Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Texas Takes On Opioids; Gender-Affirming Care Needs Broader Scientific Analysis
Dallas Morning News: The Opioid Crisis Is Changing And Texas Needs A Syringe Services Program
In early February, the state of Texas announced two massive settlements from drug manufacturers and distributors related to their role in the opioid crisis. The total amount of funding secured for Texas in these settlements now tops $1.7 billion, and the question of how that money will be spent has never been more vital. Interventions that fit the rapidly changing landscape of substance use, addiction and overdose in Texas must be prioritized. (Lucas Hill and Scott Walters, 2/23)
Newsweek: What Both Sides Are Missing About The Science Of Gender-Affirming Care
Last April, Arkansas became the first state to ban what's known as "gender-affirming care," a protocol that affirms a child's transgender identity and allows for medical transition with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and, in some cases, surgeries like mastectomies or orchiectomies. The ACLU, which is now suing the state on behalf of four transgender young people, their families and two doctors, noted that "Gender-affirming care is life-saving care for our clients" and that banning it "runs counter to science and medicine." There have been as many as 25 such bills floated, mostly in right-leaning states. (Lisa Selin Davis, 2/22)
Stat: A Preacher's New Calling: Diversifying Neuroscience Research
When I was the pastor of a large Baptist church, people often came to me asking me for help. These requests tended to be about domestic relationships, trauma from grief, or spiritual counseling. But an appeal from a young woman in my congregation about becoming a cancer researcher resonates with the new work I am doing since giving my last sermon as pastor in August 2021. At the time, the woman was a student at Hampton University, a historically black school in Hampton, Virginia. She told me she wanted to become a cancer researcher, but wasn’t sure how to enter the field. (Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway, Sr., 2/23)
The Washington Post: Protecting Women’s Reproductive Rights In Maryland
In 1992, Maryland voters overwhelmingly voted to codify Roe v. Wade into statute, affirming that Marylanders have the legal right to choose an abortion. But having the legal right does not equate to access to abortion care. In many ways, access to abortion care depends on the same factors as access to other health-care services. People need enough providers in their area, sufficient insurance and the means to navigate barriers such as transportation, leave from work and child care. (Ariana B. Kelly and Delores G. Kelley, 2/21)
Stat: Biopharma Needs Digital Portfolios For Its Future In Disease Management
Biopharma companies have long been early adopters of technologies such as cloud infrastructure, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. But the intersection of biopharma and health care remains largely undigitized. Some biopharma companies have recognized this and are now racing to adopt and apply a variety of targeted apps to help digitize this intersection through patient portals, beyond-the-pill solutions, data analytics, and digital therapeutics. (Abhinav Shashank and Smriti Khera, 2/23)
Also —
The Boston Globe: Paul Farmer Taught Us Not To Accept The Status Quo In Public Health
Paul Farmer never accepted the status quo. That’s what made him so remarkable. And it’s why his untimely death this week, at age 62, is such an enormous loss for the world. Inequality is status quo. Racism is status quo. The notion that the poor will live in misery and die from diseases that are eminently treatable — that’s status quo too. And Paul would have none of it. (Michelle A. Williams, 2/22)
NPR: Poignant Memories Of Dr. Paul Farmer In His Last Days
The last time I saw Paul Farmer was less than a week ago. I had traveled to Rwanda to teach the inaugural medical school class at the University of Global Health Equity in Butaro, a rural village. It is a place Paul Farmer helped dream and blossom into reality, a gorgeous, pristine medical campus arising in a very rural area among the beautiful hills of Rwanda. (Sriram Shamasunder, 2/22)
The New York Times: Paul Farmer: Tracy Kidder Remembers The Compassionate Doctor
More than two decades ago, I had the great good fortune to spend parts of several years traveling with Dr. Paul Farmer, to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, Russia and Mexico for my book about his life. He was a good companion, funny and talkative and when I got sick from a night of too much rum in Cuba, he took care of me. (Tracy Kidder, 2/22)
