Cloudy
57°
Cloudy
Hi 79° | Lo 52°

Health Care

Hanover Police Kill Two Raccoons Found to Have Rabies

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Hanover — Two rabid raccoons were found and destroyed last week in Hanover. Police responded to two separate complaints on different days of “strange acting” raccoons 6.5 miles apart — one at Fern Lane and the other at Quail Drive — Hanover Police Capt. Frank Moran said. “It’s pretty disturbing,” Moran said, referring to what it’s like to see a rabid animal. “Generally when you see it, you know it.” …

You Should Consider Quality of Life When Evaluating Medication Use

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Dear Dr. Roach: Several years ago my husband received a stent for a 99 percent blockage. What had kept him alive was a network of collateral arteries, thanks to a lifelong high level of exercise. His cardiologist put him on Crestor, and he became an old man before his time — muscle cramps, muscle weakness to the point that he was unable to …

Surgeons Take Critical Look at Their Process

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Lebanon — Anyone who has done a bit of hiking understands the importance of packing light. Take only what you need. If you add a new piece of equipment to your pack, take out whatever it is meant to replace. There’s no reason to burn precious energy carrying unnecessary stuff. The same rule …

Is Treatment Required for Higher TSH?

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Dear Dr. Roach: I am a 64-year-old woman in fairly good health and who takes no medications. Both my mother, 88, and my sister, 53, take medication for hypothyroidism. In the past four months, I have had blood work done three times to check my thyroid and had …

At the Hospitals

Sunday, May 19, 2013

New London Hospital Administrator Earns Health Care Quality Credential New London — Lori Underwood, senior director of quality improvement and projects at New London Hospital, recently earned the Professional in Healthcare Quality certification. The certification addresses a variety …

HCRS Earns Joint Commission Recognition

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Springfield, Vt. — Springfield, Vt.-based Health Care and Rehabilitation Services has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for three years. It is the only state-designated community mental health agency in Vermont to receive the accreditation, HCRS said in a news release last week. The nonprofit provides …

Hospitals Take Next Step in Affiliation

Friday, May 17, 2013

New London ­— After two months of negotiation, officials from Dartmouth-Hitchcock and New London Hospital sent their affiliation agreement to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office Tuesday, marking the next step in what has been a long process in establishing a governance and administrative collaboration between the two …

Delusions Are Real for the Sufferer

Friday, May 17, 2013

Dear Dr. Roach: I am writing on behalf of my mother. For the past 17 months she has been experiencing what she feels are parasites coming out of her skin. She has seen multiple doctors, including skin doctors. They have done blood tests, X-rays and endoscopies, and she …

D-H Plans to ‘Freeze’ Pensions

Friday, May 17, 2013

Lebanon — Dartmouth-Hitchcock will no longer be funding a traditional pension after 2017 and instead will shift employees onto a different retirement program, changes that are aimed at saving millions of dollars as the organization adjusts to new realities in health care. Nearly half of the 7,900 people …

Topical Estrogen Can Have Some Serious Side Effects

Friday, May 17, 2013

Dear Dr. Roach: For the past five years I have been using vaginal estrogen. I was first given Estradiol Cream. I have always had very thick, curly hair. In less than a week I started noticing hair coming out in my hands when washing it. Within a couple …

Health Group Sells Building, Keeps Services

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Woodstock — The building that is home to the Ottauquechee Health Center has been sold to a developer, who will renovate it and has long-term plans to keep it as a place for primary and specialty care. The nonprofit Ottauquechee Health Foundation sold the property last month for …

Vermont Lawmakers Decriminalize Small Amounts of Pot, Hashish

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

White River Junction — The Vermont Legislature gave final approval yesterday to a bill that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and hashish, clearing the way for the bill to be signed into law by …

Except in a Few Cases, Chiropractic Manipulation Isn’t Harmful

Monday, May 13, 2013

Dear Dr. Roach: My 11-year-old daughter suffered a stress fracture on her lower spine a couple of years ago from doing back handsprings in gymnastics. She wore a back brace for a while, and now has no more problems in that area. However, her upper back/shoulder area has …