Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kaiser Permanente Will Pay More Than $11M To Settle Discrimination Lawsuit
Bay Area News Group: Kaiser Permanente To Pay Black Employees In $11.5 Million Settlement
Health care giant Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay $11.5 million to settle claims going back 15 years that it illegally discriminated against thousands of Black employees — half of them in the Bay Area — by denying them equal pay and promotions. The 111-page settlement, which requires court approval, would resolve a class-action lawsuit claiming Kaiser’s alleged bias affected 2,225 Black workers in administrative support and consulting services in California. (Baron, 4/22)
In other news from the states —
USA Today: Kansas Governor Vetoes Ban On Transgender Athletes In Women's Sports
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed legislation Thursday that would have banned transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports, calling the bill "a devastating message" to families and a threat to the state's economic standing. Kelly raised concerns over the impact such legislation would have on the state's economy but also argued in her veto message that Senate Bill 55 would have an impact on the mental health of transgender youth and was counter to Kansas' status as "an inclusive state." (Bahl, 4/22)
AP: Feds Say California Jail Violates Rights Of Mentally Ill
Alameda County in Northern California violated civil rights by failing to provide proper mental health services, especially in a jail where dozens of people have committed suicide, according to federal report released Thursday. The U.S. Department of Justice took aim at conditions for people with serious mental health issues, specifically in the Santa Rita Jail, where a woman killed herself April 2. It was the second suicide at the jail this year and the 50th since 2014. (Jablon, 4/23)
AP: Ex-Michigan Health Chief Ordered To Testify About Departure
Former Michigan health director Robert Gordon will testify next week before a legislative committee about his abrupt departure from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, following the panel’s vote to subpoena him Thursday. Gordon ordered coronavirus restrictions for more than three months after the Democratic governor lost powers in a court ruling. He resigned in January as director of the state Department of Health and Human Services and received $155,000 in a separation agreement signed by the chief lawyer in Whitmer’s office. (Eggert, 4/23)
Dallas Morning News: DeSoto Receives Nearly $2 Million From Dallas County To Launch Mental Health Crisis Team
A $1.89-million grant from Dallas County will help DeSoto launch a team to respond to mental health emergencies, the city announced. The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police prompted county to launch the New Directions in Public Safety Grant program in July 2020, according to the city’s monthly newsletter. The grant money will help cover extra resources such as first responders to address mental health. (Carter, 4/22)
The Washington Post: Mormon Sex Therapist Natasha Helfer Has Been Expelled From The LDS Church
A sex therapist who publicly challenged her church’s teachings on sexuality has been expelled as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to a letter she received Wednesday. Natasha Helfer, 49, who has been a national face for mental health advocacy among Mormons and attracted an audience especially among more progressive Mormons and ex-Mormons for her frankness around sex, came under fire from her church’s leadership in recent months. (Pulliam Bailey, 4/22)
Modern Healthcare: Mass. Project Pushes Telehealth Use In Community Health Centers
Stakeholders in Massachusetts are waging a campaign to accelerate telehealth use among the state's network of community health centers. The Massachusetts Federally Qualified Health Center Telehealth Consortium has launched the second phase of an initiative to increase access to telehealth services in under-resourced and medically vulnerable communities. The program received nearly $5 million from the Federal Communications Commission's Connected Care Pilot Program, as well as support from private donations and the state's public health department. (Ross Johnson, 4/22)
KHN: Virtual Care Spreads In Missouri Health System, Home To ‘Hospital Without Beds’
When Tom Becker was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in March 2020, the 60-year-old EMS helicopter pilot from Washington, Missouri, worried he would never fly again. But his cardiologist, Dr. Christopher Allen, had served in the Air Force and knew aviation physiology. So Becker felt reassured when Allen told him he didn’t expect any problems, because Becker was still fairly young. (Berger, 4/23)
