Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Fla. Governor Signs Law Requiring Backup Power In Nursing Homes; Consolidation Leads To Higher Prices For Northern Californians
The Associated Press: Florida Gov. Scott Signs Bills Mandating Backup Power
Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation Monday requiring backup power sources in Florida nursing homes and assisted living facilities, months after the deaths of several residents from a sweltering nursing home that lost power in a hurricane. The legislation require the facilities to have a generator capable of keeping nursing homes and assisted living facilities at 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) or lower for at least four days. (3/26)
San Francisco Chronicle: Health Care Costs 30% More In Northern California Than In Rest Of The State
People living in areas where there is greater consolidation among hospitals, physician groups and insurance companies pay more for health care, according to a study released Monday. The study analyzed consolidation in the hospital, insurance and physician markets in California between 2010 and 2016. (Ho, 3/26)
The Associated Press: Cisco Systems Gives $50M To Combat California Homelessness
Internet gear maker Cisco Systems Inc. announced Monday that it will donate $50 million over five years to address the growing problem of homelessness in California's Santa Clara County and is encouraging other Silicon Valley companies to make similar efforts. In a blog post, Chief Executive Chuck Robbins said people in the San Francisco Bay Area know homelessness has reached a crisis level, costing the county where many tech companies are based $520 million per year. (3/26)
The Baltimore Sun: Program Provides Uninsured Local Women Access To Preventive Cancer Services, Including In Towson
One Voice began in August 2011, when the hospital received an 18-month American Cancer Society grant that allowed participation in the 100 Free Screening Mammogram and Education Program: breast cancer screenings for 100 underserved, uninsured women in Baltimore City and County. To date, the program—no longer grant-funded—has provided more than 500 mammograms at no charge. Thanks to the generosity and partnership of individuals and programs within and outside of the hospital, One Voice continues to evolve and grow, offering diagnostic and referral services in a safe and comforting setting. (Heubeck, 3/27)
Orlando Sentinel: Florida Hospital Starts Art Therapy Program For Cancer Patients
A growing body of research shows that creative arts therapies reduce patients’ anxiety, depression and pain, and help improve their quality of life. More programs are embracing these alternative therapies as part of patients’ treatment plans, whether it’s for Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, PTSD or cancer. (Miller, 3/26)
Houston Chronicle: Memorial Hermann Opens League City Care Facility
Memorial Hermann recently opened its largest convenient care center in the region in League City. Equipped with a 24-hour emergency room, the facility at at 2555 S. Gulf Freeway is Memorial Hermann's sixth in the Houston area. ...The facility includes an imaging center for adult and pediatric patients, radiology and diagnostic labs and a primary care clinic offering services ranging from sick visits to chronic disease management. The facility also features a breast-care center providing medical services, cancer screenings and diagnostics and a sports medicine and rehabilitation center offering a range of orthopedic and athletic care. (Greenberg, 3/26)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Lawmakers Get More Questions Than Answers About Coakley Cleanup, Health Risks
Members of the New Hampshire legislature’s Seacoast Cancer Cluster Commission said they didn’t want to debate facts about Coakley Landfill and its effect on public health at their meeting Monday – but that’s mostly what they ended up doing. (Ropeik, 3/26)
