U.S. states that adopted the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion in January 2014 have earlier colon cancer diagnoses, enhanced access to care, and improved colon cancer surgical care than states that didn’t implement the expansion, researchers reported in Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Additionally, patients in the expansion states were more likely to have minimally invasive procedures and fewer urgent surgeries.

Every patient deserves equal access to health care. Yet 68% of patients have at least one social determinant of health that serves as a barrier to care.

At the center of the President Lyndon B. Johnson’s great society was Medicare, a federal program designed as a partial safety net primarily for America’s older adults. It was signed into law on July 30, 1965. Controversial at the time, it is now sacrosanct and often referred to as the “third rail of politics”: touch it and die.

Writing images from one’s memory and imagination can be a healing act. According to a recent study on expressive writing and patients with cancer, some individuals may benefit from participating in expressive writing as part of their supportive cancer treatment. The writing act can be a form of healing for patients struggling with their cancer diagnoses.  

I have the privilege of managing and being the sole provider in a unique program. I work in the Hereditary Cancer Program at Saint Louis University Cancer Center, where I provide risk assessment services and education about genetic testing to individuals and families in the region. It’s an amazing nursing role, and I can truly help people prevent cancer and manage their risk.

Every nurse has been in a situation where he or she is staring at a discharge document, thinking, “This patient will need an immense amount of outside support to adhere to this treatment plan.”

In a move designed to improve the provision of health care, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $8.8 million in awards to be given to community health centers across the United States. The goal is to increase patient-centered care and improve the quality of services for more Americans.