Cultural Competence

PITMAN, N.J. — According to an article in the November/December issue of the journal Medical-Surgical Nursing, rates of HIV/AIDS, herpes, syphilis, human papilloma virus and other STDs are climbing steadily across men and women older than 50 years. 

MENLO PARK, Calif. — The unemployed and underemployed have limited access to health care and, in many cases, are putting off seeking medical care, according to the "Long-Term Unemployed Survey" released on Monday by NPR News and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

When they are sick or need medical advice, the long‐term unemployed and underemployed are much more likely than those with full‐time jobs to say they rely on a hospital emergency room or that they have no usual place to go for care (39% compared with 15% of full‐time employees).

INDIANAPOLIS — Drug maker Eli Lilly has expanded its Spanish-language portal, the company said Friday.

Subsidiary Lilly USA launched an expanded "En Español" section of the Lilly For Better Health website. The section features a 60-page interactive health album that provides tips on healthy eating, physical activity and managing health conditions, as well as health-and-wellness quizzes and risk assessments on weight management, diabetes and other topics.

BOSTON — Women who work a rotating schedule that includes three or more night shifts per month, in addition to day and evening working hours in that month, may have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when compared with women who only work days or evenings, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard's School of Public Health that was released Tuesday.

In addition, the researchers found that extended years of rotating night shift work was associated with weight gain, which may contribute to the increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Upon entering eRxCity on the second floor of a medical building at the corner of Mott and Canal streets in Chinatown in New York City, the store’s whole concept becomes clear from a slogan printed on the wall across from a flat-screen TV showing Hong Kong soap operas: “The next generation pharmacy.”


SAN FRANCISCO — As of January 2012, Chinese Community Health Plan will transition to a new pharmacy benefits management company, Navitus Health Solutions, from Express Scripts to provide its members with continued access to Walgreens pharmacies, the health plan subsidiary of Chinese Hospital in San Francisco announced Friday.

According to the health plan, the move was made to maintain access to those Walgreens pharmacies. "In San Francisco, Walgreens is a leading pharmacy provider and operates the only 24-hour pharmacies in the city," the company stated.

LOS ANGELES — A new fitness DVD featuring singer Kelly Rowland and Jeanette Jenkins, founder of the Hollywood Trainer, has made its debut.

"Sexy Abs," which is part of the "Hollywood Trainer Celebrity Series," includes six chapters of abdominals training, giving fans access to Rowland’s workouts that were developed by Jenkins.

"Sexy Abs" carries a suggested retail price of $24.95.

PHILADELPHIA — A hand and respiratory hygiene program including frequent use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer helped reduce illness caused by influenza A, and reduced the number of missed school days in elementary school children, according to a study in the November issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.