Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
The Washington Post: A Heart Surgeon Saved His Life As A Teen. Now They Perform Surgeries Together.
Mesfin Yana Dollar came to the U.S. for surgery. Now he works at the Mayo Clinic, assisting with some of the world’s most complex open-heart surgeries. (Penman, 12/3)
The New York Times: Anne Flower, The Doctor Who Breaks Ultramarathon Records Between ER Shifts
ER doctor Anne Flower, 36, started running as a way of coping with the demands of medical school when studying at Ohio University and became so good that, in 2020, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic marathon trials. Then the distances got further and she began breaking ultra-marathon records. (O'Neill, 12/4)
The New York Times: Everyone Uses This Coping Strategy. When Does It Become a Problem?
“Masking” is part of life, especially for those with autism or A.D.H.D. But hiding your true self comes with a cost. (Carson, 12/3)
River City Journalism Fund: Missouri Parkinson’s Disease Patients Worry About The Future
The Trump administration’s cuts to biomedical funding could have big repercussions for people focused on a cure. (Fitzgerald, 12/1)
CNN: Achilles Tendon Injuries Are On The Rise. Experts Explain The Reasons Why
Recent data suggests the injury is rare — about two cases for every 100,000 people who checked into US emergency departments between 2001 and 2020, according to an August study — but podiatrists and orthopedists said they’ve seen a significant uptick in the number of cases in the last few years, especially among people 40 and older. (Villano, 12/3)
The Washington Post: Humans Killed Millions Of Vultures. We're Now Living With The Consequences.
As vultures vanished, dogs multiplied, and rabies spread. Humans are living with the consequences. (Johnson and Khandelwal, 11/29)
The New York Times: Could Weight Loss Drugs Turn Fat Cats Into Svelte Ozempets?
On Tuesday, Okava Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company based in San Francisco, is set to announce that it has officially begun a pilot study of a GLP-1 drug for cats with obesity. The company is testing a novel approach: Instead of receiving weekly injections of the drugs, as has been common in human patients, the cats will get small, injectable implants, slightly larger than a microchip, that will slowly release the drug for as long as six months. (Anthes, 12/2)
