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Health Care

Residents of the William P. Clough Extended Care Center at New London Hospital were recently recognized for their support of the New Hampshire Food Bank. Wanda Walker, left, and Phyllis Taylor, resident council vice-president and president, respectively, hold a certificate from the food bank and the New Hampshire Health Care Association. Photograph by Jen Ellms

At the Hospitals: June 16, 2013

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Valley Regional Chief Medical Officer Leads N.H. Delegation to D.C. Claremont — Dr. Oliver Herfort, chief medical officer of Valley Regional Hospital, led the New Hampshire delegation of seven doctors to the annual American College of Physicians leadership meeting last month in Washington, D.C. More than 200 physicians from 49 states participated. Herfort and other New Hampshire doctors met with …

Dementia And Delirium Not the Same Thing

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Dear Dr. Roach: My father, 79, used to play 18 holes of golf three times a week, but after a recent gallbladder removal, he started showing some unusual symptoms. He appeared to be a totally different person: helpless and unable to walk. The doctors diagnosed him as having dementia. I kept telling the doctors and nurses that his washroom smelled horrible and that …

New Anxiety App Aims to Help

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Anxiety disorders can be debilitating. For people who don’t seek professional help, a new iPhone app offers guidance. AnxietyCoach ($4.99) allows people to track their worries. Based on a user’s responses, the app suggests therapeutic exercises. Users select situations, such as talking to authority figures or being observed while eating, that make them anxious. Each situation is linked to a to-do list, exercises …

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Thirty-four graduating seniors received their diplomas during The Sharon Academy's commencement in Sharon, Vt., on June 16, 2013. (Valley News - Sarah Priestap) Photo Gallery: The Sharon Academy Graduation
Aiden Banks and Justin Lamphear relax before the beginning of graduation ceremonies at Kearsarge Regional High School yesterday. (Medora Hebert photograph) ‘A Little Bit of Kearsarge in Our Hearts’
Kearsarge Regional High School graduates received their diplomas in a commencement ceremony on school grounds in North Sutton, N.H., on June 15, 2013. (Medora Hebert photograph) Photo Gallery: Kearsarge Regional High School Graduation
Other Local News
‘You’ve Got to Go For It’: 34 Sharon Academy Graduates Relate Learning From Experience
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A Life: Shirley Robinson, 1932 — 2013; ‘She Was a Natural Teacher’
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Vermont Open Gets a Later Start 
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Party Crasher
From Sports »
From Opinion »
Editorial: Ayotte Is on Board; Senator Supports Immigration Reform
From Opinion »

Benefit ‘Spin-A-Thon’ Is June 8 at Aquatic Center

Sunday, June 2, 2013

White River Junction — A “spin-a-thon” Saturday will benefit two White River Junction nonprofits, Second Growth and Upper Valley Aquatic Center. The event at Upper Valley Aquatic Center will include food and music, and raffle prizes will be awarded every hour. Day passes for the aquatic center will …

U.S. Health Co-ops Get Ready To Compete With Big Insurers

Sunday, June 2, 2013

People in the market for health insurance in Oregon want to know what their out-of-pocket expenses will be — down to the dollar. They want doctors who reply to e-mail. They want the option to see alternative practitioners. And of course, they want premiums that don’t burn holes …

Examining Cancer Screenings

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Early detection of cancer is the best chance of cure, right? Maybe not. A growing body of counterintuitive evidence suggests that some cancer-screening tests — including those for breast, prostate, colon, lung and cervical cancer — may be unnecessary and, worse, can do more harm than good. “Most …

Vascular Dementia Differs From Alzheimer’s Disease

Friday, May 31, 2013

Dear Dr. Roach: My husband, age 84, has vascular dementia. How does this differ from other forms of dementia? What is the time frame for progression of this illness? — P.M. Answer: Vascular dementia, also called multi-infarct dementia, is caused by poor blood flow to the brain. This …

Feds Sanction Mental Health Facility in Vt.

Friday, May 31, 2013

The Brattleboro Retreat, Vermont’s largest psychiatric facility, is in trouble with the federal government again, and state mental health officials are preparing for the worst. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) says it plans to terminate payment for Medicare services on Aug. 15 because the retreat …

Fatigue and Infection Could Be Due to Depression, Medicine Side Effects or More

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Dear Dr. Roach: I’m 61. Nearly a year ago, I had chest pain that brought me to the emergency room, and I was diagnosed with blockages in my coronary arteries. I was treated with four stents and cardiac rehab. I’m taking the usual collection of meds for my …

Study: Work Stress and Anger Can Increase Risk of Heart Attack

Monday, May 27, 2013

Two interesting studies have come up over the past month on heart attacks. Scientists have found a temporary condition that can quadruple your chance of having a heart attack. Scientists have found that job stress leads to more heart attacks, but there is a treatment that can reduce …

Potent Drug Halts MS, With Risks

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Minneapolis — Kari Antin, 40, a financial analyst in Minneapolis, knows she’s taking a life-or-death risk with every monthly infusion of Tysabri. She is among the 55 percent of multiple sclerosis patients who harbor a potentially lethal virus …

Registered nurse Jean Kingery, left, is the pushing coach for mothers in labor at Adventist Hospital in Hinsdale, Illinois. She works with her granddaughter registered nurse Krissy Maher in the delivery room. (Anthony Souffle/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

A Role Model in Scrubs

Monday, May 27, 2013

When soon-to-be mothers are feeling exhausted and ready to give up, Krissy Maher, a labor and delivery nurse at Chicago’s Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, regularly calls in the pushing specialist. In walks a 75-year-old woman with soft white hair, …

Fewer Patients Need to Take Antibiotics for Dental Care

Monday, May 27, 2013

Dear Dr. Roach: I just read the question from “B” on bacterial endocarditis. I had bacterial endocarditis seven years ago, and I’ve also had a mitral valve prolapse heart murmur for decades. You advised “B” that, if you’ve had bacterial endocarditis, “You have to take antibiotics before any …