State Highlights: Ohio Board Investigates Rape Charges At Cleveland Clinic; New Minn. Health Chief To Focus On Elder Abuse

USA Today: Ohio Medical Board Investigates Cleveland Clinic Doctor Accused Of Rape
The Ohio Board of Medicine is investigating two alleged rapes by a former Cleveland Clinic colorectal surgeon following a Jan. 5 USA TODAY article and has subpoenaed Cleveland Clinic medical records for other procedures done by the surgeon in the same time period, USA TODAY has learned. Surgeon Tomislav Mihaljevic, who started as Cleveland Clinic’s CEO Jan. 1, is also now chair of a “conduct review” committee established after the article was published to review “serious incidents of harassment and misconduct to ensure appropriate action is taken.”  New committees are also developing policies on how to assess physicians’ conduct and govern the use of chaperones. (O'Donnell, 1/30)

The Star Tribune: New Minn. Health Dept. Leader Pledges To Make Fight Vs. Elder Abuse A Priority 
Gov. Mark Dayton has appointed former Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm to lead the state Health Department, following highly publicized breakdowns in senior home regulation that led to the resignation of the agency’s previous leader. Malcolm, a veteran health care executive with a national reputation in health policy, led the department under Gov. Jesse Ventura from 1999 to 2003. (Serres, 1/30)

Pioneer Press: Meet The Woman Gov. Mark Dayton Hired To Fix Minnesota’s Health Department 
Minnesota has a new health commissioner and her top priority is to make sure the state’s most vulnerable people are safe. Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Jan Malcolm on Tuesday to lead the state Department of Health and address the state’s backlog of investigations into allegations of elder abuse. Malcolm replaces Dr. Ed Ehlinger, who resigned last month amid the fallout of the state’s failure to address maltreatment complaints. (Magan, 1/30)

Sacramento Bee: Deadline Is Wednesday To Sign Up For Health Insurance Through Covered California
Still need health coverage for 2018? You’re got until 11:59:59 Wednesday night to enroll in insurance policies offered through the Covered California marketplace. While the federal marketplace closed enrollment in dozens of other states on Dec. 15 this year, California maintained the Jan. 31 deadline. (Anderson, 1/30)

KCUR: Why Are Death Rates Rising Among White Rural Missourians? 
In the last few decades, rates of premature death have been decreasing throughout the industrialized world largely because of improvements in public health. But there’s a striking exception. Young adult and middle-aged non-Hispanic whites in the rural United States have been dying in increasing numbers since 2000. (Smith, 1/31)

Georgia Health News: Telemedicine Spreading In Georgia, But There’s Still Much Room To Grow
Telemedicine is expanding in Georgia, yet there’s still ‘’a long way to go’’ before it reaches its full potential, the state’s Public Health commissioner said Tuesday. Dr. Patrick O’Neal said access to health care in rural Georgia ‘’is a challenge for all of us.” But telemedicine, he said, is often the only way for many rural patients to get access to specialist care. (Miller, 1/30)

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Bill To Give Doctors Way Out Of Providing Medically Unethical Treatment Passes First Committee
A bill that would create a process by which a physician can cease treatment they deem to be medically unnecessary or inappropriate for a patient passed its first committee hurdle Tuesday. ... Oftentimes these situations arise over end-of-life treatment, when a physician determines the treatment is medically or ethically inappropriate, contrary to the request of the patient or their family. (O'Connor, 1/30)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Urges State To Expand Definition Of 'Gravely Disabled'
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday that asks California lawmakers to change the way the state defines "grave disability" in order to give officials more power to forcibly treat mentally ill homeless people. The motion comes amid concern about the growing number of deaths of the homeless in L.A. County. According to data from the Los Angeles County coroner's office, 831 homeless people died in 2017, compared with 458 in 2013. (Etehad, 1/30)

Texas Tribune: Despite Sunny Economy, Texas Budget Forecast Is Dreary
The Texas economy is growing healthily, but that doesn’t mean state budget writers will have more money at their disposal next year, state officials said Tuesday. In fact, though unemployment is low and tax revenue is on the rise, big bills coming due for the state’s highways and health care programs are giving Texas lawmakers reason for concern. (Walters, 1/30)

The Associated Press: Army Vet Shot By Police At VA Clinic Faces Charges
An Army veteran who was shot during a confrontation inside a Veterans Affairs clinic in Oregon where he went to seek help for mental problems was in jail Tuesday, charged with attempted assault, unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and other crimes. (1/30)

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Care Advantage Acquires A Northern Virginia Personal Care Services Business
Chesterfield County-based home health care agency Care Advantage has continued its run of acquisitions — this time expanding into Northern Virginia. The company announced Tuesday that it had acquired Ready Hands, an Alexandria-based company that provides personal care services to elderly and disabled people. (Smith, 1/30)

WBUR: ER Use Goes Down As Hospital Program Pays Homeless People's Rent
For the last two years, the University of Illinois has been trying an unconventional treatment for homeless "super-user" patients at emergency rooms: it finds them a place to live. (Bryan, 1/30)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Ruling Against Doctor And Home Health Care Provider Found Guilty In Medicare Fraud Scheme Reversed: Appeals Court 
The fifth circuit court of appeals reversed a decision in a March 2016 Medicare fraud case where the owner of a New Orleans' home health service and its medical director of health care fraud where charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. The conviction against Dr. Pramela Ganji, 67, and Elaine Davis, 61, the owner of Christian Home Health, Inc. was reversed on Tuesday (Jan. 30) citing "insufficient evidence" to show that the women had "knowingly executed a scheme to defraud Medicare." (Clark, 1/30)

San Jose Mercury News: Walgreens Settles Suit Alleging It Sold Expired Baby Food
Walgreens Co. will pay $2.25 million to resolve a consumer protection lawsuit brought by Bay Area prosecutors alleging that the company sold expired baby food, infant formula and over-the-counter drugs. The suit also alleged that Walgreens violated state law by charging more than the lowest posted or advertised price for items. (Green, 1/30)

Wyoming Public Radio: Lawmakers Push For Stronger Guidelines For Transportation And Special Education
During the upcoming budget session, lawmakers want to take a closer look at transportation and special education funding, as a part of a larger effort to reform and possibly reduce spending in the K-12 finance model. Most of what school districts spend on education is covered in a block grant they receive from the state. (Watson, 1/30)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Barrett's Nominee For Interim Health Boss Has Been Paid $556,000 By City Since 2008
Mayor Tom Barrett's pick to serve as interim director of the troubled city Health Department has been paid more than $556,000 by that agency since 2008, says a report released Tuesday. Paul Nannis, who previously served as city health commissioner in the 1990s, has been awarded seven consulting contracts totaling nearly $515,000 through his firm, Strategic Healthcare Solutions, over the past decade. (Bice and Spicuzza, 1/30)

Sacramento Bee: California's Treasurer And Attorney General Move On Plan To Create Public Bank For Pot Businesses
Because of the federal prohibition on marijuana, banks generally will not provide accounts to cannabis companies, forcing them to pay taxes and other expenses in cash. The resulting safety problems and accounting complications have been brought to the fore by the Jan. 1 start of legal recreational pot sales in California. (Branan, 1/30)