The Wall Street Journal: The Death Rate For Babies In America Rose For The First Time In 20 Years
The rate of babies dying in the U.S. increased significantly for the first time in two decades, raising new alarms about maternal-infant health in America. The nation’s infant-mortality rate rose 3% from 2021 to 2022, reversing a decadeslong overall decline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. The rate increased from 5.44 infant deaths for every 1,000 births to 5.6 in 2022, a statistically significant uptick. (Essley Whyte, 11/1)

AP: The US Infant Mortality Rate Rose Last Year. The CDC Says It's The Largest Increase In Two Decades
The U.S. infant mortality rate rose 3% last year — the largest increase in two decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. White and Native American infants, infant boys and babies born at 37 weeks or earlier had significant death rate increases. The CDC’s report, published Wednesday, also noted larger increases for two of the leading causes of infant deaths — maternal complications and bacterial meningitis. (Stobbe, 11/1)

NBC News: Infant Mortality Rose In 2022 For The First Time In Two Decades
"Every time we’ve measured infant mortality, it has trended down, and what’s changed? Covid. It’s disrupted all the community support we developed that helped women access prenatal care," Gabbe said. ... "One of the leading factors that contribute to babies born too small and babies born too early is stress," Hackett said. ... “I look at this data and it breaks my heart as a pediatrician, of course. But I also could tell you that anybody who’s in the reproductive health space could and did warn that this is the type of data we were going to start seeing when we took away the federal protections to abortion access,” Wilkinson said. (Bendix, 11/1)

CNN: US Infant Mortality Rate Rises For First Time In More Than 20 Years
“We live in a country with significant resources, so the infant mortality rate and the increase are shockingly high,” wrote Dr. Sandy Chung, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in an email to CNN. “As pediatricians who help children grow into healthy adults, any death of any child is one too many.  The infant mortality rate in this country in unacceptable.” (Viswanathan, 11/1)

Missouri Independent: Ashcroft Loses Appeal On 'Misleading' Abortion Ballot Language 
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft wrote ballot titles for six proposals to restore abortion rights that were “replete with politically partisan language,” a Missouri appeals court unanimously ruled Tuesday. In an expedited decision issued a day after hearing arguments, a three-judge panel of the Western District Court of Appeals upheld, with only minor revisions, the revised ballot titles written by Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem. In a decision by a separate panel, the court upheld the fiscal note summary written by State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick. Rejecting arguments from two lawmakers and an anti-abortion activist, the court said Fitzpatrick’s summary was “fair and sufficient.” (Keller, 10/31)

AP: Missouri Appeals Court Rules Against Ballot Summary Language That Described 'Dangerous' Abortions
A Missouri appeals court ruled Tuesday against Republican-written summaries of abortion-rights ballot measures that described several proposed amendments as allowing “dangerous and unregulated abortions until live birth. ”A three-judge panel of the Western District Court of Appeals found the summaries written by Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who is running for governor in 2024, are politically partisan. (Ballentine, 10/31)

Also —

Side Effects Public Media: Legal Abortions Didn’t Fall In The First Year After Dobbs. Expanded Out-Of-State Access And Virtual Care Played A Role 
The number of legal abortions increased nationwide, a year after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion. That’s despite many states implementing total abortion bans or restricting access to abortion at six weeks. The Society of Family Planning’s latest WeCount report found there were nearly 117,000 more legal abortions in the year after Dobbs in the 35 states where abortion remains legal. The 14 states with total or six-week abortion bans saw almost 115,00 fewer legal abortions. (Benson, 10/31)

On how anti-abortion laws are changing physicians' plans in Idaho —

CBS News: "Hopeless And Frustrated": Idaho's Abortion Ban Is Driving OB/GYNs Out Of The State
Idaho's restrictive abortion laws are fueling an exodus of OB/GYNs, with more than half of those who specialize in high-risk pregnancies expected to leave the state by the end of the year. Doctors CBS News spoke with said treating non-viable pregnancies, in which the fetus is not expected to survive, puts them and their patients in what they call an impossible position. (Diaz, Kegu, and Novak, 10/31)

The New York Times: Panel Tells F.D.A. That CRISPR Sickle Cell Cure Is Safe Enough For Patients
A panel of experts said on Tuesday that a groundbreaking treatment for sickle cell disease was safe enough for clinical use, setting the stage for likely federal approval by Dec. 8 of a powerful potential cure for an illness that afflicts more than 100,000 Americans. The Food and Drug Administration had previously found that the treatment, known as exa-cel and jointly developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals of Boston and CRISPR Therapeutics of Switzerland, was effective. The panel’s conclusion on Tuesday about exa-cel’s safety sends it to the F.D.A. for a decision on greenlighting it for broad patient use. (Kolata, 10/31)

The Boston Globe: Patients With Sickle Cell Disease Urge FDA To Greenlight Landmark Gene-Editing Treatment
About a dozen people who have sickle cell disease or relatives with the debilitating blood disorder implored the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to approve a revolutionary gene editing treatment that those who received it in a clinical trial said transformed their lives. ...The FDA sought feedback about the scientific methods that Vertex and CRISPR used to evaluate the risk of inadvertently changing patients’ DNA beyond the targeted disease — so-called off-target editing. (Saltzman and Weisman, 10/30)

On the opioid crisis —

Reuters: Optum, Express Scripts Want Opioid Special Master Out After Reply-All Email Mishap
Pharmacy benefit managers OptumRx and Express Scripts have asked a federal appeals court to disqualify a long-serving special master in national opioid litigation from working on any cases against them, after he accidentally hit "reply all" on an email that they say revealed him to biased. In a petition filed Monday with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the companies said the August email, in which Special Master David Cohen wrote that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) "knew a lot" about illicit opioid prescriptions, created an appearance of impartiality that disqualified him. (Pierson, 10/31)

KFF Health News: Gubernatorial Candidates Quarrel Over Glory For Winning Opioid Settlements
Opioid settlement cash is not inherently political. It’s not the result of a law passed by Congress nor an edit to the state budget. It’s not taxpayer money. Rather, it’s coming from health care companies that were sued for fueling the opioid crisis with prescription painkillers. But like most dollars meant to address public health crises, settlement cash has nonetheless turned into a political issue. (Pattani, 11/1)

In other developments —

NBC News: By Repeatedly Denying Claims, Medicare Advantage Plans Threaten Rural Hospitals And Patients, Say CEOs
Because the plans routinely deny coverage for necessary care, they are threatening the existence of struggling rural hospitals nationwide, CEOs of facilities in six states told NBC News. While the number of older Americans who rely on Medicare Advantage in rural areas continues to rise, these denials force the hospitals to eat the increasing costs of care, causing some to close operations and leave residents without access to treatment. (Morgenson, 10/31)

Politico: ‘Fundamentally Flawed’: VA Providers Bemoan New Electronic Health Records System
It’s been six months since the VA paused its rollout of a new electronic health records system but the physicians using it are still filing complaints and raising concerns about patient safety, according to internal messages obtained by POLITICO. Messages this month from clinicians at Mann-Grandstaff, a Veterans Affairs facility in Spokane, Wash., show deep frustration with the software from Oracle Cerner, the electronic health records vendor, stemming from outages and errors that prevent staff from filling prescriptions and referring patients to other providers. The messages also show providers struggling to access key patient data needed for patient safety. (Leonard, 10/31)

Politico: Reed: Tuberville Military Holds May Have Contributed To Marine Commandant’s Hospitalization
A top Senate Democrat said that the Marine Corps commandant’s recent medical emergency may be due in part to the fallout from Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s hold on top military promotions, which has forced several top officers to hold down multiple jobs. Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) leveled the accusation a day after the service disclosed that Gen. Eric Smith, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was hospitalized on Sunday. There was no immediate word of when Smith would be released or return to work. (Gould and O'Brien, 10/31)

The Hill: Sen. Tillis Tests Positive For COVID
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Tuesday he tested positive for COVID-19 and would miss votes this week in the Senate. His office confirmed to The Hill he plans to return to Washington next week. (Fortinsky, 10/31)

Also —

Reuters: U.S. FDA Approves Amgen's Biosimilar Version Of J&J's Psoriasis Drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Amgen's (AMGN.O) biosimilar version of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) blockbuster psoriasis treatment, Stelara, for multiple inflammatory diseases. Despite the FDA approval, Amgen's treatment is expected to be launched in 2025 as part of a legal settlement between the two companies earlier this year to delay the entry of the therapy. (10/31)

The Baltimore Sun: Second Pig Heart Transplant Patient Dies At University Of Maryland Medical Center After Showing Signs Of Organ Rejection
Lawrence Faucette, the 58-year-old man who in September became the second person in history to receive a genetically modified pig heart transplant at the University of Maryland Medical Center, died Monday after starting to show signs of organ rejection. Faucette, who was dying of heart disease when he received the transplant Sept. 20, lived for nearly six weeks following the procedure, the University of Maryland School of Medicine said Tuesday in a news release. (Roberts, 10/31)

The New York Times: Second Maryland Man To Receive An Altered Pig’s Heart Has Died
Lawrence Faucette, of Frederick, Md., was the second patient at the medical center to have had an ailing heart replaced with one from a pig that had been genetically modified so its organs would be more compatible with a human recipient and would not be rejected by the human immune system. The first patient, 57-year-old David Bennett, died last year, two months after his transplant. He had developed multiple complications, and traces of a virus that infects pigs were found in his new heart. (Caryn Rabin, 10/31)

USA Today: After Pig-To-Human Heart Transplant, Patient Lived Just Six Weeks
Dr. Bartley Griffith, the surgeon who performed the transplant said in a statement that he was extremely saddened by Faucette's death. “Mr. Faucette's last wish was for us to make the most of what we have learned from our experience, so others may be guaranteed a chance for a new heart when a human organ is unavailable. He then told the team of doctors and nurses who gathered around him that he loved us. We will miss him tremendously.” (Weintraub, 10/31)

Modern Healthcare: CDC Launches Healthcare Worker Burnout Initiative
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching an effort to help hospitals address workforce burnout and support the mental wellness of their employees. Led by the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, the initiative includes resources for hospitals to identify areas for improvement in employee well-being and training for frontline leaders to help foster a better work-life balance among staff. (Devereaux, 10/31)

Axios: CDC Outlines First Plan To Address Widespread Health Worker Burnout
A new first-of-its-kind federal campaign targeting widespread burnout in the health care workforce aims to make it easier for providers to get mental health care without fear it could jeopardize their careers. The new plan from a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes amid heightened scrutiny of the routine practice of asking workers in high-stress professions about their mental health. (Reed, 10/31)

Stat: CDC Asks Health Care Leaders To Step Up In Reducing Burnout
Often, workplace conversations about burnout put the onus on the individual to take care of their mental health while ignoring management’s role in solving the problem. A new anti-burnout campaign from the Centers for Disease Control and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health avoids this typical — and often frustrating — tactic, instead imploring leaders to better support health care workers. (Trang, 10/31)

Fox News: Parents Of Teens More Concerned About Internet Addiction Than Drug Use, Study Finds: ‘Problematic Patterns’
More parents are concerned about internet addiction by their adolescent children than substance addiction, according to the results of a survey published in JAMA Network Open on Oct. 26. Parents of children aged 9 to 15 years see internet use as a double-edged sword. While it fosters a sense of family connectedness, it is also a concern due to the potential for negative consequences, such as cyberbullying and addiction, the study found. (Sudhakar, 11/1)

CNN: Millions Have Used The 988 Mental Health Crisis Line, But Most Say They Wouldn’t Turn To It Again
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has received millions of calls, texts and online messages since its launch in the summer of 2022, but a new study suggests that the mental health resource is far from reaching its full potential. People with severe psychological distress were more likely than others to have heard of 988 and to have used the lifeline, according to research published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open. But overall, only a quarter of people said they would be very likely turn to 988 in the future if they or a loved one were experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidality – and less than a third of people with severe psychological distress who had already tried the lifeline were very likely to use it again. (McPhillips, 10/31)

The Boston Globe: Involuntary Commitments Can Be A Vital Lifeline For Mental Health, But Patients’ Rights Must Be Considered
Amid revelations that an Army reservist was sent to a mental health hospital in New York against his will a few months before committing a mass shooting in Maine last week, clinicians Tuesday said an involuntary commitment can be a lifeline to treatment for a patient in danger of hurting themselves or other people. (Hilliard, 10/31)

In news on PTSD —

Axios: Psychedelics Can Help Treat PTSD In Veterans
The push to use psychedelics as treatment for veterans with PTSD is gaining momentum across the country — and the Bay Area is taking the lead. Studies show that MDMAs reduce PTSD symptoms and functional impairment. Advocates are working to secure FDA approval of its use in a bid to more effectively tackle the suicide epidemic among veterans. (Chen, 10/31)

The Hill: Children’s Hospitals Prepare For Surge In Admissions Amid Shortage Of RSV Drug
A supply shortage means a drug that can prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants won’t have a major immediate impact, children’s hospitals said, and they are preparing for a surge in admissions this respiratory disease season. “Widespread access [to the new antibody drug] will take time across many sectors of the pediatric population and won’t have as great an impact on volumes this immediate respiratory season,” the Children’s Hospital Association said in a statement. (Weixel, 10/31)

On the sugar content in Halloween candy —

Axios Portland: How Much Sugar Per Serving Of Popular Halloween Candy 
The vast majority of Americans — 93% — say they will be sharing candy to celebrate Halloween, according to the National Confectioners Association. Here's how that sweet sensation breaks down in terms of sugar to your system. Smarties win in the low-sugar count at just 6 grams of sugar per recommended serving size. At 31 grams, two candies tie for the highest sugar count per suggested serving — Hi-Chews and plain M&Ms. (Harris and Bailey, 10/31)

In other public health developments —

The Washington Post: Why Are People Afraid Of Clowns? A New Study Explains The Fear
Clowns can be unpredictable, inscrutable and a little weird. Those are just a few of the reasons why some people develop coulrophobia, or fear of clowns. (Amenabar, 10/30)

NPR: U.S. Gun Violence Death Rate Is Higher Than Much Of The World
The U.S. has the 28th-highest rate of deaths from gun violence in the world: 4.31 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. That was more than seven times as high as the rate in Canada, which had 0.57 deaths per 100,000 people — and about 340 times higher than in the United Kingdom, which had 0.013 deaths per 100,000. The numbers come from a massive database maintained by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which tracks lives lost in every country, in every year, by every possible cause of death. (Aizenman, 10/31)

The New York Times: Hearing Aids Are More Affordable, And Perhaps More Needed, Than Ever
A year ago, the Food and Drug Administration announced new regulations allowing the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids and setting standards for their safety and effectiveness. That step — which was supposed to take three years but required five — portended cheaper, high-quality hearing aids that people with mild to moderate hearing loss could buy online or at local pharmacies and big stores. So how’s it going? It’s a mixed picture. (Span, 10/30)

The Atlantic: Did The Carpal Tunnel Epidemic Ever Really End?
Diana Henriques was first stricken in late 1996. A business reporter for The New York Times, she was in the midst of a punishing effort to bring a reporting project to fruition. Then one morning she awoke to find herself incapable of pinching her contact lens between her thumb and forefinger. ... Henriques would join the legions of Americans considered to have a repetitive strain injury (RSI), which from the late 1980s through the 1990s seized the popular imagination as the plague of the modern American workplace. (Ryan, 10/31)

CIDRAP: Global COVID Vaccination Saved 2.4 Million Lives In First 8 Months, Study Estimates
The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in 141 countries averted 2.4 million excess deaths by August 2021 and would have saved another 670,000 more lives had vaccines been distributed equitably, estimates a working paper from University of Southern California (USC) and Brown University researchers. (Van Beusekom, 10/31)

CIDRAP: COVID Vaccines Not Linked To Miscarriages
A new study published in Human Reproduction shows no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination in either male or female partners is linked to early or late miscarriages and that maternal vaccination shortly before conception has no impact on early (less than 8 weeks) miscarriage rates. The study was based on outcomes seen in the Boston University School of Public Health’s Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), an ongoing study that follows participants from preconception through 6 months after delivery. The present study included 1,815 women from the United States and Canada who were followed from December 2020 through November 2022. The women were ages 21 to 45 years and were trying to conceive without the use of fertility treatment at enrollment. (Soucheray, 10/31)

On research into long covid —

CIDRAP: Paxlovid Shown Not Effective Against Long COVID In Veterans
A new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine of US veterans prescribed nirmatrelvir–ritonavir (Paxlovid) during COVID-19 infections shows no difference in long-COVID rates among groups who took the antivirals and those who did not. The study was based on 191,057 veterans with a first positive SARS-CoV-2 test result during January through July 2022. Among that group, 9,593 nonhospitalized patients were treated with Paxlovid, and outcomes were compared among their matched untreated cohorts for 31 post-COVID conditions (PCCs). (Soucheray, 10/31)

CTVNews: Chance Of Getting Long COVID Highest With Original Strain Of The Virus: Study
The study, published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, looked at more than 270,000 adults across the U.K. and found that those who were infected with the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 were much more likely to experience both more serious and more long-lasting cases of long COVID compared to those infected with newer variants. ... Researchers found that one in 13 participants who contracted COVID-19 reported were still experiencing symptoms 12 weeks later, and one in twenty were still experiencing symptoms a year after their initial infection. (Mae Jones, 10/31)

Meanwhile, sperm count may be impacted by cellphone use —

CNN: High Mobile Phone Use May Impact Sperm Count, Study Says 
Male sperm count has fallen by more than 50% globally in the last 50 years, leaving researchers scrambling to understand why. Could it be pollution, PFAS and other potential toxins in our food and water, an increase in obesity and chronic disease, or even the ever-present mobile phone? A new study explored the role of cell phones and found men between the ages of 18 and 22 who said they used their phones more than 20 times a day had a 21% higher risk for a low overall sperm count. The men also had a 30% higher risk for a low sperm concentration, a less important measure of sperm count in a milliliter of semen. (LaMotte, 11/1)

In other research news —

CIDRAP: Mpox Vaccine Seekers Say They Cut Back On Sex Behaviors Tied To Viral Spread
From 46% to 61% of adults receiving mpox vaccination at two US public health clinics reported a decrease in sexual behaviors tied to viral transmission, including one-time encounters, sex partners, dating app– or sex venue–based sex, and group sex, according to a study published late last week in Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The study, led by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers, involved 711 adults seeking mpox vaccination at two clinics in Washington, DC, who completed questionnaires from August to October 2022. (Van Beusekom, 10/31)

Fox News: Anger Can Motivate People To Achieve Their Goals, New Study Suggests: ‘Sharpened Focus’ 
Anger can be a powerful motivator for achieving goals, according to a new study from the American Psychological Association (APA). The research, published this week in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, examined how both positive and negative emotions factor into the odds of success. "People often believe that a state of happiness is ideal, and the majority of people consider the pursuit of happiness a major life goal," lead author Heather Lench, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University, said in a press release. (Stabile, 10/31)

Also —

CIDRAP: Study Raises Questions About Efficacy Of Antibiotics For Serious Childhood Infections
A review and analysis of data from previously published studies found high levels of resistance to the antibiotics commonly used for empiric treatment of sepsis and meningitis in babies and children in the Asia-Pacific region, researchers reported today in The Lancet Regional Health–Southeast Asia. (Dall, 10/31)

Stat: Explaining An After-The-Fact Subgroup Analysis In A Failed Clinical Trial
Clinical trials of newly developed drugs often don’t work out. When that happens, it’s common practice for biotech and pharma companies to look for ways to salvage their financial investment, often conducting further data analyses in particular types of patients after the fact, to see if the compound might have been effective in those smaller groups. (Goode, 10/31)

The Hill: 2 In 3 Physicians Concerned About AI Driving Diagnosis, Treatment Decisions: Survey
Nearly 2 in 3 physicians are concerned about artificial intelligence’s (AI) influence on diagnosis and treatment decisions, according to a recent survey. According to the Medscape survey released Monday, 65 percent of physicians in the survey are “very” or “somewhat” concerned about AI driving diagnosis and treatment decisions. Meanwhile, 36 percent said they were “not very” or “not at all” concerned about AI driving diagnosis and treatment decisions. (Suter, 10/31)

On Eli Lilly —

Bloomberg: Lilly To Pay Beam Up To $600 Million For DNA-Editing Tech
Eli Lilly & Co. is buying rights from Beam Therapeutics Inc. to develop and sell treatments for heart disease that make use of an experimental gene-editing technology. Lilly will pay Beam $200 million upfront and make a $50 million equity investment in the company, the companies said Tuesday in a statement. Lilly, which has deep expertise in heart disease, will pay as much as an additional $350 million if the programs hit certain goals. (Smith, 10/31)

Stat: Eli Lilly To Pay $200M For Beam’s Stake In Gene-Editing Firm Verve
Eli Lilly said Tuesday that it will pay $200 million to gene-editing firm Beam Therapeutics for Beam’s stake in Verve Therapeutics, another gene-editing company focused on treatments for heart disease. (Herper, 10/31)

In other health industry news —

Reuters: GSK Lifts Annual Forecasts On Strong Launch Of RSV Vaccine
GSK (GSK.L) on Wednesday raised its full-year profit and sales forecasts for a second time, after better-than-expected quarterly sales of its newly-launched respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. (Mathews, 11/1)

AP: A Continuing Decline In Sales Of COVID-19 Products Clips Revenue At Pfizer
Pfizer lost more than $2 billion in the third quarter as an expected COVID-19 product sales decline clipped revenue. Sales of the drugmaker’s COVID treatment Paxlovid and the vaccine Comirnaty slid 97% and 70%, respectively, as Pfizer, like its competitors, switched to selling on the commercial market instead of to governments. (Murphy, 10/31)

Reuters: AstraZeneca To Invest $245 Mln In Cellectis To Boost Gene Therapy Prospects
AstraZeneca (AZN.L) said on Wednesday it would invest $245 million in French biotechnology company Cellectis (ALCLS.PA) in a deal aimed at speeding up the development of therapeutics in areas including oncology, immunology and rare diseases. Cellectis' gene-editing technology and manufacturing capabilities to design novel cell and gene therapy products will help strengthen AstraZeneca's growing offering in the space, it said. (11/1)

Modern Healthcare: IKS Health Acquires AQuity For $200M
IKS Health, a clinical documentation, coding and revenue tech company, acquired AQuity Solutions for $200 million, the companies said Tuesday. While IKS Health has primarily focused on products for the ambulatory market, AQuity has offered similar solutions in acute care settings. The combined company will have revenue of $330 million and employ 14,000 people. (Perna, 10/31)

Modern Healthcare: Olive AI Sells Remaining Assets To Waystar, Humata Health
Olive AI, a company that was once a ‘unicorn’ and valued at $4 billion, has sold its remaining assets and is winding down operations. The company, which developed technology to help providers and insurers automate the revenue cycle, sold its patient access software product to Waystar and its prior authorization business to Humata Health, Olive said Tuesday in a post on its website. (Perna, 10/31)

Modern Healthcare: Option Care Health’s John Rademacher Pivots After Amedisys Deal Fails
Option Care Health is sticking to what it knows best when it comes to acquisitions, following its failed $3.6 billion bid to buy home health giant Amedisys last spring. After losing out to UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion all-cash offer for Amedisys, President and CEO John Rademacher said the home infusion company will use capital to buy companies more closely aligned with Option Care Health’s core business. (Eastabrook, 10/31)

Modern Healthcare: Calibrate CEO Isabelle Kenyon Steps Down
Isabelle Kenyon, founder and CEO at weight loss telehealth company Calibrate, is stepping down as CEO, she said Tuesday in a post on the user-generated publishing website Medium. Kenyon said she will continue to work with Calibrate, efforts that will include "evangelizing our mission, vision, and values" and helping increase access to the company's weight loss programs.  (Turner, 10/31)

The Texas Tribune: COVID Vaccine Mandate Ban For Private Employers Heads To Texas Governor
A sweeping ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates for employees of private Texas businesses is on its way to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, carrying with it a $50,000 fine for employers who punish workers for refusing the shot. (Harper, 10/31)

Houston Chronicle: HISD Nurses Frustrated With Vaccine Plan, Citing No Pay, Safety
Houston ISD nurses are voicing frustration with the district's plans to have them staff two vaccine clinics in early November without extra pay or, in many cases, recent experience administering shots. Over 250 HISD nurses were informed last week that they are expected to report to one of the two vaccination sites between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on both weekends, and that participation in the events is "mandatory and not optional," according to emails shared with the Houston Chronicle. (González Kelly, 10/31)

Public Health Watch and Investigative Reporting Workshop: East Texans Live With Diabetes At Higher Rate Than The National Average
Managing diabetes is difficult enough with health insurance. Doing it without insurance can feel impossible. The disease — the nation’s costliest chronic condition and especially prevalent among the poorest Americans — demands daily care and resources to keep it under control. Left untreated, it mushrooms through the body’s blood vessels, damaging organs and limbs and leaving behind a trail of disability and premature death. (Krisberg and Levithan, 11/1)

On health professionals' pay in California —

Fresno Bee: University Of California Paid 114 Doctors Over $1 Million Last Year. How Many Were Women? 
The University of California’s health system paid 113 medical professors at least $1 million in total pay last year. Only 12 of those high-earning health professionals were women, according to a Sacramento Bee analysis of 2022 payroll data from the UC Office of the President. (Miller and Reese, 10/31)

In health news from Florida —

WLRN 91.3 FM: Floridians Can Begin Shopping For 2024 ACA Insurance Plans Wednesday 
The federal government has set the enrollment period for Affordable Care Act insurance from Wednesday to Jan. 15. Last year, Florida led the nation in the number of enrollees. (Zaragovia, 10/31)

WUFT: Study: Hurricane Ian Unleashed Flesh-Eating Bacteria Into Florida Waters
A Journal mBio study confirmed Hurricane Ian, which struck Southwest Florida in September 2022, unleashed various Vibrio bacteria that can cause illness and death in humans. The study, conducted in October 2022 by scientists from the University of Florida and the University of Maryland, was based on data and samples gathered off the coast of Lee County, where Hurricane Ian made landfall last year. (Garcia, 10/31)

On other developments across the country —

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Cleveland Clinic To Deliver Medication Using Drones
When you’re sick, it can be painful to get to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. The Cleveland Clinic plans to simplify – and speed up – the process for patients, by delivering medication via drone, in minutes, at no extra charge. (Rose, 11/1)

CBS News: Treating Prostate Cancer Just Got Easier In The Twin Cities
November is men's cancer awareness month, and there's some news many men are not aware of — screening for prostate cancer is now as simple as getting a blood test. And for those who do end up having cancer, treating the condition can be easier than ever in the Twin Cities. ... High Intensity Focused Ultrasound — a HIFU. It's a probe that heats and treats only the part of the prostate with cancer and the surrounding area. WCCO got a peak of the only machine in the cities - at Methodist Hospital. (Littlefield, 10/31)

CBS News: Long Island's Primary Care Doctor Shortage Expected To Worsen In Next 10 Years, Research Finds
Many doctors across Long Island are seeing they just don't have enough time in their days to keep up with demand, and new research shows it could get worse in the next 10 years. Northwell Health research claims the United States and Long Island are both facing a primary care doctor shortage. Its numbers claim by 2034, America could be dealing with a deficiency of around 48,000 doctors. "That is 72 million people throughout the U.S. that will be without a doctor," said Dr. Lauren Block, general internist at Northwell Health. (Dias, 10/31)

Minnesota Public Radio: Southeast Minnesota Struggles For Common Ground On Nitrate Pollution As Health Worries Rise
Corn once grew and livestock grazed on Paul Wotzka’s steeply sloped farm near Weaver, Minn., in rural Wabasha County, not far from the Mississippi River. These days, Wotzka rotates annual crops with perennials such as garlic, grapes and hazelnut that keep the soil continuously covered. He uses only compost, no commercial fertilizer. (Marohn, 10/31)

Politico: Haaland Announces Funding For Colorado Mine Cleanup
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Tuesday rolled out $10 million in federal funds to boost mine cleanup efforts in Colorado, a portion of the $16 billion in funds Congress designated for legacy pollution cleanup efforts nationwide. ... “People spend years dealing with serious environmental and health risks caused by these sites,” Haaland said. “But I believe that we have the resources to end this cycle. Together we can make these smart investments and build a cleaner and more just future for our children and our grandchildren.” (Yachnin, 10/31)

The 19th: Pregnant Farmworkers Get Time Off To Prevent Pesticide Exposure — But Many Don't Know It Exists
For over two decades, a growing body of research has found several associations between pesticides and issues in early childhood development, specifically for children born in farmworking communities. What the research has found is that prenatal exposure to pesticides has been linked with neurodevelopmental issues like decreased cognition and lower IQ in childhood and an increase in ADHD and autism, said Carly Hyland, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Berkeley who has worked on a study of 600 pregnant farmworkers in California’s Salinas Valley, and has followed the development of their children since the 1990s. (Kutz, 10/31)

KFF Health News: Medical School On Cherokee Reservation Will Soon Send Doctors To Tribal, Rural Areas
Ashton Glover Gatewood decided to give medical school a second try after learning about a new campus designed for Indigenous students like herself. Gatewood is now set to be part of the first graduating class at Oklahoma State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation. Leaders say the physician training program is the only one on a Native American reservation and affiliated with a tribal government. (Zionts, 11/1)

Axios Portland: Why Oregon's Law To Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent Isn't In Effect 
It's that time of year again. Clocks will need to be reset this weekend, falling back an hour at 2am Sunday. The time disruption affects our mental and physical health, fueling an ongoing debate about whether to stay year-round on daylight saving time, aka permanent summer time. (Harris, 10/30)

CIDRAP: What's In A Name? Surveys Highlight Public's Problems With Term 'Antimicrobial Resistance' 
A new study suggests that the terms "antimicrobial resistance" and "AMR" aren't the best for communicating the dangers of antibiotic-resistant infections to the public, and that a more memorable and alarming term may be needed to raise public awareness. (Dall, 10/30)

ScienceDaily: Protein Interaction Causing Rare But Deadly Vaccine-Related Clotting Found 
A mechanism that led some patients to experience cases of deadly clotting following some types of Covid-19 vaccination has been identified in new research. (University of Birmingham, 10/30)

Reuters: Pfizer RSV Vaccine Lags GSK’s As Head-To-Head Competition Underway 
Pfizer, which dominated COVID vaccine sales, now finds itself looking up at GSK, whose rival new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine has surged to an early lead since the shots launched this summer. GSK accounts for close to two-thirds of RSV shots given in the United States since early September, according to IQVIA data seen by Reuters. (Erman, 10/30)

CIDRAP: Unapproved Stem-Cell Therapies Marketed To People With Long COVID 
New research has identified 38 direct-to-consumer businesses marketing stem-cell treatments and exosome therapies for COVID-19 infections and, especially, long COVID, despite lacking approval by US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory body in the United States. Descriptions of the businesses and an analysis of their marketing strategies are published in Stem Cell Reports. (Soucheray, 10/30)

Reuters: Sarepta's Muscular Dystrophy Therapy Fails To Meet Main Goal In Late-Stage Trial 
Sarepta Therapeutics gene therapy to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a progressive muscle-wasting disorder, failed to meet the main goal of a late-stage trial when tested in patients between 4 and 7 years, the company said on Monday. (10/30)

Reuters: Bayer Ordered To Pay $175 Million In Latest Roundup Cancer Trial
A Philadelphia jury on Friday found Bayer AG liable in a case brought by a retired restaurant owner who claimed his cancer was due to exposure to the company's Roundup weed killer, and ordered Bayer to pay him $175 million in damages, the man's lawyers said. The verdict, for retired restaurant owner Ernest Caranci, includes $25 million in compensatory damages and $150 million in punitive damages. (Pierson, 10/27)

The Washington Post: Obesity Drugs Might Not Be Worth Their High Price
The math seems simple enough: More than 40 percent of American adults have obesity, which increases their risk of expensive chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. The drug semaglutide, marketed under the name Ozempic for treating diabetes and Wegovy for treating obesity, reduces body weight. Semaglutide must, therefore, be cost-effective, because of all the medical costs saved from preventing later complications of obesity. (Leana S. Wen, 10/31)

The New York Times: A New Sickle Cell Treatment Will Change Lives — But How Many? 
The Food and Drug Administration is gearing up to review what could be the first approved gene therapies for sickle cell disease — treatments that could offer functional cures and transform what it means to have this diagnosis. An advisory committee for the agency is meeting to discuss one of the drugs on Oct. 31, with a formal decision by the F.D.A. expected by early December. (Daniela J. Lamas, 10/30)

New England Journal of Medicine: Reforming Pharmacy Benefit Managers — A Review Of Bipartisan Legislation 
This year, U.S. congressional leaders have been prioritizing legislation to lower prescription drug prices by regulating pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). (Christopher Cai, M.D., and Benjamin N. Rome, M.D., M.P.H., 10/28)

The Tennessean: Pharmacy Benefit Managers: Ways Patients Can Protect Their Pocketbooks
Patients and their local pharmacies are increasingly under attack by multibillion-dollar corporate middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which are third party administrators that manage prescription drug formularies on behalf of insurance companies. (Anthony Pudlo, 10/30)

New England Journal of Medicine: Scaling Up Point-Of-Care Fentanyl Testing — A Step Forward 
Whereas the first two waves of the U.S. opioid epidemic were driven by prescription opioids and heroin, a fundamental shift occurred around 2013. This third wave has been marked by the rise of illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids, which are much more potent and cheaper than their predecessors. In 2016, these illicit opioids, primarily fentanyl and its ultrapotent analogues, surpassed prescription opioids as the leading cause of overdose-related deaths. (Brian S. Barnett, M.D., Peter R. Chai, M.D., M.M.S. and Joji Suzuki, M.D., 10/28)

Stat: Extreme Heat Events Are A Public Health Emergency 
Heat waves have rarely garnered the attention they deserve, despite being one of the most dangerous natural hazards on earth. But now, with heat continuing to take a devastating toll on vulnerable communities into autumn­­ — including deaths in the elderly and those with chronic illnesses from New York, Arizona and elsewhere — extreme heat’s persistent threat to health is undeniable. (Julie Varughese and Caleb Dresser, 10/31)

The Baltimore Sun: ‘Social Media Hurts’: Maryland Doctors Plead For Action To Protect Young People
Maryland has joined other states in filing a lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit claims that Meta knowingly designs its social media platforms to be addictive and harmful to children, violating consumer protection laws. As child and adolescent psychiatrists and pediatricians, we have seen firsthand how social media hurts our young patients’ mental health and well-being. (Sarah Edwards, Gloria Reeves and Mutiat Onigbanjo, 10/31)

The CT Mirror: Medical-Assisted Suicide Endangers Our Most Vulnerable
Compassion and Choices Connecticut campaign director Tim Appleton’s recent statewide walk was billed as a “listening tour.” But how much of Appleton’s excursion was about “listening?” As reported on the organization’s own Facebook page, it was a carefully curated series of events and stops including only the strongest supporters of medical assisted suicide, most of them from Connecticut’s wealthiest communities, such as Westport. If there was actual dialogue with those who might have been skeptical or opposed, it isn’t mentioned. (Joan Cavanagh, 11/1)

Los Angeles Times: I Was A NOVID — Until I Wasn't 
I thought I would never get COVID. I have been vaccinated six times — so many that I ran out of space on my vaccination card. I am the person still wearing a mask at Ralphs, Trader Joe’s and CVS. (I don’t know what people in those stores have been up to.) I went to a movie theater only once in the past three years — and it was to celebrate a former colleague’s documentary at a film festival. (Carla Hall, 11/1)

Stat: The Sacklers, Horror, And ‘The Fall Of The House Of Usher’ 
“Watch “The Fall of the House of Usher” on Netflix when you can. F**cking Great! Totally based on the Sacklers—Fictional obviously but so damn good!” This was the message nationally known recovery advocate Ryan Hampton sent me recently. He is one of many advocates I have come to know, befriend, and collaborate with in my 22-year quest for accountability since my son passed away after taking an OxyContin at a party and never waking up. (Ed Bisch, 10/31)

The Tennessean: Kristen Gilliland Helps Teens Struggling With Addiction And Honors Her Son's Memory
Gilliland, researcher and holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, honors her son's memory in the work she does as director of outreach and advocacy programs of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery at Vanderbilt. (David Plazas, 10/31)