Here’s what’s happening in health care in Rhode Island, including opposition to a proposed power plant, an Alzheimers study, fewer deer ticks, and remembering overdose victims.

  • POWER PLANT: Sen. Paul W. Fogarty and Rep. Cale P. Keable call on the Rhode Island Dept. of Health to address their concerns, according to a letter sent to RIDOH, “over the proposed Invenergy Burrillville projects’ adverse effects on the public’s health. These concerns include: potential impacts on the quality of drinking water, daytime and nighttime noise levels, emissions of chemical compounds and particulates especially for those suffering from or who may develop asthma, associated with the construction and operation of the Invenergy facility.”

     

  • MERGER: Southcoast Health and Care New England made their first regulatory filing in Massachusetts for a proposed affiliation. There are several more regulatory hurdles to clear before the health care organizations can join up.

  • ALZHEIMERS:

    o   Study: Butler Hospital in Providence, RI is recruiting participants who are at particularly high risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease because of their genetic background for an Alzheimer’s prevention study. According to the organizers’ press release, “The five-year Generation Study, part of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative, will involve more than 1,300 healthy older adults, ages 60 to 75, who are at high risk of developing symptoms of Alzheimer’s because they inherited two copies of the e4 type of the apolipoprotein (APOE) gene, the major genetic risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease at older ages. This will be the first study to incorporate genetic testing and counseling into the screening process. Butler Hospital is one of the approximately 90 sites in North America, Europe and Australia participating in the Generation Study.” For more information, contact the Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital. 

    o  Workshop: The Alzheimer’s Association, Rhode Island Chapter, invites families, caregivers, and friends of people with Alzheimers to a four part series to learn and prepare for dealing with the disease. The workshop is free but registration is required. To reserve a seat, call the Alzheimer’s Association at 1-800-272-3900. 

  • LAYOFFS: RI’s Dept. of Human Services laid off 70 employees in conjunction with the launch of their new online eligibility system. The system will allow Rhode Islanders to apply for benefits like food stamps, cash assistance, Medicaid, and child care assistance all in one place. Previously, people had to apply in person for each program, often at different offices, filling in some of the same paperwork over and over again. The new system required a reorganization of staff. Many of the affected employees will be able to apply for similar positions in other state agencies, like the Dept. of Children, Youth, and Families.

     

  • WESTERLY HOSPITAL: State officials (the Rhode Island Health Services Council) are recommending that the application of Yale New Haven Health Services to acquire Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, which owns Westerly Hospital, be approved. 

     

  • INSURER FINANCES: Ted Nesi reports for WPRI that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of RI has lost nearly $52M so far in 2016. 

     

  • TICKS: The ongoing drought in New England has an upside: fewer deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, reports the New Hampshire Register.

     

  • OPIOID TOOLKIT: The American Medical Association is teaming up with Rhode Island to create a toolkit for doctors who prescribe opioids or have patients who may be addicted to these substances. The doctors’ association chose Rhode Island, officials say, because of the state’s robust efforts to fight addiction and overdose. 

     

  • OVERDOSE: International overdose awareness day is August 31st.. To mark it, organizers will hold a memorial for those lost to drug overdoses in front of the Providence Place Mall Cinema at 7 pm, followed by a 7:30 pm screening of the film “Generation Found,” a documentary “exploring youth recovery efforts in Houston, Texas and features Recovery High Schools like the Anchor Learning Academy in Providence.”  Tickets can be purchased here.