KFF Health News Original Stories
He Thinks His Wife Died in an Understaffed Hospital. Now He’s Trying to Change the Industry.
Nurses are telling lawmakers that there are not enough of them working in hospitals and that it risks patients’ lives. California and Oregon legally limit the number of patients under a nurse’s care. Other states trying to do the same were blocked by the hospital industry. Now patients’ relatives are joining the fight. (Kate Wells, Michigan Public, )
Newsom Offers a Compromise to Protect Indoor Workers from Heat
After rejecting proposed rules to protect millions of workers in sweltering warehouses, steamy kitchens, and other hot workplaces, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has offered a compromise to allow the protections to take effect this summer. But state and local correctional workers — and prisoners — would have to wait even longer. (Samantha Young, )
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, a CEO Works With the Community To Bolster Hospital
Jian Zhang, an immigrant from China with a doctorate in nursing, leads the 88-bed Chinese Hospital in San Francisco. The facility faces financial constraints like other independent hospitals, but its strong community support and partnerships have helped it weather tough times. (Bernard J. Wolfson, )
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': KFF Health News' 'What the Health?' Podcast: Too Big To Fail? Now It’s ‘Too Big To Hack’
Congress this week had the chance to formally air grievances over the cascading consequences of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, and lawmakers from both major parties agreed on one culprit: consolidation in health care. Plus, about a year after states began stripping people from their Medicaid rolls, a new survey shows nearly a quarter of adults who were disenrolled are now uninsured. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Caroline Pearson of the Peterson Health Technology Institute. ( )
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LGBTQ+ Health
Biden Administration Finalizes Title IX Protections For LGBTQ+ Students
The new provisions come as part of a revised Title IX regulation from the Education Department, protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ students. A rule to protect trans students' sporting rights is on hold. Separately, Alaska moves forward with an anti-trans bill criticized for "weaponizing" civil rights law.
AP: Biden’s New Title IX Rules Protect LGBTQ+ Students, But Transgender Sports Rule Still On Hold
The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday by the Biden administration. The new provisions are part of a revised Title IX regulation issued by the Education Department, fulfilling a campaign pledge by President Joe Biden. He had promised to dismantle rules created by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who added new protections for students accused of sexual misconduct. Notably absent from Biden’s policy, however, is any mention of transgender athletes. (Binkley, 4/19)
ESPN: Title IX: Athletes Can Play Amid Sexual Misconduct Inquiries
New federal regulations released Friday will prevent colleges and coaches from suspending athletes accused of sexual misconduct while school officials investigate complaints against them. (Lavigne, 4/19)
USA Today: 'These Are Biological Males': Alaska State Rep Says Title IX Doesn't Apply To Trans Kids
An Alaska bill criticized for weaponizing civil rights law against transgender girls has moved closer to becoming law after being approved by the state House Judiciary Committee last week. Proposed by Republican state Representative Jamie Allard, the legislation aims to ban transgender students from participating in K-12 sports teams. If signed off by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, the Final Frontier will join 24 other states with similar legislation. (Wright, 4/17)
Also —
Los Angeles Blade: GOP AGs Abused Power Demanding Trans Medical Records
In a 10-page report released on Tuesday by staff for the Democratic majority of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the Republican attorneys general of Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana, and Texas are accused of using “abusive legal demands” to collect the medical records of transgender patients in furtherance of the AGs’ “ideological and political goals.” According to the document, which is titled “How State Attorneys General TargetTransgender Youth and Adults by Weaponizing the Medicaid Program and their Health Oversight Authority,” the AGs used specious or misleading legal pretexts to justify their issuance of civil investigative demands to healthcare providers.(Kane, 4/17)
Covid-19
Goodbye, 'Aerosol Transmission,' Hello, 'Through-The-Air' Viruses: Experts
A move to rename aerosol viral transmission comes after confusion was sown during the pandemic over terms like "airborne," with a group that includes the WHO proposing a clearer definition. Meanwhile, a Dutch patient had covid for a record 613 days.
CIDRAP: Global Health Groups Propose New Terminology For Pathogens That Spread Through The Air
Well into the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were reluctant to use terms like "airborne," "airborne transmission," and "aerosol transmission" to describe the spread of the virus through the air, while other experts used various definitions to describe the phenomenon, sowing confusion about how the disease was circulating. An international group has been grappling with the issue, and today the experts laid out their deliberations in a report and proposed new agreed-on terminology for pathogens that transmit "through the air," which include not only SARS-CoV-2, but also influenza, measles, MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus), SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), and tuberculosis. (Schnirring, 4/18)
New York Post: Patient Had COVID For Record 613 Days, Accumulated Over 50 Mutations From Virus Before Death
A Dutch man with the longest case of COVID infection ever recorded suffered from the sickness for a record 613 days, with the ailment mutating into a unique new variant that baffled medical researchers. The 72-year-old unnamed patient was diagnosed with the omicron variant in February 2022, according to Time, citing research from the University of Amsterdam. It is the longest time anyone has been infected with the virus, researchers said. (Pollina, 4/19)
Wired: Unruly Gut Fungi Can Make Your Covid Worse
In research published in Nature Immunology, researchers discovered that in patients with severe Covid, certain strains of gut fungi—knocked off-kilter by the virus—set off a prolonged immune response that could last long after the initial infection. (Chen, 4/19)
San Francisco Chronicle: California To Stop Posting COVID Hospitalization Data, Following CDC
California will no longer provide weekly updates to the public on COVID-19 and flu hospital admissions because the federal regulation that requires hospitals to report the data will end after April 30. As a result, new hospital admissions for both viruses — key indicators of severe COVID and influenza illness in a community — will no longer appear on the state’s respiratory virus dashboard. (Ho, 4/18)
New Hampshire Public Radio: NH Public Health Officials Warn Against Changing Child Care Vaccination Rules
Proof of routine childhood vaccinations would no longer be required before kids are enrolled in child care, under a bill being considered by New Hampshire lawmakers. The bill, which passed the New Hampshire House last month, is one of several attempts lawmakers have made to roll back public health measures in recent years. (Cuno-Booth, 4/18)
On measles, bird flu, and more —
CBS News: Cook County Warns Of Measles Exposure At Sam's Club In Southwest Chicago Suburb
The Cook County Department of Public Health on Thursday warned that people who visited the Sam's Club in Evergreen Park on one specific day earlier this month may have been exposed to measles. The department said anyone who visited the Sam's Club at 9400 S. Western Ave. in Evergreen Park on Tuesday, April 9, between 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. may have been exposed to someone who had measles and was contagious. (Harrington and Feurer, 4/18)
Stat: Avian Flu In Cattle Is Spreading; Scientists Want More Data On H5N1
With H5N1 bird flu spreading to more dairy cow herds, scientists and pandemic experts in this country and abroad are calling on the U.S. government to release more information to help them assess the risk the outbreaks pose to cattle operations and people. (Branswell, 4/18)
Los Angeles Times: As Avian Flu Spreads, A Disturbing Question: Is Our Food System Built On Poop?
If it’s true that you are what you eat, then most beef-eating Americans consist of a smattering of poultry feathers, urine, feces, wood chips and chicken saliva, among other food items. As epidemiologists scramble to figure out how dairy cows throughout the Midwest became infected with a strain of highly pathogenic avian flu … they’re looking at a standard “recycling” practice employed by thousands of farmers across the country: The feeding of animal waste and parts to livestock raised for human consumption. (Rust, 4/18)
CIDRAP: Study Highlights Heavy Global Burden Of Infectious Diseases
A study published this week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases highlights the substantial impact of infectious diseases on global health. The analysis of data from 204 countries by researchers with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that 85 pathogens accounted for 704 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)—the number of years lost from ill health, disability, or early deaths—globally in 2019. That figure accounts for 28% of 2.54 billion DALYs attributed to all causes in the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. (Dall, 4/18)
Health Industry
It's Now Easier To Report Monopolistic Practices In Health Care Sector
The goal of the new federal portal, HealthyCompetition.gov, is to help lower the cost of health care and prescriptions, the Biden administration announced. Other health industry news is on Medicare device reimbursements, health chatbots, and more.
Modern Healthcare: Feds Launch Healthcare Antitrust Reporting Portal
The Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department and Health and Human Services Department have created an online portal for the general public to report potentially anticompetitive practices in the healthcare sector. The portal, HealthyCompetition.gov, is the latest effort from government agencies and the Biden administration to bolster competition in healthcare markets with the hope of lowering care and prescription drug costs, according to an FTC news release Thursday. The portal lists examples of the types of healthcare business practices that can hinder competition, including consolidation, joint ventures and roll-ups. (DeSilva, 4/18)
Bloomberg: Acentra Health Slashes Interest Rate In Private Debt Refinancing
Acentra Health LLC cut its interest rate on a term loan, part of a larger transaction with a group of private credit lenders that refinanced existing loans and raised additional debt. The healthcare technology solutions company owned by Carlyle Group Inc. will now have a margin 5.5 percentage points above the Secured Overnight Financing Rate on a $666 million loan, according to people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be named discussing a private transaction. (Seligson, 4/18)
On Medicare payments and benefits —
Stat: Medicare Says Breakthrough Device Reimbursement Rule To Come By Summer
A federal rule aiming to make reimbursement for breakthrough devices easier is slated for early summer, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services official said on Thursday. (Lawrence, 4/19)
Modern Healthcare: Aetna Lawsuit Could Upend Medicare Advantage Benefits
A legal fight between four Pennsylvania health systems and Aetna could upend how Medicare Advantage insurers manage costs for supplemental benefits. Bridges Health Partners, a clinically integrated network in western Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit in state court Wednesday alleging CVS Health subsidiary Aetna broke contract terms by categorizing extra benefits such as gym memberships and CVS gift cards as medical expenses. (Tepper, 4/18)
Modern Healthcare: Elevance’s Medicaid, Medicare Losses Offset By Commercial Gains
Elevance Health's first-quarter losses in its Medicaid and Medicare businesses were partially offset by gains in its commercial plans. The company’s membership dropped 3.9% to 46.2 million enrollees, compared with 48.1 million in the same period last year, executives told financial analysts during its first-quarter earnings call Thursday. Medicaid redeterminations and changes to its geographic footprint drove the membership decline. (Berryman, 4/18)
More health care industry news —
Stat: Dana-Farber Retracts Science Paper As Part Of Data Integrity Review
An ongoing investigation into data integrity at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has resulted in a string of retractions, the latest of which is a 2006 Science paper co-authored by institute president and CEO Laurie Glimcher. (Chen, 4/18)
St. Louis Public Radio: Wash U Settles Justice Department's Discrimination Lawsuit
The U.S. Justice Department settled a lawsuit Monday with the Washington University School of Medicine for discriminating against an employee based on his citizenship status. In a lawsuit filed on April 14, 2022, the individual alleged that the medical school violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by discriminating against the employee based on his citizenship status and later retaliated against him for complaining. (Henderson, 4/19)
Bloomberg: WHO’s New AI Health Chatbot SARAH Gets Many Medical Questions Wrong
The World Health Organization is wading into the world of AI to provide basic health information through a human-like avatar. But while the bot responds sympathetically to users’ facial expressions, it doesn’t always know what it’s talking about. SARAH, short for Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health, is a virtual health worker that’s available to talk 24/7 in eight different languages to explain topics like mental health, tobacco use and healthy eating. (Nix, 4/18)
Reuters: World Bank Sets Goal Of Expanding Healthcare To 1.5 Billion People By 2030
The World Bank Group on Thursday unveiled a new goal to help countries deliver affordable healthcare to 1.5 billion people by 2030 by expanding services to remote areas, cutting fees and other financial barriers and focusing on lifetime care. The development lender said it would deploy financing, its own health expertise and new partnerships with private-sector firms, non-governmental organizations and civil society groups in reaching the target, which it defines as a person receiving treatment by a health care worker through an in-person visit or a telehealth appointment. (Lawder, 4/18)
KFF Health News' 'What The Health?' Podcast: Too Big To Fail? Now It’s 'Too Big To Hack'
Congress this week had the chance to formally air grievances over the cascading consequences of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, and lawmakers from both major parties agreed on one culprit: consolidation in health care. Plus, about a year after states began stripping people from their Medicaid rolls, a new survey shows nearly a quarter of adults who were disenrolled are now uninsured. (4/18)
Mass. Cancer Care Center Abruptly Closes, Leaving Patients In A Lurch
Steward Medical Group officials are hoping to reopen Brockton facility once they find a new physician. Meanwhile, Minnesotans will have to travel farther for in-patient care after Mahnomen converts to rural emergency hospital.
CBS News: Patients Devastated After Steward Closes Cancer Care Center In Brockton
Another headache for patients of Steward Health Care. Cancer patients now must go elsewhere for treatment, after their clinic suddenly shut down. Steward Medical Group officials say the hematology oncology service at its Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton has temporarily paused, "because the physician left, and will be re-opened as soon as we recruit a new one." (Mutasa, 4/19)
Minnesota Public Radio: Facing Financial Problems, Mahnomen Hospital Cuts In-Patient Care
It may sound strange, but the hospital in Mahnomen, Minnesota won’t have hospital stays for its patients anymore. The tiny hospital is converting to a rural emergency hospital, leaving many rural Minnesotans far from in-patient care. It’s the first to do so in Minnesota after the option was created in at the start of 2023, but probably won’t be the last. (Wurzer and Younger, 4/18)
KFF Health News: He Thinks His Wife Died In An Understaffed Hospital. Now He’s Trying To Change The Industry
For the past year, police Detective Tim Lillard has spent most of his waking hours unofficially investigating his wife’s death. The question has never been exactly how Ann Picha-Lillard died on Nov. 19, 2022: She succumbed to respiratory failure after an infection put too much strain on her weakened lungs. She was 65. For Tim Lillard, the question has been why. (Wells, 4/19)
KFF Health News: In San Francisco’s Chinatown, A CEO Works With The Community To Bolster Hospital
Chinese Hospital, located in the heart of this city’s legendary Chinatown, struggles with many of the same financial and demographic challenges that plague small independent hospitals in underserved areas across the country. Many of its patients are aging Chinese speakers with limited incomes who are reliant on Medicare and Medi-Cal, which pay less than commercial insurance and often don’t fully cover provider costs. (Wolfson, 4/19)
CBS News: El Dorado Hills Clinic Is Expanding. Here's What That Means For Patients
A local hospital is expanding its services to not only provide care to a wider range of people but also attract more talent. "Population health in Marshall is us taking responsibility for the whole of our community so particularly our patients but really the whole community," Martin Entwistle, Associate Chief Medical Officer, said. (Reilly, 4/18)
Also —
Modern Healthcare: Included Health Moves Into Specialty Care
Included Health and other companies that offer digital health products to employers are facing an uncertain market, with would-be clients sometimes overwhelmed by options and potentially skeptical of virtual-first services. According to Included Health President Robin Glass, simplification is the answer. “Employers are standing up and saying they have 20 different benefits that they're managing and it’s just too much,” Glass said in an interview. (Perna, 4/18)
CBS News: Robotic Surgery Program Now Performed At Cook County Health
A robot could soon operate on patients at Stroger Hospital who need surgery. Cook County Health officially launched its Robotic Surgery Program. County board members and health officials gathered at Stroger on Wednesday for the big reveal. They said robotic surgery is often better for patients because it can be less invasive and performed through small incisions. The goal is to ensure that all patients, regardless of age, race, wealth, or status, can access the best possible medical care. (4/17)
After Roe V. Wade
Arizona Physicians, Leery Of Breaking Law, Likely Won't Do Abortions
Arizona doctors aren't likely to chance prison time for performing procedures even though the state's attorney general promises not to prosecute. Elsewhere, pharmacists are navigating unchartered waters that have them questioning why misoprostol, which is used for ailments other than abortion, is being prescribed.
Axios Phoenix: Arizona Doctors Unlikely To Perform Illegal Abortions Even If They Won't Be Prosecuted
Attorney General Kris Mayes' promise that she won't prosecute doctors for violating the soon-enforceable abortion ban likely isn't enough to persuade doctors to break the law, Arizona abortion providers tell Axios Phoenix. (Boehm, 4/18)
NBC News: Some Pharmacists Fear Jail Time Over Murky Abortion Laws
Alarm bells ring in Matt Murray’s head when a prescription for misoprostol comes through his independent pharmacy in Boise, Idaho. … The medication is legal — approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent stomach ulcers — but it can also be used for abortions, which became illegal in Idaho with few exceptions when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. (Edwards and Kopf, 4/18)
Capital B News: As Abortion Bans In Florida And Arizona Loom, Black Families Are Left Vulnerable
Abortion attacks aren’t slowing down as the clock ticks on Florida’s six-week ban and Arizona’s Supreme Court has paved the way to reinforce a Civil War-era law that criminalizes nearly all abortions. The consequences could be catastrophic for Black reproductive health, exacerbating existing disparities in access to care and alarming rates of maternal mortality, advocates and health-care providers fear. (Snipe, 4/18)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Abortion Data Collection Bill Latest Flare Up Over Reproductive Rights In NH
On a party-line vote, Republicans in the New Hampshire Senate last week approved a bill that would require abortion providers to share certain data about the procedures they perform with state public health officials. Forty-six other states already have similar laws in place, making New Hampshire an outlier in the dissemination of abortion statistics. (Bookman, 4/18)
AP: Emergency Rooms Refused To Treat Pregnant Women, Leaving One To Miscarry In A Lobby Restroom
One woman miscarried in the restroom lobby of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to admit her. Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina, a woman gave birth in a car after an emergency room couldn’t offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. Complaints that pregnant women were turned away from U.S. emergency rooms spiked in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, federal documents obtained by The Associated Press reveal. (Seitz, 4/19)
Reuters: Supreme Court Considers EMTALA Preemption Of State Abortion Bans
On April 24, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Idaho v. United States and Moyle v. United States, consolidated cases asking whether the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) preempts, under certain emergency circumstances, an Idaho law banning most abortions. The Supreme Court's decision may chart a course for numerous federal and state cases brought in the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that question the interplay between state laws limiting abortion, medical exceptions to those laws, and EMTALA. (4/18)
In other news about pregnancy and IVF —
AP: As Syphilis Cases Among US Newborns Soar, Doctors Group Advises More Screening During Pregnancy
With syphilis cases in U.S. newborns skyrocketing, a doctors group now recommends that all pregnant patients be screened three times for the sexually transmitted infection. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued new guidance on Thursday saying the screening should be done at the first prenatal visit, during the third trimester and at birth. Though the screening isn’t required, health professionals generally follow the group’s recommendations. (Ungar, 4/18)
Roll Call: In France And US, Two Wildly Different Takes On IVF
In vitro fertilization, a procedure first used more than 45 years ago, has suddenly become the topic of political debate on both sides of the Atlantic — but for wildly different reasons. In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s government is eyeing policies to promote the use of assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, to increase the nation’s declining birth rate. But French feminist groups say the proposal unduly inserts the government into private lives of women. They also worry that nationalist sentiment is driving the effort to boost birth rates. (Cohen, 4/18)
Public Health
Salmonella Poisoning Outbreak Prompts Trader Joe's Basil Recall
Several agencies are looking into the outbreak, which has sickened 13 people across multiple states and is linked to a particular organic basil product. Havana syndrome, sicknesses from fake Botox, and more are also in the news.
USA Today: Recall Issued For Trader Joe's Basil After Salmonella Poisons 13
Trader Joe’s basil is making people across the country sick, with the grocery chain store confirming Wednesday that the product was connected with a multistate salmonella outbreak. A number of agencies, including the FDA and CDC, are looking into the outbreak, which is linked to “Infinite Herbs-brand organic basil packed in 2.5-oz clamshell packaging” sold between February 1 through April 6. (Encinas, 4/18)
The New York Times: What Causes Salmonella Infections, And How To Avoid Becoming Sick
People often get sick with salmonellosis, the infection caused by the bacteria, after eating undercooked meat or other contaminated foods, but the microbes can lurk in many other places, too. “There’s all these different pathways that can lead to human illness,” said Dr. Louise Francois Watkins, a physician with the Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here’s what you need to know about these sneaky bacteria, and how to keep yourself and your family safe. (Moyer, 4/18)
More health and wellness news —
CBS News: Senators Call For Renewed Havana Syndrome Assessment After 60 Minutes Report
An ongoing, five-year 60 Minutes investigation into Havana Syndrome sparked new concerns in Washington. The March 31 report broadcast on 60 Minutes revealed new evidence of a potential Russian nexus tied to mysterious illnesses suffered by U.S. national security officials. In response, a bipartisan group of lawmakers last week sent a letter to President Biden calling for a "renewed assessment by the U.S. government" of what officials call "anomalous health incidents." (Chasan, Rey and Zill de Granados, 4/17)
NPR: Fake Botox Sickened Patients In Several States. Here's How To Avoid It
Beware, Botox users: Public health authorities are warning that counterfeit versions of the injectable are circulating — and have already made patients sick — in several U.S. states. Nineteen people reported harmful reactions to botulinum toxin injections as of last Friday, including nine who were hospitalized, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a release. They are located in nine states: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Washington. (Treisman, 4/19)
NPR: Schools Create Safe Spaces Amid Gun Violence, But Students Want More Security
The students at North Community High School in Minneapolis have seen a lot. Some things, morbid curiosities: a bullet, freshly fired, spinning and melting the rubber on the track surrounding the school's football field. Others, much more painful: the murder of Deshaun Hill Jr., shot and killed two years ago just blocks from the school. He was 15 years old, and the quarterback of the football team. (Anderson, 4/19)
The Washington Post: Sleep Patterns, Disorders Differ Between Women And Men
Women are more likely to suffer from insomnia and say they have lower sleep quality. Men are more likely to have sleep apnea. Women’s circadian rhythms run earlier than men, and such disruptions have been associated with worse health outcomes. Men tend to overeat, and male shift workers have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, when sleep deprived. These and other major sleep differences are highlighted in a new review of ongoing research into sleep and gender and have implications for how women and men could be treated for sleep-related disorders. (Chesler, 4/18)
Environmental Health
California Sets Strict Limit For Toxic Chromium-6 In Water Supply
The dangers of chromium-6 were widely known since the 1990s, but the new California safety limit for the carcinogenic heavy metal is said to be a "nation leading" standard. Also in the news: the CDC says record high heat health emergencies hit parts of the U.S. last year.
Los Angeles Times: California Sets Limit For Chromium-6 In Drinking Water
After years of analysis and debate, California regulators have adopted a nation-leading drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen found in water supplies across the state. The dangers of the toxic heavy metal, also known as chromium-6, became widely known in the 1990s after a court case that then-legal clerk Erin Brockovich helped develop against Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating water in the town of Hinkley in the Mojave Desert. (James, 4/18)
CNN: Heat Caused Record-High Rates Of Health Emergencies In Some Parts Of The US Last Year, CDC Report Shows
Last summer was the hottest ever recorded in the United States, and heat-related health emergencies also reached record-high levels in some parts of the country. (McPhillips, 4/18)
KFF Health News: Newsom Offers A Compromise To Protect Indoor Workers From Heat
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has compromised on long-sought rules that would protect indoor workers from extreme heat, saying tens of thousands of prison and jail employees — and prisoners — would have to wait for relief. The deal comes a month after the administration unexpectedly rejected sweeping heat standards for workers in sweltering warehouses, steamy kitchens, and other dangerously hot job sites. (Young, 4/18)
NPR: New Studies Find Thousands Of Annual U.S. Deaths Linked To Wildfire Smoke
New research shows that the health consequences of wildfire smoke exposure stretch well beyond the smoky days themselves, contributing to nearly 16,000 deaths each year across the U.S., according to a National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) analysis released in April. The analysis warns that number could grow to nearly 30,000 deaths a year by the middle of the century as human-driven climate change increases the likelihood of large, intense, smoke-spewing wildfires in the Western U.S. and beyond. (Borunda, 4/18)
AP: BNSF Railway Says It Didn't Know About Asbestos That's Killed Hundreds In Montana Town
BNSF Railway attorneys are expected to argue before jurors Friday that the railroad should not be held liable for the lung cancer deaths of two former residents of an asbestos-contaminated Montana town, one of the deadliest sites in the federal Superfund pollution program. Attorneys for the Warren Buffett-owned company say the railroad’s corporate predecessors didn’t know the vermiculite it hauled over decades from a nearby mine was filled with hazardous microscopic asbestos fibers. (Brown and Hanson, 4/19)
The Denver Post: National Jewish Study Looks To Sand As Possible Explanation For Combat Veterans’ Breathing Problems
A new study at Denver’s National Jewish Health found an unexpected potential culprit for lung disease in some combat veterans: silica, which is one of the most common elements in dust, soil and sand. (Wingerter, 4/18)
CBS News: Pesticides Pose A Significant Risk In 20% Of Fruits And Vegetables, Consumer Reports Finds
A healthy diet includes ample portions of fruits and vegetables, but not the unhealthy dose of pesticides found in about one in five of the produce examined by Consumer Reports. An examination of 59 common fruits and vegetables found pesticides posed significant risks in 20% of them, from bell peppers, blueberries and green beans to potatoes and strawberries, according to findings published Thursday by the nonprofit consumer advocacy group. (Gibson, 4/18)
On dengue and mosquitoes —
Reuters: Dengue Cases Surge By Nearly 50% In Americas Amid 'Emergency Situation', UN Agency Says
Dengue cases have created an "emergency situation" in the Americas, although cases in hotspots Argentina and Brazil appear to have stabilized, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Thursday. PAHO, a United Nations agency, has confirmed more than 5.2 million cases of dengue across the Americas this year, an over 48% jump from the 3.5 million cases the group reported late last month. (4/18)
Stat: Next-Generation Mosquito Nets Saved 25,000 Lives In Pilot Studies
The fight against malaria is a test of human intelligence against mosquitoes — and so far, our minuscule winged enemy is winning. But new results shared this week show substantial improvements in one of the most important tools we have to prevent the life-threatening disease: bed nets. (Merelli, 4/17)
State Watch
Bill To Expand California Aid-In-Dying Law Withdrawn Before Hearing
California state Sen. Catherine Blakespear removed the bill she wrote days before its first hearing, saying other legislators are reluctant to take up the measure that would have been the nation's most expansive aid-in-dying law. Other state news comes from Missouri, Connecticut, and elsewhere.
Politico: Lawmaker Withdraws Sweeping California Bill To Expand Assisted Dying
The author of a California bill that aimed to create the most expansive assisted dying law in the country has pulled the proposal, meaning it won’t be considered this year. San Diego area Sen. Catherine Blakespear confirmed after POLITICO first reported that she removed her proposal, Senate bill 1196, from consideration before its first hearing, which was supposed to be Monday. (Bluth, 4/17)
St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis Aldermen Pass Bill To Pay Residents' Medical Debt
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen this week unanimously approved a bill that would spend $800,000 of federal coronavirus relief funds to pay residents’ medical debts. Proponents say the bill would cancel millions of dollars in unpaid bills, freeing residents of a heavy financial and emotional burden. (Fentem, 4/18)
The CT Mirror: CT ‘HUSKY For Immigrants’ Sees Strong Demand A Year After Launch
A Connecticut law expanding state-sponsored insurance coverage to certain children regardless of immigration status has seen explosive demand since it went into effect nearly 14 months ago. More than 11,000 children 12 and under who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for Medicaid because of their immigration status now receive state-sponsored Medicaid-like coverage. (Golvala and Carlesso, 4/19)
Chicago Tribune: Cook County Approves $70M Transfer From Covering Migrant Health Care To Food Costs
Citing the changing needs of incoming migrants to Chicago, the Cook County Board of Commissioners Thursday approved a transfer of $70 million originally dedicated to providing them health care to instead cover costs of food service for new arrivals. (Stevens, 4/18)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Struggles To Diversify Its Mental Health Workforce
Lynette Carrillo felt alone. Looking around at her small doctoral psychology class at Texas Woman’s University in 2021, she realized she was the only Spanish speaker. At that point, Carillo had almost grown used to it. After nearly a decade pursuing degrees at Angelo State University in San Angelo and TWU in Denton, she could count on one hand how many professors and classmates came from diverse backgrounds. It’s just how the mental health field is, she thought. (Simpson, 4/19)
The Mercury News: Move Over, Fentanyl? Stimulant Overdose Deaths Are Rising Fast
Deadly, addictive fentanyl has certainly earned the spotlight when it comes to overdose deaths — but carnage from stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine is rising at a much faster clip. Over the span of a single year, heroin deaths dropped almost 34% nationwide, while deaths from natural and semi-synthetic drugs (morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone) dropped nearly 13%. Methadone deaths dropped 1.1%, according to federal data presented at the recent American Society of Addiction Medicine conference in Dallas. (Sforza, 4/18)
Pharmaceuticals
Florida Jury Rules J&J Talc Product Isn't To Blame In Fatal Cancer Case
Johnson & Johnson's talc-based baby powder was not the cause of a woman's death from ovarian cancer, a Florida jury decided in a case brought against the manufacturer. Separately, Eli Lilly warned shortages of its weight loss drug Zepbound would continue, with no quick fix in sight.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida Jury: Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Did Not Cause Woman’s Death From Cancer
A Sarasota jury has ruled Johnson & Johnson's talc-based baby powder was not responsible for a Sarasota County woman's death due to ovarian cancer. The decision took less than five hours of deliberation Thursday. Philippe Matthey, on behalf of his mother’s estate, sued Johnson & Johnson for product liability and wrongful death, continuing his mother's efforts following her death in November 2019. The jury's verdict concluded that Patricia Matthey's use of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder was not a legal cause for her cancer. Under Florida law, legal cause means it has to be a substantial contributing factor. (Szymanowska, 4/18)
In other pharmaceutical news —
NBC News: Zepbound Weight Loss Drug Shortage Has No Immediate End In Sight, Eli Lilly Says
Despite Eli Lilly’s assurances about an ample supply of its new weight loss drug Zepbound, the company is now facing widespread shortages just months after its approval. While the drugmaker is working to resolve the issue, a quick fix is unlikely, it says, with no immediate end to the shortage in sight. … As of Wednesday, all but one dosage was listed as in “limited availability” through the end of June on the FDA’s website. (Lovelace Jr., Romans and Herzberg, 4/18)
The New York Times: Millions Of Girls In Africa Will Miss HPV Shots After Merck Production Problem
Nearly 1.5 million teenage girls in some of the world’s poorest countries will miss the chance to be protected from cervical cancer because the drugmaker Merck has said it will not be able to deliver millions of promised doses of the HPV vaccine this year. Merck has notified Gavi, the international organization that helps low- and middle-income countries deliver lifesaving immunizations, and UNICEF, which procures the vaccines, that it will deliver only 18.8 million of the 29.6 million doses it was contracted to deliver in 2024, Gavi said. (Nolen, 4/18)
Reuters: US FDA Mandates Label Updates On CAR-T Cancer Therapies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday cancer therapies that use CAR-T technology will require changes to the so-called "boxed warning" to highlight the serious risk of T-cell blood cancer in patients who use these therapies. The health regulator has required related updates to other sections of the label such as warnings and precautions, postmarketing experience, patient counseling information and medication guide. (4/18)
The Atlantic: The Bone-Marrow-Transplant Revolution
In the fall of 2021, Gabriel Arias felt like his body was “rotting from the inside.” He was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a form of blood cancer so aggressive that doctors had him hospitalized the day of his biopsy. In cases like his, the ideal treatment is a transplant. Arias’s cancer-prone blood cells needed to be destroyed and replaced with healthy ones taken from the bone marrow or blood of a donor who matched him biologically. Fortunately, doctors found him a match in the volunteer-donor registries—a man in Poland. Unfortunately, Arias’s single match in the entire world was no longer available to donate. (Zhang, 4/18)
Stat: PETA Urges SEC To Investigate Charles River Over Monkey Purchases
A leading animal rights group has asked securities regulators to investigate Charles River Laboratories for allegedly misleading investors about its sales and purchases of long-tailed macaques, which are widely used in clinical research by pharmaceutical companies and universities, among others. (Silverman, 4/18)
Weekend Reading
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week's selections include stories on breast cancer, menopause, a death doula, noise pollution, and more.
Reuters: Breast Cancer Survivor To Run London Marathon Topless To Help Erase Mastectomy Stigma
Louise Butcher hopes that when she becomes the first woman to run the London Marathon topless on Sunday, having had a double mastectomy in 2022, the thousands of supporters lining the course see a powerful image of strength. "I thought, how can we normalise it, how can we reduce that stigma surrounding mastectomies and not having breasts?" Butcher said in an interview with Reuters. "And there's no better way really than to do it during a marathon." (Ewing, 4/18)
The Atlantic: Women In Menopause Are Getting Short Shrift
After a decade working as an obstetrician-gynecologist, Marci Bowers thought she understood menopause. … “Our answer was always estrogen,” she told me. Then, in the mid-2000s, Bowers took over a gender-affirmation surgical practice in Colorado. In her new role, she began consultations by asking each patient what they wanted from their body—a question she’d never been trained to ask menopausal women. (Gross, 4/17)
AP: Vertex Pharma Scientist Talks About The Long Road To Developing Non-Addictive Painkillers
For decades, patients seeking medication for pain have had two choices: over-the-counter drugs like aspirin or powerful prescription opioids like oxycodone. Vertex Pharmaceuticals recently reported positive results for a non-opioid painkiller, one of several medications the Boston-based drugmaker has been developing for various forms of pain. The Associated Press spoke with Vertex’s chief scientist Dr. David Altshuler about the company’s research and development plans. (Perrone, 4/15)
Scientific American: Turning Down The Noise Around You Improves Health In Many Ways
Experts describe ways to turn down the volume, from earbuds to smartphone apps that detect harmful noise levels. (Silberner, 4/16)
NPR: Death Doula Alua Arthur Says Life Is Better If You 'Get Real' About The End
As a death doula, Alua Arthur helps people to plan for the end of life and, when the time comes, to let go. She says that while we're conditioned to fear death, thinking and talking about it is instrumental to creating meaningful lives. (Mosley, 4/17)
The New York Times: Can A Sexless Marriage Be A Happy One?
In recent years, relationship experts and couples themselves have been gradually dismantling commonly held views and working to destigmatize the unconventional approaches that some take to stay together. (Montei, 4/17)
The Washington Post: Bennett Braun, Psychiatrist Who Inflamed A ‘Satanic Panic,’ Dies At 83
Bennett Braun, a psychiatrist who inflamed the 1980s “satanic panic” with his controversial treatment of multiple personality disorder, including in patients who alleged that he misused drugs and hypnosis while spawning false memories of devil worship, human sacrifice and child sex abuse, died March 20. (Smith, 4/18)
Editorials And Opinions
Viewpoints: Climate Change Is Revving Up Allergies; Maybe Transgender Care Should Be Reassessed After NHS Report
Editorial writers tackle seasonal allergies, transgender care, weight-loss drugs, and AI in health care.
Bloomberg: Seasonal Allergies Are Getting Worse Because Of Global Warming
If you’ve sensed that your allergies are getting worse each year, it’s not your imagination: Allergy season in the US is getting longer and more intense. You can thank climate change for your misery. And yet we’re not doing enough — to slow down climate change, of course, but to recognize and respond to its very clear health effects. (Lisa Jarvis, 4/18)
The New York Times: The Courage To Follow The Evidence On Transgender Care
Hilary Cass is the kind of hero the world needs today. She has entered one of the most toxic debates in our culture: how the medical community should respond to the growing numbers of young people who seek gender transition through medical treatments, including puberty blockers and hormone therapies. (David Brooks, 4/18)
The Washington Post: The Cass Review Prompts Rethinking Gender Transition Treatment For The Young
A comprehensive review commissioned by England’s National Health Service, released last week, found that gender transition medical treatment for children and young people has been built on “shaky foundations,” with “remarkably weak” evidence. (Paul Garcia-Ryan, 4/18)
Stat: Drug Development For Obesity Needs To Take A More Holistic View
Every so often, the conversations that people in health care have become so pervasive that they dominate the zeitgeist, intersecting with mainstream media and popular culture. Oprah Winfrey’s recent ABC special “Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution” is a good example of this. (Jonathan Isaacsohn, 4/19)
Stat: How AI Can Help Satisfy FDA's Drug, Device Diversity Requirements
The Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022 (FDORA), which was passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, will encourage greater diversity in clinical trials and help ensure new medications and treatments are developed with more representative populations in mind. But FDORA represents a paradigm shift for life sciences companies in the way individuals will be identified for clinical trials and enrolled in them, requiring companies to look closely at and rethink their current trial strategies. (Wendy Cheng, 4/19)
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