St. Joseph’s Social Welfare Board has found a way to save several thousand dollars a month and expedite patients’ access to prescription drugs in the process.
It’s done this by enrolling in AZ&Me Prescription Savings program, which the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced will provide medicines free of charge to free clinics, community health centers, hospitals and other qualifying facilities that serve the uninsured. This allows patients to receive the medicines they need the day they are prescribed, rather than having to wait several weeks as paperwork is processed.

It’s the kind of interview that doesn’t come around every day.
Thomas Beatie, who is perhaps better known as “the pregnant man,” appeared on Larry King Live on Monday with his wife, Nancy, to promote his book, “Labor of Love: The Story of One Man’s Extraordinary Pregnancy.” Beatie gave birth to the couple’s daughter, Susan, in July and is now expecting again.
Of course, this raises all kinds of questions. But the most obvious for me is one that King didn’t ask.

Being sick is no fun.
Or is it? As much as you might bemoan the cold or flu that keeps you stuck at home, you have to admit: Enduring sniffles, a sore throat or even an upset stomach at least gives you an excuse to be lazy. And assuming this is an excuse that comes your way only rarely, you might even enjoy it a bit.
But if you don’t, maybe these pointers for making the most of your “home sick” time will help.

Healthcare notes for Nov. 18, 2008

It didn’t seem like a lot to ask for, but now that she has it, it seems like the whole world. After more than six months in a wheelchair, Debbie Pullen has been given a fighting shot at standing on her own two feet again. The 48-year-old Gallatin, Mo., woman developed Guillain-Barré syndrome as a result of having the flu last spring. She began undergoing physical and occupational therapy at Heartland Regional Medical Center earlier this month. This long-hoped-for opportunity has definitely put a spring in her step, so to speak.

One thing’s for certain: St. Joseph is not short on churches. And while variety often is a good thing, having so many churches to choose from might make it difficult to decide which one to belong to. To aid in the process, several St. Joseph pastors offer some tips.

Welcome to my blog, Words of Wisdom. Quite a name, huh? Maybe one that sounds pretentious or that promises a level of understanding about life that I, at 24, might be a little limited to deliver. But given that Wisdom is my name, I really couldn’t call it anything else.

Instead of beating, Cole Henggeler’s heart makes a “swish.”
It’s a big difference caused by a small hole, which was caused by Cole being born with one too many 21st chromosomes. The fact that something as small as a single chromosome can make such a big difference in Cole and other children with Down syndrome is a testament to how much the little things in life matter — and no one knows this better than Cole’s mother, Carrie Henggeler.

Spirit is a beautiful black horse. But for Mary Wellington, he’s also a source of hope.
Ms. Wellington, who manages Casey’s General Store in Wathena, Kan., found out just what loyal customers the store has when some arranged to raffle Spirit to help Ms. Wellington as she undergoes treatment for breast cancer. Heather Robinson of Troy, Kan., is the one who spurred the raffle.
“When she told me about it, I had a line of people and I just didn’t know what to say,” said Ms. Wellington, who lived in St. Joseph until two years ago. “These small towns are just wonderful at taking care of people.”

It’s no secret the economy is on many minds right now.
But what may not be as well known, even with phrases like “job creation” being bantered about, are the details of some of society’s lesser-known professions. Who ever thinks, for example, about the people paid to write the bits of wisdom concealed inside fortune cookies? Or about the brave souls who sample pet foods produced by companies that don’t test on animals?
The list goes on and on, even in a city like St. Joseph that likely doesn’t contain many of the world’s weirdest jobs. But what we lack in crocodile wranglers and snake milkers, maybe we make up for in other jobs that still are somewhat well-kept secrets.