USA Today: Young Adults Have Higher Rates Of Long COVID Than Older Americans: See The Charts
Nearly one in four adults who contracted COVID-19 developed long COVID symptoms, according to the most recent data from the Census Bureau. ... Anyone infected with COVID-19 can develop long COVID, but the condition is more common in people who had severe COVID-19 symptoms, as well as women, older adults, people with underlying health conditions and people who did not get vaccinated, according to the Washington state Health Department. (Chernikoff and Loehrke, 2/21)

Also —

The New York Times: Study Of Patients With A Chronic Fatigue Condition May Offer Clues To Long Covid
Seven years ago, the National Institutes of Health began a study of patients ... with the condition known as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME/CFS. ... Findings from the study, which was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications, showed notable physiological differences in the immune system, cardio-respiratory function, gut microbiome and brain activity of the ME/CFS patients compared with a group of 21 healthy study participants. (Belluck, 2/21)

CIDRAP: Study Shows 43% To 58% Lower Prevalence Of Long COVID Among Vaccinated People
A new study based on 4,605 participants in the Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study shows that the prevalence of long COVID symptoms at 30 and 90 days post-infection was 43% to 58% lower among adults who were fully vaccinated before infection. The study appeared yesterday in the Annals of Epidemiology. The 30- and 90-day timeframes were meant to compare two different definitions of long COVID. (Soucheray, 2/20)

Stat: NIH Study Of ME/CFS Points To Clear Biological Hallmarks
Alison Sbrana was in the belly of an opera when her life changed. Down in the pit, surrounded by fellow orchestra members, she’d been straining to play her flute for half the show. As performers overhead enveloped the audience in arias, Sbrana felt like the Hulk was pulling on the tendons in the right side of her neck. “I begged anybody for meds at intermission,” she said. (Cueto, 2/21)

In other news relating to covid —

CIDRAP: Those Getting Eviction Notices During COVID Pandemic At Greater Risk For Death, Study Finds
Today in  JAMA, researchers show that US renters who were served eviction notices in the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic had a high proportion of excess deaths. Investigators from Princeton University and Rutgers University-Newark analyzed linked eviction and death records from January 2020 to August 2021, comparing them with projected death rates estimated from comparable records in 2010 to 2016. (Van Beusekom, 2/20)

CIDRAP: Study Suggests Pandemic Employment Drop For US Nurses Was Transitory
A new study in JAMA Health Forum of national data on US registered nurses (RNs) finds that the rebound in the total size of the RN workforce during 2022 and 2023 indicates that RN labor shortages during the first 2 years of the pandemic were likely transitory. In 2021, the US RN workforce decreased by more than 100,000 employees, the largest single-year drop in 40 years.But by 2022, increases in RN hiring had picked up across the country. (Soucheray, 2/20)

The Washington Post: Tax Records Reveal The Lucrative World Of Covid Misinformation
Four major nonprofits that rose to prominence during the coronavirus pandemic by capitalizing on the spread of medical misinformation collectively gained more than $118 million between 2020 and 2022, enabling the organizations to deepen their influence in statehouses, courtrooms and communities across the country, a Washington Post analysis of tax records shows. Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., received $23.5 million in contributions, grants and other revenue in 2022 alone — eight times what it collected the year before the pandemic began — allowing it to expand its state-based lobbying operations to cover half the country. Another influential anti-vaccine group, Informed Consent Action Network, nearly quadrupled its revenue during that time to about $13.4 million in 2022, giving it the resources to finance lawsuits seeking to roll back vaccine requirements as Americans’ faith in vaccines drops. (Weber, 2/21)

Newsweek: Common US Food Additives May Cause Cancer
In the U.S, over half of our daily energy intake comes from ultra-processed foods. ... Increasingly, we are learning that these ultra-processed products are associated with an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, diabetes and certain forms of cancer. In a new study, published in the journal PLoS Medicine, researchers from France have found yet more evidence that common ingredients in these foods may increase our risk of certain cancers, especially breast and prostate cancers. (Dewan, 2/20)

In other cancer-related developments —

Reuters: Bi-Weekly Dose Of Johnson & Johnson's Blood Cancer Therapy Gets US FDA Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a bi-weekly dose of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N), opens new tab blood cancer therapy Tecvayli, the drugmaker said on Tuesday. The approval allows the therapy to be used in a reduced dosing of 1.5 milligrams per kilogram every two weeks, in patients who have achieved and maintained a complete response or better for a minimum of six months. (2/20)

Axios: FDA Approval Of Cancer Treatment Provides New Weapon Against Tumors
A new class of cancer treatments that harness the body's immune system to fight tumors is being hailed as the biggest thing in oncology since CAR-T revealed the promise of cell therapy more than a decade ago. But with price tags of hundreds of thousands of dollars, the drugs raise familiar concerns about affordability and access. (Reed, 2/21)

The Wall Street Journal: These Drug Companies Are Going Nuclear To Fight Cancer
Pharmaceutical companies are spending billions of dollars to develop drugs that can target cancer like guided missiles.Therapies known as antibody-drug conjugates, which help deliver chemotherapy directly to tumors, have gotten most of the attention and are farthest along: Pfizer’s $43 billion acquisition of biotech Seagen Inc. last year underscored how hot the field has become. More quietly, a concept known as radiopharmaceuticals is also gaining ground. (Wainer, 2/20)

Iowa Public Radio: Report Finds Iowa Has Fastest Growing Rate Of New Cancer In U.S.
An estimated 21,000 Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2024, according to an annual report that tracks yearly cancer trends. The annual Cancer in Iowa report by the Iowa Cancer Registry found Iowa has the fastest-growing rate of new cancers and the second-highest rate of new cancers in the country. It found the top new diagnoses will be breast, prostate and lung cancer, which are estimated to make up 40.5% of new cancer diagnoses. (Krebs, 2/20)

AP: Harris Announces $5.8 Billion For Water Infrastructure Projects, Says Clean Water Is A Right 
The Biden administration announced Tuesday that states will share $5.8 billion in federal funds for water infrastructure projects around the country. ... Vice President Kamala Harris, who traveled to Pittsburgh to make the announcement, said everyone in the U.S. should be able to have clean water. ... The White House said Tuesday’s announcement includes $3.2 billion for what’s known as the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund that can be used for upgrades to water treatment plants, water distribution and piping systems, and lead pipe replacement. (2/20)

AP: Jill Biden Is Announcing $100 Million In Funding For Research And Development Into Women's Health
Jill Biden on Wednesday was announcing $100 million in federal funding for research and development into women’s health as part of a new White House initiative that she is heading up. The funding is the first major deliverable of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, which was announced late last year. The money comes from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, which is under the federal Department of Health and Human Services. (Superville, 2/21)

Modern Healthcare: Medicaid DSH Cuts Hit Safety-Net Hospitals In CMS Final Rule
Some safety-net hospitals will receive lower Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments under a final rule the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published Tuesday. The regulation sets new restrictions on how Medicaid DSH payments are calculated and distributed, carrying out a congressional directive from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. (Kacik, 2/20)

In other news —

Stat: FDA Warns Medical Device Makers About Rise In Fabricated Data
An increasing number of medical device companies are submitting fabricated and unreliable data, the Food and Drug Administration noted Tuesday morning. The data comes from third-party labs hired by device firms to test the quality of their products. Triple-check your data or we’ll reject your device, the FDA warned. (Lawrence, 2/20)

Axios: In-Network Insurance Claims Jumped After Surprise Billing Ban Took Effect
The amount of in-network care patients received across different specialties and settings jumped significantly as surprise billing protections took effect, according to a FAIR Health analysis shared first with Axios. (Reed, 2/20)

Stat: Hospitals Are Piloting Generative AI Tools As Regulators Play Catch-Up
Usually the words generative AI in health are followed by a bold claim. The technology will transform some aspect of care delivery, save gobs of money, or automate administrative tasks crucial to connecting patients with timely services. Rohit Chandra, chief digital officer of the Cleveland Clinic, said generative AI can accomplish all these things. But he also said this: “Harm is not just likely. It is for sure going to happen.” (Palmer and Ross, 2/21)

Stat: Court Unexpectedly Revives Controversial Sanofi Drug Shortage Suit
A U.S. appeals court revived a controversial lawsuit brought by nearly two dozen people who claimed they were harmed by a contaminated rare disease medicine sold by a Sanofi subsidiary and a subsequent rationing plan that only worsened their health. And if some upcoming procedural hurdles are cleared, the suit may shine a light on an unusual patient dilemma when a drug is in short supply. (Silverman, 2/20)

Los Angeles Times: Inside The Plan To Diagnose Alzheimer’s In People With No Memory Problems — And Who Stands To Benefit 
In a darkened Amsterdam conference hall this summer, a panel of industry and academic scientists took the stage to announce a plan to radically expand the definition of Alzheimer’s disease to include millions of people with no memory complaints. Those with normal cognition who test positive for elevated levels of certain proteins that have been tied to Alzheimer’s — but not proven to cause the disease — would be diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s Stage 1, the panel members explained. (Petersen, 2/20)

WUFT: The Brain Bus Connects Rural Communities To Needed Alzheimer’s Assistance 
It’s a Thursday afternoon in Gainesville and there’s a 40-foot-long purple bus parked inside the lot of a busy Publix grocery store. Rob Harris yells, “Hi, come on in.” This is the Brain Bus and it’s run by the Alzheimer’s Association. Rob Harris drives the bus up and down the entire state of Florida giving out information on Alzheimer’s and dementia to people looking for help. (Penello, 2/20)

In other public health news —

Newsweek: Too Much TV May Cause Nighttime Urination Problem
People who spend too much time glued to movies, TV shows, or YouTube videos may be more prone to needing to pee during the night, research has found. Nocturia, or the need to pee multiple times during the night, may be linked to spending 5 or more hours a day watching movies, TV, or videos online, according to a new paper in the journal Neurourology and Urodynamics. (Thomson, 2/21)

Newsweek: Dangerous Sleep Problems May Be Caused By Your Diet
Your diet could be increasing your risk of dangerous snoring and sleep problems, a new study has warned. ... As many as 1 billion people around the world suffer from sleep apnea, studies have shown. It affects roughly 1 in 5 individuals with obesity. Sleep apnea is often accompanied by loud snoring, unexplained fatigue and mood swings. However, in the long run it has also been linked to heart disease and metabolic conditions like diabetes, Johns Hopkins Medicine reports. (Dewan, 2/20)

On news about measles —

Reuters: More Than Half The World Faces High Measles Risk, WHO Says
More than half the world's countries will be at high or very high risk of measles outbreaks by the end of the year unless urgent preventative measures are taken, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday. Measles cases have been increasing across most regions mainly due to missed vaccinations during the COVID-19 years when health systems were overwhelmed and fell behind on routine vaccinations for preventable diseases. (2/21)

Health News Florida: Measles Cases Confirmed At Broward Elementary School Prompt Investigation
The Florida Department of Health said it investigating after a Broward County elementary school confirmed a fifth case of the measles on Monday. The Broward school district said it conducted a deep cleaning of Manatee Bay Elementary in Weston over the weekend and replaced its air filters. (Cabrera, 2/20)

CIDRAP: Flu Remains Elevated In The Northern Hemisphere
Flu activity remains elevated in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, though detections have declined at the global level, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest update, which roughly covers the last week of January and the first days of February. Hot spots include parts of Europe and Central Asia, with very high activity reported from Russia and Slovakia. The 2009 H1N1 virus is dominant, and hospitalizations are elevated but stable. In North America, flu levels are still elevated, with slight influenza B rises in the United States and Canada. (Schnirring, 2/20)

Axios: More Than Half Of U.S. Newborns Got RSV Protection
More than half of U.S. newborns now appear to be protected by new RSV vaccines, according to updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The virus is considered the second leading cause of death worldwide during the first year of a child's life. The data suggests demand was strong despite broader vaccine skepticism and the potential for confusion over more childhood immunization options. (Bettelheim, 2/20)

Also —

The Wall Street Journal: For Marijuana Users, Even Legalization Doesn’t Guarantee Safety
Marijuana contaminated with arsenic, lead or mold is causing serious, even life-threatening illnesses around the country as use of cannabis products explodes. People who have used marijuana have higher levels of heavy metals in their blood and are more likely to develop fungal infections, according to studies. Researchers have linked contaminants found in marijuana to cases of sudden-onset numbness, fatal lung bleeding and artery disease that resulted in amputations. (Armour, 2/20)

CNN: A Quarter Of Smokers Quit Within A Year Or Two Of Menthol Bans, Researchers Find
The US Food and Drug Administration has said that a menthol ban is a “top priority,” but public health advocates have accused the Biden administration of dragging its feet, and the ban has gotten caught up in election-year politics despite research showing clear health benefits. The new research, published Wednesday in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, looked at studies that have examined the effects of bans in more than 170 US localities, two states, several countries and the European Union. (Christensen, 2/21)

The Washington Post: They Take Kratom To Ease Pain Or Anxiety. Sometimes, Death Follows
A Washington Post review of federal and state statistics shows that medical examiners and coroners are increasingly blaming deaths on kratom — it was listed as contributing to or causing at least 4,100 deaths in 44 states and D.C. between 2020 and 2022. The vast majority of those cases involved other drugs in addition to kratom, which is made from the leaves of tropical trees. Still, the kratom-involved deaths account for a small fraction of the more than 300,000 U.S. overdose deaths recorded in those three years. (Ovalle, 2/20)

USA Today: Methamphetamine Plays Increasing Role In Addiction Crisis
Illicit fentanyl, the driving force behind the U.S. overdose epidemic, is increasingly being used in conjunction with methamphetamine, a new report shows. The laboratory Millennium Health said that 60% of patients whose urine samples contained fentanyl last year also tested positive for methamphetamine. Cocaine was detected in 22% of the fentanyl-positive samples. (Alltucker, 2/21)

KFF Health News: ‘Fourth Wave’ Of Opioid Epidemic Crashes Ashore, Propelled By Fentanyl And Meth
The United States is knee-deep in what some experts call the opioid epidemic’s “fourth wave,” which is not only placing drug users at greater risk but is also complicating efforts to address the nation’s drug problem. These waves, according to a report out today from Millennium Health, began with the crisis in prescription opioid use, followed by a significant jump in heroin use, then an increase in the use of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. (DeGuzman, 2/21)

CIDRAP: Study Finds Antibiotics Prescribed By VA Dentists 'Commonly Unnecessary'
More than half of the antibiotics prescribed by dentists practicing in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2019 do not have guidelines supporting their use and were likely unnecessary, researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. ... "Regardless of definition applied, antibiotics prescribed by dentists were commonly unnecessary," the study authors wrote. "Improving prescribing by dentists is critical to reach the national goal to decrease unnecessary antibiotic use." (Dall, 2/20)

On other matters concerning antibiotics use —

CIDRAP: Report Cites Progress, But Says Leading Economies Need To Do More To Fight Antimicrobial Resistance 
A new report indicates the world's leading economies have made progress in their efforts to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) but need to do more to lessen the health and financial impact of the looming public health crisis. The report released yesterday by the Global Coalition on Aging and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)—the 2024 AMR Preparedness Index Progress Report—assesses the actions taken by 11 high-income nations to address AMR across five categories. (Dall, 2/16)

CIDRAP: US Study Finds High Prevalence Of Antibiotic Resistance In Urinary Klebsiella Isolates
An analysis of Klebsiella isolates from US women treated for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs) found a high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), researchers reported this week in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control. ... Although Escherichia coli is the most common cause of uUTIs, K pneumoniae causes approximately 6% of cases, and the study authors say that AMR surveillance for uUTIs is needed to enable physicians to provide optimal empiric antibiotic treatment for patients. (Dall, 2/16)

CIDRAP: Site In India Receives Responsible Antibiotic Manufacturing Certification
Pharmaceutical company Viatris announced today that its manufacturing site in India has received Minimized Risk of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) certification. The certification, developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI) in collaboration with the AMR Industry Alliance, provides third-party, independent verification that the antibiotic waste released into the environment by antibiotic manufacturing sites is below a threshold that could promote AMR in the environment. (Dall, 2/20)

Also —

Reuters: GSK's Injectable HIV Drug Shows Promise Over Daily Pills
British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L), opens new tab said on Wednesday its long-acting injectable HIV therapy showed promise in keeping the viral load suppressed compared to daily oral treatment, especially in individuals facing challenges with pill intake. The interim analysis of a late-stage trial on the therapy known as Cabenuva demonstrated superior efficacy in maintaining viral load suppression compared to daily oral therapy in individuals with a history of adherence challenges to oral antiretroviral treatment, which is used to suppress and mitigate the progression of the disease. (2/21)

AP: A Pacemaker For The Brain Helped A Woman With Crippling Depression
Emily Hollenbeck lived with a deep, recurring depression she likened to a black hole, where gravity felt so strong and her limbs so heavy she could barely move. She knew the illness could kill her. Both of her parents had taken their lives. She was willing to try something extreme: Having electrodes implanted in her brain as part of an experimental therapy. Researchers say the treatment —- called deep brain stimulation, or DBS — could eventually help many of the nearly 3 million Americans like her with depression that resists other treatments. (Ungar, 2/21)

CNN: Reduce Risk Of IBS With A Healthy Lifestyle, A New Study Suggests
Adopting a healthy lifestyle could reduce the risk of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, a new study found. For adults in midlife and older who were physically active, got enough sleep, ate a quality diet, moderated alcohol intake or didn’t smoke, the risk for developing the gastrointestinal disorder dropped by up to 42%, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal Gut. (Nicioli, 2/20)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Health Study For Families Exposed To PFAS At Pease Expands Age Range
The PFAS-REACH study is looking to test whether exposure to PFAS — a group of man-made chemicals that have been linked to harmful health effects — changes how children’s immune systems respond to vaccines. Researchers were originally looking for children between 4 and 8 to participate in the study, but they have now expanded to include children from 11 to 15. (Hoplamazian, 2/20)

CIDRAP: Mpox Symptoms Evolved Over The Past 5 Decades, Meta-Analysis Finds
A meta-analysis of papers published during mpox epidemics from 1970 to 2023 suggests that symptoms in affected patients have become more diverse, with a decrease in symptoms other than rash. ...The 61 included studies reported on 21 symptoms in 720 mpox patients from period 1, 39 symptoms from 1,756 patients from period 2, and 37 symptoms from 12,277 patients from period 3. The findings were published late last week in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. (Van Beusekom, 2/20)

In news on electric cars and health —

Axios: Electric Cars Could Boost Kids' Health, Study Finds
Millions of childhood asthma attacks would be avoided and hundreds of infant lives saved by 2050 if the U.S. transitioned entirely to electric vehicles (EVs) powered by renewable energy, according to new research from the American Lung Association (ALA). (Muller, 2/20)

CNN: Switching To Electric Vehicles Could Save Hundreds Of Young Lives And Prevent Millions Of Illnesses, Report Says
Hundreds of infants’ lives would be saved and millions of children would breathe easier across the US if the nation’s power grid depended on clean energy and more drivers made the switch to zero-emission vehicles, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. (Christensen, 2/21)

Modern Healthcare: Teladoc Looks To Expand Overseas User Base Amid U.S. Ad Costs
Teladoc Health is looking to broaden its overseas user base to offset persistently high customer acquisition costs affecting its direct-to-consumer business in the U.S. Teladoc is expanding efforts to sell its BetterHelp virtual therapy subscription services to consumers in Canada, the United Kingdom and other predominantly English-speaking countries, CEO Jason Gorevic said on a call Tuesday with investor analysts. (Perna, 2/20)

On industry hiring news —

Stat: AbbVie CEO Gonzalez To Step Down After A Decade Fiercely Defending Humira
AbbVie announced Tuesday that CEO Richard Gonzalez, who has managed the company’s ascent since it was spun off from the device maker Abbott Laboratories in 2013, will step down in July. Gonzalez had previously said he would depart when AbbVie had a plan in place to move on from its best-selling drug, Humira, which is now facing competition from cheaper biosimilars. (Herper, 2/20)

Reuters: AbbVie Taps Robert Michael To Replace Gonzalez As CEO In July
AbbVie (ABBV.N), opens new tab on Tuesday said Chief Operating Officer Robert Michael would succeed Richard Gonzalez to become the second-ever CEO of the drugmaker on July 1. Gonzalez, 70, who has been at the company's helm since it was formed through a spin-off from Abbott (ABT.N), opens new tab in 2013, will become executive chairman of AbbVie's board once he steps down. (Wingrove, 2/20)

Modern Healthcare: Yale New Haven Health Promotes Pamela Sutton-Wallace To President
Yale New Haven Health has promoted Pamela Sutton-Wallace to be its president, effective immediately. Sutton-Wallace, who became Yale New Haven's chief operating officer in July 2022, will take over responsibilities as president from CEO Christopher O'Connor, a spokesperson for the nonprofit said Tuesday. O'Connor was named president in 2020 and CEO in 2022. (Hudson, 2/20)

Modern Healthcare: AHCA CEO Mark Parkinson To Retire
Mark Parkinson will depart the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living in 2025 after 14 years at the helm, the long-term care provider association announced Tuesday. Parkinson, 66, will remain president and CEO until his retirement on Jan. 15, and the AHCA/NCAL board has commenced its search for a successor, the trade group said in a news release. Modern Healthcare named Parkinson one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2023 and several prior years. (McAuliff, 2/20)

Also —

NPR: Yaz And Climara Added To Cost Plus Drugs
Bayer is the latest name-brand drugmaker to dip its toe into the world of Mark Cuban's online pharmacy, Cost Plus Drugs.The website offers drugs at steep discounts bypassing middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers. It mostly sells generics, but has been slowly adding brand name products as well. Yaz birth control pills and Climara, a hormone patch for menopause, will both now be available for a fraction of their list prices, including Cost Plus's standard 15% markup and shipping. (Lupkin, 2/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Fresenius Swings To Net Loss After Fresenius Medical Care Deconsolidation
Fresenius reported a swing to a net loss for the fourth quarter due to the deconsolidation of Fresenius Medical Care from its accounts, but forecast growth in earnings and sales for 2024. The German health-care company on Wednesday posted a net loss for the fourth quarter of 614 million euros ($663.6 million) compared with a net profit of EUR255 million in the same period of the previous year. The company said the loss mainly reflected the valuation effect arising from the deconsolidation of Fresenius Medical Care, which had no cash impact. (Kienle, 2/21)

Reuters: FMC Shares Slide As Analysts Focus On Weaker Patient Volumes Outlook
Fresenius Medical Care's (FMEG.DE), opens new tab shares fell 5% on Tuesday, despite upbeat quarterly results and higher 2024 guidance, with analysts highlighting a weak outlook for patient volumes from the German dialysis specialist. U.S. competitor Da Vita (DVA.N), opens new tab last Tuesday forecast a 2024 outlook above expectations, forecasting patient volumes would increase by 1% to 2% during the year, while FMC targeted growth of 0.5% to 2%, analysts at Barclays said. (Sychev and Holzhaeuser, 2/21)

Reuters: Healthcare Group Fresenius Tops Q4 Operating Profit Forecast
Fresenius (FREG.DE), opens new tab reported a 13% jump in fourth-quarter operating profit on Wednesday, above market expectations, citing good earnings development across its businesses and progress in the operational turnaround at its hospital project development unit Vamed. The diversified healthcare group reported quarterly earnings before interests and taxes, and before special items, of 634 million euros ($685 million), 7% above analysts' expectations of 591 million in a poll compiled by Vara Research. (2/21)

Reuters: Medtronic Lifts Annual Profit Forecast, Exits Ventilator Business
Medical device maker Medtronic (MDT.N), opens new tab raised annual profit forecast for the third time this fiscal year, after beating third-quarter expectations on Tuesday, helped by higher demand for its heart and diabetes devices. Demand for medical devices has picked up pace as non-urgent procedures, which were deferred during the pandemic, recovered in the past year with easing hospital staff shortages and people becoming regular with check-ups. (Santhosh and Sadhamta, 2/20)

AP: Executive Is Convicted Of Insider Trading Related To Medical Device Firm Acquisition
An executive at a medical device company has been convicted in Minnesota of insider trading for a scheme involving negotiations for the acquisition of the firm that was valued at $1.6 billion, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Doron Tavlin was a vice president for business development at the Minneapolis office of Mazor Robotics in 2018 when he learned that the company could be purchased by Israeli-based Medtronic, Inc., according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. ... Mazor specializes in robotics for spinal procedures. (2/21)

Stat: Fetal Surgery Expert Tippi MacKenzie Shifts To In-Utero Gene Therapy
Outside, the August sun wasn’t yet visible through the thick folds of fog blanketing the San Francisco skyline. Its warmth did not reach the operating room tucked into the sprawling Parnassus Heights hospital complex. In there, the light was all cold and blue fluorescence washing over the sea of scrub caps huddled around an anesthetized young woman on a gurney. (Molteni, 2/21)

Crain's Chicago Business: UChicago Sued Over Death Of Silver Cross Hospital CEO Ruth Colby
UChicago Medicine and Dr. Husam H. Balkhy, a robotic heart surgeon at the health system, are the subject of a lawsuit alleging negligence in the heart procedure, and subsequent death, of Silver Cross Hospital CEO Ruth Colby. Clifford Law Offices said in a press release it filed a complaint in Cook County Circuit Court against the University of Chicago Hospitals & Health Systems and Balkhy on behalf of Colby's son, David Chodak. (Asplund, 2/20)

AP: Republican DA Asks Wisconsin Supreme Court To Decide Abortion Lawsuit Without Lower Court Ruling
A Republican prosecutor asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday to decide whether a 174-year-old state law bans abortion in the state without waiting for a ruling from a lower appellate court. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion, reactivated an 1849 law that conservatives have interpreted as banning abortion. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit arguing that the law is too old to enforce and conflicts with a 1985 law permitting abortions before fetuses can survive outside the womb. (Richmond, 2/20)

Iowa Public Radio: Iowa Senate Approves 12 Months Of Postpartum Medicaid With A More Restrictive Income Limit
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to extend Medicaid pregnancy coverage from 60 days postpartum to a year after giving birth passed in the Senate Monday. Her bill would also lower the program’s income limit so fewer pregnant Iowans and infants would qualify for Medicaid, keeping government costs from significantly increasing. Sen. Mark Costello, R-Imogene, said this expands Medicaid for people who truly need public assistance. (Sostaric, 2/20)

Wyoming Public Radio: A Bill Moving Through The House Could Temporarily Close Wyoming’s Only Remaining Abortion Clinic
New restrictions to abortion access in Wyoming could come out of the Legislature this session. Introduced last week, House Bill 148 would require clinics that provide surgical abortions in the state to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers — also known as day surgery centers. For now, the law would only impact the Wellspring Health Access clinic in Casper, which is the only facility that provides surgical abortions left in Wyoming. (Clements, 2/19)

Daily Beast: Oklahoma Pols Want A Database Of Everyone Who Has An Abortion
An Oklahoma bill that would create a database of every person who obtained an abortion is one step closer to becoming law. The so-called Oklahoma Right To Human Life Act, authored by state Rep. Kevin West, passed out of the Public Health Committee last week and moves to a full House vote next month. The bill would require the Oklahoma State Department of Health to create a database in which each patient is identified by a “unique patient identifier” to track how many abortions a patient has and when. That information and the identity of the patient could be released to authorities under a court order. (Shugerman, 2/20)

NPR: South Carolina Woman Sues State Alongside Planned Parenthood Over Abortion Ban
The state law has been interpreted as banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Planned Parenthood argues the ban is vague and shouldn't apply until at least three weeks later in pregnancy. (Hansen, 2/20)

North Carolina Health News: Chatham Maternity Care Center Bucks Trend Of Rural Maternity Closures 
In the past decade, 14 rural hospitals in North Carolina have stopped providing maternity care. Betsy Johnson Hospital in Harnett County shuttered its labor and delivery unit in October — the most recent closure. Maintaining labor and delivery services at rural hospitals across North Carolina and the nation has become increasingly difficult as costs stay high, birth volumes stay low and staff gets harder to recruit and retain. More units are closing their doors, leaving women without a place to give birth close to home. Chatham County is bucking that trend. (Crumpler, 2/21)

The Baltimore Sun: The Funding Will Be Awarded To 129 Community Organizations.
Maryland state lawmakers on Tuesday announced $111 million in grant funding for child-serving organizations across the state to help them bolster their behavioral health service offerings, including counseling, early intervention and parent encouragement programs. (Roberts, 2/20)

In other news from across the country —

AP: San Francisco Wants To Offer Free Drug Recovery Books At Its Public Libraries
The most stolen books from San Francisco public libraries’ shelves are not the hottest new novels or juicy memoirs, they are books about recovering from addiction. Now, city officials want to provide universal access to free drug recovery books, including Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step recovery book. San Francisco City Supervisor Matt Dorsey on Tuesday introduced legislation to expand a pilot program to distribute addiction recovery books for free at the city’s 28 public libraries. A record 806 people died of a drug overdose in the city last year. (Rodriguez, 2/21)

Missouri Independent: Missouri House Bill Would Allow Further Testing For St. Louis Radioactive Waste
Local governments in the St. Louis area could request radioactive waste testing from the state under a Missouri House bill that would appropriate money to a long-unfunded program. The Missouri House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee on Monday heard testimony on a bill that would transfer $300,000 to a radioactive waste investigations fund created six years ago. Despite the fund passing the legislature in 2018 and being signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson, it has never had any money allocated to it. (Kite, 2/20)

KFF Health News: Death And Redemption In An American Prison
Steven Garner doesn’t like to talk about the day that changed his life. A New Orleans barroom altercation in 1990 escalated to the point where Garner, then 18, and his younger brother Glenn shot and killed another man. The Garners claimed self-defense, but a jury found them guilty of second-degree murder. They were sentenced to life in prison without parole. When Garner entered the gates at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, he didn’t know what to expect. The maximum security facility has been dubbed “America’s Bloodiest Prison” and its brutal conditions have made headlines for decades. (Hawryluk, 2/21)

Scientific American: Against Medical Advice: Another Deadly Consequence Of Our Opioid Epidemic 
At 3 A.M., a high-pitched beep rang on my pager from a patient’s nurse. The page read: “Please come to bedside ASAP. Patient agitated and threatening to leave AMA. Security on their way.” (Zoe Adams, 2/19)

The Washington Post: Obamacare Worked. But Trump And Republicans Want To Gut The ACA
On its key objective — reducing the rate of uninsured Americans — Obamacare has been a clear success. Whereas 18.2 percent of non-elderly Americans lacked health coverage in 2010, only 9.2 percent were without it in the first three months of 2023, according to U.S. government survey data. (2/18)

Chicago Tribune: Our Sons' Agony Taught Us The Importance Of Medical Aid In Dying
Despite the painful memories, we are carrying on our sons’ legacies by urging Illinois lawmakers to pass the recently introduced Illinois End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act. The bill would allow mentally capable, terminally ill adults in Illinois with six months or less to live the option to obtain prescription medication they can decide to take for a peaceful death. (Nilsa Centeno and Suzy Flack, 2/20)

Modern Healthcare: How Generative AI Could Fight Health Disparities, Climate Change 
My latest trip to Davos, Switzerland, to participate in the World Economic Forum last month was a great affirmation of the power of collaboration and the promise of artificial intelligence to address health challenges around the globe, especially when it comes to expanding access to care and improving health equity. (Robert Garrett, 2/20)

Undark: Why Doctors Avoid Talking With Patients About Gun Safety
Gun violence in the U.S. is a public health crisis. During a public health crisis, doctors have important roles and responsibilities. The U.S. gun epidemic is no exception. Many health professional organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians, recommend that primary care providers discuss firearm access and safety with adult patients. As gun deaths increase, it’s more important than ever for doctors to prioritize gun safety discussions with patients. But a recent study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine showed that the extent of this practice is unclear. (Jenna Jakubisin, 2/15)

Stat: Medicare Inequities Exacerbate Puerto Rico’s Health Disparities 
When I accompany my father to his regular cardiologist appointment in Puerto Rico, worry and sadness always come along with us. While treatment has kept his health stable, I am still troubled that he always has to ask his doctor for medication samples. If he lived in any of the 50 states, Medicare would have provided coverage for his medical needs. But because he lived in Puerto Rico, Medicare is far less useful to him. (Mariela Torres Cintron, 2/21)

Stat: New CMS Data Security Rules Will Hurt Medicare, Medicaid Research
Groundbreaking research more than a decade ago showed that almost one-fifth of people enrolled in Medicare were being readmitted within 30 days after being discharged from the hospital, harming patients and increasing costs. (Rachel M. Werner, 2/20)