Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Mammogram Notification Rule Starts Today
CBS News: Mammogram Patients Will Soon Have To Be Told About Their Breast Density. Here's What To Know
Mammography facilities will soon have to notify patients about the density of their breasts, a step aimed at improving early detection of breast cancer. The new rule, which goes into effect Tuesday, was part of updated mammography regulations outlined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year. While similar laws have already been enacted in many states, including Colorado and Minnesota, this is the first nationwide regulation. (Moniuszko, 9/9)
In other health industry news —
Modern Healthcare: UVA Investigating Health System CEO K. Craig Kent
The University of Virginia is investigating allegations made against its health system CEO and school of medicine dean in an anonymous letter from UVA Health faculty. Faculty employed by the University of Virginia Physicians Group, part of UVA Health, sent a no-confidence letter Thursday to the university's board of visitors, calling for the removal of health system CEO Dr. K. Craig Kent and Dr. Melina Kibbe, dean of the school of medicine. The letter was signed by 128 employees whose names that were kept anonymous to prevent retaliation, according to the letter. (DeSilva, 9/9)
CBS News: Allegheny Valley Hospital Nurses And Healthcare Workers Approve New Union Contract
Nurses and other hospital workers at Allegheny Valley Hospital have approved a new union contract that was agreed to over the weekend. SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania says the new deal is for three years and includes investments and improvements in numerous areas, including benefits and safety. Under the new contract, union workers at Allegheny Valley Hospital will see an average bump in pay of 16% with some workers seeing pay increases of nearly 40%. (Darnay, 9/10)
AP: Women Settle Lawsuits After Yale Fertility Nurse Switched Painkiller For Saline
Dozens of women who say they suffered excruciating pain at a Yale University fertility clinic because a nurse stole fentanyl for her own use and replaced it with saline have settled their lawsuits against the Ivy League school. Patients and their lawyers announced the settlements Monday in New Haven, Connecticut, where Yale is based. Details of the agreements were not released, but lawyers said they included significant financial settlements. (Collins, 9/9)
CBS News: Bay Area Surgeon Says AI Is Advancing Rapidly Into Hospitals And Operating Rooms
The healthcare industry is on the brink of a technological revolution, with AI poised to reshape decision making before, after, and even during surgical procedures. Dr. Curt Langlotz, the director of the Center for AI in Medicine and Imaging at Stanford University said this new technology holds a lot of promise, as long as it's used responsibly. (Hod, 9/9)
Stat: Former Verily Executives To Invest Millions In High-Tech Medical Data
Two former Verily executives say that they are starting a new initiative, Highlander Health, to push forward an effort decades in the making: making it so that the records collected in hospitals can be used in real-time to advance science, decreasing the cost of conducting clinical trials and speeding medical progress while helping patients get the right drug for them. (Herper, 9/10)
Stat: New Algorithm Just A First Small Step Against Wave Of Kidney Disease
One Brooklyn Health, a safety net hospital system that serves some of this city’s poorest and sickest patients, would seem to be exactly the place to benefit most from the effort to remove race from calculations that assess kidney disease. The patients — mostly Black and insured by Medicaid or Medicare — are a case study in the disparities that run through American kidney care: A large number have advanced disease and require dialysis, but just a handful get timely specialty care or transplants. (McFarling, 9/10)
KFF Health News' 'Silence in Sikeston' Podcast: Racism Can Make You Sick
The "Silence in Sikeston" podcast explores what it means to live with racism and violence, then charts the toll on health — from hives and high blood pressure to struggles with mental health. The deaths of two Black men killed nearly 80 years apart in the same Missouri community anchor a conversation about the public health consequences of systemic bias. (Anthony, 9/10)
KFF Health News: Live From Austin, Examining Health Equity
The term “health equity” means different things to different people. ... In a live taping at the Texas Tribune Festival, special guests Carol Alvarado, the Texas state Senate’s Democratic leader, and Ann Barnes, president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, along with KFF Health News’ Sabriya Rice and Cara Anthony, join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss addressing health inequities. (Rovner, 9/9)
