Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bullying Among Health Care Workers In Spotlight
Fox News: Bullies In White Coats? 'Too Many' Health Care Workers Experience Toxic Workplaces, Studies Show
Some bullies wear white coats, new research reveals. While health care workers aim to treat their patients with compassion, empathy and respect, a significant number don’t follow those same ideals when working with each other, according to an article published recently by Massachusetts General Hospital. (Sudhakar, 12/8)
In other health care industry news —
Stat: Hospital Parking Fees Impose Unjust Financial Burden, Study Says
For many patients, one of the most antagonizing parts of a hospital visit is paying for parking. Those parking fees aren’t just an annoyance for the sick and injured, according to a new paper in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences. The charges are actually eating into their financial well-being, particularly for people who have cancer and have to make frequent visits to the hospital for treatments like radiation and chemotherapy. (Herman, 12/7)
Modern Healthcare: Amazon Ends Support For Alexa Tool With HIPAA Protections
Amazon is ending support for a program that allowed patients to share Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-protected information with hospitals and health insurers over its artificial intelligence-enabled device Alexa, the tech giant said Thursday. (Perna, 12/7)
Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth-LHC Group Merger Delayed
A $5.4 billion proposed merger between UnitedHealth Group and LHC Group won't consummate as planned by the end year, LHC Group disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday. (Tepper, 12/7)
The 19th: A New Museum And Clinic Will Honor The Enslaved “Mothers Of Gynecology”
33 S. Perry Street in Montgomery, Alabama, is a site of harrowing sacrifice that birthed modern gynecology. But though many know the breakthroughs that happened there, the dozens of enslaved women and girls who suffered for the medical standards that exist today are often erased. (Henry, 12/7)
Stat: Oncologist Otis Brawley On The Future Of Equitable Cancer Care
Oncologist Otis Brawley has dedicated his career to advocating for orthodoxy in medicine. Now, he says, advances in cancer treatments and early-detection screenings are fast outpacing the medical community’s ability to assess them — warranting more caution lest doctors inadvertently cause more harm to cancer patients. (Williamson-Lee, 12/7)
