Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Financial Crunch Of Pandemic Hits Health Care Workers
Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Workers Could Delay Retirement Over COVID-19 Financial Concerns
On top of the mental and emotional pressures of being a healthcare worker during a global pandemic, caregivers also are feeling financially stressed, according to a new report. The TIAA Institute's 2020 Healthcare Sector Financial Wellness Survey found that the financial condition of 45% of the healthcare workers surveyed had worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic began. And 27% of those workers expected to see their finances get worse in the next year. (Christ, 10/21)
Bloomberg: Doctors Fight ‘Infodemic’ With Americans Seeing Virus As A Hoax
There’s a no shortage of what President Donald Trump might call fake news about the coronavirus floating around social media, with plenty of it coming from his own Twitter account. That’s a problem for a growing number of U.S. doctors. When the virus first hit the U.S., Trump said it would disappear “like a miracle.” He’s since touted unproven therapies, cast doubt on government scientists and denigrated masks. After his own recent bout with Covid-19, he told his audience, “you’re going to beat it,” referring to a disease that’s killed more than 220,000 Americans. (Tozzi, 10/21)
San Francisco Chronicle: Eight Black Workers Sue S.F. Health Department For Racial Discrimination
San Francisco has been hit with another workplace race discrimination suit, this one by eight Black female employees of the Department of Public Health who said they were wrongly denied training and promotions granted to their co-workers and were subjected to a “hostile working environment.” The suit, filed Tuesday in federal court, quoted the city’s own findings in the latest annual workforce report by the city Department of Human Resources and the Office of Racial Equity: Compared to employees of other races, San Francisco’s African American municipal employees “have lower-paying jobs, are less likely to be promoted, and are disciplined and fired more frequently.” (Egelko, 10/21)
ABC News: Defense Seeks To Dismiss 25 Murder Charges Against Doctor Accused Of Killing Patients
Defense attorneys for a former Ohio doctor charged with 25 counts of murder for allegedly ordering fatal doses of pain medication for patients are looking to have the charges dismissed. William Husel, a former critical-care physician for Mount Carmel Health in Columbus, was arrested in June and pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from 2015 to 2018. The criminal investigation began after detectives received information that "numerous patients" had died while being treated by Husel while he was at Mount Carmel Health in December 2018. (Jacobo, 10/21)
In other health industry news —
WBUR: Nation's Largest Eating Disorder Treatment Facility Opens In Dedham Amid Pandemic-Fueled Rise In Cases
During the pandemic, advocates say more people have struggled with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. The National Eating Disorders Association says its helpline saw a 94% increase in calls and messages from March through September compared to the same time last year. (Mullins and Joliocoeur, 10/21)
WBUR: For-Profit Nursing Homes' Pleas For Government Money Brings Scrutiny
Nursing homes have been overwhelmed by the coronavirus. Residents account for more than a quarter of all COVID-19 deaths nationwide. The industry says that facilities have also been overwhelmed by costs, and they're asking for billions in aid from the federal government. But recent studies suggest that for-profit ownership may have endangered residents by skimping on care, while funneling cash to owners and investors. (Jaffe, 10/22)
Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Surges May Dull For-Profit Hospitals' Q3 Finances
If Tenet Healthcare Corp. is any indication, continued COVID-19 surges may have made the third quarter particularly challenging for investor-owned hospital chains. Florida and Texas, both of which are home to many for-profit hospitals, were major coronavirus hot spots in July and August. Responding to COVID spikes is expensive for hospitals, and the spikes tend to dissuade patients from seeking care for non-COVID issues. Tenet is the only for-profit hospital company that's released its full results for the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30. Two of its peers are scheduled to do so next week. (Bannow, 10/21)
