State Highlights: Tenn. Cancer Group Probed; KanCare Not Working For Disabled, Advocates Say

The Wall Street Journal: Cancer Nonprofit Investigated By Tennessee Secretary Of State’s Office
The Tennessee secretary of state’s office is investigating a cancer nonprofit with family ties to four other charities that were sued in May by the federal government on allegations they bilked donors of $187 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. The group being investigated, the American Association for Cancer Support Inc., of Knoxville, is headed by Jula Connatser, wife of Lance Connatser, the former stepson of James Reynolds Sr. Mr. Reynolds was named by the Federal Trade Commission, 50 states and the District of Columbia in their May 18 complaint as a family patriarch overseeing a web of four sham charities based in Knoxville. (McWhirter, 7/7)

Los Angeles Times: Family Questions Death Of Son Jailed With Mentally Unsound Cellmate
The family of a 19-year-old robbery suspect who is believed to have been killed by his cellmate in a San Bernardino County jail is asking why a young man with developmental disabilities was being housed with an accused murderer who was showing signs of mental incompetence. Rashad Davis of Pomona died of blunt force injuries in May after he was found unresponsive on the floor of a cell he shared with Jeremiah Ajani Bell, 22, at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Bell was in jail, charged with beating a man to death with a baseball bat in what police described as a hate crime. Authorities said Bell had been looking to attack anyone who wasn't black. (Esquivel, 7/8)

Los Angeles Times: Lawmakers Warned About Death Threat Tied To Passage Of Vaccine Bill
California lawmakers and their security officers have been warned to keep an eye out for a man who was arrested last week after he spray-painted threats against public officials for the approval of a tough new vaccine requirement. The California Highway Patrol sent a bulletin to security officials in the Senate and Assembly about the felony vandalism arrest of Marlon Andrino, 28, of Ontario. He was arrested July 2 in Beverly Hills and released on $80,000 bail, according to a report by the Beverly Hills Police Department. (McGreevy, 7/7)

The Kansas Health Institute News Service: KanCare Not Working For People With Disabilities, Advocates Say
Kansans with disabilities make up about one-fourth of KanCare, the state’s managed care Medicaid model. But they’re a vocal segment, and they and their advocates painted a picture Tuesday of a system struggling to provide them with the long-term supports they need to stay in their homes and communities rather than institutions. (Marso, 7/7)

The Kansas City Star: Kansas Opens State Workers' Health Plan To Same-sex Spouses
Newly married same-sex couples in Kansas have begun to enjoy some of the same benefits as heterosexual couples, including changing a last name or adding a spouse to a health plan. Same-sex spouses of state workers and public university employees can apply for the state’s health insurance plan through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment or a school’s human resources department. (Lowry, 7/7)

The Kansas Health Institute News Service: Kansas Opens State Employee Health Insurance To Same-Sex Spouses
The state of Kansas is changing its stance on health insurance benefits for same-sex spouses of state employees. Previously, members of Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration had declined to change state policies, saying they were still studying the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. (Koranda, 7/7)

Kaiser Health News: Want A Good Laugh? Head To The Hospital
Every month, a group of older adults goes to Washington, D.C.’s Sibley Memorial Hospital, but they don’t see a doctor or get tests. They’re not sick. They come just for laughs. They gather in a room next to the hospital cafeteria for the 'Laugh Cafe,' one of the activities offered to local seniors, including the 7,300 members of Sibley’s Senior Association. The price of admission is one joke, recited out loud. ... Sibley is one of several hospitals in the Washington area — along with others across the country — offering social activities and other benefits to help seniors stay healthy and out of the hospital, while encouraging them to visit. (Jaffe, 7/8)

WBUR: Mass. Budget Accord Would Increase Tax Credits For Low-Income Workers
The annual state budget compromise agreed to Tuesday by a six-member conference committee would eliminate a corporate tax break that has been suspended every year since its inception to pay for increased tax credits to low-income workers. The $38.1 billion bill (H 3650) would also suspend for three years a law requiring a vetting process before privatization of services at the MBTA, giving Gov. Charlie Baker a partial win on a key reform he proposed for the transit agency. (Metzger, 7/7)

Los Angeles Times: Community Celebrates Opening Of Martin Luther King Hospital
When King/Drew hospital closed eight years ago, the people of South Los Angeles feared that it would not be replaced. In low-income communities of color, they say, businesses leave, never to return. But on Tuesday, residents rejoiced as the long-delayed Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital opened, delivering on a long-standing promise by the county to bring medical care back to an area with a high rate of chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. (Jennings, 7/7)

The Rockford Register-Star: Doctor Shortage Addressed By Telepsychiatry
There's a room at the Rosecrance Ware Center in Rockford where patients have been going for six months to see Dr. Michael Kuna even though he's not there. Kuna, who lives in Naperville, appears to them on a television screen. The psychiatrist for 30 years speaks to them as he would patients he sees in person. His patients speak to him as if he were sitting across a desk from them. The only difference, Kuna said, is the 160-mile round trip he doesn't have to make to see people who desperately need his services. (Curry, 7/7)

The Baltimore Sun: Hopkins To Help Hospitals In Hawaii Improve Patient Safety
The Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality has entered into an agreement with a Hawaii health system to improve patient safety and care at hospitals in the state. Hopkins and The Queen's Health Systems in Honolulu will evaluate safety programs at several hospitals, then use strategies proven by the Armstrong Institute to make them better. The two institutions kicked off the initiative Tuesday. (McDaniels, 7/7)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Program Gives Deaf Caregivers New Opportunities
Corporate mergers often mean layoffs, as new bosses redefine standards. But when Valley View at Elwyn, an assisted-living home for deaf residents, joined the Mercy Health System, something very different happened. Valley View's 13 direct-care providers are deaf and use American Sign Language with their patients, some of whom have lived there for 30 years. But Mercy LIFE (Living Independently for Elders) requires staff to be registered nurse aides, and Valley View's staff lacked that qualification. (Faherty, 7/8)

Nashville Tennessean: Non-Traditional Med Center Grows In Westmoreland
Before finding Hope Family Health in Westmoreland, Sharon Greene lived without needed health insurance for 10 years. She is one of almost 10,000 residents who will be served by the new 13,700-square-foot building in Sumner County, which had a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday. (Yankova, 7/7)