The New York Times: Rite Aid Files For Bankruptcy, Facing Slumping Sales And Opioid Suits 
Rite Aid, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, filed for bankruptcy on Sunday, weighed down by billions of dollars in debt, declining sales and more than a thousand federal, state and local lawsuits claiming it filled thousands of illegal prescriptions for painkillers. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey. Its largest creditors include the pharmaceutical company McKesson Corporation and the insurer Humana Health. The pharmacy has raised $3.45 billion to fund its operations while it is in bankruptcy, during which it expects to continue to operate its stores and serve its customers. (Holman and Hirsch, 10/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Rite Aid Files For Bankruptcy, Undone By Years Of Losses
Your local Rite Aid could soon disappear, a casualty of years of losses and failed mergers. In the end, Rite Aid was too small and too poor to pay the costs of lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic. Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy on Sunday in New Jersey, unable to find the money to settle hundreds of federal, state and private lawsuits alleging it oversupplied prescription painkillers. The filing puts all those suits on hold. (Nassauer and Gladstone, 10/15)

In other news about the opioid crisis —

SciTechDaily: Prisons: The Unexpected Answer To The Opioid Epidemic?
With opioid overdose deaths surging in the United States, many communities are urgently seeking effective solutions. A recent Rutgers-led study has identified strengthening prison reentry programs for the highest-risk users as one of the most promising interventions. (10/15)

Kansas City Star: Dozens Of Missouri, Kansas Toddlers Die Of Fentanyl Overdoses
The boy’s tiny lifeless body lay on a bed last year inside a home along The Paseo. When Kansas City police officers found 2-year-old Cillian Miller in August 2022, he was wearing only a green T-shirt and was naked from the waist down. Most of his body was covered in a blanket except his feet, which were already discolored, court records show. Strewn throughout the home were new and used syringes, glass pipes and “multiple strips of foil with apparent burnt residue.” One pipe was left underneath a partially eaten McDonald’s cheeseburger on the dining room table. And somewhere inside that home, the child came across fentanyl. (Bauer and Thomas, 10/12)

Mississippi Clarion-Ledger: A Look At What Mississippi Is Doing To Decrease Overdoses In The State
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Mississippi discovered that only 37% of pharmacies in Mississippi had Narcan immediately available and more than 40% of pharmacies were unwilling to dispense the drug. (Drape, 10/16)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Fentanyl Crisis Started Long Before Spike In Border Crossings, Experts Say.
Migrants account for only a tiny fraction of drug traffickers, and the influx of fentanyl began long before Mr. Biden took office in 2021, according to experts in law enforcement, immigration and prevention. (Kail, 10/15)

Also —

New Haven Independent: Yale Fertility Clinic Patients Launch New Lawsuit Over Fentanyl Diversion
Seven former patients at a Yale fertility clinic have launched a new lawsuit against the university — in the latest turn in a high-profile scandal involving fentanyl theft and excruciatingly painful procedures for patients who were told they were getting painkillers, but wound up being operated on sober. (Shirnekhi, 10/14)

Medical Xpress: Opioid Limits Didn't Change Surgery Patients' Experience, Study Shows
Worries that surgery patients would have a tougher recovery if their doctors had to abide by a five-day limit on opioid pain medication prescriptions didn't play out as expected, a new study finds. Instead, patient-reported pain levels and satisfaction didn't change at all for Michigan adults who had their appendix or gallbladder removed, a hernia repaired, a hysterectomy or other common operations after the state's largest insurer put the limit in place, the study shows. (10/13)

AP: Annual Window To Shop For Medicare Advantage Plans Returns On Sunday 
Open enrollment for Medicare opens Sunday, and seniors could have dozens of options. During the enrollment period, which ends Dec. 7, people will have the opportunity to choose between traditional Medicare and privately run Medicare Advantage plans in their area, as well as prescription drug plans. But research shows that most people don’t bother shopping. (Murphy, 10/13)

KFF Health News: Medicare Enrollees Can Switch Coverage Now. Here’s What’s New And What To Consider
Consumers know it’s fall when stores start offering Halloween candy and flu shots — and airwaves and mailboxes are filled with advertisements for Medicare options. It’s annual open enrollment time again for the 65 million Americans covered by Medicare, the federal health program for older people and some people with disabilities. (Appleby, 10/16)

Stat: What's Changing In Medicare's Open Enrollment This Year?
It’s the middle of October — the time of year that’s filled with pumpkin spice lattes, jumbo-sized bags of Halloween candy, and endless advertisements to sign up for Medicare. Medicare’s annual enrollment period kicked off Sunday and runs through Dec. 7, allowing eligible older adults and people with disabilities to sign up for traditional Medicare coverage or Medicare Advantage, the alternative option that is run by health insurance companies. (Herman, 10/15)

Vox: Medicare Vs. Medicare Advantage: What You Need To Know About Privatization Efforts 
If you’re signing up for Medicare benefits this open enrollment, odds are you aren’t actually enrolling in the traditional government program that people may envision. More than half of Medicare beneficiaries are now choosing an alternative version of the program administered by private companies. Medicare, the paragon of America’s welfare state, is undergoing a subtle but fundamental transformation from government program to public benefit provided by private companies, a shift with major implications for both patients and taxpayers. This alternative version of Medicare, known as Medicare Advantage, now covers more than half of the program’s 60 million enrollees, or about 31 million Americans — nearly double its share 10 years ago. (Scott, 10/16)

Axios: Medicare Advantage's Growth Spurt Brings Tensions
If trends hold, more people will choose a Medicare Advantage plan over traditional Medicare during the open enrollment season that began Sunday. That's amping up concern about the way plans are marketed, how the government pays insurers who administer benefits and the way they've turned down millions of requests for coverage of services and drugs. (Goldman, 10/16)

The New York Times: Medicare Open Enrollment Is Starting. Here’s How To Navigate The Ad Blitz
If you’re enrolled in Medicare, you might want to turn off your television this time of year. In the weeks ahead, the airwaves will be flooded with advertisements promoting insurance plans during Medicare’s open enrollment period, which will start on Sunday and end Dec. 7. ... But government officials and researchers have voiced rising concerns about the way these plans are marketed to more than 66 million Americans covered by Medicare, considering the complexity — and importance — of enrollment decisions. (Miller, 10/15)

The Motley Fool: Here's A Good Reason To Delay Your Medicare Enrollment
You can get Medicare coverage at age 65. Here's why you may not want to. (Backman, 10/16)

On Medicare Advantage ratings —

Modern Healthcare: Centene, Elevance See Medicare Advantage Star Ratings Dip In 2024
Medicare Advantage insurers will lose hundreds of millions of dollars in 2024 amid another year of lower star ratings, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revealed Friday. For the 2024 plan year, 42% of plans with prescription drug coverage are rated at least four stars out of five and will receive bonuses from the quality ratings program, down from 51% this year. Nonprofit insurers outperformed for-profit companies: 56% of nonprofit Medicare Advantage carriers will earn bonuses compared with 36% of for-profit companies, according to CMS data. (Tepper, 10/13)

Axios: Medicare Advantage Star Ratings Fall Again
Medicare Advantage plans' average star ratings have fallen for the second straight year, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The ratings are a closely watched metric intended to help seniors pick better-performing plans, based on up to 40 quality measures. The scores also determine if insurers qualify for bonuses from Medicare, and consumers can switch into the highest-scoring plans year-round. (Goldman, 10/16)

More Medicare updates —

Stat: Medicare Urged To Lower Insurance Hurdles Amid Avastin Shortage
Due to a shortage of a widely used compounded medicine for serious eye diseases, two leading ophthalmologic groups want Medicare contractors to halt practices that limit coverage of other — albeit costlier — treatments over concerns about patient access. (Silverman, 10/13)

Insurance Business America: Cigna Expands Medicare Advantage Presence To Nevada
Cigna has announced the expansion of its Medicare Advantage (MA) presence to Nevada. The health insurance giant said it would launch the MA plan in two Las Vegas-area counties with a $0 premium plan. Cigna already offers Medicare Supplement plans and stand-alone prescription drug plans throughout the state. The plan will initially be available to Medicare-eligible customers during Medicare’s annual enrollment period, which began Sunday and extends through Dec. 7. The plan will take effect Jan. 1. (Smith, 10/16)

Forbes: RSV Vaccines Aren’t Covered By Medicare For These Vulnerable Groups
Some seniors and pregnant people—among the most vulnerable to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—are forced to pay out of pocket (upwards of $300) for an RSV vaccine this year due to a loophole that means it’s not covered under all Medicare plans. (Johnson, 10/13)

Stat: Medicare To Cover More Brain Scans Related To Alzheimer’s Drugs
Medicare has officially expanded its coverage policy for brain scans that detect a brain plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease, the agency announced on Friday. Amyloid PET scans are important tools to help determine whether patients with mild cognitive impairment are good candidates for new Alzheimer’s drugs, including Eisai and Biogen’s drug Leqembi, which means there will likely be an increase in demand for the scans as uptake increases. (Cohrs, 10/13)

Also —

The New York Times: Scientists Investigating Alzheimer’s Drug Faulted In Leaked Report
A neuroscientist whose studies undergird an experimental Alzheimer’s drug was “reckless” in his failure to keep or provide original data, an offense that “amounts to significant research misconduct,” an investigation by his university has concluded. The drug, simufilam, is made by Cassava Sciences, a pharmaceutical company based in Texas, and is in advanced clinical trials. The neuroscientist, Hoau-Yan Wang, a professor at the City College of New York, frequently collaborated with Lindsay H. Burns, the company’s chief scientist, on studies that outside experts and journals have called into question. (Mandavilli, 10/14)

ScienceAlert: This Protein May Protect Against Alzheimer's, Scientists Say
In the search for a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, researchers have zeroed in on a protein with protective effects. A new study reveals how cholesterol and inflammation in different types of human brain cells interact with a protein called ABCA7, which regulates how molecules pass through cell membranes. Reduced levels of ABCA7 in human brain cells may be a trigger for Alzheimer's, and the team thinks their new information could be used to develop treatments. (Dyer, 10/15)

Healthline: Are Walking Difficulties An Early Sign Of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Research published on October 11 in the journal Current BiologyTrusted Sourcefinds that difficulty with navigation while walking could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s. Researchers said that “impaired path integration,” which involves understanding distance and direction in order to sense your location, could be a sign of early Alzheimer’s disease (AD).” (Vogel, 10/13)

In news about Parkinson's disease —

The New York Times: Wearables Track Parkinson’s Better Than Human Observation, Study Finds
An Oxford University researcher and her team showed that digital wearable devices can track the progression of Parkinson’s disease in an individual more effectively than human clinical observation can, according to a newly published paper. By tracking more than 100 metrics picked up by the devices, researchers were able to discern subtle changes in the movements of subjects with Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disease that afflicts 10 million people worldwide. (Richtel, 10/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Gov. Newsom Signs Health Care Worker Minimum Wage Bill
Hundreds of thousands of California health care workers are poised to receive wage increases under a bill signed late Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom that will gradually raise the minimum wage for health industry workers to $25 an hour over the next several years. The legislation, introduced by State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, makes California the first state to enact a minimum wage for health industry workers. (Ho, 10/13)

AP: California Gov. Newsom Signs Law To Slowly Raise Health Care Workers’ Minimum Wage To $25 Per Hour
Several city councils in California had already passed local laws to raise the minimum wage for health care workers. The health care industry then qualified referendums asking voters to block those increases. Labor unions responded by qualifying a ballot initiative in Los Angeles that would limit the maximum salaries for hospital executives. The law Newsom signed Friday would preempt those local minimum wage increases. (Beam, 10/13)

Bay Area News Group: What Did Newsom Sign -- And Veto -- This Legislative Season?
Gov. Gavin Newsom has finished off this year’s legislative session, signing 890 bills -- and rejecting 156 others -- over the last several weeks. In his final day of bill signings Friday — the deadline was midnight Saturday — Newsom vetoed just two bills, for a total of 890 signed and 156 vetoed in 2023. That’s a slight uptick in rejecting proposed legislation that reflects both his concerns about the state’s finances in an uncertain economy, as well as his national political ambitions. (Miolene, 10/14)

In updates from Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente —

Modern Healthcare: Kaiser Permanente, Unions Make Tentative Deal
Kaiser Permanente has reached a tentative deal to resolve a labor dispute with more than 75,000 union workers. The Oakland, California-based health system and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions announced Friday that negotiators made a four-year agreement that averts further strikes. The unions had planned a second walkout for Nov. 1-8. (Devereaux, 10/13)

Capital & Main: Kaiser's Massive Mental Health Care Settlement Sends Strong Message To Providers That Ignore Patient Needs
Kaiser Permanente’s $200 million settlement with the State of California for its repeated failures to provide patients with adequate and timely mental health care was a long while coming. The deficiencies themselves? Kaiser’s own employees say they’ve been hiding in plain sight. (Kreidler, 10/13)

More health news from California —

The New York Times: California’s Ban On Red Food Dye Puts FDA On The Spot 
Thirty-three years after the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in red lipstick and other cosmetics by linking it to cancer, California has become the first state to ban the chemical in food. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a law this month that outlawed the red dye and three other chemicals. Red No. 3 is used in Halloween treats and other foods, including private-label candy, cookies and frostings sold at national chains such as Walmart and Target. (Jewett and Creswell, 10/14)

Los Angeles Times: UC Irvine Receives Record $653 Million In Research Funding For Fiscal 2022-23 – 12.7% More Than Previous Year
From cutting-edge research on Alzheimer’s disease to an innovative effort to include environmental justice and community engagement in climate and sustainability science research and education, University of California, Irvine scholars, scientists and physicians are blazing new paths to help change the world. And the school’s impact keeps growing. In fiscal 2022-23, which ended June 30, UCI received the most research funding in campus history: $653 million in grants and contracts. (10/15)

KFF Health News: Listen: Inroads For Women In California’s Health Care Workforce 
KFF Health News senior correspondent Angela Hart moderated a panel about women in the health care workforce for an event hosted by Capitol Weekly on Sept. 28 in Sacramento. California faces a shortfall of health care workers, especially among women. Women account for 39% of doctors in the state, according to KFF, but are beginning to make critical gains. In 2022, the percentage of medical school graduates who were women had grown to 51% in the state while the percentage of male graduates had fallen, according to Kathryn Phillips, the California Health Care Foundation’s associate director for improving access. (KFF Health News publishes California Healthline, which is an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.) (10/16)

Stat: Next-Generation Covid Vaccines Get $500 Million In Federal Funding 
The Biden administration announced Friday that it is investing in three potential vaccines and a range of new technologies aimed at staying ahead of Covid-19. The $500 million investment across 13 projects is the latest installment in the federal government’s Project NextGen, a $5 billion plan to develop new Covid-19 treatments, vaccines, and ways of delivering them. The Health and Human Services Department this summer channeled $1.4 billion to similar goals. (Owermohle, 10/13)

CIDRAP: HHS Unveils $500 Million More In ProjectNext Gen COVID Funding, Including For 3 Vaccines
HHS said the three vaccine candidates are distinct from each other and target stronger, broader, or longer-lasting immune responses. One of the candidate vaccines is a live-attenuated intranasal vaccine from Codagenix, which announced initial phase 1 clinical trial findings earlier this week. Another is a vector-based intranasal vaccine from CastleVax, a research and development arm of Mount Sinai Health Systems, which announced promising initial phase 1 findings for its vaccine in July. The third candidate vaccine is a samRNA vaccine from Gritstone Bio, which is slated to detail promising results from three ongoing phase 1 clinical trials this week at the ID Week meeting in Boston. (Schnirring, 10/13)

More on the spread of covid —

CIDRAP: US COVID Markers Trend Downward 
After a small rise from very low levels over the summer months, US COVID markers last week registered declines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest data update. Of the main severity indicators, hospitalizations declined 8.2% from the previous week, and deaths were down 3.8%. Early indicators also fell, with emergency department visits for COVID-19 down 17.7% from the past week and test positivity down 0.8%. The national test positivity rate is at 10.1%, but is a bit lower in the South and Southeast than in the rest of the country. (Schnirring, 10/13)

USA Today: Why Don't Kids Usually Get Really Sick From COVID? The Nose Knows
It has been clear since early in the coronavirus pandemic that children ‒ typically magnets for colds and the flu ‒ weren't getting very sick from COVID-19. Now, a study suggests the answer lies in their noses. The study from researchers at Stanford University and Cincinnati Children's Hospital found the immune systems of younger children typically wipe out the SARS-CoV-2 virus when it arrives in the nose. (Weintraub, 10/14)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Senate Passes Ban On COVID Vaccine Mandates By Private Businesses 
A sweeping ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates for employees of private Texas businesses passed the Texas Senate early Friday, although medical facilities would be allowed to enact other policies to help lower the risks to vulnerable patients. Senate Bill 7, by Galveston Republican Sen. Mayes Middleton, would subject private employers to state fines and other actions if they fire or punish employees or contractors who refuse the shot. (Harper, 10/13)

CIDRAP: Review Estimates 69% 3-Dose Vaccine Efficacy Against Long COVID
A meta-analysis today in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology estimates a vaccine effectiveness (VE) of 69% for three doses of COVID-19 vaccine against long COVID, while two doses offer 37% efficacy. Led by researchers at the University of Iowa, the meta-analysis involved 24 studies on COVID-19 VE against long COVID among recipients of at least two doses of a vaccine before or after infection from December 2019 to June 2023. (Van Beusekom, 10/13)

The New York Times: Lab Leak Fight Casts Chill Over Virology Research 
Questions about whether Covid leaked from a Chinese laboratory have cast a chill over American virus research, drying up funding for scientists who collect or alter dangerous pathogens and intensifying a debate over those practices. The pullback has transformed one of the most highly charged fields of medical science. While some believe such experiments could fend off the next pandemic, others worry that they are more likely to start one. (Mueller and Stolberg, 10/16)

The Charlotte Ledger and North Carolina Health News: Atrium Halts Lawsuits For Medical Debt 
Atrium Health, the state’s top collector of medical debt in recent years, has quietly stopped suing patients for unpaid medical bills. The change was praised by critics ... [However,] the change won’t help hundreds of patients who still have judgments against them and liens on their homes. (Crouch, 10/16)

In other health care industry developments —

Minnesota Public Radio: Allina Health Doctors Vote To Unionize 
Hundreds of Allina Health physicians have voted to be represented by a union, becoming what’s believed to be the largest group of unionized private-sector physicians in the country. According to the National Labor Relations Board, the initial tally was 385-200 in favor of joining the Doctors Council SEIU Local 10MD. More than 150 nurse practitioners and physician assistants also voted in the election and are eligible to join the union. (Demry, 10/14)

Stat: UnitedHealth’s Q3 Profit Jumps As Medical Costs Rise More Slowly
UnitedHealth Group has made it clear that more people, especially older adults, are seeing their doctors and getting more medical care this year. But that is certainly not dragging down the company’s profits. In the third quarter of this year, UnitedHealth’s net profit increased by more than 11%, to more than $5.8 billion, the company reported Friday. (Herman, 10/13)

Boston Globe: Dana-Farber And Brigham Grew Apart Over Cancer Care Visions 
On the Southeast Expressway, at the edge of the city, two billboards advertising cancer care loomed on the side of the road — one advertising Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the other touting the work of Mass General Cancer Center. The advertisements, posted in January, were rare public evidence of the increasingly awkward relationship between two of the region’s most prominent cancer programs. Dana-Farber provides care in partnership with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which has the same parent company as Mass General. (Bartlett, 10/15)

Modern Healthcare: The Top Diversity Leaders In Healthcare For 2023
Fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in healthcare is a long-term commitment, requiring multi-pronged solutions. After putting a large amount of resources toward DEI initiatives a few years ago, some companies are slowing those efforts. Others, like the individuals and organizations honored in Modern Healthcare’s Top Diversity Leaders in Healthcare, are continuing their work, recognizing that big changes can’t be made overnight. (10/14)

Los Angeles Times: Prominent Physician Executive Returns To MemorialCare As CEO Of Its Expanding Ambulatory Enterprise
David Kim, M.D., an accomplished and respected physician leader, has been named to serve as CEO of MemorialCare Medical Foundation, MemorialCare Medical Group, and Greater Newport Physicians, and as Executive Vice President of MemorialCare Health System’s parent entity, effective August 21. ... His appointment follows the recent retirement of Dr. Mark Schafer, who served as Chief Executive Officer of MemorialCare Medical Foundation for nearly 10 years. Dr. Kim joins MemorialCare from the Providence health system, where he successfully served as chief executive of the Providence Clinical Network. (10/15)

Modern Healthcare: Hippocratic AI’s Munjal Shah Focuses Generative AI On Staffing
As Munjal Shah, CEO of generative artificial intelligence company Hippocratic AI, looks forward, he acknowledges things at his last company didn’t work out. Shah was the founder and longtime CEO of Health IQ, an AI-enabled life insurance startup that filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in a Delaware federal court in August, listing $256 million in liabilities and $1.3 million in assets. Shah had stepped down as CEO seven months earlier, after 10 years in the role. (Perna, 10/13)

AP: A Doctors Group Calls Its 'Excited Delirium' Paper Outdated And Withdraws Its Approval 
A leading doctors group on Thursday formally withdrew its approval of a 2009 paper on “excited delirium,” a document that critics say has been used to justify excessive force by police. The American College of Emergency Physicians in a statement called the paper outdated and said the term excited delirium should not be used by members who testify in civil or criminal cases. The group’s directors voted on the matter Thursday in Philadelphia. (Johnson, 10/12)

KFF Health News: Doctors Abandon A Diagnosis Used To Justify Police Custody Deaths. It Might Live On, Anyway
Brooks Walsh hadn’t questioned whether “excited delirium syndrome” was a legitimate medical diagnosis before the high-profile police killings of Elijah McClain in Colorado in 2019 and George Floyd in Minnesota in 2020. The emergency physician in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was familiar with the term from treating patients who were so severely agitated and combative that they needed medication just to be evaluated. (Hawryluk and Rayasam, 10/16)

In other mental health news —

NBC News: 'It’s Not A Red State, Blue State Thing': Senators Form Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus
Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., don’t have much in common. They hail from opposite areas of the country, they sit on opposite sides of the aisle, and their paths to Washington couldn’t have been more different. Outside of their mutual love for dogs, Padilla and Tillis bonded over something else: their experiences caring for loved ones undergoing mental health crises. Their conversations transformed into action when, a few months later, they launched a caucus that, for the first time, would focus solely on the issue. (Tsirkin and Santaliz, 10/16)

USA Today: Trauma From Afar Of Israel-Hamas War As Loved Ones Look On
Mental health experts warn that the violent, shocking images and news about the conflict exacerbate traumatic stress. The barrage of information and images elicits a response that – even though a person has not been directly exposed to an event – can have profound effects on health and well-being. (Cuevas, 10/15)

AP: Amid A Mental Health Crisis, Toy Industry Takes On A New Role: Building Resilience 
As more children emerge from the pandemic grappling with mental health issues, their parents are seeking ways for them to build emotional resilience. And toy companies are paying close attention. While still in its early phase, a growing number of toy marketers are embracing MESH — or mental, emotional and social health — as a designation for toys that teach kids skills like how to adjust to new challenges, resolve conflict, advocate for themselves, or solve problems. (D'Innocenzio, 10/14)

Also —

San Francisco Chronicle: Youths May Sue Facebook, TikTok For Mental Harm, Judge Rules
A group of youngsters who say they suffer from addiction to social media can sue Facebook, TikTok and other platforms for practices allegedly intended to induce them to spend more time online, increasing the providers’ advertising revenue while causing mental harm to the youths, a judge ruled Friday. (Egelko, 10/13)

The New York Times: Harvard Cozies Up To #MentalHealth TikTok 
As young Americans turn to TikTok for information on mental health, the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard is building its own team of influencers. (Barry, 10/16)

The Washington Post: Blood Transfusion Crisis Puts U.S. At Risk, Doctors’ JAMA Op-Ed Says
The United States faces a “bloody transfusion problem” that is fueling preventable deaths and putting national security at risk, three military and civilian physicians write in a JAMA opinion essay. The JAMA op-ed, published Oct. 12, highlights blood transfusions’ importance in emergency care. Emergency transfusions can decrease deaths, especially when given early, the physicians write. But not enough health-care facilities and emergency vehicles are equipped for the procedures, they add, and that presents a “substantial risk to our nation’s security infrastructure.” (Blakemore, 10/15)

Read the editorial —

The Bloody Transfusion Problem

In other health and wellness news —

NBC News: Raynaud's Disease Phenomenon: Study Pinpoints Genes Which Could Lead To Better Treatments
Raynaud’s phenomenon, which causes parts of the body like the fingers and the toes to go cold and numb, likely stems from two genes, a study published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications found. The results of the study — the largest genetic study of the condition to date — could lead to more effective treatments, experts said. (Mantel, 10/13)

The Washington Post: Kids With Rare Condition To Netflix: We’re Not Products Of Toxic Waste 
Young people with ichthyosis and their families call on Netflix to remove a movie, Gandeevadhari Arjuna, that negatively portrays children with the genetic condition. (Vargas, 10/14)

AP: Elf Bar Finds An Easy Way Around US Vape Import Ban: A Name Change 
Four months after U.S. regulators tried to block imports of Elf Bar, the top-selling Chinese disposable e-cigarette remains widely available thanks to a simple but effective tactic: changing its name. Convenience stores in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York and other cities remain fully stocked with the brightly colored vapes, sold in fruity flavors like strawberry melon and claiming to contain 5,000 “puffs” per device. ... The newer vaping devices bear a different name, EBCreate, and list different Chinese manufacturers than those targeted by the FDA. (Perrone, 10/13)

The 19th: Domestic Workers Fight For Health, Safety Protections On The Job
In the United States, at least one-third of domestic workers are immigrants, although this is most likely an undercount. Many are undocumented, and therefore less likely to respond to polling or other data collection efforts. Many are Latina, and their work makes everyone else’s work possible. They clean houses and care for other people’s children. They care for older and disabled adults who need support to live their everyday lives. They do it for little pay and without recourse if they are abused or injured in their workplaces. (Luterman, 10/13)

CIDRAP: Report Highlights Deadly Botulism Outbreak In France 
Yesterday in Eurosurveillance, investigators report on an outbreak of 15 cases of botulism poisoning, including 1 death, last month during the Rugby World Cup held in Bordeaux, France. ... All three initial patients seen at the hospital reported visiting France for the rugby tournament. On September 10, French investigators questioned the three, who all reported eating home-canned sardines in the same bar and restaurant in Bordeaux. (Soucheray, 10/13)

KFF Health News: A Third Of Schools Don’t Have A Nurse. Here’s Why That’s A Problem
Jodi Bobbitt, the school nurse at William Ramsay Elementary in Alexandria, Virginia, is always ready to see children with a wide range of injuries and illnesses. One day during the first week of school, the parade started before the first bell when a little girl walked in with red, irritated eyes. Then it got busy. A student fell from the monkey bars and another tripped while playing tag. Two kids hit each other’s heads with lunchboxes and needed ice packs. A young boy had a stomachache. Bobbitt also saw her regular kiddos: one who has special needs and uses a wheelchair and another who has diabetes and gets his blood sugar checked daily before lunch. (DeGuzman, 10/16)

KFF Health News: Journalists Offer Insights On Mobile Clinics And Suicide Prevention 
KFF Health News chief rural health correspondent Sarah Jane Tribble discussed Dollar General mobile clinics on NPR’s “All Things Considered” on Oct. 11. ... KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani discussed how talking openly about suicide can be a critical part of deterring suicide deaths — even when having those discussions is challenging — on Connecticut Public’s “Where We Live” on Sept. 29. (10/14)

NBC News: As 3 Alabama Hospitals Prepare To Close Maternity Units, Fears Rise
By the end of the month, two Alabama hospitals will stop delivering babies. A third will follow suit a few weeks later. That will leave two counties — Shelby and Monroe — without any birthing hospitals, and strip a predominantly Black neighborhood in Birmingham of a sought-after maternity unit. After that, pregnant women in Shelby County will have to travel at least 17 miles farther to reach a hospital with an OB-GYN. And because the county, one of Alabama’s largest, is bordered by another whose hospital also lacks an obstetrics unit, some of those residents are also losing the closest place they could go to deliver their babies. (Harris, 10/15)

Modern Healthcare: Maternity Units Risk Closure Amid Payment, Staffing Problems
A growing number of hospitals have been forced to cut inpatient maternity services as costs rise and staffing challenges persist. Inpatient maternity care is an expensive operation, requiring specialized clinicians and equipment ready to go 24 hours a day. And payer reimbursements often fall short, clinicians say. (Hudson, 10/13)

In updates on abortion —

Source New Mexico: Legislators In 49 States Ask SCOTUS To Preserve Access To Abortion Pill 
A group of more than 600 Democratic legislators from 49 states have signed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court urging the justices to overturn an appellate court decision that would roll back access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used to safely terminate early pregnancies and treat miscarriages. The amicus brief, also called a “friend of the court” brief, was organized by State Innovation Exchange’s Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council and assembled over the past week, said Jennifer Driver, the group’s senior director of reproductive rights. Driver said State Innovation Exchange, also known as SiX, provides tools and resources for state legislators to advocate for progressive public policies after being elected to office. (Moseley-Morris, 10/16)

The Washington Post: Abortion Bans Complicate Medical Training, Risk Worsening OB/GYN Shortages 
Because of new restrictions on abortion, a generation of doctors will be ill-equipped to meet their patients’ needs because of insufficient gynecological training, experts warn. (Hutchinson, 10/13)

In election news —

The Guardian: Tennessee’s Abortion Ban Put Her At Risk – Now She’s Running For Office To Change The Law 
After 28-year-old Allie Phillips had to leave the state in order to get an abortion for a pregnancy that could endanger her life, she began to envision a law that helps families in her situation. (Sherman, 10/16)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Ohio ‘Heartbeat’ Law: Anti-Abortion Groups That Backed It Now Keeping Distance Ahead Of Nov. 7
Ohio Republicans and abortion opponents have spent years fighting for Ohio’s “heartbeat” law banning abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest. But now that they’re trying to convince voters to reject an abortion-rights amendment Nov. 7, they’ve begun to act like it doesn’t exist. (Tobias and Hancock, 10/14)

The New York Times: How Kari Lake’s Tactical Retreat On Abortion Could Point The Way For The GOP 
Kari Lake campaigned for governor of Arizona last year as a fierce ally of former President Donald J. Trump who was in lock step with her party’s right-wing base, calling abortion the “ultimate sin” and supporting the state’s Civil War-era restrictions on the procedure. This week, she made a remarkable shift on the issue as she opened her bid for the U.S. Senate: She declared her opposition to a federal ban. (Bender, 10/14)

Bloomberg: Congress Should Strike A Deal To Save PEPFAR
Fierce opposition from conservatives is casting doubt on the future of PEPFAR, the 20-year-old global anti-AIDS initiative started by President George W. Bush. In exchange for a short-term extension of the program, Republicans have insisted on attaching anti-abortion provisions to any funding. (10/13)

Chicago Tribune: In The Fight To End AIDS, Girls And Young Women Matter
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR — which has saved 25 million lives over the past 20 years and allowed 5.5 million babies to be born HIV-free — demonstrates what’s possible when leaders, countries and communities hold each other accountable and work together to advance health systems and increase access to care for vulnerable populations. (Natalie Gonnella-Platts and Hannah Johnson, 10/16)

The Washington Post: How My Wife’s Cancer Changed My Understanding Of Death 
Brittany Knupper had cancer long before I knew her. She actually had cancer before she knew she had cancer; for years, Brittany had struggled with health and skin issues that perplexed doctors. Finally, she was diagnosed with an incredibly rare cancer, the odds of which were like hitting the lottery, except it was the worst lottery that you didn’t even know you had entered. (Devin Faraci, 10/16)

The Boston Globe: Boston Needs Its Own Cancer Center. Dana-Farber, BIDMC Will Create It
Forty percent of us will develop cancer in our lifetime. Twenty percent will die from it. Despite tremendous strides in science and clinical care, the incidence of cancer is skyrocketing — due to an aging population and increasing rates of early-onset cancers among younger people. The reality is more people need more advanced care now than ever before, and even more will need it in the future. (Laurie H. Glimcher and Kevin Tabb, 10/15)

The Boston Globe: The Only Thing Mass General Brigham Is Competing With Is Cancer Itself
As cancer care changes — from how a patient is diagnosed to how, where, and for how long patients receive care — so will the expert teams that deliver that care both in the hospital and out. (Anne Klibanski, 10/15)

Also —

Modern Healthcare: Providers Must Consider The Costs Of Labor Unrest 
Kaiser’s strike was the largest in healthcare history, and it followed plenty of smaller strikes and informational picketing actions this year by the industry’s employees. The tension comes at a time when the industry is grappling with how to attract prospective hires and then retain them. (Mary Ellen Podmolik, 10/16)

Stat: Why Health Workers In Gaza Are Injured Or Die At High Rates 
In a mere week, the fifth major conflict in the past 15 years between Hamas and Israel became its most catastrophic. Hamas’ slaughter of more than 1,200 Israelis represents the largest instance of the murder of Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas wounded another 3,700 Israelis and took more than 100 of them hostage. Israel has responded with massive airstrikes that, as of this writing, have killed more than 1,900 Palestinians, including more than 450 children, and wounded more than 7,700 others, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, though this figure may include both fighters and civilians. (Leonard Rubenstein, 10/14)