Dan Frith

The chances of getting HIV or hepatitis C from donated blood have been all but eliminated thanks to sophisticated screening. However, there are still plenty of risks. Scientists recently discovered that certain antibodies in the blood of women who have ever been pregnant can cause a reaction known as transfusion-related…

Did you know that Virginia ranked 9th in the United States in 2005 for the most registered sex offenders residing in nursing homes? Not a statistic of which to be proud! How can we place our physically and mentally declining loved one in a facility where they are susceptible to…

As I approach the half-century mark in age, I am well aware of the recommendations for a colonoscopy screening made by most medical professionals. The upside is tremendous! Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. During colonoscopy, precancerous polyps can be removed and biopsies…

A few weeks back I wrote a short article [LET’S PUT MORE NURSING HOME ADMINISTRATORS AND OWNERS IN JAIL]about putting the bad nursing home administrator’s in jail. That article brought me a scathing email from an administrator from the mid-west telling me my suggestion was outrageous! Maybe so, but look…

Outbreaks of the norovirus continue to spread in U. S. nursing homes. The gastrointestinal disease has already spread throughout Wisconsin with 534 food-borne cases and 215 non-food related cases. The disease has caused at least one death. Read the report here.A nursing home in Tacoma, Washington reports that one-third of…

I was shocked to learn the American Red Cross is facing another heavy fine over blood-safety violations. This most recent development brings the penalties levied against the organization to more than $15 million over the last few years. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fined the organization $4.2 million in…

Omnicare, Inc, one of the nation’s leading suppliers of pharmaceutical services to the elderly will pay $49.5 million to settle large-scale Medicaid fraud claims. Lawsuits had been filed in U. S. District Court in Chicago by the federal government and two whistle-blowers, who were former employees of Omnicare, charging the…