Author: Al Cross
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Adair County paper fills several pages in sample-copy edition with stories about the opioid epidemic and its cost
Continuation of Page 1 story shows child with photo of his mother, who died from a fentanyl overdose. —– Most rural newspapers shy away from reporting on the opioid epidemic,...
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3 SW Va. counties among many suing drug makers over opioids; Washington Post takes a look with text, pictures, audio: ‘We was addicted to their pills, but they was addicted to the money’
L-R: Lee, Wise and Russell counties; City of Norton is within Wise (Wikipedia map) —– “Towns and cities across America are fighting back against the drug industry, seeking billions of dollars in...
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Anti-overdose drug naloxone (Narcan) isn’t getting to enough at-risk and rural people, including many counties in Kentucky
Enlargement of Kentucky and neighboring states shows naloxone access; Kentucky counties with the first rank of access are Adair, Anderson, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Bullitt, Campbell, Christian, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Franklin, Grant, Hopkins,...
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Study: Rural dentists show higher awareness of opioid epidemic in their prescribing, and are in good positions to fight it
AARP photo illustration —– While rural and non-rural dentists prescribe about the same number of pain pills, rural dentists do so more often in combination with ibuprofen or acetaminophen and...
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Change in Medicare reimbursement rules will mean more money for 39 rural hospitals in Kentucky, totaling $4 million a year
Photo: Rural Health Information Hub —– The Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services said Friday that it will adjust its Medicare payment formula, starting in October, in a way that will boost...
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Health departments get another year before pension hikes kick in, but some are already raising taxes in anticipation
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News While local health departments are more than grateful that legislation passed in the recent special legislative session gives them another year to manage their...
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State health commissioner named White House fellow
Dr. Jeffrey Howard —– Dr. Jeffrey Howard, the state health commissioner, is leaving to become a White House fellow, a year-long job as a full-time assistant to senior White House...
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Conference speakers call for a more aggressive approach to eliminate hepatitis; Ky leads the nation in both hepatitis A and C
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Elimination of the three main types of hepatitis is possible, but will require a more aggressive approach that includes increasing vaccinations for hepatitis A...
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$80,000 donation wipes out $8 million in medical debt
Hundreds of people in Appalachia, most of them in Eastern Kentucky, have had $8 million in medical debts paid off by a nonprofit organization that uses donations to buy “bundles...
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Appalachian Regional Commission, working on substance abuse and the workforce issues, calls for ‘recovery ecosystem’
The Appalachian Regional Commission hosted six listening sessions this year to better understand the challenges around substance abuse and how it relates to the Appalachian workforce, and came up with themes to...