Lifespan, which is about to be rebranded as Brown University Health, just bought St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton, Massachusetts for $175 million, making it a two-state hospital system.  Should Rhode Islanders care? On the face of it, it’s no big deal. A number of Rhode Island hospitals – Landmark in Woonsocket, […]
Environment & Health
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RIDOH issues Halloween safety reminders
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is reminding residents about some safety precautions to take this Halloween to ensure a fun and healthy holiday for all. For trick-or-treaters, the department stresses the importance of adult supervision, especially for young children. Children should be accompanied on their rounds, with a designated time for their return […]
Posted inCity & Government, Environment & Health, Weather
Offshore wind industry says ‘misinformation’ from foes is a strong headwind it must fight
By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The U.S offshore wind energy industry says it needs to fight back against disinformation being spread by opponents of wind farms. During the first day of a national offshore wind conference Tuesday in New Jersey, which has become ground zero for vocal, well-organized opposition to […]
Posted inCity & Government, Environment & Health
US chooses winning bids in first commercial sale for floating offshore Atlantic wind
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The U.S. government chose winning bids Tuesday to develop wind power off New England in the first commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic coast. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held a lease sale and selected nearly $22 million in winning bids for four lease areas from two firms. The […]
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Newport to host Fall Recycling Day
City of Newport residents can dispose of “harder to recycle” items at the city’s Fall Recycling Day on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 8 a.m. to noon at Easton’s Beach, 175 Memorial Boulevard. The event is free and open to city residents only with proof of residency required. The event will accept electronics, paper for shredding, […]
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URI and RIDOH partner for lead testing in child care facilities
The Rhode Island Department of Health is encouraging all licensed child care facilities to get their drinking water tested for lead, as part of an effort to address childhood lead poisoning. The testing is free and is offered through a partnership with the University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program. “Lead is poisonous […]
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Right whale population grows 4% but extinction remains a threat
BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (AP) — One of the rarest species of whale in the world has increased slightly in population, encouraging conservationists to call on the federal government and the shipping and fishing industries to do more to bring the giant animals back from the brink of extinction. The North Atlantic right whale, which can weigh […]
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Health Alert: Frozen waffles recalled due to possible listeria contamination
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is urging consumers to check their freezers for certain frozen waffle products sold under a variety of brand names due to potential Listeria contamination. The recall affects frozen waffles distributed nationwide and in Canada, according to a RIDOH news release. The waffles were sold under the following brand […]
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Blue-Green Algae Advisory lifted at Larkin Pond
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) recommend lifting the advisory for recreational activities at Larkin Pond in South Kingstown. The advisory was issued earlier due to elevated levels of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria. According to the departments, recent consecutive surveys and sample analyses […]
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Coastal cities have a hidden vulnerability to storm-surge and tidal flooding − entirely caused by humans
Google Earth Philip M. Orton, Stevens Institute of Technology and Stefan Talke, California Polytechnic State University Centuries ago, estuaries around the world were teeming with birds and turbulent with schools of fish, their marshlands and endless tracts of channels melting into the gray-blue horizon. Fast-forward to today, and in estuaries such as New York Harbor, […]
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RIDOH expands meat recall over listeria concerns
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is expanding its recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, originally announced on October 9th, due to potential Listeria contamination. The recall now includes approximately 11,765,285 pounds of products distributed nationwide. The affected items were produced by BrucePac from May 31st to October 8th, 2024, and bear establishment […]
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Dr. Michael Fine: What’s crazy about medical debt?
So there are now a number of programs and great organizations that buy up and retire medical debt. Which is kind of a cool idea. It turns out that 20 million Americans, or 15 percent of American households, have some medical debt over $250, that Americans owe at least $220 billion to health care clinicians and organizations. […]
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Rhode Island Department of Health expands meat recall over listeria concerns
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is expanding its recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products due to potential Listeria contamination. This expansion is part of a larger recall issued by BrucePac, which affects nearly 10 million pounds of products nationwide. The recalled items were produced between June 19, 2024, and October 8, 2024, […]
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Tiverton Library to host Medicare enrollment presentation
A free presentation on navigating Medicare enrollment will be held at the Tiverton Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. Christopher Ireland, a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Counselor at Child & Family of RI, will lead the session titled “Medicare Enrollment 101.” The program will take place at the library, located […]
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BrucePac recalls ready-to-eat meat and poultry products
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is advising consumers not to consume nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products recalled by BrucePac. The recall is due to potential Listeria contamination. The recalled products were produced between June 19, 2024, and October 8, 2024, and were distributed nationwide to various establishments, including […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Rhode Island Blood Center issues urgent call for blood donors
As a second potentially devastating hurricane is poised to ravage the southern U.S., Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC) is issuing an urgent appeal for blood donations. Donors are needed to ensure the availability of blood supplies for hospitals in weather-impacted areas, as well as to meet ongoing needs in the local region. Hurricane Milton is […]
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Newport County resident among new West Nile Virus cases in Rhode Island
A Newport County resident in their 60s is one of two new probable human cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) announced by Rhode Island health officials. The other case involves a Providence County resident in their 50s. These new cases bring the state’s total WNV count to six for the season, with three confirmed and […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Red and blue R.I. voters take different views on green energy in polling on offshore wind
by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island CurrentOctober 4, 2024 Political affiliation sways Rhode Islanders opinions on offshore wind far more than how close they live to the coastline, according to a new Rhode Island Current poll. The poll, conducted by MassINC Polling Group with funding from the Knight Election Hub, surveyed 800 likely voters from Sept. […]
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Rare whale died of chronic entanglement in Maine fishing gear
By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A rare whale found dead off Massachusetts earlier this year died as a result of entanglement in Maine lobster fishing gear, federal authorities said. The North Atlantic right whale was found dead off Martha’s Vineyard in January. The whales are declining in population and are at the center […]
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Salve Regina professor awarded NIH grant to research new treatments for common infection alongside undergraduate students
Salve Regina University today announced that Dr. Susan Meschwitz, a chemistry professor at the university, has been awarded a grant from the National Institute of Health to research treatments for urinary tract infections — which are experienced by 50-60% of women in their lifetime and highly recurrent. More from the announcement According to the National Institute […]
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Stormwater Innovation Expo will focus on ‘Partnerships for Statwide Climate Resilience’
The Rhode Island Green Infrastructure Coalition (RIGIC) will host its sixth annual Stormwater Innovation Expo on October 16, 2024, at the Roger Williams Park Casino in Providence. The event, running from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, will focus on “Partnerships for Statewide Climate Resilience,” showcasing current trends and practices in stormwater management. The expo will […]
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Narragansett Electric to hold public hearing on transmission line project
The Energy Facility Siting Board will hold a public hearing on Oct. 23 to discuss Narragansett Electric Company’s plan to rebuild a 7.9-mile section of two main transmission lines that run through Portsmouth and Tiverton. The hearing will take place at 6 p.m. at Portsmouth Town Hall. The lines, L14 and M13, are 115 kilovolt […]
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Rhode Island sustains low uninsured rate, says survey
Rhode Island’s uninsured rate remains one of the lowest in the nation, according to the latest Rhode Island Health Information Survey, conducted on behalf of HealthSource RI, the state’s health coverage marketplace. The survey found that only 2.2% of Rhode Islanders were uninsured, a decrease from 2.9% in 2022. The decrease is within the margin […]
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Rhode Island Medical Society honors Senator Euer for legislative leadership
The Rhode Island Medical Society honored Sen. Dawn Euer with its Civic Leadership award at Thursday’s annual meeting at the Squantum Association in Riverside. The society honored Senator Euer for her ongoing advocacy for patients and medical professionals in Rhode Island, in particular her work to sponsor and successfully pass the Health Care Provider Shield […]
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Cutting food waste would lower emissions, but so far only one state has done it
By MELINA WALLING Associated Press Kay Masterson has always wanted to make her Boston-area restaurant more sustainable, partnering with an organic farm to get some vegetables close by and offering reusable containers for customers’ takeout. When Massachusetts was weighing whether to block restaurants from dumping food waste into landfills, her restaurant started composting without waiting on a […]