Elana Gordon
Elana Gordon covers the health beat at KCUR. She was previously a production assistant for KCURâ
-
A competition to encourage entrepreneurs to design health apps came up with a wide range of possibilities. One app audits medical bills for errors and savings. Another helps find prices for services, such as dental exams, for people without insurance coverage. -
The presence of fast food joints on hospital campuses often conflicts with wellness efforts. Long-term leases have made it difficult for these facilities to kick the restaurants out. But some hospitals are managing to give burgers and fries the boot. -
Immediately after last week's election, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced the state would not be setting up its own health insurance exchange. Next door in Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback announced that Kansas will have no involvement in running a state exchange either. The moves open the door for increased federal involvement in health care in staunchly Republican territory.
-
A surprising number of hospitals continue to host major fast-food restaurants on their premises. In Kansas City, Truman Medical Center is trying to compete with McDonalds' by serving healthier food. In the past, hospitals have been slammed for offering not so healthy choices.
-
The Aztec people believed chia seeds gave them the power to run faster and longer. Today, they're the latest healthy diet trend. But don't eat those old holiday gifts growing out of clay pots, the company recommends. -
Hospitals trying to eliminate unhealthy food from their cafeterias are finding that uprooting fast food chains isn't easy. -
The law's expansion of coverage puts free clinics in uncharted territory. Their dilemma: Should they stay outside the mainstream of the health system, remaining mostly dependent on donations and grants? Or should they start to accept Medicaid and other insurance?
