Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Milwaukee Health Department Staffers Receiving Death Threats
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Health Staffers Facing Death Threats, Doxxing, Officials Say
Milwaukee Health Department staffers are facing death threats and online "doxxing" over the enforcement of coronavirus orders, and in some cases people have shown up looking for workers, city officials said Thursday. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week on a death threat health staffers received after attempting to enforce the city's order aimed at combating the spread of COVID-19 during a Saturday rally held by supporters of President Donald Trump outside Serb Hall. (Spicuzza, 11/19)
NPR: A National Group For Christian Doctors Pleads With Churches To Worship At Home
As coronavirus cases spike, a national group that represents thousands of evangelical Christian doctors and other healthcare providers is asking churches to stop holding services in person. In a statement provided to NPR, titled, "A Plea to Our Churches," leaders of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations say that Christians who persist in holding large gatherings at this time could "appear to care only about our individual freedoms and don't care that we may be contributing to others getting this illness because of our selfishness." (McCammon, 11/19)
The New York Times: Hospitals, Health Care Workers Issue A Call To Arms For Wearing Masks
“Our shields are worn. Our resolve is being tested.” So say the most immediate, frontline health care workers in a new ad campaign as the coronavirus pandemic rages across the United States, breaking records nearly every day for deaths — and cases — in state after state. The campaign, in print and video, by about 100 of the nation’s largest and best-known hospital groups begins on Thursday, and aims to counter public resistance to mask-wearing. (Abelson, 11/19)
CNN: 'Busting Out Of The Seams': West Texas Hospitals Pushed To The Limit In Unprecedented Covid-19 Surge
Denise Mourning tried to hold back the tears behind her face shield. The acute care nurse practitioner in Odessa, Texas, was reflecting on the emotional arc of the coronavirus pandemic, one that began with a sense of unity but has unraveled into exasperation." At first it was, 'Thank you so much, you're frontline, we appreciate what you're doing,'" she said. "And now, I mean, I'm getting threats." (Killough and Jimenez, 11/19)
The Washington Post: Utah Hospital Workers Rushed To NYC To Help With Covid In The Spring. NYC Workers Just Returned The Favor.
Darya Haurylava was exhausted and overwhelmed, and so was everyone around her. It was April, and coronavirus cases flooded the New York City hospital where she is an intensive care nurse. “The number of cases kept rising every day — every single patient in my ICU was breathing on a ventilator,” she said. “It felt like the whole world had stopped making sense.” (Free, 11/19)
CNN: Coronavirus Terrified This Doctor When It Stole His Ability To Breathe
When coronavirus first hit in March, Dr. David Burkard found himself having some of the toughest conversations of his life. He had to let patients know when it was time to say their final goodbyes to their families. "The hard thing is having to be the person that talks to the patient with Covid, who says, 'You know what? It's time to call your wife. We are going to have to put a breathing tube down and it's time for you to say goodbye,'" Burkard said. (Sidner, 11/19)
KHN: These Front-Line Workers Could Have Retired. They Risked Their Lives Instead.
Sonia Brown’s husband died on June 10. Two weeks later, the 65-year-old registered nurse was back at work. Her husband’s medical bills and a car payment loomed over her head. “She wanted to make sure all those things were taken care of before she retired,” her son David said. ... But her invincibility couldn’t withstand COVID-19, and on 29 July she died after contracting the deadly virus. (Dubnow, 11/20)
Also —
KHN: Florida’s New Hospital Industry Head Ran Medicaid In State And Fought Expansion
With its choice of a new leader, the Florida Hospital Association has signaled that seeking legislative approval to expand Medicaid to nearly 850,000 uninsured adults won’t be among its top priorities. In October, Mary Mayhew became the association’s CEO. Mayhew, who led the state’s Medicaid agency since 2019, has been a vocal critic of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion adopted by 38 other states. She has argued that expansion puts states in a difficult position because the federal government is unlikely to keep its financial commitment to pay its share of the costs. (Galewitz, 11/20)
