out enjoying the company of awesome people, I spent time putting away all those...

New report says 1 out of 5 children has a mental disorder

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:22:33 GMT

In your average classroom of 20 children, four of them have a mental disorder.

Pilates PLUS

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:20:36 GMT

Regular workouts keep me in decent shape. But Im always looking for ways to get faster, stronger, and more flexible. There are a myriad of options out there, which can be overwhelming for beginners and seasoned athletes alike. Ill play...

How concentrated is Mass. health market? Now you can take a look.

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:06:02 GMT

Check out a great new resource on the Massachusetts health care system from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts: the Massachusetts Health Care Delivery System Map.

Not every run is sunshine and roses: A short pet-peeve list

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:58:02 GMT

This week, I had some really ugly miles in me. I've written about ugly miles before, and how I think they make me stronger, but that doesn't mean I like them. Here's a quick and dirty list of what I...

Prevent kidney stones: drink coffee but not cola?

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:48:03 GMT

Want to reduce your risk of getting kidney stones? Try drinking coffee and tea instead of sugary sodas. That’s the finding of a Brigham and Women’s Hospital study.

Dangers of sexual enhancement supplements: why men should avoid them

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:16:32 GMT

Men can order the little blue Viagra pill online without a prescription via a quick Internet search and credit card payment. They can also order “all-natural” sexual enhancement alternatives such as Rock Hard for Men or Lightning Rod. But what are they really getting?

To CDC on children's mental health: consider office of homeland attachment security

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:15:16 GMT

Change is in the air for children's mental health care. The latest CDC (Center for Disease Control) special supplement to the MMWR (morbidity and mortality weekly report) is titled Mental Health Surveilance Among Children-United States 2005-2011. The report overview states:Approximately...