Nurses Who Conduct Sex-Assault Reviews Push Back On Louisville Plans
According to police, prosecutors and nurses, a proposal that would require a doctor to review a portion of the procedures could slow down the process and harm the victims. Separately, AP reports Michigan is changing how it funds mental health — moving to match Medicaid funding for physical health.
Louisville Courier Journal:
Louisville Sexual Assault Nurses Fight Effort To Change Review Process
Police, prosecutors and nurses who conduct sexual assault exams for the city are fighting a proposal that would require a doctor to review a portion of the procedures, arguing it adds an unnecessary step that could ultimately harm victims. The proposed change to the sexual assault nurse examiners' contract — which is up for renewal by the Louisville Metro Council — would require a physician review of 3% of exams each year —even though all exams already are peer-reviewed by nurses. A Louisville Metro Council committee is scheduled to discuss the contract and amendment Tuesday. (Mencarini, 10/18)
In other news from across the U.S. —
AP:
Michigan Moves To Fund Mental Health Like Physical Health
Starting this month, 13 mental health and addiction clinics across Michigan will receive the same Medicaid funding as any other health center in an effort U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow says will help bridge the stigmatic and funding divide between mental and physical health. The selected Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, which meet high standards of care for those in need of mental health and addiction services, will now be fully reimbursed by Medicaid, the same as other health care services, instead of relying on grants to supplement costs. (Nichols, 10/17)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Metro East Abortion Providers Feel Ripple Effects Of Texas Ban
Jenna and her boyfriend were a week away from starting their freshman year in college and moving into their dorms in Murray, Kentucky, when they learned her birth control had failed and she was pregnant. Jenna, who requested to be identified only by her first name, couldn’t get an abortion appointment in Louisville near where they lived before the move. Before Jenna started classes, she found herself sick with COVID-19 and had to quarantine for 10 days. She fell behind in her studies. While trying hard to catch up, she had to desperately search for an abortion appointment. (Munz, 10/16)
The Baltimore Sun:
Maryland Issues First Fish Consumption Advisory Because Of PFAS
Maryland is recommending that people limit their consumption of certain fish in the Piscataway Creek in Prince George’s County because of PFAS contamination. It’s the first time the state has issued such an advisory as a result of elevated levels of a per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance in seafood, according to a news release from Friday. (Condon, 10/17)
CBS News:
A Stench Has Been Lingering Over A California City For 2 Weeks And Residents Say It's Making Them Sick
A smell like rotten eggs has been lingering over a small California city for the last two weeks, and residents say it has made them sick. "Fortunately, for me, I've been only having to deal with nonstop headaches and bouts of nausea and dizziness," Anna Meni, who has lived in Carson for 42 years, recently told CBS Los Angeles. The stench is coming from the Dominguez Channel, a waterway that runs through Carson. Mark Pestrella, the director of Los Angeles County Public Works, said the odor is hydrogen sulfide, which is created by rotting plants and other materials in the channel, CBS Los Angeles reported. According to the Los Angeles Times, California's ongoing drought has contributed to the vegetation buildup. (Reardon, 10/16)
The Boston Globe:
Flooding Could Shut Down Logan Airport, Hospitals, And Other Critical Infrastructure In Mass., And The Risk Is Only Growing, Report Says
More than 45 percent of the county’s critical infrastructure, including Logan International Airport, hospitals, and police and fire stations, are at risk of flooding, according to the report. Those risks are expected to increase by 20 percent by 2051. The report estimates that more than a third of roads in Suffolk are at risk of flooding, with those risks rising by 14 percent in 30 years. It also finds that nearly a third of the county’s commercial buildings and a fifth of its residential buildings are at risk of flooding, increasing by 22 percent and 8 percent, respectively, in 2051. (Abel, 10/17)
