Takeaways: In September, the mom of a 4-year-old boy made national news when she used ChatGPT to diagnose her son’s pain, teeth grinding and leg dragging, a diagnosis that had eluded 17 doctors over three years. It’s an increasingly common scenario: Patients are looking to artificial intelligence for health care answers. And so are medical […]
Health Care
Posted inHealth, How To
Where to go in Wichita if you fall in the Medicaid gap
Kansas remains one of 10 states that haven’t expanded Medicaid, leaving 40,000-plus people in the state without government health insurance — or subsidies for private coverage. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly still wants the Legislature to expand that coverage — and so do more than two-thirds of Kansans. But Republican leaders in Topeka appear unlikely to […]
Posted inHealth
St. Luke’s merger with a St. Louis hospital system could mean bigger medical bills in Kansas City
St. Luke’s in Kansas City completed its merger this month with St. Louis-based BJC Health System. While the hospital systems say the merger will “enhance patient care and accelerate medical breakthroughs,” economists say patients may see higher prices.
Posted inHealth
Narcan saves lives — if you can find it in Kansas City
Takeaways: Casey Johnson stepped into the bathroom of a Westport bar recently and immediately sensed something was off. She saw two still legs and hair grazing the floor in a neighboring stall. Johnson knocked on the stall door. She yelled. But when Johnson got no response, she grabbed the naloxone she always carries, crawled under […]
Posted inLocal Government
Fare-free buses might be good for Kansas Citians’ health
Takeaways: Almost four years after Kansas City became the first major American city to completely abandon bus fares, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority may go back to making riders pay. But researchers studying the public health effects of free-to-ride buses suggest considering a bigger picture before hitting up riders for money. Public health researchers […]
Posted inUncategorized
Kansas judge blocks 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortions
A Kansas judge has temporarily blocked several of the state’s longstanding abortion restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period that providers say has resulted in hundreds of women being denied abortions. In an order released Monday, Johnson County District Judge K. Christopher Jayaram wrote that the restrictions “(appear) to be a thinly-veiled effort to stigmatize the […]
Posted inEnvironment, Health
Air quality warnings have spiked in Kansas City. Here’s what it means for our health
At KC CARE Health Centers, more people of all ages have been coming in lately with symptoms associated with seasonal allergies — uncharacteristic for this time of year — and worsening symptoms of asthma. Sarah Dashwood, a physician with the center, said this concerning uptick has occurred within the last couple of weeks. The increase […]
Posted inHealth
PrEP Is a drug 99% effective at preventing HIV. Here’s how to get it in Kansas City
PrEP is said to be up to 99 percent effective in preventing the transfer of HIV from sex when taken correctly. It is also 70 percent effective in preventing infection through sharing needles.
Posted inHealth
CDC recommends new bivalent COVID boosters to prevent common omicron strain
The new boosters target the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the COVID-19 virus which are currently the most prevalent in the United States. Two versions of bivalent boosters are available: The Pfizer-BioNTech for people ages 12 years and older and Moderna for people ages 18 years and older.
Posted inHealth
Here’s how Kansas City spent $32 million in CARES Act money
In the first installment of a new series exploring how CARES Act funds flowed through the Kansas City area, The Beacon takes a look at relief money in Kansas City, Missouri.