Health

Nevada Medical Board, just whom do you serve?: Monday, May 20, 2013; J. Patrick Coolican:; By J. Patrick Coolican; Earlier this year I wrote about Dr. Sean Steele, an internist who was accused of a brutal sexual assault after a night of drinking in Las Vegas. Here's the latest from California, which revoked his license, and what's happening (nothing) in Nevada.

IRS scandal reopens rift over Obamacare; Nevada lawmakers entangled: Sunday, May 19, 2013; Politics:; By Karoun Demirjian; Congress was supposed to be done arguing over repeals of the Affordable Care Act, but the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative groups has reopened a partisan rift.

Children find rabid bat in North Las Vegas: Friday, May 17, 2013; By Ed Komenda; At least two rabid bats have been found in the Las Vegas Valley this year, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

Nevada kindergartners' access to health care, insurance lacking, UNLV survey finds: Thursday, May 16, 2013; By Paul Takahashi; More Nevada children are entering kindergarten without health insurance and face greater barriers to health care access, according to an UNLV report released Thursday.

Wind could bring blowing dust, smoke from California fire: Thursday, May 16, 2013; By Dave Toplikar; High southwesterly winds gusting up to 45 mph are expected in the Las Vegas area today, creating the potential for wildfires and blowing dust and smoke.

Why will consumers outside insurance exchange pay fees?: Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Health Care: Silver State Insurance Exchange clarifies issue after Senate committee is left with questions; By Cy Ryan; Due to confusion about fees charged in the federal Affordable Care Act, the Silver State Insurance Exchange has issued a clarifying statement on the issue.

Nevada cutting wellness insurance plan for government employees: Tuesday, May 14, 2013; By Cy Ryan; Public employees enrolled in a state wellness insurance plan designed to keep participants healthy are going to be hit with a big increase in premiums in 2015.

Question remains: How much does it really cost to go to the hospital?: Sunday, May 12, 2013; Health Care:; By Karoun Demirjian; Southern Nevada got its first peek at the cost of health care in hospitals last week, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released an enormous data trove detailing how much hospitals across the country charge the government for similar services. But the view has raised more questions.

What local hospitals charge for their 10 most common procedures: Sunday, May 12, 2013; Health Care:; By Conor Shine; Prices for the same type of treatment — whether for kidney failure or a knee replacement — can vary wildly depending on the hospital you choose, often differing by tens of thousands of dollars, according to data released earlier this week by the federal government. The Medicare data, released Wednesday, covers the average charge for the most common types of procedures at 3,300 hospitals nationwide, including 13 in the Las Vegas Valley.

The gift of the dolphins: Foundation gives children with terminal illnesses a reason to smile: Saturday, May 11, 2013; By Brian Nordli; Marixa Cota held her son Joshua as they walked with other families through the palm-tree-lined confines of Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage Saturday. They marveled at splashing dolphins, sleeping lions and a pacing shadow leopard. Joshua acted like any 2-year-old would.

Assembly committee urged to keep cost down for cancer pills: Friday, May 10, 2013; By Cy Ryan; A woman who contracted cancer in 2008 told an Assembly committee Friday she and her husband may have to sell their home to afford the pills that treat the disease. She and others told of the hardships faced by the high cost of these pills and urged the committee to pass a bill that requires insurance companies that offer cancer coverage to limit the co-payment to $100 per prescription.

Feds cite failures in Rawson-Neal hospital's patient-discharge procedures: Wednesday, May 8, 2013; By Cy Ryan; A federal inspection says the Rawson-Neal mental hospital in Las Vegas failed to provide safe plans for patients for further services and shelter when they are discharged and placed on a bus to another state.

Court document details alleged neglect that led to 12-year-old's death in 2012: Wednesday, May 8, 2013; By William D'Urso, John Taylor; A biological mother’s suspicions about her 12-year-old son’s death a year ago triggered an investigation that last month resulted in the boy’s stepmother being charged with murder. Kalinda W. Mercado was charged April 19 in Las Vegas Justice Court with murder in the Feb. 4, 2012, death of Emmanuel Mercado.

Nevada psych hospital workers tell of pressure to move patients out: Tuesday, May 7, 2013; MENTAL HEALTH:; By Cynthia Hubert and Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee; During his graveyard shift at Nevada's primary state psychiatric hospital, Gilbert Degala regularly walked patients outside and watched them climb into taxis bound for the Greyhound bus station.

Jury seated, opening arguments begin in Las Vegas hepatitis C trial: Monday, May 6, 2013; By Ken Ritter, Associated Press; A former endoscopy clinic owner and an employee were responsible for a Las Vegas hepatitis C outbreak that sickened at least seven people and killed one, prosecutors told a Nevada state court jury Monday.