AP: Pfizer To Seek COVID Booster For Healthy 5- To 11-Year-Olds
Pfizer said Thursday it wants to expand its COVID-19 booster shots to healthy elementary-age kids. U.S. health authorities already urge everyone 12 and older to get one booster dose for the best protection against the newest variants -- and recently gave the option of a second booster to those 50 and older. Now Pfizer says new data shows healthy 5- to 11-year-olds could benefit from another kid-sized shot. (Neergaard, 4/14)

NBC News: Pfizer Says Covid Booster For Kids 5-11 Ups Antibodies Against Omicron
A booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine raised antibody levels in children ages 5 to 11, the company said Thursday. The additional shot, given six months after the two-dose primary series, led to a sixfold increase in antibodies against the original strain of the coronavirus. The clinical trial of the booster shot included 140 children ages 5 through 11. In a smaller sub-analysis of 30 kids in the trial, Pfizer said the additional dose led to a thirtysixfold increase in antibodies against the omicron variant of the virus. (Miller, 4/14)

USA Today: Pfizer COVID Booster Spurs Immune Boost In Kids 5 To 11, Study Shows
Blood samples from 30 children showed a 36-fold increase in antibodies against the omicron variant after receiving the third shot. In 140 children, a third dose also increased antibodies six-fold against the original strain of the virus. Because the vaccine is already approved in adults, regulators have allowed immune responses to be used as a metric of effectiveness, instead of actual infections. No new safety issues arose among the 400 children in the booster trial. The positive results "reinforce the potential function of a third dose of the vaccine in maintaining high levels of protection against the virus in this age group," according to a Pfizer news release. (Weintraub, 4/14)

The Washington Post: Pfizer-BioNTech Booster Shot Increases Immune Defenses In 5-To-11 Year Olds
Studies in adults show that while a third shot increases the level of antibodies, it also hones those antibodies’ ability to block an array of variants — a process called “affinity maturation.” The data on a booster in 5-to-11-year-olds has not been published or peer-reviewed, but it echoes those findings. Like other booster trials, this study did not measure the ability of the vaccine to stop people from becoming ill but was based on laboratory measurements of the booster’s ability to increase antibodies in their blood. (Johnson, 4/14)

Reuters: U.S. Renews COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
The United States on Wednesday renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency, allowing millions of Americans to keep getting free tests, vaccines and treatments for at least three more months. The public health emergency was initially declared in January 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began. It has been renewed each quarter since and was due to expire on April 16. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in a statement said it was extending the public health emergency and that it will give states 60 days notice prior to termination or expiration. This could be the last time HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra extends it, policy experts have said. (Aboulenein, 4/13)

NPR: COVID Remains A Public Health Emergency For Now, Says WHO And Biden Administration
The World Health Organization and the Biden administration are both saying that COVID-19 remains a public health emergency, even as global deaths from the virus have reached the lowest levels since March 2020. Both the WHO and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services first declared COVID-19 a public health emergency in January 2020. More than two years later, the pandemic situation has improved, but global health experts believe the virus is still a major health threat. More needs to be done before the WHO can lift this designation, the organization's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday during a press conference. (Diaz, 4/13)

In related news about the spread of covid —

Axios: U.S. COVID Cases On The Rise Again
After two months of plummeting COVID cases across the U.S., the virus is on the rise again, with the Northeast accounting for many of the new cases. We knew this was coming. Now it's just a matter of seeing how large an impact this surge of the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron has in the U.S. "We've got to be careful, but I don't think this is a moment where we need to be excessively concerned," White House's COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha told the Today show this week, pointing to low infection numbers and hospitalizations. (Reed and Beheraj, 4/14)

The New York Times: New Omicron Subvariants Spreading Fast In New York 
Two new versions of Omicron, the coronavirus variant that has swept through the world in the past few months, are circulating in New York State and may be responsible for rising infections in the region over the past few weeks, state health officials announced on Wednesday. The appearance of these variants, both of which evolved from the subvariant BA.2, may explain why New York has been the national hot spot the last few weeks, the officials said. So far, the new viruses do not appear to cause more severe disease than previous variants, the officials said. (Mandavilli, 4/14)

NBC News: Covid Cases Are On The Rise, Yet Few Precautions Have Come Back. Why?
When Philadelphia’s health commissioner announced this week that the city’s indoor mask mandate would be reinstated as Covid-19 cases there rise, something unusual happened: Not a single other major U.S. city followed suit. Throughout the pandemic, local, state and federal precautions have followed a predictable pattern. As key Covid indicators, such as infections, hospitalizations and deaths, have gone up, so has the number of officials who have required masks, proof of vaccination or other measures to slow the rate of transmission of the coronavirus.  (Chuck, 4/13)

The Boston Globe: Boston Public Health Commission Urges Testing, Vaccination Ahead Of Holiday Weekend As COVID Positivity Rate In City Tops 6 Percent
The Boston Public Health Commission urged residents on Wednesday to take steps to protect themselves against COVID-19 ahead of the upcoming Passover, Easter and Patriot’s Day weekend. In a post to its blog, the commission said the city’s COVID-19 positivity rate is at 6.2 percent, passing their “threshold of concern” of 5 percent. Residents between the ages of 20 to 30 are driving the increased rate, the commission wrote. As people prepare to gather over the long weekend, which includes Monday’s running of the 126th Boston Marathon, the commission urged people to ensure they were fully vaccinated, had received a booster shot, and take a COVID-19 test before gathering. (McKenna, 4/13)

The New York Times: Grandparents Step In After Children Lose Parents To Covid-19 
This is not what Ida Adams thought life would be like at 62.She had planned to continue working as a housekeeper at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore until she turned 65. After retiring, she and her husband, Andre, also 62, thought they might travel a little — “get up and go whenever we felt like it.” She didn’t expect to be hustling a seventh-grader off to school each weekday. But in January 2021, Ms. Adams’s daughter, Kimya Lomax, died of Covid-19 at 43 after three weeks alone in a hospital with no visitors permitted. She left behind a young daughter. (Span, 4/12)

AP: Arkansas Jail, Doc: Ivermectin Lawsuit Should Be Dismissed
Attorneys for an Arkansas jail and doctor being sued by inmates who say they were unknowingly given ivermectin to treat their COVID-19 say the lawsuit should be dismissed because the men are no longer being held in the county facility. In a motion filed Tuesday, attorneys for the Washington County jail and Dr. Robert Karas noted that the four inmates who filed the lawsuit are now being held in state prisons. (4/13)

Meanwhile, some encouraging news about "superspreader" events —

CNN: Covid-19 'Superspreading' Can Still Happen, But Now We Have The Tools To Slow It
Covid-19 superspreading, which involves the virus spreading at a single event on a larger scale than what is typically expected, is still possible and poses a risk. But in this stage of the pandemic, a large event may not necessarily be an invitation to widespread, unchecked illness – if people use tools now available to limit risk, according to public health experts. Now, there are more tools to curb the spread of Covid-19: authorized vaccinations that limit illnesses and infections, robust supplies of at-home tests that can indicate whether someone needs to isolate, face masks to wear in high-risk situations and therapeutics that can reduce severe disease. (Howard, 4/12)

CNBC: Biden Administration Extends Transportation Mask Mandate For 15 More Days
The Biden administration is extending a mask mandate for airplanes and transit for 15 days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. The mandate was set to expire after April 18, following a one-month extension announced in March. Airlines have required masks on planes since early in the Covid pandemic in 2020, but the Biden administration made them mandatory in early 2021. The CDC said it is monitoring the spread of omicron, including the BA.2 subvariant. (Josephs, 4/13)

In related news from the airline industry —

Bloomberg: Delta Air To End $200 Monthly Fee For Unvaccinated Employees
Delta Air Lines Inc. will stop assessing a $200 monthly surcharge for employees who have not received a coronavirus vaccination, the latest sign that the travel industry is relaxing its approach to the virus even as the U.S. plans to extend a face-mask requirement. The assessment to cover the added costs of Covid-19 illnesses will end April 30, a Delta spokesman said Wednesday. Delta declined to say how many employees have been paying the surcharge but that more than 95% of its 75,000 workers had been vaccinated as of January. (Bachman, 4/13)

The Hill: Southwest Airlines Pilots Report Sharp Rise In Fatigue 
The union representing the pilots of Southwest Airlines sent a letter to the airline carrier on Tuesday that details a sharp rise in fatigue among pilots. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) wrote to top airline executives that it has seen a sharp rise in pilot fatigue since the airline began ramping up its flight schedule last summer amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  (Oshin, 4/13)

And more news about mandates —

Los Angeles Times: California Says Asymptomatic People Exposed To Coronavirus Don't Need To Quarantine
California is no longer recommending a five-day quarantine period for people who are exposed to the coronavirus but remain asymptomatic, a move that could potentially result in a relaxation of similar rules in Los Angeles County. Doing so, officials say, would relieve the burden for employers and institutions to keep otherwise healthy people at home following exposure. The move also reflects a new pandemic reality, according to state officials — that slowly but steadily increasing vaccination rates and the availability of anti-COVID drugs are reducing the overall risk of California’s hospitals being overwhelmed in potential future surges. (Lin II and Money, 4/13)

AP: Board Of Health Opts Against New School Vaccine Requirement
The Washington state Board of Health has decided that COVID-19 vaccines will not be required for students to attend K-12 schools this fall. The Board of Health made the decision in a unanimous vote Wednesday, The Seattle Times reported. Last fall, the board created a separate technical advisory group tasked with researching whether a COVID vaccine would meet all the scientific criteria needed to be added to the list of required K-12 immunizations. (4/13 )

Chicago Tribune: Hundreds In Chicago Police Ranks Still Unvaccinated Despite Deadline 
As the latest deadline for Chicago police officers to get the COVID-19 vaccine came and went Wednesday, the remaining holdouts in the department found themselves once again facing off with the city over who would blink first. Under a court-ordered arbitrator’s ruling in February, the approximately 12,000 employees of the Chicago Police Department had until Wednesday to get the second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the first shot of the Johnson & Johnson version. That decision came after months of contention between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara over her vaccination requirement for all city employees, a rivalry that played out in public finger-pointing and, at one point, dueling lawsuits. (Yin and Fry, 4/13)

KHN: A Year In, Montana’s Rolled-Back Public Health Powers Leave Some Areas In Limbo
A year after a new Montana law stripped local health boards of their rulemaking authority, confusion and power struggles are creating a patchwork oversight system that may change how public health is administered long after the pandemic is over. The law, which took effect last April amid criticism of mask mandates and other covid restrictions on businesses, gave local elected leaders the final say in creating public health rules. Supporters said elected officials would be accountable to voters if they abuse that authority, while opponents said the change would inject politics into health decisions. (Houghton, 4/14)

The Washington Post: Grassley Says Republicans Won’t Repeal Affordable Care Act If They Retake Senate 
Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said this week that Republicans will not try to repeal the Affordable Care Act if they retake the Senate in November’s midterm elections, the latest signal that the GOP is abandoning its long-running effort to scrap the health-care law also known as Obamacare. Grassley, 88, was among the most vocal opponents of the law when it was being debated by Congress more than a decade ago. Back then, some Republicans had falsely claimed a provision in the ACA would create “death panels” that would decide whether older Americans should live or die. At the time, Grassley did not push back against those claims and told Iowans that they had “every right to fear” the health-care law. (Sonmez, 4/13)

In other news about health insurance costs and medical bills —

Fierce Healthcare: Urban Institute: ACA Benchmark Rates Fell For 3rd Straight Year. Here's Why 
The average premium on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges fell by 1.8% in 2022, declining for the third straight year, a new report finds. A report released Tuesday by the Urban Institute found more insurers joining the exchanges if the state expanded Medicaid or had a state-run exchange. The exchanges saw record enrollment of 14.5 million in 2022 thanks largely to enhanced subsidies that lowered insurance costs. (King, 4/13)

Modern Healthcare: Why Insurers Are Cutting Broker Pay For Exchange Plans
What a difference a bad year makes. President Joe Biden's last special enrollment period for the health insurance exchanges led to a flood of sick, costly customers signing up for coverage. Health plans aren't sure they want more of this type of member. A potential new pool of enrollees is headed their way because of a second pandemic-related special enrollment period and because states are due to restart Medicaid eligibility redeterminations, which is likely to result in people transitioning to the individual market. (Tepper, 4/13)

Stat: Small Employers Brace For Giant Health Insurance Price Hikes
Many small companies are expected to face double-digit hikes to their health insurance premiums next year — increases that would add to the broader strain on the take-home pay and budgets of millions of American workers, families, and small business owners. Health insurance brokers, consultants, and benefits advisers told STAT that health care premiums for a lot of smaller employers likely will rise by at least 10% to 15% for 2023. The pandemic is contributing to that, creating headaches for insurance actuaries who are trying to estimate how much care people will get while a deadly virus keeps circulating. (Herman, 4/14)

NPR: Federal Agencies Are Trying New Ways To Ease The Burden Of Medical Debt
So many people have been "rushed to the hospital because their appendix burst or because they took a nasty fall and who are still paying off the bill years later," Harris said in remarks at the White House. "Parents who have sat in a hospital parking lot, afraid to bring their child through those sliding glass doors of the emergency room because they knew if they walk through those sliding glass doors, they may be out thousands of dollars that they don't have. "The administration's new actions could help ease the burden of medical debts that Americans already have – they do less to prevent Americans from being saddled with high medical bills they can't pay in the first place, says Jenifer Bosco, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, a nonprofit organization that advocates for economic security for low income people. (Simmons-Duffin, 4/13)

Stat: Health Systems Are Using Machine Learning To Predict High-Cost Care
Health systems and payers eager to trim costs think the answer lies in a small group of patients who account for more spending than anyone else. If they can catch these patients — typically termed “high utilizers” or “high cost, high need” —  before their conditions worsen, providers and insurers can refer them to primary care or social programs like food services that could keep them out of the emergency department. A growing number also want to identify the patients at highest risk of being readmitted to the hospital, which can rack up more big bills. To find them, they’re whipping up their own algorithms that draw on previous claims information, prescription drug history, and demographic factors like age and gender. (Ravindranath, 4/13)

And more news from Capitol Hill —

San Francisco Chronicle: Colleagues Worry Dianne Feinstein Is Now Mentally Unfit To Serve, Citing Recent Interactions
When a California Democrat in Congress recently engaged in an extended conversation with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, they prepared for a rigorous policy discussion like those they’d had with her many times over the last 15 years. Instead, the lawmaker said, they had to reintroduce themselves to Feinstein multiple times during an interaction that lasted several hours. Rather than delve into policy, Feinstein, 88, repeated the same small-talk questions, like asking the lawmaker what mattered to voters in their district, they said, with no apparent recognition the two had already had a similar conversation. (Kopan and Garofoli, 4/13)

CBS News: McKinsey Consulted On Opioids For The FDA — And Also With Opioid Makers, Report Claims 
More than 20 employees from consulting firm McKinsey worked for the U.S. government on issues related to the opioid epidemic while also doing the same type of consulting for major opioid makers like Purdue Pharma, according to a new congressional report. McKinsey, one of the world's most prestigious consulting firms, has been double-dipping with drugmakers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for years, creating a "serious conflict of interest" for the company, the report alleges. The report also found McKinsey officials used their contract with the government to drum up even more consulting work with private companies. (Brooks, 4/13)

The New York Times: McKinsey Opened A Door In Its Firewall Between Pharma Clients And Regulators 
Jeff Smith, a partner with the influential consulting firm McKinsey & Company, accepted a highly sensitive assignment in December 2017. The opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma, beleaguered and in financial trouble, wanted to revamp its business, and an executive there sought out Dr. Smith. Over the following weeks, he traveled to Purdue’s offices in Stamford, Conn., meeting and dining with executives. His team reviewed business plans and evaluated new drugs that Purdue hoped would help move the company beyond the turmoil associated with OxyContin, its addictive painkiller that medical experts say helped to spark the opioid epidemic. But the corporate reorganization was not Dr. Smith’s only assignment at the time. He was also helping the Food and Drug Administration overhaul its office that approves new drugs — the same office that would determine the regulatory fate of Purdue’s new line of proposed products. (Hamby, Bogdanich, Forsythe and Valentino0DeVries, 4/13)

In related news about Big Pharma —

ABC News: Despite Railing Against Big Tech And Big Pharma, Records Show Dr. Oz Has Invested Millions In Both 
Television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, has a considerable financial stake in major pharmaceutical firms and Silicon Valley giants, newly released records show -- despite railing against "Big Pharma" and "Big Tech" on the campaign trail. The disclosures, released late Wednesday, indicate that the GOP candidate and celebrity television doctor has poured millions of dollars into companies like Amazon and CVS -- a revelation seemingly at odds with a central tenet of his message to voters. (Kim and Bruggeman, 4/8)

And the FDA has its eye on 'patient influencers' —

Daily Mail: Experts Warn That 'Patient Influencers' Are Being Paid By Big Pharma Companies To Hawk Drugs 
A team at the University of Colorado, Boulder, warns in a report published last week that pharmaceutical companies are using internet micro-celebrities to help push drugs to consumers. While Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) drug advertisements are heavily regulated, by using these so-called 'patient influencers', the companies can avoid some of the standard disclosures required by law to sell prescription drugs. (Shaheen, 4/12)

CU Boulder Today: ‘Patient Influencers’ Are Booming On Social Media. Is That Good Or Bad? 
“OMG. Have you guys heard about this?” So began a 2015 post by then-pregnant celebrity influencer Kim Kardashian, singing the praises of a “#morningsickness” drug called Diclegis to her tens of millions of followers on Instagram. “It’s been studied and there’s no increased risk to the baby,” she wrote, alongside a smiling selfie of her holding the pill bottle. “I’m so excited and happy with the results.” The Food and Drug Administration swiftly flagged the post for omitting the drug’s long list of risks, required Kardashian to remove the post and dinged the drug maker with a warning letter. (Marshall, 4/4)

The Wall Street Journal: Kentucky Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto, Passes Abortion Restrictions
The Kentucky Legislature overrode its governor’s veto and passed new abortion regulations Wednesday that local providers said would force them to cease offering the procedure immediately, potentially making Kentucky the first state in decades without legal access to abortion. The bill imposes additional reporting requirements on providers related in part to medication abortions and stipulates that they can’t dispose of fetal remains as medical waste and must work with a funeral home to provide individual burial or cremation, among other provisions. The bill also bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy with an exception for the life or health of the mother, similar to a Mississippi law now being weighed by the Supreme Court. (Kusisto and Calfas, 4/13)

The 19th: Kentucky Legislature Passes Abortion Ban Originally Vetoed By Gov. Beshear
Kentucky is the first state where clinics will completely stop providing abortions. The state legislature enacted a far-reaching abortion law Wednesday with so many restrictions, including a 15-week ban, that clinics said they have been forced to stop performing the procedure. The law, known as House Bill 3, takes effect immediately. The state’s two abortion clinics, Planned Parenthood and EMW Women’s Surgical Center, will be filing lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. But unless the law is blocked, neither health center will provide abortions, clinic lawyers said. It is not clear if or when the court will respond to the legal challenge. (Luthra, 4/13)

Louisville Courier Journal: Legal Challenge Will Follow Override Of Kentucky Abortion Bill Veto
Kentucky's Republican-controlled General Assembly on Wednesday  voted to override Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of an "omnibus" abortion bill that opponents say is so broad it will shut down access in the state. And because it contains an emergency provision, House Bill 3 will become law as soon as it gets the signature of Senate President Robert Stivers, expected later Wednesday. Opponents said Wednesday they would immediately head to federal court asking a judge to block House Bill 3. Final passage of HB 3 makes Kentucky the first state to end all access to abortion, opponents said. (Yetter, 4/13)

In related news from Kentucky —

Louisville Courier Journal: Warnings, Citations Given To Louisville Abortion Clinic Protesters
After some initial delays,  Louisville Metro Police are now enforcing the 2021 "safety zone" ordinance that calls for a written warning for the first offense and citations and fines for subsequent violations. Since September, 14 protesters have received warnings — one of them cited for multiple offenses. Three others have been charged with criminal trespassing for coming onto clinic property. That enforcement is making a difference, says clinic operators, who have repeatedly called on Louisville officials to do more about instances where protesters follow patients to the door, touch or grab them, or attempt to block them from entering. (Yetter, 4/14)

In other abortion news from Idaho, Texas, and elsewhere —

AP: Catholic Church Can't Intervene In Idaho Abortion Lawsuit 
The Idaho Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a request by the Roman Catholic Church in Idaho to intervene in a lawsuit over a new Idaho law banning nearly all abortions. The court did not explain why the church was excluded after the Diocese of Boise on Monday asked to be allowed to join the lawsuit in support of the ban. (Ridler, 4/13)

Slate: How Red States Plan to Reach Beyond Their Borders and Outlaw Abortion in America
Texas’ short-lived prosecution of Lizelle Herrera, who was charged with murder for a self-induced abortion, is a preview of what’s to come if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The far-right bloc of justices has signaled their interest in overturning the precedent, and a decision is expected in June. When Roe is gone, 26 states will ban abortion. Across the country, red states are already building a new regime to mete out punishments for abortion providers, patients, and their families. (Stern, 4/13)

Fox News: Biden's Sister Argues Democrats Are The 'Pro-Life' Party On Abortion In New Memoir
Valerie Biden Owens, President Biden's younger sister, argues that Democrats are more "pro-life" than Republicans on abortion in her upcoming memoir. Owens, a longtime campaign adviser and political confidante to Biden, will be releasing her memoir titled, "Growing Up Biden: A Memoir" on Tuesday. Fox News Digital received a copy of the book Monday afternoon. Within the memoir, Owens writes that Democrats picked the wrong term for their abortion stance. Instead of wanting to be called "pro-choice," she says they should have chosen to be the "pro-life" party because they are advocating for better lives for women. (Cawthorne and Schoffstall, 4/11)

And some positive news in the fight for abortion rights —

Daily Beast: DA Apologizes To Texas Woman For Murder Charge ‘Error’ Over ‘Self-Induced Abortion’
The Texas district attorney who charged Lizelle Herrera with murder after an alleged “self-induced abortion” has apologized and admitted the 26-year-old should never have been charged. According to a report in The Washington Post, Gocha Ramirez, the new district attorney in Starr County, along the Mexico border, phoned Herrera’s lawyer, Calixtro Villarreal, and said she “should never have been charged.” The DA also texted an acquaintance, saying “I’m so sorry. I assure you I never meant to hurt this young lady.” (Sykes, 4/13)

The Texas Tribune: How Reproductive Rights Groups Sounded The Alarm After A South Texas Woman Was Charged With Murder For An Abortion
Cathy Torres was ready to log off for the weekend and start celebrating her 26th birthday when she got a text message with a link to a local news story: A woman in the Rio Grande Valley had been arrested for a “self-induced abortion.” “I was just completely sick to my stomach,” Torres said. “I couldn’t believe it. I was just panicking.” But not for long. Torres is based in Edinburg and works as the organizing manager for the Frontera Fund, a nonprofit that helps people in the Rio Grande Valley access and pay for abortions. She sent the story to the group’s leadership, as well as other reproductive rights advocacy groups in the area. (Klibanoff, 4/13)

Los Angeles Times: Some Christians Challenge Meaning Of 'Pro-Life' 
Growing up in this small town near the western edge of Michigan, Christy Berghoef learned to live by a simple rule.“To be Christian is to be Republican is to be ‘pro-life,’” she said recently, sitting in a renovated shed-turned-office behind her house on the 40-acre farm of willows and gladiolus where she was raised. “All else makes you a ‘baby killer.’” ... Her politics eventually shifted even has her faith stayed firm. She switched her voter registration to Democratic. Her definition of “pro-life” expanded to tightening gun control and protecting the rights of immigrants. She now believes — in what is considered sacrilege in the wood church where she was raised in the Midwest — that abortions should never be outlawed, though she’d rather see fewer of them. (Kaleem, 4/14)

Modern Healthcare: CMS 'Birthing-Friendly' Hospital Designation Will Debut In 2023
Hospitals can begin receiving a "birthing-friendly" designation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in fall 2023, the agency announced Wednesday. The designation will initially be based on the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program's maternal morbidity structural measure. Hospitals will need to meet expanded criteria in the future, CMS said in a news release. The reporting period for the morbidity measure began in October and hospitals will submit data to CMS for the first time in May. The metric requires hospitals to attest whether they participate in a state or national perinatal quality improvement collaborative program and whether they have implemented safety practices or bundles to address birth complications such as hemorrhages and sepsis. (Goldman, 4/13)

In Medicare and Medicaid news —

Modern Healthcare: Nursing Home Industry Decries Poor Timing Of Proposed Medicare Cuts
Nursing homes are steeling for a $320 million Medicare pay cut they say will make it harder to deliver care during an already challenging time. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a proposed rule Tuesday that would reduce Medicare Part A reimbursements for fiscal 2023 to make up for what the agency characterized as unintentionally high pay rates in fiscal 2020. "It's going to put a lot of strain on operations, especially for the smaller, individual skilled nursing facilities," said Karen Maseli, assistant vice president of operations for ProMedica Senior Care. (Christ, 4/13)

Axios: Whistleblower Explains How Medicare Advantage Plan Bilked Millions
Major Medicare plans are often inflating how sick their members are — and in at least one example, went so far as to add diagnoses doctors hadn't made — to bilk millions of dollars from the health care system, a whistleblower told Bloomberg. In one case, a woman was even coded for prostate cancer, according to the report. Medicare Advantage is fast growing in popularity — and in the amount of money it's costing the health care system as seniors flock to the plans. (Reed, 4/13)

KHN: How A Former Catholic Priest Is Navigating A California Medicaid Plan Through Big Changes 
For Michael Hunn, the path from priesthood to health care was seamless. Hunn, a native of St. Louis, counseled hospitalized patients as a Catholic priest in the 1980s before leaving the clergy and shifting to health care administration. Over the next three decades, he was CEO of nine different hospitals — in California, Texas, and Missouri — among other senior executive positions. Across his unusual trajectory, there’s been a common thread: a desire to help people. (Wolfson, 4/14)

In other health industry news —

Detroit Free Press: St. Joseph Mercy Health And Mercy Health Are Changing Their Names
Eight Michigan hospitals and 320 other health care sites in the state will incorporate the Trinity Health name and logo as part of the rebranding, which will take place through 2023. "We are transforming our identity to assert our presence as one of Michigan’s largest health care systems, with a singular commitment to keeping our patients at the center of everything we do," said Rob Casalou, president and CEO of Trinity Health Michigan and Southeast Regions. "We are peeling back the layers to reveal a unified organization with a shared legacy and mission of service to the communities we're honored to serve." (Jordan Shamus, 4/13)

Stat: Justice Department Probes Bausch Health Over Marketing For Dermatology Drugs 
Bausch Health is being investigated by U.S. authorities in connection with marketing of four medicines used to treat different skin conditions, according to an internal document reviewed by STAT. The Department of Justice sent a civil investigative demand last year to the company seeking information about various activities in which the medicines may have been promoted for uses not approved by regulators. The inquiry is focused on three drugs used to treat plaque psoriasis — Bryhali, Siliq, and Duobrii – and a fungal treatment called Jublia, the document stated. (Silverman, 4/13)

Bloomberg: Largest U.S. Hospital Systems Shortchange Charity Care For Poor, Report Says
Some of the largest not-for-profit U.S. hospital systems get a bigger benefit from their tax breaks than they pay out in charity care for the poor, implying that society isn’t benefiting much from their tax-free status, according to a new report. The Lown Institute, a think tank that focuses on equity in U.S. health care, said that the hospitals it looked at generated a total deficit in 2019 of $18.4 billion. It cited storied names like Mass General Brigham and the Cleveland Clinic network, although the hospitals themselves said the report understated the benefits they provide. According to Lown, of the 275 not-for-profit private systems it analyzed, 227 came up short. (Coleman-Lochner and Braun, 4/13)

The Boston Globe: Health Care Watchdog Pushes To Hold Down Spending Despite Pandemic
Despite two years of unprecedented disruption in the health care market, Massachusetts has ordered insurers and providers to keep health care spending low. On Wednesday, the state’s Health Policy Commission set a 3.6 percent benchmark for health care spending growth in 2023. That number is up slightly from the 3.1 percent benchmark the state has had in place since 2018. The low spending growth goal comes despite requests from state hospital lobbying groups that the state pause the benchmark for a year to account for massive disruptions in the market. (Bartlett, 4/13)

AP: Bipartisan Push On Mental Health Crisis That COVID Worsened
A major effort to overhaul care for people in the United States with mental health and drug problems is gaining traction as Congress and the Biden administration work on overlapping plans to address concerns across dividing lines of politics, geography and race. Top goals include responding to the mental health crisis among youth, increasing the supply of professional counselors and clinicians, narrowing a persistent gap between care for physical and mental health problems, and preserving access to telehealth services that proved their usefulness in the pandemic. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 4/13)

Axios: Children's Mental Health At Risk Of Becoming America's Next Culture War
As more states and school districts move to address children's mental health, some parents and activists are making school-based support programs a political flashpoint, saying they put school officials in inappropriate roles and could indoctrinate students in progressive thinking. The pandemic has created a greater sense of urgency around children's mental health, but statistics have been trending in the wrong direction for years, with sometimes tragic consequences for families and communities. (Owens and Snyder, 4/14)

In other mental health news —

WTAP: Officials Say New W.Va. Mental Health Hotline Will Help People In The State
The mountain state has a new hotline program dedicated to helping those struggling with mental health. With the signing of senate bill 181 being signed into passage by Governor Jim Justice, there is a new hotline for those seeking help with any mental health issues. The number is 988 and it is a part of First Choice Services. The program will have 30 people already on standby who are trained to help in any way possible. (Blahut, 4/13)

Click 2 Houston: Mayor Turner, City Council Approves Funding For 3 Mental Health Initiatives
Mayor Sylvester Turner and the city council passed three ordinances on Wednesday that will allocate the city of Houston American Rescue Act Plan (ARPA) funding into behavioral health programs that are intended to assist the Houston Police Department when handling mental health crisis calls. The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD has been leading the charge in assisting the police with mobile mental health intervention. CEO Wayne Young said the funding approved Wednesday will allow them to make the program 24/7. (Hernandez, 4/13)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Mental Health And Addiction Providers Face Financial And Staffing Pressures: ‘Like A Game Of Whack-A-Mole’ 
Seven-year-old Lily Williams has a genetic condition called Phelan-McDermid syndrome that causes developmental and speech delays. With therapy and effort, the affectionate ponytailed youngster is playing with toys, potty training and using a device to say, “Hello,” and describe herself as “silly. ”The huge milestones are matched by big bills for the services Lily receives. They’re paid through the St. Mary’s County family’s private insurance and, until recently, with Medicaid funds. “She’s smart and knows what’s going on around her, but she’s locked in this body that doesn’t respond when she needs it to,” said her mother, Anna Williams. “There is something that can help her — and someone comes along and doesn’t want you to be able to access it.” (Cohn, 4/14)

Fox 59: Veterans Encouraged To Use Veterans Services Offices For Mental Health Support
Studies show an alarming number of veterans do not seek the services and support offered by Veteran Affairs Offices. But Marion County is trying to change that. A study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found nearly half of American veterans who need mental health care don’t get it. Often, these individuals find it difficult to ask for help but Marion County’s Veteran Services Office is trying to change the stigma. (Stone, 4/14)

Military.com: A Sailor With Diagnosed Mental Health Issues Says He's Being Targeted For Seeking Help 
Jatzael Alvarado Perez began struggling with life aboard the destroyer USS Farragut last year. The ship was in the process of getting ready to deploy, and a combination of the conditions aboard the Mayport, Florida-based ship and long stretches at sea were taking a toll on the 23-year-old sailor. "It's just not a good environment at all, it's not a healthy one for sure," Perez told Military.com in a phone conversation. (4/11)

A counselor weighs in on the Brooklyn shooting —

TMJ4: Mental Health Counselor: Frank James’ Social Media Posts Are A ‘Cry For Help’
Frank James posted several videos on Youtube in the days and months prior to becoming the suspect in the Brooklyn subway mass shooting on Tuesday. James has ties to Milwaukee where he recently lived on the city’s north side. Experts say acts of mass violence can often go hand-in-hand with mental health issues. While we don’t know James’ mental health history, we took some of his social media videos to a Milwaukee psychiatrist to identify potential red flags. (Jordan, 4/13)

And mental health apps become more popular —

The Guardian: Young And Depressed? Try Woebot! The Rise Of Mental Health Chatbots In The US
Fifteen-year-old Jordyne Lewis was stressed out. The high school sophomore from Harrisburg, North Carolina, was overwhelmed with schoolwork, never mind the uncertainty of living in a pandemic that has dragged on for two long years. Despite the challenges, she never turned to her school counselor or sought out a therapist. Instead, she shared her feelings with a robot. Woebot to be precise. (Keierleber, 4/13)

The New York Times: How to Find a Mental Health App That Works for You
With therapists in high demand and long waiting lists that make it challenging to find a provider, using a mental health app might seem like a tempting and relatively inexpensive way to get help. These apps claim to help with issues as varied as addiction, sleeplessness, anxiety and schizophrenia, often by using tools like games, therapy chatbots or mood-tracking diaries. But most are unregulated. Although some are considered useful and safe, others may have shaky (or nonexistent) privacy policies and a lack of high-quality research demonstrating that the apps live up to their marketing claims. (Caron, 4/13)

Reuters: U.S. Life Expectancy Fell By 2 Yrs In 2020, Sharpest Drop Among High-Income Peers 
Life expectancy in the United States fell by nearly two years in 2020 to about 77 years amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the sharpest drop compared to 21 other high-income countries, according to a global study. Americans on average are now expected to live for 76.99 years from 78.86 years in 2019, according to the study, which looked at national death and population counts in 2019 and 2020 to calculate the mortality rate ratio. (Roy, 4/13)

CIDRAP: Pandemic Cut US Life Span Almost 2 Years, More Than Any Peer Nation 
Life expectancy in the United States declined 1.87 years from 2019 to after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, more than any of 21 other high-income countries—with greater losses in Hispanic and Black populations, according to a modeling study published today in JAMA Network Open. Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University estimated life expectancy in the United States and 21 peer countries using a simulation of life tables based on national death and population data in 2019 and 2020. Life expectancy reflects how long a group of people can expect to live were they to experience at each age the age-specific mortality rates of that year, the study authors noted. (Van Beusekom, 4/13)

The mortality rate for Latinos in Los Angeles has worsened —

Los Angeles Times: Mortality Rate For L.A. Latinos Surpasses White Residents'
For years, public health experts have observed how Latinos have overall better mortality rates than white residents, despite being more likely to have lower incomes, chronic health issues and decreased access to healthcare. Now, the historic COVID-19 pandemic has upended the so-called Latino paradox in Los Angeles County. For the first time in the last decade, the mortality rate for Latinos in Los Angeles County became worse than that of white residents, starting in 2020 — the first year of the pandemic — and worsening the next year. (Campa, Lin II and Alpert Reyes, 4/13)

Encouraging news about life expectancy and life quality for those with Alzheimer's —

MedicalXPress: A Healthy Lifestyle Is Associated With More Years Without Alzheimer's
A U.S. study published by The BMJ today suggests that a healthy lifestyle is associated with a longer life expectancy among both men and women, and they live a larger proportion of their remaining years without Alzheimer's disease. The findings show that a healthy lifestyle is associated with longer life expectancies, but crucially the extra years did not mean extra years lived with Alzheimer's. (4/13)

MedpageToday: Longevity Without Alzheimer's Tied To Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle was tied to a longer life but the extra years did not mean more time living with Alzheimer's dementia, a prospective study showed. People who had four or five healthy lifestyle factors -- spanning diet, cognitive activity, physical exercise, smoking, and alcohol patterns -- at age 65 lived longer than their counterparts with zero or one healthy factors, according to Klodian Dhana, MD, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and colleagues. Women added 3.1 years of life, while men added 5.7 years. (George, 4/13)

CNN: What Music Reveals About Our Minds 
There has long been a beneficial association between music and patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Repeatedly listening to music that is personally meaningful has been found to improve the brain’s adaptability in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. Listening to music with a special meaning stimulated neural pathways in the brain that helped them maintain higher levels of functioning, according to Michael Thaut, who was senior author of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto. It was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in November. (Strictland, 4/7)

NPR: Study: Severe Black Lung Disease Among Appalachian Coal Miners Linked To Silica
Exposure to a toxic rock dust appears to be "the main driving force" behind a recent epidemic of severe black lung disease among coal miners, according to the findings of a new study. Lawmakers have debated and failed to adequately regulate the dust for decades. The study, which examined the lungs of modern miners and compared them to miners who worked decades ago, provides the first evidence of its kind that silica dust is responsible for the rising tide of advanced disease, including among miners in Appalachia. (Benincasa, 4/13)

In news about maternal and pediatric health care —

ABC News: What Parents Need To Know Amid The National Baby Formula Shortage 
As the baby formula shortage continues, experts say parents and caregivers should reach out to pediatricians and seek help from resources like the federal Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program. If a child needs specialized formula, like a hydrolyzed formula for a baby with allergies, they should talk to their child's pediatrician or care team, like a pediatric dietitian, gastroenterolgist, or nephrologist. (Yu, 4/13)

ABC News: Woman Works To End Black Maternal Health Crisis After Daughter Dies After Giving Birth 
When Wanda Irving looks into the eyes of her 5-year-old granddaughter, Soleil, she said she instantly sees her daughter, Shalon Irving, whose death shortly after giving birth to Soleil has since shaped the trajectory of their lives. "She’s got her mom’s eyes and her mom’s smile and her mom’s fearlessness and her mom’s persistence," Wanda Irving told "Good Morning America" of her granddaughter, whom the family calls Sunny, after her middle name, Sunshine. "She has her mom’s memory, because her mom wouldn’t forget anything." (Kindelan, 4/14)

KHN: Persistent Problem: High C-Section Rates Plague The South 
All along, Julia Maeda knew she wanted to have her baby naturally. For her, that meant in a hospital, vaginally, without an epidural for pain relief. This was her first pregnancy. And although she is a nurse, she was working with cancer patients at the time, not with laboring mothers or babies. “I really didn’t know what I was getting into,” said Maeda, now 32. “I didn’t do much preparation.” (Sausser, 4/14)

Also, some good news for Achilles sufferers —

AP: Heal Thyself: Most Who Tear Achilles Tendon Can Skip Surgery
It’s a weekend warrior’s nightmare. You’re playing hoops in the driveway and go up for a lay-up. You land and hear a pop: you’ve torn your Achilles tendon. Do you have surgery or hope it heals with just a cast and rehab? New research says both options led to similar outcomes about a year later. ... In the biggest-ever study investigating which treatment is best, scientists in Norway tracked 526 patients — mostly men with an average age of 39 — who ripped their Achilles tendon. They either had minimally invasive surgery, a standard surgery or non-surgical treatment, a brace to immobilize the affected foot and physical therapy. All patients got rehab therapy and were told to avoid risky activities for six months. (Cheng, 4/13)

St. Louis Public Radio: Black Overdose Deaths In St. Louis Rise In 2020 And 2021 
Opioid overdoses have been on a devastating climb for Black drug users in St. Louis and St. Louis County, with the latest data showing a 560% increase in deaths in the region since 2015. Data released Wednesday by the Addiction Science Team of the University of Missouri-St. Louis shows 405 Black people died of opioid-related overdoses in the region in 2021, a notable increase over the previous year’s already high death toll of 379. During that period, white overdose deaths decreased. Researchers and treatment specialists say that the region hasn’t done enough to change its approach to reaching Black drug users before their lives are cut short. (Wicentowski, 4/13)

And more on the opioid crisis —

Colorado Sun: Colorado Bill Would Make It A Felony To Have More Than 1 Gram Of Fentanyl
Knowingly possessing more than 1 gram of fentanyl or a fentanyl compound for personal use would be a felony in Colorado under an amendment passed Wednesday afternoon by the House Judiciary Committee to a bill seeking to stem rising overdose deaths linked to the powerful synthetic opioid. The committee’s 7-4 vote to adopt the amendment is a response to criticism from law enforcement, who said the measure — House Bill 1326  — was too weak because it failed to change a 2019 law that made possessing up to 4 grams of fentanyl a misdemeanor. Harm reduction advocates argued fiercely against making fentanyl possession for personal use a felony again, saying that the criminal justice system is not a solution to addiction. (Najmabadi and Paul, 4/13)

The Washington Post: William Husel Trial: Ex-Doctor Accused Of Killing Patients With Fentanyl Awaits Jury Decision 
The doctor told Christine Allison he was going to give her husband something to make him comfortable, and a nurse pulled shut the curtain around his bed in the intensive care unit. When it opened again, Troy Allison, 44, was lifeless. His wife was stunned, she later recalled in court testimony. In the hours since an ambulance had carried him to Mount Carmel West, a Catholic hospital near their home in the Columbus, Ohio, area, Troy Allison had gone into cardiac arrest and been revived four times. But he seemed to be comfortable and resting. Results from a CT scan hadn’t come back yet. (Shammas, 4/13)

KHN: A Travel Nurse Leaves Fears Of Hospital Drug Tampering Across Three States
Health officials in at least three states are investigating a travel nurse suspected of tampering with and potentially contaminating vials and syringes of opioid painkillers in two hospitals, then returning the vials to medication cabinets where they could be unknowingly given to patients. One hundred patients who may have been exposed to contaminated syringes last year at Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee were urged to get tested for hepatitis and HIV, according to state documents obtained by KHN through a public records request. (Kelman, 4/14)

In news about marijuana and cannabis —

Philadelphia Inquirer: A Pa. Republican Senator’s Hearing Shows The Depth Of Opposition To Adult-Use Pot Legalization In The State
One day after New Jersey cleared the way for its first legal recreational-weed sales, possibly before the end of April, a Pennsylvania Republican state senator held a hearing Tuesday on what panelists described as the perils for children and youth of adult-use pot legalization. The hearing of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee, chaired by State Sen. Judy Ward, of Blair County, represented a counterpoint to a series of three Senate Law and Justice Committee hearings in February and March billed as preparation for a bill legalizing recreational cannabis for adults. “This step would represent another monumentous policy change for the commonwealth,” Ward said in her opening remarks, referencing the legalization of medical cannabis in 2016. “Before taking this step, I strongly believe that we must consider the potential impact of this decision on our children and youth.” (Brubaker, 4/13)

Anchorage Daily News: Alaska’s Top Alcohol And Marijuana Regulator Is Resigning To Take Another State Job
Glen Klinkhart, the head of the Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, is quitting to take a job with the Alaska Department of Revenue, he told the state’s alcohol and marijuana boards this week. Klinkhart will leave his job as the state’s top alcohol and marijuana regulator on April 17, he said in his resignation letter. The letter said he feels that he has addressed the problems that led Gov. Mike Dunleavy to name him the interim chief of AMCO in November 2019. Klinkhart arrived at AMCO after the state’s alcohol and marijuana boards fired the agency’s prior director, Erika McConnell, amid a dispute with the Department of Public Safety and a controversial regulatory proposal that would have attempted to define “fun” at licensed brewery taprooms. The governor named Klinkhart the agency’s permanent director in March 2021. (Brooks, 4/13)

Denver Post: What Is Full Spectrum Marijuana? 10 New-Ish Cannabis Terms You Need To Know
In 2014, The Cannabist, a subsidiary of The Denver Post, published a robust glossary of need-to-know marijuana terms like flower and dabbing to help ease local consumers into the newly legal recreational market. Since then, times have dramatically changed. You can buy edibles not just for getting high, but also for fitness and sleep aid. Cannabis “bars” where tokers can legally consume joints and THC-infused beers are on the precipice of opening. You can even score pre-made cannabutter and infused olive oil to stock your kitchen. As times have changed, so too has the vernacular. Here are 10 more recently adopted terms you should know. (Ricciardi, 4/14)

Can an app help people with alcohol addiction? —

The Boston Globe: Can An App That Pays People $5 A Day To Stop Drinking Keep Them Sober?
Researchers have known for years that offering people struggling with addiction small rewards, like vouchers or gift cards, for making positive changes can help break the cycle of drug or alcohol dependency. Known as “contingency management,” the treatment works by triggering the same instant gratification response in the brain that someone might get from substance abuse. But contingency management has been difficult and expensive to administer, while also being criticized for giving money that might be spent inappropriately. “All the drugs of abuse disrupt the brain reward center, which is deeper in the brain,” said David Gastfriend, DynamiCare’s cofounder and chief medical officer. “When we just put people in detox and then send them to counseling, we’re saying, ‘Use your thinking brain to try and overcome your chemical drive center.’ The problem is, behavior works in the opposite direction.” The goal of the app, by contrast, is to go right to the reward center. (Pressman, 4/13)

Dallas Morning News: UT Southwestern Leaders Say They Alone Made Decision To Alter Program For Transgender Youth
In a bid to avoid having to explain their decision further under oath, UT Southwestern’s top two leaders have told a Dallas judge they alone decided to stop providing certain medical treatments to new patients at the hospital’s program for transgender youth. UT Southwestern Medical Center President Dr. Daniel Podolsky and Hospitals CEO Dr. John J. Warner told Judge Melissa Bellan on Wednesday that no “third party” entity or individual “made or directed them” to make changes to Genecis, a program run by UT Southwestern and Children’s Health that provided care to minors experiencing gender dysphoria. (McGaughy and Wolf, 4/13)

Fox News: Kentucky Lawmakers Override Governor's Veto Of Bill Banning Transgender Athletes From Girls' Sports
The Republican-controlled legislature in Kentucky voted Wednesday to override Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of legislation that would prohibit transgender athletes from competing in sex-segregated sporting events from sixth grade through college. The expected move came after Beshear refused to sign Senate Bill 83 last week and claimed it was most likely unconstitutional. He said the legislation "discriminates against transgender people" and therefore would not hold up in court. The measure is now law in the state after the Republicans overrode the veto of the legislation, which originally passed through the state House with a 70 to 23 vote and the state Senate with a 26 to 9 vote. (Morris, 4/13)

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

San Francisco Chronicle: Alameda County Report Shows Dramatic Rise In Deaths Among Unhoused People
Deaths among unhoused people in Alameda County nearly doubled between 2018 and 2020, according to a report published Tuesday by county officials. A total of 809 people died while experiencing homelessness during that three-year interval, with the death toll rising steadily from 195 in 2018 to 395 in 2020, according to the report, prepared by the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency’s Health Care for the Homeless program and Community Assessment, Planning and Evaluation unit. (Whiting, 4/13)

Columbus Dispatch: Push To Make Housing Program For Impoverished Pregnant Women Statewide
In an effort to reduce infant mortality in Ohio, a pilot program that provides housing to pregnant women dealing with or at risk of homelessness will soon expand in Columbus and put new roots in Akron. The state will provide $2.25 million from its budget for the expansion, but groups behind the program are asking for $9 million more for further growth. "It's exciting to have a way to demonstrate in a very specific, very stubborn problem of infant mortality, that a housing strategy can make a measurable difference," said Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. (Wu, 4/13)

Missouri Independent: Missouri Lawmakers Could Block Visitor Restrictions At Hospitals And Nursing Homes 
State Rep. Ed Lewis had just hours to say goodbye.In March 2020, his 89-year-old mother had to go to the hospital after suffering from a fall. Lewis’ sister was their mother’s primary caregiver, but in the pandemic’s first days as hospitals restricted visitors, family members weren’t allowed to stay with her. Lewis and his family were told their mother was doing fine, but then received an urgent call from the hospital saying she was dying. The hospital said they could see her if they arrived within three hours, Lewis said. “I was able to get there and say goodbye to my mom. And all that she could say was, ‘Help me,’” Lewis said. “And this is what I’m here for, is to help someone else whose mom would be found in the same situation.” (Weinberg, 4/13)

Encouraging news about paid parental leave in Colorado and Texas —

The 19th: Colorado Could Be First State To Guarantee Paid Family Leave To Lawmakers
The Colorado legislature is on the cusp of guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid parental leave to its lawmakers, which would make the state’s policy one of the most generous of its kind — and the first to be codified. The Colorado Senate approved the bill in early April, and a key legislative leader in the Colorado House said the proposal is expected to advance in that chamber in the next few weeks. The bill would offer an additional four weeks of paid leave to lawmakers who experience pregnancy or childbirth complications. (Rodriguez, 4/13)

Houston Chronicle: City Council Unanimously Approves Paid Parental Leave For Houston Employees After Decade-Long Push
City employees will have access to paid parental leave for the first time beginning in May after a decade-long push to adopt the family-friendly policy that advocates hope will help the city attract and retain working parents. City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved the new leave policy, which will give workers who have been with the city for at least six months up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. The policy also includes paid time off during pregnancy for certain health matters. (Mishanec, 4/13)

Bloomberg: HPV: A Single Vaccine Dose Protects Against Cervical Cancer, WHO Says
One dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is enough to protect against cervical cancer, a World Health Organization advisory group said. The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, known as SAGE, said single-dose schedules of the HPV vaccine provide comparable efficacy to two or three-dose schedules. (Hoffman, 4/11)

CIDRAP: Casirivimab-Imdevimab May Cut COVID Hospitalizations, ICU Stays, Death
Two new studies describe benefits of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment casirivimab-imdevimab in adult COVID-19 outpatients, both suggesting lower rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death in an era dominated by the Delta variant. University of Pittsburgh researchers led the first study, published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. It compared 28-day hospitalization and death rates in 1,959 high-risk COVID-19 outpatients given a single dose of casirivimab-imdevimab either subcutaneously or intravenously (IV) or no treatment from Jul 14 to Oct 26, 2021. (4/13)

Stat: Study: Giving Lung Cancer Patients Immunotherapy Sooner Has Potential
Giving the immunotherapy Opdivo, made by Bristol Myers Squibb, to lung cancer patients before surgery can help prevent the disease from coming back, a new study says. It’s a step toward what doctors have hoped cancer therapies that harness the immune system could ultimately do. It’s  the same hope they have with every new drug, really: that they could be used in patients who were diagnosed early, perhaps curing a greater number. (Herper, 4/11)

CIDRAP: Study Highlights Risk Of Discharged C Diff Patients Spreading The Disease
The incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in household members exposed to a recently CDI-hospitalized family member was 73% greater than for those not exposed, and the incidence increased the longer the family member was in the hospital, University of Iowa researchers note today in a study in Emerging Infectious Diseases. (4/13)

Stat: Antibody-Primed NK Cells Induce Remission In Advanced Lymphoma 
An experimental immunotherapy involving so-called natural killer cells elicited complete remissions in a majority of patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, researchers reported Sunday. In the study, eight of the 13 patients given an optimized dose and schedule of the therapy saw their tumor cells completely disappear with minimal side effects. The new data improve upon initial results presented last year, although it remains unclear how long the responses will last. (Feuerstein, 4/10)

Nature: Increased Global Integration In The Brain After Psilocybin Therapy For Depression
Depression is a highly prevalent mental health condition1, the incidence of which has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic2, for example, as reflected in increased prescriptions of antidepressant medications3. However, even the best-performing antidepressant drugs show modest efficacy, non-negligible side effects, discontinuation problems and high relapse rates4,5,6,7, highlighting the need for new, improved treatments8. (Daws, et al, 4/11)

ScienceDaily: Cell Treatment Slows Disease In Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients 
A cell therapy developed by the executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute stabilizes weakened muscles-including the heart muscle-in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, a new study published in the international peer-reviewed journal The Lancet shows. (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 4/13)

CIDRAP: Study Finds Antibiotic Resistance In US, UK Campylobacter Holding Steady
A large-scale analysis reveals that the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has remained stable for Campylobacter in the United States and United Kingdom in recent years, suggesting that antibiotic stewardship efforts have not made a large impact, according to a new study in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. (4/13)

CNN: There's A Drug To Protect The Most Vulnerable From Covid-19. Why Is It So Hard To Get? 
My wife's lymphoma diagnosis and 50th birthday came on the same day in March 2021. Rebecca had been aggressively chasing the cause of the small lump she found in her abdomen. With access to a world-class cancer center and support of family and friends, her chemoimmunotherapy regime was deemed a success after a six-month fight. Remission! This was right around the time that Covid-19 vaccines became widely available. Rebecca's oncologist encouraged her to get her shot ASAP. She participated in a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society study which found that many blood cancer patients' immune systems had a markedly worse antibody response to the vaccine, compared to healthy individuals. (Rob Relyea, 4/13)

The New York Times: America’s Pandemic P.T.S.D. 
Covid cracked us. The mass trauma of the pandemic may have actually produced a form of mass psychosis. The disruption has caused a societal distress. I think that we ignore or underestimate the extreme trauma that society has endured, and is living with, at our own peril. (Charles M. Blow, 4/13)

New England Journal of Medicine: Do The Tobacco Wars Offer Any Lessons For The Vaccine Wars? 
The continuing spread of SARS-CoV-2 remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. What physicians need to know about transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of Covid-19 is the subject of ongoing updates from infectious disease experts at the Journal. (Eric J. Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., Lindsey R. Baden, M.D., Barry R. Bloom, Ph.D., and Stephen Morrissey, Ph.D., 4/14)

Dallas Morning News: At Age 12, Obamacare Has Proven Itself
Former President Barack Obama’s joyous return to the White House marked an occasion many never expected to see: the 12th anniversary of his signature presidential achievement, the Affordable Care Act. After all, public sentiment was mixed at best when the ground-breaking law guaranteeing Americans health insurance coverage passed in 2010 without a single Republican vote. Then, the GOP spent years trying to “repeal and replace” it, climaxing with its failure during Donald Trump’s presidency to do neither. (Carl P. Leubsdorf, 4/14)

The Tennessean: Expanding TennCare Pregnancy, Postpartum Benefits For Mothers Matters
Until now, TennCare coverage for postpartum women extended only to 60 days after delivery. After that period, some women could qualify for TennCare under a different eligibility category such as being a caregiver. However, around 5,000 new mothers would not be eligible for continued health coverage during one of the most vulnerable moments of a woman’s life. (Danielle Tate, 4/13)

Bloomberg: Psychedelics Stocks Like Atai Life Sciences Are Having A Bad Psilocybin Trip
Such disarming openness has made the founder and chairman of Berlin-based drug development company Atai Life Sciences NV an effective advocate for the potential mental-health benefits of psychedelics such as psilocybin, the active ingredient of magic mushrooms. Although these compounds are still illegal in most places, they have enjoyed an extraordinary flourishing of medical research and financial investment in recent years. (Chris Bryant, 4/14)

Stat: Separations Continue For Families Seeking Asylum, With Dire Health Effects
Maria was 37 weeks pregnant — at full term — when Customs and Border Protection officers separated her from her husband, Alejandro, after they arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum, fleeing violence in Honduras. (I am using pseudonyms here to protect individual’s identities.) Alejandro was returned to Mexico to await his asylum hearing, but he was kidnapped there and held for ransom. Maria wasn’t sure if their family could pay to set him free. Their baby would likely be born while Alejandro and Maria were apart; she was terrified that their baby might never meet his father. (Annie Leone, 4/14)

The Tennessean: Patients Are Best Served Under A Team-Based Approach To Health Care
There has been significant discussion in Tennessee over the past few years about expanding the role of advanced practice registered nurses to fill gaps in health care access. Proponents argue this can be achieved only through the elimination of collaborative practice agreements APRNs hold with physicians. (James Cates and Ron Kirkland, 4/13)