Melissa Bailey, Kaiser Health News

Author's posts

Climate Change May Push the US Toward the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for West Nile Virus

Colorado recently recorded the most West Nile virus deaths and cases of neuroinvasive infections in nearly two decades. Scientists warn that climate change will make conditions ripe for more West Nile transmission.

Bringing ‘Poogie’ Home: Hospice In The Time Of COVID-19

One family took up the challenge of taking their mother, who had serious medical problems and the coronavirus, from the hospital to die at home. But because of the risk of infection, home hospice can be a daunting experience.

How Climate Change Is Putting Doctors In The Hot Seat

Health care providers are seeing the effects of climate change in hospitals across the U.S. ― and urging their peers to take action.

Beyond Burnout: Docs Decry ‘Moral Injury’ From Financial Pressures Of Health Care

Doctors and other clinicians say they’re enduring moral injury because the business of health care interferes with patient care.

‘I Feel Like I’m In Jail’: Hospital Alarms Torment Patients

As alarms proliferate, hospitals are working to sort through the cacophony that can overwhelm staff and cause them to overlook real signs of harm.

‘Fear Of Falling’: How Hospitals Do Even More Harm By Keeping Patients In Bed

In what experts call an “epidemic of immobility,” older hospital patients remain stuck in bed, their movements tracked by loud and ineffective bed alarms, losing muscle mass that’s key to their health and daily functioning.

Genetic-Testing Scam Targets Seniors And Rips Off Medicare

Capitalizing on the growing popularity of genetic testing — and fears of terminal illness — scammers are persuading seniors to hand over cheek swabs with their DNA, not knowing it may lead to identity theft and Medicare fraud.

In Secret, Seniors Discuss ‘Rational Suicide’

Running counter to the efforts of suicide prevention experts and many religious and social norms, some seniors are quietly exploring the option of turning to suicide when they feel they’ve lived long enough.

Miracle Machine Makes Heroic Rescues — And Leaves Patients In Limbo

The use of ECMO, the most aggressive form of life support in modern medicine, has skyrocketed — but along with miraculous rescues, it can leave patients in limbo, kept alive with machines but with no prospect of survival outside the ICU.

Dementia And Guns: When Should Doctors Broach The Topic?

As the number of Americans with dementia rises, health professionals grapple with how to talk to patients about gun safety at home.