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Health

State of Health

KQED's State of Health covers health care issues affecting the state of California.

NPR Shots Blog

A blog on health and medicine from NPR's Science Desk.

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Bishops Stand Strong Against Birth Control Mandate

The White House and Catholic bishops are at a stalemate over the new contraceptive coverage rule.

'Shake-And-Bake' Meth Causes Uptick In Burn Victims

Easy access to ingredients and simplified brewing has more and more addicts making meth themselves.

The Risks And Rewards Of Practicing Yoga

Journalist William Broad's new book, The Science of Yoga, explores its pleasures and pitfalls.

Where Eye Care Is A Luxury, Technology Offers Access

Smartphone eye exams and liquid lenses could help make eye care less expensive.

Fewer Autopsies Mean Crucial Info Goes To The Grave

Today, autopsies are conducted on just 5 percent of patients who die in hospitals.

From KQED

Slow Progress in Prison Health Care

Six years ago, a federal judge seized control of medical care in California state prisons, and appointed a receiver to fix it. At the time, an average of one inmate a week was dying from misdiagnosis, delayed, or shoddy treatment. Six years later, the receiver says lawmakers must deliver on promises to upgrade facilities before he can wind up his oversight.

Contraception Mandate Already Exists in Calif.

Roman Catholic bishops across the U.S. are speaking out against a recent decision by the Obama administration that religious-affiliated schools and hospitals are not exempt from the federal requirement that employee health plans cover contraception. But the issue appears to be largely moot in California -- the state already requires that coverage.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg joins us to discuss the role of the FDA in protecting public health, how the agency approves new drugs and her views on what she calls "smart regulation."

PBS NewsHour

Love Story Sheds Light on How Society Treats People With Disabilities

A New York Times bestseller, Rachel Simon's "The Story of Beautiful Girl" explores empathy and tolerance in the form of a love story where characters with disabilities overcome heavyweight obstacles. Judy Woodruff and Simon discuss how society deals with disabilities and how they are portrayed in literary works.

As 'Let's Move!' Campaign Turns 2, Time for a Check-Up

Two years after First Lady Michelle Obama launched the "Let's Move!" campaign, we take stock of her progress in the fight against childhood obesity -- both the high-profile successes and equally loud criticism.

Choose Your Own Health Care Adventure, Part II

What will U.S. health care look like in a few years? Last week we asked you to rank the likelihood of four plausible scenarios. We now travel back to the future -- 2025, to be exact -- to analyze the results and find out what will need to happen in the next 13 years for each scenario to become reality.

Next Health Care Mandate: Flu Shots for Medical Professionals?

In this moment of looming change in American health care, the debate over whether flu shots should be mandatory for hospital workers has become a smaller but important battle in the nation's ongoing fight to build a better system while protecting individual liberties.