By: Dr.Bharani Padmanabhan – July, 2015 Governor Baker’s task force recently issued its much awaited report which advocated a comprehensive approach to dealing with the state’s heroin epidemic. This report has much to appreciate within but also a few points that remain worrisome. For example the recommendation to stop asking patients in hospitals if their pain […]
Included in this year’s 2016 State Budget is an amendment, sponsored by State Representative Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen), for $25,000 toward the Lawrence-Methuen Community Coalition (LMCC)’s recently formed Merrimack Valley Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative. The LMCC is a resident-based coalition focused on the prevention of substance abuse, child abuse and domestic violence through the establishment of […]
July, 2015 Friends of Merrimack Valley Hospice is supporting the patients and families served by Merrimack Valley Hospice House with their recent purchase of recliners for each of the private suites at this specialized facility to help those nearing end of life. This gift is part of the group’s first annual gift to benefit the […]
By: Jerry Robito – July, 2015 Working in corrections for over thirty-four years, I have seen countless inmates return to jail for opiate addiction related crimes. The problem today is how little is being done to rehabilitate these inmates in hopes of them becoming successful upon their release back into the cities and towns of […]
By: Dr. Frank MacMillan – July, 2015 The US Supreme Court recently ruled in King v. Burwell that the health insurance subsidies written into the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) not only applied to insurance exchanges run by the State, but also to exchanges run by the Federal Government. Ruling otherwise would have thrown the […]
By: Joe D’Amore – July, 2015 Angels are descending on the city of Gloucester through an innovative program proposed by Police Chief Leonard Campanello to help people battling opiate addiction. These angels don’t have wings but they have some training, knowledge and an abundance of compassion to be at-the-ready for when an addicted person surrenders […]
By: Stephanie Jaskot – July, 2015 Making the best decisions for your family isn’t an easy thing to do. Questioning the ‘norms’ in America can cause you to be degraded and shut out by others who don’t share your views. What people fail to understand, is that when it comes to our children, parents will […]
By: Dr. Frank MacMillan, MD June, 2015 Human beings are hardwired towards addiction. Modern society has evolved a mind-boggling number of traps that ensnare members of the human family in all sorts of compulsions or addictions. Compulsion drives a large part of our economy. Think about it. Advertisers and marketers want to know what buttons […]
By: Tracey Zysk – May, 2015 When it comes to these pesky little creatures … ugghh, they are everywhere in the Merrimack Valley, Southern New Hampshire and even hiding in your own backyard. This year has already been unbelievable. They are not only annoying and gross, they can cause harm to your dogs. Just this […]
By: Dr. Frank MacMillan – May, 2015 This month, twenty years ago, I had conferred upon me a Doctor of Medicine degree. It has been both an honor and a privilege and I have had an amazing experience practicing in our community, from Lowell to Newburyport, and from Boston to Manchester, NH. During this time, […]
What do you do when you have a deep cut that requires stitches? Or when you’ve taken a tumble and injured an arm or leg? Here in the Merrimack Valley, the answer to these questions has long been to find the nearest emergency room. Long waits, increased costs, and general discomfort often awaited patients as […]
BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) penalized the City of Quincy $28,125 for wetlands violations associated with the installation of an equalization pipe to address drainage and flooding near Faxon Field. The pipe, which is 12 inches in diameter and approximately 75 feet long, was installed by the city at 122 Russell […]
Dr. Bharany Padmanabhan, formerly of Cambridge Hospital has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Cambridge, (which owns Cambridge Hospital) as well as some members of the staff of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BOM). The suit seeks millions in compensation for unspecified damages. Dr. Bharany says he filed the suit against […]
By: Dr. Jin Sung – April, 2015 Magnesium is a mineral used by every tissue and organ in your body, especially your heart, muscles, and kidneys. If you suffer from unexplained fatigue or weakness, abnormal heart rhythms or even muscle spasms and eye twitches, low levels of magnesium could be the underlying cause. Routine blood […]
By: Dr. Frank MacMillan – April, 2015 For more than thirty years, health plans, consumer groups and government have made a concerted push to keep the price of health care down by encouraging and often mandating the use of less expensive generic drugs over brand name prescriptions. Massachusetts is also a state that mandates that […]