State Highlights: Minnesota Speeds Up Investigations Of Elder Abuse Complaints; Mich. Parents Who Didn’t Seek Medical Care Charged In Infant’s Death
Media outlets report on news from Minnesota, Michigan, California, Texas, Massachusetts and Florida.
The Star Tribune:
Minnesota Clears Giant Backlog Of Elder Abuse Complaints
State health regulators have eliminated a massive backlog of unresolved complaints alleging abuse and neglect at Minnesota senior care facilities, while fulfilling a promise to dramatically speed up investigations into new complaints. Minnesota started the year with 3,147 reports of abuse and maltreatment that needed to be investigated, including incidents in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. The backlog had become so severe that it sometimes took state investigators months or even years to complete investigations, angering relatives of abuse victims and undermining criminal prosecutions, according to a Star Tribune report published last November. (Serres, 8/8)
The Washington Post:
Michigan Parents Seth Welch, Tatiana Fusari Charged With Murder In 10-Month-Old's Death
In video sermons, the man railed against vaccines, “bad medicine” and doctors whom he deemed to be “priesthoods of the medical cult.” And he explained why he refused to vaccinate his children, saying: “It didn’t seem smart to me that you would be saving people who weren’t the fittest. If evolution believes in survival of the fittest, well then why are we vaccinating everybody? Shouldn’t we just let the weak die off and let the strong survive?” (Bever, 8/8)
The Associated Press:
Famed California Research Center Settles 2 Gender Bias Suits
Southern California’s Salk Institute for Biological Studies has settled two of three gender discrimination lawsuits filed by top female scientists. The renowned research center and two former plaintiffs, Kathy Jones and Vicki Lundblad, said in a statement Tuesday that they’ve agreed to “put our disagreements behind” and “move forward together.” Terms were not disclosed. The third plaintiff, Beverly Emerson, will continue the lawsuit against the Salk, according to her attorney Alreen Haeggquist. (Tu, 8/8)
Politico Pro:
California Poised To Require Medication Abortion On State College Campuses
California legislators are set to plunge into an election-year debate over abortion access, taking up a bill that would make the state the first in the nation to mandate public universities offer medication abortion as part of basic student health services. The measure, which passed the state Senate in January, would expand abortion rights at a time when some other states are enacting new restrictions on the procedure. (Colliver, 8/8)
Reveal:
Troubled Texas Facility Still Holds 28 Immigrant Children As Deadline Nears, Attorney Says
More than a week after a judge ordered that immigrant children staying at a troubled Texas facility should be moved, 28 children affected by the ruling remain at the Shiloh Treatment Center, Reveal has learned. The children’s fate is now in the hands of lawyers who must come up with a plan for their evaluations and housing by Friday, the deadline set by U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee last week. (Morel, 8/8)
Houston Chronicle:
UH School Of Medicine Could Limit Primary Care Physician Shortage In The Area
Health care officials hope the opening of the University of Houston’s School of Medicine in 2020 can help limit a shortage of primary care physicians plaguing several regions of the country — including the Greater Houston area. In 2017 the Texas Department of State Health Services estimated that there are 4,122 primary care physicians in Harris County to take care of a population that exceeds 4.6 million. That means there are only 89 primary care physicians to treat every 100,000 Harris County residents. (Contreras, 8/8)
MPR:
Students Take The Lead In Campus Mental Health Programs
Kerri Miller spoke with Stefanie Lyn Kaufman, founder and executive director of Project LETS and mental health worker/trauma counselor at IMERSE — International Mental Health Resource Services, and Rashida Fisher, director of the Co-Occurring Disorders Program and adjunct faculty member at Adler Graduate School, about the changing culture of mental health on college campuses and the new wave of student-led programs that are reshaping the conversation. (Miller, Schreiber and Shockman, 8/8)
Boston Globe:
Tufts Medical Center Names New CEO
Tufts Medical Center has named the leader of a Canadian children’s hospital as its new chief executive. Dr. Michael Apkon will take the CEO job in the fall, Tufts officials announced Wednesday. (Dayal McCluskey, 8/8)
Health News Florida:
USF Researching Computer Brain Games That Reduce Risk Of Dementia
Researchers at the University of South Florida say reducing your risk of dementia can be a mouse click away. Health News Florida's Julio Ochoa spoke with USF professor Jerri Edwards about computer brain games they've studied and others they're testing now. (Ochoa, 8/9)
Health News Florida:
Crist Files Bill To Protect Federal Employees Who Use Medical Marijuana
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist was in Largo on Wednesday to introduce legislation that would protect federal employees who use medical marijuana in states where it is legal. Those employees can now be fired for using the drug, which is still against federal law. (Ochoa, 8/8)
