Pulse on Health by Jeff Hansel

Ages 13 to 64 should get HIV tested

The National Institutes of Health says if you're age 13 to 64 you should get tested for HIV/AIDS.  I confess I hadn't seen this previously as a standard recommendation similar to prostate cancer testing or mammography.  But it makes sense because if the virus is detected, prevention can occur.  Of course, it's long been reported that you should always presume anyone with whom you expect to share bodily fluids should be considered a carrier of infectious illness.

That's why health providers, EMTs and other first responders are routinely asked to take "standard precautions" and wear gloves when working closely with patients who might, for example, be bleeding.  If you knew someone had hepatitis or HIV, it would be unwise to treat the person's cut leg without gloves as a barrier, especially if you yourself have an open wound that you may or may not be aware of. 

Shared blood is one way HIV and other blood-borne illnesses spread.

Want to get tested for HIV or other sexually transmitted infections?  Call your local county public health unit for testing, or referral.  Or dial with landline 2-1-1 in Minnesota to be connected to United Way 211 or with cell to 800-543-7709, where you can get referred for STD testing.

Dodge County Public Health

635-6150

Fillmore County Public Health

765-3898

Goodhue County Public Health

385-6100

Houston County Public Health

725-5810

Mower County Public Health

437-9770

Olmsted County Public Health

328-7500

Steele County Public Health

444-7650

Wabasha County Public Health

565-5200

Winona County Public Health

457-6400

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

Arizona newspaper publishes Mayo Clinic Medicare letter

The Arizona Republic has published the full text of a letter from Mayo Clinic in Arizona to its patients.  The letter tells patients that family-practice physicians at one Mayo site will no longer accept Medicare.  

"The discrepancy between what Medicare pays and our cost of providing care acutely impacts the sustainability of our primary care practice. Medicare reimbursements do not cover our actual costs of providing care, and therefore we have recently had to make some difficult decisions that will impact the Arrowhead Family Medicine practice. Effective January 1, 2010, the physicians at Mayo Clinic Family Medicine - Arrowhead will opt out of participating in Medicare, meaning that Medicare will no longer reimburse for the services they provide," the newspaper quotes the letter as saying. 

"Because of this change, as a current Medicare patient, should you choose to continue receiving your primary care at Mayo Clinic Family Medicine - Arrowhead, you will be required to pay for your care out-of-pocket. Neither your physician nor you will be permitted to seek reimbursement from Medicare for care you receive. We will not be able to bill Medicare for the physician office visit services you receive at Arrowhead, nor will you be able to submit the bill to Medicare for later reimbursement," the newspaper quotes Mayo saying.  

If you get the chance, take a look at the Arizona Republic's piece so you can read the whole letter, which was apparently sent only to Arizona clinic patients.  Mayo officials said earlier this year that they don't expect the same to happen here in Rochester, Minnesota.  

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

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