http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog Keeping journalists informed – and connected. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:22:08 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Reuters' Frederik Joelving reports that a new, easier method of taking biopsies to detect esophogeal cancer, called TSA, has opened a up a whole new profit center for folks pushing cancer screening, despite the fact that, as Joelving writes, "there is no research showing that routine screening for esophageal cancer ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/05/esophageal-cancer-screening-could-lead-to-runaway-health-costs/ Setting up a state insurance exchange is a complicated endeavor – made more so by the bitter politics of health reform and the uncertainty over the Supreme Court ruling. Some states, like Maryland, are proceeding with enthusiasm. Others are fighting the health law in court – but quietly doing some ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/05/experts-share-challenges-of-setting-up-state-insurance-exchanges/ Following up on reporting efforts from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today and ProPublica, a Senate committee has launched investigation into the pharmaceutical industry's conflict-of-interest-laden promotion of pain management drugs, one of which may or may not be related to one pharma-tied patient organization's Tuesday announcement that is was closing up ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/05/investigative-reports-lead-to-senate-investigation-into-painkiller-promotion/ If we're lucky as we cross the threshold into old age, people who we love – our spouses, our children, our nieces and nephews, friends and neighbors – start becoming our caregivers. When we stop driving, they take us to the doctor. When we need a prescription, they go to the pharmacy ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/05/attention-to-complex-emotions-around-caregiving-can-add-depth-to-stories/ Reese Dunklin and Sue Goetinck Ambrose of The Dallas Morning News document how Kern Wildenthal, the former UT Southwestern Medical Center president and its current chief fundraiser, spent hundreds of thousands in public dollars in recent years to build campus wine cellars, pay for his opera interests and travel to ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/05/investigation-finds-hospitals-leader-spent-public-money-on-personal-interests/ Investigating for Reuters, Duff Wilson and Janet Roberts analyzed lobbying records and found that, in the past few years, the food industry has dramatically stepped up its spending in Washington and, they write, "largely dominated policymaking – pledging voluntary action while defeating government proposals aimed at changing the nation's diet." ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/05/reuters-explains-big-foods-remarkable-lobbying-success/ The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer and The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer just combined forces to do a terrific five-part series on hospitals called "Prognosis: Profits." It's not just a great expose/explainer/data analysis/narrative that tells readers about the state of the hospital industry in North Carolina and its national context. With lots ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/05/comprehensive-series-on-nc-hospitals-includes-national-context-effects-of-reform/ While preparing for a veterans health panel I moderated at the recent AHCJ conference in Atlanta, I remembered an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association that AHJC's Pia Christensen had sent me on what the health reform law would do for veterans. It's behind a pay wall, ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/05/plenty-of-stories-in-how-aca-could-affect-veterans-health-care/ As health care reporters, we come across this truth time and again:  insurance coverage doesn't guarantee high quality medical care. The latest evidence comes from a survey of 1,028 seniors (age 65 and older) by The John A. Hartford Foundation, whose mission is improving the health of older adults. (Editor’s note: ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/04/seniors-missing-out-on-important-wellness-exams/ Please welcome AHCJ’s newest members. All new members are welcome to stop by this post’s comment section to introduce themselves. Robert Allen, managing editor, WebMD, Atlanta Jennifer Anyaegbunam, medical student, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Va. (@JenniferAdaeze) Dr. Ihsan Azzam, state epidemiologist, Nevada State Health Division, Carson City, Nev. Pauline ... http://www.healthjournalism.org/blog/2012/04/welcome-to-ahcjs-newest-members-9/