Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: 10th Child Dies In New Jersey From Viral Outbreak; New Hampshire Reports 'Big Problem' Of Childhood Food Insecurity
USA Today Network: Adenovirus Outbreak At New Jersey Pediatric Center: 10th Child Dies
A 10th child died Wednesday night from adenovirus after an outbreak at a New Jersey long-term care center that has infected 27 medically fragile children, the state Health Department said. The death came as the outbreak entered its sixth week at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. (Washburn, 11/1)
The Associated Press: 2nd Pediatric Facility In New Jersey Hit By Viral Outbreak
Patients at a second New Jersey pediatric facility have been found to have a respiratory virus, but authorities say it’s a different strain from the one linked to nine deaths. The state health department says there are four confirmed adenovirus cases among pediatric patients at Voorhees Pediatric Facility. But preliminary tests have ruled out Type 7, the strain linked to nine deaths at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. (11/1)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Study Highlights Child Food Insecurity In New Hampshire
A new report out from UNH's Carsey School of Public Policy highlights the issue of child food insecurity in New Hampshire.To be food insecure means that a child's household goes without access to healthy meals for a portion of the year. It points to data which show that in 2016, Coos County had the state's highest rate of child food insecurity at almost 18 percent. (Garrova, 10/31)
The Associated Press: Whistleblower Says California Prison Officials Misled Judge
Top California corrections officials are misleading a federal judge and attorneys representing inmates about the quality of mental health care behind bars, according to a report released Wednesday that cites a case where a woman received care so poor she plucked out her eye and ate it. The whistleblower report by chief corrections psychiatrist Dr. Michael Golding that was made public by U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller says prison officials overruled psychiatrists and misrepresented how often inmates were receiving proper care. (Thompson, 10/31)
Texas Tribune: How Texas Fails To Serve Parents Who Qualify For Subsidized Child Care
In Texas, the demand for subsidized child care has swamped the supply — Texas has more than a million children under 13 who could potentially qualify for subsidized child care, but the state helps just over 9 percent of them, according to Children at Risk, a nonprofit that specializes in policy research related to child care, education and health. According to the federal Office of Child Care and the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Center, Texas ranked 41st nationally in fiscal year 2015 in providing monthly child care assistance to children under 13 who qualified for it, behind both southern states like Georgia, which ranks 25th, and northern states like New York, which ranks 9th. (Waller, 10/31)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: As Ohio Gun Deaths Continue To Increase, Action In Local Communities Is Limited By A 2006 State Law
In 2006, the state's rural legislators rewrote the laws for urban areas where most of the gun murders occur. In doing so, they wiped away dozens of municipal ordinances enacted by cities like Cleveland. Since then gun homicides are up 60 percent in Ohio's six big urban counties, and 39 percent in throughout the rest of the state. (Exner, 11/1)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Find-A-Ride Will Bring Ridesharing To Seniors And Those With Disabilities
After the rise of transportation apps like Lyft and Uber, a new local service wants to broaden ridesharing’s inclusivity. Seniors and those with disabilities are the focus of the Find-a-Ride Network, which will start a pilot phase in Menomonee Falls on Dec. 3. The network then plans to expand service to all of Waukesha County. (Wickman, 10/31)
