Last week we started off with a little nugget of good news. Based on feedback I received from loyal readers that theme seemed to resound well so I thought let’s try it again. This time the news is on the healthcare front.

From the St. Louis Business Journal:

“The medical malpractice insurance market in Missouri has stabilized, according to a report announced Sept. 27 by the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration.

“Escalating medical malpractice costs caused a market downturn in 1999-2003, according to the report. In 2005, legislators enacted lawsuit reform to address the health care crisis that was driving doctors out of the state. Those reforms have brought improved medical malpractice operations for the third consecutive year, the report said.”

The article and report go on to note that newly reported claims are down 61 percent, the total number of claims closed went up by 27 percent and the average claim settlement declined for the second straight year, dropping by 13 percent.

Tort reform was one of Gov. Matt Blunt’s initiatives when he ran for office. The General Assembly passed the law that brought about these changes. That’s good news, but don’t expect the major media outlets around the state to leak any good word about anything good being accomplished by Gov. Blunt’s administration.

Is it any wonder The New York Times tried to do a hatchet job on Rupert Murdock when he took over The Wall Street Journal? This is the kind of news liberal media outlets shove to the inside pages for fear of actually saying some good about the president’s economic policies.

In the meantime readers of the P-D can only watch the clock as it ticks away at the five-year moratorium on that newspaper’s newsroom Pulitzer put in place when it sold the newspaper, guaranteeing at least five more years of liberalism.

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Care for a little more?

Death rates from cancer are following faster than ever according to an Associated Press story last week.

“Between 2002 and 2004, death rates dropped by an average of 2.1 percent a year. That might not sound like much, but between 1993 and 2001, deaths rates dropped on average 1.1 percent a year.
”

The article goes on to break out mortality rates by various types of cancers, all of which have declined during the time period studied. While cancer is still a killer amongst us, it is nice to know and see the improvements being made.

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From the mailbag

Vitamins come to town

“The Dunklin County Medical Society met in regular meeting in Kennett at the Star Theatre on Tuesday night �*

“The society was entertained by Dr. John R. Lionberger of St. Louis who represents Parke-Davis & Co., a manufacturing house of pharmaceutical and biological products obtained by them by experimental research�*

“This was very interesting and served to sharpen the interest of both doctors and a large number of visitors present for the scientific part of the lecture on the subject of vitamins, which is found to be the real life-giving principles contained in food products.

“This was something new to most of the doctors and entirely so to the visitors present�*”

-Dunklin Democrat, April 8, 1921

The article doesn’t tell us how many vitamins, or even if, the good doctor was able to sell that night, but it does go on to say�*

“After the close of the scientific program the society with its invited guests repaired to the basement of the Presbyterian church and partook of an elegant banquet served by the dainty hands of the young ladies of that church,” adding, “This proved to be the most enjoyable part of the program to which it did ample justice.”

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The virtual mailbag

I received an email from Cindy Hine, pride and joy (apologies to Jeff) of Harry and Joan Bazzell, about son David’s new collegiate swimming career.

In his first meet, the California Baptist University Lancer freshman gave a good account of himself. If my notes are correct, David had a third place, three fourth place and one fifth place finish. I think there were nine schools in the meet, including Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount.

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The biggest fan

This should have been a game show. Last Saturday evening I happened to be in the car with a University of Kentucky Wildcat fan driving and a Louisiana State University Tiger fan in the back seat. The number one ranked Tigers were playing the 17th ranked Wildcats.

The show my fellow passenger, Tim McPherson and I had was almost as good as being at the game itself.

This was a back-and-forth game.

Every time Kentucky would do something good John McClellan would give a little fist-pump and a “Yeah.” From the back seat would come a tortured groan from LSU diehard, Ed Landry.

Whenever LSU pulled off a good play the scene was reversed. Ed would be the one offering up a little cheer and John would mutter, “That’s Kentucky football,” in that tone of all fans who have been led to the brink only to be denied once again.

About the time we got back to town and started to get out of John’s car LSU was getting ready for one last gasp at snatching the victory away from Kentucky again. (Several years ago LSU beat Kentucky on the last play of the game with a pass play of something like 60 yards.)

I think John told everyone goodbye, but it was quick so he could get back it his car and hear the final play. I haven’t seen Ed in over a week. Rumor has it he’s embarrassed at his Tigers.