State Highlights: Introduction Of Polygraph Test In Cleveland Clinic Doctor’s Case Raises Legal Eyebrows; Facing A Crisis, Calif. Planned Parenthood Fights Back

USA Today: Former Cleveland Clinic Doctor's Grand Jury Raises Questions
The grand jury that declined to indict a former Cleveland Clinic surgeon accused of anal rape was given the results of a polygraph the doctor passed, which is so rare that it could justify releasing the proceeding's transcripts, according to Cuyahoga County Judge Michael Donnelly. The Ohio Supreme Court adopted a new rule to promote transparency where transcripts can be obtained when the public's interest to know outweighs grand jury secrecy. Donnelly says he's never heard of polygraph evidence being introduced by a defendant in a grand jury proceeding in his 25 years in the legal profession. (O'Donnell, 3/6)

Sacramento Bee: Planned Parenthood California Staffs Up, Swings Back At Trump Administration
Sacramento attorney Maggy Krell was fighting a high-profile internet sex trafficking case on behalf of the state of California when she made an unexpected career decision: She left her position as a prosecutor for the attorney general to join Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California as its chief legal counsel. Krell had spent months putting together a case against Backpage.com, a site she argued was little more than a platform for digital pimping, often facilitating prostitution of underage girls. She was in the middle of the litigation. It was a trial she was passionate about, one that had raised her profile statewide after an unsuccessful run for Sacramento District Attorney in 2014. (Magagnini, 3/7)

The Associated Press: Mississippi Governor Says He Supports 15-Week Abortion Ban
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is indicating he will sign a bill that would set the earliest abortion ban in the United States. Senators voted 35-14 Tuesday to pass House Bill 1510. If the House agrees with changes made by the Senate, the bill would go to the Republican governor. "As I have repeatedly said, I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child," Bryant said Tuesday on Twitter. "House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal." (3/6)

NPR: EPA Releases Chloroprene Data, Residents Sue Chemical Maker
Robert Taylor isn't sure why he's alive. "My mother succumbed to bone cancer. My brother had lung cancer," he ticks them off on his fingers. "My sister, I think it was cervical cancer. My nephew lung cancer." A favorite cousin. That cousin's son. Both neighbors on one side, one neighbor on the other. "And here I am. I don't understand how it decides who to take." (Hersher, 3/6)

Georgia Health News: Legislation Would Help Guide Patients On Birthing Hospitals
A House bill aims to lower Georgia’s high rates of infant and maternal mortality by creating a designation reflecting the level of care offered by the state’s birthing hospitals. If the proposal becomes law, the state Department of Public Health would establish designations – almost like ratings — that would give patients information on the services at the perinatal center. (Miller, 3/6)

Dallas Morning News: $1 Million Gift Will Support Pediatric Care, Research At Children's Health, UT Southwestern 
The MMK Foundation has committed $1 million to be split evenly between Children's Health System of Texas and UT Southwestern Medical Center. It's the largest grant ever given by the foundation, established by Marcia and Mark King in 2007. The money will be used to enhance the neonatal intensive care unit at Children's Health, support research at UT Southwestern and provide unrestricted funds for pediatric needs. (Haber, 3/6)

Pioneer Press: What’s Ahead For Nurse Practitioner Accused Of Reusing Syringes? MN Nursing Board Would Review Any Complaints.
When Allina Health employees accused a nurse practitioner at its St. Paul dermatology clinic of reusing syringes, the health care facility conducted an investigation which resulted in the nurse’s dismissal. The Minnesota Board of Nursing, responsible for granting, limiting, and revoking licenses, will determine what further action — if any — will be taken against the nurse should a complaint be filed. (Chavey, 3/6)

Pioneer Press: ‘Lost Files’ And ‘Poor Decisions’: Report Blasts Minnesota’s Problems Investigating Abuse In Nursing Homes 
Minnesota’s system for protecting seniors and vulnerable adults is in desperate need of repair. An investigation released Tuesday by the state’s Legislative Auditor, a government watchdog, found “failed” management in the Office of Health Facility Complaints (OHFC) led to “lost files” and “poor decisions” by staffers who were supposed to be protecting Minnesota’s most vulnerable citizens. State investigators have spent months probing the OHFC after a jump in abuse allegations and a backlog of complaints. In 2016, the agency investigated just 10 percent of the 3,400 complaint allegations of abuse it received from the public about long-term care facilities. (Magan, 3/6)

The Star Tribune: After Syringe Reuse, Allina Asks 161 Patients To Come In For Blood Tests 
Allina Health has notified 161 patients that they might have been exposed to blood-borne infections due to a nurse practitioner reusing syringes at a dermatology clinic in St. Paul. Patients received calls over the past two weeks advising them to seek testing for pathogens such as hepatitis C and HIV, which could have been passed from an infected patient to another via a reused syringe at the clinic. (Olson, 3/6)

Kaiser Health News: Oregon Couple’s Final Days Captured In Intimate Aid-In-Dying Video
On the last morning of their lives, Charlie and Francie Emerick held hands. The Portland, Ore., couple, married for 66 years and both terminally ill, died together in their bed on April 20, 2017, after taking lethal doses of medication obtained under the state’s Death With Dignity law. (Aleccia, 3/7)