Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Michigan's McLaren Health Care Warns Of Possible Delays Amid IT Issue
CBS News: Michigan's McLaren Health Care Investigating Disruption To Phone, Computer System
McLaren Health Care's Michigan hospitals were sent reeling on Tuesday after a disruption struck information technology systems and phones, the health system said. Patients of the system's thirteen hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, physician offices and other service centers – including the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute – were advised to keep their appointments as they worked through the issue unless contacted by an employee. (Fossen, 8/6)
In related news about 911 calls —
The Washington Post: D.C.’s 911 Center Under Fire After Baby Dies During Computer Outage
District officials are scrutinizing what went wrong Friday when a five-month-old infant who needed advanced medical care died during a computer outage that scrambled D.C.'s troubled 911 center, authorities said. The system failure frustrated dispatchers’ efforts to assess which units were available and closest to the scene, resulting in an approximately 15-minute delay in providing the required level of care, according to three people familiar with D.C.'s emergency operations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter that remains under investigation. (Gathright, 8/6)
Kansas City Star: 911 Response Lawsuit To Cost Kansas City, KCPD $4 Million
Kansas City and the Kansas City Police Department will pay $2 million each to settle a lawsuit filed by a Prairie Village man who claims his wife died five years ago because police and fire department dispatchers mishandled a 911 call. The agencies also agreed to evaluate the 911 system regularly going forward. (Hendricks, 8/6)
More health news from across the U.S. —
The Baltimore Sun: 4th Circuit Upholds Maryland’s Ban On Assault-Style Weapons
A federal appeals court upheld Maryland’s ban on assault-style weapons Tuesday in an opinion that found regulating “excessively dangerous weapons,” including the AR-15, compatible with the Second Amendment. (O'Neill, 8/6)
Los Angeles Times: The Salton Sea Is Smellier Than Ever And Worsening People's Asthma
Five years ago, Lisa Clark and her husband left her hometown of El Centro for Niland, a small town of 500, in search for more affordable housing. But now they’re paying a hidden cost for living just two miles southeast of the Salton Sea. ... Before, she’d need to use only one inhaler a year; since moving to Niland, she’s been using three. ... As California’s largest lake has continued to evaporate, it’s become saltier and dustier, causing breathing problems for locals like Clark. (Deng, 8/6)
U.S. News & World Report: Why Falls Church, Virginia, Is America’s Healthiest Community
Falls Church, Virginia, has risen to No. 1 in the 2024 Healthiest Communities rankings by U.S. News, unseating the reigning three-peat winner, Los Alamos County, New Mexico. The latest edition of the project, released Tuesday, assessed close to 3,000 counties and county equivalents nationwide across more than 90 metrics, exploring the important role location plays in the health and well-being of America’s more than 330 million residents. (Davis Jr., 8/6)
U.S. News & World Report: Healthiest Communities Rankings 2024
Discover the No. 1 Healthiest Community in America, based on 92 metrics tied to education, population health, local economy, the environment, public safety and more. (8/6)
