Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Care Employment Soared In February
Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Employment Rose Across Nearly All Sectors In February
Healthcare employers made more hires last month than during any period since September as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continued to steadily decline. Healthcare companies added an estimated 63,500 jobs in February, up from 17,500 in the first month of 2022, according to preliminary data the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday. The industry contributed to a total of 678,000 new jobs across the economy. (Devereaux, 3/4)
More on health care worker shortages —
Axios: The Health Worker Shortage Is Starting To Get Real For Americans
More than half of all Americans say they've directly felt the effects of health care worker shortages, from canceled appointments to delayed surgeries, according to results from a CVS Health-Harris Poll National Health project provided to Axios. Americans are starting to feel the impacts of the medical workforce crunch as they rearrange their care in the wake of the pandemic, leading to an even bigger supply-demand mismatch and the access issues that come with it. (Reed, 3/7)
The Washington Post: This Is Why It’s So Hard To Find A Therapist Right Now
It has been difficult to find mental health counseling in much of the United States for years, long before the coronavirus pandemic began. But now, after two years of unrelenting stress, turmoil and grief, many people seeking help are confronting a system at or beyond capacity, its inadequacy for this moment plainly exposed. It is even more difficult to find specialized care for children or those with lower income. Assistance of any kind is in short supply in rural areas, where all health-care choices are more limited than they are for residents of cities and suburbia. Those hoping to find a Black or Latino therapist face even more limited options. (Bernstein, 3/6)
And shortages of medical supplies are rippling across the health industry —
Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Grapple With Saline Shortages
Hospitals have had trouble sourcing sodium chloride injections amid recalls and supply disruptions. B. Braun Medical recalled five lots of leaky 250 milliliter sodium chloride injections, the Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday. Hospitals use sodium chloride, also known as saline, to replenish fluids, flush wounds, compound drugs, deliver intravenous medications and stabilize patients during surgery. Vials, syringes, bags and saline solution have been in short supply over the last two months because B. Braun Medical, Pfizer, Fresenius Kabi, Becton Dickinson, Baxter International and ICU Medical have endured manufacturing delays or product malfunctions, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. (Kacik, 3/4)
Stat: Report: Create An International Treaty To Protect The Medical Supply Chain
Amid increasing concern over shortages of medical products, a new study recommends that the United States consider an international treaty that would prohibit countries from banning exports as one way to bolster the critical — but sometimes unreliable — supply chain. Specifically, the federal government is being urged to consider a multilateral arrangement among countries that are major exporters of products and components such as pharmaceutical ingredients or glass vials to prevent shortages from developing or worsening. And any treaty should be administered by the World Trade Organization and have the capacity to impose sanctions if needed. (Silverman, 3/4)
AP: New Mexico University Suffers Shortage Of Donated Cadavers
Fewer people in New Mexico are donating their bodies to science when they die, making training harder for medical students preparing for their careers. The University of New Mexico Anatomy Lab said Friday that it needs about 75 donated cadavers each year to train future doctors, but currently only has 18. (3/4)
