State Highlights: South Carolina Studies Ways To Find Suicidal Veterans Before It’s Too Late; Colorado Legislation Funds Network To Detect Child Abuse

Stateline: Coaxing Veterans Into Treatment To Prevent Suicides 
Although retired and active military service members die by suicide at twice the rate of civilians, research shows that veterans who receive mental health care are much less likely to end their lives than those who don’t. A soon-to-be-released study from the Medical University of South Carolina here in Charleston may shed light on how to persuade reluctant veterans to seek that professional help. For veterans, the primary barrier to treatment is the stigma associated with seeking mental health services, which male veterans in particular consider a sign of weakness, said Tracy Stecker, a psychologist at the Medical University of South Carolina’s School of Nursing and the lead researcher in the study. (Vestal, 6/11)

Colorado Sun: Colorado Is Creating A Network Of Doctors To Diagnose Child Abuse And Keep Kids From Slipping Through The Safety Net
A child protection caseworker who suspects abuse needs a doctor’s opinion, and even a pediatrician who examines the child might want expert advice. But here’s the problem: in all of Colorado, there are just six physicians certified in child abuse pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics. Five of them are in Denver and one is in Colorado Springs, leaving the rest of the state without adequate expertise when it comes to informing decisions about whether a child is in danger. ... Under legislation passed this year, Colorado will spend $646,000 to create the Colorado Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Network. (Brown, 6/10)

ProPublica: Discussing Alaska’s Long History Of Sexual Violence Is One Step Toward Seeking Solutions
Tia Wakolee is a mother, grandmother and an artist. She also is a survivor of multiple rapes and sexual assaults. Wakolee recently self-published a book about her experiences. But until Thursday, she’d never told her story publicly in Kotzebue, where several of the assaults took place, starting in her early childhood. “I don’t want any children to go through the things that I grew up dealing with,” Wakolee said at an event sponsored by ProPublica and the Anchorage Daily News in this coastal hub town of about 3,200. (Raghavendran and Gallardo, 6/10)

Modern Healthcare: Nurses Report Patient Safety Concerns At University Of Chicago Medical Center
Registered nurses at the University of Chicago Medical Center allege short staffing is causing treatment delays and jeopardizing patient safety. On behalf of about 2,200 registered nurses at the hospital, National Nurses United says it plans to file complaints with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration tomorrow, according to the union, which has 150,000 members nationwide and 6,000 members in Illinois. (Goldberg, 6/10)

The Associated Press: $11M Grant Seeks To Prevent Cervical Cancer In Appalachia
The National Cancer Institute has gifted 10 Appalachian health systems a total of $11 million for cervical cancer prevention programs. News outlets report the grant was announced last week in collaboration with the West Virginia University Cancer Institute, Ohio State University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Virginia. The Intelligencer reports the grant will help families at-risk of cervical cancer in these states. The effort will focus on prevention of the causes of the cervical cancer, including smoking, human papillomavirus (HPV) and a lack of cervical cancer screening. (6/10)

East Oregonian: Federal Judge To Hear Arguments Over Admission Delays At State Hospital 
A federal judge is set to hear arguments Tuesday morning in Portland from mental health advocates who say the state is failing dozens of criminal defendants in need of treatment. In Oregon, attorneys say about 40 people found unable to aid in their defense are languishing in local jails across the state, rather than getting proper mental health care at the Oregon State Hospital. (Wilson, 6/10)

Texas Tribune: Greg Abbott Accused People Of Lying About Texas' Maternal Mortality Rate
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott claimed in a tweet Sunday that "critics" of the state's maternal mortality rate had lied about it, citing a year-old article that described how reports about the number of women in Texas dying from pregnancy-related complications were based on faulty data. ... But it was problems with the state’s own data that led to initial reports that Texas' maternal mortality rate was far higher. (Byrne, 6/10)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Why Kemp Hasn’t Yet Replaced Indicted Insurance Commish 
It’s been nearly four weeks since Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck was slapped with federal fraud charges, a searing indictment that forced him to voluntarily suspend himself. And nearly four weeks later, the office charged with regulating the state’s insurance industry remains in purgatory. It has no interim leader, and Gov. Brian Kemp is still searching for a more permanent replacement. (Bluestein, 6/10)

NH Times Union: Portsmouth Regional, Parkland Medical Center Earn Patient Safety Award
Parkland Medical Center in Derry and Portsmouth Regional Hospital are recipients of the Healthgrades 2019 Patient Safety Excellence Award. According to a news release from the hospitals, this places Parkland Medical Center in the top 5 percent and Portsmouth Regional Hospital in the top 10 percent of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, an online resource for information about physicians and hospitals. (6/10)

Iowa Public Radio: Eldora School Official Says Controversial Techniques Used For Safety
An official at a state-run school for delinquent teenage boys testified in federal court Monday that the use of an isolation chamber and physical restraints is for the protection, not punishment, of the students. Lynn Allbee, the treatment program administrator at the Boys State Training School in Eldora, testified Monday that the controversial techniques are used as a last resort to ensure safety of students and staff after all other de-escalation techniques fail. Allbee also testified that each time a technique is used, it must be approved by a senior school official and reviewed afterward with the student. (Krebs, 6/10)

The Advocate: Lafayette General Health Announces New Chief Medical Officer 
Lafayette General Health announced Monday that its current senior vice president, Dr. Amanda Logue, will be its new chief medical officer. It became official starting May 21. Logue has been in LGH since 2009 and has worn many hats, including department chair of medicine, physician champion for electronic medical records implementation, medical director of the hospitalist department, and chief medical information officer. Under her leadership, the system saw the transition to fully electronic medical records in the inpatient, emergency, surgical and ambulatory spaces and also achieved Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Level 7 status. (Boudreaux, 6/10)

The Star Tribune: HealthPartners Expanding Eating Disorder Care With $18.7 Million Gift 
Park Nicollet Foundation has received an $18.7 million gift to expand Melrose Center, a group of HealthPartners clinics that focus on treating eating disorders. The gift comes from Ken Melrose, the former chief executive of the Toro Co., who made an earlier donation that helped establish Melrose Center about 10 years ago within Park Nicollet Clinic HealthSystem. (Snowbeck, 6/10)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio Gov. Puts Unprecedented State Scrutiny On Cuyahoga County Jail
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration found such extensive problems at the Cuyahoga County Jail that he ordered unprecedented changes to the way the state oversees jails. He dubbed the problems at the jail a “crisis.” DeWine, in a review of how the state oversees local jails, used the Cuyahoga County Jail as its case study in what the state can do better in ensuring that local jails don’t spiral out of control. (Ferrise, 6/10)

Los Angeles Times: $339,000 For A Restroom? L.A. Politicians Balk At The Cost Of Toilets For Homeless People
It seems like an obvious fix to the squalor and stench as homelessness surges on Los Angeles streets: more restrooms. But L.A. has estimated that staffing and operating a mobile bathroom can cost more than $300,000 annually — a price tag that has galled some politicians. During budget talks this spring, city officials estimated that providing toilets and showers for every homeless encampment in need would cost more than $57 million a year. (Reyes, 6/10)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Louisiana Probed Possible Conflicts Of Interest In LSU Contracts
State Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera’s office has uncovered potential conflicts of interest involving a Louisiana State University official and employees, according to a report released Monday (June 10). The audit, requested by LSU President F. King Alexander, found Dr. Wayne Wilbright, chief executive officer of LSU’s Health Care Services Division, may have violated state ethics codes by signing contracts with health care organizations because the contracts supported the commercialization of a software application that gives royalties to Wilbright. (Nobles, 6/10)

The Associated Press: Hey, Can You Spare A Kidney? Man Campaigns For Transplant
A Tennessee man is getting creative while trying to find a kidney donor. The Johnson City Press reports 62-year-old Jeff Shevell is making T-shirts and car signs and launching a social media campaign to urge potential donors to share their spare kidneys with him or others in need. Shevell has battled kidney disease for over 15 years. Faced with either beginning dialysis or getting a transplant, he launched his “share your spare” campaign to find a match. (6/10)