State Highlights: Illinois House OKs School Plan To Replace Armed Officers With Unarmed Social Workers; Colo. Hospitals Under Scrutiny For Lapses Leading To Infections

The Hill: Illinois House Approves Plan To Replace Armed Officers In Schools With Mental Health Professionals
The Illinois House of Representatives on Friday approved a plan to replace armed police officers in schools with unarmed mental health professionals. The Democratic-led Illinois House voted 64-25 in favor of setting up a grant program that would reward schools for hiring social workers, according to the Associated Press. (Anapol, 4/29)

Denver Post: Flies In Operating Rooms. A Bone Fragment On A Surgical Tool. Colorado Hospitals Under Scrutiny For Lapses 
At Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, technicians failed to follow manufacturer instructions for pre-cleaning vaginal probes, putting patients at risk of infection, inspectors found in May 2016. And this year, Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver is under fire for failing to promptly notify patients of questionable sanitary practices after the disclosure that a doctor there last April found a bone fragment from a previous surgery stuck to a tool he was about to use. (Osher, 4/27)

Kansas City Star: Kansas Institutional Medical License Requires No Exams
[Washington Emilio] Moscoso is among the 19 doctors at Larned and the state’s other mental institution, Osawatomie State Hospital, who have special “institutional licenses” that allow them to work in those facilities or any of the state’s prisons. The license allows Moscoso to work at Larned even though he hasn't passed the three-step United States Medical Licensing Examination, or USMLE, and has no plans to try at this point. (Marso and Ryan, 4/30)

Texas Tribune: Texas Supreme Court Decision Could Help Uninsured Patients Negotiate Excessive Hospital Bills
The decision, authored by Justice Debra Lehrmann, is likely to make it easier for uninsured Texans to negotiate high hospital bills under similar circumstances. In cases like Roberts’, hospitals aren’t allowed to charge uninsured patients more than a “reasonable and regular rate” — essentially, Roberts’ lawyer James Amaro said, what an insurance company would pay for the same services. (Platoff, 4/27)

Boston Globe: A Man With A Dubious Past And His Clinic That Aids Ailing Former NFL Players
[Larry] Burns, at the Crosby Clinic outside San Diego, has helped retired players gain millions of dollars in benefits through NFL worker’s compensation and disability programs, as well as secure concussion settlement payments even after their claims were denied. But other than energy and scrappy determination, Burns has few qualifications for this work. (Hohler, 4/28)

Boston Globe: Proposal To Set Patient Limits For Nurses Would Cost Hospitals $1B A Year, Industry-Backed Study Says
A report commissioned by the Massachusetts hospital industry projects that passage of a ballot question to regulate nurse staffing would come at an extraordinary cost — almost $1 billion a year — and worsen the quality of patient care. The dire analysis says the ballot measure would require Massachusetts hospitals to hire 5,911 nurses in a matter of weeks, costing $1.3 billion in the first year and over $900 million per year after that. (Dayal McCluskey, 4/29)

The Star Tribune: Legal Help Can Be The Prescription For Health At Minneapolis Clinic
The Community-University Health Care Center in south Minneapolis was one of the first health care clinics in the country to offer free legal services to its patients. It is an idea that has been adopted by more than 400 clinics and hospitals nationwide and continues to gain interest. Serving primarily a low-income population, the clinic, known as CUHCC, has long lived the philosophy that circumstances outside the clinic walls, such as a lack of food or housing, have profound effects on the health of its patients. (Owatt, 4/27)

The New York Times: She Died After Collapsing On A Plane The Pilot Refused To Divert. Now Her Family Is Suing.
Brittany Oswell suddenly felt ill about three hours into her flight from Hawaii to Texas. She was dizzy, disoriented and slurring her speech. Then she briefly fainted. A flight attendant on the American Airlines flight in April 2016 tracked down a doctor on board who examined her. She may have had a panic attack, the doctor said. But it soon became clear her condition was far worse. About an hour later, Ms. Oswell, 25, collapsed in a lavatory, defecated and vomited on herself, and threw up on flight attendants who had come to check on her. The doctor returned and this time issued an urgent request to the flight crew: The pilot must land the plane immediately. (Haag, 4/27)

Denver Post: Researchers Are Hacking The Human Body In Colorado Labs, From Alcohol-Sensing Bracelets To Color-Changing Diagnostic Tattoos 
The state is home to four highly ranked university bioscience programs: CU Boulder, CU Denver, Colorado State University and the University of Denver. Technology that starts at the university level typically splinters off to form its own company or is licensed by larger corporations. But it’s not easy. Pop culture has created unrealistic expectations on how quickly the future can materialize, especially in the health sphere, where time is required to ensure safety. (Worthington, 4/27)

Boston Globe: Black Nurses Sue Brigham And Women’s Hospital
Nirva Berthold had nursed cancer patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital for nine years, when she decided to go after a higher-paying position. The Haitian-American nurse said she was turned down for that job because she is black. ...The women’s claims — which the Brigham said are untrue — are at the center of two back-to-back trials scheduled to begin this week in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston. (Kowalczyk, 4/29)

KCUR: Abortion-Rights Opponents And Advocates Commingle At Overland Park Planned Parenthood 
Dozens of protesters gathered Saturday in Overland Park, Kansas, outside of the Planned Parenthood Great Plains; some to protest the nonprofit reproductive healthcare group, others to defend it. "Repent of supporting murder," called John Pennington through a megaphone, with his pregnant wife and two children by his side. Meanwhile, a small crowd of women chanted, "My body, my choice." The Overland Park rally was one of nearly 150 scheduled for Planned Parenthood locations across the country — organized by the Pro-Life Action League and a movement called #ProtestPP, which calls for the group's federal funding to be revoked. (Tudhope, 4/28)

Chicago Sun Times: Doctor Indicted For Stealing $1 Million In Healthcare Payments 
A suburban physician has been indicted for pocketing nearly $1 million in fraudulent health insurance claims through his southwest suburban Palos Heights medical practice. Dr. Pranav Patel, 51, of Burr Ridge allegedly submitted false insurance claims for medical tests and exams while he owned and operated the Palos Medical Care practice, according to the Northern District of Illinois’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. (Struett, 4/28)

Dallas Morning News: Texas Health Program Served More Low-Income Women, But Improvement Since Funding Cuts Is Unclear 
A new report shows more people enrolled in a health program for low-income women in 2017, but it doesn't show if the numbers are an improvement over the years before funding was cut. According to a Texas Health and Human Services Commission report published Thursday, Healthy Texas Women increased its total number of clients served from 70,336 in 2016 to 122,406 in 2017. The Family Planning Program increased its clients from 38,404 in 2016 to 96,990 in 2017. Overall, Texas served 29 percent more women in one year. (Wang, 4/28)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Cigarette Sales: Health Advocates Seek To Raise Age To 21 In Cincinnati
Making tobacco a little harder for young adults to buy could go a long way to improving Greater Cincinnati’s overall health, the advocates say. Setting the purchase age at 21, they say, can save lives by bringing down the infant mortality rate, reducing the risk of cancer and improving heart health. (Saker, 4/30)

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Social Security Investigating Claims That Local Assisted Living Administrator Stole From Residents' Incomes
The Board of Long-Term Care Administrators suspended Mable Jones’ license this week, citing allegations ranging from improper care of residents to failing to appropriately address a bedbug infestation that one pest exterminator called “deplorable.” A spokesman for the Social Security Administration said the agency is aware of the allegations and is looking into the matter. (O'Connor, 4/27)

San Jose Mercury News: Low-Income Californians Most Vulnerable As Climate Change Exacerbates Air Pollution, Report Says
California’s air pollution levels are among the worst in the country, and climate change is making the situation worse, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. Despite the state’s efforts to reign in air pollution, 90 percent of California residents are exposed to unhealthy air at some point during the year, according to the State of the Air 2018 report. (Boyd-Barrett, 4/29)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Prison Workers Got Promotions After Inmate Suicide Attempt
Mistake after mistake led to a 16-year-old inmate suffering severe brain damage when guards neglected her request for help and she hanged herself in her cell. The 2015 episode is costing Wisconsin nearly $19 million, but employee promotions — not discipline — followed it. (Marley, 4/27)

The Star Tribune: Allina Health Reports Higher Income On Labor Savings 
Operating income grew by more than 20 percent last year at Allina Health System as the Minneapolis-based network of hospitals and clinics hired more than 1,200 nurses during the year, thereby avoiding extra costs with temporary workers. The extensive hiring of nurses helped moderate the growth in labor costs, said Ric Magnuson, the chief financial officer at Allina, as the health system improved revenue by extending some clinic hours and boosting operating room efficiency to give more patients access to care. (Snowbeck, 4/27)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Medical Marijuana Is Coming To Louisiana. But Will Any Doctors Recommend It? | NOLA.Com
Louisiana's nine future medical marijuana dispensaries have been selected. The two grow sites, managed by LSU and Southern University, are preparing to start growing and processing the drug by next February at the latest. ...Despite the interest in Louisiana's budding new industry, the number of doctors that actually have been licensed to recommend medical marijuana lingers at 10, according to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners which approves the therapeutic marijuana license. Only 15 have applied. (Clark, 4/27)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Model Eaten Alive By Scabies In Georgia Nursing Home
A Georgia nursing home resident who died from a scabies infestation is believed to have been eaten alive over the course of months or years. According to a pending lawsuit filed by the family, 93-year-old Rebecca Zeni died in 2015 from scabies at the facility. (Pierrotti, 4/28)

Georgia Health News: Dangerous Dust: Silica Exposure Haunts Former Workers In An Iconic Georgia Industry
Silicosis strikes many workers in the construction, sandblasting and mining industries, according to the CDC. It’s caused by exposure to silica or silica dust – essentially sand. An estimated 2.3 million U.S. workers are estimated to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica through their jobs. (Miller and Hensley, 4/27)

Sacramento Bee: Caltrans Workers Seek Protections Clearing Homeless Camps
Last week, the union representing Caltrans maintenance workers filed a grievance against the department, contending that employees responsible for the massive cleanups are not being adequately protected. In many instances, workers are not given appropriate protective gear, vaccinations, training or enough compensation for the “dangerous hazmat duties they are performing” on Caltrans property, according to the grievance filed by the International Union of Operating Engineers, Unit 12. (Lundstrom, 4/30)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Health Department Slows Contracts Amid Purchasing Review 
The embattled Texas Health and Human Services Commission, facing new controversy and investigations over its latest purchasing irregularities, has slowed down its procurement and contracting processes, officials said Friday. While few details about the move were available, officials in three departments that rely on HHSC for purchasing and contracts review said they had been told that most procurement had been put on hold. (Ward, 4/27)

Columbus Dispatch: Fraternities Violated Alcohol, Drug Rules, Ohio State Documents Allege
Documents released by Ohio State University on Friday allege numerous violations at six of its fraternities, including one case of a student reporting he or she was drugged at a fraternity party, and alcohol violations that ultimately led to some students needing medical assistance or hospitalization. The documents, obtained by The Dispatch through a public records request, detail the investigations into student code of conduct violations involving Tau Kappa Epsilon, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Chi, Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. (Smola, 4/27)