I’m breaking posts down into categories, a librarian peculiarity of mine. Future posts may also include healthcare news in general, national policy, important health research findings, etc. - I’ll also be including links to reputable online resources for health information. Don’t forget to send your tips if you have suggestions.

Blogger Musings:
The Archrone is talking about how corporate maneuvering can have a negative impact on healthcare and choice, after a Knoxville hospital is subsumed by a Catholic system and stops offering tubal ligations:

Now, this really pisses me off, first because a hospital has the audacity to impose religious views of contraception on women, and that this imposition is being placed on women through buying up other hospitals. And, here it is in a nutshell — for the people that have health insurance that would otherwise cover tubal ligations performed by their doctor at Baptist hospital, are no longer given the option to make the determination of whether or not they want more children.

Ben Cunningham and Aunt B have a note for Rep. Gary Moore - beating your wife actually does make you a criminal. Said Moore of the legislature, “I don’t think there are any criminals in here. But we’re a cross section of society. There are people in there that drink, people in there that beat their wives…”

Liz has some sex ed suggestions for ya.

Short and Fat has knee trouble, claims “shrinkage.”

Update: a report on Deb’s surgery

One thing I’ve learned: you people love to blog about your ailments.

Policy:
A bill proposed in the Tennessee legislature that you might not have seen yet (HB2676/SB2745), from Doug Jackson and Mike Turner:

Imposes a privilege tax of $5.00 on each customer entering an adult cabaret or adult oriented establishment that provides live entertainment; the proceeds from such tax shall be used solely for making grants to public and private agencies for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Healthcare Tech:
This one’s mine-I couldn’t resist. The National Museum of Health and Medicine is offering some of its historical images via flickr. You’ll find lots of World War II-era field medicine and public health imagery.

Resource of the Day:
Familydoctor.org’s symptom flowcharts. Produced by the American Academy of Family Physicians, these charts guide you when you wondering what your symptoms mean and what you should do about them. Got a kid with a fever? lower back pain? Answer the questions for likely causes, self-care tips, and when to consider it an emergency. The main site has lots of consumer-friendly health information on a variety of topics as well.