Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Noted Psychiatrist Tapped As California's New 'Mental Health Czar'; Suit Filed Over Incapacitated Woman Who Gave Birth At Care Facility
Stat: California Names Former Google Scientist As The State’s ‘Mental Health Czar’
Noted psychiatrist and former Verily leader Dr. Tom Insel is going to be the “mental health czar” for the state of California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday. Insel, the former National Institute of Mental Health director, will also continue his work with Mindstrong, a startup that is working on a mental health app, a company spokesperson confirmed. Insel joined the company in 2017 after leaving Verily, Google’s life sciences arm. (Sheridan, 5/22)
The Associated Press: Claim Seeks $45M For Incapacitated Woman Who Gave Birth
Lawyers for an incapacitated woman who was raped and later gave birth at a Phoenix long-term care facility have filed a $45 million notice of claim against the state, saying she may have been impregnated before. The claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, also alleges the woman was raped repeatedly before giving birth last December. (5/22)
Arizona Republic: Hacienda Rape Victim And Parents File Notice Of Claim Against State
The 56-page notice of claim, filed on behalf of the 30-year-old rape victim and her parents, says the state of Arizona did an "abysmal job" monitoring Hacienda HealthCare. The woman has severe intellectual disabilities, is nonverbal, does not make eye contact and has no functional use of her arms or legs, her medical records say. The notice says the family would settle their claims for $45 million. (Innes, 5/22)
North Carolina Health News: Bill To Focus On Caregiving For NC’s Older Adults Struggles For Life
Rep. Donna White (R-Clayton) spoke bluntly when asked this week about the prospects for the bill she co-sponsored to create a Task Force on Aging centered on increasingly tough issues for caregivers. The enabling legislation, House Bill 915, received a favorable report on April 30 from the House Committee on Homelessness, Foster Care and Dependency but stalled in the powerful Rules Committee before failing to meet a legislative deadline earlier this month. (Goldsmith, 5/23)
The Baltimore Sun: University Of Maryland Hospitals Paid $127 Million To Whiting-Turner, Whose Executives Sit On Their Boards
The University of Maryland Medical System and affiliated hospitals have paid at least $127 million since 2012 to a construction company led by an executive who has been a board member at the health network’s affiliated medical school and flagship hospital, according to records reviewed by The Baltimore Sun. The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. has ranked as the medical system’s top-paid independent contractor in three of the past eight years — primarily for construction projects it managed at the University of Maryland Medical Center and the university’s medical school, according to tax forms that include newly released documents for last year. Whiting-Turner CEO Timothy J. Regan is vice chairman of the medical center’s board. (Donovan, 5/23)
Los Angeles Times: After 2 Suspected Homophobic Killings, Audit Finds Broader Issues With L.A. Child Welfare
A long-awaited state audit of Los Angeles County’s troubled Department of Children and Family Services has uncovered shortcomings that often place vulnerable children in harm’s way. The audit found that the department’s social workers didn’t initiate or complete investigations of neglect accurately or quickly enough, used “inaccurate” assessments to determine child risk and didn’t always conduct criminal background checks of those living in homes where children were placed. (Fry and Stiles, 5/22)
Tampa Bay Times: Health Care Management Company To Eliminate 150 Tampa Jobs
A Pennsylvania-based health care management company plans to lay off about 150 employees from its Tampa office as a result of a federal contract being delayed. Keystone Peer Review Organization, which goes by Kepro, earlier this month announced one round of about 20 layoffs from its offices at 5201 W Kennedy Blvd. The company went on to outline a plan to eliminate another 150 jobs on June 7 in a notice to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. (Danielson, 5/22)
The Associated Press: Mandatory Overtime For Nurses At Center Of Hospital Strike
A hospital strike now in its third week is putting a spotlight on staffing shortages at the same time Ohio lawmakers are debating legislation that would allow nurses to refuse mandatory overtime. Many of the nurses among the 2,200 workers on strike at Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo say they are tired of repeatedly being on-call or forced to work beyond their regular shifts because of understaffing. (Seewer, 5/22)
The Star Tribune: HealthPartners Revenue Hit $7 Billion In 2018
The growth story continues at HealthPartners as the Bloomington-based health insurer and operator of hospitals and clinics hit the $7 billion mark in annual revenue last year and added its seventh hospital. For 2018, net income at HealthPartners declined compared with the previous year due to a plummeting stock market in the fourth quarter that torpedoed investment returns. (Snowbeck, 5/22)
The Washington Post: Family Of U-Md. Student Who Died Of Adenovirus Takes Step Toward Suing School
The family of an 18-year-old University of Maryland freshman who died of adenovirus in the fall has filed a notice of claim against the college, setting the stage for a possible lawsuit. Ian Paregol said the death of his daughter, Olivia Shea Paregol, could have been prevented had the university disclosed that the virus was spreading through the College Park campus. (Abelson, 5/22)
Tampa Bay Times: New Report Shows Florida Lags In Health Coverage For Pregnant Women
Florida has one of the highest uninsured rates for women of child-bearing age and continues to lag behind states that have expanded Medicaid, according to a new report. The Georgetown University Center of Children and Families released a study Wednesday that showed the uninsured rate for women ages 18 to 44 in Florida is 19 percent, compared to the average of 9 percent in states that have opted for expansion of Medicaid, a federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for people with limited income and resources. (Griffin, 5/22)
Concord (N.H.) Monitor: Grant Helps Bring Dental Care To Capital-Area Student
The coalition typically provides students fluoride treatments and dental sealants once a year, funded by Medicaid and grant money. The nonprofit’s focus has always been cavity prevention, Orzechowski said. Research suggests that fluoride treatments and dental sealants reduce students’ risk for cavities by two-thirds. But this school year, they are part of a new program pioneered by Dr. Richard Niederman at New York University College of Dentistry that may make them able to provide prevention that is just as effective – at a fraction of the cost and the time. (Willingham, 5/22)
Georgia Health News: Essential Oils Popular, But Can Pose Risk To Kids
The Georgia Poison Center gets a lot of urgent phone calls every day. Two of these calls, on average, involve a category of products that many people might not consider dangerous. The products are known as “essential oils’’ – highly concentrated extracts from plants – and the victims of such poisoning are usually children. (5/22)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ex-Cuyahoga County Jail Medical Supervisor Files Whistleblower Lawsuit Saying He Was Ousted For Speaking Out Against Jail Conditions
A former Cuyahoga County Jail medical supervisor’s whistleblower lawsuit filed late Tuesday against Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish offers the clearest account of what happened at the jail in the days and months before a string of inmate deaths. It also raises a previously undisclosed allegation that jail officials covered up the violent beating of an inmate at the hands of a corrections officer. (Ferrise, 5/22)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Mercy Health Under Fire For FC Cincinnati Sponsorship
Mercy Health's financial agreements with FC Cincinnati have taken center stage in an ongoing labor dispute between the Bond Hill-based hospital chain and its unionized workers in Toledo. Officials from the United Auto Workers and Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center resumed negotiations Monday after negotiations broke down a few days earlier. (Tucker, 5/22)
Sacramento Bee: Fresno CA Health Care Fund For Uninsured Poor Not Being Spent
In 2015, immigrant advocates applauded a bold decision by Fresno County leaders to set aside $5.6 million to pay for specialty medical care for thousands of poor and undocumented residents without health insurance, expecting that the money would be spent within three years. But four years later, the controversial program that was dubbed a “social experiment” by one opponent has spent less than $1 million of the earmarked money, with far fewer residents than anticipated completing the application process. (Amaro, 5/22)
East Oregonian: Local Students To Prep For Health Care Careers
A dozen high school students from Umatilla and Morrow counties were among the 37 chosen from across the state to participate in the 27th annual MedQuest Health Career Exploration Camp. In addition, two local residents — who are currently working or studying for careers in the health care field — have been selected to serve as camp counselors. ...During the camp, students will engage in a variety of unique medical experiences, including job shadows, panel discussions with local health care providers, tours of medical facilities and more. Many past campers have gone on to pursue careers as doctors, nurses, dentists, physical therapists and other health care professions. (Malgesini, 5/22)
KQED: Homelessness In Contra Costa Jumps More Than 40% Since 2017
Contra Costa County's homeless population increased by a whopping 43% over the last two years. That's according to the preliminary results of a January Point-in-Time homeless count, a federally mandated biennial tally conducted during a single night. (Green, 5/22)
Sacramento Bee: Caltrans Policies Violated Before Modesto CA Homeless Death
Caltrans employees violated multiple policies leading up to the death of a woman who was crushed by the bucket of a front loader while sleeping at a Modesto homeless encampment last summer, according to a report by the California Highway Patrol. The 324-page report obtained by The Bee says the employees failed to post 72-hour notices to vacate the encampment along Highway 99 south of Kansas Avenue, and that the driver of the front loader went to the site alone and began working without waiting for the CHP to first clear the site of occupants. (Tracy, 5/22)
Houston Chronicle: Medical Files Found In Dumpster In Tomball
The Tomball Police Department is investigating how boxes of medical records and personnel files ended up in dumpster. Brandon Patin, a spokesperson for the department, said boxes of records and files from Today’s Vision were found in a dumpster on Tuesday night. ...A whistleblower alerted KPRC about the dumped records, which can be considered a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. According to the federal law, health providers who violate patient privacy by not safeguarding medical information may be subject to fines and punishments. (Cruz, 5/22)
