Potential New NYC Health Commissioner May 17, 2009

 

 

 

 

Mayor Bloomberg is wasting no time selecting a new health comissioner for the city. It is rumored that Dr. Thomas Farley, currently a division head at Tulane University will become NYC’s Health Commissioner replacing Dr. Frieden.  The formal announcement will come tomorrow, May 18th. I have little personal knowledge about Dr. Farley outside of what is written in the NYTimes article (link below). He is said to be a staunch public health advocate and he has worked as an adviser to Dr. Frieden in the past. New York has a tendency to test the best of us. We will wait for the official announcement and wish who ever takes the position God speed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/nyregion/17health.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Yours in Good Health

CDC’s New Director Dr. Thomas Frieden May 16, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Obama selected Dr. Thomas Frieden as CDCs new director. Dr. Frieden served as New York City Department of Health’s Health Commissioner for 7 years. He has spearheaded several (then controversial) initiatives such as no smoking in offices, restaurants/bars, condom distribution, posting food calorie counts on menus in restaurants chains and most recently decreasing the salt content in meals. He is often mocked and ridiculed in the halls and offices of various New York City advocates due to his style but love him or hate him you must respect him. He has made a tremendous impact on the health of all New Yorkers. In response to his appointment a recent New York magazine online post read, “Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden to Take Fun-Hating National.” America get ready to get healthier. Here comes a little guy with a giant health push.

Below are some recent articles and posts regarding Dr. Frieden and his Bio:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/commish/combio.shtml

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/15/thomas-frieden-cdc-direct_n_203828.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/nyregion/19lives.html 

Yours In Good Health

President Obama’s Science Ambassadors February 24, 2009

Interesting article about President Obama’s science advisors.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/science/24tier.html?_r=1&8dpc

Downpayment on Healthcare February 20, 2009

The American College of Physicians recently published an article about the impact of the recent economic stimulus package on our current health care system. It’s short, take a read.

http://www.healthbanks.com/PatientPortal/MyPractice.aspx?UAID={A830907D-8345-4AA5-A0D5-F8776BBC08BB}&TabID={X}&ArticleID=624310

Yours In Good Health

African Americans and Increase Death Rate After Surgery February 18, 2009

The researchers at Center for Outcomes Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia conducted a study to review the reasons for improved survival after surgery in teaching hospitals had unexpected results. It is generally acknowledged that survival after surgery is higher at teaching hospitals (hospitals with medical students and physicians in training).  Teaching hospitals are generally felt to provide better care because they are larger, generally have advance technology, greater volume and better nursing staff.  Using medicare claims data the researchers were able to show that improved survival is because of lower mortality after complications (better failure to rescue) and generally not because of fewer complications. However, the high survival and failure to rescue results seen in white patients were not seen in black patients. It appears that black patients fare about equally well in teaching and nonteaching hospitals, whereas white patients have significantly better risk-adjusted mortality and failure to rescue at teaching hospitals than at nonteaching hospitals. The explaination for these findings are unclear.

In an earlier study by the same researchers found racial differences in the length of surgery for comparable procedures and income. Black medicare patients had surgery that took 29 minutes longer than whites. The authors suggested that Blacks tended to receive their surgeries from hospitals with longer procedure times.

http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/144/2/113

Yours In Good Health

National Black HIV Awareness Day February 7, 2009

 

February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which seeks to increase awareness of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) among blacks living in the United States. In 2006, Blacks accounted for approximately 12% of the adolescent and adult U.S. population but 46% of people living with HIV. HIV incidence reports show that Blacks had the highest rates of new infections of any racial/ethnic group. Among black females, high-risk heterosexual contact accounted for 83% of the new infections. Among black males, male-to-male sexual contact accounted for 63% of the new infections.

Please speak to yourself and a loved one about the various high risk behaviors that can lead to transmit HIV.  HIV can be transmitted via sex and blood to blood transfer (cuts, sharing of needles, etc).

For addtional information about HIV, please review the following:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5804a1.htm?s_cid=mm5804a1_e

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5804a2.htm?s_cid=mm5804a2_e

Yours In Good Health

Super Bowl February 1, 2009

Okay, I have to admit that since Plaxico Burress shot the Giants out of the playoffs this year I have not been the fanatic NFL fan that I was last year. I have watched the playoff games and do have favorite players and coaches but not necessary a favorite team.  I am looking forward to Super bowl on sunday. I pick the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Last year amongst my many NFL posts, I wrote about the NFL players and concussions based on the fitness of their helmets.  On tuesday, January 26th, Boston University held a news conference in Tampa to announce that Tom McHale, former NFL lineman 1987 – 1995 had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).  Tom McHale died May 2008 at the age of 45. CTE is a condition that leads to lack of insight, poor judgement, decreased concentration and attention, inability to multitask and various memory difficulty.  Those affected by CTE can develop dementia in their 40’s and 50’s. CTE is believed to be caused by repetitive head trauma and has heightened the argument about the proper prevention and treatment brain treatment in football.  The condition is generally identified after death.  To date 6 out of 6 deceased NFL players aged 36 – 50 have been found to have CTE.

The NFL pamphet continues not to acknownledge the cumulative effects of multiple concussions. NFL stated that they are waiting to  review the CTE cases in a peer reviewed journal.

Yours In Good Health

 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/sports/football/28brain.html?ref=football

Salt Reduction January 28, 2009

Dr. Thomas Frieden, Commissioner of New York City’s  Department of Health and Mental Hygiene seeks a 25% reduction of sodium in food packaging and restaurant preparation by 2016.  You go Dr. Frieden!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28salt.html?_r=1&8dpc

IAS Update II August 6, 2008

 

Here are a couple of websites with varied coverage of the conference.

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/aids2008/

http://www.aids2008.org/

http://www.blackaids.org/ShowArticle.aspx?pagename=ShowArticle&articletype=NEWS&articleid=594&pagenumber=1

Yours in Good Health

The Global Impact of HIV/AIDS August 3, 2008

I am in Mexico City for the 17th Annual International AIDS Conference.  Over the next several days about 25,000. scientist, clinicians and advocates will meet to discuss and present information about HIV/AIDS.  I will bring you the most updated research and clinical information on HIV prevention, policy and treatment.  Please take a look at today’s New York Times article. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/health/03aids.html?hp

 

Yours In Good Health