Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Health Care Workers Suffer More Nonfatal Assaults Than Police Do
Axios: Hospitals And Clinics Are Now Among America's Most Dangerous Workplaces
Health care workers are increasingly being assaulted or shot on the job, making hospitals and clinics among the most dangerous workplaces in America. Violence was a serious problem before COVID-19 — the field suffered more nonfatal injuries from workplace assaults than any other profession, even law enforcement, per the Associated Press — and pandemic stressors like backlash against public health measures have made matters worse. (Reed and Millman, 8/10)
More health industry updates —
ABC News: Amazon-Owned One Medical Begins Opening New Locations Across US
Amazon is beginning to open new locations of the primary care provider One Medical -- a potential game-changer for medical care -- which it acquired earlier this year, as the tech giant moves into the health care space. One Medical told ABC News it has just opened two locations in Connecticut, is planning to open a third office in the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco, and will open its first office in Milwaukee this fall. (Kekatos, 8/9)
Axios: New Orleans To Provide Free Nurse Visits And Newborn Supply Kits For New Moms
Leaders are taking action to help pregnant women and new moms in New Orleans, who are dying at greater rates than most other places in the country. Officials are launching two new programs in hopes of improving outcomes for moms and infants in a state plagued by poverty. (Wells, 8/9)
St. Louis Public Radio: South City Hospital Closure Leaves Economic Void In Dutchtown
Community leaders in south St. Louis say the closing of a troubled hospital leaves an economic and social hole in the Dutchtown neighborhood. Owners of South City Hospital, previously known as St. Alexius, announced last week they were closing the 178-bed location, according to the hospital’s receiver, Daniel Wiggins. The hospital moved patients and laid off most employees, with a few security workers staying to guard the property, he said. (Fentem, 8/10)
Fox News: AI Stepping In To Assist 911 Operators Battered By Tragic Calls, Understaffing
Answering frantic calls of suicide, car accidents or a child choking are daily realities for 911 operators, who often never get closure on the tragedies they experience on the other end of a phone line. With the help of artificial intelligence, operators’ mental health could be bolstered at a time when the majority of call centers are understaffed and as operators still reel from the chaos caused by the pandemic and its lockdowns. (Colton, 8/10)
In legal news —
Health News Florida: Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against Tampa General Hospital Over Recent Data Breach
A proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed against Tampa General Hospital claiming negligence led to a May cyberattack that resulted in data theft affecting about 1.2 million patients. The lawsuit, filed last week in Hillsborough County, alleges the breach was preventable and that the hospital “exacerbated the harm” by failing to notify those affected until “months” after the attack. (Mayer, 8/9)
AP: A Lawsuit Accuses A Georgia Doctor Of Decapitating A Baby During Delivery
A doctor used too much force and decapitated a Georgia woman’s baby during delivery, according to a lawsuit attorneys said was filed Wednesday. The baby’s mother and father, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., attended a news conference in Atlanta where their attorneys announced the lawsuit against Dr. Tracey St. Julian and Southern Regional Medical Center, a hospital in Riverdale, Georgia, where Ross went on July 9 to have her son. ... According to the suit, the baby got stuck during delivery, but St. Julian delayed a surgical procedure and failed to seek help quickly. Instead, she applied “ridiculously excessive force” on the baby’s head and neck to try to deliver it, attorney Roderick Edmond, who is also a physician, said. (Thanawala, 8/9)
ProPublica: This PA Doctor Has Been Investigated At Every Level. How Is He Still Practicing?
Medical boards, a health department and even federal investigators have scrutinized Dr. James McGuckin’s vascular clinics. Today he still practices, despite a decadelong string of sanctions, fines and lawsuits. (Waldman, 8/9)
