Health
3 Heisman winners, first lady lead cancer program
Written by Dick Pryor Monday, 30 August 2010 22:09
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Three Heisman Trophy winners from the University of Oklahoma and the state's first lady, Kim Henry, are leading an initiative to promote cancer prevention, aimed at high school students. Henry joined Steve Owens, Billy Sims and Jason White on Monday to announce the program dubbed "Win-Win Week," which will run from Sept. 13-17.
Henry says the idea of the program is for high school students to use their athletic events to draw attention to efforts to prevent cancer. Schools participating in the program will be encouraged to "pink out" every athletic event during the week. Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association assistant director Amy Cassell says that agency, which oversees prep athletics, will award a state championship trophy to a school in each classification that conducts the most effective prevention and fundraising program.
Oklahoma chiropractor received double hand transplant
Written by Dick Pryor Friday, 27 August 2010 19:11
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - An Oklahoma chiropractor who received a rare double hand transplant is recovering at a Kentucky hospital a day after the surgery.
Dr. Warren Breidenbach, who led the surgical team during the 17-hour operation, said in a statement that 55-year-old Richard Edwards of Edmond, Okla., was recovering Thursday at Jewish Hospital Hand Care Center in Louisville.
Doctors started the operation at 7 p.m. Tuesday and finished Wednesday afternoon. The transplant was only the third in the nation. Jewish Hospital also performed the world's first successful single hand transplant in 1999. Edwards' truck caught fire Feb. 11, 2006, burning his face, arms, back and hands and leaving very little tissue on either hand. Doctors said he is expected to spend about three months in Louisville recovering and undergoing extensive rehabilitation.
Oklahoma environmental officials issue boil advisory
Written by Dick Pryor Monday, 16 August 2010 16:57
WELEETKA, Okla. (AP) - The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a mandatory boil advisory for Weleetka, telling officials to inform residents that the Okfuskee County town's drinking water is unsafe for human consumption. The agency on Friday said the water is unsafe because of inadequate levels of chlorine, which is used for disinfection, and the public water supply system's difficulty in complying with standards for turbidity, or water clarity.
Environmental Quality officials say to ensure the water is safe, it should be vigorously boiled for one minute before drinking, use in food preparation, washing dishes or brushing teeth. Officials say the advisory will remain in effect until chlorination can be adequately maintained and any possible corrections to structural systems or operational practices have been made.
OU Inpatient Mental Health Services are Discontinued
Written by Dick Pryor Friday, 30 July 2010 21:33
The Psychiatry Inpatient Unit at OU Medical Center will be closing next month. Officials cited budget cuts, reduced staffing, and declining demand for inpatient care as reasons for the closing. Officials say the closing won't affect any of its current patients, since most of those patients typically stay less than two weeks. New patients who need mental health services will be transferred to other facilities.
A New Colon Cancer Study Gives Scientists Hope
Written by Dick Pryor Friday, 23 July 2010 20:47
The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has made a discovery that could lead to faster colon cancer diagnosis. A recently concluded study has identified a cluster of three genes associated with early-onset colon cancer in families. Research scientists say they are able to predict with about 60% certainty that people with the gene cluster will get colon cancer.
