Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/24/2009
... through 5 years will arrive in pediatricians' offices by the end of next week, Health Director David R. Gifford said Tuesday. Gifford reported the state's eighth death from the H1N1 virus since Sept. 1. A man aged 50 to 60 from northern Rhode Island died of swine flu on Sunday. He had no underlying conditions, health officials said Tuesday afternoon. With enough vaccine available...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/24/2009
By Felice Freyer PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island has received its last shipment of vaccine against seasonal flu for adults, Health Director David R. Gifford said Tuesday. Some 5,000 doses of injectable vaccine and 20,000 of the nasal spray are on their way to primary-care doctors who did not get their full order. The Health Department is urging doctors to reserve the injectable vaccine...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
By Felice Freyer projo.com / Timothy C. Barmann New data from the R.I. Department of Health shows a dramatic spike in emergency room visits for flu-like symptoms the first week of November. Click on chart for larger version. PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The number of flu cases in Rhode Island took an abrupt nosedive last week, as the swine-flu epidemic starts to wane in the state. Information gathered from...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
The number of flu cases in Rhode Island took an abrupt nosedive last week as the swine-flu epidemic in the state starts to wane.Information gathered from emergency rooms, doctors’ offices and schools indicates that flu-like illnesses — most of them swine flu — peaked in the first week of November, and then dropped sharply last week, said Health Director David R. Gifford.But that doesn’t...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/12/2009
Enough swine-flu vaccine is available in Rhode Island to vaccinate every pregnant woman who wants it, said Health Director David R. Gifford.The state has distributed 10,000 doses to obstetricians and birthing hospitals, but is still getting calls from pregnant women who are having trouble getting a shot, Gifford said.“There’s plenty of vaccine out there for them,” he said. Women...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
By Felice Freyer Enough swine-flu vaccine is available in Rhode Island to vaccinate every pregnant woman who wants it, state Health Director David R. Gifford said Tuesday. The state has distributed 10,000 shots to obstetricians. Women whose obstetricians have run out of vaccine should call (401) 222-8022 to arrange to get vaccine to their doctor, Gifford said. Additionally, three...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009
By News staff By Mike McKinney and Felice Freyer Journal Staff Writers PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Health Department director David R. Gifford said Tuesday at a news briefing that an unnamed Rhode Island woman died on Monday, and that swine flu is suspected. He said she had several underlying illnesses and was between 40 and 50 years old. She was admitted to an unnamed hospital over the weekend....
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
... meeting Wednesday at the Providence Marriott Downtown that included a presentation from Dr. David R. Gifford, director for the state Department of Health, who said the H1N1 flu outbreak in the state probably has not yet reached its peak.When Gifford opened the floor to questions, almost none were about business practices, but many concerned how the flu affects children. “It’s...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009
By Thomas J. Morgan By Mike McKinney and Felice Freyer Journal Staff Writers PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Health Department director David R. Gifford said Tuesday that a Lincoln Middle School student who died over the weekend at Hasbro Children's Hospital had H1N1, or swine flu. Gifford also said an unnamed Rhode Island woman died on Monday, and that swine flu is suspected. He said she...
AboutLawsuits.com (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
... that the staff was clear on the procedure and the surgical site. The state’s health director, David R. Gifford, said that the hospital had shown a “pattern of surgical errors” which was unacceptable and needed to be corrected to protect patients. The $150,000 fine is only the second time that the Rhode Island Health Department has fined a hospital in the state, according to the Providence...
Anchor Rising (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Drawing the Wrong Conclusion from StatisticsMarc Comtois Just a minor observation based on the story in about Tamiflu, which states:A recent check of prescribing data from pharmacies around the state found that 15 percent of Tamiflu prescriptions were filled five days after they were written.That means a lot of wasted Tamiflu, says Health Director David R. Gifford –– because the drug...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
... FIOS 460 and Channel 14. Moderated by former TV anchorman Dave Layman, the panel will feature Dr. David R. Gifford and Dr. Robert S. Crausman of the state Health Department; Dr. Elizabeth B. Lange, a pediatrician and Rhode Island chapter president of the American Academy of Pediatrics; and Dr. Nicole Alexander, pediatric infectious disease expert at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. The...
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
A recent check of prescribing data from pharmacies around the state found that 15 percent of Tamiflu prescriptions were filled five days after they were written.That means a lot of wasted Tamiflu, says Health Director David R. Gifford –– because the drug works only if you take it within a day or two after you start feeling ill.Antivirals such as Tamiflu work differently than antibiotics....
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009
... at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence had H1N1, commonly known as swine flu. Health Director David R. Gifford said Monday that the child had suffered from flu-like symptoms. Check back for coverage of these stories as they develop.
Providence Journal (Free subscription) | 11/02/2009
... RI Hospital's ability to consistently provide for safe surgical procedures," Health Director David R. Gifford said in a letter to hospital president Timothy J. Babineau. Extra: Read the deficiency report, a detailed description of the Department of Health's findings
