Jan 8 Health Metro Louisville Map Aims to Speed Up Access to Defibrillators A new information system will help Metro Louisville emergency dispatchers in helping callers locate automated external defibrillators, says Mayor Greg Fischer. Metro Louisville emergency dispatchers will be able to direct 911 callers to the nearest defibrillator using a new system announced Thursday. The AED Link—for automated external defibrillator—system will show the location of registered AEDs […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Jan 8 Health Metro Louisville Map Aims to Speed Up Access to Defibrillators Ja'Nel Johnson
Jan 7 Health Rate of Uninsured People in the U.S. Has Dropped 4.2 Percent Since Insurance Requirements Began The uninsured rate has dropped 4.2 percentage points since the Affordable Care Act’s requirement for Americans to have health insurance went into effect last year, according to a Gallup-Healthways Well Being analysis. During the fourth quarter of 2014, the uninsured rate dropped to 12.9 percent. This is the lowest recorded rate since Galup-Healthways began tracking […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Jan 7 Health Rate of Uninsured People in the U.S. Has Dropped 4.2 Percent Since Insurance Requirements Began Ja'Nel Johnson
Jan 6 Health Two-Thirds of Kentuckians Support a Statewide Smoking Ban Two-thirds of Kentuckians favor a statewide smoke-free law, according to a Kentucky Health Issues Poll released Monday. The poll found that 66 percent of Kentucky adults support a statewide law against smoking in indoor public places. The poll was funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Interact for Health, formerly the Health Foundation of […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Jan 6 Health Two-Thirds of Kentuckians Support a Statewide Smoking Ban Ja'Nel Johnson
Jan 2 Health Southern Indiana Lawmaker Introduces Aggressive Anti-Smoking Legislation A southern Indiana lawmaker and state’s attorney general on Friday introduced aggressive anti-smoking and e-cigarette legislation. State Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, said the legislation would expand Indiana’s existing state-wide smoking ban, adding e-cigarettes while improving their regulations. “Essentially, we’re defining e-cigarettes as a tobacco product,” said Clere, who is chairman of the state’s House […] By Devin Katayama Jan 2 Health Southern Indiana Lawmaker Introduces Aggressive Anti-Smoking Legislation Devin Katayama
Jan 1 Health Kentuckians Who Experience Memory Loss Don’t Always Consult a Doctor If you notice your memory isn’t what it used to be, you may be one of thousands of Kentuckians in the early stages of cognitive decline that could lead to Alzheimer’s. One in seven people older than 45 could be in the early stages of permanent memory loss and haven’t consulting a physician, according to a recent […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Jan 1 Health Kentuckians Who Experience Memory Loss Don’t Always Consult a Doctor Ja'Nel Johnson
Jan 1 Health Kentucky is Reaching Peak Flu Activity Early Six flu-related deaths have happened in Kentucky so far this season, according to the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The state has been reporting widespread influenza activity for the last four weeks, which means the state has a high or increasing level of the virus. “Normally it’s January through March in Kentucky when […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Jan 1 Health Kentucky is Reaching Peak Flu Activity Early Ja'Nel Johnson
Dec 30 Health Outgoing Louisville Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt: ‘We’ve Accomplished a Lot’ The health department in Washington, D.C., has an interest in implementing many of the approaches to public health found in Louisville, said Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Louisville’s public health director. On Monday, Mayor Greg Fischer announced that Washington Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser had appointed Nesbitt to lead the health department in the nation’s capitol. “We’ve accomplished a lot […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Dec 30 Health Outgoing Louisville Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt: ‘We’ve Accomplished a Lot’ Ja'Nel Johnson
Dec 30 Health Most Kentuckians Are Aware of Kynect, Poll Says A poll released today found that most Kentuckians have heard about Kynect, the state’s online health insurance marketplace. The Kentucky Health Issues Poll found that 77 percent of adults in Kentucky have heard something about Kynect; 27 percent of adults in the state had heard a lot about the insurance marketplace. The poll was funded by the […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Dec 30 Health Most Kentuckians Are Aware of Kynect, Poll Says Ja'Nel Johnson
Dec 29 Health Louisville Public Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt Heading to Washington, D.C. Louisville’s public health and wellness director is leaving to become the leader of the Washington, D.C., health department, the mayor’s office announced Monday. Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt has led the Louisville department since July 2011. Chris Poynter, spokesman for the mayor’s office, said Nesbitt has done bold work for Louisville in three and a half years, […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Dec 29 Health Louisville Public Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt Heading to Washington, D.C. Ja'Nel Johnson
Dec 26 Health Louisville Activist Discusses FDA’s Lift of Ban on Gay Men Donating Blood The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced plans to recommend a change to the current blood donor deferral policy that bans men who have sex with men from donating blood. The ban, first enacted in 1983, indefinitely barred men who had slept with another man since 1977 from donating blood. The agency cited an […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Dec 26 Health Louisville Activist Discusses FDA’s Lift of Ban on Gay Men Donating Blood Ja'Nel Johnson
Dec 24 Health How to Stay Smoke-Free During the Holidays The holidays can bring stress—and that stress can cause ex-smokers to reach for a cigarette, one expert said. But it’s possible to resist the urge. “I tell smokers, ‘Every single morning you wake up you say out loud in the mirror, ‘I’m not smoking anymore,’ and then think about what you’re day is going to […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Dec 24 Health How to Stay Smoke-Free During the Holidays Ja'Nel Johnson
Dec 24 Health Children Who Eat More Fast Food Have Lower Test Scores, Study Says Children who reported eating fast food throughout the week had lower school test scores compared to classmates who didn’t eat fast food, according to a study by the Ohio State University. The more fast food a group of fifth-grade students ate, the lower the improvement in their test scores in reading, mathematics and science by […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Dec 24 Health Children Who Eat More Fast Food Have Lower Test Scores, Study Says Ja'Nel Johnson
Dec 23 Health Feeling Sad This Season? You May Have the Holiday Blues. Sixty-four percent of people report having anxiety and depression during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Michael Gray, executive director of NAMI in Louisville, said feelings of loneliness, anxiety, tension, depression and fatigue during the holiday season can be related to a number of things, but […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Dec 23 Health Feeling Sad This Season? You May Have the Holiday Blues. Ja'Nel Johnson
Dec 22 Health University of Louisville Receives Funding to Prevent Blindness A new grant will support research by the University of Louisville Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has awarded $115,000 to the department. RPB is an organization dedicated to supporting research to develop treatments, preventives and cures for all conditions that damage and destroy sight. Dr. Hank Kaplan, chair of […] By Ja'Nel Johnson Dec 22 Health University of Louisville Receives Funding to Prevent Blindness Ja'Nel Johnson