Biography
Nicole Brochu joined the editorial board in 2004. She is based in our Delray Beach office and writes about Palm Beach County issues.
She ...
Put Avastin, and the FDA, back on the fast track
April 7, 2011
The FDA's announced intention to revoke Avastin's approval as treatment for late-stage breast cancer continues to inflame debate, with most commentary I've seen resoundingly against the government's plans. Here, a patient advocate provides some insight on the FDA's flawed process for fast-track approval of drugs. Give it a read and tell us your thoughts in the comment section below. — Nicole Brochu
-
Bill would protect animal abuse, at expense of food safety
April 5, 2011
Say what you will about animal rights activists. There's little question they have had a profound impact on keeping the dairy and farming industry in line by videotaping and documenting some unsafe, inhumane and unsanitary practices at food-raising facilities. Every consumer should be thankful. But in Florida, the whistle-blowing is coming under fire by agribusiness supporters who want to stifle the critics and potentially keep unsafe practices in the farming industry quiet. Give the following piece by Humane Society of the United States' CEO a read and see if you're moved to act in support of keeping the spotlight shining on agribusiness operations. If so, you can contact Florida Sen. Jim Norman's office at 850-487-5068 or norman.jim.web@flsenate.gov. — Nicole Brochu
-
Parents, wake up! Choking game isn't child's play
April 3, 2011
The image is fuzzy, but I can still make out the youngsters' stupidity.
-
Doctor-patient bond doesn't pay much anymore, but drugs do
April 1, 2011
The true doctor-patient relationship has been on the wane since the house call went the way of the carrier pigeon.
-
Medicare changes could harm patients, increase waste
March 29, 2011
With Medicare taking up a big chunk of the federal budget, and of many Americans' health care, the government has been instituting changes to make the process more efficient, less wasteful and more user-friendly. That's the line we hear anyway. The reality is often much different. In the piece below, guest writer Eli Lehrer sounds the alarm for changes to the Medicare bidding process for certain medical equipment that can put patients in grave danger, and actually drive up costs. Give it a read and give us your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have a perspective to share on a hot health topic, e-mail it to nbrochu@tribune.com. — Nicole Brochu
-
Little cancer warrior loses her battle, but her light shines on
March 27, 2011
In the tow-away zone near the Port Everglades docks, the family shouldering so much heartache was on a simple quest — for a glimpse of a cruise ship, something little Kenzie had never seen, one of the last items on her "bucket list."
-
From acupuncture to fat farms: A new way to count America's health costs
March 25, 2011
Typical federal government estimates have pegged consumer spending on health care in America at $2.47 trillion. A staggering figure indeed.
-
In Florida, health reform funding on life support
March 24, 2011
Health care reform is one of the biggest public policy initiatives in my lifetime. So I continue marking this week's one-year anniversary of President Obama's signature legislative measures with the piece below. Perhaps you'll learn something, and help press for Florida to do right by its residents. — Nicole Brochu
-
OTC meds poisoned him, but lack of insurance did him in
March 23, 2011
A year ago today, President Obama signed his sweeping health care reform act into law. As the nation marks this milestone, I'll be thinking of Mark Erdman.
-
Florida lawmakers declare open season on women's health
March 22, 2011
I realize how controversial and divisive the topics of abortion and a woman's reproductive rights are, and like most, I have strong feelings and opinions about these issues. As a woman, as a mother of two girls, and as a Floridian, I am especially nervous about what the Republican-led Florida Legislature is poised to do this year in the area of women's health. So this piece below, written by the head of the local Planned Parenthood chapter, hit a nerve for me. I'm sure it will most of you, too — one way or the other, depending on where you fall in the debate. Give it a read, and add your thoughts to the comment section below. Do keep the conversation civilized, though. If you have an opinion you want to share in this space on a hot health topic, email it to nbrochu@tribune.com. — Nicole Brochu
-
Get Active!
March 20, 2011
Learn how to spot, treat and prevent kidney disease. Start with these fast facts:
-
How one mom's loss saved countless others from kidney disease
March 20, 2011
In the digital age, the Internet has become essential in the quest for health. At the click of a mouse, you can learn about even the rarest disorders, find the best treatments, contact local support groups, even organize a movement to raise awareness and funds for a cause.
-
No sissy wound, concussions warrant the Purple Heart
March 18, 2011
It's not every day that the military deserves a pat on the back for the way it treats America's soldiers. So when a branch steps up in a way that both recognizes and honors the sacrifices the nation's bravest make on our behalf, it's worth noting.
-
Don't even talk about assisted suicide in Georgia, or risk a felony
March 17, 2011
This one is bound to strike a chord, no matter where you sit on the debate over end-of-life decisions. Suicide has long been illegal in America, but physician-assisted suicide has been heavily debated over the years. Legal in Oregon, Montana and Washington, other states like California, Michigan and Maine have rejected attempts to legalize physician-assisted suicide, even though the majority of the country, according to various polls, leans in support of professional attempts to help disease sufferers end their lives with dignity. In the piece below, the head of an organization that counsels desperate people on end-of-life decisions explains how states like Georgia are going even further — making it a felony to even discuss such options. Give it a read and add your feedback in the comment section below. If you have an opinion you want to share on a hot health topic, e-mail it to nbrochu@tribune.com. — Nicole Brochu
-
Calorie counts on menus not meant to solve America's obesity crisis
March 16, 2011
Calorie counts on chain restaurant menus were devised to help the health-conscious consumer — you know, the type who already cares about eating right —make more informed choices when eating out.
-
Packing on the pounds? Blame your brain
March 15, 2011
It seems like every time you turn around, someone else is coming up with a new theory on why we get fat, and how we can lose the weight. Many of them, like the piece below by retired neurosurgeon Dr. Larry McCleary, make real physiological sense, and explain the body's complicated mechanics in a way that brings new insight. Give his piece a read and see if it makes a difference in your battle with the bulge. If you have an opinion on a hot health topic, e-mail it to nbrochu@tribune.com. — Nicole Brochu
-
Get active!
March 13, 2011
Have you wondered whether plastic surgery is right for your teen? Now's your chance to ask the experts.
-
More teens seek plastic surgery; parents, take care
March 13, 2011
The "before" and "after" drawings are rudimentary, the wiggly lines and stick-figure depictions typical of a child's untrained hand. But there is power in the expression.
-
Get Active!
March 13, 2011
Have you wondered whether plastic surgery is right for your teen? Now's your chance to ask the experts.
-
Home care a comfort for patients, and a cost-savings for government
March 10, 2011
With deep cuts expected in just about every area of Florida's budget — and those of most states across the country — these days, legislators need to be looking for most efficient ways to trim costs while sparing what they can of essential services. In the piece below, the chief of the Home Care Association of Florida lays out a clear case, with persuasive numbers, for changing Medicaid's long-term care system to give more patients the option for more comfortable, and vastly more cost-effective, home care. Give it a read and leave us your thoughts in the comments section under this column. If you have an opinion to share on a hot health topic, e-mail it to nbrochu@tribune.com. — Nicole Brochu
-
Florida lawmaker's tilting at windmills with medical marijuana bill
March 9, 2011
The medical marijuana debate is coming to Florida.
-
Confused by your health options? Reform could make it worse
March 8, 2011
Health care reform has a lot of people in the health care industry on edge, worried about how the changes will affect their livelihoods and bottom line. Below, the head of the association of health underwriters gives her pitch, and it's a convincing one, for why insurance agents are essential in helping consumers navigate a complicated system of care. Give it a read and add your perspective in the comment section under the column. If you have an opinion to share on a topical health-related issue, e-mail it to nbrochu@tribune.com. — Nicole Brochu
-
Get Active!
March 6, 2011
Moved to go get involved? Here's how you can make a difference:
-
Pancreatic cancer: Killer disease, shameful lack of research dollars
March 6, 2011
Like so many in her predicament, with bodies ravaged by a killer disease they don't yet know they have, Donna Spelman ignored the signs.
-
How is selling bone marrow different than selling blood — or breast milk?
March 4, 2011
One is a mom whose three daughters suffer from a potentially fatal genetic disorder. Another is a father whose child died waiting for a bone marrow donor. Then there's a Minnesota doctor who specializes in marrow transplants, and a California foundation dedicated to increasing the pool of bone marrow donations.
-
Bureaucracy, not opportunity, is what's ailing drug innovation
March 3, 2011
In light of the Obama administration's highly touted move to create a new drug-development organization, Sally Pipes sheds some light on the complexities of innovation in the area of drug development, saying the problem lies not with the industry's incentives for discovery but government bureaucracy. Give her column a read and add your response to the comment section below. If you've got an opinion to share on a health topic close to your heart, e-mail it to nbrochu@tribune.com. — Nicole Brochu
-
Arresting an 8-year-old, 5 times, for in-school outbursts is a cop-out
March 2, 2011
This Orange County, Fla., student is no angel, clearly.
-
Health reform's on life support — time to bring back universal care option
March 1, 2011
Obama's health care plan certainly has its advocates, and its critics. In the piece below, the head of the national nurses union slams the president's reform for falling short of his original goal: To see that Americans realize the day when health care is a right, not a privilege. Pushing for the return of the controversial universal care option that almost derailed the effort in its early days, DeMoro will certainly have critics of her own, and supporters. Where do you fall? Add your comments at the end of this column, and let's see where the debate takes us. If you have a full rebuttal you want to see in print, e-mail it to nbrochu@tribune.com. — Nicole Brochu
-
Finding hearts in unusual places has a powerful impact
February 27, 2011
The woman was grieving the loss of her murdered son when a co-worker showed her an unusual gift from a friend: a print of 101 hearts, or heart shapes, all "found" in the most unlikely places — a blob of melted ice cream, a dog's spotted fur, a dropped napkin, a littered spoon, even a burnt onion.