What is a Medical Emergency?

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA About Emergencies: What is a medical emergency and when to call 9-1-1 Debate brews over whether emergency departments are busier since the Affordable Healthcare Act expanded insurance coverage the beginning of this year. While the debate continues, it is important for you to understand what a medical emergency is and when to call 9-1-1. The information in this post, What is a Medical Emergency? is from the American College of Emergency…

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A TEDEd Presentation, Sugar: Hiding in plain sight, plus other names for added sugar

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA This is a short charming animated informational TED-Ed Original presentation, Sugar: Hiding in plain sight-Robert Lustig. “While sugar is easy to spot in candy, soft drinks and ice cream, it also hides out in foods you might not expect — including peanut butter, pasta sauce and even bologna! Robert Lustig decodes confusing labels and sugar’s many aliases to help determine just how much of that sweet carbohydrate makes its…

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Are Healthcare Consumers at the Forefront of Digital Health?

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA and Ben Heubl Simply put, healthcare is about the patient. Healthcare is a multidisciplinary team approach and patients are at the center of healthcare. The urge to understand healthcare and medicine from the perspective of the patient, or consumer, is something that even key stockholders fail to understand, writes David Shaywitz in a Forbes piece. The author refers to an article from The Journal of the American Medical Association…

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Virtual Summit to Empower Caregivers

Please join us today, February 11, 2014 for a virtual summit for caregivers. Impact80 Virtual Summit is the first global conference, to be held online with 1 goal in mind – to support and reach as many women & men who work full or part-time while caring for a sick, disabled child or aging parent. Impact80 Summit will provide caregivers with mental health, caregiving, patient engagement resources, tips and information they need. Goldina Erowele, PharmD,…

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Sharecare Helps to Engage and Empower Consumers with Mobile Health App-AskMD

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA From digital to doctor with a click on your iPhone or iPod touch Self-diagnosing is not a good idea, but arming yourself with accurate, credible and trustworthy information is a great idea. It’s such an exciting time in health care today. Digital technology helps to empower and engage consumers to take charge of their health, and it fosters consumers to be active participants in their healthcare. One way to…

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