A blog about News, Health & Wellness, and Family & Home.
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The Pulse
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April 08, 2006
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April 23, 2009
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Previous Posts
When a trip to urgent care brings a visit from CPS
New ratings released for health plans, providers
My last B.com blog post: Thanks for everything!
Ombudsman: Budget cuts hurt long-term care
Kern's longstanding battle with the mosquito
Read the complaint filed against Dr. Freesemann, others
Tips to avoid hospital, school infections
BPD: Drug cache found in Dr. Freesemann's home, motor home
The budget dust settles: How did health programs fare?
Prominent doctor arrested in drug investigation
Archives
August 06
September 06
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January 08
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January 09
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November 09
For more information

Here's some sites I find useful and interesting:
World Health Organization
National Institutes of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Healthfinder
Medicare
PubMed
Kaiser Family Foundation
Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
Knight Science Journalism Tracker
Health Hippo
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
California Department of Health Services
Medical Board of California
Kern County Health Department
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
Mercy Hospital
San Joaquin Community Hospital
Kern Medical Center
Bakersfield Heart Hospital
Clinica Sierra Vista
Network of Care — Kern County — Mental Health
Stateline.org — Health Care
CNN — Health
MSNBC — Health

Some fun blogs I like, some health and some random:
Weighed Down
Bake Town, CA
Kevin Staker's blog on Medi-Cal Planning and Nursing Home Care in California
The Chicago Tribune's Julie's Health Club
The Detroit News' Health and Fitness blog
The Detroit News' Breast Monologues
The Orlando Sentinel's Healthy Living blog
Schwitzer health news blog
Over my med body!
The Wall Street Journal's health blog
The Health Care Blog
Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog
The Rural Blog

Got a blog or link to add to this list? Please let me know at ehagedorn@bakersfield.com.

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The complaint filed against Dr. Jeff Freesemann and the others charged in the investigation of drugs at local nightclubs was sparse but offered a few clues. From Aug. 24 through Aug. 26, Tessa Galvan, Stephen Galvan, Phil Nunez, Dr. Freesemann and Shelly Freesemann conspired together to transport/sell controlled substances and possess a controlled substance for sale, according to the complaint. On Aug. 24, Mr. Galvan tells his sister, Ms. Galvan, he needs to buy meth. On Aug. 25, Mrs....
Posted in these Groups: Health & Wellness, News
Topics: health, law, courts, Freesemann, police, drugs, crime, Galvan
posted by ThePulse on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 12:46 PM
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In a tearful press conference last week, a few people affected by hospital infections thanked the governor for signing bills that will, hopefully, limit the infections' spread. (Read "Widow thanks governor for bill to curb health care infections" on Bakersfield.com) Senate Bill 158, which was sponsored by Sen. Dean Florez, requires health facilities to develop a patient safety plan and train staff on infection control measures. The bill requires the state Department of Public...
Posted in the Health & Wellness interest group.
Topics: health, medicine, hospitals, MRSA, infections, bacteria, Dean Florez, arnold schwarzenegger, legislature
posted by ThePulse on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 11:30 AM
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The district attorney's office expects files to be charged Friday against Dr. Jeff Freesemann and his wife Shelly. The couple, along with five other people, were arrested Sept. 17 after a nearly yearlong investigation by the police into the sale of Ecstasy, meth and cocaine at local nightclubs. (Read "Doctor and wife to be charged Friday in drug case" on Bakersfield.com and in tomorrow's Californian.) Documents related to the case are attached to this post. The warrant filings...
Posted in these Groups: Health & Wellness, News
Topics: health, Dr. Jeff Freesemann, drugs, bakersfield police, Highgrove Medical Center, police, crime
posted by ThePulse on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 06:54 PM
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the tardiest state budget ever today. The $144.5 billion spending plan did see some line-item vetoes from the governor, including cuts to a program that lowered prescription drug prices for low-income residents. (Read "Schwarzenegger signs Calif. budget 85 days late" on Bakersfield.com.) The Department of Health and Human Services was hit hard by the governor's vetoes, reducing the department's budget by $153 million. It was the third hardest...
Posted in these Groups: Health & Wellness, News, Politics
Topics: health, Politics, Schwarzenegger, sacramento, state budget, Medi-Cal, public health
posted by ThePulse on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 08:13 PM
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Prominent physician Dr. Jeff Freesemann and his wife were among several people arrested after a nearly year-long drug investigation by Bakersfield Police. He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, possession of drugs for sale and transportation of drugs. (Read "Prominent doctor, six other arrested after long drug investigation" on Bakersfield.com and in tomorrow's Californian.) Freesemann, an internal medicine physician, is chief of staff at San Joaquin Community Hospital,...
Posted in these Groups: Health & Wellness, News
Topics: health, bakersfield, San Joaquin Community Hospital, Highgrove Medical Center, Dr. Jeff Freesemann
posted by ThePulse on Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 12:09 PM
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To curb heavy drinking, the Department of Health in England has identified nine types of heavy drinkers. The hope is that by helping people understand their urges, they can learn to control them, according to the BBC. "Heavy drinking" is defined as consuming 35 units a week for women, 50 for men.  Alcoholism can cause brain degeneration, cancer, liver disease, heart damage, depression and memory loss, just to name a few. The nine groups are below. Does this cover it? Are...
Posted in these Groups: Food & Eating, Health & Wellness
Topics: health, alcohol, Alcoholism, cancer, liver disease, depression
posted by ThePulse on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 02:51 PM
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Could the longest budget stalemate in California history almost be over? Here are the key health components of the latest budget compromise. The 10 percent cuts to Medi-Cal provider rates would remain until March 2009. Healthy Families premiums would increase. Supplemental Security Income cost-of-living increases to the elderly, blind and disabled would be eliminated. Funding for construction of seven new prison medical facilities and renovations at existing facilities...
Posted in these Groups: Health & Wellness, News, Politics
Topics: health, Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, budget, sacramento, funding, Politics, legislature
posted by ThePulse on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at 11:54 AM
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Location: 910 Grace St., Bakersfield, CA

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Hoping to encourage residents to take part in the Bakersfield AIDS Project's AIDS Walk in October, the nonprofit released some of its costs to demonstrate the help that is needed. If 30 to 60 people pledge $500 to $1,000, the services will be paid for, said director Audrey Chavez, via e-mail. Housing up to six people at one time at Ricky's Retreat, which is also the organization's headquarters, annually costs: RENT: $800 per month = $9,600 UTILITIES: $100 per resident per month...
Posted in these Groups: Health & Wellness, Kern County, Northeast
Topics: health, AIDS, Bakersfield AIDS Project, fundraiser, AIDS Walk, northeast Bakersfield
posted by ThePulse on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 04:20 PM
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I spent an hour yesterday watching two groups debate Proposition 4, a measure on November’s ballot requiring parental notification for pregnant minors seeking abortions. On one side: Camilla Chavez, executive director of the Dolores Huerta Foundation; Patsy Montgomery, public affairs director of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, and Brenda DeMonge, a mental health therapist. They represented the Campaign for Teen Safety: Vote No on 4. And on the other: Catherine Short, co-author of the...
Posted in these Groups: Family & Home, Health & Wellness, Politics
Topics: health, abortion, Family, Proposition 4, Politics, election
posted by ThePulse on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 06:09 PM
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Breasts can be very polarizing — even when it has to do with breastfeeding, a natural practice. Remember the dust-up over the 2006 Babytalk magazine cover that showed a baby nursing? "In this country, breasts are highly sexualized, and people sort of forget they’re there to feed our species," said Karen Farley, program manager of the Californian WIC Association. A new study by Farley's organization and the University of California-Davis Human Lactation Center ranked...
Posted in these Groups: Family & Home, Health & Wellness
Topics: health, children, Family, parents, babies, mothers, women, breast-feeding
posted by ThePulse on Thursday, September 4, 2008 at 04:47 PM
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First, a trailer was stolen from Houchin Blood Bank in May. And now, the local chapter of the Red Cross is suffering after thieves took $1,300 worth of diapers, toiletry kits, flashlights, water, chairs and cots from two trailers Friday night. (Read "Low blow: Supplies stolen from Red Cross" in today's Californian.) What's next? Swiping an elderly person's cane? Pilfering toys from Toys for Tots? "Who knows why they took it?" Kern Red Cross CEO Lorraine Castro asked...
Posted in these Groups: Health & Wellness, News, Kern County
Topics: health, Red Cross, crime, disaster, Kern County, DONATIONS
posted by ThePulse on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 03:07 PM
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