Pulse on Health by Jeff Hansel

2/3 of people with diabetes miss "critically important exams"

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says 2/3 of people with diabetes "miss some or all critically important exams.

"Only a third of the 16.5 million Americans who reported that they had diabetes had all three exams done that are considered critical for managing their disease and preventing complications in 2007," the agency says.

The federal agency studied how often people with diabetes had a health provider ctheck their blood sugar, eyes and feet.

Significantly, insured adults 18 to 64 "were twice as likely as adults who were uninsured to have all three tests."

Interested in more information?  Check it out.

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904

Burrill speaks in Golden Valley about Elk Run

G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill & Company, took a few minutes to speak with me today (Friday November 20, 2009), despite about 100 Minnesota biotech entrepreneurs who each probably would have loved the same opportunity (and many got it).  

 

[Steve Burrill (at the podium) speaks to about 100 biotech entrepreneurs in Golden Valley, Minnesota.  Please click to enlarge.  Copyright.]

Burrill is the venture capitalist funding the $1 billion Elk Run biotech project in Pine Island, Minnesota.  I asked him if he's worried about a recent wrinkle in the city's development agreement plans that involves Olmsted County.  At that point, Burrill himself wrinkled up his nose and said absolutely not.  Construction of the actual interchange at County Road 12 along U.S. Highway 52, he said, is scheduled to start in January.  

And Pine Island's plans for a first building might be a little bit pessimistic when compared with what Burrill had to say.  He expects two buildings to go up sometime in the spring (though a shovel date hasn't been set yet).

Burrill was the guest speaker at the LifeScience Alley's first-ever "Luminary Luncheon." LifeScience Alley is a trade group with members working in fields such as food production and probiotics, biofuels, medical devices and biologics.  Interestingly, there was strong interest Friday from construction, and developers who came from across the state.  Burrill spoke at a Golden Valley, Minnesota country club.  

Burrill told the audience that he's been surprised by a lack of investment in his new venture capital fund from Minnesota companies.  He said he expected Minnesota companies to have high interest.  But they appear to have snubbed him — so far.

Watch the Post-Bulletin print edition next week for more about what Burrill had to say.  I'll give you a hint that if you're thinking of retiring sometime in the next decade, Burrill might have an interesting idea for where — and how — you ought to live, along with how you should get your medical care.

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904

NIH studies prevention effectiveness of HIV counseling for those who test negative

The National Institutes of Health is studying whether counseling in addition to rapid HIV testing results in better patient outcomes for those who test negative than rapid HIV testing alone.  

A $12.3 million grant from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act "will provide the scientific evidence needed to guide decisions on the benefit of prevention counseling for those who test negative."

"This year, randomized multi-center controlled trials will enroll 5,000 patients at high risk for HIV infection in nine sexually transmitted disease clinics in the United States.  The sample size is large enough to allow meaningful subgroup analyses, including racial/ethnic groups, age groups, sexual orientation, gender, and substance abusers. The study will evaluate the effect of routine counseling at screening on two primary outcomes: the incidence of sexually transmitted infections and acceptance of HIV testing.  Researchers will also measure reduction of risky sexual behaviors and substance use during sex after a six month period, and cost-effectiveness of counseling and testing," says the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904

Wabasha County vaccinating kids against H1N1

Wabasha County Public Health has announced a limited supply of pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine to start school vaccination clinics.  

"Due to the amount we have received,  we will be targeting the youngest children first.  Our school based clinics will begin Monday, Nov. 23 (2009) and will be available for children in Kindergarten and first grades, as well as those who are ages 9 and under with chronic health conditions," Public Health Director Judy Barton said.

Kids in other grades will get vaccinated when more vaccine becomes available, she said. 

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904

Dr. Denis Cortese talks breast cancer screening

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has argued that women should not get screened for breast cancer until they reach age 50.  And, at that time, they should only get screened with mammograms once every two years.  

This has led many women to scoff at the idea.  Even the task force says screening saves lives.  It estimates , though, that about 1,900 women between ages 40 and 49 must be screened in order to save just one woman.  But to save 1 woman, it would only require screening about 1,300 women ages 50 to 59.  Thus, the argument goes — in my words — that it's not worth traumatizing 1,900 women in order to save just one.

But the counter argument goes that it's likely that most of the 1,900 women would gladly experience false positives, learn they do not have breast cancer and deal with worry if they knew that they were responsible for saving one life.  

I was involved in a conversation with Dr. Denis Cortese, retiring national CEO of Mayo Clinic, when we entered a patient elevator at Mayo.  As we talked, and Cortese expressed frustration with the recommendations of the task force, a woman in the elevator broke in and said, "what if I was that one woman?"  In other words, if she was that one woman, but the government changes its screening recommendations so women under 50 don't get screened, she would not be diagnosed — and she would die.

So it's a question of whether you save lives versus whether you avoid discomfort for women who might get unnecessary biopsies.

Mayo Clinic, for its part, says it will keep doing annual mammograms for women, starting at age 40.  Cortese said it's an easy decision for a physician.  If screening saves lives, which screening of women 40 to 49 does, you do what's in the best interest of the patient.

You screen.

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904

Weekly Goodhue County H1N1 vaccinations

Pandemic influenza H1N1 vaccine will be available at weekly immunization clinics at the Goodhue County Public Health office, 512 W. Ave. in Red Wing on Tuesdays from 2 to 4p.m. for people in the following categories: 

• pregnant women

• persons who live with or provide care for infants younger than 6 months

• health care and EMS personnel with direct contact with patients or infectious material 

* children 4 to 9 

• children 10 to 18 with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications. 

Goodhue County has "a good supply" of FluMist nasal vaccine and a limited supply of injectable H1N1 vaccine for pregnant women and persons age 4 and older in the above groups who are not eligible for FluMist.  

FluMist is for healthy, non-pregnant people age 2-49. 

"We expect to get injectable vaccine for children under age 2 in next week (different brands of the H1N1 vaccine are licensed for different ages)," Public Health reports.

Red Wing and Zumbrota clinics will be held in the coming weeks as vaccine becomes available. Watch for details.  

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904

The tiff over TIF in Pine Island, Minnesota

At the Pine Island City Council meeting Tuesday night it became clear that there's a fly in the $1 billion Elk Run biotechnology project's ointment.

That fly came from Olmsted County, where county commissioners are questions who will pay for county road upgrades once the Elk Run biotech park takes off and starts to boost the flow of traffic in the region.

When a tax increment financing district is declared, counties have the right to seek money to offset such transportation costs.  County officials were officially notified of the planned TIF district just a few weeks ago.  Thus, by law, they are well within the allowed timeframe to make a request to get some of the TIF money to take care of some of the road upgrades that will be needed.

That has frustrated planners in Pine Island who believe they've kept the county in the loop for the past three and a half years only to get sideswiped with the county's funding inquiry (my words here, not theirs).  Pine Island City Council members had a resolution to approve a development agreement on their agenda Tuesday night.

But they took no action, specifically because they don't know what action, if any, the county plans to take. 

This a chink the armor that, according to information presented during the public meeting at Pine Island City Hall, could cause the developers to walk away from the project altogether.  I don't think anybody realistically believes that will happen.  But it's not out of the realm of possibility.  

So pay close attention to two meetings scheduled to take place Tuesday, November 24, 2009:

• Olmsted County Commissioners meet at 3 p.m. at the Olmsted County Government Center, 151 4th St. S.E. in Rochester

• Pine Island City Council members meet at 6 p.m. in special session at City Hall in Pine Island, 250 S. Main St.  

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904

More H1N1 humor

Here's a little pandemic H1N1 influenza humor.  A few days ago, I posted some humor circulating through local public health units in southeast Minnesota.

We of course need to keep in mind that, for affected families, H1N1 has the potential to be a devastating illness.  

But it's also good to "lighten the situation with humor."  So take a look at this tongue-in-cheek video that tells you what other countries are doing to people suspected of harboring H1N1 (may be disturbing to some viewers).

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904

Bus crash triggers Mayo Clinic "code yellow"

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota activated its "code yellow" for multiple patients late this afternoon after a bus returning from an Iowa casino crashed and landed on its side, preventing exit through the passenger door, says an article on our Web site, postbulletin.com.

Up to six emergency medical helicopters were sent to the scene, where multiple injuries were reported.  Mayo Clinic operates four medical helicopters in the region.  

If you're a family member learning about the situation from far away, I'll tell you that one of the Mayo One helicopter flight nurses, Jeffrey Stearns, was recently recognized by the Association of Air Medical Services in Washington, D.C. as the association's "International Medical Crew Member of the Year" for 2009.  

There have been two fatalities at the Interstate 90 crash, according to the Post-Bulletin article.  

But it's good to note that survivors coming to Rochester are being taken to the 1,302-bed Saint Marys Hospital, which performs more than 29,000 inpatient surgeries each year, according to U.S. News & World Report.  The magazine notes Saint Marys handles 79,542 emergency room visits each year.  It's a Level I Trauma Center.  Mayo Clinic in Rochester as a whole is ranked by U.S. News as the second-best hospital in the country.

 

[Saint Marys Hospital.  Please click to enlarge.  Copyright.]

Separately, a school bus has crashed on Highway 63 north near 75th Street and a helicopter has been dispatched there as well.  So if you're a local resident from the area, you might want to avoid 63 north heading out of Rochester and 75th heading east toward 63.

My sorrow goes out to families who lost a loved one in the Interstate 90 bus crash and my best wishes to all those who were injured, their friends and families.

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904

Mayo Clinic taking H1N1 appointments starting 11/19/09 7 a.m.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has announced another limited supply of H1N1 vaccine. The clinic will begin taking appointments for pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccinations beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday, November 19, 2009. 

"The appointment line will stay open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until all appointment slots are filled. Minnesota residents with a Mayo Clinic patient number can call 507-266-0011 to schedule an appointment," the clinic announced.  

This is a change from previous announcements, which generally have required callers to be patients currently under the care of a local Mayo family physician.

You can get an appointment if you've got a Mayo Clinic patient number — and meet the one of the criteria below:

• Pregnant woman

• Child 6 months to 18 years

• Adult primary caregivers of child under 6 months old

• Child age 9 and under who received a first H1N1 dose on or before October 31. Children 9 and under need two doses of H1N1 vaccine. The doses must be at least 21days apart.

Pulse on Health

By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists

Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904