Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Care Aide Staffing Shortage Has Biggest Impact In Rural Areas: Study
Axios: Caregiver Shortage Hits Rural Areas The Hardest
States in the Southeastern U.S. have the highest percentage of adults with conditions that interfere with daily activities like dressing or getting around — and the fewest personal care aides per capita to help them, according to a study in Health Affairs. (Reed, 10/4)
North Carolina Health News: EMS Departments Across North Carolina Are Understaffed And Over Burdened
About 10:30 a.m. on April 20, an 84-year-old Forsyth County resident tripped and fell to the floor in her kitchen. She laid there, unable to get up. Her husband quickly called 911. (Crumpler and Donnelly-DeRoven, 10/5)
Bloomberg: Nursing Shortage Sparks Bidding War As Countries Vie For Talent
The toll of nearly three years of Covid-19 includes millions of nurses broken by punishing hours and low pay, many of whom quit the profession and left hospitals dangerously short of critical staff. (Matsuyama and Calonzo, 10/4)
Becker's Hospital Review: A Single Health System Among 100 Big Companies With Competitive Pay
Tech reigns supreme and healthcare providers are scant when it comes to competitive compensation among companies with more than 500 employees, according to workplace review site Comparably's 6th annual list of Best Companies for Compensation, released Oct. 4. (Gamble, 10/4)
In news about cybersecurity —
Des Moines Register: MercyOne Online Systems Shut Down Following 'IT Security Incident'
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center has shut down some of its information technology systems, including its electronic health records, after its parent organization faced an unspecified cybersecurity incident Monday. (Ramm, 10/4)
Houston Chronicle: Some Appointments Rescheduled At St. Luke's Health In Houston Following IT Security Incident
Some appointments have been rescheduled at CHI St. Luke's Health in Houston following an IT security incident affecting its parent company, CommonSpirit Health, the hospital system said. The security incident, the details of which have not been released, prompted CommonSpirit facilities throughout the country to take precautions. (Gill, 10/4)
In other health care news —
Dallas Morning News: North Dallas Surgical Center Reopens After Investigation Into Compromised IV Bags
Baylor Scott & White Surgicare North Dallas reopened last week for normal operations following a federal investigation into a doctor who is accused of tampering with IV bags at the facility. Baylor Scott & White said in a written statement that the Department of Justice concluded the incidents were isolated to one person. (Volmert, 10/4)
New Hampshire Public Radio: N.H. Lawmakers Eye Changes To Medical Board Transparency
State lawmakers are considering changes to how New Hampshire's medical board holds physicians accountable, and what kinds of information about doctors' records it shares with the public, in the wake of a Boston Globe investigation into a former heart surgeon at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester. (Cuno-Booth, 10/4)
The Boston Globe: R.I. To Build New Public Health Lab As Part Of $165 Million Project
Governor Daniel J. McKee on Tuesday announced that the 212,000-square-foot building will house both the public health lab plus space that will be available for lease to life-sciences organizations. The building will be at 150 Richmond St., near the state’s Garrahy Judicial Complex and the Wexford Innovation Center. (Fitzpatrick, 10/4)
Becker's Hospital Review: Palomar Health Launches Nurse Advice Line For All Local Residents
Escondido, Calif.-based Palomar Health has debuted an advice line that connects registered nurses with community members in need of guidance and treatment options. The system's nurse advice line is available to all members in the San Diego area — regardless of whether they have been a patient at the health system before — and is available 24/7, according to an Oct. 3 news release sent to Becker's. (Carbajal, 10/4)
Also —
The New York Times: Nobel Prize In Chemistry Is Awarded To 3 Scientists For Work ‘Snapping Molecules Together’
Carolyn R. Bertozzi, a chemist and professor at Stanford, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless were honored for their advances in “click chemistry,” which could have important applications in treating and diagnosing illnesses. (Engelbrecht, Ward and Whang, 10/5)
