Rejecting the Name My Parents Chose

Despite the byline you see on this article, the name my parents gave me was Jo. Not Josephine, just Jo. Inspired by the main character in “Little Women,” they dreamed I’d grow to become every bit as norm-bashing as Louisa May Alcott’s fictional character, Jo March. Although Jo, most recently brought to life by Saoirse…

Recent health reforms in Oregon reduce infant deaths, improve access for women’s health

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon’s unique health care delivery system for low-income patients is resulting in fewer infant deaths, according to a recent study by Oregon State University researchers. The study found that Oregon’s implementation of Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) in 2012 was associated with infant mortality rates falling significantly among Medicaid patients relative to non-Medicaid…

New AGA guideline outlines treatment best practices for ulcerative colitis patients

Bethesda, Maryland (Jan. 21, 2020) — Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, can be life-altering for patients with moderate to severe disease activity. An increasing number of drugs are available for long-term management of moderate to severe UC, leading to questions about treatment strategies…

Influenza vaccination of children cuts hospitalization in half: Ben-Gurion U. researchers

BEER-SHEVA…January 21, 2020 – Fully vaccinating children reduced the risk of hospitalization for complications associated with influenza by 54%, according to a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and University of Michigan researchers. The research, published in the December, 2019 print journal Clinical Infectious Disease, is one of the few studies worldwide…