Community News

 

UNITED STATES – September 19, 2024 – The Commonwealth Fund conducted their triennial report comparing the performance of the United States health care system with other nations. The top 3 countries are Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Many countries were very similar in the performance categories. The United States was an outlier with much lower measures. All countries were developed nations. In addition to the U.S., they are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Five domains of health system performance were looked at: access to care, care process, administrative efficiency, equity, and health outcomes.

The data was obtained from surveys performed in each country. Three groups were surveyed: seniors (age 65 and older), primary care physicians, and persons 18 and older. The study was sensitive to the impact that COVID-19 had on the health care system. It also stratified for income, gender, and geography.

Each of the countries were found to have done better in some areas and worse in others. In other words, a high overall ranking did not guarantee a high ranking for all the domains. The low-overall ranked U.S. ranked 2^nd in care process and last in access to care and health outcomes. The U.S. health care system excels in the high-quality care parameters of preventive services, safety, coordination, patient engagement, and sensitivity to patient preferences. The most obvious conflict is that the U.S. ranked the lowest on health outcomes, despite spending more money than the other developed nations per capita.

Understanding other health care systems may be used to help improve how things are done in the low-performing U.S. The other developed countries seem to meet their residents’ basic health care needs, which included universal coverage.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

ASHEVILLE, NC – September 13, 2024 – The Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is hosting the 1^st annual Health is Wealth Summit about ‘closing the life expectancy gap in Western North Carolina (WNC)’ on October 5^th. The purpose of the conference is to address poverty as a public health issue. Attendees will meet the people behind local services that can improve health and provide opportunities to advocate for anti-poverty measures.

Our economic circumstances have a large effect on our health and well-being. Everyone’s health is affected by where we live, work, learn and play and by circumstances in our families, communities and neighborhoods.

Poverty is a leading cause of death in the U.S. Only cancer, heart disease, and smoking contributed to more deaths in 2019 than persons who lived in poverty for 10 continuous years, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year. The same study also showed that persons who lived in poverty for 1 year had a 42% excess risk for death. Short-term poverty contributed to more deaths in 2019 than accidents, lung disease, stroke, suicide and homicide.

The summit will be held from 9:30 am to 4 pm at MAHEC, including a Health & Advocacy Fair from 1 to 3 pm. The conference and fair are open to the public. The target audience for the conference are medical providers, community-based organizations, and human service organizations. Admission is free for those who register. You can sign-up for the full-day meeting at https://mahec.net/home/event/74082  or just for the fair at https://ow.ly/cbCv50Tn7lh

You should attend this conference if you want to:

• Change the narrative about poverty
• Learn about existing efforts to fight poverty in WNC
• Promote opportunities to fight poverty

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

ASHEVILLE, NC – September 25, 2024 – The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on September 14^th shows:  

• Almost 5% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the 3^rd highest level of 6 groups and increased since last week.
• Emergency department visits for COVID-19 are low in North Carolina, between 2-3% of all visits and a moderate decrease since last week.

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard for the week ending on September 11^th shows:

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is between 80-100%, the highest level of 5 groups.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample is between 1 to 9%, the lowest level of 3 groups with a positive rate of change.

Vaccine protection wanes over time and newer variants evolve to evade the body’s defenses. Persons in high-risk groups, ages 65 and older, with chronic health conditions and weakened immune systems, are more likely to develop severe illness. At-risk people can be protected, by staying home when not feeling well and keeping current with vaccination.

Americans will be able to order up to 4 COVID tests at COVIDtest.gov in a week.

A new COVID vaccine is available for currently circulating strains. It is recommended for everyone 6 months and older. The timing is optimal to protect against getting severely ill during the winter surge of respiratory infections. Check with local pharmacies for availability.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

UNITED STATES – September 18, 2024 – Syphilis was almost eliminated in the United States 25 years ago. However, it has surged in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented more than 200,000 syphilis cases in 2022, the highest number since 1950.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause serious health problems without treatment. There are 4 stages of syphilis. The first stage is having a firm, round and painless sore or multiple sores at the site of sexual activity. The infection can be spread by direct contact with this sore during sex. Even though the sore goes away after 3-6 weeks, the infection remains if untreated. The second stage is identified by a reddish skin rash. Even if the rash goes away, the infection is still there without treatment. Years later, the third stage can develop with damage to the heart, brain or nervous system.

Congenital syphilis can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy. It has occurred 10 times more frequently over the past 10 years. More than 3,700 cases have been reported in 2022, the highest number in one year since 1994.

Pregnant women with untreated syphilis have a higher risk of miscarriage, having a stillbirth, delivering a premature baby, having a baby with low birth weight, and having a baby that dies shortly after birth. Babies born with congenital syphilis can have many health problems including anemia, brain seizures, nerve problems, enlarged internal organs, jaundice and can die.

Syphilis is curable with antibiotics if detected early. It can be tested with either a blood test or by obtaining fluid from the sore. If you test positive for syphilis, your sex partner will need to be tested too. Treatment should begin soon after a positive test.

You can protect yourself and your baby from getting syphilis by getting a blood test for syphilis at least once during pregnancy and when the baby is born.

The Buncombe County STI Testing and Treatment clinic provides a full range of services at no or low cost to everybody. The clinic is at the HHS Building at 40 Coxe Avenue in Asheville. Their phone number is 828-250-5109.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

 

RALEIGH, NC – September 5, 2024 – The latest update of the NC Medicaid Expansion Enrollment Dashboard was on September 5^th. August enrollment in NC increased by almost 19 thousand to almost 540 thousand people. Buncombe County’s August enrollment increased by almost 400 people to more than 13 thousand. It was estimated that 600 thousand North Carolinians are eligible for ME, with 15.5 thousand from Buncombe County. In 9 months of accepting applications, the state is almost 90% of the way to enrolling all eligible persons and Buncombe County is almost 85% of the way there.

There are many ways to apply for NC Medicaid for eligible persons. Those who have not yet applied should visit Medicaid.nc.gov to see if they qualify. Buncombe County residents can apply for Medicaid online and at any time at ePASS.NC.gov. Applications can be done in-person at the HHS Building on 40 Coxe Avenue, by calling 828-250-5500, or by mail.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour