This story uses pseudonyms for victims of sex trafficking. Each pseudonym is introduced with an asterisk. Bailey Johnson* was sold into sex trafficking as a prostitute in eight states before she found help in Georgia. At age 17, she was rescued by a police officer who noticed signs of sexual exploitation during a routine traffic…
For Harold Weber, an Athens resident who worked in the health insurance industry for 30 years, the most important aspect of the Affordable Care Act is its approach. Weber watched the rise and fall of HMO plans in the 1990s and believes the ACA will finally succeed where others failed. “The unaffordable aspect of insurance is…
When Travis Smith was an undergraduate, he shadowed doctors at health clinics in the Central African nation of Zambia. He saw a need that couldn’t be met. People lined up for days, waiting to be seen. Mothers held crying babies. Nurses quickly recorded vital signs and asked about symptoms. Sometimes antibiotics were available. Most times,…
Betting on Reno Sara Schopper was doubled over with pain from gallstones when she arrived last May at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev. To make things even worse, she had no health insurance. Once doctors had removed her gallbladder, Schopper faced thousands of dollars in hospital bills as an uninsured worker. Before…
When Kathy Parker was diagnosed with breast cancer – her second form of cancer in 10 years – she knew she had the strength to pull through. Thanks to a vigorous exercise program after her prior bout with a rare cancer called vulvar sarcoma, Parker felt more prepared than the average person. She was ready…
About 45 million Americans embark on diets each year, according to data released by Boston Medical Center. And the vast majority fail. Approximately 65 percent of Americans who actually lose weight on diets return to their pre-diet weight in three years, and only 5 percent of people who lose weight on restrictive diets — such…
Video games are often accused of contributing to childhood obesity. But they also may be able to help fight it, says a group of University of Georgia professors who have created the educational video game Bee Tees. Bee Tees, a play on the word “diabetes,” makes players responsible for the health of a beehive. As…