Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Work Weight Loss Challenges Have Opposite Effect; US Pediatric Health Care In Trouble
NBC News: How Weight Loss Office Talk Undermines DEI Initiatives
Employers seem to rarely consider fat people when putting together their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals. But creating a space for plus-size employees to feel welcome has just as much to do with diversity and inclusion as any other group. (Kate Bernyk, 1/3)
The New York Times: Why Saving Kids Is Bad Business In America
Profit-driven management has eroded pediatric health care in America. Health care providers make more money treating adults than they do children. As a result, the number of hospitals offering pediatric care has decreased dramatically over the past two decades. (Alexander Stockton and Lucy King, 1/4)
The New York Times: Why Anti-Aging Science Is So Alluring
When doctors talk about patients in the hospital, we so often begin with age. A 75-year-old man with shortness of breath. A 30-year-old woman with joint swelling. Knowing our patient’s age allows us to focus on the most likely diagnoses and to develop a mental image of the patient before we enter the room. (Daniela J. Lamas, 1/4)
The Boston Globe: Assisted Suicide’s Slippery Slope
In 2012, Bay State voters rejected a “death with dignity” ballot measure that would have authorized doctors to supply lethal drugs for the terminally ill. In the decade since, bills to reverse the voters’ decision have been introduced in the Legislature without success. Last month, the Supreme Judicial Court upheld the state’s ban. (Jeff Jacoby, 1/3)
Houston Chronicle: Fentanyl Isn't A Talking Point. It's A Life-And-Death Crisis
Fentanyl can be pressed into oxycodone tablets, Valium or other legal drugs. As the Drug Enforcement Administration has warned, those who overdose may have assumed they were taking counterfeit prescription pills that are “easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms.” (1/4)
Bloomberg: China Herd Immunity: People Are So Sick Of Covid Zero They Just Want To Get Sick
In late November, I bit the bullet and took a flight from Hong Kong, where I work, back to my hometown of Shanghai. For months, there were rumors of China easing its Covid Zero policy. But I could no longer wait. It’s been three years since I last saw my aging parents. (Shuli Ren, 1/3)
The Star Tribune: Horrific NFL Scene Shows CPR's Benefits
On Monday night, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin tragically became one of an estimated 356,000 Americans who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year. That's about 975 people a day. (1/3)
Stat: Federal Law On Emergency Care Is No End-Run Around Abortion Bans
The emergency department is often called a hospital’s front door. For many people desperate for reproductive care, it is being seen as their last chance. But these days, getting treatment for pregnancy-related medical emergencies in the emergency department is complicated. (Jennifer W. Tsai and Hazar Khidir, 1/4)
Stat: NIH Advances Key Recommendations On Disability Inclusion
A diverse and inclusive workforce benefits science and research. But unless it includes people living with a disability — the largest minority group in the U.S. and around the world — research will never be fully representative and science will not reach its full potential. (Bonnielin Swenor, Lisa I. lezzoni and Steven Barnett, 1/3)
