Health

What exactly is the role of legal documents, like a power of attorney, in a health care setting, especially if a person is not related to the patient? An incident at a local hospital last week, which has struck a nerve with some LGBT groups and gained some internet buzz, spurred the question.

Firearms related deaths among Kansas City residents have remained steady over the last decade. While that’s still unsettling, health officials have identified an especially troublesome trend.

Over the last decade, homicide rates have gone down in Kansas City. Even so, about 100 residents are killed each year from guns. That breaks down to about two people every week.

A competitive bidding program aimed at helping Medicare avoid overpaying for products like scooters, diabetic testing supplies, and oxygen tanks is being expanded to 91 communities nationwide, including Wichita. 

The program began a little more than two years ago as a demonstration project in nine communities, including Kansas City. 

Despite the urging of a top state lawmaker and some Catholic groups, Missouri’s Attorney General will not appeal a recent court ruling, which struck down a state law that would have required insurance companies to exclude birth control coverage if employers had religious, ethical or moral objections.

State And Federal Rule Conflict

It’s estimated that in the United States, people with disabilities constitute the third-largest, and perhaps the most diverse, minority group. A person may be born with a disability or it may occur during a lifetime. The disability can be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or a combination of all of these. On this Central Standard, we’ll talk about disability issues across the life span and some local efforts to empower those who face the challenge of a disability.

Speech and communication is a fundamental and necessary part of our days.  Being able to articulate I thoughts, feelings and desires is perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of being human.  But how hard is it to correct or relearn this intrinsic skill?  Today we explore the practice of Speech Therapy with Carol Koch, Associate Professor at the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Rockhurst University and Shatonda Jones, a Visiting Instructor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Rockhurst University.