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California Primary Care Physician Shortage Affecting Clinics That Serve Minority Populations
A shortage of primary care physicians in California "is driving community clinics to find innovate ways" to provide care to an increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse patient population, New America Media reports. According to New America Media, primary care physicians are in short supply nationwide because many medical students are pursuing more lucrative specialty fields that have higher reimbursement rates. Marty Lynch -- executive director of LifeLong Medical Care, a not-for-profit primary health care facility that operates nine health centers in Berkeley, Oakland and Marin County -- said he has tried unsuccessfully to hire minority primary care physicians and nurses. Lynch said it is "very difficult to find primary care providers" to provide care for minorities. Meanwhile, the demand for health services is on the rise, Jane Garcia, CEO of La Clinica de la Raza, said. The clinic has provided health services in the Bay Area at 27 satellite clinics for 38 years.The clinic for the last two years has partnered with neighboring community colleges to train medical assistants to work at their clinics to meet demand for diverse staff. "We"re training our own community members," Garcia said. She added that in the current economy, the "silver lining" is that "health care is one of the few sectors that more people will be choosing careers in" (Sundaram, New America Media, 5/18).
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What Are Kidney Stones? What Causes Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones, usually comprised of a compound called calcium oxalate, are the result of a build-up of dissolved minerals on the inner lining of the kidneys. These deposits can grow to the size of a golf ball while maintaining a sharp, crystalline structure. They may be small and pass unnoticed out of the urinary tract, but they may also cause extreme pain upon exiting. Kidney stones that remain inside the body can lead to many conditions, including severe pain and ureter (the tube connecting the kidney and bladder) blockage that obstructs the path urine uses to leave the body.
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Common Autism Medication Is Ineffective For Repetitive Behaviors, Study Finds
June 1, 2009: Citalopram (Celexa), a medication commonly prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), was no more effective than a placebo at reducing repetitive behaviors, according to a multi-site clinical trial guided by lead author Bryan H. King, MD, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Seattle Children"s Hospital and professor and vice chair of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Because citalopram is also prescribed for patients with obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), these study results may challenge the widely held premise that repetitive behaviors in children with ASD are similar to repetitive behaviors often found in cases of OCD. The study "Lack of Efficacy of Citalopram in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and High Levels of Repetitive Behavior" was published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
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StemCells, Inc. To Present Phase I Clinical Trial Results At The 12th International Congress On NCL

StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM) announced plans to present data from its Phase I clinical trial of its proprietary HuCNS-SC® product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) at the 12th International Congress on Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCL) being held June 3 - 6, 2009 in Hamburg, Germany. Stephen Huhn, MD, FACS, FAAP, vice president and head of the Company"s CNS program, is scheduled to present the data on Saturday, June 6. The six-patient Phase I trial, conducted at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children"s Hospital, was designed primarily to assess the safety associated with transplanting HuCNS-SC cells as a treatment for infantile and late infantile NCL, often referred to as Batten disease. About Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Batten Disease) Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that afflicts infants and young children. The disorder is caused by genetic mutations, and children who inherit the defective gene are unable to produce enough of an enzyme that processes cellular waste substances that accumulate in a part of cells known as the lysosome. Without the enzyme, the cellular waste builds up, and eventually the cells cannot function and die. Children with NCL appear healthy when born, but as their brain cells die, they begin to suffer seizures and progressively lose motor skills, sight and mental capacity. Eventually, these children become blind, bedridden and unable to communicate or function on their own. There currently is no cure for the disease. The infantile and late infantile forms of NCL are caused by different genetic mutations. As the names imply, the two forms begin to afflict patients at different stages of infancy, but both have similar disease progression and outcomes. About HuCNS-SC® Cells StemCells" lead product candidate, HuCNS-SC cells, is a purified composition of normal human neural stem cells that are expanded and stored as banks of cells. The Company"s preclinical research has shown that HuCNS-SC cells can be directly transplanted; they engraft, migrate, differentiate into neurons and glial cells; and they survive for as long as one year with no sign of tumor formation or adverse effects. These findings show that HuCNS-SC cells, when transplanted, act like normal stem cells, suggesting the possibility of a continual replenishment of normal human neural cells. StemCells, Inc.


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