Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Tackling The Health Worker Shortage; Benefits Of Paid Family Leave
Modern Healthcare: Our Healthcare Staffing Crisis Is A Patient Safety Crisis, Too
As the COVID-19 delta variant grips the nation and workforce shortages impact every industry, the effects on healthcare providers and the implications on quality of care are urgent. Public discourse around this issue has largely focused on increased costs to healthcare institutions as the great resignation hits healthcare. Indeed, hospital expenses per discharged patient have increased by over 15% year-to-date compared to 2019, and much of that increase relates directly to contract temporary labor, the cost of which has skyrocketed by over 100% for both full- and part-time staff. (Dr. Shereef Elnahal, 11/16)
The CT Mirror: America -- The Only High-Income Country Without Paid Family Leave
The United States of America, Palau, Nauru, Tonga, Micronesia, Marshal Islands, Suriname: these countries are exceptional in one way. Of the 190 countries in the United Nations, they are the only ones that do not guarantee paid time off for new parents. Almost all of humanity, more than seven billion people worldwide, have better leave support than new parents in the U.S. The global average for paid maternity leave is 29 weeks. One hundred fifty-eight countries offer 12 weeks or more of paid family leave. It is almost universal. (Marie Ricketts, 11/16)
Stat: Personalized Medicine Goes Far Beyond Genetics
Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, most public considerations of personalized medicine have focused on genetically targeted treatments. As The New York Times recently reported, genetic testing and targeted therapies have, for example, introduced a “totally different world” that replaces one-size-fits-all chemotherapy with tailored treatment options for individuals with certain genetically defined breast and lung cancers. (Christopher J. Wells, 11/16)
CNN: I Still Can't Stop Watching Cecily Strong's Clown Sketch
Don't you love farce? After watching and re-watching the now-legendary segment from Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" that aired last weekend, I couldn't stop thinking about that line from Stephen Sondheim's "Send In the Clowns." The song is from "A Little Night Music," and is sung by a character who, as Sondheim reportedly said in an interview, "is too upset and too angry to speak." Comedian Cecily Strong, on the other hand, can speak loud and clear. When Strong, 37, playing Goober the Clown, appeared -- talking about Goober's clown abortion -- she was really sharing a story about herself on live TV, one that (as she posted to her Instagram stories) she didn't tell her mother for years. (Judy Gold, 11/14)
Stat: The Pandemic Didn't Increase Suicides. That Shouldn't Be A Surprise
In the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health experts and members of the media predicted that the pandemic and its effects on society may lead to an uptick in suicides. As many of these articles and viewpoints began to gain steam, some cautioned against jumping to conclusions. I wrote in a tweet that “Resilience during times of adversity is the more common human response,” and noted that some people would likely experience increased risk while others would likely experience decreased risk. (Craig Bryan, 11/16)
Modern Healthcare: Taking Another Shot—This One For The Flu
Blacks and Latinos have significantly lower rates of vaccination against the flu, according to federal data. During the 2019-20 flu season, 53% of Whites received a shot compared with 41% of Blacks and 38% of Hispanics. Earlier this year, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center launched an initiative to address this problem, setting a target of 45.1% above national benchmarks. At deadline, they were at 38.8%. (Dr. Aaron Clark, 11/16)
