Michael Hiltzik says the medically uninsured iin America have become a political football. Opponents and supporters of healthcare reform toss assertions about them back and forth.
The report, which says 46.3 million people lacked coverage as of the end of 2008, makes the case for reform stronger than ever by punching holes in arguments that minimize the plight of the uninsured.
Includes comments by WUSTL social work and public health professor Timothy McBride.

References:

1. Sept. 17, 2009 — U.S. Census Bureau data on the medically uninsured simply can't be denied in the Los Angeles Times

WUSTL economics professor David Levine says abolishing 'intellectual property' won't solve all social ills, but it would be a big step in the right direction for solving a range of problems from the high cost of health care, to innovating our way out of the current recession. In a series of posts with his co-author, WUSTL economics professor Michele Boldrin, they will be posting here about green technology, entertainment, free speech, multinationals, and innovation over the next weeks.

References:

1. Sept. 15, 2009 — Save the Whales! Abolish Patents! in the Huffingtonpost.com

How much is it going to cost to provide health care for all Americans? Until the details are complete, the only honest answer is: no one knows, reports John Schoen. "We know that the underinsured tend to be healthier," said Timothy McBride, associate dean for WUSTL's public health. "So if they were to get insured they would not be as expensive as the rest of us."

References:

1. Sept. 9, 2009 — Elusive price tag for universal health coverage in the MSNBC.com

Scheduling a prime daytime slot to undergo an orthopedic procedure may lower your risk of an unplanned follow-up surgery later on, a new study published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery has found.
Includes comments by surgeon William Ricci, chief of WUSTL medical school's Orthopaedic Trauma Service.

References:

1. Sept. 7, 2009 — Let Orthopedic Surgery Wait Until Morning When Possible in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 8 others.

Even after eliminating known pancreatic cancer risk factors, such as smoking and obesity, blacks still had a 42 percent higher risk of dying from the disease than their white counterparts, according to a WUSTL-led study, which appears online in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

References:

1. Sept. 2, 2009 — Pancreatic Cancer Deaths Higher for Blacks in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 9 others.

A study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found after-hours orthopaedic surgeries risk a slightly higher rate of necessary follow-up surgeries. WUSTL orthopaedic surgron and lead author William Ricci comments.

References:

1. Sept. 2, 2009 — After-hours bone surgery slightly riskier in the United Press International

and 3 others.

For years, dietary factors have been debated as either boosting or reducing the risk of breast cancer, with research yielding conflicting results. But in the new research, scientists could not conclude that meat, eggs or dairy product intake as an adult raised breast cancer risk. Connie Diekman, a registered dietitian and director of university nutrition at WUSTL comments.

References:

1. Aug. 28, 2009 — Meat, Dairy Won't Up Odds for Breast Cancer in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 8 others.

Timothy Kuklo, a former U.S. Army surgeon, "voluntarily" resigned from WUSTL, effective Sept. 30, and "will have no clinical, research or educational duties for the university between now and that date," a spokeswoman for the university's medical school said in a statement.

References:

1. Aug. 20, 2009 — Surgeon accused of faking study resigns in the United Press International

and 1 others.

Timothy Kuklo, a former Army surgeon accused of falsifying a study on a bone growth product used on severely injured Iraq war veterans, has resigned his teaching position at WUSTL, according to spokeswoman Joni Westerhouse.
Kuklo tendered his resignation on July 30, according to Don Clayton, associate vice chancellor and director for medical public affairs. University officials declined to comment further.

References:

1. Aug. 19, 2009 — Surgeon Tied to Bone Product Inquiry Resigns in the The New York Times

Health-reform moves proposed by the White House and pursued in Congress have largely steered clear of direct hits to the medical-technology sector, with one big exception: medical imaging.
Such proposals follow years of rapid growth for medical scanning that has provoked questions about overuse.
William Peck, who directs WUSTL's Center for Health Policy, suggests the House legislation needs to get at the causes of overuse, such as doctors hedging against the threat of malpractice suits.

References:

1. Aug. 14, 2009 — Medical Imaging Under The Gun In Health-Reform Push in the The Wall Street Journal

and 5 others.

Decoding the genome of a man with acute myeloid leukemia revealed genetic mutations that may be common among other cancer patients. The findings could help scientists understand the genetic basis of cancer. Includes comments by WUSTL researchers Richard Wilson, co-author and director of the Genome Center, and Timothy Ley, study senior author and medicine professor.

References:

1. Aug. 5, 2009 — Genome of Leukemia Patient Reveals Common Mutations in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 13 others.

In December 2006, New York City required that artificial trans fats be phased out of restaurant food, and the mandate was in full effect by November 2008. Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at WUSTL and a past president of the American Dietetic Association, said that banning fats is not enough.

References:

1. July 20, 2009 — In New York City, Trans Fat Ban Is Working in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 7 others.

WUSTL orthopaedic surgeon and researcher Timothy Kuklo, who was accused by the Army of falsifying a medical study, delayed disclosing his consulting ties to the school, according to its response to a U.S. Senate investigation. The doctor was put on leave by the university pending an internal review. According to Chancellor Mark Wrighton, WUSTL also suspended open human research projects by Kuklo.

References:

1. July 16, 2009 — Wash. U: Doctor hid Medtronic ties in the St. Louis Business Journal online

and 2 others.

Timothy Kuklo, a former military doctor and Medtronic consultant at the center of a research scandal, did not tell WUSTL, his medical school employer for a year, about his Medtronic ties even as he was conducting company-sponsored research. The new disclosures, which WUSTL medical school dean Larry Shapiro made in response to a Senate investigation, may intensify the controversy surrounding the physician.

References:

1. July 15, 2009 — Medical School Says Former Army Surgeon Hid Ties to Medtronic in the The New York Times

and 9 others.

The allegation that Timothy Kuklo failed to properly disclose his financial relationship with Medtronic was made in a June 23 letter from WUSTL medical school dean Larry Shapiro to Sen. Charles Grassley, who is investigating the Kuklo matter. Kuklo is on paid personal leave at the request of WUSTL, where he is a member of the medical faculty. The university said it is continuing to investigate.

References:

1. July 15, 2009 — Disclosure by Surgeon Is Faulted in the The Wall Street Journal

Today, more than 85 percent of the babies born alive in this country each year are assessed by electronic fetal monitoring, amid continuing controversy over whether it does more harm than good. New guidelines on fetal monitoring, published this month, aim to bring more consistency to how doctors interpret the results and act on them. WUSTL ob-gyn professor George Macones comments.

References:

1. July 7, 2009 — Updating a Standard: Fetal Monitoring in the The New York Times

and 1 others.

Steve Jobs, who has been on medical leave from Apple Inc. since January to treat an undisclosed medical condition, received a controversial liver transplant in Tennessee about two months ago. The chief executive has been recovering well and is expected to return to work on schedule later this month, though he may work part-time initially. WUSTL pancreatic and gastrointestinal surgery professor William Hawkins and surgery professor William Chapman both comment.

References:

1. June 20, 2009 — Jobs Had Liver Transplant in the The Wall Street Journal

Are some people hardwired to get the blues? Scientists have long believed that a tendency toward melancholy runs in families. A new study published on June 16 in JAMA now threatens to send researchers back to the drawing board. The meta-analysis of 14 prior studies concludes that the so-called depression gene may not be associated with an elevated risk for depression, as many researchers had believed. WUSTL psychiatric geneticist Alexandre Todorov, whose 2007 peer-reviewed study was included in the JAMA piece, comments.

References:

1. June 17, 2009 — Study: 'Depression Gene' Doesn't Predict the Blues in the Time.com

Top medical experts offer tips on how you can learn to control pain. Includes comments by WUSTL orthopaedic surgeon Matthew Matava.

References:

1. May 24, 2009 — Ouch! How not to be a slave to pain in the MSNBC

There has been much hand-wringing over the dangers of medical residents' grueling schedules. One recent study advised that a solution would be to reduce the length of their shifts. But many in the medical community, including residents themselves, worry that shorter shifts could come at the expense of educational opportunities and possibly even patient safety. Includes comments by WUSTL Department of Medicine chairman Kenneth Polonsky.

References:

1. May 21, 2009 — Are Medical Residents Worked Too Hard? in the Time.com