Stories, More Than Statistics, Help Convince Scared Parents to Immunize Their Children
From Arkansas Medical News, AUTHOR Becky Gillette The failure of parents to vaccinate their children can be caused by concern that the vaccinations cause autism. Although that link has been thoroughly disproven by dozens of scientific studies, some parents remain scared to vaccinate their children. Bryan L. Burke, Jr., MD,…
Malpractice: Primary & Secondary Prevention
From Arkansas Medical News, author: Cindy Sanders Part art, part science delivered by imperfect humans and impacted by hundreds of variables from a tiny protein on a gene to an individual’s age and socioeconomic status – the practice of medicine is anything but predictable. In a high-stakes field where…
ADH Health Update: Zika Exposure Testing
Expanded Availability of Testing for Exposure to Zika Virus Overview: Commercial labs are now able to perform Zika IgM MAC-Elisa testing. Doctors seeking testing for patients for pregnancy planning purposes should be aware of this option. It is still recommended that pregnant women (regardless of symptoms) or any…
AMS Position Statement on Medical Cannabis 2016
In voting to oppose both ballot initiatives, the AMS Board of Trustees adopted the following position statement at their July 27th meeting: While there is evidence that now suggests that cannabinoids may have beneficial clinical uses, the proposed initiated act is one of the most comprehensive, including over…
CMS finalizes disaster preparedness rule for Medicare, Medicaid providers
From AMA Morning Rounds, 9/12/16. The New York Times (9/10, A14, Fink, Subscription Publication) reported that some 72,315 healthcare providers and suppliers “will have a little over a year to meet federal disaster preparedness requirements completed this week by” CMS, but they will have to “scramble” to comply…
Update: Mumps Outbreak in NW Arkansas
As of September 9, 2016, there were 89 cases of mumps in the Springdale area. There have been clusters of cases in schools and the community, and we believe we will see additional cases. Please review the following information and notify the ADH Outbreak Response Section urgently at (501)…
CDC Health Update
Influx of Fentanyl-laced Counterfeit Pills and Toxic Fentanyl-related Compounds Further Increases Risk of Fentanyl-related Overdose and Fatalities Summary On October 26, 2015, CDC issued HAN 384 (http://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00384.asp) that (1) alerted public health departments, health care professionals, first responders, and medical examiners and coroners of the increase in fentanyl-related…
Researchers find potential Zika treatments among available medications
From AMA Morning Rounds, 8/30/16. The Wall Street Journal (8/29, Hernandez, Subscription Publication) reports that a study published in Nature Medicine has found several potential treatments for Zika from 6,000 drugs either already commercially available or currently in clinical trials. Study author Wei Zheng, a researcher at the…
Dr. James Suen of Little Rock Receives High Honor
Dr. Omar Atiq presented the Arkansas Medical Society's Asklepion Award to Dr. James Suen of Little Rock at the July, 2016 Board of Trustees meeting. The Askelpion Award honors an AMS member for their service, leadership, and excellence in serving the community through medical practice. Dr. James Suen…
CDC expands Zika travel advisory
CDC Health Advisory Summary: CDC has previously issued travel, testing, and other guidance for local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission (active Zika virus transmission) for a one-square-mile area in the Wynwood area of Miami that the Florida Department of Health (FL DOH) identified. The guidance for those who live…
LATEST EDITION OF AMS NEWSBRIEFS RELEASED
The latest edition of AMS NewsBriefs has been distributed via email and printed mail. Members, if you did not receive a copy, please give us a call to update your subscription preferences at 800-542-1058. The full issue is available online in the Publications section as well as excerpts…