Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
No Letup For Hospitals, Nurses
AP: Hospitals Competing For Nurses As US Coronavirus Cases Surge
As the coronavirus pandemic surges across the nation and infections and hospitalizations rise, medical administrators are scrambling to find enough nursing help — especially in rural areas and at small hospitals. Nurses are being trained to provide care in fields where they have limited experience. Hospitals are scaling back services to ensure enough staff to handle critically ill patients. And health systems are turning to short-term travel nurses to help fill the gaps. (Webber, 11/2)
Des Moines Register: Iowa Hospitals 'Entering The Danger Zone' As COVID-19 Pandemic Worsens
Iowa hospitalizations for the disease, caused by the coronavirus, have nearly doubled in a month, according to state statistics. On Monday afternoon, the Iowa Department of Public Health was reporting 718 people being treated in Iowa hospitals for the disease, including 156 in intensive-care units. The number of Iowans testing positive for the coronavirus also continues to soar, topping 2,800 on Saturday. Nearly half of the counties in Iowa were reporting 14-day coronavirus positivity rates at 15% or higher on Monday morning. (Leys, 11/2)
Billings Gazette: Billings Clinic To Open Permanent Viral Triage Unit On Downtown Campus
Billings Clinic announced Monday that it has received state funding to build a permanent viral triage testing unit on its downtown campus, and has garnered resources like ventilators and additional staff members. The hospital received 15 ventilators used to treat critical COVID-19 patients, a seven-person care team and a $150,000 grant to build a permanent viral triage unit. (Hall, 11/2)
Crain's Detroit Business: Amid New COVID Surge, Hospitals Rethink Testing, Visitation Policies, Elective Procedures
Grand Rapids-based Spectrum Health, along with some other health systems in Michigan, is ramping up COVID-19 testing of patients coming into the system and discussing delaying some elective procedures to conserve personal protective equipment and staff. As the new surge of COVID-19 strikes Michigan with double-digit increases in cases and deaths the past several weeks, hospitals in Wisconsin, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Tennessee and Texas have already triggered changes in how they handle elective surgeries, testing and visitations. (Greene, 11/2)
KHN: ‘No Mercy’ Chapter 6: Trickle-Down Heartache Reaches The Next Generation In A Rural Town With No Hospital
Josh is 17. He said he smokes marijuana. He struggles with anger. He’s also juggling some extraordinary responsibilities for a teenager. Josh’s mother died of a drug overdose when he was 3 years old and he has lived with his grandparents ever since. When his grandfather’s heart started failing, Josh and his grandmother followed as his grandfather was shuttled from one regional hospital to another. The family couldn’t pay their light bill and struggled to find the money to pay for gas for the car. They wanted to stay nearby as Josh’s grandfather recovered in the hospital, but paying for a hotel was another financial burden. (Tribble, 11/3)
Also —
AP: California Health Group To Pay $31.5M Over Drug Billing
A non-profit California health care chain will pay more than $31.5 million to settle allegations that it overbilled Medi-Cal for drugs bought through a federal program, authorities said Monday. Memorial Health Services, based in Fountain Valley southeast of Los Angeles, didn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing in agreeing to the payment, according to statements from the state attorney general’s office and the U.S. attorney’s office. (11/2)
Crain's Detroit Business: More Than 500 Blue Cross Employees Take Voluntary Separation Offers; More Coming
More than 500 non-union employees at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan have accepted voluntary separation offers and will leave the state's largest health insurer by the end of the year. The Michigan Blues made the offer to about 8,650 nonbargaining unit employees in September. The offer to retire or leave employment was made for several reasons, including helping to lower the Detroit-based company's administrative costs. (Greene, 11/2)
Stat: The Biggest Hurdles To Widespread Use Of Remote Monitoring Tools
The pandemic has driven unprecedented demand for remote patient monitoring tools. But for all their tech-savvy convenience, they have yet to overcome major barriers that prevent their adoption among larger swaths of the U.S. population. (Brodwin, 11/3)
