Thursday, March 25, 2004

Ziprasidone May Help Augment Antidepressant Treatment
Medscape Medical News story - "Augmentation treatment with ziprasidone may be helpful for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) not responding adequately to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), according to the results of an open-label trial published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry." "med"  
  

Report: Many Insured Americans May Lack Health Care
Reuters Health story at Yahoo - "An estimated 36 million Americans, many of whom are insured or eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, have no easy access to a doctor or other caregiver, according to a report released on Tuesday. These people are separate from the estimated 43 million Americans who lack any kind of health insurance to pay for their care, the National Association of Community Health Centers said in its report. .."  
  

Mental health compromise allows time (Nebraska)
Story in the Grand Island Independent - "The mental health reform compromise reached two days ago in the Legislature was a good thing for all involved. It allows the current facilities in Hastings and Norfolk to remain open until their patient population drops to 20 percent of capacity. Each community will be able to gradually determine solutions to housing patients with mental health issues. The debate raged for months after Gov. Mike Johanns announced his intention to close the facilities in Hastings and Norfolk. He preferred a system of community-based mental health facilities that would qualify for federal funding at a much larger level. While the governor announced early in his term that mental health care reform was his priority, both Hastings and Norfolk were shocked when he proposed the closing of state facilities in those communities. Such action would be a major blow to the economy and psyche in those areas. The compromise will give administrators time to properly place patients in a community facility that is appropriate for their level of care. It will allow the staff time to make arrangements to work elsewhere, hopefully in the community centers that the governor is proposing."