Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Hampshire's Dartmouth Health Calls Gun Deaths A Public Health Issue
New Hampshire Public Radio: NH’s Largest Health System Calls For More Action On Gun Safety After Maine Shooting
New Hampshire’s largest health system is calling for more action on gun safety after last month’s mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. In an op-ed published by some New Hampshire news outlets last week, leaders at Dartmouth Health said preventing gun deaths should be seen as a public health issue – not a political one. “As health systems, sometimes we're the only public health provider,” Dr. Joanne Conroy, Dartmouth Health’s president and CEO, told NHPR. “That is a group can actually stand up and say, ‘We need to have different solutions.’ ” (Cuno-Booth, 11/14)
Wyoming Public Radio: Conference Focuses On Mental Health For Those Who Own Firearms
This week, mental health practitioners and firearms experts are coming together to discuss safety and support for gun owners. The Firearms and Mental Health: Fostering Understanding, Safety and Support conference is organized by the University of Wyoming’s new Firearms Research Center. More than half of the firearms deaths in the U.S. are done by suicide, and Wyoming has the highest rate of suicide in the country. Ashely Hlebensky, executive director of the Firearms Reasearch Center, said the idea is to discuss suicide prevention for firearms owners. (Kudelska, 11/14)
In hospital news from across the U.S. —
Modern Healthcare: Amazon's One Medical, Hackensack Meridian Health To Open Clinics
Hackensack Meridian Health and Amazon’s One Medical intend to open 20 primary care clinics throughout New Jersey over the next decade. The partnership announced Tuesday between the nonprofit New Jersey health system and One Medical, which provides virtual and brick-and-mortar primary care services to commercially insured patients for an annual membership fee, expands One Medical’s health system affiliate network. (Kacik, 11/14)
Community News Collaborative: Sarasota Memorial Hospital Prepares To Open A New Mental Health Facility
Knowing that an involuntary commitment can be “traumatic for individuals who have preconceived notions,’’ Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s new behavioral health unit, opening on Dec. 1 on Osprey Avenue in Sarasota, was designed to offer a different approach. (Hicks, 11/14)
The CT Mirror: CT Advocates Protest Proposed Windham Hospital Birth Unit Closure
Activists braved the cold on Monday evening to rally against the proposed closure of the labor and delivery unit at Windham Hospital, one of three Connecticut hospitals currently seeking permission to end birthing services. “This is how you kill a small city,” said Rodney Alexander, on the steps of the State Capitol. Alexander is a member of the Willimantic town council and vice president of the local NAACP branch. “How can you convince a young couple to move to Willimantic, raise a family, with no maternity ward?” (Golvala, 11/14)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Jefferson Health, VA Hope Will Share Data To Streamline Veteran Care
Jefferson Health has partnered with the Veterans Administration to share data in an effort to improve health care for patients with a military background. The goal is for physicians at Jefferson to identify patients who are veterans and might benefit from health programs at the VA — and for VA physicians to understand the care their patients may have received at other health institutions. Jefferson is one of 13 health systems in the country participating in the data-sharing program, which officials at the VA hope to expand eventually around the country. (Whelan, 11/14)
