Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Community Health Centers Can Now Apply For Construction Grants
USA Today: Community Health Centers To Get $1 Billion To Become 'State-Of-The-Art' Facilities, Improve Equity
Hundreds of community health centers across the country can begin applying for a share of $1 billion in new funding for major construction and renovation projects, the Biden administration announced Tuesday. The Department of Health and Human Services, which provided the information first to USA TODAY, said the money will help meet President Joe Biden's goal of improving equity in battling COVID-19 and in providing health care services generally. (Groppe, 4/27)
In other health care industry news —
Modern Healthcare: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Launches $11.5 Billion Expansion
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will invest $11.5 billion over the next six years to accelerate research, grow its staff and boost capacity, the organization announced Tuesday. The Memphis, Tenn.-based hospital will expand patient care and research related to pediatric cancer, blood disorders, neurological diseases and infectious diseases. It plans to add 1,400 jobs, extend its global outreach and spend $1.9 billion on new construction and renovations. (Kacik, 4/27)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Cyber Attack Disrupts Cancer Care
Some cancer patients across the U.S. saw their high-tech radiation treatment delayed or disrupted in recent days after a medical systems company with U.S. headquarters in Dunwoody suffered a cyberattack. Elekta, a Swedish company with global headquarters in Stockholm, provides precision cancer radiation treatment software to some of the most prestigious health care facilities in the country. Yale New Haven Health System was among those whose cancer care machines went down over the last week due to the breach, only coming back online this Monday, a Yale spokesman said. (Hart, 4/27)
Bangor Daily News: Maine Government Website Displayed Mental Health Patients’ Confidential Information
A state agency displayed confidential information about patients of Maine mental health and addiction treatment agencies and group home residents on a public website, a Bangor Daily News review found. At least 20 documents on the Maine government website contained names and, in some cases, addresses, dates of birth and phone numbers, for those receiving mental health and substance use treatment. The website is a public database where anyone can review licensing information for health care agencies overseen by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. The documents, all from 2013, 2014 and 2015, included reports of patients’ violent and suicidal behavior, descriptions of situations that landed patients in the hospital, and some patients’ and family members’ complaints about health care providers. (Stone, 4/28)
Modern Healthcare: Mental Health Staff Shortages 'Single Biggest Headwind' To UHS' Volume Recovery
Staff shortages across Universal Health Services' behavioral health hospitals are the "single biggest headwind" the company faces to returning to pre-pandemic volumes, its finance chief said Tuesday. The King of Prussia, Pa.-based acute-care and behavioral health provider simply can't pay enough to get sufficient personnel into some of its hospitals, Chief Financial Officer Steve Filton said on the company's first-quarter earnings call. "It's certainly the single biggest focus of our operators as we turn our attention to what we need to do to both recruit and retain the proper amount of nurses," he said. (Bannow, 4/27)
Health News Florida: Big Investors Push Nursing Homes To Upgrade Care And Working Conditions
Nursing homes and long-term care facilities, where 182,000 Americans perished during the COVID pandemic, have taken heat from government regulators, residents and their families. Now the industry is hearing it from an unexpected source: its investors. Investors who own large shares of nursing home companies now are demanding that the operators improve staff working conditions and the quality of care. (Meyer, 4/27)
Houston Chronicle: AHA Panel Discusses Texas' Maternal Mortality Crisis; Non-Hispanic Black Women Disproportionately Affected
The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world, the leading cause for which, according to the American Heart Association, is cardiovascular disease. “It’s important for use to recognize the three very important risk factors for cardiovascular disease — obesity, hypertension, and diabetes,” said Dr. Lisa Hollier from Texas Children’s Health Plan. “All three are increasing for women of all races and ethnicities across the state of Texas, but the highest prevalence is for non-Hispanic black women.” (Varma, 4/27)
