Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Conn. GOP Legislators Urge Talks To Reverse Proposed Hospital Cuts; In Mass., Tufts Medical Center And Local Union At Odds Over Membership Drive
The Connecticut Mirror: GOP Calls For Bipartisan Talks, Labor Concessions, To Reverse Hospital Cuts
Minority Republicans in the state legislature called Tuesday for bipartisan negotiations to reverse last week’s $190 million cut to hospitals. And House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, also called for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to approach state employee unions for concessions to help balance the current budget and mitigate a deficit approaching $1 billion that must be resolved shortly after the 2016 state elections. (Phaneuf and Levin Becker, 9/22)
The Boston Globe: Tufts Medical Center, SEIU Local Tangle Over Union Drive
A labor union says Tufts Medical Center is running an aggressive campaign to stop hospital employees from organizing, holding meetings and showing videos to discourage workers from obtaining union cards. The Service Employees International Union, Local 1199, which represents 52,000 health care workers in Massachusetts, said hospital administrators in some cases made threats to replace workers who show interest in joining the union, which would be a violation of federal law. Tufts Medical Center disputes the claims. (Dayal McCluskey, 7/22)
Los Angeles Times: How The New King Hospital Hopes To Put Its 'Killer King' Image 'Far Behind'
At the old King/Drew Medical Center, guards used Tasers on psychiatric patients. Trauma surgeons mistakenly slit the throat of an 18-year-old shooting victim and a woman contracted HIV after she was infused with virus-infected blood. The public facility was forced to shut down in 2007, in large part because of serious breakdowns in patient care. Now a new hospital, known as Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, has opened in its place and administrators say that they aim for it to be one of the best facilities on the West Coast. (Karlamangla, 9/22)
The Wall Street Journal: Former CEO Of Bankrupt Chicago Hospital Admits To Perjury
The former owner of a bankrupt Chicago hospital that was at the center of a federal health-care fraud probe has admitted to hiding millions in an offshore account to evade more than $188 million in civil penalties. Peter George Rogan, 69 years old, of Canada, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Chicago federal court to lying about the account in the Bahamas. Under the terms of the plea deal, Mr. Rogan faces a year to 21 months in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 14. (Armental, 9/22)
California Healthline: State Grades Hospitals On Stroke Outcomes, Readmission Rates
On Monday, a state agency released a report that rates 270 hospitals across California for how well those hospitals handle ischemic stroke -- including outcomes, mortality and the ability to prevent hospital readmission. The report from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) ranked acute care hospitals on stroke care in 2012-2013 using risk-adjusted numbers. Hospitals with higher-risk patients were given more leeway than hospitals with a younger, healthier population, according to Merry Holliday-Hanson, manager of the administrative data program at OSHPD. (Gorn, 9/22)
The Associated Press: Planned Parenthood, Alabama In Court Over Medicaid Money
Planned Parenthood went to court Tuesday and asked a federal judge to prevent Gov. Robert Bentley’s administration from ending Medicaid payments to the organization’s two Alabama clinics. (Chandler, 9/22)
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Robin Vos: Assembly Lacks Votes For Current Fetal Tissue Bill
A bill banning certain types of research using fetal tissue from abortions and allowing others likely lacks the votes needed to pass the state Assembly, Speaker Robin Vos said Tuesday. The Rochester Republican said changes will likely be needed to the bill before the GOP Legislature can pass the proposal, which narrowly made it out of committee this month. (Gallagher and Stein, 9/22)
Kaiser Health News: Stemming The Cycle Of Toxic Stress – For The Kids’ Sake
Samantha McVey brought her 4-month-old daughter, Ruby, to The Children’s Clinic for a routine check-up and vaccinations. But within minutes of sitting down with Dr. R.J. Gillespie, McVey was describing her turbulent childhood with a drug-addicted father who spent time in prison. “How do you think that affects your parenting now?” Gillespie asked. "I don’t want my kids to have to go through that," said McVey, 23. (Gorman, 9/23)
