Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Highlights: Workers At N.C. Assisted Living Home Charged With Setting Up Fights Between Patients With Dementia; Tests Of Calif. Water Find Widespread Contamination From Toxic Chemicals
The Washington Post: Three N.C. Elderly Care Employees Charged With Assault For Encouraging Dementia Patients To Fight
Three women have been charged with creating their own makeshift fight club in North Carolina. Their fighters were the dementia patients under their care at an assisted living facility, police say. Marilyn Latish McKey, 32, Tonacia Yvonne Tyson, 20, and Taneshia Deshawn Jordan, 26, were arrested and charged with assault on an individual with a disability in early October, according to authorities. (Beachum, 10/14)
Los Angeles Times: California Finds Widespread PFAS Contamination In Water Sources
Nearly 300 drinking water wells and other water sources in California have traces of toxic chemicals linked to cancer, new state testing has found. Testing conducted this year of more than 600 wells across the state revealed pockets of contamination, where chemicals widely used for decades in manufacturing and household goods have seeped into the public’s water supply. An analysis by the Los Angeles Times found that within this class of chemicals, called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the two most common compounds were detected in 86 water systems that serve up to 9 million Californians. (Phillips and Pesce, 10/14)
Nashville Tennessean: One In Four Tennesseans Has Medical Debt, New Report Finds
A new report from a Nashville-based nonprofit think tank released Tuesday found one in four Tennesseans has medical debt while recommending a series of actions for lawmakers to take to address the issue. For its latest report, The Sycamore Institute, which was founded in 2015, examined the issue of medical debt and how it affects everyday Tennesseans. (Ebert, 10/15)
The New York Times: Indiana Mother Faces 6 Felony Charges After Son Attempted A School Shooting
An Indiana woman who called the police in December and told them that her 14-year-old son had threatened to shoot up his former school will face criminal charges if prosecutors have their way. Prosecutors in Wayne County filed an affidavit on Friday recommending six felony charges against the woman, Mary York, 43, in the episode, which ended when her son killed himself at David W. Dennis Intermediate School in Richmond, Ind. The police did not release the boy’s name because of his age. (Padilla, 10/15)
Modern Healthcare: California Limits Dialysis Reimbursement In Some Cases
California's governor dealt a blow to dialysis companies over the weekend when he signed into law a bill that limits the reimbursement they receive for kidney disease patients who get insurance premium assistance from third-party organizations. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill, known as Assembly Bill 290, in the face of intense opposition from dialysis companies DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care, which together control most of California's dialysis clinics. (Livingston, 10/14)
MPR: Johns Hopkins Opens American Indian Health Hub In Duluth
Walls will lead a staff of 13 researchers exploring preventive interventions for obesity, diabetes, substance use, mental disorders and other public health issues. Her team also includes 104 community-based tribal members who work as researchers in tribal communities throughout the Great Lakes region, collecting data and helping to interpret it. (Kraker, 10/14)
The Associated Press: Suit Challenges Speech Rules At Mississippi Abortion Clinic
Abortion opponents in Mississippi have filed a lawsuit challenging a local ordinance that will restrict noise levels and require protesters to remain a certain distance from the entrance of health care facilities. The lawsuit says the Jackson ordinance unconstitutionally limits free-speech rights as people try to persuade women not to end pregnancies. (10/14)
Arizona Republic: Judge Orders Lawyers To Decide Fate Of Arizona Prison Health Care Deal
Five years after the Arizona Department of Corrections reached a settlement involving the health care of people in state prisons, a federal judge has ordered the agency to decide what it will do next about its non-compliance with the order. U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver gave the corrections department three options in her order: comply with the settlement, create a new settlement, or ask for a trial to be held on DOC's inability or refusal to comply with the settlement. (Castle, 10/14)
St. Louis Public Radio: More Than 1 In 10 Missouri Children Are Obese, But The Rate Is Stabilizing
More than 12% of Missouri children are obese, but the 2018 rate held steady from the year before, according to a report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Although obesity among Missouri kids age 10-17 is relatively unchanged, doctors say the stabilizing rate is a sign public awareness campaigns and other health initiatives are working. (Fentem, 10/15)
Los Angeles Times: Will Later School Start Times Mean More Sleep Or More Hassles For California?
Atussa Kian, 17, a senior at Arcadia High School, said she and many classmates are short on sleep because of schoolwork — an extra half hour of shut-eye would be welcomed. “It is quite common to hear others complain about their lack of sleep or the all-nighter they had to pull the night before,” Atussa said. “Students are encouraged to take up time-consuming extracurriculars and challenging schedules, which is decent advice. However, the physical and mental health of students is rarely factored into the discussion.” (Blume, Agrawal and Kohli, 10/14)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Hepatitis A Outbreak Threatens Georgia, Beaten Back So Far
Hepatitis A, a potentially fatal liver infection, is ravaging states around Georgia. Last year, it crossed the border here, then exploded.And public health workers beat it down. The victory is only partial as cases continue to arise. (Hart, 10/14)
Detroit Free Press: EEE In Michigan: 5th Person Dies; Risk Still High Despite Frost
A fifth person has died in Michigan from the rare but dangerous mosquito-borne Eastern equine encephalitis virus, state health officials said Monday. The death was reported in an adult from Cass County in the southwestern corner of the state, which has been hit hard by EEE this year. Nine other Michiganders have had confirmed cases of the virus in Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. (Shamus, 10/14)
New Hampshire Union Leader: HHS Chief Moving On, Not Seeking Another Term
Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeffrey Meyers has confirmed he will step down in December at the conclusion of his four-year term running the state’s largest agency. In an email to staff Monday, Meyers said he told Gov. Chris Sununu “some weeks ago” that he was not seeking reappointment and would end his work for HHS on Dec. 6. (Landrigan, 10/14)
Concord Monitor: Top State Health Official To Step Down, Pursue Private Sector Opportunities
Aided by legislative appropriations in Concord and Washington, he helped roll out a $46 million “hub and spoke” opioid treatment program, a blueprint for a new forensic psychiatric hospital, and a dramatic expansion of workers at the state Division for Children, Youth and Families. But he also endured his share of rough patches, from the attempted implementation of a Medicaid work requirement program recently invalidated by a federal judge, to a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union over involuntary boarding of patients.(DeWitt, 10/14)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Held For 20 Days: How N.H.'s Shortage Of Mental Health Beds Erodes Patients' Rights
Imagine you are forced to go to a hospital to receive psychiatric treatment that you don’t think you need. What rights would you have? That’s the question at the heart of a court battle between the state of New Hampshire, the ACLU, and nearly two-dozen hospitals. A ruling in the case could have profound impacts on how New Hampshire treats people who are in a mental health crisis. (Moon, 10/14)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: UTC Labs' Owners Agree To Pay Fine To Bring Long-Running Federal Fraud Case To A Close
Tarun Jolly and the other owners of UTC Laboratories, which did business as Renaissance Rx and was once a darling of New Orleans' bio-technology sector, agreed last week to settle a long-running legal battle with federal authorities by paying a $1 million fine. The case stemmed from a whistleblower complaint filed five years ago by one of the lab's doctor clients in Rhode Island. The complaint alleged that UTC/RenRx had violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks in exchange for referrals for testing, and charging for tests that were not medically necessary. (McAuley, 10/14)
The Wall Street Journal: New York Nail-Salon Workers Say Poor Conditions Persist
New York City nail-salon employees are protesting what they say are poor working conditions, despite stricter state regulations aimed at improving safety. Yanelia Ramirez, a 38-year-old manicurist at Envy Nails in the Bronx, said she puts in long hours, gets paid only on commission and doesn’t get breaks to rest or eat lunch. “Basically, we just want to be treated like human beings,” she said through an interpreter. She said she gets headaches and skin irritation from the chemicals she handles. (King, 10/14)
Iowa Public Radio: 'Housing First' Initiatives Gaining Momentum In Iowa
Providing permanent, stable housing without requirements such as sobriety or employment has become a growing priority for organizations working with individuals struggling with addiction. This philosophy, known broadly as "housing first" functions on the idea that housing is a human right, and it's growing in popularity here in Iowa. (Kieffer, Harrop and DiGiacomo, 10/14)
