WNC wellness review

House calls: Asheville doctor turns medical practice into mobile business

"Lalor said he is the only doctor he knows in Western North Carolina offering the service. Lalor says [it's] nothing more than an old-fashioned house call and gives him a break from the busy emergency room, where he worked the past 16 years. 'It’s fun for me to sit down and talk to people,' he said. 'It just feels like a total different ball of wax.'" — [Asheville Citizen-Times]

Formaldehyde, styrene among substances deemed carcinogens or likely to cause cancer

"Styrene, which is used to make those ubiquitous white foam coffee cups, food containers and many other products, is probably a human carcinogen, the federal government declared Friday. The declaration came in the government’s latest update of its official list of known or possible carcinogens. It categorized formaldehyde, a chemical widely used to make many products, and a family of substances found in some herbal remedies as known carcinogens." — [The Washington Post]

Pardee, Mission advise they are prepared to be equal partners on Fletcher proposal

"Representatives of Pardee and Mission hospitals say they are prepared to form an equal partnership in a proposed outpatient facility in Fletcher, and an agreement of that nature would satisfy Henderson County commissioners, commission Chairman Mike Edney said Friday." — [BlueRidgeNow.com]

Studies show acupuncture effective in reducing stress and anxiety

"In 2003 an Austrian group conducted an interesting study on patients being transported to the hospital in an ambulance. … In the study, the points were needled during the ambulance ride to the hospital. Stress levels were assessed before embarking and upon arrival. The stress level reduced 67 percent in the acupuncture group, while it increased 10 percent in the control group." — [Tree.com]

Park Ridge offers $4 prescriptions at Fletcher Community Pharmacy

"Fletcher Community is proud to now offer the most comprehensive, low-cost prescription list in the area. All new and refill prescriptions that are part of this list are eligible for price modification, and our friendly and knowledgeable staff are always happy to assist with the transfer of existing prescriptions. Click here to access the complete $4 Prescription list." — [Park Ridge Health]

Study: Bisphenol A (BPA) accumulates more rapidly within the body than previously thought

"A new University of Missouri study shows that the exposure to the controversial chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) through diet has been underestimated by previous lab tests. " — [ScienceDaily.com]

Mental health shift approved by N.C. Legislature

"North Carolina's local mental health treatment system would consolidate and shift to a new managed-care model for Medicaid-paid services currently used in a handful of counties in legislation heading to Gov. Beverly Perdue's desk. The Senate gave final legislative approval Thursday to expand what state regulators consider a successful pilot project that places more controls on Medicaid service providers for the mentally ill, substance abusers and people with developmental disabilities." — [BlueRidgeNow.com]

Carolinas HealthCare System to manage Murphy hospital

"Carolinas HealthCare System will provide management services to Murphy Medical Center in Murphy, starting July 1. Murphy Medical Center is a 57-bed acute care hospital that draws patients primarily from Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties." — [Charlotte Business Journal]

Pulsed light reduces allergens in peanuts

"Wade Yang, an assistant professor in UF’s food science and human nutrition department, used pulsed ultraviolet light, or PUV, to reduce the allergenic potential of peanuts by up to 90 percent. The study was published this week by the journal Food and Bioprocess Technology. By releasing pulsed, or concentrated, bursts of light containing multiple wavelengths, PUV changes peanut allergens so that human antibodies can’t recognize them and cause the release of histamines, which are responsible for allergy symptoms such as itching, rashes and wheezing." — [University of Florida]