End-of-life programs less accessible in poorer communities; Docs could face suspension for dumping medical waste in New Jersey;

> Besides the commonly used--and impersonal--telephone interpretation, hospitals in the Albany, N.Y., area will soon have another service to help overcome language barriers between patients and their doctors, reports the Albany Times-Union. A nonprofit group is now training people to serve as medical interpreters for on-site and in-person language interpretation during appointments. Article

> The University of Pennsylvania has received $225 million for its medical school from Raymond G. Perelman and his wife, Ruth. After donating the largest gift in its history, the medical school will be renamed the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, reports the New York Times. Article

> Doctors in New Jersey ought to think twice before they dump medical waste, as the state Assembly approved a bill that would suspend the license of any healthcare professional or medical waste facility for three years--on top of imposing a fine--for illegally dumping medical waste. The bill now goes to the Senate for additional consideration, reports the Star-Ledger. Article

> A new study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that the supply of end-of-life services is strongly associated with an area's median household income, leaving underserved, poorer communities with less availability, notes Medical News Today. Article

> Noting than an average of 18 veterans commit suicide each day, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs today to drastically overhaul how it delivers mental healthcare to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, reports the San Francisco Appeal. Article

And Finally... A health benefit to earning that next degree. Article