Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Abortion Foes Stoke Fear In Patients; Anti-Abortion Laws Creating Obstetric Deserts
The New York Times: Abortion Opponents Want To Make Women Afraid To Get Help From Their Friends
The month after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a mother of two in Texas who had filed for divorce from her husband discovered she was pregnant. Determined not to have another child and worried that her husband would try to use the pregnancy to make her stay with him, she did what many of us would do and turned to two friends for help. (Michelle Goldberg, 3/13)
The Tennessean: Tennessee Abortion Law Will Drive Physicians Away From State
When I chose a career in obstetrics and gynecology over 30 years ago, I had no idea I would someday be set up potentially to commit a felony by the government of my own state. (Dr. Carolyn Thompson, 3/14)
The Washington Post: Reducing Maternal Deaths Is Finally Seeing Bipartisan Action
When it comes to maternal mortality, people often think about women dying during pregnancy or delivery. In fact, more than half of maternal deaths occur days after birth. Twelve percent occur in the six weeks to a year after labor. (Leana S. Wen, 3/14)
Also —
Philadelphia Inquirer: COVID’s “New Normal”: 120,000 U.S. Deaths Per Year?
Since the pandemic hit our shores in early 2020, more than a million people living in the U.S. have died from COVID-19. Even in 2022, a year with an ample supply of vaccines and medicines to treat severe infections, more than 250,000 Americans lost their lives to the virus. Are we supposed to accept this as our new normal? (Maciej Boni, 3/14)
The New York Times: Is Working From Home Good For Your Health?
Although productivity is important, we haven’t given sufficient consideration to the potential negative health effects of remote work for some people. Those who have the luxury of working from home might end up realizing that remote work is disadvantageous to their mental and physical well-being. (Dr. Jordan Metzl, 3/14)
The Boston Globe: Confronting The Teen Mental Health Crisis, One Anonymous Post At A Time
A report released last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which analyzed 2021 data from the CDC’s biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey, revealed a heartbreaking outlook: Nearly 3 in 5 teen girls, or 57 percent, said they felt persistently sad or hopeless. It’s the highest rate seen in a decade and double that of teen boys. (Marcela Garcia, 3/13)
The Boston Globe: DCF Needs More Resources To Serve Kids With Medically Complex Needs
The state’s Department of Children and Families took custody of Beth Farrell’s 14-year-old child in February 2022, when the teenager was hospitalized after overdosing, Farrell said. While her child was in in the hospital, Farrell said, the teen developed a functional neurological disorder, which causes tremors and interferes with daily living. (3/14)
Stat: The NRC Should Rethink Reporting Requirements For Extravasations
A recent action by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) should have protected patients who are inadvertently exposed to potentially high doses of radiation due to faulty injections or infusions. But it instead preferentially protects the nuclear medicine practitioners who are subject to its regulations and oversight. (Daniel Fass and David Townsend, 3/14)
