State Highlights: In Rural California, Transportation Can Be Major Barrier To Getting Care; Advocates Decry Texas’ New Therapy Funding Cuts

The Desert Sun: Health Care Access For Riverside County Communities Depends On Transportation, Many Other Factors
Health care for people in low-income communities is a challenge exacerbated by a lack of reliable transportation. In rural areas like Blythe and the unincorporated communities in the eastern Coachella Valley, residents will delay care because they lack an affordable, reliable means of travel. While Blythe residents struggle to cross the many miles to care, North Shore, Oasis and Thermal residents may be less than five miles from providers but still struggle to reach needed medical services. Public transportation agencies, community clinics and community organizers are seeking to bridge the gaps, but advocates and officials say it’s a complex issue to address. (Gagliano, 8/30)

Texas Tribune: Child Therapists Fear New Texas Policy Will Deepen Funding Cuts
The new rules standardize the state's reimbursement rate for all "acute therapy" — an effort, Texas' Health and Human Services Commission says, to level the playing field and eliminate incentives for one type of therapy over another. Starting Sept. 1, therapists won't be reimbursed on a per-patient basis; they'll be reimbursed based on 15-minute increments of care. (Arriaga, 9/1)

Boston Globe: Most Mass. Hospitals Turned Profit In 2016
Most of the state’s hospitals remained profitable last year, according to an analysis released Thursday by the state’s health care data agency. Even in the face of continued pressure to control costs, the majority of them — and their parent companies — reported higher revenues than expenses in 2016 — though the margins were slimmer than in 2015. (Dayal McCluskey, 8/31)

The Baltimore Sun: Upper Chesapeake Health Officials Provide More Details About Hospital Changes 
The theme was “right care, right time and right setting,” as University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health officials worked to convince a still-skeptical community Wednesday that sweeping changes proposed to the regional health care system will be beneficial to the area. Lyle Sheldon, president and CEO of UCH, along with various department heads and those supporting the Vision 2020 project, made that case during a public information forum at Level Fire Hall. (Anderson, 8/31)

California Healthline: For Millions Of Insured Californians, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
True or false? If you’re a Californian with private health insurance, you have the right to an appointment within a certain number of hours or days, depending on the severity of your condition. Your health plan’s provider directory is legally required to be updated and accurate. A new state law protects you against nasty surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers, so long as you seek care at an in-network facility. All true — but not if you’re among nearly 6 million Californians in a category of job-based health coverage known as self-funded insurance. (Bazar, 9/1)

Orlando Sentinel: The Center Opens Renovated, Larger Hub For Orlando's LGBT Community
The Center was established nearly four decades ago to provide support for people with HIV and AIDS. Its services have grown since, but its role as a pillar of support and as a gathering place for the LGBT community has remained essential. (Miller, 8/31)

St. Louis Public Radio: These 4 Chose To Carry A Gun. The Decision Still Impacts Their Lives Years Later
Gun violence is the result of a series of choices, some of them spur-of-the-moment, others made after much consideration. ... Four people in the St. Louis area shared their stories of their gun convictions and what they’re doing to rebuilding their lives. (Lippmann, 9/1)

Georgia Health News: Zika Virus: The Risk Is Down, But It’s No Time To Be Complacent
Cases of Zika infection have dropped significantly in Georgia and across the United States, public health officials say. Despite the decrease, the Atlanta-based CDC emphasizes that Zika continues to be a public health threat. (Vinal and Miller, 8/31)

Fresno Bee: Valley Children's In Madera Fined For Patient Death
The California Department of Public Health has fined Valley Children’s Hospital $71,962.50 in the death of a patient two years ago. The state says a delay in communicating the results of a chest X-ray and scan resulted in a delay in medical treatment and surgery, resulting in the potentially avoidable death of the young man who died from a bleeding aneurysm. No information about the patient’s age or hometown was immediately available, but the state identified him as male and Valley Children’s identified him as a “young adult.” Valley Children’s treats patients up to 21 years of age. He died on Nov. 6, 2015. (Anderson, 8/31)

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Three San Diego Hospitals Fined For Patient Harm Incidents 
Three San Diego hospitals are among 10 across the state penalized Thursday for mistakes that severely injured, or killed, patients. The California Department of Public Health levied a total of $618,002 in penalties against the facilities, including $233,650 in financial pain for Sharp Coronado Hospital, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns and Vibra Hospital of San Diego, for errors which included an attempted suicide, a sponge left inside a patient and a fall-related death. (Sisson, 8/31)

Minnesota Public Radio: This Tiny Device Could Change How Cops Deal With Mental Diseases And Disorders
When police arrive on the scene of a disturbance or disorderly conduct call, it's often a mystery regarding who or what exactly they're dealing with.VariAware, a Twin Cities application developer, wants to change that. The startup is teaming up with St. Paul police to pilot a technology that alerts police and family members when police get within 30 feet of a person with autism, mental illness or other unseen disabilities. (Nelson, 9/1)

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Sanford Burnham Prebys Looks To The Future 
With the retirement of Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute’s CEO on Sept. 30 , Kristiina Vuori, M.D. is reprising a familiar role. For the second time in five years, the physician-researcher takes over on an interim basis until a replacement can be found for Perry Nisen, M.D., the outgoing CEO. And no, Vuori, the biomedical institute’s president says she is not considering taking the job permanently. Her commitment and focus remains on science, including her own work in studying cancer. (Fikes, 8/31)

The Star Tribune: Medtronic Reports Upbeat Early Results From Blood Pressure Trial
Minnesota-run Medtronic is aiming to sell devices for a medical therapy called “renal denervation,” in which a doctor uses a thin, spiral-shaped electrode to permanently burn away nerves in the renal artery that can trigger high blood pressure. The device system was originally designed by the California startup Ardian, which Medtronic acquired in 2011, but the therapy failed a key clinical trial three years later. (Carlson, 8/31)

Iowa Public Radio: The Rate Of Obesity Among Iowans Dips Slightly In 2016
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting the obesity rate in Iowa for 2016 is at 32 percent. That’s down a tick from 32.1 the previous year. (Dillard, 8/31)

San Jose Mercury News: California: Bill To Ease Permits For Cell Phone Towers Could Affect Health
A bill co-authored by a Bay Area assemblyman that would block the ability of cities and counties to control the installation of microwave radiation antennas is doing more than alarming many local officials. It’s also frightening grass-roots activists and scientists, who argue that if Senate Bill 649 becomes law, a projected 50,000 new cellular antennas will be installed on public buildings and utility poles in California neighborhoods, creating a risk to public health because of the possible dangers of radiation and electromagnetic frequencies emitted by cell towers. (Seipel, 8/31)