US lawyer seeks to sue US over Iran threats

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:41:23
By Chris Gelken, Press TV, Tehran

An American lawyer has offered to represent Iran in an international lawsuit against Israel and his own government in an effort to stop Washington and Tel Aviv from initiating further sanctions against Tehran.

more...

There’s No Hope at the Ballot Box: In Memory of George Carlin

by Matt Reichel / June 28th, 2008

The second errant claim made by the Obama camp is that he was against the war from the beginning. Now can someone explain to me how an impassioned opponent of war entering the U.S. Senate could possibly vote repeatedly to fund the war he was supposedly against from the beginning? Where was he when the Democrats took over the Congress and the anti-war American public was waiting for a leader in Washington to take charge of getting it done? One would expect a supposedly progressive and popular senator to do just that. Instead, he just went babbling on about how Iran should be wiped off the map if real evidence were found to demonstrate their intent to develop one measly nuclear warhead in a world plagued by the peril of 20,000 American nukes.

While the grassroots gave Obama and the Democrats everything they needed to run this administration and its wars out of Washington, Obama was too busy stumping for the annihilation of Hamas, voting for the appointment of Condoleeza Rice, and calling out fellow Illinois Senator Richard Durbin for making the obvious comparison of Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and a Nazi concentration camp.

All that I have learned from Obama’s brief tenure in the Senate is that he isn’t even the more progressive of Illinois’ two senators, and he most certainly is not a skilled leader. During a time when a good leader would be like Dennis Kucinich in the house and demand a debate on impeachment, organize members of Congress to vote against war funding, and spearhead a movement for a cabinet level Department of Peace, Obama was out writing books in preparation for his presidential bid.

He was out praising Ronald Reagan and denouncing the ’68 movements for being naïve and divisive. Ronald Reagan is his man: the architect of the Latin American holocaust of the ‘80’s, wherein the United States dropped bombs everywhere from Nicaragua to El Salvador and Grenada.

more...

Imagine how quickly . . .

"Imagine how quickly we'd be out of Iraq if we raised taxes to pay for it now instead of leaving the bill for our grandchildren."

article at HuffPo

Wall Street Socialism

re: Freddie and Fannie

"If the guarantees work, private speculators, having driven the stock down, will clean up on the upside. And the bank's CEO's will continue to pocket the multi-million dollar salaries that are de rigueur on Wall Street. Call it Wall Street socialism. Their losses are socialized; their profits are pocketed. You and I will pay for their failures. And if conservatives have their way, their families will pocket their successes, without even having to pay a tax for the transfer of the estates we've helped to create."

Huffington Post

LA Times campaign distractions

LA Times "Top of the Ticket" blog ignores facts to spawn another typical MSM campaign "issue"

" Obama website's opposition to successful surge gets deleted

A funny thing happened over on the Barack Obama campaign website in the last few days.

The parts that stressed his opposition to the 2007 troop surge and his statement that more troops would make no difference in a civil war have somehow disappeared.

. . .

read it all

Commentors respond:

The surge has been successful because the United States has been paying militias to back off. It has very little to do with increased troop deployment.

I count the slimy assertion "the successful surge" inserted in this and other "news" pieces as pro-war propaganda.

Posted by: Brad Eleven | July 16, 2008 at 04:21 AM

" It's not about alliance building, it's not about Iraq. It goes back a longer time than Bush and Obama.

America is built on fake money. Used to be gold, now it's oil.

Now, Iraq doesn't need America's fake money any more. It has Euros.

And our government can print as much money as it wants.

This screws everything up. It will continue to screw everything up.

Until you people understand what Ron Paul has been saying, you are wasting your time and letting the gov waste your country's potential. Instead of chatting on these boards, read about what Ron Paul says. Think. We have to pressure our congress and Fed's standards --- before things get more screwed up. They are already getting there. The countries with oil are winning thanks to our greed and consumerism.

Posted by: Rich | July 16, 2008 at 05:02 AM "

An analysis by the New York Times found that the main success by the surge was brought about by an air attack surge which usually entails taking out family living quarters (and often the family) when someone fingers an insurgent in the area. It seems to me that neo-Stalinist tactic was doable without a troop surge. In fact, that kind of extreme violence against an occupied nation has surged into Afghanistan in recent weeks. Remember the 47 people including the bride killed at a wedding last week?

Funny, but the same kind of air war was done over and over again in Vietnam even while our military and government talked about "Winning 'Hearts and Minds' ". And we all saw how that war worked out.

Posted by: Bill Lenner | July 16, 2008 at 04:04 AM

Carbon tax with 100% dividend

Bad habits.

If politicians remain at loggerheads, citizens must lead. We must demand a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants. We must block fossil fuel interests who aim to squeeze every last drop of oil from public lands, off-shore, and wilderness areas. Those last drops are no solution. They yield continued exorbitant profits for a short-sighted self-serving industry, but no alleviation of our addiction or long-term energy source.

Moving from fossil fuels to clean energy is challenging, yet transformative in ways that will be welcomed. Cheap, subsidized fossil fuels engendered bad habits. We import food from halfway around the world, for example, even with healthier products available from nearby fields Local produce would be competitive if not for fossil fuel subsidies and the fact that climate change damages and costs, due to fossil fuels, are also borne by the public.

in California comes from passenger vehicles. © US Environmental Protection Agency" title="Almost 40% of carbon dioxide emissions in California comes from passenger vehicles. © US Environmental Protection Agency" vspace="0" align="top" border="0" hspace="0">

Almost 40 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions in California comes from passenger vehicles. © US Environmental Protection Agency

A price on emissions that cause harm is essential. Yes, a carbon tax. Carbon tax with 100 per cent dividends is needed to wean us off fossil fuel addiction. Tax and dividend allows the marketplace, not politicians, to make investment decisions. Carbon tax on coal, oil and gas is simple, applied at the first point of sale or port of entry.

The entire tax must be returned to the public, an equal amount to each adult, a half-share for children. This dividend can be deposited monthly n an individual’s bank account. Carbon tax with 100 per cent dividend is non- egressive. On the contrary, you can bet that low and middle income people will find ways to limit their carbon tax and come out ahead. Profligate energy users will have to pay for their excesses. Demand for low-carbon high-efficiency products will spur innovation, making our products more competitive on international markets. Carbon emissions will plummet as energy efficiency and renewable energies grow rapidly. Black soot, mercury and other fossil fuel emissions will decline.

A brighter, cleaner future, with energy independence, is possible. Washington likes to spend our tax money line-by-line. Swarms of high- riced lobbyists in alligator shoes help ongress decide where to spend, and in turn the lobbyists’ clients provide “campaign” money
The public must send a message to Washington. Preserve our planet, creation, for our children and grandchildren, but do not use that as an excuse for more tax-and-spend. Let this be our motto: “One hundred per cent dividend or fight!”

Dr James Hansen directs the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, a laboratory of the Goddard Space Flight Center and a unit of the Columbia University Earth Institute. He spoke this week at the National Press Club and gave a briefing to the House Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming. He is co-author of "Target atmospheric CO2: where should humanity aim?" The His proposed “tax and 100 per cent dividend” is based largely on the cap and dividend approach described by Peter Barnes in “Who Owns the Sky: Our Common Assets and the Future of Capitalism”, Island Press, Washington, D.C.,2001.

© People & the Planet 2000 - 2008 - COMPLETE ARTICLE

also see:

• CapAndDividend.org - How to curb global warming while protecting the incomes of American families. Download PDF
• Markey climate bill is best yet
• A Climate Change Proposal With Cash - U.S. News & World Report

Stop the House from leading us to war with Iran

re: H.CON. RES. 362

"Subject: Stop Congress from fomenting another war

We rarely send you action items on Saturday. We're doing so today because the House appears likely to vote on a bad resolution early next week. If you oppose starting a war with Iran then we must act now to oppose House Concurrent Resolution 362.

This resolution has 169 co-sponsors, including 77 Democrats and 92 Republicans. The resolution calls on President Bush to . . .

* Create an international blockade of Iran to prevent it from importing the refined gasoline it needs to run its economy
* Subject all cargo entering or leaving Iran to stringent inspections
* Tighten economic sanctions against Iran
* Violate international treaties by prohibiting Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program from travelling abroad.

If another country took such actions against us, we would consider it an act of war. In addition, passage of this resolution would end negotiations with Iran in Baghdad that the administration has recently signaled it was prepared to resume.

House Concurrent Resolution 362 is a major step toward war."

implicit contradiction

The disclaimer:
"Whereas nothing in this resolution shall be construed as an authorization of the use of force against Iran:"

The contradiction:
"(3) demands [DEMANDS] that the President initiate an international effort to immediately and dramatically increase the economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on Iran to verifiably suspend its nuclear enrichment activities by, inter alia, prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program;"

Reasonably presuming that Iranian officials and traders will not timidly submit to such searches and obstructions, these demands implicitly constitute an "authorization of the use of force," if not a virtual declaration of war. How else can these demands be executed?

PLEASE URGE YOUR U.S.REP TO OPPOSE H CON RES 362


stevo

Health Freedom Issues

Health Freedom Issues
American Association for Health Freedom (www.healthfreedom.org)
State and Federal Advocacy

Please contact me if you'd like to help create a Virginia Chapter of the AAHF.

USATODAY.com - C-section practice threatens patient's rights

USATODAY.com - C-section practice threatens patient's rights: "These bans violate a wide body of legal and ethical guidelines dictating that health care providers must respect the right of any patient to decline a medical procedure. If doctors did carry through their threats to perform surgery in spite of a mother's refusal, then they'd be subject to criminal assault and battery charges.

It's important for women to understand that they have the legal right to be informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives of any proposed treatment, including C-sections, and that hospitals that neglect to perform this duty violate the federal Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act.

In addition, when hospitals and doctors claim that they can't 'allow' VBACs because of the fear of lawsuits, they're not being entirely honest with their patients. If a patient absolutely refuses a C-section and this refusal is documented, I believe it is unlikely that doctors would be held liable for not performing one."

Katherine Prown, Ph.D., Fox Point, Wis.
BirthPolicy.org

Birth Policy Resources

Birth Policy Resources: "Trial of Labor After Cesarean (TOLAC)
Formerly Trial of Labor Versus Elective Repeat Cesarean Section for the Woman With a Previous Cesarean Section
American Academy of Family Physicians

Executive Summary

The American Academy of Family Physicians Commission on Clinical Policies and Research convened a panel to systematically review the available evidence on trial of labor after cesarean delivery (TOLAC) using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence Report on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). The panel’s objective was to provide an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for pregnant women and their families, maternity care professionals, facilities, and policy-makers who care about trial of labor and maternity care for a woman with one previous cesarean. The recommendations are as follows:

Recommendation 1: Women with one previous cesarean delivery with a low transverse incision are candidates for and should be offered a trial of labor (TOL). (Level A)

Recommendation 2: Patients desiring trial of labor after previous cesarean (TOLAC) should be counseled that their chance for a successful vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is influenced by the following: (Level B)

Positive Factors (increased likelihood of successful VBAC)

Maternal age <40 years
Prior vaginal delivery (particularly prior successful VBAC)
Favorable cervical factors
Presence of spontaneous labor
Nonrecurrent indication that was present for prior cesarean delivery

Negative Factors (decreased likelihood of successful VBAC)

Increased number of prior cesarean deliveries
Gestational age >40 weeks
Birth weight >4,000 g
Induction or augmentation of labor

Recommendation 3: Prostaglandins should not be used for cervical ripening or induction as their use is associated with higher rates of uterine rupture and decreased rates of successful vaginal delivery. (Level B)

Recommendation 4: TOLAC should not be restricted only to facilities with available surgical teams present throughout labor since there is no evidence that these additional resources result in improved outcomes. (Level C) At the same time, it is clinically appropriate that a management plan for uterine rupture and other potential emergencies requiring rapid cesarean section should be documented for each woman undergoing TOLAC. (Level C)

Recommendation 5: Maternity care professionals need to explore all the issues that may affect a woman's decision including issues such as recovery time and safety. (Level C). No evidence based recommendation can be made regarding the best way to present the risks and benefits of trial of labor after previous cesarean delivery (TOLAC) to patients.

AAFP Policy Action March 2005 -- Printed July 2005
Copyright� 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians

Click here to read the complete document (PDF).

"New Study Leads State Attorneys General and Insurance Commissioner to Strongly Challenge Insurance Industry's Price-Gouging of Doctors"

"New Study Leads State Attorneys General and Insurance Commissioner to Strongly Challenge Insurance Industry's Price-Gouging of Doctors"

7/7/2005 1:29:00 PM

To: National Desk, Health Reporter

Contact: Joanne Doroshow of the Center for Justice & Democracy, 212-267-2801; Web: http://centerjd.org

NEW YORK, July 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In response to a new study released today by several national consumer organizations titled Falling Claims and Rising Premiums in the Medical Malpractice Insurance Industry, two state Attorneys General and one state Insurance Commissioner responded with strong statements condemning the actions by insurers to dramatically raise insurance rates for doctors while claims are dropping.

'The numbers underscore the need for much tougher, more aggressive oversight to prevent and punish profiteering,' Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said. 'Federal and state regulators should thoroughly scrutinize recent rate increases and take appropriate corrective action. Affordable medical malpractice insurance is critical to public health. Expensive insurance rates become a matter of life and death when they drive doctors out of business - as is happening in Connecticut and nationwide. Insurance company greed can be hazardous to our health.'

'The data in the Annual Statements filed under oath with state insurance departments, which this Report discloses, call into question much of what the medical malpractice insurance industry has been saying publicly during the past several years,' said Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon. 'There is no excuse for malpractice insurers doubling their rates while their claims payments decrease.'

more . . .

BirthPolicy Proposed NOW Resolution: Opposing Bans on Vaginal Births After Cesarean

BirthPolicy Proposed NOW Resolution: Opposing Bans on Vaginal Births After Cesarean: "NASHVILLE - 7/2/05: The following resolution is being considered by the National Organization for Women during the 2005 National NOW Conference in Nashville, TN from July 1-3.
As presented:


OPPOSING BANS ON VAGINAL BIRTHS AFTER CESAREAN

WHEREAS, the National Organization for Women (NOW) has a long history of supporting women's rights to make reproductive choices; and

WHEREAS, Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) has repeatedly been shown to be a safe and reasonable choice for women; and

WHEREAS, studies published by the New England Journal of Medicine and research by the Maternity Center Association show that 588 women must undergo unnecessary cesareans to prevent one compromised perinatal outcome and 7100 women must undergo elective repeat cesareans to prevent one infant death; and

WHEREAS, VBAC labors proceed without the need for emergency surgical intervention 99.6% of the time; and

WHEREAS, elective repeat cesarean poses serious risks to mothers and infants, including two to four times greater chance of maternal death; increased risk of emergency hysterectomy; injury to blood vessels and other organs, chronic pain due to internal scar tissue; increased chance of re-hospitalization; complications involving the placenta in subsequent pregnancies; increased risk of prematurity and low birth weight; a 1-9% chance the baby will be cut during surgery; increased risk of respiratory distress syndrome; and increased risk of childhood asthma; and

WHEREAS, hospitals in every state have banned VBAC; and

WHEREAS, women seeking care in hospitals that ban VBAC have been forcibly anesthetized and sectioned when they tried to withhold consent to surgery; and

WHEREAS, the right to refuse unwanted and unnecessary medical treatment is a fundamental right; and

WHEREAS, the right to bodily integrity is a fundamental right;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOVED THAT, NOW opposes institutional and healthcare policies that deny women's access to VBAC; and

BE IT RESOLVED THAT, NOW's policy statements, brochures, and fact sheets concerning reproductive freedom include references to the need to protect women's access to VBAC; and

BE IT RESOLVED THAT, NOW will work with national maternity care reform organizations to call for Congressional hearings on VBAC bans and other threats to women's choices in childbirth; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT, NOW will work with state and national maternity care reform organizations to advocate for judicial challenges and public policy protecting women's access to informed choice in childbirth and their right to choose VBAC.

Submitted by: Katherine Prown
Issue Hearing: Health and Reproductive Rights
Chair:

ARGENTINA: The Right to Give Birth Naturally

ARGENTINA: The Right to Give Birth Naturally
Marcela Valente

"BUENOS AIRES, Jun 7 (IPS) - An original media campaign in Argentina is aimed at raising women's awareness on their right to be accompanied in the delivery room, and to give birth in whatever position is most comfortable for them and without unnecessary medical interventions.

With financial support from the Dutch foundation Mama Cash, the Argentine non-governmental organisation Dando a Luz (Giving Birth) produced a series of television spots in which famous actors and models urge women to demand respect for their right to give birth the way they want.

. . . The ads refer to the rights of mothers and infants in delivery, which are recognised in a national law in effect since November 2004.

But the failure to disseminate information on the new law has facilitated the persistence in both public and private hospitals of traditional practices that run counter to the new legislation."

full story

Study Shows Home Birth Lowers Cesarean Risk

Study Shows Home Birth Lowers Cesarean Risk: "



"Based on these study results, women who want to avoid a cesarean should consider planning a home birth with a Certified Professional Midwife,: said Tonya Jamois, president of the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN). "Double digit cesarean rates subject women and babies to the risks of preventable surgery and drive up the cost of health care for everyone."

(PRWEB) June 21, 2005 -- A landmark study published June 18 in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) shows planned home births with Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) result in significantly lower cesarean rates than planned hospital births. more . . .

Friends of Wisconsin Midwives

Friends of Wisconsin Midwives
STUDY SHOWS BENEFITS OF LICENSING HOME BIRTH MIDWIVES



June 17



Madison, WI



A study published today in The British Medical Journal shows the benefits of licensing Certified Professional Midwives, say representatives of the Friends of Wisconsin Midwives, a statewide grassroots network. The latest in a wide body of research on the safety of planned home birth, the study confirms that women who give birth in out-of-hospital settings with trained attendants experience outcomes equal to those of low-risk women giving birth in the hospital, but with much lower rates of surgical and technological intervention. Out-of-hospital births were also associated with a high degree of maternal satisfaction.



“This study shows all the reasons why it’s time for Wisconsin to join the ranks of states that fully integrate Certified Professional Midwives into their healthcare system, “ said Meg Collins, President of the Friends of Wisconsin Midwives. “The authors of the study noted that many of the midwives who participated in the research work in states like Wisconsin, where the lack of licensing and regulation often compromises their ability to establish collaborative relationships with other healthcare providers. “Yet unlicensed midwives still manage to provide outstanding care,” said Collins. “We believe that licensing Certified Professional Midwives will only enhance the options and level of care offered to Wisconsin families seeking alternatives to hospital birth. Giving birth at home and in free-standing birth centers are safe choices for women who want to minimize their risks of experiencing costly and often unnecessary interventions such as cesarean section, forceps and vacuum extraction, episiotomy, labor induction and augmentation, and epidurals.”



Certified Professional Midwives, who are specially trained to attend out-of-hospital births, undergo a rigorous educational program and are credentialed through the North American Registry of Midwives. According to the Friends of Wisconsin Midwives, there are currently over a dozen CPMs who provide services to a diverse population of families across the state. “The clients we typically see have educated themselves about the benefits of midwifery care, but that’s where the similarity ends. The families we work with run the gamut in terms of their political, cultural and religious values,” said Edie Wells, a Beloit-based CPM. “We work in both rural and urban areas with people from all economic backgrounds, including a large immigrant population and uninsured families who can’t afford the high cost of hospital birth, but want a safe alternative to giving birth unassisted.”



Expanding access to CPMs, say representatives of the Friends of Wisconsin Midwives, will result in increased savings to the state and will help meet the growing demand for a maternity care service that more families are seeking each year.



Twenty-two states have statutory provisions that provide full legal recognition to CPMs, according to

Katherine Prown, Ph.D., legislative chair of the Wisconsin Guild of Midwives. “Licensing offers a number of benefits, “ said Prown. “It assures the public that the midwives they hire have the appropriate training and skills and it provides for accountability. Right now, anyone can hang out a shingle and call themselves a midwife. We think families who choose to give birth outside of the hospital deserve better protection than that. This latest study reinforces what we’ve known all along—home birth with a trained attendant is a safe and reasonable option for the families of Wisconsin.”



##





CONTACT:



Katherine Prown, PhD

Legislative Chair, Wisconsin Guild of Midwive

kprown@birthpolicy.org





REFERENCE:



Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America -- Johnson and Daviss 330 (7505): 1416 -- BMJ

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/330/7505/1416?ehom







RESOURCES:



Friends of Wisconsin Midwives

http://friendsofwimidwives.org/



National Association of Certified Professional Midwives

http://nacpm.net/

Mary Lawlor, President - (802) 387-4678

lawcing@sover.net



North American Registry of Midwives

http://narm.org/



Wisconsin Guild of Midwives

http://wisconsinguildofmidwives.org/

Supporting and Opposing Items on the ACNM's Agenda

ACNM Initiatives:

In conjunction with their 50th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC (June 10-16, 2005), the American College of Nurse-Midwives is lobbying congress to support the 'Improving Access to Nurse-Midwifery Care Act,' (HR 872 and S 911), legislation that would 'wipe out a reimbursement inequity that denies access to midwifery providers for women with disabilities,' and we urge citizens to contact their federal legislators to support those bills.

However, we urge you NOT to go along with their endorsement of knee-jerk/anti-consumer tort reform legislation. A better plan to contain or reduce malpractice liability premiums would include stricter oversight and regulation of premium increases by insurance companies, clearer codification of patients' federal rights to informed consent and refusal and stronger enforcement of existing 'unprofessional conduct' statutes at the state level.

We also support the ACNM's call for congressional review of the rapidly increasing cesarean rate, although we wish that that it would be expanded to investigate the risks and benefits of ALL medical interventions (i.e., interferences) that are increasingly common during childbirth. Furthermore, we urge the ACNM to undertake more strident efforts in the future to network with other professional and grassroots organizations re: this and every other item on their legislative agenda.

Repeat c-section may adversely affect baby

Health News Article | Reuters.com: "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Compared with intending to deliver vaginally, choosing to undergo a repeat c-section may raise the risk that the newborn will be admitted to an advanced care nursery, according to a brief report. The researchers say women should be alerted to the possible negative effects.

The study, in the May issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is the first to directly compare how choosing to undergo a repeat c-section rather than giving labor a try may affect the newborn, note Dr. Nicholas Fogelson and colleagues, from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston."

Los Angeles Times: Malpractice Payouts Have Not Soared, Reports Say

Los Angeles Times: Malpractice Payouts Have Not Soared, Reports Say: "Malpractice Payouts Have Not Soared, Reports Say
The two studies suggest jury awards have little to do with skyrocketing liability insurance rates.
By Lisa Girion
Times Staff Writer

June 1, 2005

There may be a medical malpractice crisis, but studies released Tuesday suggested that jackpot jury awards were not the cause.

Many doctors blame such judgments for skyrocketing insurance premiums. But the average malpractice claim payout rose about 4% a year from 1991 to 2003, according to a study published online by the academic journal Health Affairs."

Scotsman.com News - Health - Ex-medical journal editor reveals drug firms' dirty tricks

IAN JOHNSTON
SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT

"PHARMACEUTICAL companies are using their massive financial clout to corrupt medical journals by rigging clinical trials of new drugs, it was claimed today.

Richard Smith, former editor of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), has exposed a series of tricks used by drug firms to ensure good publicity for new products in prestigious journals. He said it was often impossible for editors of the journals to spot a rigged trial - despite the process of 'peer review' where research is checked independently - and also highlighted a 'conflict of interest' because publishing trials by major drug companies would result in increased sales."
more . . .

FDA ALERT re: Cytotec

Misoprostol (marketed as Cytotec) Information: "Misoprostol (marketed as Cytotec) Information

FDA ALERT – Risks of Use in Labor and Delivery

This Patient Information Sheet is for pregnant women who may receive misoprostol to soften their cervix or induce contractions to begin labor. Misoprostol is sometimes used to decrease blood loss after delivery of a baby. These uses are not approved by the FDA. No company has sent the FDA scientific proof that misoprostol is safe and effective for these uses.

There can be serious side effects, including a torn uterus (womb), when misoprostol is used for labor and delivery. A torn uterus may result in severe bleeding, having the uterus removed (hysterectomy), and death of the mother or baby. These side effects are more likely in women who have had previous uterine surgery, a previous Cesarean delivery (C-section), or several previous births.

This information reflects FDA’s preliminary analysis of data concerning this drug. FDA is considering, but has not reached a final conclusion about, this information. FDA intends to update this sheet when additional information or analyses become available."

State: Patients' rights law narrowed

State: Patients' rights law narrowed: "Supporters of the patients' right to know amendment passed by voters in November promised it would allow Floridians to compare hospitals, finding out which had higher infection rates or made careless surgery errors.

Not anymore. And that has backers threatening to go to court."

Nurses who took part in a rally for patient rights have been suspended.

Nurses who took part in a rally for patient rights have been suspended.: "Nurses who took part in a rally for patient rights have been suspended.
Posted 5/2/2005 02:44 PM

A group of nine nurses from BAR-H in Beckley took part in what they said was an educational rally last Wednesday.

Story by Liz Kravitz Email | Bio

Last week nurses were standing on the side of the road in Beckley letting people know about their concerns.

59 News spoke with Bill Riggs from the Kentucky Nurses association, the group that organized the event.

He says the nurses were educating the community about nurses concerns that adequate staffing and safe patient care was not being responded to by Beckley A-R-H management.

Now Riggs is filing charges with the National Labor Board.

He says the nurses are being punished for standing up for their patients.

And, he claims the suspension is illegal.

'The contract says that the employer may take disciplinary measures against anyone for a just cause. Certainly there was no just cause here because there was no violation of the agreement there was no violation of our contract in any way. In fact the violation occur when the nurses are not put in a safe patient care environment and we have filed grievances over that issue.' says Bill Riggs.

Riggs says after months of meetings and communication with A-R-H about the problem, inadequate staffing still exists.

He says they will continue to advocate for patient care.

In a statement from ARH, CEO Rocco Massey says, 'Its ARH's standard to remain within its collective bargaining agreements and personnel policies. In order to protect the integrity of the unions, the employees involved and ARH, it is our policy not to discuss these issues publicly. Ongoing dialogue between ARH and the Kentucky and West Virginia Nurses associations continues.'"

Jewish Groups Say it’s Time to Stop Circumcising Boys

Jewish Groups Say it’s Time to Stop Circumcising Boys


MGMBill.org • San Diego, California • comments@mgmbill.org

For Immediate Release - 2/9/2005
• Contact: Matthew Hess, President
• Phone/Fax: (208) 330-8435

Jewish Groups Say it’s Time to Stop Circumcising Boys

SAN DIEGO, California – The recent death of a baby boy in New York City has prompted some Jewish groups to call for an end to the practice of male circumcision. City investigators believe the boy died after contracting herpes from an infected mohel who sucked the blood from the baby’s circumcision wound. Two other boys circumcised by the mohel have also contracted herpes, including the dead boy’s twin brother.

Also known as Brit Milah, circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis. Although circumcision deaths in the U.S. are rare, the ritual is facing heavy criticism as it becomes synonymous with genital mutilation.

“What happened to this innocent Jewish baby in New York is especially tragic,” said Gillian Flato, Director of Jews Against Circumcision, an international organization of Jews who have re-examined the practice and have found it to be immoral. “I think this is a wake up call for the Jewish community. Are they willing to blindly follow tradition and jeopardize their sons' lives? Circumcision does not make one Jewish. Being born to a Jewish mother makes you Jewish, or a Jewish father in the Reform tradition. Being Jewish is in your heart, not in your penis.”

Dr. Ronald Goldman, Executive Director of the Jewish Circumcision Resource Center in Boston and author of Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective, said that many Jewish parents feel pressured to circumcise their newborn sons by family members or others within the Jewish community.

“For a growing number of Jews, circumcision raises serious intellectual, emotional, and ethical conflicts. A lot of parents end up regretting their decision to have their baby boys circumcised, especially if they witness the ceremony,” said Goldman. “Those Jews that forgo circumcision are at peace with their decision. Jewish parents who are questioning circumcision have options."

One of those options is a Brit Shalom, a naming ceremony that some Jewish families practice as an alternative to traditional circumcision. Growing in popularity, it shares many of the same ceremonial aspects of the Brit Milah, but without cutting the genitals. It is similar to the naming ceremony used to celebrate the birth of Jewish girls.

Attempts to protect boys from circumcision have now crossed into the legal realm as well. While girls have been legally protected from circumcision in the U.S. since 1996, a federal bill proposal written by a San Diego group called MGMbill.org would extend that protection to boys. Matthew Hess, the group’s president, said that Jewish support for the proposed bill will be critical to its success.

“Efforts to legally protect boys from MGM (“male genital mutilation”) will be much harder without the support of Jewish leaders,” said Hess. “Many politicians fear that supporting a ban on infant male circumcision will upset their Jewish constituencies and cost them votes in the next election. But those attitudes can be changed if more Jews speak out against the practice - just as Muslim women have changed opinions on female circumcision in Africa.”

Hess himself is not Jewish, but he said that feedback and advice received from Jewish members of Congress and their staff have made him more aware of the need to encourage activism in the Jewish community at large. “Concerns about the ethics of circumcision are pervasive,” said Hess. “But transforming those concerns into action requires people to speak up.”

Free Press : Help keep advertisers off our kids

Free Press : Help keep advertisers off our kids
Under current law, it is more difficult to regulate advertising to children than to adults! The HeLP America Act (S. 2558) is an important step towards fixing this problem. By restoring the FTC’s authority to control children’s advertising, we will have the regulatory structure needed to fight back against unchecked advertisers.

Take a moment to support this crucial legislation.

PETITION BACKGROUND:

In 1978, based on research showing that marketing to children is inherently unfair because they do not understand its persuasive intent, the FTC proposed a ban on advertising to children under eight. Worried about losing access to a lucrative market, the affected industries lobbied Congress and convinced them in 1980 to rescind the FTC’s power to regulate advertising to children.

The HeLP America (Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention) Act, S 2558, would restore government regulation of child-directed advertising after nearly 25 years of minimal oversight.

Some facts about marketing to children:

* In 2002 alone, corporations spent at least than $15 billion on marketing to children.
* Marketing is a factor in the childhood obesity epidemic. Since 1980, the number of overweight kids in the U.S. between 6 and 11 years of age doubled, while the number tripled for those 12 to 17 years old
* Marketing encourages eating disorders, precocious sexuality, youth violence and family stress.
* In their effort to establish cradle-to-grave brand loyalty, marketers even target babies.
* 85% of Americans want to make children’s programming commercial free.

For more information on advertising, commercialism, and children, check out the following areas of the Free Press website:
Children's Programming Activist Issue
Advertising Regulation Activist Issue
Hypercommercialism Ongoing Project

To join the growing movement to protect children from harmful marketing, please visit www.commercialexploitation.org.

Midwifery legislation pending in 10 states

VBFree Midwifery-related Action Alerts!

* Alabama - Developing CPM legislation
* Ohio - CPM licensure
* Illinois - CPM licensure
* Massachusets - CPM/CNM/CM licensure by a single board
* Missouri - DEM decriminalization / rights of pregnant women
* Nebraska - CPM licensure, CNM autonomy (OOH)
* Utah - CPM licensure
* Virginia - CPM licensure, CNM pilot projects, infection reporting, medical malpractice
* Wisconsin - Developing CPM legislation
* Wyoming - CPM decriminalization / registration

CLICK HERE for details.

OPPOSE HB 2205 Malpractice settlements; disclosure of certain [info] via Physician Information Project.

LIS > Bill Tracking > HB2205 > 2005 session: HB 2205 Malpractice settlements; Disclosure of certain malpractice settlements via the Physician Information Project.
Patron: Bradley Marrs
- Modifies the reporting and disclosure requirements concerning malpractice settlements relating to physicians of medicine, osteopathy, and podiatry. The bill prohibits the disclosure online via the Physician Information Project of malpractice settlements that are required to be reported by insurance companies, and limits reports to the Board of Medicine from individual physicians to malpractice judgments. The settlements will still be reported to the Board of Medicine by the malpractice carriers.

Please call the General Assembly's Constituent Viewpoint lines to OPPOSE THIS BILL. The operators will immediately forward your opinions to both your delegate and your senator.

CALL: 1-800-889-0229 (outside Richmond) or 698-1990 (Richmond area) 9am-5pm M-F

related article:
Bad outcome to impart lessons
Family that alleged negligence in lawsuit sees need for reform
BY BILL MCKELWAY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Thursday, January 20, 2005

"Among the more than two dozen bills affecting medical-malpractice laws and physician discipline in this year's legislative session is one filed by Del. Bradley P. Marrs, R-Chesterfield. It would end the practice of filing notice of medical-malpractice settlements on the Board of Medicine's public Web site.

Marrs, a lawyer, said the bill is "a product of my own thinking" and has not been entered because of complaints from a constituent or the medical profession. Nor did the Medical Society of Virginia request the bill, said a spokesman.

Marrs said he believes doctors' fears about public notices of settlements and the misimpression people can get about a doctor from seeing the vague notices are forcing claims of malpractice to go to trial.

Medical board records show that removing public notice of a settlement from the Web site would keep from public scrutiny almost 90 percent of medical-malpractice cases that are resolved with a paid claim in Virginia."

HB 1570 Nosocomial infections; procedures for hospitals to release information.

This bill was approved by the full House and has been referred to Senate Committee on Education and Health

See current status

Please call the General Assembly's Constituent Viewpoint lines to SUPPORT THIS BILL. The operators will immediately forward your opinions to both your delegate and your senator.

CALL: 1-800-889-0229 (outside Richmond) or 698-1990 (Richmond area) 9am-5pm M-F

Click here for more VBFree Action Alerts!

Support Informed Consent Amendment for Off-Label Use of Approved Medications

CLICK HERE > http://www.townhall.state.va.us/Stage/ViewStage.cfm?Stage=2830
TO COMMENT IN SUPPORT OF AN AMENDMENT TO PROPOSED BOARD OF MEDICINE REGULATIONS GOVERNING ETHICAL STANDARDS OF PRACTICE in VIRGINIA


Currently proposed regulations would require practitioners to obtain informed consent before performing surgical or invasive procedures, however, they would not apply to prescribing or administering medications, not even for "off label" uses, such as administering the ulcer drug Cytotec to induce childbirth in disregard of severe FDA approved label warnings, prescribing powerful adult psychotropic medications to control the behavior of young children even in the absence of studies of the effects that they may have on less than fully developed brains, and other less than scientifically supported applications for drugs that have received general FDA approval, albeit for entirely different purposes.

I've asked the BoM to extend the regulatory process in order to consider an amendment to proposed 18VAC85-20-24
that would somehow effectively state the following:
"5. Medications prescribed or administered for purposes other than those specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall be considered experimental, and informed consent, as defined in § 32.1-162.16 of the Code of Virginia, shall be obtained from the patient. Pursuant to this provision, informed consent shall also include the disclosure of all notices of warnings, contraindications or adverse reactions that appear in the FDA approved package inserts related to the use of such medications, and such informed consent should be obtained prior to reasonably foreseeable circumstances during which the practitioner may intend to prescribe or administer such medications."

It only takes a few minutes to register and post your comments to the Virginia Legislative Town Hall's public comment forum. The Board of Medicine will host a Public hearing in Richmond on Friday, 1/21 to otherwise conclude the approval of the previously proposed regluations.

Click here for more details: http://www.townhall.state.va.us/Stage/ViewStage.cfm?Stage=2830

Please ACT NOW! . . . and FORWARD THIS APPEAL to any related lists and blogs.

Thank you,

Support nosocomial infection reporting legislation

The CDC estimates that one of every six patients admitted to American hospitals contracts a nosocomial (hospital acquired) infection and 90,000 die each year from such infections. Furthermore, there is a high degree of variation in the infection rates among hospitals, depending largely on the diligence of efforts to contain them.

The public would clearly benefit from being able to compare these rates when choosing a hospital.

Delegate Bob Purkey has introduced nosocomial infection reporting legislation in 4 of the 5 last sessions of the Virginia General Assembly. Every one of those bills has been tabled by unanimous votes in the House HWI Committee. Yet, he's giving it another try in 2005:

HB 1570 Nosocomial infections; procedures for hospitals to release information.
Patron: Harry R. Purkey

Summary as introduced:
Information on nosocomial infections. Requires the Board of Health to develop a procedure whereby aggregate information on each hospital's incidence of nosocomial infections, without patient identifiers, may be released to the public, upon request; filed in the hospital's licensure records within the Department of Health; and transmitted to the Division of Consumer Counsel and the Administrator of Consumer Affairs for use in determining any necessary actions to protect the interests of Virginia's consumers. Nosocomial infections are acquired in a hospital or other health care setting. The Board of Health is required to promulgate emergency regulations to implement this provision.

Full text:
12/09/04 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 051262472

Status:
12/09/04 House: Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions

Virginians should support this legislation by contacting their legislators directly or by calling the Constituent Viewpoint line at (800) 889-0229 (outside Richmond) or 698-1990 (Richmond area) after the session convenes on January 12, 2005.

Virginia Regulatory Action: Standards of Professional Conduct

ACTION ALERT: Public comments needed to ensure informed consent for "off label" use of medications

Agency: Department of Health Professions
Board: Board of Medicine
Chapter: Regulations Governing the Practice of Medicine, Osteopathy, Podiatry, and Chiropractic (18 VAC 85-20)
Action Title: Ethical standards for practice


NEW REGULATIONS pertaining to medical ethics and informed consent are currently under consideration in Virginia, and public comments are being solicited. The proposed regulations address a long standing deficiency. While the proposals represent a big step in the right direction, there are still deficiencies that only you can help to address. This is a late appeal, and the regulations will be finalized in their current form unless 24 more people request the ask for consideration of the suggestions that I have recently submitted.

Current statutes and regs require professionals who are regulated by the Board of Medicine to practice in accordance with "the standards of ethics of his branch of the healing arts." However, the standards that have been adopted by various professional organizations (AMA, ACOG, etc.) are generally not intended to be used as substitutes for regulations, they are often vague and complicated, they change without notice to the states, not all professionals belong to the same organizations, etc.

The uniform regulations would require practitioners to obtain informed consent before performing surgical or invasive procedures, however, they would not apply to prescribing or administering medications, even for "off label" purposes such as the use of Cytotec to induce labor.

Therefore, I've submitted the following comment to the Board:

I am generally very pleased with the proposed regulations that would establish uniform standards of ethics for professions regulated by the Board of Medicine. However, I note the omission of one subject that I know to be of concern to many Virginians, which is the "off-label" prescription and administration of various medications. I realize that there are many legitimate reasons why it may desirable for practitioners to be allowed to use FDA approved drugs for purposes other than those for which they were initially tested, approved and intended. However, I firmly believe that the public has a right to be informed that such use is technically experimental, and what the associated risks may be.

Therefore, I urge the Board to include a 5th provision under "18VAC85-20-24(A), Practitioner-patient communication," that would effectively state the following:

"5. Medications prescribed or administered for purposes other than those specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall be considered experimental, and informed consent, as defined in § 32.1-162.16 of the Code of Virginia, shall be obtained from the patient. Pursuant to this provision, informed consent shall also include the disclosure of all notices of warnings, contraindications or adverse reactions that appear in the FDA approved package inserts related to the use of such medications, and such informed consent should be obtained prior to reasonably foreseeable circumstances during which the practitioner may intend to prescribe or administer such medications."

My concern arises from my familiarity with the common use of the drug Cytotec (misoprostol) to induce or augment the labor of childbearing women, although I'm sure that this provision is also warranted with regard to the off-label use of other drugs.

I appreciate the simplified enabling of public participation that this forum provides.

Sincerely,

Steve Cochran
Floyd, VA


View and submit comments:
http://www.townhall.state.va.us/Forum/ListComments.cfm?Stage=2830


The process of promulgating these regulations began in June. The second and "final" Public Comment Period began on 11/28 and will end on 1/28/05. The Board will need to receive requests from at least twenty-five citizens in order to revise the proposed regulations at this stage in the process. If you agree in substance with the request that I've submitted, your request can simply state that you want the regulations to "require mandatory informed consent for the off-label use of medications." This will cause the draft to be amended and subjected to a new "final" round of consideration. Otherwise, a whole new process would need to be initiated to address the concern.

The Virginia Regulatory Town Hall web site makes it very easy for citizens to submit comments (after completing a simple registration process). I've collected and posted some of the information and links from the state web site at http://birthpolicy.org/medregs.html --or, if you're fairly web-savvy and familiar with the regulatory process, you can go straight to the applicable section of the Regulatory Town Hall web site --and you'll probably manage to make sense of it all on your own (also see, "How do I make on-line comments on regulatory changes?" at the bottom of this page).

This is a golden opportunity for citizens to participate in the regulatory process to hopefully ensure the ability of more women to make informed choices related to childbirth, and for all patients to make better informed health care decisions. It will familiarize midwifery advocates with the process by which direct entry midwives will be regulated, if and when the CPM bill is finally enacted.

Although the public comment period doesn't end until 1/28, the final public meeting (unless we succeed in adding this amendment to the draft) will be held in Richmond on Friday, January 21, 2005.

These regulations can go a long way toward ensuring the rights of childbearing women and many other patients of physicians in VA. Your help could be critical. 25 requests are needed to extend the process to allow for consideration of further amendments.

The process might seem somewhat complex at first, however, it's not really all THAT hard and we may learn that we the people can influence public policies, if we try.

For more info, see the links below, or feel free to contact me personally.

Steve Cochran
blog@vbfree.org


RELATED LINKS:

Institute for Childbirth Policy Reform - features selected info from the Town Hall's PDF files and other details
Virginia Birthing Freedom - same info as above, plus other Va. policy resources

Virginia Regulatory Town Hall

• Proposed Regulation of Standards of Professional Conduct
• Proposed Regulation Agency Background Document (includes the summaries, basis and full text of all of the proposed regulations contained in this action)
  18VAC85-20-21. Treating and prescribing for self or family.
  18VAC85-20-22. Patient records.
  18VAC85-20-23. Confidentiality.
  18VAC85-20-24. Practitioner-patient communication; termination of relationship.
  18VAC85-20-25. Practitioner responsibility.
  18VAC85-20-30. Advertising ethics.
  18VAC85-20-40. Vitamins, minerals and food supplements.
  18VAC85-20-90. Pharmacotherapy for weight loss.
  18VAC85-20-100. Sexual contact.
  (you may want to review and comment on other sections as well)

Guide to the Regulatory Process
http://www.townhall.state.va.us/dpbpages/apaintro.cfm


How to Use the Regulatory Town Hall
http://www.townhall.state.va.us/dpbpages/howtouse.cfm

"How do I make on-line comments on regulatory changes?
The Town Hall contains an innovative feature for facilitating public participation in the regulatory process. The public comment forums on the Town Hall allow users to view comments made by others as well as submit comments of their own. At the present time, agencies are not required to host comment forums, so not every regulatory stage will have a public comment forum. Comment forums are only open for comment during the official comment period for a stage. After the comment period has closed, it is possible to view all of the comments that have been made, but it is not possible to enter a new comment. Whenever a comment forum is available, there will be a link on the Stage Information page to the comment forum. Another way to quickly access all currently-open comment forums is to use the View public comment forums link available on the menu bar.

View all comments:
http://www.townhall.state.va.us/Forum/ListComments.cfm?Stage=2830

Once you are in the comment forum section of the website, links are provided for viewing others comments and for entering your own. Currently, comments are limited to 750 words and users are limited to a two comments per forum.. You may enter your comment directly into the word-processing window provided on the web page, or you may cut-and-paste a comment you have prepared on your own word processor. After making your comment, be sure to save it. You must be a registered user in order to make comments on a forum. If you are not logged on to the site, you will be prompted to do so before making a comment.

Once you have made and submitted a comment, it becomes part of the official record of a regulatory action and cannot be changed. Of course, you are always free to submit a second comment to clarify or expand on your previous remarks."