Concierge Medical Care With a Smaller Price Tag

According to an article in the New York Times, Dr. Tom Lee, is trying a new method of primary care delivery that involves a concierge type experience that he believes will help lower the costs associated with health care. The founder of One Medical Group, Dr. Lee, has been able to deliver concierge medical services at a cost of about $200 a year. He states,“We’ve designed the model so that on average we’ll do fine, no matter how often people come in,” he said. “Independent of the people we see, our cost structure is lower, and because it’s lower we can care for any demographic.”

Health Care Is High Among Web Searches

According to a short blog post in the Health section of the New York Times, four in five Internet users have searched the Web for health care information - according to a Pew Internet Project survey. Women were the biggest seekers for health information and 66% of web users looked for information about a disease or medical problem.

Governors Get Advice for Saving on Medicaid

According to a New York Times article, the Obama administration told governors on Thursday how they can save money on their Medicaid programs by selectively and judiciously reducing benefits, attacking fraud and curbing use of expensive prescriptions.

Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health
1. Bill Gates gives another $100 million to fund polio vaccination, PC World, February 2, 2011
Brief Intro:"At last week's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Gates pledged an additional US$100 million to a global effort that seeks to wipe out wild polio virus transmissions by the end of next year."

2. Americans not doing enough to control cholesterol and blood pressure, All Headline News, February 2, 2011
Brief Intro:"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says two out of three U.S. adults with high cholesterol and half of those with high blood pressure are not being treated properly.

Heart attacks, strokes and other vascular diseases kill about 800,000 Americans every year. Of these, 150,000 are younger than 65 years old. Cardiovascular disease costs the United States about $300 billion every year.

3. California ranks near bottom in kids' health care, SFGate, February 2, 2011
Brief Intro:"The study, by the Commonwealth Fund, ranked the state 44th in comparison with the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. The study found California especially inadequate in delivering affordable care for children. The scorecard was based on 20 measures, including access to care, prevention and treatment."

4. EPA to set limits on chemicals in drinking water, Cnn.com, February 2, 2011
Brief Intro:"The Environmental Protection Agency will set a limit on the amount of the chemical perchlorate, as well as other "toxic contaminants," in drinking water, it announced Wednesday.

The national regulation on perchlorate will reverse a 2008 decision made by President George W. Bush's administration, the agency said in a statement. It comes after EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson ordered agency scientists to review "the emerging science of perchlorate."

Race
1. Readers debate the concept of race, NYT.com, January 31, 2011
Brief Intro:"Is race an imaginary category that should be thrown out? “Yes,” proclaimed many readers who commented on Susan Saulny’s article about the increasing number of Americans who identify as mixed-race. "

2. More young Americans identify as mixed-race, NYT.com, January 29, 2011
Brief Intro:"The crop of students moving through college right now includes the largest group of mixed-race people ever to come of age in the United States, and they are only the vanguard: the country is in the midst of a demographic shift driven by immigration and intermarriage.

3. Census shows big gains for U.S. minorities, MSNBC.com, February 3, 2011
Brief Intro:" U.S. racial minorities accounted for roughly 85 percent of the nation's population growth over the last decade — one of the largest shares ever — with Hispanics accounting for much of the gain in many of the states picking up new House seats."

Aurora schools begin to provide dinner to low-income students

WGN covered a story that tells how Aurora schools have begun to provide dinner to some low-income students. Dubbed a 'super snack', about 50 students receive a nutritionally balanced meal to students who will then engage in tutoring and after school work. Children who receive the meals say that it helps them focus on their work as they are able to focus on their school work instead of their hunger.

You can learn more by watching this clip from WGN.

Documentary of Interest: Katrina's Children

This documentary takes a look at the effect of Hurricane Katrina from the children of New Orleans who lived through it. The children talk about the storm, the experience at the Super Dome and their experiences in the new towns they were evacuated with their families to.

Federal Research Center Will Help Develop Medicines

An article in the New York Times describes plans for a federal drug development research center that will help create medicines.

Brief Intro: "The new effort comes as many large drug makers, unable to find enough new drugs, are paring back research. Promising discoveries in illnesses like depression and Parkinson’s that once would have led to clinical trials are instead going unexplored because companies have neither the will nor the resources to undertake the effort."