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Florida Newspaper Examines Impact Of HIV/AIDS On Black Community
Polk County, Fla., health officials have made educating the black community a top priority in addressing HIV/AIDS in the state, where blacks are disproportionately affected by the virus, the Lakeland Ledger reports. The Polk County Health Department has expanded its community outreach and testing efforts to different types of settings such as beauty salons, community centers and churches. County outreach workers hope that offering education and screening in such settings will encourage residents to get informed and tested for HIV (Williams Adams [1], Lakeland Ledger, 6/24). In addition, the Ledger examined the complex issues the black community faces with regard to HIV/AIDS and the barriers that need be addressed to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on minorities (Williams Adams, Lakeland Ledger, 6/25). The Ledger also profiled Bonnie Munson, a local resident who performs volunteer outreach efforts in her community, including distributing condoms and informational material to other residents (Williams Adams [2], Lakeland Ledger, 6/24).

Cegedim Dendrite Launches Innovative COUNTERxFEIT DETECT Program
Cegedim Dendrite announced the launch of COUNTERxFEIT DETECT, a new offering that will assist pharmaceutical companies in identifying counterfeit product and determining where it entered their United States supply chains. Cegedim Dendrite is the leading provider of compliance technology solutions and services in the pharmaceutical industry.
News of the day
FDA Approve One-Pill Version Of Plan B, Sets Over-The-Counter Access At Age 17
FDA approved Teva Pharmaceuticals" Plan B One-Step -- a single-pill version of the two-pill dose emergency contraceptive product Plan B -- and lowered the limit for over-the-counter purchase of the drug to age 17, the company announced on Monday, the AP/Yahoo! Finance reports (AP/Yahoo! Finance, 7/13). Individuals ages 16 and younger will be required to obtain prescriptions to purchase Plan B, which reduces the chance of pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse (Teva Pharmaceuticals release, 7/13). Teva said the one-pill version will be available at retail pharmacies in August (AP/Yahoo! Finance, 7/13). Kelli Conlin, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, said, "Health care providers and women"s advocates have been eager for a one-pill emergency contraceptive for years and are happy to see it finally come to fruition" (Teva Pharmaceuticals release, 7/13).The expanded access to the medication comes several months after a federal court lifted restrictions put in place under former President George W. Bush that limited OTC sales to women ages 18 and older (AP/Yahoo! Finance, 7/13).
Cardiovascular

A New Plug For The Hole In The Heart: New Procedure May Help Save Lives Of Those Affected By Common Congenital Heart Defect

Heart specialists at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif. have performed a new procedure in which they repaired a hole in the patient"s heart through a tiny incision, offering the patient a much safer alternative verses open heart surgery. The condition, called ventricular septal defect (VSD), is a common heart birth defect, accounting for about 30% of all heart defects according to the Adult Congenital Heart Association. The condition leaves a hole in the heart, affecting blood flow and can be potentially life threatening. "Before the surgery, I was experiencing more fatigue than before and my cardiologist knew that something had to be done, and fast ," said Yvonne Domingos, a San Diego resident who recently underwent the VSD closure procedure at St. Joseph Hospital. Domingos has long suffered from Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect of VSD that leaves a hole between the two bottom chambers of the heart. She had the condition at birth and at 18, she had the defect repaired. After many years, the patch that was used to correct the defect began to tear and needed to be repaired. Domingos was referred to the Adult Congenital Heart Program at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA. Dr. Farhouch Berdjis M.D., Medical Director of the Adult Congenital Program, was able to repair the hole and perform the first procedure in Orange County using an Amplatzer device. The Amplatzer Muscular VSD Occluder uses a minimally-invasive catheter inserted through a tiny incision, instead of surgery, which cuts recovery time and the need for open heart surgery. Dr. Berdjis has performed this type of procedure in Germany before, but this was the first time that the procedure was done in Orange County, California. "I am pleased that her procedure was successful in repairing the defect in her heart," said Dr. Berdjis. "This procedure showcases a minimally invasive procedure that is available to congenital heart defect patients throughout the community that has phenomenal results. We will be able to do even more once we open the Hybrid Operating Room." St. Joseph Hospital will be opening a Hybrid Operation Suite later this year that features advanced technology, robotic capabilities, and by combining minimally invasive and interventional surgical technologies, which will allow flexibility when surgeries require multiple types of procedures for a patient. St. Joseph Hospital


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