Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Alaskan Doctors Could Be Punished For Giving Kids Gender-Affirming Care
AP: Alaska Medical Professionals Could Face Disciplinary Action Over Gender-Affirming Care
Alaska medical professionals who provide gender-affirming care for children could risk disciplinary action under proposed changes to state regulations approved by the state medical board on Friday. The board unanimously approved draft language that would add those providing medical or surgical intervention to “treat gender dysphoria or facilitate gender transition” to a state regulation outlining unprofessional conduct. (Thiessen, 8/22)
More health news from across the U.S. —
AP: FDA Faces Lawsuit In US Court In Hawaii Over Mifepristone Restrictions For Abortions
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to overly restrict access to mifepristone, a medication for abortions and miscarriage management, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union argued Friday in a lawsuit by a Hawaii doctor and healthcare associations challenging the legality of the restrictions. They are asking a judge to find that the FDA violated the law by restricting a safe medication without scientific justification, but stop short of flat-out seeking an immediate elimination of the restrictions, which currently include special certification for prescribers and pharmacies and requiring patients to review a counseling form. (Sinco Kelleher, 8/23)
AP: Judge Rejects Plea Deal For Colorado Funeral Home Owner Who Abused 191 Corpses
A judge on Friday rejected a plea agreement for a Colorado funeral home owner who acknowledged abusing 191 corpses, after family members described the pain and shame they’ve carried since learning their loved ones’ bodies were left to rot. The rare decision to reject the plea agreement that called for a 20-year prison sentence followed anguished testimony from family members seeking a more severe punishment. (Slevin, Brown and Bedayn, 8/23)
CNN: Mississippi Declares Public Health Emergency Over Rising Infant Mortality Rate
The Mississippi health department declared a public health emergency Thursday over rising infant mortality rates in the state. There were 9.7 deaths for every 1,000 births in Mississippi in 2024, the highest rate in more than a decade, according to a news release from the state health department. More than 3,500 babies in Mississippi have died before the age of 1 since 2014. (McPhillips, 8/22)
AP: California May Be First State To Make Restaurants Put Food Allergens On Menus
Braxton Kimura dreads eating at restaurants. The California teenager is severely allergic to peanuts, shellfish and most tree nuts. Consuming even a tiny amount could send him to the emergency room. ... Restaurant dining in California could soon become a little less stressful for Braxton and the growing number of Americans with severe food allergies. State lawmakers are set to vote on legislation that would make California the first U.S. state to require restaurants to disclose whether a menu item contains any of the nine most common food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame and soybeans. (Chea, 8/23)
Minnesota Public Radio: University Of Minnesota Medical School’s Duluth Campus Shifts To 4-Year Program
For the first time since the school’s founding more than a half-century ago, incoming students at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Duluth Campus this fall will be able to complete all four years of their training in Duluth. (Kraker, 8/24)
The Colorado Sun: New Mental Health Project Builds Resiliency Via Colorado National Monument
On a warm June morning, National Park Service Ranger Amber Martin led nearly two dozen children hiking in Colorado National Monument. After examining a pinyon pine tree, Martin referred the kids to a bird identification pamphlet, noting the symbiotic relationship between the tree and the pinyon jay. She explained how the bird harvests the tree’s pine nuts, then buries them throughout the park, where they sprout and grow into trees. But this hike wasn’t just for teaching kids local flora and fauna. Martin, a 40-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran who served tours in Afghanistan and Kuwait, is leading a unique park service program designed to help people improve their mental health by increasing access to the outdoors. (Sullivan, 8/25)
