Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'It's Going To Be Ugly': Federal Government Begins Collecting Data On Nursing Homes To Publish Online
The Washington Post: Federal Government To Begin Gathering Data On Covid-19 Deaths In Nursing Homes
Nursing homes have been directed to report the number of coronavirus infections and deaths to the federal government by midnight Sunday so that health officials can assess the damage the pandemic has inflicted on sick and elderly residents and their caregivers in more than 15,000 homes nationwide. Collecting the data marks the U.S. government’s first attempt to quantify the virus’s impact since an initial outbreak in a Seattle home three months ago killed more than 40 people and then spread to more than 1 in 4 nursing homes nationwide. (Sacchetti, 5/17)
The Washington Post: At Least 10 Life Care Nursing Homes Cited With Infection Control, Patient Care Lapses Since Washington State Outbreak
Nursing homes operated by Life Care Centers of America, one of the largest chains in the industry, violated federal standards meant to stop the spread of infections and communicable diseases even after outbreaks and deaths from covid-19 began to sweep its facilities from the Pacific Northwest to New England, inspection reports show. Over the past six weeks, as the nationwide death toll among the elderly soared, government inspectors discovered breakdowns in infection control and prevention at at least 10 Life Care nursing homes that underwent covid-19 inspections overseen by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Cenziper, King, Mulcahy and Jacobs, 5/17)
Stateline: Staffing Nursing Homes Was Hard Before The Pandemic. Now It's Even Tougher.
Residents have fallen ill with the new coronavirus in both the Worcester, Massachusetts, nursing homes where Kwaku Tsibo Bondah works. Protective equipment is in short supply, he said, and many of his colleagues have tested positive or are calling in sick because they’re afraid to come to work. (Quinton, 5/18)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: 'Good Signs': Louisiana Makes Improvements To Stop Women From Dying In Childbirth
Postpartum hemorrhage often leads to a dangerous drop in blood pressure and can quickly turn deadly — a mother in childbirth can bleed to death in five minutes. It is the leading cause of death during childbirth in Louisiana, which has had one of the highest rates of dying mothers over the past few years. (Woodruff, 5/16)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: In Pivot To Transparency, Louisiana To Name Nursing Homes With Coronavirus Beginning Monday
The state will begin publicly naming homes with at least one case of coronavirus. The move marks an abrupt turn toward transparency from the position the state has held for the last six weeks, when it was reporting infections and deaths only in aggregate, without naming any homes or hinting at the extent of the outbreak in any particular facility. (Roberts III, 5/16)
WBUR: New Jersey's State-Run Veterans Homes Hit Hard By Coronavirus
Nearly 5,000 people have died from COVID-19 in long-term care facilities in New Jersey. Some of the worst outbreaks have occurred at two of the state's homes for veterans. (Solomon, 5/15)
