Uninsured can get health plans as state's Cover Florida program opens
The first day of the state's low-cost, bare-bones Cover Florida health insurance program started with a flurry of interest from uninsured Floridians on Monday, but also with confusion and glitches.
Market booms for male nurses
Shawn Blouin started nursing school because he wanted to help people, to share the compassion he witnessed on a missionary trip last summer down the Amazon River.
Study: Smoking ban leads to big drop in heart attacks
A smoking ban in one Colorado city led to a dramatic drop in heart attack hospitalizations within three years, a sign of just how serious a health threat secondhand smoke is, government researchers said Wednesday. The study, the longest-running of its kind, showed the rate of hospitalized cases dropped 41 percent in the three years after the ban of workplace smoking in Pueblo, Colo., took effect. There was no such drop in two neighboring areas, and researchers believe it's a clear sign the ban was responsible.
Delaware law allows only 'fire-safe cigarettes' after Jan. 1
Starting on New Year's Day, all cigarettes sold in Delaware must be able to extinguish themselves in about 15 to 20 seconds if they are not smoked.
Study: Obesity surgery reverses diabetes in teens
Obesity surgery can reverse diabetes in teens, just as it does in adults, according to a small study.
Autism can carry a high cost on Treasure Coast
Wyatt Falardeau knows which buttons to push to get what he wants. And his parents are thrilled. Wyatt, 5, is autistic and uses a special device to convey his thoughts to his teachers, parents and friends.
The Falardeaus are paying out-of-pocket for the $8,000 device because their insurance won't cover it, and they can't keep the one they borrowed from Indian River County School District. Like many families of autistic children, the Falardeaus are caught in a financial trap caused by gaps in insurance coverage, autism treatment and research of the mysterious neurological disorder.
Chinese drywall causes problems on the Treasure Coast
Martin and St. Lucie counties are two of nearly a dozen counties where complaints of possible exposure to the contaminated drywall in new homes have arisen.
Alzheimer's charity finds success in Stuart
Philanthropist Phyllis Rappaport, a Stuart resident, knows how to pick 'em.
Sex no longer a taboo subject in nursing homes
In response, the researchers have produced seminars and training aids to encourage nursing home caregivers to discuss and accommodate sexual desires.
Got the flu? CDC says Tamiflu may not be much help
The flu causes 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths annually, according to official estimates. The elderly, young children and people with chronic illnesses are considered at greatest risk.
Actor Wilford Brimley surprised with award from American Diabetes Association in Port St. Lucie
Actor and diabetes spokesman Wilford Brimley thought he was making just another trip to Liberty Medical to visit with their employees. Instead the American Diabetes Association honored him with a lifetime achievement award for his dedication to diabetes awareness on Friday morning in Port St. Lucie. As a representative for Liberty for more than 10 years and a diabetic for 30 years, the 74-year-old Brimley has become the face of the disease.
Health tip: Why you should be walking
Come the first of the year, the masses will begin a program of healthy eating and daily exercise.
