Barbara Feder Ostrov

<p>Why did a Northern California hospital chain report suspiciously high rates of malnutrition in its elderly patients? Answers and more from our Daily Briefing.</p>

<p>Here’s the latest in health and health journalism news from Reporting on Health.</p> <p><strong>Cancer:</strong> You know you want to click on this story from Chico, Calif.: <a href="http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2011/02/06/man-survives-huge-%E2%80%98al…;“Man Survives Huge ‘Al

<p>Getting ready for a huge study of the Gulf oil spill's affects on human health, plus more from our Daily Briefing.</p>

<p>Can zinc really help sufferers of the common cold? Answers and more in our Daily Briefing.</p>

<p>Why are parents still giving their toddlers OTC cough medicine? Answers and more in our Daily Briefing</p>

<p>Why don't Valentine's Day hearts look like actual human hearts? Answers and more in our Daily Briefing.</p>

<p>Doctors and bloggers slam Huffington Post for wacky health theories, unhealthy journalism in wake of AOL merger, plus more from our Daily Briefing.</p>

<p>Recently, I participated in a <a href="https://www.newsu.org/social-media-search">Poynter NewsU webinar</a> to learn how to search social media more effectively, hoping to glean some tips for journalists and others covering health issues. Like many of you, I can search Twitter and Facebook, but Time magazine reporter and search whiz Jeremy Caplan offered some tools that go well beyond those platforms.</p>

<p>An undocumented immigrant was expelled from a Texas hospital as she was being prepped for surgery, plus more from our Daily Briefing.</p>

<p>A mad cow disease scare, smokers hiding from their dentists, and some heart screening tests you probably don't need, plus more from our Daily Briefing.</p>