Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York State Opioid Settlement Board Demands Spending Oversight
Politico: Advisory Board Slams Opaque Opioid Settlement Spending
Members of the state’s Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board want greater insight into how New York is spending hundreds of millions of dollars flowing in from court agreements with companies accused of fueling the nationwide opioid crisis. The board approved a motion last week, specifically calling on New York City, Suffolk County and Nassau County to release more data on their opioid settlement expenditures. (Kaufman, 7/15)
Politico: An AI Education Is Becoming Easier To Get
The University of Miami has announced a new course on the ethics of artificial intelligence in medicine, the latest push to get doctors and nurses up to speed on the technology clinics and hospitals nationwide are rapidly deploying. The five-module course will cover informed patient consent, data protection and the harms of bias related to AI systems in health care. The course was developed in partnership with the University of the Andes in Colombia and is aimed at medical professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean. Instructors will teach in Spanish. (Payne, Reader, Schumaker and Odejimi,7/15)
In other news from across the country —
The Hill: Here Are The 10 States With The Poorest Quality Of Life
Texas is the state with the worst quality of life, according to data from CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business report. ... CNBC uses multiple factors like crime rates, health care, air quality and child care when determining quality of life of each state. Texas came in as the state with the worst quality of life, in part, due to its poor healthcare. The Lone Star State has one of the lowest primary care provider-to-patient ratios in the country, with 182 primary care providers per 100,000 residents, according to the United Health Foundation. (O’Connell-Domenech, 7/15)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Cleveland Clinic No. 1 In Heart Care For 30th Straight Year In 2023-24 U.S. News Hospital Rankings
For the 30th consecutive year, the Cleveland Clinic is ranked the No. 1 heart care hospital in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 Best Hospital Rankings announced Tuesday. (Washington, 7/16)
Chicago Tribune: Northwestern, Rush Tie For Best Hospital In Illinois, Says U.S. News
Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Rush University Medical Center are among the top 20 hospitals in the nation and have again tied for best hospital in Illinois, according to U.S. News & World Report rankings. (Schencker, 7/15)
St. Louis Public Radio: Organ Transplant Company Plans To Use Drones To Transport Blood
A St. Louis-based organ transplant organization hopes to use drones to transport blood samples. Mid-America Transplant is an organ and tissue procurement organization that serves eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and northeast Arkansas. It currently transports blood samples and other organ donation-related matter by ground vehicle or aircraft, which can be time-consuming and costly. A trip to deliver blood samples by aircraft costs around $10,000. (Holcomb, 7/16)
Also —
KFF Health News: Despite Past Storms’ Lessons, Long-Term Care Residents Again Left Powerless
As Tina Kitzmiller sat inside her sweltering apartment, windows and doors open in the hope of catching even the slightest breeze, she was frustrated and worried for her dog and her neighbors. It had been days since Hurricane Beryl blew ashore from the Gulf of Mexico on July 8, causing widespread destruction and knocking out power to more than 2 million people, including the Houston senior independent living facility where Kitzmiller lives. Outdoor temperatures had reached at least 90 degrees most days, and the heat inside the building was stifling. (West, 7/15)
