Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Boar's Head Plant At Center Of Listeria Outbreak Will Reopen Soon In Virginia
AP: Boar’s Head Plans To Reopen Troubled Deli Meat Plant, But Reports Of Sanitation Problems Persist
The Boar’s Head deli meat plant at the heart of last year’s deadly food poisoning outbreak is set to reopen in the coming months, company officials said. But recent inspections at Boar’s Head sites in three states documented sanitation problems similar to those that led to the listeria contamination that killed 10 people and sickened dozens. The Jarratt, Virginia, plant was shut down in September. (Aleccia, 8/8)
In other public health news from across the U.S. —
CIDRAP: US COVID Activity Gains More Steam
Amid a slow but steady rise in COVID activity, SARS-CoV-2 wastewater detections last week rose from the low to the moderate level, with the highest levels in the West, followed by the South, where detections in Louisiana are at the very high level, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest weekly data updates. The CDC said wastewater trends and model-based epidemic trends suggest that COVID infections are growing or likely growing in most states. (Schnirring, 8/8)
Suncoast Searchlight: Sarasota County Kindergarten Vaccine Rates Plummet — And Doctors Fear Speaking Out
As childhood vaccination rates plummet across the Suncoast and measles cases resurge nationwide, Sarasota County faces a critical threat to public health. Roughly 82% of kindergarteners in the public school system were fully immunized against the disease this year — well below herd immunity. (Herman and Newhouse, 8/8)
From New Hampshire, Illinois, and Alaska —
The Boston Globe: Amid Trump's Medicaid Cuts, Health Centers In N.H. Announce Closure
For Dr. Melissa Buddensee, Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Franconia has been home to her medical practice for a decade. But this summer, she’s had to deliver the bad news to her patients that the practice is closing, in part due to Medicaid cuts President Trump signed into law in July. Around New England, health care providers and experts warned those cuts are a damaging blow to a health system that was already in trouble. At least two other health facilities in New Hampshire have announced they will close in the fall amid federal Medicaid cuts. (Gokee, 8/10)
The New York Times: Children Were Sexually Abused In New Hampshire State Care. How Much Are They Owed?
The violations against generations of New Hampshire teenagers and children were staggering in scale: decades of physical, sexual and psychological abuse, claimed by more than 1,500 victims at state-run youth detention centers, one of the worst abuse crises in state history. After long negotiations to avoid lawsuits, New Hampshire pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to a state fund to settle abuse claims, and hearings began in 2023. Payments averaged about $540,000. But New Hampshire, which is facing a fiscal downturn, is trying to wrest back control of the cost. (Russell and Hubler, 8/11)
Chicago Tribune: Weiss To Remain Closed During Appeal Of Medicare Funding Cut
Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, which had been scheduled to lose Medicare funding Saturday, ceased most of its operations Friday, officials confirmed. They also warned that without additional funding, West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park could face the same fate. (McCoppin and Soglin, 8/8)
The Wall Street Journal: RFK Jr.’s Latest Challenge: Bring MAHA To Alaska
In a community of roughly 230 people about six hours by car from Fairbanks on a gravel road, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. heard from Alaska Natives about how hard it is to find fresh food. The king salmon that once sustained the village of Tanana are disappearing. Because of high fuel and shipping costs, a half gallon of milk at the local grocery store costs $10.99. A greenhouse took millions of dollars to construct, according to Kennedy, but was never hooked up to water and electricity, making it unusable for most of the year. (Essley Whyte, 8/10)
