Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York’s Program For Monitoring People With Serious Mental Illness Has Broken Down Repeatedly
The New York Times: Kendra’s Law Was Meant To Prevent Violence. It Failed Hundreds Of Times
After John Skeene served prison time for beating his mother to death with a chair leg, after he attacked a man with a radiator cover and threatened to murder his therapist, New York State placed him in its gold-standard program for treating mentally ill people at risk of committing violence. The program, which grew out of legislation known as Kendra’s Law and has been held up as a national model, was supposed to ensure that Mr. Skeene complied with a court-ordered treatment plan despite being homeless and living with schizoaffective disorder. (Julia Harris and Ransom, 12/21)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
New Hampshire Bulletin: Federal Officials Say NH Is Kicking Too Many Kids Off Of Medicaid. The State Says That's Not The Whole Story
Federal officials are raising concerns about New Hampshire and eight other states they say are leading the country in terminating Medicaid coverage for children now that pandemic protections have ended. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, New Hampshire ended coverage for 19,810 children between March and September, an 18% drop. Only South Dakota and Idaho had bigger decreases, each with a 27% drop, according to CMS. (Timmins, 12/20)
WLRN: A New App In Palm Beach County Aims To Prevent Dangerous Falls
Falls were the leading cause of traumatic injuries last year in Palm Beach County. They can lead to chronic pain and even the loss of independence. Now, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County is promoting a free smartphone application about fall prevention. (Zaragovia, 12/20)
Politico: ‘A Fiefdom’: One Brooklyn Health Board Sued Over CEO’s Ouster
A member of One Brooklyn Health’s board is suing chair Alexander Rovt, a billionaire businessperson and major political donor in New York, over a recent vote to oust the hospital network’s chief executive. The yet-to-be-reported petition , which was filed by board member Maurice Reid and former State Assemblymember Annette Robinson, accuses Rovt of breaching his fiduciary duties by making “reckless” and false statements maligning One Brooklyn Health CEO LaRay Brown in an interview with POLITICO in September and “lavishing expensive perks” on fellow board members. (Kaufman, 12/20)
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Supervisors Name Developer Of General Hospital Revamp
A Culver City-based developer that specializes in bringing capital to low-income communities has been selected to renovate the landmark General Hospital building in Boyle Heights and develop its 25-acre grounds as a community and wellness center. “Revitalizing the historic General Hospital building and developing the surrounding land represents an opportunity to create a significant number of housing units,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, who spearheaded the project. (Smith, 12/20)
Houston Chronicle: Houston UMMC Hospital To Pay More Than $2M For Alleged Overbilling
United Memorial Medical Center, a Houston hospital that entered the national spotlight during the pandemic, has been ordered to pay more than $2 million after allegedly overbilling the government for COVID-19 tests and patient care, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday. Positioned in a low-income and medically vulnerable part of the city, UMMC provided rare media access in the heat of the public health crisis, making the relatively small, unknown hospital a nationwide symbol of tireless frontline health care workers and reaping millions from the City of Houston. (Gill, 12/20)
State House News: PFAs Exposure: Massachusetts Lawmakers Urge Legal Action
Nearly half of the Legislature signed onto a letter to Attorney General Andrea Campbell this week, imploring the state to join Worcester firefighters diagnosed with cancer in their lawsuit against companies that make firefighting gear alleged to include toxic PFAS chemicals. “Our firefighters place themselves in harm’s way to protect the Commonwealth’s residents and property. In doing so, they utilize gear, procured by the government, with the expectation that the gear will help protect them from harm." (Young, 12/20)
Minnesota Public Radio: St. Cloud Mental Health Center Aims To Be A Bridge To Healing
The walls inside Bridge Healing Center in St. Cloud are painted soothing hues of blue and green, a deliberate effort to help visitors feel relaxed and welcome. The hallways are lined with colorful paintings by a local artist featuring people in East African dress, with encouraging phrases in both English and Somali. (Marohn, 12/21)
AP: Judge Weighs Request To Stop Nation's First Execution By Nitrogen, In Alabama
A federal judge heard diverging arguments Wednesday about the humaneness and risks of execution by nitrogen gas as he weighs whether to let Alabama attempt the nation’s first use of the method. Attorneys for Kenneth Eugene Smith are asking a judge to block his Jan. 25 execution by nitrogen hypoxia. They argued that the method violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment and said the mask, which is fitted seal over his nose and mouth, would interfere with his ability to pray with his spiritual adviser. (Chandler, 12/21)
The Baltimore Sun: Tuerk House To Open East Baltimore Treatment Center For Pregnant People, Teens
Tuerk House, a nonprofit substance use disorder treatment health system, announced this week that it is developing a second residential treatment facility in Baltimore that will care for pregnant people and teenagers struggling with addiction and provide another crisis stabilization center. (Roberts, 12/21)
AP: Health Officials Push To Get Schoolchildren Vaccinated As More US Parents Opt Out
When Idaho had a rare measles outbreak a few months ago, health officials scrambled to keep it from spreading. In the end, 10 people, all in one family, were infected, all unvaccinated. This time, the state was lucky, said the region’s medical director Dr. Perry Jansen. The family quickly quarantined and the children were already taught at home. The outbreak could have been worse if the kids were in public school, given the state’s low vaccination rates, he said. (Shastri, 12/20)
