CNBC: Up To 254,000 Medicare Beneficiaries Are Getting New ID Cards Due To Data Breach At Subcontractor. What They Need To Know
Up to 254,000 Medicare beneficiaries’ personal information may have been compromised in an online ransomware attack at a government subcontractor, officials warned this week. Letters are being sent to the beneficiaries who were impacted by the potential data breach, said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (O'Brien, 12/16)

In other news from the Biden administration —

USA Today: Biden White House Unveils Homeless Plan Amid Crisis In LA, NYC
The Biden administration's plan, which was announced Monday, will offer federal intervention for a problem that has been mounting for years in cities across the country. Federal agencies will work with states and cities to target unsheltered homelessness, expand housing and services, and attempt to prevent homelessness before it happens, according to the administration. (Thornton, 12/19)

The Hill: Divided Congress May Drive Biden To The Power Of The Pen
President Biden will likely be forced to ramp up administrative actions to advance his agenda next year, when a divided Congress will offer him far fewer chances for legislative wins. Biden has already issued a slew of executive orders throughout his time in the White House, notably his student loan forgiveness plan, and outside groups want to see movement on more progressive issues, such as the climate, workers’ rights and marijuana reform. (Gangitano, 12/19)

Dallas Morning News: Biden Administration Doesn’t Appeal Texas Court Loss On LGBTQ Protections
The Biden administration did not appeal a recent court loss in Texas regarding federal LGBTQ protections, a decision Attorney General Ken Paxton is celebrating as a win. On October 1, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk declared unlawful two pieces of federal guidance: one that said the Affordable Care Act protects transgender patients’ access to gender-affirming care; and another that said employment protections for gay and transgender workers extend to policies like dress code, as well as what pronouns and bathrooms they use. (McGaughy, 12/19)

Politico: ‘They’ve Gotta Have Something In Place’: Critics Circle As Biden Admin Prepares For End Of Title 42
The imminent expiration of Title 42 on Wednesday has prompted concern of a surge of arrivals at the southern border, which has already been under strain from the volume of people trying to enter. Biden administration officials have scrambled to figure out how to replace the policy, which the Trump administration used more than 2 million times to expel migrants seeking asylum. (Olander, 12/18)

Stat: Early Flu Season In U.S. May Be Peaking Early, Too
This year’s abnormally early flu season is showing signs it may be peaking in parts of the country, data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Friday suggested. (Branswell, 12/16)

Axios: America's Historically Bad Flu Season May Be Peaking
"The concern is, the viruses have been so weird this year, we don’t know," Sarah Ash Combs, an emergency department physician at Children's National Hospital, told Axios. "Whereas we can typically predictively say, 'OK that was the peak, we’re now on the down spike. We don’t know: 'Is there going to be a second spike? A January, a February, a March spike?" (Reed, 12/16)

On the shortage of antivirals and antibiotics —

CIDRAP: CDC Issues Guidance On Use Of Flu Antiviral Oseltamivir Amid Limited Supply
This week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued interim guidance to physicians to prioritize treatment of the flu in high-risk patients after receiving numerous anecdotal reports of shortages of the generic antiviral drug oseltamivir in some areas of the country amid a surge of respiratory illnesses. (Van Beusekom, 12/16)

Axios: Antibiotic, Drug Shortages Highlight America's Supply Chain Problems — Again
Health systems and pharmacies are running out of antibiotics like amoxicillin and other commonly used drugs just as the worst flu season in more than a decade is colliding with RSV and a rebound of COVID cases. It highlights the U.S. vulnerabilities, yet again, when it comes to its ability to supply some of the most basic health care products — even children's Motrin. (Reed, 12/19)

The New York Times: Can A Federally Funded ‘Netflix Model’ Fix The Broken Market For Antibiotics? 
Recent shortages of amoxicillin, an effective antibiotic that pediatricians have long relied upon to treat strep throat and ear infections in children, have put a spotlight on an urgent global threat: the world’s shrinking arsenal of potent antibiotics and the lack of incentives to develop them. The broken marketplace for new antimicrobial drugs has stirred debate over a bill, languishing in Congress, that would dramatically reconfigure the way antibiotics are discovered and sold in the United States. (Jacobs, 12/16)

CNBC: White House's Covid Coordinator Urges People To Get Vaccinated Ahead Of Holidays
As Covid and flu hospitalizations have climbed in the weeks since Thanksgiving, White House’s Covid-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said families will be safer at upcoming holiday gatherings if they get their updated vaccines. (Capoot, 12/18)

Politico: White House Covid Doctor: Safe To Gather, But ... 
“We’re at a point where it’s safe to gather, but you still have things to do,” Jha said — insisting, as officials in the Biden administration have before, that the proper tools exist to manage the virus. “If you don’t do those things, obviously things can get much worse.” Those measures include testing, treatment and taking the updated booster; people who haven’t gotten a Covid-19 shot in the last six months should get the newest booster, Jha said. (Olander, 12/18)

More on how to stay healthy over the holidays —

Sacramento Bee: Are Indoor Holiday Parties Safe As COVID, Flu And RSV Spread? We Asked Three Experts
According to Dr. Matthew Eldridge, chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento: Gathering outdoors is safer than indoors; if there is an indoor gathering you want the space to be well ventilated - open doors and windows, run HVAC systems, and install high-quality air filters. Properly worn masks remain an effective option to reduce the risk of respiratory viral infections. (Pinedo, 12/17)

Kansas City Star: Kansas Citians In Recovery Face Alcohol At Holiday Parties
She just turned down another holiday invitation the other day, this one for an end-of-the-year party at a local brewery, because sometimes when Courtney Lewis is mingling at a business function where brews and spirits are being served, the earthy, buttery, sugary aromas spark a strong physical reaction: She wants to drink. (Gutierrez, 12/19)

St. Joseph News-Press: Health Department Encourages Less Screen Time Over Holidays
Just like Christmas candy, kids could get too much of a good thing when it comes to screen time during the school holiday break. The St. Joseph Health Department is reminding families to set limits on how much time kids spend using electronic devices. The average 8- to 10-year-old spends six hours a day on screen time and four hours watching TV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Simone, 12/18)

Rappahannock News: Healthy Holidays: How Are Your Elderly Parents Really Doing? 
Spending extra time with your parents enables you to notice changes in an aging loved one’s condition that may require attention. Even subtle changes can be cause for concern. (Rose, 12/18)

Also —

The Washington Post: Can Politics Kill You? Research Says The Answer Increasingly Is Yes
As the coronavirus pandemic approaches its third full winter, two studies reveal an uncomfortable truth: The toxicity of partisan politics is fueling an overall increase in mortality rates for working-age Americans. In one study, researchers concluded that people living in more conservative parts of the United States disproportionately bore the burden of illness and death linked to covid-19. The other, which looked at health outcomes more broadly, found that the more conservative a state’s policies, the shorter the lives of working-age people. (Johnson, 12/16)

NPR: Updated COVID Booster Shots Reduce The Risk Of Hospitalization, CDC Reports
Two small studies from Columbia University and Harvard University in October suggested the new shots did not produce better antibody response against the omicron BA.5 variant than boosters of the original vaccines. But the CDC came out with two studies Friday detailing the bivalent vaccine's effectiveness against COVID-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations and effectiveness against hospitalization specifically among older people. (Ahn, 12/18)

CIDRAP: Bivalent COVID-19 Boosters May Cut Risk Of Severe Disease By More Than Half 
Updated bivalent (two-strain) mRNA booster shots, which target the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 sublineages of COVID-19 and the original strain, cut the risk of contracting severe COVID-19 by up to 57%, according to a study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report today, but most Americans have yet to get the shot since they were made available on Sep 1.A second study today in the same journal shows the bivalent boosters are particularly effective at preventing hospitalizations in elderly Americans. (Soucheray, 12/16)

More on the covid vaccine rollout —

The Hill: GOP Governor Challenges DeSantis On Vaccines: ‘We Shouldn’t Undermine Science’ 
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on Sunday challenged a call from Florida’s GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis to investigate COVID-19 vaccines, arguing Republicans should not “undermine science” and medical experts. ... “We shouldn’t undermine science. We shouldn’t undermine the medical community that’s very important to our public health,” he said. “We are not good as a society, it’s not the right direction, if we diminish the facts, we diminish all the best information that we have from science at the time.” (Dress, 12/18)

Bloomberg Law: Hospitals Pressured On Covid Shots As Nursing Homes Fear Surge
Nursing homes—facing labor shortages, limited bed space, and faltering Covid-19 vaccination rates—want hospitals to provide seniors with updated booster shots before discharging them to their facilities. About 90% of new nursing home arrivals come directly from hospitals. It’s unclear, however, what percentage have received Covid boosters or vaccinations because hospitals aren’t required to track the information. (Pugh, 12/19)

CIDRAP: Lack Of Rural US Healthcare Access Led To COVID Vaccine Disparities, Data Show 
A study in The Lancet Regional Health finds that wide disparities in healthcare capacity in the United States, particularly in rural areas, hampered COVID-19 vaccination efforts during the pandemic. ... The average number of medical doctors per 1,000 in low-vaccinated counties was 0.19 compared to 0.81 in high-vaccinated ones. While most research has focused on vaccine hesitancy as being a lead cause of regional vaccine disparities in the United States, this study showed lack of healthcare coverage also contributed to gaps between urban and rural Americans. (Soucheray, 12/16)

The Boston Globe: How Boston Closed The Racial Gap In Vaccinations And Is Tackling New Disparities In Bivalent Boosters
As COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths climb in Massachusetts and across the country for the third winter in a row, public health officials worry that only 11.8 percent of Boston residents have received the Omicron-specific bivalent booster. Those numbers are even lower in communities that have disproportionately struggled with COVID-19, such as Black and Latino communities. (Mohammed, 12/18)

And on vaccine development —

NBC News: How The Race For A Covid Vaccine Enriched Monkey Poachers And Endangered Macaques
The smuggling of monkeys caught in the wild is believed to have been going on for years due to the colossal demand for laboratory monkeys in the U.S. (Schapiro, Schecter, W. Lehren and Delgado, 12/17)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Hospital Beds Drop To Lowest Availability Of Pandemic
The number of available Los Angeles County hospital beds has fallen to its lowest level of the pandemic, the result not only of the enduring threat of COVID-19 and the reemergence of flu and RSV, but also the needs of a populace that put off nonemergency care. (Money, Lin II and Alpert Reyes, 12/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Hospitals Are Filling With COVID Patients. Here’s How They’re Faring
In March 2020, Dr. Jorge Bernett saw his first-ever COVID-19 patient, a young man from Contra Costa County on a ventilator. “He gestures for a piece of paper and pen, and he writes, ‘Am I going to live?’” recalled Bernett, an infectious diseases doctor with John Muir Health. The patient survived. (Hao, 12/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: Should Everyone Get Paxlovid As Soon As They Test Positive For COVID?
California health officials are sounding a different tune on what people sick with COVID should do when they test positive. But their new guidance contradicts current federal recommendations — suggesting California is going its own way as coronavirus cases soar in the state. (Vainshtein, 12/16)

In global covid news —

The Washington Post: New Models Predict At Least 1 Million Deaths In China Amid Covid Surge
A fast-spreading covid-19 outbreak in China has researchers predicting a surge in virus-related deaths next year, with several analyses forecasting more than 1 million fatalities in a country that until now has largely kept the coronavirus in check. (Westfall, 12/18)

CIDRAP: Liver Drug Unproven For COVID Prevention In High Demand In China
In anticipation of COVID-19 surges in China after last week's easing of public health restrictions, the demand for the generic liver drug ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has risen dramatically, but manufacturers say they can't keep up, and experts warn about the limited nature of the study fueling the demand, Scrip reports. UDCA is used for the treatment of gallstones and for liver diseases involving a slowing or blockage of bile from the liver (eg, primary biliary cirrhosis). (Van Beusekom, 12/16)

Bloomberg: Clinton Health Access Initiative Ships Pfizer Covid Drugs Paxlovid To Africa
The Covid Treatment Quick Start Consortium delivered its first shipment of Paxlovid, a Covid-19 treatment made by Pfizer Inc., to Africa on Monday with 1,000 courses of the drug arriving in Zambia. (Sguazzin, 12/19)

Also —

Axios: What The Health Headlines Told Us About 2022
The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the baby formula shortage overshadowed the COVID pandemic in generating interest among registered voters this year, per a Morning Consult analysis shared first with Axios. (Reed, 12/19)

The New York Times: Vatican Removes Anti-Abortion Activist From The Priesthood
A well-known Catholic priest and incendiary leader of the anti-abortion movement was removed from the priesthood by the Vatican, according to a letter from Pope Francis’ representative to the United States that was obtained by The New York Times. Frank Pavone, who leads the advocacy organization Priests for Life, and was once a religious adviser to former President Donald J. Trump, was dismissed from the clergy on Nov. 9 with no possibility of appeal, the letter states. The letter included a statement about the removal, called laicization, that it said was approved by the Dicastery for the Clergy, a Vatican office. (Dias and Graham, 12/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Vatican Dismisses U.S. Antiabortion Activist From Priesthood 
Mr. Pavone didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday but seemed to allude to his dismissal on Twitter, writing: “So in every profession, including the priesthood, if you defend the #unborn, you will be treated like them!” Pope Francis‘ envoy to the U.S., Archbishop Christophe Pierre, wrote to U.S. bishops in a Dec. 13 letter, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, to inform them of Mr. Pavone’s dismissal. Archbishop Pierre said the Vatican had informed him that Mr. Pavone had been dismissed from the priesthood on Nov. 9, with “no possibility of appeal.” (Rocca, 12/18)

In other news, the pope says he will resign if he is medically impaired —

The Wall Street Journal: Pope Francis Says He Has Written Resignation Letter In Case Of Incapacity 
Pope Francis said he signed a letter of resignation in the first year of his reign to provide for the possibility that he would become incapable of fulfilling his duties. “I signed it and said, ‘If I should become impaired for medical reasons or whatever, here is my resignation,’” the pope told the Spanish daily newspaper ABC in an interview published Sunday. (Rocca, 12/18)

More on reproductive health —

NPR: A Rise In Demand For Training To Become An Abortion Doula
Lauren Overman has a suggested shopping list for her clients preparing to get an abortion. The list includes: a heating pad, a journal, aromatherapy oils – things that could bring them some physical or emotional comfort after the procedure. Overman is an abortion doula. (Donnelly, 12/19)

The New York Times: ‘I’m Not Ready’: A Mother Denied An Abortion In Texas Faces An Uncertain Future 
Last year Tamara Nelson was a pregnant mother of three, denied an abortion under Texas’ restrictive laws. More recently, she told fund-raising gala attendees how Blue Haven Ranch, a faith-based, anti-abortion nonprofit, supported her when no one else would. ... Cason is now nearly 6 months old and Ms. Nelson has some freelance work as a bookkeeper, but she worries about how she will make it on her own. “I’m not ready for that,” she said. (Williamson, 12/18)

The Texas Tribune: Black Women Face Greater Risks During Pregnancy, Childbirth In Texas
Nakeenya Wilson was at a meeting of Texas’ maternal mortality review committee when she got the call: Her sister, who had recently had a baby, was having a stroke. Wilson raced to the hospital, leaving behind a stack of files documenting the stories of women who had died from pregnancy and childbirth complications. Many of the women in those files were Black, just like Wilson, who experienced a traumatic delivery herself. (Klibanoff, 12/17)

The 19th: ‘Slavery On The Ballot’ Votes Could Make Prisons Safer For Pregnant People Of Color
During the midterm elections, five states — Alabama, Oregon, Vermont, Louisiana, and Tennessee — put to vote initiatives purported to prohibit the use of slavery and indentured servitude as a punishment for crime, an antiquated allowance given by the 13th Amendment 157 years ago this month that prisons across the country still use. (Gilyard, 12/16)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Popular ‘Heart-Healthy’ Dietary Supplements Don’t Lower Cholesterol, New Cleveland Clinic Study Suggests
If you’re taking fish oil or garlic pills to lower cholesterol, a new Cleveland Clinic study suggests it’s a waste of money. Six commonly used dietary supplements marketed for improving heart health did not lower “bad cholesterol” when compared to a low-dose cholesterol-lowering medication or placebo, in the Clinic study. (Washington, 12/19)

In other health and wellness news —

Chicago Tribune: Gas Stoves Could Be Banned In 2023, Top Federal Official Says
Citing studies that link gas stoves to health problems, including asthma in children, a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission official said his agency will begin a formal review process that could lead to new regulations. (Schoenberg, 12/17)

NPR: Should You Worry About Lead In Your Dark Chocolate Bar?
Dark chocolate has long been touted as having health benefits. We've been told it can improve our moods, decrease inflammation and even increase blood flow. But some researchers are now warning of heavy metals in some of our favorite dark chocolate bars. (Ahn, 12/17)

Fox News: CDC Investigating Multistate Outbreak Of Norovirus Stemming From Raw Texas Oysters
Eight states are among those impacted by an outbreak of norovirus linked to raw oysters from Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Along with the Lone Star state, others include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee. (Salvatore, 12/18)

KHN: HIV Outbreak Persists As Officials Push Back Against Containment Efforts
Brooke Parker has spent the past two years combing riverside homeless encampments, abandoned houses, and less traveled roads to help contain a lingering HIV outbreak that has disproportionately affected those who live on society’s margins. She shows up to build trust with those she encounters and offers water, condoms, referrals to services, and opportunities to be tested for HIV — anything she can muster that might be useful to someone in need. (Sisk, 12/19)

The New York Times: Why Many Older Women Are Getting Pap Tests They Don’t Need
“Stopping at 65 is not OK for every woman,” said Sarah Feldman, a gynecologic oncologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and the co-author of an editorial accompanying Dr. Qin’s study. Some women are deemed high-risk because of a history of cervical cancer or precancerous lesions, or because of compromised immune systems. These women should continue screening, sometimes for as long as 25 years after a positive test result, Dr. Feldman said. (Span, 12/18)

KHN: After Tuition, Books, And Room And Board, Colleges’ Rising Health Fees Hit A Nerve
You’ve compared tuition. Reviewed on-campus housing costs. Even digested student meal plan prices. But have you thought about how much your son’s or daughter’s dream school will charge for health coverage? You might be in for a shock. (Galewitz, 12/19)

Anchorage Daily News: Department Of Justice Investigation Finds Alaska Unnecessarily Institutionalizes Children, Violating Federal Law
A major U.S. Department of Justice investigation has concluded that children in Alaska with mental health issues are “forced to endure unnecessary and unduly long” institutionalization in locked psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment facilities because no alternatives exist. (Theriault Boots, 12/16)

In news about online mental health care —

Bloomberg: Online Pharmacy Truepill Wrongly Filled Prescriptions For ADHD, DEA Says
US drug enforcement officials are considering prohibiting online pharmacy Truepill from dispensing controlled substances after alleging that the company wrongly filled thousands of prescriptions for ADHD medicines such as Adderall. (Swetlitz, 12/16)

The Wall Street Journal: The Failed Promise Of Online Mental-Health Treatment 
Remote treatment of mental-health problems surged in the pandemic, as in-person treatment became difficult while pandemic-driven isolation increased anxiety and depression. Digital mental-health companies plunged in, promising to provide millions with access to high-quality care by video, phone, and messaging. Many of the businesses, however, put a premium on growth. Investor-backed, they deployed classic Silicon Valley tactics such as spending heavily on advertising and expansion while often using contractors instead of employees to control costs. A strategy designed for mundane businesses such as food delivery, the formula can be badly suited to the sensitive activity of treating mental-health problems. (Winkler, 12/18)

In other mental health news —

NBC News: ADHD In Women: Symptoms Start In Childhood, But Often Missed
A growing number of adult women in the United States have been diagnosed with and are seeking treatment for ADHD, a development experts attribute to a long history of psychologists, parents and teachers overlooking symptoms in young girls. (Hopkins, 12/17)

The Washington Post: Cyberbullying Affects Almost Half Of American Teens. Parents May Be Unaware.
A new survey about teens and social media shows that nearly half of teens say they have been cyberbullied. In a separate survey administered to a parent of each teen, the adults ranked cyberbullying as sixth out of eight concerns about social media. Their top concern was their child being exposed to explicit content. The survey results, released by Pew this week, aren’t surprising, says to Devorah Heitner, author of “Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World.” “There’s just so much online aggression — aggression because of online disinhibition and the ways that we forget there’s another human being on the other end of the screen.” (Chang, 12/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Problem Gambling Is On The Rise Among Young Men 
Jonathan Jones traces his gambling struggles back to a videogame he played in the fifth grade. Using lunch money or stealing small amounts from his parents, he would buy gaming gift cards and redeem them to spin a virtual wheel of fortune to collect prizes, such as weapons or armor, that could help him win the game, Zu Online, which is now discontinued. He would keep paying to spin again and again, a behavior that he says became compulsive and continued into other games. (Ansberry, 12/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Drug Companies Join Medical Psychedelic Movement—But Without The High
Drug developers are designing new psychedelic compounds to treat depression and other mental-health conditions but skip the trip. Mind-bending psychedelics including MDMA (aka “ecstasy”), “magic mushrooms” and LSD are being studied as potential treatments for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction. Dozens of companies and academic laboratories are also making changes to the structure of those drugs, or designing similar compounds, to take advantage of their therapeutic properties without the high. (Hernandez and Abbott, 12/18)

Chicago Tribune: NFL Awards $200K To Chicago’s Crisis Assistance Response And Engagement Team
The NFL’s social justice arm will help Chicago extend its mental health resources in 2023 thanks to the Inspire Change social justice initiative. The endeavor announced that Chicago’s Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement team will receive $200,000 in grant money from the organization. The CDC estimates there have been at least 13 million illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations and 7,300 deaths, including 21 pediatric deaths, from the seasonal flu. (Rockett, 12/18)

Also —

The Washington Post: How To Ask – And Talk – About Suicidal Thoughts 
Roughly half of people who die by suicide don’t reveal or hint at their intentions beforehand. Research on people who have experienced suicidal thoughts reveals they might fear the person they confide in will call the police and have them hospitalized. Or they may cherish their privacy, fear burdening people with worry, dread others’ reactions or judgment, or just not want to be stopped from carrying out their suicide plan. (Freedenthal, 12/18)

If you are in need of help —

Dial 9-8-8 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.

The Boston Globe: ‘It’s An Ugly Year In Health Care’: Hospitals Report Record Losses In 2022
Hospital executives in Massachusetts had hoped 2022 would mark the beginning of their recovery from the financial losses of the past two years. Instead, many experienced their worst financial performance since their modern hospital systems were formed. (Bartlett, 12/16)

Modern Healthcare: Mass General Brigham Eyes Cost Cuts After Annual Loss Of $2B+
Mass General Brigham is the latest health system to have its financial performance take a hit from inflation and workforce issues. As a result, it is looking to cut expenses. (Hudson, 12/16)

In nursing home updates and other news —

NBC News: New York Attorney General Letitia James Sues Owners Of Long Island Nursing Home
New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing the owners of a Long Island nursing home who also have stakes of dozens of other facilities nationwide. It is the third suit she has filed in six weeks alleging financial fraud and abuse of nursing home residents. (Strickler, 12/16)

The Boston Globe: At A Tewksbury Nursing Home, Labor Shortage Reveals An Industry In Distress
Frank Romano spends $10,000 a month advertising nursing home jobs at Blaire House of Tewksbury. He offers registered nurses $4,000 signing bonuses and takes over their student loan payments when they come onboard. (Johnston, 12/17)

Stat: Sports Medicine Is Racing To Improve How Injuries Are Treated
Whether they’re in a World Cup match or an Olympic race, injuries can be devastating for elite athletes — particularly when they prove difficult to treat quickly. (Williamson-Lee, 12/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Fentanyl Awareness Campaign Urges Parents To ‘Drop The F-Bomb’ With Their Kids 
A new campaign from the Ad Council and Meta Platforms Inc. is encouraging parents of teen and young-adult children to speak to them about the dangers of fentanyl. ... The campaign, which is set to roll out Wednesday, includes videos of parents having conversations with children about the risks of fentanyl. In one, a father says he is “about to go drop the F-bomb” with his daughter. The videos will initially appear on Meta social-media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The Ad Council also aims to expand the campaign beyond Meta platforms, including with digital display ads on other websites. (Graham, 12/13)

Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota Opioid Treatment Clinics Overwhelmed As Needs Rise, Staffs Shrink 
Duluth’s Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment is the only licensed opioid treatment program across Minnesota’s Arrowhead, a territory roughly the size of Massachusetts. Its ClearPath Clinic has space for 475 people; some drive for hours to meet with a counselor or re-up on methadone. It’s a lifeline for those trying to break free of addiction. Now, though, the clinic is full. (Wiley, 12/19)

Bangor Daily News: More Detox Beds Not The Best Use Of Bangor’s $20 Million Public Fund, Says Facility Head
Creating more beds for people to detox from alcohol or drugs is one of many potential uses for Bangor’s $20 million in pandemic relief funds, but the head of Bangor’s primary detox center said there are better uses for the money. (O'Brien, 12/19)

The State: SC Considers Fentanyl-Induced Homicide Law Amid Drug Crisis 
Senate President Thomas Alexander ... recently reintroduced a fentanyl-specific drug-induced homicide bill that passed the Senate unanimously last year and said he’s hopeful it will become law in 2023. Drug-induced homicide laws, which are on the books in roughly two-dozen states, allow prosecutors to charge drug suppliers in fatal overdoses. A similar fentanyl-specific drug-induced homicide bill has been introduced in the House, and lawmakers in both chambers have filed bills before the Jan. 10 legislative session that criminalize fentanyl trafficking to close what some describe as a “loophole” that prevents dealers from facing more than drug possession charges. (Koeske, 12/18)

On overdose treatments —

NPR: People Dying Of Opioid Overdoses May Get Better Access To Life-Saving Meds
"If somebody has access to these life-saving medications, it cuts their mortality risk by 50 percent," says Dr. Linda Wang, a researcher who treats patients with addiction at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "It has a huge impact preventing death." But as fatal opioid overdoses surge in the U.S., topping 80,000 deaths last year, access to these medications remains severely limited. (Mann, 12/17)

Bay Area News Group: Fentanyl Overdose: Are Bay Area Schools Trained On Narcan, Ready To Use It?
The student gasped for breath. Her eyes widened. Her pupils shrunk.Slumping in a chair in a conference room at W.C. Overfelt High School in late October, she was showing all the signs of overdosing on the powerful opioid fentanyl. (Nickerson and Prodis Sulek, 12/18)

KHN: A Montana Addiction Clinic Wants To Motivate People With Rewards. Then Came A Medicaid Fraud Probe
A Montana addiction clinic’s plan to give people with substance use disorders as much as $1,966.50 in gift cards and vouchers to follow its treatment program is raising questions about the use of financial incentives with patients. The tug of war over the effective but largely unregulated tool is playing out in the northwestern Montana town of Kalispell, where a local government grant is financing rewards for people who stick with treatment provided by the outpatient clinic Oxytocin. (Houghton, 12/19)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Defendants' Access To Medical Treatment In Jail Not A Factor In Bail Decisions, NH Supreme Court Rules
Judges in New Hampshire are not allowed to consider whether denying bail to a defendant with medical conditions jeopardizes their safety while incarcerated, according to an unanimous opinion released Friday by the New Hampshire Supreme Court. (Bookman, 12/16)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

Bloomberg: Avon Hit With $40 Million Verdict In California Talc Lawsuit
Avon Products Inc. was ordered by a California jury to pay $10.3 million in punitive damages to a woman who blamed her cancer on talc in its cosmetics, in the first such case the company has lost in US litigation. (Feeley, 12/16)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: When COVID Hit, Churches Became The Largest USDA Child Nutrition Providers In Missouri
When the pandemic prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to loosen the rules over its child nutrition programs, two churches quickly became the largest program sponsors in Missouri. (Barker, 12/18)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Mpox Outbreak May Be Nearing An End In Nevada
With cases of monkeypox — or mpox, as it’s now being called — slowing to a trickle, is the outbreak over? “I can’t say it’s eradicated,” Cassius Lockett with the Southern Nevada Health District said of the once-rare virus that has triggered outbreaks around the globe this year. (Hynes, 12/16)

St. Louis Public Radio: Nonprofit Doorways Expands Focus On Housing In St. Louis
Founded in 1988, the nonprofit Doorways has spent decades connecting people living with HIV/AIDS with housing. However, for much of its existence, the nonprofit resorted to placing clients in emergency or “flex” housing by renting rooms in motels and boarding houses until permanent housing could be found. But one night, Opal Jones, the nonprofit’s president and CEO, realized that the system needed to be more than just a decentralized collection of short-term living spaces. (Wicentowski, 12/16)

Bloomberg: Amazon Cited By OSHA For Failing To Record Warehouse Injuries
Amazon.com Inc. failed to record injuries and illnesses at warehouses around the US, according to federal workplace safety regulators, a finding that undermines the company’s pledges to improve worker safety in its facilities. (Soper, 12/16)

NBC News: What’s Helping The ‘Tripledemic’ Spread? Working Parents Without Paid Sick Time
Parents without paid sick days are nearly twice as likely to send a sick child to school or child care — the inevitable result of the impossible choice between caring for their children and providing for them. (Molly Weston Williamson, 12/17)

The Atlantic: No One Wants Your Cold
I asked Jay Varma, a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College who formerly worked for the CDC, if there are any symptoms a person just doesn’t want to mess with in terms of getting other people sick. (Caroline Mimbs Nyce, 12/16)

Los Angeles Times: We Have To Face Our COVID-19 Pandemic Stumbles - Before We Forget Them
Now that we have vaccines and rapid tests and Paxlovid for COVID-19 — not to mention boundless supplies of KN95 face masks and toilet paper — it’s easy to forget the early days of the pandemic when we had none of those things. (12/18)

The Boston Globe: What’s Wrong With Health Care, And How To Fix It 
Why is the US health care system more than willing to pay for expensive hospitalizations and procedures but unable to prevent debilitating and expensive medical conditions in the first place — for example, by controlling a patient’s high blood pressure and diabetes before they lead to kidney failure? (Jeffrey L. Schnipper, 12/19)

Los Angeles Times: Desperate Abortion Foes Resort To New Tactics While Pregnant People Find Ways To Thwart Them 
Illegal abortion is back, and — dare I say? — it’s better than ever. Did our ultraconservative Supreme Court, so out of step with 21st century America, really think that overturning nearly 50 years of legal precedent would end elective abortion in America? (Robin Abcarian, 12/18)

The Washington Post: A Compromise On The Military Covid Vaccine Mandate 
Many readers vehemently disagreed with my recent column in favor of ending the coronavirus vaccine mandate for the military. As they argue, there is a key difference between the military and everyone else: Force readiness is a matter of national security, and even a small reduction in infection or severe disease is worth a mandate. (Leana S. Wen, 12/18)

CNN: The Problem With How Many Are Talking About TWitch's Death
Like millions of people around the world, I am processing the heartbreaking news that Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss died from suicide this week. Having lost too many people I love to mental health challenges like depression, addiction, trauma and hopelessness – all of whom died from suicide – I’m feeling so heavy with emotion right now. You might be, too. (Mel Robbins, 12/16)

Stat: Lawmakers Should Expand Access To Dental Therapists
Northern Maine and southern California don’t seem to have a lot in common — until you start looking for affordable, accessible dental care. In such disparate communities, and thousands in between, millions of Americans can’t access the dental care they need. (Louis W. Sullivan and Caswell A. Evans, 12/19)