Olga Pierce

Study: Medical Mistakes 3rd Leading Cause Of Death In United States

If not for flawed tracking, medical mistakes would be the third-leading cause of death, researchers at Johns Hopkins say.

Olga Pierce
Marshall Allen
By Olga Pierce
And Marshall Allen
A patient lays in a hospital bed in Kansas City, Mo. (Photo by Tim Samoff via Flikr)

A study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine says medical errors should rank as the third-leading cause of death in the United States — and highlights how shortcomings in tracking vital statistics may hinder research and keep the problem out of the public eye. The authors, led by Johns Hopkins surgeon Dr. Marty Makary, call for changes in

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Are High-Volume Dental Chains Exploiting Kids On Medicaid?

David Heath of the Center for Public Integrity recently investigated a new breed of corporate dental care chains that cater to low-income adults and children. Heath collaborated with Jill Rosenbaum of PBS FRONTLINE on “Dollars and Dentists.” They found a high-volume business model that scored dentists on production and offered bonuses based on the revenue they brought […]

Olga Pierce
By Olga Pierce
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Kimberly Edwards, from Louisville, Ky., cleans the teeth of a patient. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian A. Goyak/Released)

David Heath of the Center for Public Integrity recently investigated a new breed of corporate dental care chains that cater to low-income adults and children. Heath collaborated with Jill Rosenbaum of PBS FRONTLINE on “Dollars and Dentists.” They found a high-volume business model that scored dentists on production and offered bonuses based on the

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Could The Supreme Court’s Health Care Ruling Kill Patient Safety Reforms?

By Olga Pierce and Marshall Allen In all the talk about the Supreme Court’s impending health care reform ruling, one question is often overlooked: What might happen to the many patient safety and quality of care provisions sprinkled through the Affordable Care Act? They include a new Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, more reporting of infections, […]

Olga Pierce
By Olga Pierce
Supporters of health care reform rally in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 28, 2012, on the final day of arguments regarding the health care law signed by President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

By Olga Pierce and Marshall Allen In all the talk about the Supreme Court’s impending health care reform ruling, one question is often overlooked: What might happen to the many patient safety and quality of care provisions sprinkled through the Affordable Care Act? They include a new Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, more

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