Ex-eye bank workers say pressure, lax oversight led to errors
Corneas, the windshields of the eye, are the most transplanted part of the human body. But four former employees at Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank told of numerous retrieval problems, including damage to eyes and removal from the wrong body.
Older Americans living alone often rely on neighbors or others willing to help
Diverse networks of friends, former co-workers, neighbors, and extended family are often essential sources of support for older adults living alone. Often it is the elderly caring for the elderly.
Errors in Deloitte-run Medicaid systems can cost millions and take years to fix, leaving beneficiaries – some in Colorado – at risk of losing access to health care
A spokesperson for Colorado’s Medicaid agency said as of June 30, Colorado “has made substantial improvements” and a “majority of the letters have been rewritten” and updated in the system.
This Denver woman couldn’t burp. Doctors say botox helped her
Social media has helped spread the word about a treatment that involves getting Botox in the neck. It’s for a condition that’s gaining awareness but still often dismissed: the inability to burp.
With only gloves to protect them, farmworkers say they tend sick cows amid bird flu
A Colorado picnic celebrated Farmworker Appreciation Day. But some dairy workers there said they aren’t feeling appreciated: They don’t have basic protective gear, even as bird flu spreads through area farms.
Colorado dropped Medicaid enrollees as red states have, alarming advocates for the poor
Colorado defended its high disenrollment rates following the covid crisis by saying that what goes up must come down. Advocates and researchers disagree.
Nursing homes are left in the dark as more utilities cut power to prevent wildfires
A nursing home in Colorado had 75 minutes to prepare for a power outage that lasted 28 hours. Such public safety power shut-offs are being used more often as a fire prevention tool, but not all health facilities are prepared.
Residencias de adultos mayores quedan a oscuras en la lucha contra los incendios forestales
A medida que se generalizan los cortes de electricidad preventivos, las residencias de adultos mayores se ven obligadas a evaluar cómo prepararse. Pero no debería depender sólo de las residencias, según autoridades del sector y académicos.
FDA urged to relax decades-old tissue donation restrictions for gay and bisexual men
Federal regulations prevent gay and bisexual men from donating tissue, such as corneas, ligaments, and blood vessels. Similar restrictions have been relaxed or lifted for donated blood and organs in recent years.
Medicaid ‘unwinding’ decried as biased against disabled people
People with disabilities say they are abruptly losing their Medicaid home health benefits and are being advised incorrectly when they call state offices for more information. “Every day the anxiety builds,” one beneficiary told KFF Health News.
Mandatory reporting laws meant to protect children get another look
Mandatory reporting may disproportionately harm families that are poor, Black, or Indigenous, or have members with disabilities.
Médicos de atención primaria asumen tareas de dentista para ayudar a pacientes vulnerables
Un lunes reciente, la pediatra Patricia Braun y su equipo atendieron a unos 100 niños en una clínica comunitaria. Administraron vacunas contra la gripe y trataron infecciones de oído. Pero Braun también hizo algo que la mayoría de los médicos de atención primaria no hacen. Revisó las bocas de los pacientes en busca de caries o cepilló sus dientes con barniz de flúor.
Doctors take on dental duties to reach low-income and uninsured patients
In Denver, housing instability, language barriers, lack of transportation, and the “astronomical cost” of dentistry without insurance make dental care inaccessible for many children, the migrant community, and seniors
Medical debt affects much of America, but Colorado immigrants are hit especially hard
Medical debt in Colorado is also concentrated in ZIP codes with relatively high shares of immigrants, many of whom are from Mexico.
As more states target disavowed ‘excited delirium’ diagnosis, police groups push back
After California passed the first law in the nation to limit the disavowed term “excited delirium,” bills in other states are being introduced to help end use of the diagnosis. But momentum is being met with resistance from law enforcement and first responder groups, who cite free speech.
How a friend’s death turned Colorado teens into anti-overdose activists
High school students in Colorado are pushing for a change they say is necessary to combat fentanyl poisoning: ensuring students can’t get in trouble for carrying the overdose reversal drug naloxone wherever they go, including at school.
