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School Program Cuts Problem Behaviors In Fifth Graders In Half
A study by Oregon State University researchers suggests that school-based prevention programs begun in elementary school can significantly reduce problem behaviors in students.

Miami-Dade, Blue Cross Announce Low-Cost PPO Aimed At County's Uninsured
Florida"s Miami-Dade County and BlueCross BlueShield of Florida on Tuesday announced a new low-cost health plan, called Miami-Dade Blue, aimed at helping the estimated 600,000 uninsured county residents, the Miami Herald reports. The plan -- which costs taxpayers nothing -- is a traditional PPO, with no pre-approvals or referrals and will cost a healthy 35-year-old male about $100 per month. Miami-Dade Blue has a $250 deductible and will cover 90% of in-network hospital costs and 100% of fees for in-network lab tests after the deductible is met. The copayment for generic drugs is $10 per prescription; the plan will not offer coverage for brand-name prescriptions.The plan is being offered to individuals younger than age 65 and to small employers with up to 50 workers. Businesses will be guaranteed coverage if 70% of employees take part in the plan and the owner pays at least 50% of the premiums; however, individuals with costly pre-existing health conditions likely will be denied coverage. The plan has an annual out-of-pocket limit of $2,500 and a lifetime benefit of $5 million. About 1,500 physicians agreed to be part of the Miami-Dade Blue network, while 20 clinics and seven hospitals are in the plan"s network (Dorschner, Miami Herald, 5/27).
News of the day
University Of Rochester Medical Center Receives HANYS' 2009 Community Health Improvement Award
The Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) presented its 2009
Endocrinology

Certain Type Of Implanted Lenses May Be A Treatment Option For Some Patients With Nearsightedness

Implantable lenses made of a collagen-like substance appear to provide stable correction of moderate to high nearsightedness (myopia) over four years of follow-up, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) has gained widespread popularity as a safe and effective surgical method for the correction of myopia, but patients with high [severe] myopia or thin corneas face some restrictions in avoiding the risk of developing keratectasia [a weakening of the cornea]," the authors write as background information in the article. An implantable lens consisting of a biocompatible collagen copolymer was developed to overcome these disadvantages, and has been reportedly effective in correcting moderate to severe vision problems. The implantation procedure is largely reversible and the lens is interchangeable, unlike LASIK. However, complications such as the formation of cataracts, loss of cells lining the eye and glaucoma have been reported and are expected to increase with time. To assess the long-term clinical outcomes of the lens implantation, Kazutaka Kamiya, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Kitasato School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan, and colleagues evaluated 56 eyes of 34 patients who underwent implantation of the collagen copolymer lens. Routine post-operative examinations were conducted one, three and six months and one, two and four years later. At four years after surgery, 44 of the eyes (79 percent) were within 0.5 diopter (unit of measuring lens power) of the targeted correction and 52 (93 percent) were within one diopter. The authors suggest that collagen polymer lens implantation "results were good in all measures of safety, efficacy, predictability and stability for the correction of high myopia throughout the four-year follow-up," they write. "To our knowledge, this is the longest study to assess the refractive outcomes and adverse events" of the collagen copolymer lens implantation for myopia. "In addition, no vision-threatening complications occurred throughout the follow-up period," they conclude. The authors note that their findings suggest that collagen copolymer lens implantation "may be a good alternative for the treatment of moderate to high myopia. More prolonged careful observation for longer than four years is necessary to assess late-onset complications of this surgical technique." Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127[7]:845-850. Archives of Ophthalmology


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