Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pandemic, Burnout, Expiring Federal Covid Funds Hitting Hospital Staffing
Politico: Hospitals Struggle With Staff Shortages As Federal Covid Funds Run Out
Hospitals across the country are grappling with widespread staffing shortages, complicating preparations for a potential Covid-19 surge as the BA.5 subvariant drives up cases, hospital admissions and deaths. Long-standing problems, worker burnout and staff turnover have grown worse as Covid-19 waves have hit health care workers again and again — and as more employees fall sick with Covid-19 themselves. (Mahr, 7/25)
CIDRAP: Survey Flags Public Health Worker Exodus Due In Part To COVID-19 Impact
Over 40% of the US public health workforce plans to leave their jobs within the next 5 years, and 51% said more staff were needed to respond to COVID-19, according to findings from a 2021 survey published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). (7/22)
On other matters across the health industry —
Stat: Cerner's VA Rollout Offers Rare Look Into Hidden Harms Of Health Records
The rollout of Cerner’s electronic health record in Veterans Affairs hospitals has been a high-profile struggle: outages, training troubles, and now, an alarming report showing it directly harmed scores of patients. (Palmer, 7/25)
Reuters: HCA Healthcare Maintains 2022 Forecast After Better-Than-Feared Quarter
HCA Healthcare (HCA.N) beat Wall Street estimates for second-quarter profit and reiterated its full-year outlook for earnings on Friday, easing concerns that an acute nursing shortage would crimp the largest for-profit U.S. hospital operator. (Khandekar, 7/22)
Modern Healthcare: Yuvo Health, Centene's Fidelis Care Target New York For Partnership
Yuvo Health, a startup that offers value-based contracting services, and Centene Corp. subsidiary Fidelis Care are partnering to expand resources for federally qualified health centers in New York. The centers provide services such as preventative care, specialty services and behavioral health resources for underserved populations, while also addressing socioeconomic barriers. They qualify for federal funding and enhanced reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid. Charges are based on a patient's income. (Hudson, 7/22)
The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Lab Companies Retrench As Rapid Tests Take Over
U.S. laboratories currently have the capacity to process the results of about 62 million PCR tests for Covid-19 a month, which is half of what it was in March, researchers at the consulting firm Health Catalysts Group estimate, after demand dropped and government funding diminished. Some laboratories and diagnostic companies have laid off employees or reassigned them to other tasks. (Abbott, 7/24)
