Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Enrollment In N.H. Medical Marijuana Program Nears 5,000; Ga. Lawmakers Focus On Data, Solutions To Improve Care
New Hampshire Public Radio: 4,700 Now Enrolled Under N.H.'s Medical Marijuana Law
New Hampshire’s medical marijuana program has more than doubled in size since 2016, according to the latest available data from the Department of Health and Human Services. About 4,700 patients were enrolled as of Dec. 20, up from just over 2,000 patients the same time last year. (McDermott, 1/8)
Georgia Health News: Task Force Proposing Two New Centers To Boost Georgia Health Care
Acting on the first day of the 2018 Georgia General Assembly session, a task force of state lawmakers approved recommendations Monday to create two centers that its leaders say will develop data and solutions to improve health care in Georgia. Led by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the Georgia Health Care Reform Task Force proposed a Health Coordination and Innovation Council and a Health System Innovation Center to boost collaboration and help create a more efficient delivery of care. (Miller, 1/8)
The Star Tribune: Eden Prairie-Based Metavention Gets $65 Million To Test Diabetes Treatment
Eden Prairie-based Metavention, which is designing a machine to treat type 2 diabetes by burning away nerves thought to drive glucose dysfunction, has raised $65 million in venture capital. Metavention announced Monday that Menlo Park, Calif.-based New Enterprise Associates led the series C funding round that includes several new investors. (Carlson, 1/8)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland-Based Adfinitas Health Buys Stake In PA Hospitalist Group
Adfinitas Health has acquired a majority stake in Advanced Inpatient Medicine, continuing the expansion of the Hanover-based hospitalist group. The acquisition adds four regional hospitals in Northeast Pennsylvania to Adfinitas portfolio, which already provides health care professionals to 14 hospitals and more than 40 post-acute facilities in Maryland, Virginia and Michigan. (Cohn, 1/8)
KCUR: University Of Kansas To Receive $25 Million Grant For Clinical Research
Today, the University of Kansas announced a $25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund the KU Medical Center's program, Frontiers: University of Kansas Clinical and Translational Science Institute (KU CTSI). Frontiers began five years ago. It's a clinical science institute dedicated to connecting scientists at the KU Med Center to resources and innovative research tools. It's one of just 57 institutes of its kind in the country. The university has become known for this program, along with its cancer center, and Alzheimer's disease center. (Tudhope, 1/8)
Denver Post: There Were Numerous Mental Health Warnings Leading Up To The Douglas County Deputy Shootings. Why Wasn’t The Gunman Hospitalized?
For the man who killed a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy and wounded six other people, the warning signs were abundant. At various points over the past three years, Matthew Riehl’s parents, friends who served with him in the Wyoming National Guard, professors at his former law school and law enforcement officers in two states all expressed concern about his mental health, according to official documents and interviews. His mother told police last year that he had stopped taking medication for bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders. A sheriff’s deputy and a mental health professional went to his apartment last month and had the door slammed in their faces.But, despite those concerns, Riehl was not placed on an emergency mental health hold in recent years and was not apparently receiving treatment of any kind when deputies arrived at his doorstep on New Year’s Eve morning. (Ingold and Phillips, 1/8)
KQED: L.A. County Mobilizes To Bring Homeless In From The Cold
L.A. County has opened more than a dozen temporary winter shelters, with about 1,500 beds. Hinderliter says the shelters give LAHSA outreach workers a chance to offer services to people who can otherwise be hard to reach and track at a time when there isn’t enough supportive housing to shelter the county’s surging homeless population. (Cuevas, 1/8)
