Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kids' Lead Poisoning Rates 2 to 3 Times Worse In Cleveland Than In Flint, Mich.
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Worse Than Flint: 4 Takeaways From Cleveland’s Big Lead Poisoning Hearing
Despite half a decade of Cleveland’s focus on combatting the ill effects of lead paint, childhood lead poisoning rates among young Cleveland children remain two to three times higher than they were in Flint, Michigan during the height of that city’s lead crisis. That stunning statistic was shared Monday by Cleveland Public Health Director Dr. David Margolius, who, among other municipal leaders, are now calling for a revamp of City Hall’s landmark 2019 lead-safe law. (Astolfi, 10/14)
Missouri Independent: Missouri House Committee To Investigate St. Louis Nuclear Waste
Missouri lawmakers will convene a special committee to study the consequences of nuclear weapons production in the St. Louis area and recommend legislation for next year, House Speaker Dean Plocher announced Thursday. In a press release, Plocher said the Special Interim Committee on the Impact of U.S. Nuclear Weapon Programs on Missouri will allow “policymakers, health professionals, environmental experts and affected community members to document their concerns and develop legislative solutions.” (Kite, 10/14)
The Boston Globe: Mass General Surgeon Performs Groundbreaking New Skin Graft Procedure On 4-Year-Old Burn Victim
A 4-year-old burn victim at Massachusetts General Hospital received the first two-layered skin graft in the United States using a new procedure that, if successful, could improve outcomes for reconstructive burn care. The procedure was performed in June, according to Dr. Jeremy Goverman, the Mass General surgeon who undertook the operation. It is the first of its kind to create bi-layered, “full-thickness” skin grafts that are bioengineered from the patient’s own donor tissue. (Fonseca, 10/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Doesn’t Know What AI Programs It Is Using. That Could Change
When San Francisco Supervisor Hilary Ronen first started asking around about what artificial intelligence programs the city uses, she was surprised to find out no one person or department knew. That is why Ronen is planning to introduce legislation Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors requiring the city’s Department of Technology to keep a public list of where and how AI technology is used across the city and county, and the reasons for it. “This is basically just a transparency bill,” Ronen told the Chronicle. “We’re not prohibiting any uses” of AI. (DiFeliciantonio, 10/14)
Los Angeles Times: Private Prison Operator Spent Millions Settling Mistreatment Claims
The leading private prison company in the U.S. has spent more than $4.4 million to settle dozens of complaints alleging mistreatment — including at least 22 inmate deaths — at its Tennessee prisons and jails since 2016. More than $1.1 million of those payouts involved Tennessee’s largest prison, the long-scrutinized Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, which is now under federal investigation. (Mattise, Loller and Hall, 10/13)
