Articles

As America’s population continues to age, there’s more need than ever for increased access to diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases. Consider that approximately 50 million Americans, or one in five adults, suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or other autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected, with some estimates indicating that 75 percent of those affected — some 37 million people — are female.

Ever since the first seemingly savvy saver stashed cash underneath a mattress, investors have turned toward safe harbors to help protect their hard-earned dollars. But despite a generally held belief, fixed-income investments and other finance fortresses aren’t fool proof in today’s turbulent market. There are hidden risks in seemingly sturdy spots — even holding cash — that could threaten the ongoing maintenance of your current standard of living.

As all medical groups and practices battle some level of turnover with their physicians, it is important for any departing physician, and his or her employer, to know what obligations they have to notify patients of the departure. Ohio Revised Code § 4731.228 (the “Code”) states that health care entities are required to provide notice to a physician’s patient when that physician has been terminated. Under this section, “termination” means the end of a physician’s employment with a health care entity, for any reason.

Digital deformities, otherwise known as hammertoes, continue to be one of the most common conditions foot and ankle surgeons treat. It is estimated that nearly half of all forefoot surgical procedures are centered around digital deformity correction. It has been reported that about 20% of the United States population develops a digital deformity, with peak incidences in the 6th and 7th decades. Women are nearly 5 times more likely to develop digital deformities than men, and shoe-wearing societies demonstrate a significantly higher rate of deformity progression.

Ankle arthritis is a fairly common condition that occurs when the articular cartilage on the tibia and/or talus bones wears away. It most commonly occurs as a result of trauma (fractures or sprains), primary degenerative arthritis, or from an inflammatory condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis. 

For all employers that sponsor retirement plans, make sure you continue to stay current on potential changes with respect to who may be considered fiduciaries of your plan. After more than five years of debate as to the direction of the meaning of an investment advice “fiduciary” under Section 3(21) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the United States Department of Labor (DOL) is moving ahead with its attempt to broaden its scope by redefining the current five-part test.

It may seem obvious that certain medical specialties are sued more often than others (think neurosurgery vs. rhinology). However, there are also physician behaviors that can result in a higher claims rate, according to a recent study reported by The New England Journal of Medicine.

The implementation of a ketogenic diet (KD) to treat intractable childhood epilepsy has ancient origins. As elements of the treatment have advanced over the centuries, clinicians are hopeful the diet’s uses can be expanded to address other neurological disorders.

No matter your age or your approach to investing, there is one kind of investment that may be considered for your portfolio: dividend-paying stocks. While hardly the sexiest of investment choices, dividend-paying stocks may offer a difficult-to-beat combination — good quality and a history of typically lower volatility than the overall market. Wren cites an impressive number in this regard. During the past 80 years, about half of the market’s growth, as measured by the S&P 500, has come from dividend-paying stocks.