Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
OhioHealth, DOJ Agree To Settle Antitrust Claims
Stat: OhioHealth Settles Case On Using Market Dominance To Drive Up Prices
Legal experts say the speed and decisiveness of the Department of Justice’s proposed antitrust settlement with OhioHealth should put other hospitals on notice. (Bannow, 6/17)
News from across the nation —
San Francisco Chronicle: SF Budget Cuts Could Reverse Progress On HIV, Advocates Say
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation, one of the largest and oldest HIV nonprofits in the country, anticipated that the Trump administration would slash its funding. But it wasn’t expecting significant cuts to come from the leaders of San Francisco, the birthplace of prevention methods that have guided the nation’s response to the AIDS epidemic for decades. The foundation’s Castro health clinic, Strut, is already staring down the loss of $1 million in federal grant dollars it doesn’t expect to be renewed under the Trump administration over the next two years. Now, the city’s proposed budget includes $1.2 million in new cuts. (DiNatale, 6/17)
Modern Healthcare: Kansas Rural Hospitals Form Clinically Integrated Network
Rural hospital clinically integrated networks are gaining steam and with the latest addition, there are hundreds of organizations in groups designed to boost their negotiating leverage with insurers, increase access to care and lower expenses. Seven Kansas rural hospitals have formed the Kansas High Value Network, a clinically integrated network meant to give providers the benefits of scale while remaining independent. The Kansas rural hospital coalition, announced Wednesday, follows other member-owned networks convened by rural hospital consultancy Cibolo Health in North Dakota, Minnesota, Ohio, Montana, Nebraska and Wisconsin. (Kacik, 6/17)
St. Louis Public Radio: Parents Can't Get Radiation Compensation For Children Lost To Illnesses In Missouri
Last summer was the first time Missourians exposed to radioactive waste could apply for compensation. They include many St. Louis-area residents affected in the 1970s by waste left over from the Manhattan Project — a top-secret federal government program established to create the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II. While more $122 million has been approved for payouts through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, parents whose children died after living near the waste don’t get to see that money. (Wimbley, 6/17)
North Carolina Health News: Why Are Reforms That Could Improve Maternal Mortality Stalling At The NCGA?
Three weeks after giving birth, Christine’s face and ankles became swollen at night. The 37-year-old Black woman from Robeson County became short of breath just walking to the kitchen, and lying flat made her feel like she couldn’t breathe. She had developed postpartum cardiomyopathy. (Crawford and Fredde, 6/18)
Boulder Reporting Lab: Coal Ash Cleanup Is Moving Forward At Boulder Plant
Colorado regulators are reviewing Xcel Energy’s final plan to clean up groundwater contamination caused by decades of coal ash disposal at the Valmont Power Station. The project, which could begin construction as early as late summer, follows years of contamination that migrated beyond the company’s property and was detected in at least one nearby residential well. The proposed system would pump contaminated groundwater from beneath the site and transport it for treatment, a first-of-its-kind project in Colorado. But environmental advocates say the cleanup may fall short if a second coal ash landfill near the power plant is also contributing to the pollution. (Jaijongkit, 6/17)
Cardinal News: Translation Tool Eases Communication At Free Dental Clinic
Asking someone to remove jewelry for dental X-rays is routine. But those instructions become much harder to communicate when patients and providers don’t share a language. Three graduate students at Virginia Tech developed a translation tool designed to improve communication between Spanish-speaking patients and English-speaking dentists. (Schabacker, 6/18)
