There will be a Medicaid forum in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, January 17. It will feature a family physician, health care campaign director, pastor, and health care economics professor.
The forum will be presented by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.
The forum will be moderated by Zack Buck, associate professor of law at the University of Tennessee who specializes in health law, bioethics, and tort law.
Other guests will include:
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The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has tested birds after black vultures were reported dead between Edgemoor Road and Haw Ridge, but the state agency does not have test results yet.
On Thursday, Oak Ridge Today counted at least a dozen dead birds in the brush and submerged near the shoreline along the concrete portion of the trail across from the Bull Run Fossil Plant. There were also at least four dozen live vultures perched nearby in trees close to the high-voltage power lines from Bull Run.
Four Oak Ridge and Tennessee organizations are having a forum today (Tuesday, November 1) about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that recognized a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion in 1973.
This summer, almost 50 years later, Roe was overturned by the court in a 5-4 vote.
“The over-turn of Roe v. Wade destroyed 50 years of legal precedents—and along with the trigger ban law of the state of Tennessee—placed the health, lives, livelihood, and families of Tennessee women in serious jeopardy,” a press release said. “The physicians and health care providers who have met the needs of these women for decades could now face felony charges. No exceptions are allowed under the law.”
The forum today will feature five female experts, including professors of nursing and medicine, a criminal defense attorney and nonprofit founder, a state senator, and a family nurse practitioner, the press release said.
They will “continue the conversation on the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the trigger ban in Tennessee,” the press release said.
The five women are:
[Read more…]Mobile mammography screenings will be available at the Anderson County Senior Center on Thursday.
The mobile mammography unit is from the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The senior center is at 96 Mariner Point Drive in Clinton, and the screenings will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, February 17.
Appointments are required, and they can be scheduled by calling the UT Breast Health Outreach Program at (865) 839-7416 or by sending an e-mail to Lking@utmck.edu.
[Read more…]The first Friday of the month, February 4, is National Wear Red Day. From coast to coast, landmarks, news anchors, and neighborhoods will go red to raise awareness and support for heart disease, a press release said.
Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke combined) kills about 2,300 people a day. Obesity in both youth and adults is at an all-time high, youth are being diagnosed with heart disease earlier than ever, and people just ZIP codes apart can live 25 years less than their neighbors because of disparities in health, the press release said. American Heart Month is vital for awareness, but the American Heart Association urges people to take care of their hearts year-round.
Consider the facts:
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Cymbeline “Bem” Culiat
A former molecular geneticist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will discuss regenerative medicine and a potential treatment for severe COVID-19 disease patients and those who struggle with “long haul” symptoms.
The talk by Cymbeline “Bem” Culiat—co-founder, president, and chief science officer of NellOne Therapeutics in Knoxville—will speak virtually to Friends of ORNL at noon Tuesday, February 8.
“While at ORNL, Culiat discovered the role of the NELL1 signaling protein in fostering the growth and maturation of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular tissues in mice and other mammals, including humans,” a press release said. “Her biotech company focuses on using her discovery to advance regenerative medicine, which involves replacing, engineering, or regenerating human or animal cells, tissues, or organs to promote healing and restore normal function. In contrast, traditional medicine typically provides treatment of symptoms rather than addressing root causes.”
To view the virtual lecture, click on the talk title on the homepage of the www.fornl.org website and click on the Zoom link near the top of the page describing the lecture. Here is Culiat’s summary of what she will talk about: [Read more…]
Emergency departments at hospitals in the Knoxville area are overflowing and many health care workers are absent due to illness, and health care systems are asking for your help as they start a third year battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our communities are still in an emergency,” the hospitals said in a statement Wednesday. “Health care systems continue to be under unprecedented strain. We remain committed to delivering the medical services needed by our communities, but we need your help.
The statement was issued by Covenant Health, which includes Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge; Tennova Healthcare; University of Tennessee Medical Center; Blount Memorial Hospital; and Sweetwater Hospital Association.
“The Omicron variant is racing through East Tennessee with lightning speed, spreading easily from person to person, increasing infections and hospitalizations,” the hospitals said in their statement. “This year. we are also seeing large numbers of patients with respiratory illnesses such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), pneumonia, and post-COVID-19 complications, in addition to heart attacks, strokes, and other emergent care needs. Our emergency departments are overflowing with these cases and other medical emergencies, leading to longer-than-usual wait times as we work to deliver care to all who are counting on us.”
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Many schools in the area are closed this week due to illness, but Oak Ridge Schools have remained open.
Anderson County Schools were closed Wednesday and Thursday and will remain closed Friday “due to staffing concerns related to illness.”
Clinton City Schools were open Wednesday but closed Thursday, and they will remain closed Friday due to student illness.
Knox County Schools were also closed Wednesday and Thursday and will remain closed Friday “due to staffing challenges related to illness.” The school system cannot shift to virtual learning district-wide because of rules established by the Tennessee Board of Education, Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas said in a letter to families. But individual schools may have to switch to virtual learning in the next several weeks depending upon absences, and the district could submit waiver applications to the Tennessee Department of Education.
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Note: This story was updated at 10:05 a.m.
The number of new COVID-19 cases hit a pandemic high last week with more than 250 new cases per day, and deaths have increased to a level not seen since the winter 2020 surge, more than one per day. Positivity soared last week to a record 49%, with one out of every two patients testing positive for COVID-19. Hospitalizations at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge have tripled since after Christmas. About 22% of the county’s residents have been infected since the pandemic began roughly two years ago.
For the first time in more than a year, the average number of new COVID-19 cases has exceeded 100 per day in Anderson County. Two more deaths and three more hospitalizations were reported between January 5 and January 8, the most recent reporting period, and the positivity rate hit a high of 38% on January 8, meaning roughly four out of 10 patients tested positive for COVID.
About 20% of the county’s residents have now been infected with COVID-19 since the pandemic began almost two years ago, and current hospitalizations have increased at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge since late December.
More than 100 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Anderson County on Tuesday. That’s the largest number of new cases in one day in almost four months, since the peak of the delta surge. Also, two more COVID deaths were reported between Monday and Wednesday this week. The transmission rate appears to be high; about one out of four people tested for COVID-19 are now testing positive, according to results reported to the state.
The new, more transmissible omicron variant is now the dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the state, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease.
The omicron variant has led to a steep spike in new COVID-19 cases around the world.
The seven-day average of new cases in Anderson County on Tuesday was 73.9. That’s more than double, a 250% increase from, the daily new case average of 28.7 just eight days day earlier, on December 27.
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New COVID-19 cases and deaths almost doubled in Anderson County in December, compared to November, while new hospitalizations dropped 50%. The number of COVID-19 deaths last month, 31, was the most in almost a year.
As new cases spike again around the world, the seven-day new case average in Anderson County more than doubled in less than a week from fewer than 30 new cases per day to more than 60. A graph of the increase in new cases shows a steep upward line that is almost vertical.
