Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Single-Payer Plans Emerge As Issue In Calif. Governor Race; In Fla., Demand For Campus Mental Health Services On The Rise
Sacramento Bee: Unfunded Health Care Promises Are ‘Snake Oil,’ Says Would-Be California Governor
Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa likes to say healthcare is a right, not a privilege. ... But now as a candidate for governor, Villaraigosa said he isn’t prepared to embrace single-payer without first identifying a way to pay for it, putting him at odds with his Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who says he would push a universal, single-payer system, and is working with allies on such a proposal. (Cadelago, 5/3)
Health News Florida: University Demand For Counselors Continues
Almost 25,000 college students across Florida last year needed mental health services. But on some campuses, students are forced to wait weeks for help. While Florida lawmakers don't argue the need, neither the House nor the Senate this session have set aside money specifically for mental health funding at the 12 state universities, which have requested $14.5 million this year for mental health. (Miller, 5/4)
Denver Post: Colorado State University Pioneers New Way To Identify Zika Virus
Colorado State University researchers have developed a new way to identify the Zika virus — a breakthrough that could lead to easier, lower-cost field tests to find the disease in mosquitoes and, one day, diagnose it in humans. The test uses an existing technology called loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP. The method uses heat and a mixture of chemicals in a tube to find the presence of a targeted pathogen within an hour. Similar tests have already been developed to search for other viruses or parasites. For instance, one of the CSU researchers involved in the Zika project, Connie Brewster, has used LAMP to test for pneumonia in bighorn sheep herds. (Ingold, 5/3)
San Jose Mercury News: A New Health Care Clinic For African-Americans Opens In San Jose
When it opens its doors on Monday, the Roots Community Health Center on The Alameda will be the first primary care service provider in the South Bay aimed at improving the health and well-being of African-Americans... Santa Clara County is home to about 55,000 African-Americans, but the black community here — like those nationwide — continues to face serious health disparities compared with other racial and ethnic groups. (Seipel, 5/3)
