Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
High Brain Cancer Rates Found In Kids At New Mexico Air Force Base
Military.com: Air Force Identifies Seemingly Higher Rate Of Rare Brain Cancer Among Children At New Mexico Base
A new Air Force study has found what appears to be a higher rate of a rare brain and spinal cord cancer among children of service members stationed at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. The nearly two-year study examined pediatric brain cancers at the base after concerns about a possible cancer cluster were raised in 2022. The Air Force found three cases of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, and the closely related diffuse midline glioma, or DMG -- rare, aggressive and possibly fatal tumors -- among children with parents stationed at Cannon over a 10-year period. (Novelly, 4/17)
USA Today: Fluoride Being Removed From Water Systems In More U.S. Communities
Fluoride, the tooth health-boosting mineral that conjures images of dentists' offices for many, has been a standard additive to municipal water sources since the 1940s. ... The Flouride Action Network, an anti-fluoride group, has tracked the ongoing battle in U.S. communities. As of 2023, the network says, more than 240 communities in the world have rejected the use of fluoridated water since 2010, more than 170 of which are in the U.S. (Walrath-Holdridge, 4/17)
CBS News: Michigan Health Department Warning Residents Not To Drink Raw Milk. Here's Why
Michigan health experts are warning residents about the risks of consuming raw milk as the highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to affect dairy herds in the state. The virus can spread to humans through the consumption of unpasteurized milk products. "Anyone can get sick from drinking raw milk, but children under age 5, adults over age 65 and those with weakened immune systems are more at risk for getting sick," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. (Powers, 4/17)
Mental health news from California, Florida, and Minnesota —
Los Angeles Times: Proposed Budget Would Deny Help To Many Autistic Californians
The state moved in 2021 to phase in higher reimbursement rates for the services provided to the developmentally disabled. This year, however, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed to delay the final increase to help reduce the state’s budget deficit. Advocates and families say such a delay would only leave essential services further out of families’ reach. (Garcia, 4/17)
WUSF: Tampa Police, Crisis Center Of Tampa Bay Partner To Handle Calls On Mental Health
The 988 Suicide and Crisis hotline was launched in 2022 to provide people in a mental health crisis with another hotline to call other than 911. Starting this summer, staff from the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay will work in Tampa's police dispatch center to further refine 911 calls that don't need police involvement. Police Deputy Chief Calvin Johnson says when officers have to respond to mental health crisis calls, it can be very difficult for them. (Lebron, 4/16)
Minnesota Public Radio: Student Mental Health Needs, ‘Unsustainable’ Jobs Overwhelm Minnesota School Principals
Principals have an outsized impact on their schools. Research shows effective school leaders have a big impact on student achievement, teacher retention and other outcomes important for kids. Many, though, are overwhelmed. A newly released University of Minnesota report on Minnesota K-12 school principals found school leaders struggling for traction on instructional leadership and community engagement as they deal with their single greatest challenge, student mental health. (Shockman, 4/18)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Modern Healthcare: Food-Is-Medicine Clinical Trial Launches In Mississippi Delta
The Mississippi Delta makes a fitting setting for an ambitious research project testing the premise that promoting access to fresh, nutritious food can improve health for people with chronic disease. It was there -- in Mound Bayou -- where the godfather of the food is medicine movement, the late public health advocate Dr. Jack Geiger, co-founded the historic Delta Health Center in 1967, one of the first community health centers to open under President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. (Hartnett, 4/17)
The New York Times: California Women’s Prison With Sex Abuse Culture Will Close
For years, the women housed at the low-security federal prison in Northern California said they were victims of sexual assault at the hands of staff. There were harrowing accounts of rape, sexual touching and voyeurism at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin. Some inmates said they were forced to strip naked, while others recounted being made to serve as lookouts while staff members brutalized their cellmates. The abuse was so persistent, one investigation found, that prison employees called the facility “the rape club.” (Knight, 4/15)
The Boston Globe: Lawrence And Methuen Revive Public Health Cooperation
Lawrence and Methuen have, for now, salvaged a partnership to provide public health services to their residents after a rift nearly cost both cities almost $2 million in state grant money. Just a few weeks ago, Lawrence and Methuen were on the cusp of a messy breakup after Methuen officials complained Lawrence had not met standards needed to maintain a functional collaboration. To repair the relationship, Lawrence officials have agreed to fill some key public health positions and reform its public health service. (Laughlin, 4/17)
