Author: P Hasselbacher

Baptist Healthcare Spreads its Wings Statewide.

University of Louisville’s Dream Partner?

A notice in yesterday’s Courier-Journal announced that the Baptist Healthcare System was changing its name to Baptist Health as it acquires the Pattie A. Clay Hospital in Richmond KY. The shorter name is a little punchier and more touchy-feely: this in keeping with the hospital system’s warm and fuzzy marketing themes. Why not?

What I had been overlooking this past year was Baptist’s expansion of influence throughout the state. If all goes as seems planned, Baptist will finalize a full acquisition in October of the Madisonville Regional Medical Center and Trover Clinic, all soon to become Trover Health. This is a prestigious high-quality acquisition for Baptist Health and I congratulate them. Baptist now has mainline hospitals in cities across the entire state including Paducah, Madisonville, Elizabethtown, Louisville, La Grange, Lexington, and Richmond. In fact, I am unaware of any other hospital system in Kentucky so well represented statewide. Continue reading “Baptist Healthcare Spreads its Wings Statewide.”

More Failed Studies of Antibody Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease.

I was unaware that the  result from Lilly was not the only recent major failure of a clinical trial of antibodies to the amyloid plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.  It seems that many other big and little-name drug companies have been trying the same approach with their dozen or so different antibodies. Each is trying to make it to market first where the biggest money lies.  (Consumers should beware when the commercial pressures are this great.)

Last month, Pfizer and its partners announced a similar failure of several studies which showed no clinical improvement when their particular antibody, bapineuzumab, was administered to several thousand patients over 18 months. Continue reading “More Failed Studies of Antibody Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Unhealthy Food, But Delicious Merger Gossip at the Kentucky State Fair

KentuckyOne Health employee subject to non-disclosure agreement.

I went to the Kentucky State fair last week. I had missed the last two or three years. I like to walk through the various exhibits, see the animals, and get my yearly dose of lamb-sandwich and fried dough. Mostly I like to share the pride of all the people, especially the children, who bring their prized animals and goods to the fair. I go during the daytime, but it must be quite a scene at night. All the food you could eat (but shouldn’t) and all the beer you need to wash it down. I passed on what must have been a delicious doughnut burger. Continue reading “Unhealthy Food, But Delicious Merger Gossip at the Kentucky State Fair”

Lilly’s New Alzheimer Drug Fails Its Major Clinical Trials, But Stock Goes Up Anyway.

In God we trust. All others must bring data.

Yesterday, our local paper reprinted a piece from the Associated Press with the title, “Alzheimer’s drug promising.”  To me, this was a typical   example of what I call “press release medical reporting.”  The question I asked of myself and of the article was,  “how much is being promised.”  In my opinion, the answer is, “not very much,” but to the investment community to which this news release was being reported, it was enough to raise the stock prices of the manufacturer, Eli Lilly.  As a physician, I am not jumping up and down.  As an individual whose family was savaged for over three decades by Alzheimer’s disease, I am annoyed.  Let’s take a look at what is behind this commercial enthusiasm. Continue reading “Lilly’s New Alzheimer Drug Fails Its Major Clinical Trials, But Stock Goes Up Anyway.”