Latest KFF Health News Stories
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
‘It Hurts Our Soul’: Nursing Home Workers Struggle With Thankless Position
Poorly rated long-term care facilities stand out in the COVID-19 crisis — but even the best are affected.
A Switch To Medicaid Managed Care Worries Some Illinois Foster Families
Illinois is moving thousands of children into its Medicaid managed-care program. Proponents say the approach can cut costs while increasing access to care. But after a phase-one rollout of the new health plans caused thousands to temporarily lose coverage, some question whether it’s the right move.
The Inside Story Of How The Bay Area Got Ahead Of The COVID-19 Crisis
An early morning text. A lawyer-filled meeting on a Sunday afternoon. Emotional journal entries. And, ultimately, action. In the 24 hours before San Francisco Bay Area public health officials issued the country’s first stay-at-home order, they debated how to tackle the alarming rise in COVID-19 infections. Their decision set the course for the nation.
San Francisco Quick To Fight COVID-19, Slow To Help Homeless
San Francisco Mayor London Breed won nationwide praise for taking drastic early measures against COVID-19. But her hesitation over how to care for the homeless came back to bite her.
“Duele en el alma”: la lucha de los trabajadores en residencias de adultos mayores
La epidemia de COVID-19 ha resaltado las profundas debilidades de la industria que atiende a las personas mayores y más frágiles de la nación en centros de cuidado y residencias.
Pandemic Stresses Already Fragile Rural Health Care Systems
KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber joined Newsy’s “Morning Rush” and WAMU’s “1A” show to talk about the challenges facing rural America during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic topics and others.
CMS Administrator Seema Verma released a plan that will help hospitals start to reopen, just like the rest of the country. Among other things, before a hospital can reopen for non-emergent, non-coronavirus care, their state or region will have to meet certain criteria in terms of residents’ symptoms and case loads. The American Hospital Association has also released readiness guidelines.
To Improve Health In Poor Inner-City Communities Some Hospitals Start Overlooking Criminal Records
Sinai Health System in Chicago is one of several around the country that have launched programs to hire ex-offenders for both licensed and non-professional positions, in part to help reach communities with low health outcomes. They report that these hires generally perform as well or better than people without records. In other public health news: colorectal cancer, cystic fibrosis, antibiotics, and climate change.
Global news is from Russia, North Korea, Germany, South Korea, India, Lebanon, and Iraq.
Tensions have been boiling up across the country over personal protective equipment for health workers and the hospitals that have been trying to control any negative messaging during this time of crisis. Some workers who have been forced to choose between safety and their jobs are distraught that they’re not able to help. Meanwhile, health systems look for ways to safely reuse N95 masks.
Media outlets report on news from Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Washington, Rhode Island, District of Columbia, Georgia, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Montana, and Louisiana.
While announcing positive news about infection rates,Gov. Andrew Cuomo also stressed that reopening must be done gradually so progress isn’t undone. Other news from New York reports on an uptick in people offering to foster animals, unwelcome mats displayed on summer islands, long hours at crematoriums, and more.
Bad Information, Confusion And Denials Lead To Fatal Outcome At Federal Louisiana Prison
The New York Times interviews employees and inmates at the Federal Correctional Complex in Oakdale, La., as well as family of the first prisoner at the facility who died from coronavirus. Six more have died since. Other prison news comes from California and Georgia.
Challenging Work Conditions At Smithfield Plant In South Dakota Display Meat Packers Vulnerability
A workplace comprised of a growing immigrant population that saw the jobs as a way to a better life became one of the nation’s largest clusters with more than 500 cases last week. In other news on the food industy, concerns about food safety grow.
Will The Economy Recover Swiftly? Some Economists Predict It Will Be A Slow Road
President Donald Trump predicts that, once the nation returns to work, economic health “comes back quickly.” Other economists are not forecasting as rosy a picture. “The more unemployment, the more workers lose their jobs, the harder and slower the recovery is going to be,” Claudia Sahm, director of macroeconomic policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a think tank, tells The Hill. Other stories on the pandemic’s economic toll report on rent negotiations, small business loan payouts and regional unemployment.
“Everybody is frightened to come to the ER,” doctors say. But that means people who do need care aren’t getting it. In other public health news: the increased risk for patients who are diabetic or obese; an uptick in hospitalizations among children; the fraying safety net for disabled Americans; and more.
‘Normalize Face Masks And Fast’: Make Them As Common As Condoms, Virus Researcher Urges
Face coverings might be the barrier needed to prevent transmission of the disease even for kids as they head back to school. Some groups are already capitalizing on the concept, including the NBA and WNBA who will be selling team-branded ones. News on face masks is also on facial clues that are lost and people who say they will never wear them.
CMS To Require Nursing Homes To Report COVID-19 Cases To CDC Amid Reports Of Bodies Piling Up
“It’s important that patients and their families have the information that they need, and they need to understand what’s going on in the nursing home,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. Nursing homes have been especially hard hit by the pandemic, with residents and staff members reporting that they feel like they’re “under siege.”