Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Psychiatric Hospitals Now Must Meet Staffing Requirements, Or Face Steep Fines
San Francisco Chronicle: Historic Staffing Requirements For Psychiatric Hospitals Enacted In California
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration on Monday enacted historic staffing requirements for psychiatric hospitals in California aimed at keeping tens of thousands of people a year safe while they are being treated for emotional crises. The California Department of Public Health emergency regulations specify that the hospitals must assign 1 nurse for every 6 patients in adult psychiatric units, and 1 nurse for every 5 adolescent patients. Hospitals found in violation of this standard can be fined $15,000 to $30,000 per day. (Palomino and Dizikes, 6/2)
More news from California —
CIDRAP: Los Angeles County Health Department Asks Providers To Watch For Infectious Diseases During World Cup
As soccer fans prepare to descend upon North American cities to watch their favorite teams compete in the World Cup, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued an alert encouraging healthcare providers to be mindful of travel-related, sexually transmitted, and seasonal infectious diseases. (Holohan, 6/2)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
The Washington Post: New SNAP Work Requirements Take Effect, Could Affect 18,000 In D.C., Officials Say
Some D.C. residents will now have to prove they are working or volunteering to qualify for assistance with groceries — a federally imposed change that attorneys for the city’s poorest residents worry will increase hunger over the coming months and years. (Gathright, 6/2)
KFF Health News: Michigan Found A Way To Reduce School Vaccine Waivers. Until It Backfired
State health officials urged parents in several counties to vaccinate babies against measles ahead of schedule this spring as cases multiplied in Michigan. The outbreaks of the highly contagious virus — which can lead to brain swelling, deafness, and death — came as parents are opting school-age kids out of vaccinations at a record-high rate. It’s a situation state officials have spent more than a decade trying to avoid. For years, they’ve been trying to make it harder for parents to send their kids to school unvaccinated. (Wells, 6/3)
Bloomberg: Long Island To Get First New Hospital Since 1980 With NYU Langone Project
NYU Langone Health is constructing a multi-billion dollar academic medical center and hospital on Long Island. The new hospital in Melville will include 500 private inpatient rooms, 70 emergency department bays and the latest diagnostic imaging capabilities, the healthcare system said in a statement on Tuesday. The campus will also have space for scientific research and comprehensive outpatient care. (Cattan, 6/2)
Becker's Hospital Review: Alabama System To Takeover Rural Emergency Hospital
Opelika, Ala.-based East Alabama Health will assume operations and management of Bullock County Rural Emergency Hospital in Union Springs, Ala., effective June 1. The move comes after the rural emergency hospital’s previous operator notified local leaders it would depart, prompting efforts to maintain uninterrupted access to emergency and outpatient services for the community, according to a June 1 news release. (Condon, 6/2)
Verite News: 'Cancer Alley' Documentary Screening To Move Forward In St. John
A screening of a documentary about chemical pollution in St. John the Baptist Parish will finally move forward after it was abruptly canceled months ago due to what the event’s organizers said was pressure from the parish president. The reversal came several days after a Verite News story highlighted what free speech advocates and environmental groups criticized as censorship by Parish President Jaclyn Hotard, who has denied giving a direct order to cancel the late February screening of “The Big Sea” at a parish-owned theater. (Baurick, 6/2)
