Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
China's Evergrande Fails To Deliver Cash For Covid Research At Harvard
The Boston Globe: Real Estate Developer Reneges On Multimillion-Dollar Pledge To Harvard-Led Covid Project
A financially troubled Chinese real-estate developer has reneged on a major pledge to Harvard University, leaving a shortfall of millions of dollars for a major COVID-19 research effort involving hundreds of experts from academia and industry across Massachusetts. This is the second multimillion-dollar gift to Harvard that China Evergrande Group has struggled to deliver in recent years, and it also follows a disappointing hospital venture that the company launched with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (Ostriker and Fernandes, 1/17)
In updates from Georgia —
Valdosta Daily Times: Ga. Bills Focus On Inmate Mental Health
Amid an investigation into conditions inside Georgia prisons, launched in September, state lawmakers are taking steps to mitigate issues in the state's embattled corrections systems. Democrat Rep. Sandra Scott filed three bills that aim to address inmate mental health challenges. An estimated 30 inmates died by suicide in 2020 and leaders say untreated mental health in inmates can often cause them to commit other crimes while in confinement. Scott's H.B. 853 would allow anyone eligible for public mental health services due to a previous diagnosis or previously eligible for SSDI benefits to petition for a sentence that includes mental health treatment. (Ashley, 1/16)
Georgia Health News: What The Kemp Budget Has For Health Care — And What It Doesn’t
Extending Medicaid coverage for women who have given birth. Higher pay for physicians serving Georgia’s poor. More money for rural health care. In many ways, health care is getting a boost in Gov. Brian Kemp’s budget. Kemp’s proposed budget envisions a record $30.2 billion in state spending next year. The highest-profile items include $5,000 pay raises for state employees, $2,000 bonuses for teachers, and a $1.6 billion tax refund for Georgians. (Miller, 1/16)
In other news from across the U.S. —
AP: Indiana Lawmakers Consider Easing Of Nursing School Rules
A proposed loosening of Indiana’s regulations on nursing education programs is advancing in the Legislature, with supporters saying the step is needed to help address a statewide nursing shortage. Hospital officials and health care organizations supporting the proposal have told legislators that thousands of nursing jobs are open across the state in a shortage exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic as some nurses have quit or taken part-time jobs, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported. (1/17)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Children's Wisconsin In Wauwatosa To Add Walk-In Mental Health Clinic
A new mental health walk-in clinic for children is set to open soon at Children's Wisconsin. The clinic, which is the first of its kind for children in the Milwaukee area, will serve as a tool for children experiencing urgent mental and behavioral health needs. Amy Herbst, vice president of mental and behavioral health at Children’s Wisconsin, is hoping the clinic will open in February. "It really came from families telling us that they needed a place to go for immediate mental health care," Herbst said. (Casey, 1/14)
AP: Seventh Grader Dies After Apparent Fentanyl Overdose At School In Connecticut
A 13-year-old boy who apparently overdosed on the opioid fentanyl while in school died on Saturday, Connecticut police said. The seventh-grade student from the Sports and Medical Science Academy in Hartford had been hospitalized since Thursday morning. (1/17)
NPR: Hackers Disrupt Payroll For Thousands Of Employers — Including Hospitals
A month-old ransomware attack is still causing administrative chaos for millions of people, including 20,000 public transit workers in the New York City metro area, public service workers in Cleveland, employees of FedEx and Whole Foods, and medical workers across the country who were already dealing with an omicron surge that has filled hospitals and exacerbated worker shortages. In the weeks since the attack knocked out Kronos Private Cloud — a service that includes some of the nation's most popular workforce management software — employees from Montana to Florida have reported paychecks short by hundreds or thousands of dollars, as their employers have struggled to manage schedules and track hours without the help of the Kronos software. (Sullivan, 1/15)
