Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Tennessee's Teachers, Ministers And Doctors Prepare For Mental Health Crises; The Hidden Toll Texas' Trauma Centers Put On Low-Income Populations
Nashville Tennessean: Mental Health Resources In Tennessee: Schools, Churches, Doctors In Front
More than 265,500 kids in Tennessee ages 2 to 17 have been diagnosed with a mental health issue, according to estimates by the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Approximately 62,000 adolescents ages 12 to 17 have had a major depressive episode in the past year. And very few districts in the state meet the recommended national guidelines of having one psychologist for every 1,000 students. This year some Middle Tennessee school districts cut funding for school psychologists; others simply don't have money in their budgets to hire enough to meet the student needs. (Bliss, Meyer and Kelman, 8/26)
Texas Tribune: To Pay For Trauma Centers, Texas Sinks Thousands Of Drivers Into Deep Debt
The Driver Responsibility Program, which state lawmakers enacted in 2003, charges additional fees for certain offenses like speeding, driving without insurance and driving while intoxicated. ... The program came about as legislators were searching for a way to fund the state’s emergency trauma care system, a vastly expensive enterprise that requires regional networks of hospitals with state of the art equipment and on-call physicians. (Smith, 8/27)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: 2 People Infected With West Nile In New Orleans, According To Health Officials
Two people in New Orleans have tested positive for West Nile virus health officials confirmed on Friday (Aug. 24). One developed West Nile fever, a viral infection similar to a flu. The other person developed neuroinvasive disease, a more serious form of the virus causing infection in the brain and spinal cord, health officials said. Both residents developed symptoms the week of July 30. State health officials said this week that Louisiana has reported 53 human cases of West Nile virus this summer. (Clark, 8/24)
The Associated Press: Prince's Family Sues Doctor Who Prescribed Him Pain Pills
The family of the late rock star Prince is suing a doctor who prescribed pain pills for him, saying the doctor failed to treat him for opiate addiction and therefore bears responsibility for his death two years ago, their attorney announced Friday. Prince Rogers Nelson died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl April 15, 2016. Authorities say Dr. Michael Schulenberg admitted prescribing a different opioid to Prince in the days before he died, oxycodone, under his bodyguard's name to protect the musician's privacy. Schulenberg has disputed that, although he paid $30,000 to settle a federal civil violation alleging that the drug was prescribed illegally. (8/24)
Modern Healthcare: OhioHealth Addresses Social Determinants By Combating Food Insecurity
OhioHealth's Food is Health initiative allows diabetics identified as food-insecure to take home up to 15 pounds of free fresh produce and canned goods for each member of their household once a week or every two weeks based on the level of need. The program is funded through the center's operating budget for its residency teaching program. Residents and medical school students advise patients on nutrition, food preparation and challenges to healthy eating. They also work on strategies to help them overcome those issues. (Johnson, 8/25)
The Washington Post: Therapy Ducks: Dylan Dyke, 12-Year-Old With Autism, Fights Michigan Neighbors Over His Ducks
Dylan Dyke’s best friends are ducks.There Dylan is playing cards with “Bill.” There he is swimming with “Nibbles.” In another photo online, the 12-year-old with autism is seen talking to his two animals outside in Georgetown Township, Mich. Earlier this year, Dylan even drew a picture of a duck and wrote an acrostic, defining his feathery friends as “Determined,” “Undefeatable,” “Caring” and “Kind." (Bever, 8/24)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mental Health Advocates Raise Concerns About Safety Grant Requirements
The requirements for the second round of school safety grants are raising concerns among family and mental health advocates who fear they may criminalize student behavior and undermine efforts to address the mental health needs of students in Wisconsin's schools. Six organizations, including NAMI Wisconsin and Wisconsin Family Ties, are calling on the state Department of Justice to revise the terms schools must meet to access the more than $51 million available in the latest round of grants. (Johnson, 8/24)
The Associated Press: Man Accused Of Stealing $6,000 From Disabled Client
A Massachusetts man is accused of stealing more than $6,000 in EBT benefits from a disabled client. The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office says 35-year-old Christopher Gardner, of Pembroke, was indicted Friday on two larceny counts. (8/24)
