Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Texas Has Highest Rate Of Uninsured Women Of Child-Bearing Age. Look At Death Rates; Parents Sue Troubled Hospital In North Carolina Over Child's Death
ProPublica/Vox: The Extraordinary Danger Of Being Pregnant And Uninsured In Texas
Rosa Diaz was no stranger to hunger and stress and a throbbing pain in the gut that was usually nothing serious — gastritis, she had been told, or lactose intolerance. When she became ill on the evening of Jan. 6, 2015, she figured it was the hot chocolate she’d been drinking with her family to celebrate El Día de los Reyes. It was made with milk, but she finished it anyway, savoring every drop. In the middle of the night, her oldest daughter, Diana, found her on the couch, clutching her belly and moaning. Diana half-carried her to the bathroom, offering her some Alka-Seltzer and a sip of Gatorade to wash the antacid down. Rosa started to shiver and cry. (Martin and Belluz, 12/6)
The New York Times: Troubled Children’s Hospital Is Sued Over Toddler Who Died After Surgery
The parents of a 3-year-old who died after heart surgery at North Carolina Children’s Hospital in 2016 are suing the institution, saying it failed to disclose internal concerns about the quality of its care. Tasha and Thomas Jones, the parents, also allege that doctors didn’t warn them about problems with the heart surgery program, and “instead chose to protect their own reputational and monetary interests” by continuing to refer patients to the Chapel Hill hospital, according to a complaint filed on Thursday in North Carolina state court. (Gabler, 12/5)
The CT Mirror: Hospitals To Receive $1.8 B To Settle Provider Tax Lawsuit Against CT
Connecticut hospitals will receive $1.8 billion in state and federal funds between now and 2026 to resolve a lawsuit that could have cost the state as much as $4 billion, according to details released Thursday by Gov. Ned Lamont. The agreement includes a one-time payment of $79 million to the industry, along with steadily declining taxes on hospitals — and increasing state payments to facilities — between now and 2026. (Phaneuf, 12/5)
Los Angeles Times: Ex-UCLA Gynecologist's Behavior Was Sexual Assault, Report Finds
The behavior of a prominent UCLA Health gynecologist during an exam with a married mother of four amounted to sexual assault and harassment, according to an investigative report by the university made public Thursday. It took UCLA almost two years to complete the investigation into allegations raised by a patient against Dr. James Heaps, a 63-year-old physician who was arrested in June on sexual battery and exploitation charges. (Cosgrove, 12/5)
The Star Tribune: Human Services Commissioner Fills Several Top Posts At Embattled Minnesota Agency
The new head of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has filled several key management positions in her ongoing effort to address leadership turmoil and financial missteps that have wracked the $18.5 billion agency since the summer. Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead announced the appointment of two top administrators Thursday to oversee the Community Supports Administration, a large and complex branch that oversees services for about 500,000 Minnesotans. The area has a $393 million annual budget and includes mental health, substance use disorder services, housing supports and disability services. (Serres, 12/5)
Sacramento Bee: Nurses At Grass Valley’s Hospital To Protest Staff Reductions
Registered nurses at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley will be doing informational picketing outside the facility Dec. 13 to alert community residents to staffing changes that are making it hard for them to provide timely patient care. (Anderson, 12/5)
Tampa Bay Times: DeSantis Budget Would Reward Florida Hospitals With High Ratings
Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed creating a program that would increase funding for high-performing hospitals, a move that could mean more money for 66 hospitals across Florida, including Tampa General, according to an analysis by a statewide hospital association. The Medicaid proposal — dubbed the Top Outcome for Patients, or TOP, program — was included in the $91.4 billion budget plan DeSantis’ unveiled last month. DeSantis recommended spending $3.8 million on the initiative. When matched with federal funding, that would make available nearly $10 million. (12/6)
North Carolina Health News: Mayo Network Gains A Foothold In NC
A coastal North Carolina hospital has joined a selective network associated with Mayo Clinic. Carteret Health Care is the first health care facility in the state to have joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network, granting it access to expert consultations and other services. “It’s not a merger … they [Mayo] don’t want that, [and] our board, our management doesn’t want that,” said Dick Brvenik, who heads the Morehead City hospital. “We’re in the relationship so we can improve our quality, improve our performance as a high-quality, independent hospital and health network, that’s what we want and that’s what we’re getting.” (Engel-Smith, 12/6)
Health News Florida: Lawsuit Targets State Treatment Of Disabled Inmates
A group representing prisoners with disabilities is accusing the Florida Department of Corrections of failing to comply with a settlement reached in a federal lawsuit about discrimination against inmates who are deaf, blind or use wheelchairs. Under the settlement finalized in June 2017, the state agreed, among other things, to provide sign-language interpreters for deaf prisoners and to remove architectural barriers for inmates who use wheelchairs. (Kam, 12/5)
Houston Chronicle: Volunteers Play Key Roles, Bring Personal Touch To Hospitals
Several hospitals in Montgomery County offer volunteer programs for adults and high school students. They have become an integral part of the hospital’s daily operations down to manning the small gift shops. Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, MD Anderson The Woodlands, Texas Children’s The Woodlands, Houston Methodist The Woodlands and CHI St. Luke’s Health-The Woodlands believe that volunteers play an essential role in giving that extra-special attention and care for their patients. (Hashmi, 12/5)
Georgia Health News: Danger In The Ground: Lead Contaminates Neighborhood
Rosario Hernandez regularly gardens with her grandchildren at her two Atlanta properties in the English Avenue district, about a mile from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. So Hernandez, who works with Historic Westside Gardens, was alarmed when an Emory University team analyzed the soil in July 2018 and discovered it contained unsafe concentrations of lead — a potent neurotoxin that is especially dangerous to children. (Miller, 12/5)
The Associated Press: Heart Transplant Patient Dies After Chicago Hospital Wedding
A 23-year-old Chicago man who received two heart transplants as a teenager died in hospice care, days after he married his high school sweetheart, his new bride said. Javier Rodriguez was diagnosed in seventh grade with dilated cardiomyopathy, a genetic disease that predisposes victims to develop heart failure at a young age. Rodriguez, known to his family and friends as Javi, underwent two heart transplants, including one when he was 14 years old and another when he was 18. (12/5)
KCUR: Nearly 500 People Will Survive Gunshots In Kansas City This Year — Here's Who Is Helping Them
By the end of 2019, police expect 150 homicides in Kansas City, most at the point of a gun. Authorities say another 500 people will be shot and wounded. Many of the survivors, plus their families and neighbors, will spend the rest of their lives dealing with the aftermath of a gunshot wound. A new program is seeking to give people the help they need to heal both their physical and mental wounds. (Zeff, 12/5)
Kansas City Star: Licenses For Missouri Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Delayed
About 22,000 patients now have the OK from Missouri to use medical marijuana cards, but they won’t have anywhere to legally buy the drug for almost two more months, state health officials said Thursday. Licenses for dispensaries won’t be issued until about Jan. 24, Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services’ Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation said in a statement. (Gutierrez, 12/5)
