Minnesota Judge Dismisses Lawsuit, Keeps Abortion Protections In Place
The lawsuit, brought by anti-abortion organizations and crisis pregnancy centers, sought to limit abortion access, claiming that the state's abortion laws are too permissive. Other states in the news: North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and more.
Minnesota Public Radio:
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Minnesota's Abortion Protections
A federal judge in Minnesota has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to limit abortion access in the state. Plaintiffs included crisis pregnancy centers and anti-abortion organizations representing several women who said they had abortions that weren’t voluntary. They filed the suit against state officials and abortion providers, claiming that Minnesota’s abortion laws are too permissive. (Timar-Wilcox, 9/5)
More reproductive health news from across the U.S. —
HR Dive:
Judge Expands Pregnancy Law Exceptions For Catholic Bishop Group
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from enforcing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act against the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops “in a way that would require them to make accommodations for abortions, contraception, sterilization, artificial reproductive technologies, or surrogacy” in violation of their religious beliefs. (Shumway, 9/4)
Becker's Hospital Review:
Inside UNC Health's 1st-Of-A Kind Rural Women's Health Fellowship
UNC Health is aiming to build a new pipeline of OB-GYNs equipped not only to practice in rural communities, but to take on leadership roles where they can address longstanding disparities in maternal care access and outcomes. The Chapel Hill, N.C.-based system recently created a first-of-a-kind obstetrics and gynecology fellowship training program dedicated to rural women’s health. The two-year program will train physicians out of UNC Health Rockingham in Eden and UNC Health Lenoir in Kinston, which both serve rural counties. (Cerutti, 9/4)
Modern Healthcare:
Siemens, GE Healthcare Bring Comfort To Mammograms, Ultrasounds
Walking through the doors of Grace Breast Imaging & Medical Spa feels like entering a living room, complete with comfortable seating and a miniature refrigerator stocked with refreshments. The calming atmosphere extends beyond the reception area. Newer mammography systems, like the one at the clinic in Clive, Iowa, are designed to make a patient more comfortable during a diagnostic test that many have historically avoided due to pain or discomfort. (Dubinsky, 9/4)
On measles, rabies, and whooping cough —
CIDRAP:
New Measles Cases Reported In Virginia, New Jersey
Health officials in New Jersey and Virginia yesterday reported new measles cases. The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) alerted residents to a new measles case in a resident of Bergen County that's not linked to any previously reported cases in the state. It’s the tenth measles case recorded in the state this year. In Virginia, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed the state's fourth measles case this year is in a school-age student in the eastern region of the state who had recently traveled internationally. (Dall, 9/4)
KHOL/Jackson Hole Community Radio:
Guest Tracing Complete After Mass Rabies Scare At Jackson Lake Lodge
The Wyoming Department of Health is done notifying local health departments for the more than 200 guests from 38 states and seven countries potentially exposed to rabies while staying at the Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park. (McMurtry, 9/4)
New Hampshire Public Radio:
Whooping Cough Cases Up In New Hampshire This Year
The number of cases of whooping cough in New Hampshire this year are already nearly as high as the total number of cases in 2024. According to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, there were 69 cases of whooping cough in New Hampshire last year, and as of June 30, the state has already seen 63 cases of the disease, which is also known as pertussis. (Richardson, 9/4)
In other health and wellness news —
The Washington Post:
Biden Undergoes Surgery To Remove Skin Cancer Lesions
Former president Joe Biden, 82, recently underwent surgery to remove skin cancer lesions on his head, his spokesperson said Thursday. Kelly Scully, a spokesperson for Biden, confirmed that the former president recently had Mohs surgery, a procedure that involves cutting away layers of skin until there are no longer signs of cancer. (Vazquez, 9/4)
