Quinnipiac University has been waiting almost a year to get approval from state officials to begin offering the first anesthesiology assistant masters degree program in Connecticut–and though two full-time professors were hired months ago, it may take another year to get the program running. “It makes absolutely no sense,” Quinnipiac president John Lahey told Gov. […]
Private colleges tell Malloy they face too much state regulation
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Despite high stakes, state relies on towns to police Mastery Test
Despite the high stakes attached to its multimillion-dollar statewide school testing program, new allegations of cheating show that Connecticut–like many other states–relies almost entirely on local districts to spot and report fraud. An apparent cheating scandal at a Waterbury elementary school on the Connecticut Mastery Test came to light only after Waterbury officials alerted that […]
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More physicians turning to hospital-based practice
NEW BRITAIN–Dr. Neeraj Kalra’s first job after residency was in a primary care practice. In the mornings, he’d visit any of his patients who were hospitalized, then go to the office for his appointments. He liked the mix of inpatient medicine and forming relationships with the patients he saw regularly in his office. But he […]
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Does ‘Did you say whole milk or 2%’ constitute an emergency?
Either the notion of “emergency” has lost much of its gravity in recent years, or many of our fellow citizens are leading far more perilous lives than the rest of us suspected. In any case, 40 percent of Americans say that in the last 30 days they have “been in an emergency situation where having […]
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Shays: His calendar will be clear, starting next month
It seems to be a race to see who will declare first as a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, Linda McMahon or Chris Shays. McMahon is heading toward a mid-September rollout, one adviser said today. As for Shays, he remains coy, at least on the record, about his plans, but he noted […]
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State gets $6.7 million for exchange plans; first meeting Aug. 29
The state has secured a $6.7 million federal grant to help create a health insurance exchange, the marketplace for purchasing coverage that must be operating by 2014 as part of federal health reform. In addition, officials announced that the first meeting of the quasi-public Connecticut Health Care Exchange will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, […]
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When less health care means better health
It might not be intuitive, but Newsweek science columnist Sharon Begley explains why less health care can lead to better health, and why more of it can be harmful. Her article “One word can save your life: No!” helps explain some of the thinking behind controversial recommendations about breast and prostate cancer screenings, and why […]
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HUSKY enrollment drops, briefly
For the first time in more than a year and a half, enrollment in the HUSKY Medicaid program fell slightly in July, but it rebounded this month and state officials expect last month’s figure to be a one-time drop. The HUSKY Medicaid program, known as HUSKY A, covers children and their parents or guardians who […]
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An airbag in your iPhone?
What do you do when your cell phone slips from your hand? Grab and flail, then mentally figure the cost of a new one as you survey the shattered components on the sidewalk, right? Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has another idea, says Todd Bishop at GeekWire: A built-in airbag. If not an airbag, how about […]
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‘Medigap’ policies may be on the table in Congressional debate
WASHINGTON–On July 1, a Washington health advocacy group issued a dire warning about a small but significant Medicare provision on the table in the debt talks. “Under some of the proposals being discussed, seniors could pay as much as $7,500 per year out of pocket for medical care,” read the alert from the Partnership to […]
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Malloy ups pressure on unions as concession vote nears conclusion
With state employee unions about to enter the final week of voting on concessions, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration Friday stepped up the pressure with its first explicit statement that layoffs will continue in bargaining units that don’t agree to wage freezes–even if the overall package of health and benefit givebacks is approved. Malloy’s budget […]
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Labor and business join to support Hartford-New Britain busway
NEW BRITAIN — With unemployment in the construction trades topping 30 percent, it was easy to round up a crowd Thursday night to stand behind the controversial Hartford-to-New Britain Busway, a $567 million project that could mean 4,100 construction jobs, beginning this fall. “We are ready to build,” said Jeffrey Merrow, the business manager of […]
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New law aimed at helping cancer patients find bone-marrow match
John and Gina Gallivan went out for dinner one Friday night to celebrate the end of the work week. The newlyweds both worked as English teachers at Wethersfield High School, where Gina also coached tennis. They later came home to find an unsettling message on the answering machine. Gina had seen a doctor for mysterious bruises […]
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Appeals court rules health reform mandate is unconstitutional
The 2-to-1 decision marks a major blow to the Obama administration in its legal battle over the health law. But in the ruling, which addresses the challenge filed by 26 states, the court also disagreed with a lower court’s ruling and will allow other provisions of the law to remain “legally operative.” Click here to […]
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Auditors say investigations by hospital oversight office ‘not adequate’
The state Office of Health Care Access failed to collect nearly $47,000 in payments from hospitals and did not properly investigate consumer complaints about hospital billing, according to a report by state auditors released this week. In comments included in the report, the office, known as OHCA, disputed the findings related to billing complaint investigations […]