Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Director Of Oklahoma Pharmacy Board Fired Following Bribery Probe; A Texas University Proposes Solution To Rural Areas' Doctor Shortage Crisis
The Associated Press: Oklahoma Pharmacy Board Fires Director Amid Probe Into Texts
The Oklahoma Board of Pharmacy fired its executive director Wednesday after state investigators confirmed she is the target of a bribery probe involving text messages exchanged with a top lawyer involved in writing the state's new medical marijuana rules. The board unanimously voted to fire Chelsea Church following a closed-door meeting in Oklahoma City. The special meeting was called after the online news agency Nondoc reported on a series of text messages in which Church appears to offer Department of Health attorney Julia Ezell a higher paying job at the agency in exchange for medical marijuana rules favorable to pharmacists. (7/25)
Texas Standard: Rural Texas Is Struggling To Keep Doctors. Sam Houston State University Wants To Change That By Opening A Medical School.
Texas has almost a dozen medical schools, but it also has a rural healthcare worker shortage. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is set to vote Thursday on whether to approve another medical school. (Hart, 7/25)
MPR: Health Dept: Chemical In Drinking Water Has Dropped To Safe Levels In Five Communities
A handful of communities identified by an environmental watchdog have reduced their levels of a dangerous chemical in their drinking water supply, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Using data from 2010-2015, the D.C.-based Environmental Working Group found trichloroethylene (TCE) in the drinking water supplies of 15 Minnesota communities, though only five exceeded the state limit of 0.4 parts per billion during that time. (Richert, 7/25)
The New York Times: 50 More Women Sue U.S.C. As Accusations Of Gynecologist’s Abuse Pile Up
The scandal surrounding the three-decade tenure of Dr. George Tyndall, a former gynecologist at the University of Southern California, continued to grow this week as more than 50 additional women sued the university, saying it had failed to protect them from sexual abuse and harassment by Dr. Tyndall. The lawsuits, filed on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against both Dr. Tyndall and U.S.C., claim that the university concealed years of complaints against Dr. Tyndall’s “sexually charged and deviant comments and behavior” and “allowed him many years of unfettered sexual access to young female students.” (Zaveri, 7/25)
Dallas Morning News: UTD Reaches Coveted State Research Designation, Unlocking Millions In Funding
One day doctors might analyze the heart with a better predictive tool that helps them decide the best treatment for patients sooner thanks to cardiovascular research now being done at the University of Texas at Dallas. And maybe that work could lead to better coronary stents that help patients avoid more surgery down the line, said Heather Hayenga, an assistant professor who is leading the research. (Ayala, 7/25)
Wyoming Public Radio: Mountain West Could Benefit From A Nation-Wide Three-Digit Suicide Hotline
The House just passed a bill to create a 9-1-1 type service nationwide for suicide prevention. This change could be especially important for our region, which has some of the highest suicide rates in the country. (Budner, 7/25)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Kidney Dialysis Proposal, Not Yet On The Ballot, Faces First Court Challenge
The Ohio Renal Association is asking the state Supreme Court to shut down a ballot proposal that would cap how much for-profit dialysis companies can charge patients. The association wants a court order or judgement invalidating the entire initiative petition. (Hancock, 7/25)
Boston Globe: Noting 2016 Deaths, House OK’s Bill To Require Contractors To Disclose Workplace Safety Violations
Nearly two years after two workers drowned in a flooded trench at a South End construction site, state lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that would require companies seeking large government contracts to disclose workplace safety violations. ...The measure would require any company offering goods or services worth more than $50,000 to state or local governments to disclose if it had received a citation, notice, decision, or civil judgment from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the previous four years. (Halper, 7/26)
The Star Tribune: Former Minnesota Health Official Sues Agency, Claiming Retaliation
A former top administrator at the Minnesota Department of Health alleges she was wrongfully fired last year in retaliation for raising concerns about a hostile work environment. Nancy A. Omondi, a former director of the department’s health regulation division, said she repeatedly attempted to notify senior leaders at the agency of a pattern of harassment, bullying and discrimination at the division she oversaw, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court. In response, Omondi said, she was verbally berated, reprimanded and ultimately terminated last November from her position at the health department. (Serres, 7/25)
Health News Florida: Requirement For Mental Health Disclosure In Schools Raises Concerns
A requirement in the school safety bill passed after the Parkland shooting is raising privacy concerns. The law requires new students who are initially registering in a district to disclose any referrals to mental health services. (Ochoa, 7/25)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio Report Ties Poverty, Race And Geography To Lifelong Success
Ohio children who are not ready for kindergarten have a hard time catching up over the years, with their scores in third grade reading and eighth grade math continuing to lag, according to a study released Wednesday. The report, by the education advocacy organization Groundwork Ohio, found poverty is often tied to insufficient kindergarten readiness. (Hancock, 7/25)
Houston Chronicle: Iconic Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza Changes Hands
LaSalle Investment Management has added a fourth property to its Houston portfolio with the purchase of the prized Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. The seller, a partnership of Mischer Healthcare, Memorial Hermann Health System and other private investors, opened the 28-story medical office building at 6400 Fannin at North MacGregor in 2007. (Feser, 7/26)
Texas Tribune: Marijuana Legalization In Texas? Advocates See Reasons For Optimistic
The state almost certainly won’t be the next one to legalize recreational marijuana use. But there are signs that both the public opinion and political calculus on pot are shifting in Texas, with advocates hopeful that those shifts could yield significant progress during next year’s legislative session. (Samuels, 7/26)
