UPDATE: ResolutionCare has launched its education portion, Project ECHO, in a nine-month pilot program, also in conjunction with Partnership HealthPlan of California. Project ECHO uses a hub and spoke model to ” demonopolizes the scarce resource of a palliative care team,” according to a press release (see the illustration below, and read more about it here.) […]
Health
Posted inNews
The Faces of Obamacare, A Year Later
Back in March, when we first reported on the Affordable Care Act’s impacts on several individuals and providers in Humboldt County, we came away with a mixed picture of relief and frustration (“Faces of Obamacare,” March 6, 2014). Some folks were able to get health insurance after being previously denied or unable to afford it, […]
Posted inNews
UPDATE: A Resolve for End of Life Care
Resolution Care sailed past its crowdfunding goal, and stands at more than $105,000. The funds should allow Resolution Care to build the infrastructure and hire necessary staff to begin the initiative. Previously: Dr. Michael Fratkin’s Resolution Care initiative, featured on the coverof the Nov. 6 Journal, recently got a touching radio segment on KQED’s California […]
Posted inNews
Jog On
Jogging’s good for you, it turns out. A recent study co-conducted by Humboldt State University researchers shows that people older than 65 who regularly jogged were “less likely to experience age-related physical decline in walking efficiency than those who simply walked.” The study, published online last month, found that seniors who jog for at least […]
Posted inNews
Gets in Your Eyes, Lungs
Every summer it’s the same, it seems: The woods burn, and the smoke settles in heavily over our inland communities. This season, so far, it’s the Happy Camp and July forest fire complexes, and the Oregon fire in Weaverville, clogging skies and lungs — and the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District has been […]
Posted inNews
The Shortest Distance Between Two Points…
A pair of Arcata streets is slated for improvements over the next several months — a move the city hopes will encourage cyclists to access the city’s busy downtown. T he plan is relatively straightforward, excepting one lopsided detour. The so-called bike boulevard will stretch east-west along the length of 10th Street (including the one […]
Posted inNews
How Green is Humboldt?
As the world readies to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, it seems a fitting time to take a good, hard look in the mirror. Yes, Humboldt County, home to towering redwood trees, flowing rivers and a magnificent coastline, was green before it was cool. It’s a place where folks outfitted their homes with solar […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Snake Oil
Cannabis cures cancer. So goes the viral claim, which like most Internet-borne beliefs, is misguided, unfounded and potentially dangerous; and fueled by hope, desperation and frustration. There’s no shortage of “evidence” online. Glossy websites like www.cureyourowncancer.org offer competent-sounding (look, big words!) solutions while sites like Alternet and YouTube offer an anti-mainstream-media forum for testimonials. Before […]
Posted inEat + Drink
It’s Alive and Growing
The row of jewel-colored shots lined up on the bar in front of me reminds me of sour candies when I first see and smell them. My array of infused beverages includes lavender lemon, turmeric ginger, tangy blueberry and a Mary flavor with hints of hot peppers, garlic, thyme and fenugreek. It’s accompanied by locally […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Cancer: Evolution While-You-Wait
Every second, some 4 million cells in each of our bodies clone themselves by copying their DNA into two new cells, each virtually identical to its parent. The process isn’t perfect, and occasionally a mutation occurs — if the process were perfect, we’d never have gotten beyond the original cell that kick-started life on Earth. […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Just Good Friends
Hey McGuinty! I have a friend who is overweight and smokes constantly. I worry about this friend’s health, but can’t think of a way to express my concern without coming across as judgmental or patronizing. We both operate under a certain live-and-let live philosophy, so it would feel like a violation of some sort of […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Teenage Wasteland
A growing number of studies indicate that marijuana is, like, really bad for the developing teenage brain, according to a recent NPR report. At a point when the brain is streamlining — honing its ability to think critically, make judgments and remember stuff — marijuana use is hindering development. This is not just problematic for grades and […]