This year’s Connecticut Mission of Mercy, the annual free dental clinic that draws thousands of state residents seeking oral health care, will be held March 23 and 24 in Danbury. The clinic will begin at 6 a.m. each day and will be held at the O’Neill Center at Western Connecticut State University’s West Side Campus, […]
Health
Stories about health care access and affordability in CT, as well as abortion, COVID, health equity and disparities, health systems and social determinants of health.
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Two years after passage, Courtney still selling health reform
While many of his colleagues have stopped talking about the federal health law, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney has been on a campaign of sorts to promote it.
Posted inHealth
Through pilot program, small practices become “medical homes”
A pilot program has helped 13 small Connecticut primary care practices achieve recognition as patient-centered medical homes from the National Committee on Quality Assurance, a certifying organization. The medical home model has become increasingly popular in medicine, and supporters believe it could improve patient care while controlling costs. Practices that use the model take a […]
Posted inEducation, Health, Money
Physician, cancer biologist to lead UConn Health Center
A physician who leads Wake Forest University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center will become the next dean of the UConn School of Medicine, the university announced Friday. Dr. Frank M. Torti will also serve as UConn’s vice president for health affairs and will hold a professorship in the Department of Medicine when he joins the health center […]
Posted inEducation, Health, Money
Jackson Lab hires first scientist for Connecticut institute
An American geneticist who works in Singapore and developed techniques for sequencing and mapping DNA is the first scientist to be hired for The Jackson Laboratory’s planned Connecticut institute. Yijun Ruan is currently associate director and senior group leader at the Genome Institute of Singapore and serves as a professor of biochemistry at the National […]
Posted inEducation, Health, Money
Groups want 20 minutes of physical activity in elementary schools, other steps against obesity
A coalition of health advocacy groups devoted to fighting childhood obesity wants lawmakers to call for 20 consecutive minutes of physical activity a day for elementary school students, expand the availability of school athletic facilities to community members, and create a state council on childhood and adult obesity. The recently formed Connecticut Coalition Against Childhood […]
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Battle is set over test for hereditary breast cancer gene
A Utah genetic lab’s monopoly on testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer is being challenged by researchers at the Yale Cancer Center and other institutions that say it’s preventing other screenings that could save lives. The Connecticut news site, C-HIT.org (Connecticut Health Investigative Team) has just posted an important story about the actions swirling […]
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Connecticut insurers wary of Obama’s contraceptive plan
In coming up with his compromise in the dispute over whether religious-affiliated employers should have to provide contraceptive coverage for their employees, President Obama failed to consider the concerns of insurance companies who would be required to provide contraceptive coverage for free.
Posted inHealth, Money
Gov gets recs for home care, child care worker collective bargaining
The working groups charged with recommending how to structure collective bargaining rights for home care workers and daycare providers in state-funded programs issued their reports to the governor Wednesday. Neither group offered a prescription for collective bargaining, but identified key issues to address and options for resolving them. The legislature must take action for either […]
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Legislature to consider expanding exchange board
The legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee plans to hold a public hearing Tuesday on a proposal to expand the board of the health insurance exchange. The board is charged with implementing a key part of health reform — creating a marketplace for individuals and small businesses to buy health care coverage — but its […]
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Malloy and medical marijuana
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he is reserving judgment on whether he will back efforts to legalize medical marijuana in Connecticut this year, but he does have some thoughts about those protesters who greeted him as he arrived at the Capitol this morning with a “legalize, don’t criticize” chant. “None of them look sick,” he […]
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Concerned about a senior? Call the gatekeepers
The woman called with a concern about her neighbor: He seemed to have stopped shaving, and his overall hygiene was worrisome. At the other end of the line was a representative from the Community Renewal Team Senior Services Gatekeeper Program, one of four agencies that, as part of a statewide program, take confidential referrals from […]
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Legislators, “red shirts” return to the Capitol
As has become their custom, supporters of universal health care spent opening day of the legislative session at the Capitol wearing red “healthcare4every1” T-shirts and urging lawmakers to support alternatives to private health insurance. Universal health care supporters on opening day Last year, the effort was centered on SustiNet, a proposed state-run insurance plan. The […]
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Budget winners and losers, health care edition
Here’s how some health and social service players made out under Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed budget adjustments. Winners Office of Healthcare Advocate: The office, which helps consumers address health insurance issues, would get funding for four positions not in its current budget. Three are now filled and paid for by federal funds slated to […]
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Latest potential hospital marriage: Hartford and Backus
The parent companies of Hartford Hospital and The William W. Backus Hospital announced Friday that they are exploring a formal affiliation, the latest in a flurry of health care partnerships forming in the state. The two organizations — Backus Corp. and Hartford HealthCare Corp. — have signed a nonbinding letter of intent. The process it […]