Lauren Ellerman

I am a faithful NPR listener, and this morning I was amazed by a discussion on medical records being available online. YES. Private medical records could be accessed (with the right code or password information) to physicians etc… Now it is one thing to allow physicians and staff of a…

Pennsylvania Jury awards $3,000,000 to family, alleging that Prempro, hormone replacement therapy, caused plaintiff to develop breast cancer. WOW. I believe the lady lived, and the jury found that the drug company failed to properly warn of the risks.That is great news – forcing disclosure of drug companies. Its about…

Great article – AGING IN PLACE IN AMERICA…Here is what it says:“Senior citizens fear moving into a nursing home and losing their independence more than they fear death, according to a study, “Aging in Place in America,” commissioned by Clarity and The EAR Foundation, which also found that the Baby…

Almost every day, we learn that another toy has been recalled because of high lead levels. Well, its not just toys that should cause parents concern – pipes, dirt and lead paint are often consumed by children and can cause lead poisoning.According to our local paper, The Roanoke Times estimated…

Ask your surgeon “will you be the one doing the surgery?” Ask if a nurse or physician will be administering anesthesia. Ask the nurse if your wound looks normal. Ask what medication you are on. Ask why you are on it.Yes, even medical providers get into the “routines” of work…

This is certainly a local issue – but one worth talking about.Roanoke City Schools have had reports (since September) of strange symptoms affecting teachers and students at an area high school– William Byrd. The symptoms seem neurological – headache; dizziness; tremors – so what on earth could cause this?The local…

In my family, when you make a mistake, tell a lie, hurt someone, you apologize for it.In Massachusetts, the legislature is trying to create a law that allows doctors to do the same thing, without fear the apology will end up before a jury as an admission.We have similar legislation…

I often listen to a radio show on National Public Radio – called the people’s pharmacy. The show features many members of the medical community, discussing relevant health issues.Yesterday, the show had a feature on pharmacy errors. The hosts reported that more pharmacy errors occur in the beginning of the…

We see it everyday – nursing home resident’s poor nutrition causes significant decline, or wound cannot heal because resident does not have calories needed. It appears that some facilities are trying to be creative in their approach to resident nutrition.We receive a publication entitled “Nursing Homes, Long Term Care Management”…