Ruby de Luna

Washington Selects Community Groups To Promote Health Exchange

Ruby de Luna — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:53:28 +0000

About a million Washington residents are now without health insurance. Come October, the state hopes to get many of them enrolled in a plan. That’s when Washington’s Health Exchange is scheduled to launch. But signing people up for health insurance is not as easy as it sounds. There’s still a lot of misinformation about Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

ACLU Calls For Moratorium On Washington Hospital Alliances

Ruby de Luna — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 23:50:22 +0000

The ACLU is asking Governor Jay Inslee to call for a moratorium on hospital mergers and affiliations for six months. Many of these partnerships involve faith-based health care providers. The ACLU, along with ten other local organizations, sent a letter to the governor saying they’re worried that these mergers will hurt patients in the long run.

Seattle Woman Experiences Financial Devastation Following Cancer Diagnosis

Ruby de Luna — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 19:21:17 +0000

June 2 is National Cancer Survivor Day. But surviving the disease is just one challenge facing cancer patients. A recent study by Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center showed that cancer patients are two-and-a-half times more at risk for filing bankruptcy compared to people without cancer.

Truckers React to I-5 Bridge Collapse North Of Seattle

Ruby de Luna — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:46:21 +0000

Thursday night's bridge collapse has put a spotlight on truckers who carry oversized loads. Preliminary reports suggest that a truck that clipped a bridge support is what caused the spectacular collapse.

"Mom, The Bridge Collapsed"

Liz Jones, Derek Wang and Ruby de Luna — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:54:12 +0000

A parade of people who live and work near the collapsed bridge in Mt. Vernon continued to visit the scene today to get a first-hand look at the damage, snap photos and swap news about the accident.

“I’m scared to drive over other bridges,” said Jerry Olmstead, who works in Mt. Vernon and crosses this bridge several times a week. “What if another bridge in Washington goes?”

Seattle Study Shows Cancer Can Lead To Bankruptcy

Ruby de Luna — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:15:11 +0000

Medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy, according to a study published online today in the journal Health Affairs. There are plenty of anecdotes of people who have used up their savings, borrowed from friends or filed for bankruptcy following a serious illness like cancer. Now researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have documented exactly how great the risk of bankruptcy is for cancer patients.

Washington Exemption For Faith-Based Employers Challenged

Ruby de Luna — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:49:59 +0000

The State Supreme Court today heard arguments in a case that could decide whether faith-based employers in Washington have some exemption from the state’s anti-discrimination law.

Seattle Scientists Identify Cells That Could Lead To Herpes Vaccine

Ruby de Luna — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:14:48 +0000

Scientists at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have found a class of cells they think suppresses herpes. This could explain why some people have no symptoms or lesions when the virus is reactivated. It also changes the way scientists understand how the virus works.

Seattle To Launch Gun Violence Study

Ruby de Luna — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:46:38 +0000

The City of Seattle is about to embark on a new study that hasn’t been done in other American cities—to look at gun violence from a public health standpoint.

Seattle Children’s Hospital Opens Nation’s First Cancer Clinic For Young Adults

Ruby de Luna — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:25:18 +0000

Every four weeks, Anna Stephens comes to Seattle Children’s Hospital for chemotherapy. But she’s not a child. Stephens is 23 years old, and she’s one of thousands of young people with cancer who wind up being treated in facilities that typically deal with much younger or much older patients.