PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: Health & Living

PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: Health & Living

    ___________   TOPIC ALERT    Health Care Reform (continued, 1 responses)    _____________   EXPERT ALERTS    1.  Health: Fibromyalgia Facts, Debunking Myths   2.  Health: Michael Jackson's Death Highlights Medication Safety   3.  Health: Propofol Does Not Trigger Malignant Hyperthermia   4.  Music: Woodstock Was Significant Moment of American History   5.  Parenting: Good Work and Study Habits Promote Academic Success   6.  Shopping: Saving Money for Back-to-School Items by Shopping Online   

HEALTH CARE REFORM (continued)

We've added the following to items posted previously at http://budurl.com/healthcarereform

1. SAMUEL H. FLEET, president and CEO of AMWINS GROUP BENEFITS, a provider of group health insurance programs and administrative services, located in Warwick, R.I.: "A California patient who needs a chest X-ray is charged anywhere from $120 to $1,519; a simple blood count ranges from $47 to $547. In the world of consumer products, such price variations would be unsustainable if they involved refrigerators, cameras or even paper towels. Shoppers would compare quality and cost, and then vote with their pocketbooks for the product that gave them the best deal. But in the world of health care, costs continue to escalate in stealth mode while frustrated consumers stand on the sidelines, wondering why they can afford neither insurance nor direct care. It's a pretty simple fix: Bring transparency to pricing. Every provider must disclose the net prices they charge (after PPO deals). No back-end kickbacks either." News Contact: Katy Funk, katyf@imre.com Phone: +1-410-821-8220 (8/12/09)

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EXPERT ALERTS

1. HEALTH: FIBROMYALGIA FACTS, DEBUNKING MYTHS. DR. MILDRED FARMER, nationally recognized fibromyalgia expert and co-founder of MERIDIEN RESEARCH, can discuss fibromyalgia and information on recent advances, in time for National Pain Month (September): "Fibromyalgia is a debilitating illness that affects an estimated six million Americans, many of whom are women, who are living lives that are interrupted by chronic and widespread pain, reduced physical function, and a host of other debilitating symptoms. Many who suffer from fibromyalgia are not correctly diagnosed and are not receiving proper care. The disease is often dismissed or misunderstood, and sufferers often don't know where to turn." Farmer is available to offer tips for recognizing the symptoms of fibromyalgia and what to do if a person thinks they or someone they love may be suffering. She is based in St. Petersburg, Fla. News Contact: Jennifer Paganelli, Jennifer.paganelli@edelman.com Phone: +1-212-642-7774 Web site: http://www.newstudyinfo.com/ (8/14/09)

2. HEALTH: MICHAEL JACKSON'S TRAGIC DEATH HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF MEDICATION SAFETY. DR. BRIAN SOLOW, senior medical director for Clinical Services at PRESCRIPTION SOLUTIONS, a UnitedHealth company, believes that too many physicians, pharmacists and patients are unaware of potentially dangerous drug interactions due to multiple prescriptions from multiple providers: "We need to prevent deaths and dangerous drug interactions by creating programs that help pharmacists, physicians and patients to better communicate about the drugs they are taking. Programs that use technology to help identify dangerous drug interactions and help pharmacists and physicians communicate in real time and more fully about prescribed medications can help to reduce dangerous interactions, improve outcomes and lower drug costs for patients and payers." Solow can discuss information on strategies for improving consumers' safety. He is located in Irvine, Calif. News Contact: Elaine Murphy, elaine@scottpublicrelations.com Phone: +1-818-610-0270 (8/14/09)

3. HEALTH: PROPOFOL DOES NOT TRIGGER MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA. HENRY ROSENBERG, M.D., CPE, president of the MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES: "Propofol does not trigger malignant hyperthermia. Propofol is one of many safe anesthetic agents anesthesiologists use to sedate people susceptible to MH before surgery. Malignant hyperthermia is a rapidly progressive, potentially lethal problem a patient may experience unexpectedly when exposed to certain anesthetic agents. There may be no knowledge of susceptibility, and it may occur in any setting that these agents are used. Successful treatment of MH depends on early recognition of signs and symptoms and rapid implementation of treatment. Minutes matter in the treatment, and multiple tasks need to be accomplished rapidly. Without emergency therapy for MH, the patient has a chance of death greater than 85 percent." Rosenberg is based in Northern New Jersey. News Contact: Michael Wesolowski, michael@mhaus.org Phone: +1-607-674-7901 ext. 207 (8/14/09)

4. MUSIC: WOODSTOCK WAS SIGNIFICANT MOMENT OF AMERICAN HISTORY. DR. STEVEN GARABEDIAN, assistant professor of history at MARIST COLLEGE in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., incorporates Woodstock into his class discussions and will teach a course this fall called "A Rock and Roll History of America": "Woodstock was a significant moment alongside the Democratic National Convention protests in 1968, the Vietnam War and Kent State, all of which are important to the larger story of American history. Woodstock was a reaction to the Cold War and to the pressure for conformity, the expectations and the pressure on young people to take up the mantle of leadership as some of them started to investigate aspects of American society they had always taken for granted -- that everything was as it should be and the U.S. was the beacon of freedom. When they started to question one thing, they started to question another. When the civil rights movement was starting in the '50s and started to get the attention of young white kids who perhaps had this inclination to ask questions, I think that encouraged them. Once they started asking questions about race in the U.S., then they started asking questions about the Cold War, Vietnam War, gender roles, the women's movement. Musically, Woodstock was part of a trajectory that began with Bob Dylan playing an electric guitar at the Newport Folk festival in 1965 and which continued with the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967." Garabedian: steven.garabedian@marist.edu Cell: +1-845-594- 8776 News Contact: Tim Massie, timmian.massie@marist.edu Phone: +1-845-575- 3171 (8/14/09)

5. PARENTING: GOOD WORK AND STUDY HABITS PROMOTE ACADEMIC SUCCESS. DR. KAREN JACOBS, Ed.D., OTR/L, CPE, FAOTA, occupational therapy practitioner, former American Occupational Therapy Association president and board-certified ergonomist: "As students go back to school, it is a good time to review good work and study habits to promote academic success. Occupational therapy practitioners are a valuable resource in schools to support students, teachers and parents as classroom routines and demands are established. The goal is for students to be as independent as possible throughout the school day, which includes successful completion of homework. Consider this tip to help your child establish good habits and reduce the stress of homework: Encourage your child to sit in a firm chair with his/her feet planted on the ground or on a footrest. Consider using an office chair in order to adjust the chair height. The child's back should be supported against the backrest. Good posture prevents back and neck stress and promotes ease in completing assignments." News Contact: Heather Huhman, hhuhman@aota.org Phone: +1-301-652-6611, ext. 2963 (8/14/09)

6. SHOPPING: SAVING MONEY FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL ITEMS BY SHOPPING ONLINE. BRENT SHELTON of FATWALLET.COM, an online shopping source that publishes discounts, giveaways, cash back rewards and more, can talk about how consumers save the most money by shopping online for back-to-school items such as computers, clothing, etc.: "Shopping online for products allows a consumer to not only find the best deals, but to receive rewards they wouldn't receive in the store. They are able to find the best deals on the Web, receive cash back for purchases, enter to win giveaways, etc." Shelton can also talk about online trends during back-to-school season and how Web sites work to find the best deals for the consumer. News Contact: Carrie Skogsberg, cskogsberg@pretc.net Phone: +1-815-489-3955 (8/14/09)

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PRNewswire -- Aug. 14

Source: ProfNet

NOTE TO EDITORS: The following expert has provided direct contact information: Dr. Steven Garabedian, Marist College steven.garabedian@marist.edu Cell: +1-845-594-8776

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Profile: International Entertainment