Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
North Carolina Health News: Formerly Incarcerated Share Lasting Impact Of Solitary Confinement
Drew Doll spent 15 consecutive months in solitary confinement. He’s been out of prison since 2009, but he said the prolonged solitude permanently changed him. (Crumpler, 9/14)
Harvard Public Health: North Carolina Medicaid Reinvention Emphasizes Preventive Care
North Carolina Medicaid has undergone a radical transformation emphasizing preventive care and social determinants of health. (Newsome, 9/13)
The New York Times: How Black Nurses Were Recruited To Staten Island To Fight A Deadly Disease
Many old buildings at a New York City hospital are in ruins, but it played a key role in the battle against tuberculosis, which killed 5.6 million people in the U.S. in the first half of the 20th century. (Gill, 9/8)
The Washington Post: A Farm For The Disabled And A Celebrity Gun Trainer Try To ‘Stop Big Rehab’
To the executives at Newport Healthcare, the family compound seemed like the ideal location to expand their company’s mental health treatment program into Northern Virginia. Tucked away behind a gate off a hilly country road, the million-dollar houses offered a bucolic environment in which to treat young adults grappling with depression or anxiety. ... But many residents in this rural corner of Loudoun County have insisted they see something else down the street: A for-profit company setting up a luxe rehab facility that will ruin their neighborhood. (Armus, 9/12)
The Wall Street Journal: The Favorite Doctor Of Bio-Hackers And The Longevity-Obsessed
If it seems as though everyone is throwing out orange juice, lifting weights barefoot or talking about “zone two” exercise, blame Dr. Peter Attia. The longevity physician, author and podcast host, who turned 50 in March, has become a sensation among the health-obsessed, with a social-media following that rivals some Hollywood stars and a patient roster that includes them. (Janin, 9/10)
Politico: The GOP Turned Its Back On Science. So Science Turned Its Backs On The GOP
A political realignment around health care is reshaping state politics. (McElwee, 9/8)
The Wall Street Journal: Is Biden Too Old To Run Again? We Asked People Born On His Exact Birthday
These octogenarian voters are among nearly a dozen Americans born the same day as the president that The Wall Street Journal interviewed. They are uniquely suited to answer one of the biggest questions hanging over the 2024 election: Is Biden too old to run again? Most said no. But they were candid about the risks of aging in the years to come. (Restuccia, 9/12)
Also —
Reuters: Special Report: Cough Syrup Killed Scores Of Children. Why No One Has Been Held To Account
Indian parents whose children died after taking toxic syrups want justice. Some of the drugmakers haven’t shown they even tested their products. (Das and Rigby, 9/13)
Stat: Why The Quest To Eradicate Polio Has Stumbled
The latest goal for the end of polio transmission will almost certainly not be met, according to a frank and concerning report about the future of the decades-long polio eradication effort that was released this week. (Branswell, 9/15)
AP: Mosquitoes, Long The Enemy, Are Now Bred To Help Prevent The Spread Of Dengue Fever
For decades, preventing dengue fever in Honduras has meant teaching people to fear mosquitoes and avoid their bites. Now, Hondurans are being educated about a potentially more effective way to control the disease — and it goes against everything they’ve learned. (Verza and Burakoff, 9/13)
The Washington Post: Why Do We Play? Rats Can Teach Us How It Improves Mental Health
Play during both childhood and adulthood is important for the healthy functioning of humans and other species, but why we play — the brain circuitry behind this behavior — is poorly understood. A new study in Neuron has identified groups of cells in the rat brain that may provide clues to the brain structures and their connections that are essential for play. (Jones, 9/14)
