Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ruling Means Vulnerable Muslim Babies In Minnesota Can Have Donated Milk
Minnesota Public Radio: Decree Will Let Minnesota Muslim Women Use Donated Breast Milk For Vulnerable Kids
A Muslim legal expert on Thursday afternoon will sign a religious ruling that will give Muslim families in Minnesota the OK to use donor breast milk for their vulnerable babies while in intensive care. The religious clarification, forged over the past few months in discussions between Minnesota health systems and Islamic faith leaders, is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States. (Miles, 11/16)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Boston 25 News: Salem Hospital Alerts Hundreds To Possible Exposure To HIV, Hepatitis Infections
Salem Hospital warned some patients who may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis due to incorrectly administered IVs. The hospital says about 450 endoscopy patients may have been exposed to HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C over a two-year period. Salem Hospital says the possibility of infection from the incident is “extremely small” and that there are no reported instances of infection yet. (Brace, Morelli and Lambert, 11/15)
The CT Mirror: Over 100K CT Residents’ Data Stolen In Prospect Hospitals Breach
An additional 110,000 Connecticut residents had their personal data compromised during a six-week cyberattack of three Prospect Medical Holdings hospitals in the summer, according to a letter from their attorney to the state. Initially, Prospect believed the data breach affected only 63 Connecticut patients, along with 24,000 employees. (Altimari and Carlesso, 11/15)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: New Headsets Aim To Distract St. Louis-Area Blood Donors
While Stephanie Darroch was donating blood, a soothing voice spoke to her through a headset: “I need your help to turn this room into a beautiful, magical garden.” The goggles on the headset displayed a floating bag of seeds. Darroch, using only her eyes, placed the seeds around the room and watched them sprout into colorful blooms around her. (Munz, 11/15)
St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri S & T Professor To Study How Glass Heals Wounds
A Missouri University of Science and Technology scientist will soon travel to South Africa to study how powdered glass could heal wounds and prevent infections. Mark Towler, a chemical and biochemical engineering professor at the university, has for years worked to investigate how powdered glass can stop bleeding in injuries caused by car accidents, gunshots and stab wounds. (Fentem, 11/15)
The Washington Post: Carnival Gives Woman Lifetime Cruise Ban For Packing CBD Gummies
Carnival Cruise Line has issued a lifetime ban to a Texas woman because security found a pack of CBD gummies in her suitcase as she was going through security at the Port of Miami in August. The company’s guidelines say that certain CBD products are prohibited at sea because they are “not legal in all the ports we visit,” regardless of whether they are available for “medicinal purposes” across parts of the United States. (Perez-Moreno, 11/15)
