Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
EPA Worries Thousands In Minnesota May Be Drinking Contaminated Water
CBS News: Thousands Of Minnesotans Could Be Drinking Contaminated Water, EPA Says
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 9,000 Minnesotans could be drinking contaminated water and not even know it. ... "Nitrate pollution is primarily caused by fertilizer and manure application to agricultural fields," Currie said. "It is a naturally occurring compound as well. But when it exceeds certain levels, it can cause pretty dramatic health impacts." (Henry, 11/10)
In other news from across the country —
The Mercury News: Southern California Confirms 1st Human Case Of Mosquito-Borne St. Louis Encephalitis Since 1984
The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the city’s first case of St. Louis Encephalitis — a mosquito-borne virus with symptoms akin to West Nile virus — on Thursday, Nov. 9. It’s the first documented case of St. Louis Encephalitis, or SLEV, in Long Beach since 1984, the health department said Thursday. The city’s announcement came a little more than a week after it confirmed a case of dengue fever. (Hutchings, 11/10)
St. Louis Public Radio: Infant Mortality Rises 16% In Missouri
Infant mortality in Missouri went up 16% between 2021 and 2022, according to federal data released this month. Missouri babies died before their first birthday at a rate of 6.8 per 1,000 live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The numbers were painful to see for Melinda Monroe, CEO of Nurses for Newborns, a nonprofit that provides screening services and care for infants and families. (Fentem, 11/10)
Stat: CVS, Rite Aid Closures Threaten To Worsen Pharmacy Deserts
Pharmacies were once abundant in the South Side of Chicago. Now, residents living in the majority Black neighborhood often find themselves with few options when it’s time to get a prescription refilled or stock up on cold medicine. (Nayak, 11/10)
Houston Chronicle: Officials Mum After Cyberattack On Harris Center
Harris County officials on Thursday offered few details about the investigation into a recent ransomware attack on the county’s provider for mental health services, saying cybesecurity experts had recommended they not share information. ... Late Wednesday, officials with the center said it had been the target of a ransomware attack Tuesday and that some employee files had become inaccessible because of encryption. (deGrood, 11/9)
Stat: NYU Radiologists Take On The Challenge Of Expensive MRI Machines
How many radiologists does it take to build a working MRI from scratch? New York University radiologists Leeor Alon and Tobias Block wanted to find out. The two hosted 50 researchers in New York City last month, and over the course of five days, managed to build a small, low-field MRI. Alon and Block are currently fine-tuning its imaging abilities. The overarching message of the gathering: MRIs don’t need to be as expensive as they currently are. (Lawrence, 11/13)
AP: Anchorage Adds To Record Homeless Death Total As Major Winter Storm Drops More Than 2 Feet Of Snow
Four homeless people have died in Anchorage in the last week, underscoring the city’s ongoing struggle to house a large homeless population at the same time winter weather has returned, with more than 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow falling within 48 hours. (Thiessen, 11/11)
Also —
KFF Health News: Why It’s So Tough To Reduce Unnecessary Medical Care
The U.S. spends huge amounts of money on health care that does little or nothing to help patients, and may even harm them. In Colorado, a new analysis shows that the number of tests and treatments conducted for which the risks and costs exceed the benefits has barely budged despite a decade-long attempt to tamp down on such care. The state — including the government, insurers, and patients themselves — spent $134 million last year on what is called low-value care, according to the report by the Center for Improving Value in Health Care, a Denver nonprofit that collects billing data from health plans across Colorado. The top low-value items in terms of spending in each of the past three years were prescriptions for opiates, prescriptions for multiple antipsychotics, and screenings for vitamin D deficiency, according to the analysis. (Hawryluk, 11/13)
