‘Options Are Dwindling For Many Rural Families’: The Imbalance In Hospitals Closures
Nearly 70 rural hospitals have shuttered since 2013, in a trend that studies associate with states that did not expand Medicaid. In other state hospital news: a three-day strike at five University of California teaching hospitals and a Missouri center reviews its postpartum mental health services.
The New York Times:
A Sense Of Alarm As Rural Hospitals Keep Closing
Hospitals are often thought of as the hubs of our health care system. But hospital closings are rising, particularly in some communities. “Options are dwindling for many rural families, and remote communities are hardest hit,” said Katy Kozhimannil, an associate professor and health researcher at the University of Minnesota. Beyond the potential health consequences for the people living nearby, hospital closings can exact an economic toll, and are associated with some states’ decisions not to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act. (Frakt, 10/29)
Sacramento Bee:
Health Care Workers Claim Win In 3-Day Strike; UC Leaders Say No Deal
Roughly 39,000 unionized employees wrapped up a three-day strike Thursday at five University of California teaching hospitals, including UC Davis Medical Center, a job action that UC leaders said moved them no closer to a contract agreement. ...Union leaders, however, said that they received reports from colleagues working on the UCD hospital floor, saying that the hospital had to postpone services for patients in the gastrointestinal clinic, physical therapy and elective surgery. (Anderson, 10/26)
St. Louis Post Dispatch:
Following Tragedy, St. Louis Hospitals Renew Commitment To Postpartum Mental Health
Until recently, mental health screenings were not standard for pregnant women and new mothers even though at least 20 percent will experience depression or anxiety that can be exacerbated by hormonal surges, lack of sleep and the demands of an infant. The screenings can be lifesaving — as many as one in five deaths of women in the postpartum period is caused by suicide. ...At Barnes-Jewish Hospital, postpartum nurses will alert the mental health team if they notice that a new mother doesn’t want to hold her baby or makes comments about feeling inadequate or overwhelmed. (Bernhard, 10/28)
