Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Love The City': New Yorkers Find Enterprising Ways To Help Hospital Workers, Others In Need; Boston Hospital Begins COVID Testing For Patients Giving Birth
The New York Times: When N.Y. Needed Hospital Space, Film Location Scouts Pitched In
Jennifer Lyne, a location scout for film and television, knows New York in an unusually granular way. Always on the lookout for the perfect spot, she is constantly schmoozing with property managers, gathering contact information and snapping photos. That is how she was able to find a period-perfect restaurant bar for the television series “Boardwalk Empire” and the alley where Harrison Ford’s detective investigates a murder in the movie “Random Hearts.” (Margolies, 4/29)
WBUR: Major Boston Hospitals Are Virus Testing Pregnant Patients Arriving To Give Birth
Major hospitals across Greater Boston have a new admissions step for patients who arrive in early labor: a coronavirus test. Most hospitals already had its workers meet pregnant women and some trans men at the entrance before then directing those with symptoms to isolation rooms. Now, a diagnostic nasopharyngeal swab is part of admissions for all patients admitted for delivery — whether they have symptoms or not — at many of the state’s largest maternity care facilities. (Bebinger, 4/28)
Boston Globe: Amidst Coronavirus, Church Shifts Gears To Continue Support Of Victims Of Trauma
The pandemic and the resulting economic collapse are causing significant stress for almost everyone. But the circumstances can be especially difficult for people who were already dealing with trauma, said Roxbury Presbyterian Church’s Rev. Liz Walker. Now, a program Walker started years ago to help people navigate life after trauma is finding its way in a world increasingly filled with it. Walker, the first Black woman to coanchor a newscast in Boston, started the Cory Johnson Program for Post-Traumatic Healing at the church six years ago, and named it for Jefferson Cory Johnson, a 27-year-old killed in Roxbury in 2010. (Lotan, 4/28)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Lack Of Eviction Ban Leaves Georgia Renters Vulnerable
Eviction filings continue pouring in across metro Atlanta with limited protections for renters, and little if any enforcement of the safeguards that have been put in place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the thousands of filings are legal, despite a statewide judicial emergency that suspended all but essential court functions. (Lutz, 4/28)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Food Stamp Applications Soar As Georgia Economy Struggles Amid Pandemic
More applications were filed by those seeking food stamps in the month after most Georgians began social distancing to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus than in the first two and a half months of the year. About 183,000 households applied for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, between March 13 and April 17, according to data from the state Division of Family and Children Services. About 118,000 applications were approved during that time period. (Prabhu, 4/28)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Coronavirus In Ohio: Gov. Mike DeWine Reverses Course On Face Coverings Mandate
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine reversed course Tuesday, saying face coverings and masks were strongly recommended but not required for retail customers.The change of heart came after DeWine received criticism for requiring face masks and coverings during a Monday news conference. The message that day was: “No mask, no work, no service, no exception.”But by Tuesday afternoon, DeWine had backed off that message. (Balmert and Borchardt, 4/28)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada Officials Warn Of Fake Unemployment Websites
Those looking for unemployment insurance benefits should watch out for illegitimate websites, according to a release from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. The only place to file for unemployment online in the state is through http://ui.nv.gov, but DETR says websites are cropping up that “appear to look like legitimate government websites.” (Schultz, 4/28)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Stimulus Check Delays Frustrate Nevadans
Frustrated people have been calling the IRS and congressional offices, seeking an update about their delayed coronavirus relief checks. In Nevada, lawmakers report multiple calls every day from people with difficulty navigating the Internal Revenue Service website, or in some cases receiving only partial payments for money they are eligible to receive for dependents. (Martin, 4/28)
Houston Chronicle: Harris County Creates $15M Pandemic Relief Fund Aimed At Most Vulnerable Residents
Low-income families, residents in the country illegally, victims of domestic violence and children aging out of foster care are the target audience for a $15 million coronavirus relief fund Harris County Commissioners Court created Tuesday. The fund, proposed by Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, aims to assist residents who are ineligible for federal aid through the CARES Act or for whom the $1,200 stimulus payments are insufficient. (Despart, 3/28)
Modern Healthcare: CHS Seeks To Sell Hospitals Under New Texas COPA Law
Community Health Systems wants to sell two hospitals under a new Texas law that avoids federal antitrust scrutiny. The Franklin, Tenn.-based hospital chain has proposed two separate hospital sales that, if approved, would make the buyers the only acute-care hospital operators in their respective cities. It wants to do so using a type of law that helps states dodge the Federal Trade Commission's authority to challenge deals it deems anticompetitive. (Bannow, 4/28)
