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Recognizing the highly integrated nature of patient sharing between institutions, the Centers for Disease Control rightly aims to make a dent in healthcare-associated infection deaths by using a regional, nuanced approach. Thank you.

Surgical techniques and medical care does change with the generations. How is a surgeon suppose to keep up? Can you teach an old-doc-dog a new trick or two?

Whether you're a journalist, scientist, or layperson, the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Stupid) appears to be an effective strategy for getting your message across.

Could it be that the Mediterranean Diet works best for those individuals raised or genetically associated with the Mediterranean? Put another way,are traditional diets, the ones consumed by our genetic ancestors keep us healthier?

New legislation might be the key to bringing opposing political parties together in this Pacific Northwest state. The state penalizes drivers — which bicycle commuters cheered. But now officials have created a special tax on cyclists, too, and that has united the left and right in mutual outrage.

Good news: more of us are walking than we were even 10 years ago, and over 60 percent of both adult men and women report regular walking. That still leaves us with a large proportion of couch potatoes; certain demographic groups do lag behind. Perhaps the message that needs better targeting: even moderate activity can be beneficial.

Wonder why "fake news" is taking hold as a concept and a description? Look no further than a recent CNBC article and its accompanying video, showcasing a new blood collection product. 

John Urschel, 26, an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, abruptly retired from the NFL. The decision by the soft-spoken genius pursuing a math doctorate at MIT, came just two days after the release of a a weighted CTE study, which stated that of the late NFL players' brains 99% tested positive for the disease's irreversible, degenerative brain damage.

Misinformed people will adjust their views when given correct information. What could be simpler? This study suggests that it is a bit more complicated, information is not always a 'corrective.' 

Ever wonder why baby wipes contain chemicals and preservatives? There is a very good reason.

Imagine a world where it's as easy to check for cancer as it is for high cholesterol. New research out of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine may lead to just that, through a new approach that identifies tumor specific DNA in the blood. 

It's not a new idea that one relatively easy way to eliminate calories is to refrain from adding sugar, whenever possible, to foods and drinks we consume. And trimming it from coffee consumption is an obvious place to start. 
But once that choice is made, the next issue is: What's the best way to adapt to a reduced-sugar or sugar-free cup, to ensure that the change will become permanent? Eliminating the sweetener over time, or cutting it out "cold turkey" in one fell swoop?

Bundled payment for health care is being presented as a fix to rising costs. What makes up the bundle of services provided, and can they really save us money? A new study in JAMA Surgery sheds some light.

A new study in JAMA Surgery reports that a crucial decision – whether a breast cancer patient should undergo a double mastectomy when only one breast is affected – is heavily influenced by her surgeon's recommendation.

Last week's FDA approval of a novel cancer treatment is nothing short of historic. Not only does it give long-overdue hope to patients suffering from pediatric leukemia, but it also opens up a world of new treatment possibilities for other forms of this horrific disease. 

A new paper published online in JAMA Surgery concluded that when those with "penetrating injuries" were transported by Emergency Medical Services to trauma centers, the chance of death was two-and-a-half times greater as opposed to when a private vehicle was used.

Zika virus has been around since at least 1947, causing mild symptoms. All of a sudden it went full-beast mode and started producing shrinking heads in babies, and other terrible neurological outcomes. Scientists may have figured out that one little amino acid could responsible for flipping the script.

With respect to the state of England's National Health Service and its rapidly eroding quality of care, the bad news just keeps coming. Recently, its new chief hospital inspector declared that, among other serious issues, current practices endanger patients.

A recent report by the Center for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly reveals grim statistics on suicide, with the highest rates linked to rural America.

An official representing retired Olympians told a gathering of anti-doping officials in London that to rid banned substances from future Olympics, microchips should be implanted in the athletes to constantly monitor for the presence of drugs. "We’re prepared to chip our dogs," he said, "so why aren’t we prepared to chip ourselves?”

Financial conflicts of interest are of increasing concern. And when this occurs, the response from medical leadership, authors and publishers must be disclosure. Here we shed some sunlight on how well we adhere to our self-imposed standards.

While kids look forward to Halloween because of the candy, some people just cannot let them have fun without ruining it. Opponents of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, use this carefree event to scare parents about what their children are eating.

A long-awaited report on strategies to combat the national opioid crisis has been issued by the White House. Will it make things better or worse? Some of the recommendations are no-brainers, while others are controversial with some being good and others being just terrible. Here's how we scored 'em.
 

When "journalism" goes too far in tragedy.

Predictions have it that this year's flu strain is bad. Tragically, a California toddler's recent death reminds us of just how virulent the flu can be. And he won't be alone. There are roughly 100 pediatric deaths a year from the flu. To see just how soon we will be walloped by flu cases, take a look at the graph in this article.