Paging Patrick O'Positive
Hello everyone,
St. Patrick’s day turns out to be a good opportunity to address the need for blood donations – well perhaps not the actual day. Plus, the Change Healthcare cyberattack, a new screening for colon cancer, it’s looking more like a healthcare election, and some healthy ways to enjoy the feast of Saint Patrick.
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Submitted by Noah
Mississippi Blood Services (MBS) partnered with Blue Bell Creameries for MBS’ annual St. Patrick’s Day blood drive. For this year’s “Pint for a Pint” blood drive, which ran from March 11th-15th, donors received a pint of Blue Bell ice cream, as well as a limited-edition St. Patrick’s Day T-shirt. Blood donation remains extraordinarily important in 2024; One pint of blood can save three lives. Further, according to the Red Cross, every two seconds there’s someone in the United States who needs blood and/or platelets. If you’re outside Mississippi and want to contribute, learn more about how/where you can donate blood via this link.
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Submitted by Megan
It was a white T-shirt bearing the likeness of Snoopy wearing shades and leaning effortlessly against the iconic American Red Cross logo that prompted a surge in blood donations in the spring of 2023.
“Be cool. Give blood,” the shirt urged. The message — on young people, anyway — was effective. More than 70,000 people under age 35 responded to the call, rolling up their sleeves and giving blood in exchange for the coveted tees.
The need for blood is urgent. Over the holidays, the Red Cross had 7,000 fewer units of blood available than were needed by hospitals, said Dr. Eric Gehrie, the executive medical director of the American Red Cross. The organization speculated it would need about 8,000 additional donations every week in January to ensure that hospitals are fully supplied, he added.
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Submitted by Rachel
The first blood test to screen for colorectal cancer could be approved this year — raising the potential to drastically increase the number of people diagnosed with the second-highest cause of cancer death in the United States. The test would not replace the gold-standard colonoscopy, experts said, but could boost the dismal rate of colorectal screenings with a less invasive and perhaps more palatable way to detect colon cancer.
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New research found that a blood test called Shield from California-based Guardant Health was, overall, 83% effective in finding colorectal cancers. However, the Shield test was much less effective in detecting the earliest signs of colorectal cancer, when it’s most treatable. The test only found 13% percent of earlier stage polyps.
If approved, the blood test would be given every three years, starting at age 45. People with symptoms of colon cancer, such as rectal bleeding, or a family history of the disease, would still need a colonoscopy.
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Submitted by Julie
Did you know … eating “green” for St. Patrick’s Day can actually be good for you? Scientists have long known that the more diverse your diet, the more diverse your gut microbiome. And a diverse gut microbiome = good for you! Got good gut health? You’ve likely got good overall health. Got low diversity in your gut biome? You may be more likely to experience obesity, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other chronic diseases. One of the best ways to up your diet diversity is to bump-up your greens and related veggies. WaPo shared ideas for broccoli and beyond… but since their recipes are behind a paywall, let’s dig into a few options from the chefs at FoodNetwork instead.
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Submitted by Chris M.
On St. Patrick’s Day the drink of choice is usually a green beer. But if you’re not so much a drinker, pregnant, and/or on a diet, there is still ways to get in the holiday spirit. Forks Over Knives highlights 40 plant-based recipes so you can still get your “greens.”
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Submitted by Pete
This seems to have received fairly low coverage in mainstream media, despite the significant impact it’s had on our healthcare system. Fierce Healthcare has published a detailed timeline and also recapped the tensions between providers and payers that have been escalated as a result. My favorite TikTok doc did a skit about it, but recently just posted a somber perspective that’s worth a watch. All of this could lead one to question the continuing consolidation of various aspects of the healthcare industry by large organizations such as UnitedHealthcare.
While it may not be the issue, it seems like healthcare will definitely be an issue in this year’s presidential election. Everything form comments suggesting cuts to Medicare and Social Security, proposed expansion of ACA coverage for postpartum women and for children, debate surrounding in vitro fertilization, states passing healthcare legislation that potentially running afoul of federal rules, and of course the above cyberattack are highlighting divides between the two candidates and their parties.
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March 15, 2024 | 6.10