Laura Kelly

Complex gunshot wounds and high victim count test hospital preparedness in emergencies

Natural disasters, like Hurricane Harvey, and human-made ones, like the Las Vegas massacre, have long prompted hospitals to evaluate their preparedness and ability to handle hundreds of patients in a crisis.

October 2, 2017

Americans win Nobel medicine prize for circadian rhythm work

Three American scientists jointly won the Nobel Prize in medicine for their discoveries of how specific proteins regulate all aspects of the body during sleep and wake cycles, the Nobel Prize committee announced Monday.

October 2, 2017

D.C. DOH launches ‘Sex is …’ campaign for youth

There are black, purple and wooden dildos on the tabletops of Ben's Chili Bowl, the iconic D.C. eatery. At its H Street location on Thursday night, high school students excitedly demonstrate the proper way to apply a condom, racing each other to get the condom on, off and tied away.

September 29, 2017

Tom Price, HHS secretary: ‘I challenge you to spread the word and not spread the flu’

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price received a flu vaccine Thursday morning to promote getting vaccinated and shared new data of stagnating vaccination rates among most age groups.

September 28, 2017

STD rates reach record high in U.S.: CDC

Rates of sexually transmitted diseases reached a record high in 2016, according to just released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with experts saying the dramatic increases are due to cuts in sexual education, prevention measures and adequate interventions by physicians.

September 27, 2017

Opioid prescriptions for acute pain should last more than 7 days if needed: Study

A medical study is challenging the federal government's one-size-fits-all solution to stop the overprescribing of painkillers.

September 27, 2017

David Shulkin: VA will address high suicide rates in veteran population

While suicide rates rise across the general U.S. population, they are increasingly rising faster in the veteran population, Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Wednesday morning, speaking to a conference audience ahead of a Senate hearing to address preventive measures of suicide.

September 27, 2017

Concussions and teens: CTE study finds 20 percent have had brain injury

A new study by researchers from the University of Michigan found that around 20 percent of U.S. teenagers have reported having one or more concussions in their lifetime, a dangerous statistic as scientists try to fully understand the long-term effects of concussions and its impact on the developing brain.

September 26, 2017

Children influenced by gun violence on TV: Study

Children who watch gun violence on television are more likely than those who don't to pull the triggers on handguns, according to a new study exploring how the U.S. gun culture influences young people.

September 26, 2017

Warren Sapp wants to bring awareness to brain injuries in football

A few months ago, NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp left his home in Florida to drive to the office of a close friend for lunch — a trip he'd made a thousand times. But this time, he pulled the car over to the side of the road, unable to remember how to get there.

September 25, 2017

Erdogan supporters attack American protesters at Turkish event in NYC

Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan physically assaulted protesters at a rally in New York, in a striking resemblance to violent fighting that took place earlier this year when Mr. Erdogan's security team and supporters attacked peaceful protesters in D.C.

September 22, 2017

Recovery high school idea grows with substance use disorder

When John Edmonds was a teenager, a Maryland judge gave him an ultimatum: After racking up 16 felonies and struggling with addiction, he could either go to juvenile prison or a treatment program. He chose the latter and was sent to Phoenix High School, a public school in Montgomery County specifically tailored to keep at-risk youths sober and drug-free.

September 21, 2017

Death Wish coffee recalls product for potentially fatal bacteria contamination

A coffee company that markets itself as "the world's strongest coffee" for its caffeine content issued a recall notice for one of its products that is possibility contaminated with a potentially deadly poison.

September 21, 2017

CVS to follow federal guidelines for opioid prescriptions

CVS announced Thursday that their pharmacists will review opioid prescriptions that don't meet new federal guidelines, in addition to new and expanded initiatives the company has undertaken to counter the ongoing opioid epidemic.

September 21, 2017

Increase in drug-overdose deaths affect overall life-expectancy in U.S., report

While overall life-expectancy in the U.S. increased over a 15 year period, rising death rates from drug overdoses shortened any accomplished gains, according to new federal data released this week.

September 20, 2017

White House denies Trump apology to Erdogan over D.C. brawl

The White House denies claims that President Trump apologized in a phone call to Turkish President Recep Tayipp Erdogan over a violent brawl that involved Turkish security officers attacking peaceful protesters demonstrating against Mr. Erdogan's visit to D.C.

September 20, 2017

Florida naval hospital employees removed after posting inappropriate photos, video of newborns

Staff at a Navy hospital in Florida were removed from their positions after they posted on Facebook inappropriate photos and videos of them handling newborns, including making one baby dance to a hip-hop song and a photo of one staff member giving a newborn the middle finger and writing "mini Satans" in the caption.

September 20, 2017

Muriel Bowser unveils new health care plan for D.C.

Saying the availability and quality of health care are unevenly distributed across the city's richer and poorer neighborhoods, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Tuesday a new blueprint to address health inequity in the capital, based on a wide-ranging report detailing barriers to health care that are specific to resident demographics across the District's eight wards.

September 19, 2017

Karl Racine leads opioid investigation from multiple states

The D.C. attorney general announced on Monday that a multi-state coalition of attorneys has asked for documents and information from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids as part of an effort to hold companies accountable for the opioid epidemic.

September 19, 2017

More women than men lose interest in sex over time, U.K. study says

Twice the amount of women compared to men report losing interest in sex, especially if they have been in a relationship greater than one year and have lost interest in or preference for their partner, according to a new study published Friday in the British Medical Journal.

September 15, 2017