News

Lawsuits against doctors decline

April 16, 2012

Ohio’s tort-reform law is having a dramatic impact on medical malpractice cases in the state, with closed claims dropping 41 percent between 2005 and 2010, and average payments declining 38 percent over that period.

Data show risk highest for new motorcycle riders

April 15, 2012

Jeff Foley got a motorcycle for his 40th birthday last year followed by the weekend training course that gave him a New York license. Within the first few months, the 450-pound, low-slung cruising bike fell over twice while he was riding.

Heart patients and doctors need data and registries, not temper tantrums

April 15, 2012

After seeking a retraction of Robert Hauser, MD’s paper that identified 22 deaths from the Riata lead in the Heart Rhythm Journal, St. Jude’s

Distracted Driving Report Claims Cell Phone Use Contributes to 24 Percent of All Crashes

April 13, 2012

A new report from the National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that 24 percent of all motor vehicle crashes involve cell phone use and outlines how advances in legislation, enforcement, technology, culture and corporate policies could help save lives and make the roads safer.

Doctors and patients should talk more, test less

April 11, 2012

When you visit the doctor, chances are you are given a prescription for a drug or an order for an X-ray or lab test.

Painkiller sales soar around US, fuel addiction

April 5, 2012

Sales of the nation's two most popular prescription painkillers have exploded in new parts of the country, an Associated Press analysis shows, worrying experts who say the push to relieve patients' suffering is spawning an addiction epidemic.

St. Jude Medical pulls two leads from market because of faulty insulation

April 5, 2012

The Minnesota device maker said that it had informed physicians that the problem affected several models of the QuickSite and QuickFlex Left Ventricle leads used in cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers and defibrillators. Physicians were told that about 3 percent to 4 percent of leads exhibited this defect...

NTSB Looking Into Kan. RV Crash That Killed 5

April 4, 2012

The National Transportation Safety Board says it will review details of a motor home crash in Kansas that killed five family members from Minnesota.

U.S. airlines: Safer than ever?

April 4, 2012

These days, stories about airline crew-member meltdowns and traffic controllers asleep on the job are enough to make even the bravest fliers clutch their armrests a little tighter. But despite these unusual incidents, the U.S. airline industry is enjoying one of the safest periods in its history.

Ohio Company’s Refusal to Protect Employees Results in Court Action

April 4, 2012

An Ohio judge has ordered Gray Container, a 55-gallon drum manufacturer, to discontinue its operations for repeatedly refusing to maintain workers’ compensation coverage. The injunction against Gray Container, requested by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), was filed to protect employees.

Pedestrian safety, park request made

April 3, 2012

City Council heard Monday from representatives of United Steelworkers who asked for help in making the crosswalk for workers at the Mountain State Carbon plant safer.

Injured worker’s depression not compensable because she did not return to work

April 2, 2012

Injured worker's depression not compensable because she did not return to work

COLUMBUS, Ohio - An Ohio woman who suffered depression because of her work-related injury can't receive temporary total disability benefits for her psychological condition because she didn't return to work, an Ohio appellate court ruled last week.

Bus inspections get lax oversight despite crashes

April 1, 2012

Months after their state-certified vehicle inspection station was cited by federal authorities for failing to notice defects in a bus that crashed in North Texas, killing 17 passengers, brothers Alam and Cesar Hernandez shuttered their firm. But that didn't mean they were out of the vehicle inspection business.

NTSB defends car call ban plan

March 28, 2012

Washington - The National Transportation Safety Board isn't backing down from a proposal to bar drivers from making even hands-free phone calls from behind the wheel.

Conference focuses on getting drivers to focus

March 27, 2012

WASHINGTON - A mega-conference on distracted driving with one goal in mind: Get drivers to pay full attention behind the wheel.

Lower death risk with heart bypass vs. angioplasty

March 27, 2012

Older patients with clogged heart arteries may have a little lower death risk over time if they get bypass operations instead of angioplasty and stents to fix the problem, new research suggests.

Elevating brain injury awareness throughout Ohio

March 24, 2012

BrainSong, located in Zanesville, has grown into a leading advocate for women who have been affected by traumatic brain injury. Founded by Micah Jones, who has been dealing with TBI since being struck by a drunk driver...

DePuy Phased Out Hip Implants Rather Than Provide FDA With Data On ASR Failure Rates

March 24, 2012

DePuy executives initially chose to phase out its ASR hip devices rather than issue a hip implant recall or provide the FDA with data after the agency denied approval because of high ASR failure rates.

MADD Father takes part in checkpoint

March 18, 2012

This year officers dedicated the Wilmington Pike checkpoint to 30-year-old Jason Presley, who was killed in 2004 when a drunk driver struck his motorcycle on U-S 42 in Xenia.

Disruptions: Time to Review F.A.A. Policy on Gadgets

March 18, 2012

IPads may have made their way into cockpits, but passengers have been barred from using them while the plane is taxiing, taking off or landing - a rule that federal regulators are taking a new look at.

3 people die in Ohio plane crash

August 10, 2011

A plane that took off from Sullivan County Airport crashes leaving three people dead.

According to Holmes County, Ohio Coroner Dr. Robert Anthony, Phillip Hatfield, 48, and Tracy Custer, 38, both perished in the crash. The third person has not yet been indentified, pending family notification.

Plane in Guyana Crash Slid off Runway

July 31, 2011

The Caribbean Airlines jetliner that broke apart Saturday after landing and sliding off a slick Guyana runway, without any fatalities, represents the type of accident international air-safety experts have been working the hardest to prevent in recent years.

Alaska Airlines replaces pilot manuals with iPads

June 9, 2011

LOS ANGELES — As part of his daily routine for the last 15 years, Alaska Airlines pilot Randy Kleiger hauled his 40-pound airline manuals onto his jet, using them to check everything from routing information and company policies to airport parking.

Crib bumpers present risk and little likely benefit, safety advocates say

April 25, 2011

Laura Maxwell researched crib bumpers online before she bought a bedding set that included them for her son, born in February 2010. She didn’t see any reports suggesting there might be safety issues, and she thought the bumpers were cute. In April, her husband, Kyle, found their healthy 7-week-old baby dead in his crib.

Pediatricians call for stricter laws for chemicals

April 25, 2011

The U.S. is not doing enough to protect kids from exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals, pediatricians said in a new statement released today.

Ohio moves to make drug companies report payments to doctors

March 6, 2011

A proposed law in Ohio would require pharmaceutical companies to report their gifts and payments to doctors, reports MedCity News. The bill would require drug companies to disclose annually to the state any “gift, fee, payment, subsidy, or other economic benefit” to licensed health care professionals, health care facilities, pharmacists, or health benefit plan administrators.

Speed of FDA approvals a starting point for new Congressional review

March 6, 2011

FDA officials should prepare themselves for more appearances ’ and a less welcoming audience ’ on Capitol Hill in the coming months as its record on approval times for medical devices comes under close scrutiny.

ODOT warns not to push snow on roadways

February 22, 2011

ODOT is issuing what has become an annual warning to residents living on state highways: Don't leave snow plowed from private driveways on the highways. "Not only is it not advisable to leave snow from your driveway in the middle of the highway, it is against the law," said Kirk Slusher, Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 deputy director. Ohio Revised Code 4511.74 prohibits the ....

Distracted drivers still a plague on roads despite ban

February 1, 2011

One year after B.C.'s distracted driving ban kicked in, there's little sign the threat of fines are helping drivers keep their eyes on the road and off their electronic gadgets.

FDA Rules that Allowed DePuy Hip Implants to Go Untested Remain in Place

January 26, 2011

In spite of the growing controversy surrounding the recently recalled DePuy hip implants and other faulty medical devices, last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discarded a proposal that would place stricter requirements on medical device makers to assure product safety.

Government Proposes Ban on Hand-Held Cell Phone Use by Truck, Bus Drivers

December 21, 2010

“Every time a commercial truck or bus driver takes his or her eyes off the road to use a cell phone, even for a few seconds, the driver places everyone around them at risk,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood ...

DePuy Hip Recall Comes After Long-Ignored Warnings from Surgeons

December 17, 2010

DePuy Orthopaedics, the company that recently initiated a widespread recall of two popular hip replacements, ignored early warnings from surgeons and hid negative information about the implants for years, according to a report recently published by the New York Times.

New Puzzle: Why Fewer are Killed in Car Crashes

December 15, 2010

The number of drivers involved in fatal accidents who were eating, talking on a phone or otherwise distracted rose 42% from 2005 to 2008. But that's just one way to read a new study of highway deaths.

How Hospitals Can Cut Medical Liability Costs

December 13, 2010

A greater commitment to patient safety drives lower liability expenses; the changes that reduce medical liability costs are cultural, not overtly financial, say the experts. "First and foremost, the CFO needs to be an ardent supporter of internal quality/safety initiatives,"

Hyundai And Kia Recall SUVs To Fix Rear Brakes.

December 12, 2010

Hyundai is recalling certain 2011 model-year Santa Fe sport-utility vehicles to correct a potential flaw in their rear brakes. The Korean car maker’s Kia unit is recalling some Sorento SUVs for a similar problem. The two vehicles are built on the same basic platform and have many parts in common.

View Archives