Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for Health / Medicine

US Senate passes bill to extend VA coverage to those sickened by toxic waste

By

The US Senate has passed a bill that will assist sickened veterans.

Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin says the PACT Act will ensure that veterans who are exposed to things like burn pits or water contamination on military bases will get treatment. 

“For years, they have not been able to get VA health care, because the VA has not acknowledged that, that these health conditions are related to their toxic exposure.”

The move will grant coverage to more than 3 point 5 million veterans. The bill passed the Senate 84-14. Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson also voted in favor of the bill.

The bill now heads to the House for a vote.

Republicans reject Evers special session to repeal Wisconsin abortion ban

By

Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday called a special session of the legislature to repeal Wisconsin’s ban on abortions. The leader of state Senate Republicans made it clear that they will not act on the announcement made by Evers during a press conference in Milwaukee.

“Today I’m calling for a special session of the Legislature, on Wednesday June 22 at noon, to take up legislation to repeal Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban, to protect the health and safety of Wisconsin women and to ensure abortions remain safe, legal and accessible in this state.”

“Wisconsin law has not changed and our pro-life position has not changed. Killing innocent babies is not healthcare,” said Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostberg), in a statement. “We will gavel out of another blatantly political special session call from this partisan governor.”

The Republican-controlled legislature has refused to act on any of several previous special sessions called by Evers, who’s up for reelection in November.

 

SCOWIS rules DHS may release business COVID-19 data

By

The Wisconsin Supreme Court rules that the state Department of Health Services can release data on COVID-19 infections at businesses.

Tuesday’s 4-3 decision comes in an October 2020 suit filed by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce against DHS and the Evers administration. WMC was concerned that release of information about positive COVID cases could be harmful to businesses.

Liberal justices, Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky, and conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn, ruled that the information can be released in response to media open records requests.

Conservatives argued personal health information could be inadvertently released.

 

Marquette Poll shows abortion rights will be a major factor in the mid-term elections

By

Abortion rights will be a major factor in this year’s mid-term elections.

Poll director Charles Franklin says very few respondents are not engaged with the issue. 

“54% say they would support the candidate who favors keeping abortion legal, 31% would support the candidate who favors strictly limiting abortion, and 14% say abortion really wouldn’t matter to them as an issue in this campaign.”

Democrats and Independents overwhelmingly believe that abortions should be legal in most cases, according to Franklin. 

“There’s a majority of Republicans that would limit abortion rights. 58% would say, illegal in most or all cases among Republicans.”

The US Supreme Court is set to issue a ruling that could overturn Roe versus Wade, and a leaked opinion seems to indicate that conservative justices are prepared to do so.

DHS recommends COVID booster for everyone age five and up

By

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is recommending COVID-19 booster doses for everyone age five and above.

DHS supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that children ages 5-through-11 should receive a booster dose five months after their initial Pfizer vaccination series. With this recommendation, DHS and CDC now recommend COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to everyone five years of age and older.

The CDC also recently strengthened another recommendation, encouraging those 12 and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, and people 50 and older to get a second booster dose.

Cases are increasing but new therapeutics can save lives of COVID patients

By

COVID-19 infections are again on the rise in Wisconsin, but new treatments can keep people alive. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ryan Westergaard notes that new therapeutics are available. His message to those 50 or older, or with underlying risk factors

“Know how to get Paxlovid or one of the other therapeutics because it can save lives,” Westergaard said during a Monday media conference call. “People are still at risk. But I think it’s important for people to embrace the what the new reality is, or the current phase of the pandemic, as one where we can save lives in ways that we never could before.”

The rate of COVID hospitalizations is not rising as rapidly as it did earlier this year. “But, it’s going up. So that’s why we want people to pay attention and take some action so it doesn’t get back into a danger zone,” Westergaard said.

It remains important for people to stay up to date on vaccinations, test if they show symptoms and stay home if they become ill.

Nurses group critical of Evers’ veto

By

The organization representing Wisconsin nurses is not happy about a veto from Governor Tony Evers. The bill created a separate license for nurse practitioners and other nurses with advanced training. Several physicians groups were opposed.

“I guess what it says is, organized medicine does not want us here in Wisconsin. They do not want us to be able to practice, and take care of patients independently. And I think that’s a very sad state of affairs,” Wisconsin Nurses Association CEO Gina Dennik-Champion said during a Thursday press conference at the Capitol.

Rebecca Gilbertson is a family nurse practitioner and operates a family care clinic in Medford. “I am very disappointed with the governor’s veto, as this does perpetuate physicians groups maintaining power and control over my nursing practice,” Gilbertson said.

Nurses were joined at the Capitol by the legislation’s Senate author, Senator Pat Testin (R-Stevens Point).

“This bill is not going away.” Testin said. “It will come back next session in some form or fashion. And I am hopeful that there will be an administration that will sign this bill into law.”

About 8,000 Wisconsin nurses have advanced degrees.

Event at Capitol raises awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman and Girls

By

Across the U.S. and Canada on Thursday, commemorations took place for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman and Girls.

Rachel Fernandez, a member of the Menominee Nation and Wisconsin Women’s Council, helped to organize an event in Madison, with a focus on families and survivors. “Where their stories are coming from, what is happening to them, the aftereffects. There are so many things that are interconnected here,” Fernandez explained. “Our loss, our invisibleness in media.”

Native women and girls face disproportionate rates of violence. In Wisconsin, Attorney General Josh Kaul has formed a task force to examine the issue.

Thursday’s event took place at the Wisconsin state Capitol – Fernandez said that location was intentional. “This is how systems work. We’re in the western colonized world, and we have to walk in these two worlds. So this is how we’re going to push more for our voices to be heard.”

Fernandez said there’s room for allies to help address the issue. “I ask all the non-Native allies, can you please stand with us, be with us. Don’t take our space but be with us. Uplift, share what we’re doing, donate to the organizations that are doing the work, and just stand with us, not in front of us.”

 

Future of abortion in Wisconsin hinges on SCOTUS ‘Roe’ decision

By

Most abortions would likely become illegal again in Wisconsin if a leaked majority opinion draft by the U-S Supreme Court holds up.

Wisconsin has actually had a little-known abortion ban on the books since 1849. It was rendered unenforceable by the landmark Roe versus Wade U-S Supreme Court ruling of 1973. But if Roe is overturned, as the leaked draft opinion suggests it could be, the only legal abortions in Wisconsin would likely be those to save the life of the mother.

The new draft opinion was made in a case challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court is expected to rule on the case before its term ends in June or July.

Candidates for Wisconsin governor and U.S. Senate have all weighed-in on Monday night’s leak of a draft opinion from the high court. It makes it appear likely that the court’s conservative majority plans to strike down the nearly 50-year-old ruling making abortion legal in the United States.

Statements fell along party lines; Governor Tony Evers said he’ll fight to keep abortion legal in Wisconsin; while three of his four Republican challengers said Monday night that they support the draft opinion. Senator Ron Johnson said the leak is an attempt to put political pressure on the court.

 

For Earth Day ‘No Mow May’ is taking root in Wisconsin

By

The No Mow May movement continues to take root in Wisconsin communities. Ashland residents are being encouraged not to mow their yards in May to help feed early-arriving bugs and birds. City council members voted this week to suspend enforcement of mowing ordinances until June 3.

Allowing grass to grow in spring creates habitat and forage such as dandelion and clover blooms for early-season pollinators. Two years ago, Appleton became the first city in the U.S. to adopt No Mow May. Other cities that have embraced the voluntary program include Wausau, La Crosse, Fort Atkinson and Stevens Point.

“We have a strong conservation ethic here in Stevens Point,” said Mayor Mike Wiza. “We have constructed pollinator gardens around the community and have worked to allow honey bees to be kept in the city. “No Mow May” is just one more way people who choose to help can do so.”

Insects play a critical role in local ecosystems, pollination and food production, but a new study warns that extreme land use combined with warming temperatures are pushing insect ecosystems toward collapse in some parts of the world.