WEST HARTFORD–On the wall next to his college diploma, Bob Mandelkern keeps the framed letter announcing his appointment to the state stem cell research advisory committee. Next to that hangs a newspaper article about grants the committee awarded, with a quote from Mandelkern highlighted in yellow: “Without hope there is no quality of life. This […]
Arielle Levin Becker
Arielle Levin Becker covered health care for The Connecticut Mirror. She previously worked for The Hartford Courant, most recently as its health reporter, and has also covered small towns, courts and education in Connecticut and New Jersey. She was a finalist in 2009 for the prestigious Livingston Award for Young Journalists, a recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship and the third-place winner in 2013 for an in-depth piece on caregivers from the National Association of Health Journalists. She is a 2004 graduate of Yale University.
Posted inNews
State agency questions changes to HUSKY health program
Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s proposal earlier this year to end the use of managed care in the state’s HUSKY insurance program was seen as a win on several fronts. Patient advocates said it would improve access to health care, and legislators figured anticipated savings of $76 millon into this year’s budget. But two months into […]
Posted inNews
Stem-cell case rattles state’s researchers
Connecticut stem cell researchers waited for answers and contemplated potential damage to their field Tuesday, a day after a federal court ruling that could limit funding for embryonic stem cell research. “I don’t think anybody completely understands what it’s going to mean,” said Laura Grabel, a Wesleyan University professor whose research involves embryonic stem cells. […]
Posted inNews
Diabetes linked to obesity driving up hospital costs
People with diabetes make up less than 8 percent of the population, but they represented nearly 20 percent of U.S. hospitalizations in 2008, according to a new report by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. While the bulk of hospitalizations involving diabetics occurred for other conditions, the report noted that because diabetes increases the […]
Posted inNews
Yale study finds new benefits from old drug
Developed as an anesthetic nearly 50 years ago, the drug ketamine has drawn new attention in recent years after research suggested it could produce antidepressant effects within hours, even in patients whose depression did not respond to other treatments. But ketamine is a risky drug. It can cause hallucinations, delirium and acute psychosis. It has […]
Posted inNews
Health care reform likely to increase pressure on emergency rooms
Hartford Hospital opened an expanded emergency department this month, with new rooms and triage areas meant to keep up with an increase in patient visits. Across town, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center is preparing to double its emergency department space as part of a new 10-story tower set to open next spring. UConn’s John […]
Posted inNews
For adults, new law has no teeth
Congress was days away from passing health reform this spring when the line began forming in Middletown. Hundreds of people waited hours, some overnight, for a chance at a free visit with a dentist. And by the time it was done, the Connecticut Mission of Mercy free dental clinic attracted more than 2,000 people over […]
Posted inNews
Most hospitals finish 2009 in the black–but future looks bleak
More than three-quarters of Connecticut hospitals posted a positive total margin during the 2009 fiscal year, a reversal from the previous year, when fewer than half did, according to a report released by the state Office of Health Care Access. But those figures might not indicate a smooth future for Connecticut hospitals. While most hospitals […]