Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Oregon Is 1st To Get Mental Health Aid From Biden's American Rescue Plan
AP: US Support To Go For Mental Health Crisis Teams In Oregon
Saying that a police response is often an improper solution to mental health crises, Biden administration officials announced Monday financial support for expansion of mobile crisis intervention teams in Oregon. This Pacific Northwest state, which has pioneered the use of unarmed intervention teams, became the first to receive the infusion of aid under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan. (Selsky, 9/13)
In monkeypox updates from California —
Bay Area News Group: A Californian With Monkeypox Died -- Second Possible U.S. Death From Virus
Health officials Monday confirmed California’s first death from monkeypox, but there are encouraging signs that the outbreak appears to be slowing. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement that an investigation along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined monkeypox was responsible for the death of a Los Angeles County resident who was “severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized.” (Woolfolk, 9/12)
In environmental health news from North Carolina and the Pacific Northwest —
Reuters: Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claims Total About 5,000 So Far, U.S. Navy Says
About 5,000 claims over contaminated water at North Carolina Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune have been filed in the first month since new legislation removed roadblocks for the cases, according to the U.S. Navy, setting up the potential for one of the largest mass litigations in U.S. history. The claims, filed with the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy’s Tort Claims Unit in Norfolk, Virginia, are the first step for Marines and their family members to seek compensation for injuries sustained from contaminated drinking water on the base between 1953 and 1987 under a new process laid out in the PACT Act, a veterans’ healthcare and benefits bill signed by President Joe Biden on Aug. 10. (Jones, 9/12)
North Carolina Health News: Firefighters And Supporters Are Pushing Hard For PFAS-Free Turnout Gear
Firefighting is an occupation that comes with inherent risks. It turns out, though, that some of the equipment used to keep firefighters safe also puts them at risk. (Atwater, 9/13)
The Hill: Smoke From Raging Pacific Northwest Fires Spreads Far Inland, Worsening Air Quality
Wildfires gripping the Pacific Northwest are making the air far less breathable across the U.S. West, as windy weather transports hazardous particles and haze over multiple state lines. First responders were working on 16 large fires throughout the Pacific Northwest on Monday. (Udasin, 9/12)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
AP: Corrections Fined For Violating Tuberculosis Outbreak Rules
The Washington state Department of Corrections was fined more than $84,000 for reportedly failing to follow safety rules meant to stop the spread of disease at its Aberdeen prison. The state Department of Labor and Industries said Friday it cited and fined the agency, The Olympian reported. (9/13)
AP: TennCare: Update May Have Disclosed Personal Information
Personal information for about 1,700 Medicaid recipients in Tennessee may have been disclosed during an update to a computer system, officials said. The update may have led to a limited number of people from one household to be able to view some information about individuals in another household that included some of the same people, a statement from TennCare said. The breach happened when a new application listed the name of a person who was already in another household, the statement said. (9/13)
The Boston Globe: University Is First New England Campus To Sign Charter Promoting Health Among Students And Staff
University of Massachusetts Lowell recently took action to highlight its commitment to promoting health and wellness. The university adopted the Okanagan Charter, a document in which post-secondary schools pledge to embed health promotion in all aspects of campus life and culture, and to help lead efforts to further it locally and globally. (Laidler, 9/13)
KUNR Public Radio: Native American Households In Nevada More Likely To Face ‘Plumbing Poverty’
In 2019, more than 20,000 Native American community members in Nevada lacked complete indoor plumbing, a condition known as “plumbing poverty.” That’s according to a new study by researchers at the Desert Research Institute and the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. (Roedel, 9/12)
