After Pandemic Pause, Medical Malpractice Suits Hit Hospitals Hard

Stat: Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Hit Hospitals After Pandemic Delay
Carlos David Castro Rojas was a healthy 27-year-old engineering student when he fell off a ladder hanging Christmas lights in 2017, breaking his leg and injuring his knee. What was supposed to be a relatively routine surgery at a Baylor Scott & White Health hospital in Dallas ultimately ended with Rojas sustaining a severe brain injury. (Bannow, 12/5)

In other legal news —

AP: Ex-Children's Hospital Doctor Charged With Sex Crimes 
A former medical director of a Virginia hospital that serves vulnerable children has been charged with four felony sex crimes in connection with abuse that authorities say happened at the facility years ago. A grand jury indicted Dr. Daniel N. Davidow of Richmond, a former longtime employee of the Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents, last month, court records show. The records were unsealed Thursday, a local prosecutor announced Friday. (Rankin, 12/2)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Man Arrested For Threatening Boston Doctor
A Texas man was arrested Friday on a federal charge that he left a threatening voicemail message for one Boston doctor who provides care to transgender people, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Massachusetts. The man, Matthew Jordan Lindner, 38, of the Hill Country town of Comfort, was charged with one count of transmitting interstate threats. Comfort is in Kendall County, about 50 miles northwest of San Antonio. (Martinez, 12/3)

The Boston Globe: Boston Children’s Faced Months Of Death Threats And Hate Mail. Here’s How Staff Members Are Coping
On a Wednesday morning last month, Boston Police swept into Boston Children’s Hospital to investigate the fourth bomb threat at the institution in just four months. They evacuated a building and cordoned off the area, blocking staff from reaching offices and operating rooms. About an hour later, BPD gave the all clear, and life inside the sprawling campus on Longwood Avenue resumed. (Bartlett, 12/3)

More from the health care industry —

Stat: UnitedHealth Is Keeping More Profits, As Your Doctor
Next year, UnitedHealth Group — one of the largest health care companies on the planet — expects to make a lot more money in a relatively simple way: by funneling more of the insurance premiums it collects from workers and taxpayers toward itself. (Herman, 12/5)

The Daily Yonder: Traveling Oral Surgeon Meets Small-Town People Where They Live
When Cesar Martinez started feeling the pain in his mouth, he knew his battle to get his wisdom teeth taken care of would be a tough one. Martinez lives in Newburgh, New York, a city of 29,000 residents about 40 miles north of New York City. Getting to a surgeon who participated in Martinez’ insurance plan meant a 45-minute or longer trip into the city, plus an undetermined amount of time waiting for an appointment. (Carey, 12/3)

Stat: Thirty Madison Quietly Plans Expansion Into Sleep Care With River
In the fight to command the growing market for telehealth, Thirty Madison is staking out new terrain. Over the last year and a half, the 5-year-old digital health startup has been quietly planning to expand into sleep care with a new brand called River. (Palmer, 12/5)

KHN: Assisted Living Facilities Pressed To Address Growing Needs Of Older, Sicker Residents
Assisted living communities too often fail to meet the needs of older adults and should focus more on residents’ medical and mental health concerns, according to a recent report by a diverse panel of experts. It’s a clarion call for change inspired by the altered profile of the population that assisted living now serves. (Graham, 12/5)

The New York Times: How Has The Rising Cost Of Long-Term Health Care Affected You?
Many older Americans in need of long-term care are struggling to afford assisted living facilities, home health aides or nursing homes. Inflation is making these services even more expensive than before. Reporters from The New York Times and Kaiser Health News want to hear from people who are under financial strain because of long-term care. ave you or your relatives run out of money for long-term care? How are you coping financially and ensuring you or your loved ones get the necessary care? (Abelson, 12/2)

KHN: Much Of The CDC Is Working Remotely. That Could Make Changing The Agency Difficult. 
Earlier this year, top leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began a monumental task: turning the sprawling, labyrinthine organization known for its highly specialized, academically focused scientific research into a sleek, flexible public health response agency primed to serve the American public. It’s an attempt to keep the CDC from repeating the mistakes it made while responding to covid-19. But agency veterans, outside public health officials, and workplace organization experts said the current workplace structure could be a major barrier to that goal. Like directors before her, agency head Dr. Rochelle Walensky spends a considerable amount of time away from the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta. The agency has also embraced a workplace flexibility program that has allowed most of its scientists to stay remote. (Whitehead, 12/5)