Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Missouri Hospital Uses Lessons From Tornado To Rebuild Safer Facility; Passengers At Detroit Airport Exposed To Measles
KCUR: 7 Years After Joplin Tornado, Mercy Builds Hospitals With Disaster In Mind
A visitor to the new wing of the Mercy hospital in Festus can likely tell immediately where the old building ends and the new part begins. The atrium still smells of fresh paint, and instead of dark, winding hallways, windows let in natural light. Builders designed it to be prettier and more user-friendly. But Mercy Hospital Jefferson is safer, too. Making its new hospitals safer has become a top priority for St. Louis-based based Mercy health system after one of the most destructive tornadoes in recent memory hit St. John’s Hospital in Joplin in 2011. (Fentem, 6/21)
Detroit Free Press: Man Left Measles Germs In Ann Arbor, Detroit Metro Airport
Health authorities are warning travelers and area residents about potential exposure to measles after a traveler on his way to Ann Arbor arrived at Detroit Metro Airport with the disease. "The person who contracted the illness is an adult male who's an international resident who was travelling to Michigan," said Angela Minicuci, communications director at Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. (Paige, 6/21)
Minnesota Public Radio: Ketamine Use Criticized In City Council Committee
The director of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights says it's "unfortunate" and "regrettable" that a draft report alleging forced sedation of people in police custody was leaked to the Star Tribune. The newspaper reported last week that in some cases police officers suggested or urged emergency medical staff to use the drug after a person was already in handcuffs or restrained. (Williams, 6/21)
The Star Tribune: Children's Genomics Partnership To Boost Treatment
A superteam of seven pediatric hospitals with advanced genetic and genomic testing capabilities is reporting progress in their efforts to improve the diagnosis of rare childhood diseases and hasten treatment. Minneapolis-based Children’s Hospital joined the Sioux Falls-based Sanford Children’s Genomic Medicine Consortium, because the sharing of genetic data and know-how is the fastest way to identify the origins of rare disorders, said Dr. Nancy Mendelsohn, a geneticist and chief of specialty pediatrics at Children’s. (Olson, 6/21)
New Hampshire Public Radio: CDC Study Shows PFAS Chemicals May Be Risky At Lower Levels Than N.H. Regulates
The federal government has published new data about the health risks of industrial chemicals known as PFAS. The Centers for Disease Control study backs the concerns of some residents in contaminated areas here in New Hampshire, who say federal and state limits on PFAS aren't strict enough. (Ropeik, 6/20)
Miami Herald: His House In Miami Gardens Is Housing Kids Taken From Parents
As Nelson and Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, both Democrats, waited for permission from the Department of Health and Human Services to tour the facility, their aides worked to account for dozens of children being held somewhere in Florida. ...One facility housing some of the children separated from their parents is His House Children's Home, a shelter for migrant children and foster kids run by a nonprofit organization in Miami Gardens, Executive Director Silvia Smith-Torres confirmed Thursday to the Miami Herald. (Gurney and Vassolo, 6/21)
Health News Florida: Yellow Fever Outbreak In Brazil Possible Threat To Florida
A large, ongoing yellow fever outbreak in Brazil has the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warning people not to travel there unless they get vaccinated against the deadly mosquito-borne illness. With Florida being a hub for visitors from South and Central America, some health officials are concerned yellow fever, which is spread by the same mosquito that carries the Zika virus, could make its way to the United States. (Colombino, 6/21)
The CT Mirror: U.S. House Bill Cuts Thousands From Connecticut's Free School Lunch Program
The U.S. House on Thursday narrowly approved a massive farm bill that would cut thousands of children from free school meals in Connecticut. The farm bill, approved on a 213-211 vote, previously failed last month after the GOP’s conservative Freedom Caucus members withheld support as leverage to force a vote on a hard-line immigration measure, which was also voted on Thursday and failed to win enough support. (Radelat, 6/21)
