Month: April 2011

In interviews with mental health advocates and county and state officials, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism found that Wisconsin’s public mental health system — once viewed as a national model — has become fragmented and underfunded. And many experts fear that as Gov. Scott Walker moves to close the state’s budget deficit, the mental health system will be further weakened (WISCNSIN WATCH, 4/4)

Walker's administration wants to alter Medicaid benefits, eligibility, cost sharing and service delivery for many of the state's 1.2 million recipients. Without approval, the Republican governor says lawmakers should be ready to cut coverage for 70,000 low-income adults who are not pregnant or disabled from BadgerCare+, the assistance program for the state's Medicaid recipients. (GREEN BAY PRESS GAZETTE, 4/4)

As an epidemic of narcotic painkiller abuse raged across America in 2006, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authored a critical study linking deaths from those drugs to an increase of up to 500% in the number of prescriptions written. In that same medical journal, two researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health took exception with those conclusions and warned against increasing regulation of the drugs. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/4)

Two U.S. senators have called for better oversight of medical-product manufacturing following product recalls at Triad Group in Hartland. In a letter to the Food & Drug Administration, Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said they were particularly concerned that the FDA was aware of manufacturing sterility and contamination problems at Triad Group as early as July 2009, yet nothing was done to protect the public until late 2010. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/1)

The just-released 2011 County Health Rankings show that among Wisconsin's 72 counties, Milwaukee County ranks 69th (fourth-worst) for health outcomes - such as premature death and poor physical or mental health. If it were its own county, the city of Milwaukee would rank even lower. The rankings also show Milwaukee County ranks poorly in four groups of factors that have been proven to play a critical role in shaping health: access to quality health care (35th), physical environment (57th), health behaviors (64th) and socioeconomic factors (71st). (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/1)

The Department of Health Services (DHS) announced Thursday (March 31) that environmental monitoring performed by the Division of Public Health has detected trace amounts of iodine-131 in precipitation and air samples taken from sites around the state. Iodine-131 is not naturally occurring and is one of the radioactive isotopes attributed to the Japanese reactor accidents. The levels detected are far below levels of public health concern and similar to results seen from other states. (NEW RICHMOND NEWS, 4/1)