State News

State News

Arkansas Recognized for Access to Treatment for Rheumatic Diseases

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas is doing something right in terms of creating affordable treatment options for people living with rheumatic diseases, according to a new report card from the American College of Rheumatology.

Like most of the country, the state received a grade of 'C' for lifestyle activities and affordability, but the College gives Arkansas an 'A' grade for access to care.

Dr. Christopher Mecoli, a rheumatologist with Johns Hopkins, explained: 'There's actually really good legislation in Arkansas that helps patients receive medications by preventing a practice called step therapy – a practice employed by insurance companies that requires patients to try a medication that the insurance company prefers.'

Rheumatic diseases include arthritis, gout and lupus, and 100 other conditions. These conditions affect one in four Americans, and the most recent numbers estimate 91 million people. Treatment for the illnesses cost $140 billion annually, which exceeds the annual cost of cancer care.

According to Mecoli, around 300,000 children have rheumatoid arthritis. Without early intervention and effective treatment from a rheumatologist, rheumatic diseases can cause pain and long-term physical disability, organ damage, and even premature death.

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Parents in Kids-in-Car Death Survey: ‘That Couldn’t Happen to Me’

LITTLE ROCK – Temperatures will top 90 degrees in much of Arkansas this week, and with that comes the concern of children being left in cars. Last year, 43 children died of heat stroke after being left in a hot car, including an Arkansas child who was left in a day-care van.

This month, Kars for Kids a car-donation nonprofit – released the results of a survey that found only 16 percent of parents surveyed think they might forget and leave their child in a hot car.

Ari Finkelstein, a media relations representative for the organization says incidences are higher in our region.

'We believe it does happen more often in southern states,' he says. 'They think it happens to bad parents, to irresponsible, neglectful parents. They think a lot of these parents are doing it intentionally, and they just don't think that such a thing can happen to themselves.'

Forgotten Baby Syndrome describes the ability for a parent to unintentionally leave a child confined in a car, and scientists say it's possible because busy parents' brains may go on 'autopilot' with such routine activities as driving to and from work.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open.