Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
St. Louis County Tries An AI Solution To Lower 911 Wait Times
St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis County Hopes AI Will Reduce Wait Times For 911
The St. Louis County Police Department has tapped artificial intelligence technology to reduce 911 wait times for county residents. Dispatchers handle about 2,000 calls a day, split roughly 50/50 between 911 and nonemergency issues like how to get a copy of a police report. Priority always goes to 911 calls, Battles said, but once dispatchers get on a nonemergency call, they cannot switch if an emergency call comes in. (Lippmann, 4/17)
In updates on LGBTQ+ health care —
AP: Hospital Sues Missouri's Top Prosecutor Over Trans Care Data
A Kansas City hospital is suing Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey over what it calls his “burdensome” requests for records on gender-affirming care. In a lawsuit filed Friday in Jackson County, attorneys for Children’s Mercy Hospital asked a judge to deny Bailey’s 54 investigative demands for records and testimony despite the hospital facing no allegations of wrongdoing, The Kansas City Star reported. (4/15)
The Texas Tribune: Hundreds Protest At Texas Capitol Against Anti-LGBTQ Bills
Chants of “Protect trans kids” echoed across the Capitol as hundreds of LGBTQ Texans and their supporters gathered Saturday afternoon to express anger and fear over a slate of rapidly moving bills targeting queer people. The mid-April heat matched the anger many felt toward Republican lawmakers who seek to ban transgender students from playing college sports, queer youth from accessing transition-related health care and other efforts to restrict LGBTQ rights. (Melhado, 4/15)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Hundreds Rally In St. Louis For Transgender Rights, Against Missouri Restrictions
Hundreds gathered in downtown St. Louis over the weekend to protest a wave of legislation to curtail rights for transgender people, including new emergency rules in Missouri putting restrictions on gender-related care such as hormone therapies and surgeries. “Transition saved my life, and it saved the lives of a lot of trans people,” said Zora Williams, 41, of St. Louis, at a protest Sunday near the Old Courthouse that drew more than 200 people. “People deserve a right to this care.” (Gray and Benchaabane, 4/16)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
NPR: Residents Near Indiana Warehouse Fire May Have Asbestos On Their Property, EPA Says
Federal officials are telling people near the site of an Indiana warehouse fire that broke out last week not to touch any debris they find on their property since it may contain asbestos, a known carcinogen. "It is essential not to remove or disturb any debris believed to be from the fire as these materials may contain asbestos, a substance that releases microscopic fibers when disturbed," the Environmental Protection Agency said in a fact sheet for local residents posted on Sunday. (Hernandez, 4/16)
The Hill: New City Earns Title Of Nation’s Top City For Weed: Report
Denver lost its place as the nation’s marijuana mecca, according to an analysis from Clever Real Estate. The new king of kush is Portland, Oregon. Oregon was two years behind Colorado in legalizing recreational cannabis. Washington and Colorado legalized it in 2012, while Alaska and Oregon legalized it in 2014. (Summers and Martichoux, 4/16)
KFF Health News: Journalists Track Opioid Settlement Cash And Fees For Telehealth Visits
KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani discussed the transparency — or lack thereof — and distribution of $50 billion in settlement funds from opioid manufacturers on WNHN’s “Attitude With Arnie Arnesen” on April 11. (4/15)
