State Highlights: New York Grappling With Worst Measles Outbreak In Decades; Report Highlights Failures By Fla. Child Welfare Agencies In 2-Year-Old’s Death

The New York Times: New York Confronts Its Worst Measles Outbreak In Decades
Through the fall, traveler after traveler arrived in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities of New York from areas of Israel and Europe where measles was spreading. They then spent time in homes, schools and shops in communities where too many people were unvaccinated. Within months, New York State was facing its most severe outbreak of the disease in decades, with 177 cases confirmed by Tuesday, almost exclusively among ultra-Orthodox Jews. Health officials in New Jersey have reported 33 measles cases, mostly in Ocean County, driven by similar conditions. (Otterman, 1/17)

The Oregonian: Clark County Measles Outbreak: 14 Kids Sickened So Far; Possible Exposure Sites Include Costco, Airport 
A measles outbreak in Clark County has grown to 14 confirmed cases with three more suspected, and people who visited some 20 locations in Vancouver and Portland might have been exposed. The confirmed cases include 12 children under 10 years old, and the remaining two are under 18. Most of the victims were not immunized against the disease, a highly contagious viral illness spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. (Njus, 1/16)

Tampa Bay Times: Foster Care Failures Uncovered In Death Of 2-Year-Old Jordan Belliveau
Child welfare agencies missed warning signs, failed to make home visits and said nothing when a mother lied in court about completing mandatory counseling classes to get her child back from foster care, according to a state review into the death of 2-year-old Jordan Belliveau. The Florida Department of Children and Families report released Wednesday also criticized child protective investigators with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office who "failed to identify the active danger threats occurring within the household that were significant, immediate and clearly observable," while investigating the latest of several reports of domestic violence between the parents. (O'Donnell, 1/16)

Houston Chronicle: Two New Lawsuits Allege Surgical Errors During Heart Transplants At St. Luke’s In Houston 
Two new lawsuits have been filed against Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center by patients who say they suffered serious injuries as a result of surgical errors during heart transplants at the troubled Houston hospital. The suits, both filed Friday in Harris County District Court, bring to five the number of malpractice complaints involving heart transplants that have been leveled against St. Luke’s or its doctors since a Houston Chronicle and ProPublica investigation last year documented deaths and unexpected complications in the once-renowned program. (Hixenbaugh and Ornstein, 1/16)

WBUR: Boston Children's Hospital Launches Campaign To Promote HelpSteps App
Boston Children's Hospital aims to bring access to health care and social services to the fingertips of one million consumers in Massachusetts each year through a new app called HelpSteps. Dr. Eric Fleegler, a pediatric physician at Boston Children's Hospital and creator of the HelpSteps app, joined Morning Edition ahead of the launch Wednesday of a campaign by the hospital to promote the app. (Oakes, 1/16)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Initiative Has Helped 10,206 Children, Saved $173 Million Over 10 Years, Group Says
The first-of-its-kind initiative, known as the Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety, now includes a network of more than 135 pediatric hospitals across North America. The hospitals share data and ideas to reduce hospital-acquired infections and other patient risks such as allergic reactions to medicine. (Stankiewicz, 1/16)

The Associated Press: Idaho Woman Has 50-Pound Tumor Removed
An Idaho woman who thought she was gaining weight because of menopause discovered she actually had a 50-pound tumor that had been growing inside her for decades. Boise television station KTVB reports Brenda Cridland of Meridian chalked up her weight gain to aging, but when her health started to quickly decline about eight months ago she decided to see a doctor. (1/16)

KQED: California's Top Pesticide Regulator Resigns Without Offering Explanation
California's chief pesticide regulator is leaving his post. Brian Leahy, who has served as director of the state Department of Pesticide Regulation for the last seven years, announced his resignation in an email to agency staff last week, but stopped short of explaining why. (Goldberg, 1/16)

Georgia Health News: With Flu Activity Up, Mobile ER Back At Grady
A surge in cases of flu and other illnesses has led Grady to return a mobile ER to its downtown Atlanta campus. The mobile unit, which is about the size of a tractor trailer and is owned by North Carolina-based Atrium Health, is the same one that served Grady last winter. It will open Thursday morning to Grady patients. (Miller, 1/16)

Dallas Morning News: Healthcare Company Leaves Irving For New Headquarters In Plano 
A medical firm is moving its headquarters from Irving to Plano. Healthcare Associates of Texas has leased more than 20,000 square feet of offices for its head offices in the International Business Park at 6500 International Pkwy. The move will allow the company — which has been based in Irving for 20 years — to expand its operation in the location near the Dallas North Tollway and Bush Turnpike. (Brown, 1/16)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Advocacy Group Sues Over Access To Mentally Ill Inmates
On Friday, the Georgia Advocacy Office asked to see mentally ill women held at the jail’s annex in Union City to follow up on recent reports that contended the women were living in “barbaric” conditions and being held in isolation for weeks at a time. But, despite repeated requests, the office’s lawyers were not allowed inside by jail officials, said the lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. (Rankin, 1/16)

Miami Herald: Florida ALF Fined For Death, Attempted Suicide, Runaways
A South Florida assisted living facility is facing $16,500 in fines after officials say improper care by staff led to the death of one resident, the attempted suicide of another and at least three runaways that resulted in serious injury, state records show.In a 33-page final order issued by the Agency for Health Care Administration, officials detail how workers at New Era Community Health Center in Homestead failed to provide adequate care to several residents in 2017 and 2018. (Madam, 1/16)

Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Execution: Death Row Inmate Charles Wright Is Terminally Ill
Charles Walton Wright is bed-ridden. Doctors say he has terminal cancer that has spread from his prostate into his bones. He was given weeks to live last summer, but he has surpassed the expectations of his medical team. If he survives long enough, the state plans to put him to death on Oct. 10, part of a deluge of executions scheduled by the Tennessee Supreme Court. His lawyers are fighting to get him released from prison so he can die in his family's care rather than a gurney in the execution chamber. They've asked Gov. Bill Haslam to intervene before he leaves office on Saturday, and they've enlisted a pair of high-profile supporters to bolster their case. (Tamburin, 1/16)