You are viewing the "Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource" Archives
The Big Latch: Rising Breast-feeding Rates Could Boost Region’s Health
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
Edwin Hall is dressed in a footed onsie covered in the pastel shades of monkeys and hippos. Although Edwin’s just seven weeks old he already tells his mom when he’s hungry with a sharp and persistent yelp. Soon after he gets her attention, Edwin is practicing his sucking technique. His mom, Sarah, with the dazed… Read More
Appalachian Health Falling Further Behind
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
A new report shows just how far Appalachia has fallen behind the rest of the country on key health measures such as rates of cancer, heart disease and infant mortality. Researchers say the region’s health gap is growing and they hope the data they’ve compiled will spur new approaches to health care. The 400-page report from the Robert… Read More
Memory Sunday: Churches Spread Alzheimer’s Awareness
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
The church choir in bright blue robes swayed and testified on a hot summer Sunday. Pastor Anthony Everett, in his own robe of orange and brown, preached to his “saints” of Wesley United Methodist Church and they called back their approval with a staggered chorus of “Amen!” But this Sunday, Memory Sunday, was different. Half… Read More
After Obamacare: Disability Services At Risk In Medicaid Changes
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
The young man with dimples and an easy smile stood in front of an audience seated in folding metal chairs. Jake Parsons talked a little about his life, and how, as someone living with a disability, he’s able to do what he does. “I’m 24 years old. I am a member of the Kentucky… Read More
Labor Gains: Midwifery Goes From Horseback to Hospitals
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
Dressed in crisp blue scrubs, Certified Nurse Midwife JoAnne Burris walks briskly, the click of her sensible clogs a counterpoint to smooth jazz in the hall. The University of Kentucky Midwife Clinic, with its large, color prints of newborns on earth-tone walls, still has that new furniture smell. But word-of-mouth already has the waiting room… Read More
Death By The Numbers: Region’s Grim Statistics Heighten Health Debate
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
As Congress considers repealing the Affordable Care Act, health professionals in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia grapple with what that might mean for a region where many depend on the law for access to care. This occasional series from the ReSource explores what’s ahead for the Ohio Valley after Obamacare. See more stories here >> … Read More
Heart Of The Matter: Needle Drug Use Brings Spike In Heart Infections
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
The Ohio Valley’s addiction crisis has brought another health problem, as rising numbers of needle drug users are contracting a serious form of heart infection called endocarditis. The rate of endocarditis doubled in the region over a decade, and many patients require repeated, expensive treatment and surgery as they return to drug use and once… Read More
Hunger Gains: Budget Cuts Imperil Nutritious Food Aid
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
At a moment when food aid agencies are working to provide healthier food to the poor and the elderly, President Donald Trump has proposed a 21 percent cut in funding for the agriculture programs that support them. It’s a move that advocates say is bad for people who need food and local farmers who provide… Read More
After Obamacare: Rural Health Providers Nervous About Affordable Care Act Repeal
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
Alexandra Kanik | Ohio Valley ReSource As Congress considers repealing the Affordable Care Act, health professionals in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia grapple with what that might mean for a region where many depend on the law for access to care. This occasional series from the ReSource explores what’s ahead for the Ohio Valley after… Read More
Closing Clinics: Abortion Rights Increasingly Out Of Reach
By: Mary Meehan/ Ohio Valley ReSource
Posted on:
Dona Wells walked through what’s left of the EMW Women’s Clinic in Lexington, Kentucky. Boxes fill what use to be offices. Sterilized medical supplies are in disarray. A light flickers on and off in the back hallway. She doesn’t see a point in fixing it. At 75, she still runs 25 miles a week, but… Read More