Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
San Francisco Police Still Using Victims' DNA To Investigate Crimes
USA Today: San Francisco Police Vowed To Stop Using Victims' DNA, Then Kept Doing It
Weeks after the San Francisco Police Department vowed to stop using victim DNA samples to identify suspects in crimes, the department's internal records show officers can continue to do just that – but won't be as transparent about how they found the DNA. The revelation comes as state officials, including the California Attorney General's Office, said last week that no police departments should use victim DNA profiles to name them as suspects and that action could be taken against the San Francisco department if they continue to do so. (Abdollah, 3/7)
In legislative news from Florida, Virginia, Ohio, and Oklahoma —
Miami Herald: FL Legislation Alters Nursing Home Staffing Requirements
Opponents of a bill that would upend staff standards in Florida nursing homes now have one final hope: the veto pen of Gov. Ron DeSantis. House Bill 1239 cleared the Legislature on Monday with bipartisan support after a contentious campaign waged by labor and elder advocate groups, who claim it will lower the quality of care for nursing home residents. “If the governor chooses to veto this, he’s signaling to seniors in Florida and across the country that he will continue to support policies that put them first,” said Zayne Smith, associate state director of advocacy at AARP Florida. “Signing this legislation would only tell seniors that the interests of the for-profit nursing home industry are more important than their health and dignity.” (Wilson and Critchfield, 3/7)
Fox News: Virginia Democrats Block Bill To Protect Religious Freedom Against Executive Orders
As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates narrowly passed a bill to protect churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious bodies from any "rule, regulation, or order" from the governor or another government agency, a move to block the government-ordered closure of houses of worship that took place during the pandemic. Yet Democrats in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee blocked the bill on Monday. Delegate Wren Williams, the sponsor of H.B. 775, called the bill "vital" for closing a "loophole" that threatens religious freedom. (O'Neil, 3/8)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati City Council Might Ban Listing Pop On Children's Menus
Cincinnati City Council might ban listing soda pop on kids' menus, a measure already in place in other large U.S. cities. Under what's being called "healthy beverage legislation," only milk, water and drinks that are 100% fruit juice could be listed on children's menus. Other options such as soft drinks would still be available, just not listed. It would apply to all restaurants in Cincinnati that serve kids' meals, including chain restaurants. (Coolidge, 3/8)
AP: Republican Lawmakers Unveil Medical Marijuana Regulations
Republicans in the Oklahoma House on Monday unveiled a package of new restrictions on the state’s booming medical marijuana industry, designed to crack down on illegal growers who sell cannabis on the black market. The 12-point plan includes a standardization of lab testing and equipment, more inspections of grow facilities, separate licenses for marijuana wholesalers and stringent new reporting requirements for electric and water usage by growers. One proposal would also make the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority a stand-alone agency, not a division of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. (Murphy, 3/7)
Also —
The CT Mirror: CT Aims To Build Disability Workforce 'Pipeline'
On any given day at the Palm & Able warehouse in Bridgeport, Latasha “LJ” Jones might be assembling retail displays, conducting quality checks or picking and packing shipments of medical supplies. Jones has an intellectual disability, but she has tackled myriad assignments at the warehouse; she’s currently training to fulfill orders using e-commerce software. “I like this job because we’re doing different things,” Jones said. But leaders and advocates in the disability community say capable workers like Jones, who have a wide range of skills and abilities, are being overlooked by companies that have open jobs to fill — even as many business groups raise concerns about a labor shortage. (Phillips, 3/8)
Bangor Daily News: Waterville Hospital Sent Home A Suicidal Patient Who Returned The Next Day With A Gunshot Wound
Staff at a Waterville hospital sent a patient home last summer after he made suicidal statements and had a bandaged wrist, only for the patient to return the next day with a self-inflicted gunshot wound from which he later died. The case at Northern Light Inland Hospital drew a citation from state and federal regulators following a fall 2021 review, prompting the hospital to make changes around staff training, event reporting and medical records. The patient, who was not identified, first called Inland Hospital on Aug. 2 to report that he was considering suicide and then appeared at his primary care physician’s office at the hospital the next morning at 9:30 a.m. to report that he had slashed his left wrist in an attempt to end his life and wanted to see a doctor. He was referred to a physician assistant that afternoon. (Russell, 3/8)
NPR: Delaware Is Reducing Cancer Disparities. One Big Reason? Patient Navigators
Sussex County, in the heart of southern Delaware's poultry farm country, is home to many people like Michelaine Estimable, a 62-year-old native of Haiti who came to work on the factory lines of a chicken-processing plant. But Estimable hasn't worked in two years, because of a leg injury that made it impossible for her to drive. Now, she relies on family members she lives with to get rides to medical appointments — one of the logistical headaches that's kept her from scheduling her mammogram for the past year. (Noguchi, 3/7)
San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco’s First Tiny Home Village For Unsheltered People Opens. At $15,000 A Pop, City Says It’s Cost-Effective
One week ago, Ryan Bauer was living in a tent on the hard pavement on Gough Street south of Market. Now he’s living on the same pavement with a dramatic upgrade: He’s moved into his own tiny home, with a mattress, desk, chair and — most luxurious of all — a heater that quickly warms his 64-square-foot abode. That’s almost as crucial as a front door that locks from the inside and by a combination lock on the outside. “It’s definitely a lot warmer, and I don’t have to worry about my stuff being taken,” said Bauer, 45, who is known on the street as “Nobody.” “I haven’t had a locked area where I could leave my stuff and not have it stolen for who knows how long.” (Whiting, 3/7)
