Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Very Aggressive' Crackdown On SF Homeless Camps Set For August
San Francisco Chronicle: SF Mayor Breed’s ‘Aggressive’ Homeless Camp Sweeps In August
Mayor London Breed said that San Francisco will launch a “very aggressive” crackdown on homeless encampments in the city next month. The mayor’s comments — made Thursday during an election debate hosted by the firefighters union — come about three weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court granted cities broad power to evict unhoused people from encampments. (Angst and Wilson, 7/18)
San Francisco Chronicle: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland To Get $1.5 Billion Upgrade
The University of California Board of Regents approved a $1.5 billion plan on Thursday to expand UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland that will double the safety net facility’s emergency department space and triple the number of single-patient hospital rooms. The project, slated for completion by 2030, entails the construction of a seven-story, 277,500-square-foot hospital that will include a neonatal intensive care unit, seven surgical suites and a 20-bed inpatient behavioral health unit, as well as updates to imaging and surgical services. (Ho, 7/18)
In other news from across the country —
Politico: Major NYC Hospital Warns Of Safety Risks From Delayed Closure
A continued exodus of health care workers from a historic Manhattan hospital on the brink of closure is posing risks to patient safety “in the very near future,” according to hospital officials. Staffing woes have escalated in recent weeks as Mount Sinai Beth Israel approached and then passed its long-planned closure date of July 12, which was predicated on state approval. The medical director of Beth Israel’s intensive care unit left at the end of June, and the hospital’s chief nursing officer is resigning next month, hospital officials said in court papers filed as part of an ongoing lawsuit over the closure. (Kaufman, 7/18)
AP: Yoga, Meditation And Prayer: Urban Transit Workers Cope With Violence And Fear On The Job
“At the sound of the chime,” she says, “take a deep breath in.” The relaxation class, held at a union hall for New York City transit employees, has emerged as one of the ways in which transportation workers around the country are trying to manage their fear and anxiety over a rise in violent crime on subways and buses. Concern has grown after a series of especially brutal attacks in recent months against bus drivers, subway operators and station agents. (Bussewitz, 7/19)
AP: Massachusetts Senate Approved Bill Intended To Strengthen Health Care System
The Massachusetts Senate approved a bill Thursday aimed in part at addressing some of the issues raised after Steward Health Care said it plans to sell off all its hospitals after announcing in May that it filed for bankruptcy protection. Democratic Sen. Cindy Friedman, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, said the bill is meant to address the state’s struggling health care system, which she said is putting patients and providers at risk. (LeBlanc, 7/19)
AP: Montana’s Largest Nursing Home Prepares To Close Following Patient Safety Violations
The state’s largest nursing home plans to close its doors weeks after being terminated from the federal Medicare and Medicaid program after “ a history of serious quality issues ” and violations for deficient patient care. In a recent public notice, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid announced that its relationship with The Ivy At Great Falls would end effective July 9, after the federal agency determined that the 278-bed facility “failed to attain substantial compliance with certain Medicare and Medicaid participation requirements.” (Hudson and Silvers, 7/18)
North Carolina Health News: Community Paramedics Handle More Than Emergencies
On a street corner east of Durham’s downtown, Cheryl Riley spotted a woman sitting on a ledge outside a grocery store, her upper body bobbing back and forth. Riley, a Durham County paramedic, pulled over her Ford Expedition with bright blue and yellow markings and asked the woman if she could take her vitals. After getting a go-ahead, Riley checked her blood pressure and oxygen levels. (Nandagiri, 7/19)
AP: US Announces $325 Million In Funding To Boost Puerto Rico Solar Projects As Power Outages Persist
The U.S. government announced Thursday that $325 million in federal funds will be available for solar and battery storage installations across Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory struggles with chronic power outages. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, will target community centers and healthcare facilities, as well as common areas in subsidized, multi-family housing. (Coto, 7/19)
Also —
KFF Health News: A California Medical Group Treats Only Homeless Patients — And Makes Money Doing It
They distribute GPS devices so they can track their homeless patients. They stock their street kits with glass pipes used to smoke meth, crack, or fentanyl. They keep company credit cards on hand in case a patient needs emergency food or water, or an Uber ride to the doctor. These doctors, nurses, and social workers are fanning out on the streets of Los Angeles to provide health care and social services to homeless people — foot soldiers of a new business model taking root in communities around California. (Hart, 7/19)
