After Japan Quake, Concern for Safety of California's Hospitals

Here's the latest in health and health journalism news from Reporting on Health.

Radiation: Despite reassurances from public health officials that radioactive fallout from Japan's nuclear crisis won't reach the United States, Americans, particularly in California, are worriedly snapping up cancer-preventive potassium iodide pills and calling local public health hotlines to voice their fears, Rob Stein reports for the Washington Post. In Japan, the health risks are real but uncertain: Gautam Naik and Robert Lee Hotz outline the possible scenarios in The Wall St. Journal.

Seismic Safety: California hospitals most at risk for collapsing in a major earthquake are likely to meet 2013 or 2015 deadlines for retrofitting their buildings, Christina Jewett reports for CaliforniaWatch.

Health Insurance: About 9 million adult Americans lost health insurance in the past two years, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund, which supports health reform, Jason Millman reports for The Hill's Healthwatch blog.

Water Safety: In California's agricultural Central Valley, more than 1 million people face drinking water sometimes tainted by fertilizers, sewage or animal waste, and cleaning up that water could cost $150 million, according to a new study examined by the Fresno Bee's Mark Grossi.

Cholera: The cholera epidemic affecting Haiti appears to be far worse than originally anticipated, with the preventable but sometimes-fatal disease now expected to strike as many as 800,000 people, Michelle Roberts reports for the BBC News.  

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Photo credit: U.S. Geological Survey