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.

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.

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.

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

Orthopaedic surgeon Timothy Kuklo, a former Army physician accused of falsifying research involving injured soldiers, has taken a leave of absence from WUSTL medical school and its affiliated hospitals.

References:

1. May 23, 2009 — Former Army Doctor Accused of Research Fraud Takes Leave From University in the The New York Times

and 6 others.

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

A new study shows that allowing doctors-in-training to work fewer hours and take longer naps during their shifts will cost the nation's teaching hospitals an estimated $1.6 billion a year. And there are no guarantees that shortening the shifts will improve patient safety. WUSTL medical professor Kenneth Polonsky comments in an accompanying co-written journal editorial.

References:

1. May 20, 2009 — Limiting Work Hours for Medical Residents Could Be Costly in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 9 others.

Another study has indicated that shorter shifts for medical residents might actually increase patient harm because a departing resident hands over the patient to a fresh resident unfamiliar with the case. WUSTL medical professor Melvin Blanchard co-wrote an accompanying journal editorial that strongly disagrees with the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for shorter shifts.

References:

1. May 21, 2009 — Moves to Allow Medical Residents More Shut-Eye Rouse Opposition in the The Wall Street Journal

Influential Senator Charles Grassley is investigating a former Army surgeon who the Army says forged signatures and falsified data in a study touting the benefits of an implant from Medtronic. Orthopaedic surgeon Timothy Kuklo retired from the Army in 2007 and is now a professor of orthopedic surgery at WUSTL. WUSTL spokeswoman Joni Westerhouse comments.

References:

1. May 19, 2009 — Sen. Grassley investigating army surgeon who allegedly wrote bogus study of Medtronic graft in the Los Angeles Times

and 8 others.

A national panel of medical experts proposed significant and costly changes for training new doctors in the nation's hospitals, recommending mandatory sleep breaks and more structured shift changes to reduce the risk of fatigue-related errors. WUSTL medicine and history professor and panel member Kenneth Ludmerer comments.

References:

1. Dec. 3, 2008 — Expert Panel Seeks Changes in Training of Medical Residents in the The New York Times

and 12 others.

WUSTL is exploring the possibility of increasing its involvement in the health of the region by establishing its own school of public health.
As part of a strategic planning process currently under way at the university, WUSTL medical school dean Larry Shapiro and social work dean Edward Lawlor are investigating how the university can expand its focus on public health, according to Rob Wild, assistant to the chancellor.

References:

1. Dec. 28, 2007 — Washington U. studies creation of public health school in the St. Louis Business Journal

and 3 others.

Patients aren't the only ones harmed by medical errors, according to a survey released Wednesday that found many doctors who make mistakes and even those who come close suffer stress, sleep problems and loss of confidence.
Job stress related to medical errors potentially could make some doctors prone to depression, quitting or even making additional mistakes, underscoring the need for helping them cope, said WUSTL psychologist Amy Waterman, the study's lead author.

References:

1. July 19, 2007 — Docs suffer stress, sleep problems after mistakes, survey says in the Associated Press State & Local Wire

and 38 others.

WHEN it comes to economic decisions, there are always trade-offs. Gain one thing and you lose something else. This is particularly true in health care, a market in which a scarce good is ridiculously expensive, but needed by everybody.
WUSTL economist Charles Courtemanche looks at the economic points in Michael Moore's movie 'Sicko.'

References:

1. July 7, 2007 — What's Lacking in 'Sicko' in the The New York Times

and 3 others.

With an agreement to take control of Chrysler, Cerberus, a private equity firm, is venturing into virtually uncharted territory in taking on a company with the problems the size of Chrysler's and with a union as powerful as the United Automobile Workers.
WUSTL law professor and vice dean Daniel Keating comments.

References:

1. May 15, 2007 — Cerberus Goes Where No Firm Has Gone Before in the The New York Times

and 3 others.

Basic errors made by doctors, including tests ordered too late or not at all and failure to create follow-up plans, played a role in nearly 60 percent of cases in which patients were allegedly hurt by missed or delayed diagnoses, a study found.
WUSTL oncologist Steven Sorscher comments.

References:

1. Oct. 3, 2006 — Study: Basic doctor errors result in missed, delayed diagnoses in the Associated Press State & Local Wire

and 57 others.