In Growing Trend Toward Group Appointments, Diabetics Turn To Each Other For Support
Group visits help patients who may otherwise feel isolated connect with people who are going through the same problems as they are.
Los Angeles Times:
Doctors Turn To The Power Of Peer Groups To Help Diabetics
Marc Weigensberg was having trouble getting his younger diabetes patients to listen to him. He’d repeat advice, but often they’d tune him out... About a year ago, Weigensberg began leading two-hour group visits with a dozen young adults at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center to provide them with a place to share tips for living with diabetes and talk about their experiences and problems with the disease. (Karlamangla, 5/8)
In other public health news —
Sacramento Bee:
'13 Reasons Why' Has School Districts Worried About Suicide
The phrase “suicide tapes” has been slithering through school hallways in whispers and giggles around Sacramento, and counselors and principals are worried. Some fear the new slang – a reference to the hit Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” – could inspire possibly deadly behavior among suggestible children who watch the show. (Caiola, 5/5)
Ventura County Star:
Opioid Abuse In Ventura County: 'We Can Do Better'
The opioids that trigger an epidemic of abuse nationally and in Ventura County come from two primary sources, said a keynote speaker at a drug summit on Friday: traffickers in Latin America and doctors. "One is called the drug cartel and one is called the purveyor of health care," said Dr. Corey Waller, senior medical director for education and policy at the National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs. At an opioid policy summit that brought nearly 200 people to the Ventura Beach Marriott, Waller said too many doctors prescribe the powerful prescription drugs to patients suffering from pain, sometimes ending up in criminal investigations. (Kisken, 5/5)
The Mercury News:
San Jose: Signs Of Stroke The Key Message At Stroke Awareness Foundation Walk
Before Chuck Toeniskoetter helped launch stroke centers at every hospital in Santa Clara County and beyond, before he helped create a free stroke App to aid frantic victims, and long before Sunday’s spirited fundraising walk around the Municipal Rose Garden, the prominent San Jose developer thought he was going to die...Ever since, Toeniskoetter has made it his life’s mission to expand the number of certified stroke centers, train paramedics to recognize stroke and where to take patients, and raise awareness of the medical emergency. With the late Chuck Hoffman and former San Jose Vice Mayor Pat Dando — who both recovered from strokes — the trio founded the Stroke Awareness Foundation in 2002. (Sulek, 5/7)