Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Racism Declared A Public Health Crisis By New York City Board Of Health
AP: NYC's Board Of Health Calls Racism A Public Health Crisis
New York City’s Board of Health on Monday passed a resolution that names racism as a public health crisis, joining the growing list of state and local governments around the country that have done so in recent years. The resolution calls on the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to take steps including reviewing the city’s health code to look for structural racism, and find ways to make changes as necessary. (10/19)
In other news from across the U.S. —
The Wall Street Journal: Texas Passes Sports Ban For Transgender Students
Lawmakers in Texas passed a bill Sunday that bans transgender public-school students from competing in interscholastic sports leagues that are designated for a gender other than the one listed on their birth certificates. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill, after adding it to the agenda of a special legislative session intended to address redistricting. The University Interscholastic League, which oversees K-12 sports in Texas, has the responsibility for enforcing the law in public or charter schools. (Findell, 10/18)
Chicago Tribune: Lax Regulation Of Illinois Nursing Homes Cited In Report
For years, including the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois officials failed to properly oversee nursing homes, including not enforcing staffing requirements and not imposing penalties sufficient to deter inferior operations, a consultant’s investigation concluded. As a result, nursing home residents lodged an increasing number of complaints and faced ongoing dangers. Some facilities were cited repeatedly for the same violations, including abuse and neglect of residents, the report found. (McCoppin and Mahr, 10/18)
Los Angeles Times: Congresswoman Calls For Emergency Declaration Over Foul Odor In Carson
Calling it an “issue of health and environmental injustice,” Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-San Pedro) on Monday asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency over an overpowering foul smell that has sickened residents of Carson and surrounding communities for more than two weeks. The ongoing stench — which Los Angeles County officials say is caused by hydrogen sulfide coming from decaying vegetation in the Dominguez Channel — was first reported to the South Coast Air Quality Management District on Oct. 3 .It took 12 days for county crews to begin treating the flood control channel to mitigate the odor. (Branson-Potts, 10/18)
AP: Organizations Launch Yearlong Campaign On Lung Health
A coalition of organizations are launching a yearlong educational campaign about lung health issues in Kentucky. The Kentucky Medical Association, the Kentucky Foundation for Medical Care and the Anthem Foundation aim to educate residents through the campaign called “Breathe Better Kentucky,” the organizations said in a joint statement. (10/19)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Man Dies After Waiting 38 Minutes For St. Louis Ambulance, Family Seeks Answers
Rodney LaRue waited for an ambulance while in pain on a south St. Louis street for 38 minutes last month. Now, his family wants to know why help took so long to arrive. LaRue, 60, was riding his electric scooter on the afternoon of Sept. 27 when he collided with a minivan and was flung across the pavement at the intersection of Arsenal Street and Ivanhoe Avenue. A nearby St. Louis traffic patrol officer who saw the crash about 3:40 p.m. arrived almost immediately, and a firetruck was on scene within a few minutes, according to a video of the crash and police records provided through a public records request to the Post-Dispatch. (Heffernan, 10/18)
WJCT News: Doctor Warns Jacksonville's City Council About An Uptick In Fentanyl Overdoses
Just one pill can kill. That was the message emphasized by Dr. Raymond Pomm when he spoke Thursday at a special Jacksonville City Council committee on drug overdoses and mental health. Overdoses have been on the rise in the past few years throughout the country, despite a significant decrease in opioid prescriptions. "There has to be an educational push," Pomm said. "They're taking pills that look like opioids; they're taking pills that look like Xanax. It's fentanyl. They're dying from fentanyl." (Troncoso, 10/18)
In obituaries —
AP: Activist Shawn Lang, Former Leader At AIDS Connecticut, Dies
Shawn Lang, a longtime Connecticut activist for people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as those impacted by opioid addiction and domestic abuse, has died. She was 65. Lang’s unexpected death on Sunday , confirmed to the Hartford Courant by her 24-year-old son Corbett Lang, was met with both shock and sadness by friends, associates and Connecticut politicians on Monday. A cause of death has not yet been released. (10/19)
