Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Holograms Bring 3D Imagery To Doctor-Patient Visits In Texas
ABC News: Texas Hospital Is Reportedly 1st In US To Use Holograms For Doctor-Patient Visits
A Texas hospital could be the first in the United States to use a technology that allows doctors to visit patients via hologram. Crescent Regional Hospital, located in Lancaster -- about 13 miles south of Dallas -- has installed "Holobox," a 3D system that projects a life-sized hologram of a doctor so that they can perform real-time consults with patients at a clinic 30 miles away. (Kekatos, 6/26)
AP: Indiana Seeks First Execution Since 2009 After Acquiring Lethal Injection Drug, Governor Says
Indiana Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb said the state will resume executions for the first time in over a decade after acquiring a drug used for lethal injections. Holcomb said Wednesday that the state is seeking an execution date for Joseph Corcoran, a man convicted in the killings of four people in 1997. The yearslong pause has been attributed to the unavailability of lethal injection drugs. The Indiana Department of Correction now has acquired a drug used by multiple states in lethal injections — the sedative pentobarbital — after “years of effort,” Holcomb’s announcement said. (Volmert, 6/26)
The Boston Globe: State House Unanimously Approves Maternal Health Bill
Pregnant women and new mothers could soon benefit from expanded physical and mental health care options under a sweeping maternal health bill the state House unanimously passed on June 20. Representatives say the legislation could stem the tide of deteriorating maternal health outcomes, particularly among people of color, by creating a pathway for certified professional midwives (CPMs) and lactation consultants to be licensed in Massachusetts, and removing regulatory barriers to open birth centers that offer home-like environments during labor. (Kuznitz, 6/26)
On the extreme heat across the nation —
The Boston Globe: Heat-Related ER Visits Spiked In New England Last Week
In a heatwave that spanned several states last week, New England experienced the highest rate of heat-related emergency department visits in the country, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the region experienced temperatures of 90 degrees and above, posing a threat to public health. Rates of heat-related ER visits in New England topped those of every other region in the US on Wednesday and Thursday. (Getahun-Hawkins, 6/26)
CNN: ER Visits For Heat-Related Illnesses Spike — And Hard-Hit Places Aren’t Always The Hottest
As heat blankets much of the US, hospitals in many states are seeing extremely high rates of heat-related emergencies, according to data compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and forecasters say more abnormally warm weather is on the way later this summer. (Goodman, 6/26)
The Atlantic: A New Danger At America’s National Parks
The thermometer read 121 degrees Fahrenheit when 71-year-old Steve Curry collapsed outside a restroom in Death Valley National Park last summer. Curry, who’d reportedly been hiking on a nearby trail in Golden Canyon, was just trying to make it back to his car. The National Park Service and the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office quickly responded to the scene. They tried to revive him with an external defibrillator, but it was not enough, and the medical helicopter that could’ve transported him to a hospital wasn’t able to take off because of the extreme heat. It was too late. (Mohr, 6/26)
