Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ochsner Health System Employees Will See A Minimum Wage Boost In January
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Ochsner Raising Minimum Wage To $12 An Hour For 1,200 Employees
Ochsner Health System is raising the minimum wage rate for 1,200 employees across the system starting Jan. 20. The pay increase will boost minimum wages from $8.10 per hour to $12 per hour for employees working in various areas such as environmental services, patient care and patient services, the health system said. Ochsner conducted a comprehensive human resources assessment of employee needs in 2017, which included improving the overall financial well-being of employees, according to an Ochsner spokesperson. (Clark, 12/6)
Denver Post: Longmont United Hospital Offers Nitrous Oxide For Labor Pain
Expecting mothers are often only given three options for pain relief during labor — intravenous narcotics, an epidural or nothing at all — but there is another option: nitrous oxide. Most people know nitrous oxide as the laughing gas administered in their dentist’s office, but other countries such as Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and Finland have used it as an analgesic during labor for over a century. (Spina, 12/6)
