Health

Pierce County judge outlaws 'parking' mentally ill

TACOMA — A judge in Tacoma has ruled the practice of temporarily "parking" the mentally ill in hospital emergency rooms without treatment violates state and federal law.

Decision time for Portland fluoridation

PORTLAND — Procrastinators dropped off their ballots Tuesday as Portlanders decided for the first time in more than 30 years whether to add fluoride to their drinking water.

Staying fit cuts risk of cancer death

Study focused on middle-aged men

Middle-aged men who stayed fit were less likely to die from three common cancers after being diagnosed than those who were out of shape, research found.

Back on the bike: I've become a dedicated cyclist because my life depends on it

Nearing the end of chemotherapy for breast cancer, I peppered my oncologist with questions about how to prevent a recurrence. Should I avoid soy products? Processed foods? What about alcohol? I'd been surfing the Web looking for information.

Adventist Health pays $2.38M for Fisher's Landing building

Adventist Health has purchased the Fisher's Landing Medical Building at 417 S.E. 164th Ave. for $2.38 million, according to commercial brokerage firm NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpson. Adventist Health has occupied the 10,550 square foot building since August 2011, when it signed a lease with a purchase option.

Free Clinic of Southwest Washington hires new director

The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington has hired a new clinic director.

Dermatologists urge people to learn the ABCDEs of skin cancer

They want them to know when a 'mole' might pose a threat to health

Every year, millions of Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer.

Researchers develop dye to identify brain tumors

Researchers at Georgia Tech and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta have developed new technology that will help doctors tell tumors from brain matter during surgery.

Can a supplement reverse graying?

During her post-divorce reinvention, Judy Allor decided to do something about the gray hair that had been coming in at her temples and around her ears since her early 50s. Highlights didn't seem to take -- so when Allor saw an advertisement in SkyMall magazine for a nutritional supplement that promised to stop the gray, she put in an order.

Preemies get a boost from live music therapy

Vibrations, rhythms may help babies adapt to life outside womb

CHICAGO — As the guitarist strums and softly sings a lullaby in Spanish, tiny Augustin Morales stops squirming in his hospital crib and closes his eyes.

CDC: Feces contaminates 58% of public pools

WASHINGTON — Human feces taints more than half of public swimming pools, a finding U.S. health officials are using to urge better personal hygiene as the summer months approach.

Jolie joins celebrity disease-prevention advocates

Rachel LubitzIn a personal essay published in the Tuesday New York Times, actress Angelina Jolie announced that from February until April of this year, she underwent a preventative double mastectomy. In a piece entitled "My Medical Choice," Jolie reveals her reasoning was that she carries an inherited cancer gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases the chances of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Jolie's mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer in 2007.

Spring clean your refrigerator for a healthier you

I use every opportunity I can to exercise, and if you are anything like me, you're in the midst of "Spring Cleaning Fever."

What hospitals charge can vary greatly

Complicated pricing systems and various market factors affect the price tag of a procedure from site to site

The price tag for a spinal fusion surgery can range from $50,000 at one hospital to $71,000 at another — and that's just in Vancouver.

How should U.S. cut the salt?

New report questions benefits of dramatically lowering consumption

WASHINGTON — A surprising new report questions efforts to get Americans to sharply cut back on salt, saying getting to super-low levels may not be worth the struggle.