Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Calif. Invests $5 Million In Diabetes Prevention Effort; Mass. Optometrists Continue Push For Scope-Of-Practice Changes
Los Angeles Times: With Diabetes Rising At Alarming Rate, California Puts Money Behind Prevention Campaign
California officials decided this week to dedicate $5 million to prevent people at high risk for diabetes from getting the disease, hoping to stem the huge numbers of Californians expected to be diagnosed in the coming years. Currently 9% of Californians have diabetes, but a study last year found that 46% of adults in California have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetic. (Karlamangla, 7/11)
Boston Globe: Mass. Optometrists Have All Eyes On Reforms
The Senate leadership had again approved a measure allowing them to prescribe medication for glaucoma and eye infections, tasks normally handled by ophthalmologists... But it was missing from the final package last week — despite another lobbying push from the optometrists and a radio ad campaign. (Chesto, 7/11)
San Jose Mercury News: Stanford Hospital Workers Highlight Hospital-Acquired Illness
Citing detailed federal data, Stanford Hospital union workers on Tuesday said patient and worker safety at the hospital is in jeopardy due to the risk of acquiring infections on site. At a news conference in front of the hospital, union leaders said the hospital system has been losing money since 2016 after the federal government reduced Stanford’s Medicare reimbursements 1 percent through 2017 as a result of the high infection rate. (Lee, 7/11)
The Associated Press: Michigan Imposes Prison Term For Female Genital Mutilation
Doctors, parents and others involved in female genital mutilation in Michigan will face up to 15 years in prison under new laws signed Tuesday that were sparked by an ongoing criminal case involving six young girls. The legislation stemmed from a federal case against six people connected to an India-based Muslim sect called Dawoodi Bohra who are accused of being involved in the genital mutilation of two girls from Minnesota and four from Michigan. The procedures were allegedly carried out by a doctor at a clinic in suburban Detroit. (7/11)
Stat: Iranian Scientist Traveling To Boston For Cancer Research Is Detained
An Iranian cancer researcher traveling to the U.S. to work as a visiting scholar at Boston Children’s Hospital has been detained with his wife and three children at Boston Logan International Airport. The researcher, Mohsen Dehnavi, holds a visiting work visa that was issued in May. His detainment comes just two weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could largely enforce an executive order that would ban people from six Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, from entering the U.S. The court also ruled that the ban couldn’t apply to visitors who already held valid visas. (Thielking, 7/11)
The CT Mirror: ‘Connecticut In The Capitol’ Focuses On Health Care, Attacks On The Press
Dozens of Connecticut officials, business executives, policymakers and leaders of non-profits are here for two days to network and try to figure out what Congress and the federal government are doing, which is stumping even the most knowledgeable insiders lately. About 140 Connecticut residents accepted the invitation of Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy to attend a series of seminars on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of the “Connecticut in the Capitol” event. (Radelat, 7/11)
Sacramento Bee: CA Community Clinics Could Get $20 Million To Stay Open
On Monday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the budget-related bill that included $20 million for 80 one-time emergency grants to help the clinics get by while they find long-term funding solutions so the more than 4 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries who get their care from community clinics still receive services. The grant program is an effort to preempt drastic changes to the nation’s longest-running health support system, providing funding for core operations at clinics that would be affected by cuts to Medicaid. (Svirnovskiy, 7/12)
The Associated Press: Judge Clears Florida City In Hospital Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A federal judge has thrown out most of a lawsuit filed by the family of a black woman who died in December 2015, while police forcibly removed her from a Florida hospital where she sought treatment. (7/11)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW-Madison Scientists Make Breakthrough In Artery Cell Research
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Morgridge Institute for Research have taken the first step toward developing laboratory-made arteries that could eventually be used to help combat heart disease. (Luz, 7/11)
Miami Herald: Coral Gables Gives Initial Approval To Ban On Medical Marijuana Centers
After a new state law put limits on how local governments can regulate medical cannabis dispensaries, Coral Gables has taken a step toward banning the businesses in the city. The City Commission on Tuesday gave initial approval to a citywide ban on shops that sell medical marijuana. (Dixon, 7/11)
St. Louis Post Dispatch: Meramec State Park Employee Dies After Catching Mysterious Tick Illness
Tamela Wilson died June 23 from complications of the Bourbon virus, which she likely caught from a tick bite at Meramec State Park where she worked. A week later, the state Department of Natural Resources announced the park was “an area of interest” in an investigation of a case of Bourbon virus, and ticks were being collected for testing. The state health department confirmed the same day that a resident had contracted the virus, but did not mention the death. (Bernhard, 7/11)
