The New York Times: E.P.A. Proposes Tighter Limits On Lead Dust In Homes And Child Care Facilities
The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed to strengthen requirements for the removal of lead-based paint dust in homes and child care facilities built before 1978, an effort to eliminate exposure to lead that could require millions of property owners to pay for abatement. Lead is a neurotoxin and exposure can damage the brain and nervous system, particularly in babies and small children. (Davenport, 7/12)

AP: EPA Moves To Reduce Childhood Exposure To Lead-Based Paint Dust 
Declaring that “there is no safe level of lead,” the administration estimates that the proposed rule would reduce lead exposure for approximately 250,000 to 500,000 children under the age of six each year. That’s important because health scientists have said for some time there is no safe level of lead in a child’s blood. Lead’s damage to the brain is well known: It takes points off IQ, deprives kids of problem-solving abilities, and can make it harder to learn to read. But it also affects other organs, including the liver and kidneys. (Lobet and Stobbe, 7/12)

CNN: EPA Recommends Stricter Rules On Harmful Lead Dust In Millions Of Homes, Schools And Day Cares
The stronger proposal follows a 2021 decision by a federal appeals court after the EPA was sued by public health and environmental groups over its old standard. Biden administration officials reiterated that this proposed rule was part of their larger agenda to get lead out of the nation’s housing and school stock. (Nilsen, 7/12)

In other news on toxic lead —

The Wall Street Journal: ​What AT&T And Verizon Knew About Toxic Lead Cables
At a gathering of telecom officials more than a decade ago, John Malone, a senior AT&T manager, cautioned the group about a little-known danger crisscrossing the nation. (Ramachandran, Gryta, Jones, Pulliam and West, 7/12)

AP: Report: Severe Maternal Health Complications Nearly Doubled In Massachusetts From 2011 To 2020
Rates of severe maternal health complications nearly doubled in Massachusetts from 2011 to 2020, with Black women experiencing the highest rates of labor and delivery problems, according to a report released Wednesday by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (LeBlanc, 7/12)

The Boston Globe: Severe Labor And Delivery Complications In Mass. Nearly Doubled Over Past Decade, DPH Report Finds: ‘Racism — Not Race — Is The Risk Factor’
“Sobering findings continue to hammer the message that severe maternal morbidity and mortality are simply too high and the inequities baked in are not getting better over time,” said Dr. Allison Bryant, associate chief health equity officer at Mass General Brigham, who was not involved in the report. DPH researchers analyzed all 678,382 deliveries in the state between 2011 and 2020 and found that rates of severe maternal morbidity climbed from 52.3 per 10,000 deliveries in 2011 to 100.4 per 10,000 deliveries in 2020, an average increase of 8.9 percent each year.(Mohammed and Laughlin, 7/12)

In other maternal health news —

Axios: Arizona Pregnancy-Associated Deaths Quadrupled In Two Decades 
Maternal deaths are increasing in the U.S. and Arizona had one of the nation's highest pregnancy-associated death rate spikes over the past two decades, according to a new study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The report found maternal mortality rates more than doubled in the U.S. between 1999 and 2019. In the same time period, they quadrupled in Arizona. (Boehm, 7/12)

Axios: Utah's Indigenous Maternal Mortality Rate Tops Nation
The maternal death rate is higher for Indigenous Utahns than any racial group in any state, according to a new JAMA report that provides the first-ever state-level breakdowns by ethnic group. Among Indigenous Utah women who had babies in 2019, 301 of 100,000 died within a year, researchers found. (Alberty, 7/12)

The CT Mirror: Another CT Hospital Petitions To Close Its Labor And Delivery Unit
The state on Wednesday heard arguments for and against the closure of the labor and delivery unit at Johnson Memorial Hospital, one of three Connecticut hospitals proposing cuts to birthing services. Executives of the Stafford-based hospital cited low patient volume and difficulty recruiting staff as reasons for their request, echoing arguments presented by leaders at other facilities seeking permission to do the same. (Golvala, 7/12)

Modern Healthcare: Cedars-Sinai Civil Rights Investigation Launched By HHS
The Health and Human Services Department is investigating Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for civil rights violations related to its maternal health services, the regulator confirmed Wednesday. “Maternal health is a priority for the Biden-Harris administration and one in which the HHS Office for Civil Rights is working on around the country to ensure equity and equality in healthcare,” a spokesperson wrote in an email. HHS declined to provide further details on the ongoing investigation, which the Los Angeles Times first reported Tuesday. (Hartnett, 7/12)

Meanwhile, in Canada —

AP: Indigenous Women In Canada Forcibly Sterilized Decades After Other Rich Countries Stopped
Decades after many other rich countries stopped forcibly sterilizing Indigenous women, numerous activists, doctors, politicians and at least five class-action lawsuits say the practice has not ended in Canada. A Senate report last year concluded “this horrific practice is not confined to the past, but clearly is continuing today.” In May, a doctor was penalized for forcibly sterilizing an Indigenous woman in 2019. (Cheng, 7/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Record-Breaking Heat Waves Set To Bake South And Southwest
A dangerous heat wave was building across the southwestern U.S. this week as millions of people there and in the South brace for record-breaking, and potentially deadly, temperatures. (Lukpat, 7/12)

AP: Dangerous Heat Wave Baking US Southwest Brings Triple Digit Temperatures, Fire Risk To California
After a historically wet winter and a cloudy spring, California’s summer was in full swing Thursday as a heat wave that’s been scorching much of the U.S. Southwest brings triple digit temperatures and an increased risk of wildfires. Blistering conditions will build Friday and throughout the weekend in the central and southern parts of California, where many residents should prepare for the hottest weather of the year, the National Weather Service warned. (7/13)

Houston Chronicle: Houston Activates Heat Emergency Plan As Extreme Heat Returns
Houston activated its heat emergency plan Wednesday with the National Weather Service forecasting heat index values as hot as 109 degrees through Sunday. From the Wednesday afternoon alert through Sunday, the city intended to provide extra resources for residents, especially those without air conditioning, to take relief from the extreme heat, according to a statement from the Houston Health Department. (Breen, 7/12)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Workers Must Avoid Heat Injuries On Their Own Due To Few Protections
Maynor Estuardo Álvarez used to stand the Texas heat, but not anymore. Something changed in his body last summer while working as a painter in an apartment in Houston. It was the afternoon, the temperature had surpassed 100 degrees and the unit had no air conditioning. He suddenly felt his heart racing and started sweating profusely. His calves cramped, then his arms, followed by an unbearable pain under his ribs. He called his wife and told her: “I think I’m about to faint.” She advised him to drink water, but he said he was already doing so.“ Get out of there then,” she said. (Uranga, 7/12)

Also —

Axios: Too Hot To Handle: What The World's Increasing Heat Does To Our Bodies
With record high temperatures becoming the norm, humans are more regularly hitting the threshold of our ability to cope with heat. Researchers previously believed 95°F at 100% Fahrenheit, equal to about 115°F at 50% humidity, was the maximum a person could endure before losing the ability to adequately regulate body temperature over prolonged exposure. A 2022 study from Penn State researchers found that 87°F at 100% humidity was the maximum for young healthy individuals to adequately regulate. Another recent study suggests a range between 104°F and 122°F — depending on the humidity — is the threshold, NBC News reported. (Reed, 7/13)

Time: Heat Stroke Isn’t Just A Short-Term Danger
Heat stroke—the most dangerous form of heat-related illness—is a growing threat and creates a public health quandary since there’s still no available treatment other than simply cooling victims down. What’s more, early research seems to suggest heat stroke could lead to further health consequences down the line. Here’s what we know about the condition now, and what experts hope research can tell us in the coming years. (Weiss, 7/12)

Meanwhile, air quality issues are also in the news —

NBC News: The Year Of Wildfire Smoke: Why The U.S. Faces A Brutal Season
The June haze events were a wake-up call to communities unprepared for wildfire smoke, delaying hundreds of flights on the East Coast, shuttering outdoor events like baseball games and increasing hospital visits for ailments like asthma. But they’re likely just the start of the nation’s smoke troubles this season, according to wildfire experts, who expect Canada’s fires to belch smoke all summer and who also see conditions brewing for wildfire in parts of the U.S., including in the Pacific Northwest and the upper Midwest. (Bush, 7/12)

The New York Times: Mayor’s Response To Wildfire Smoke Was Sluggish, New York Officials Say 
As a carpet of acrid smoke darkened New York City’s skies and turned them orange last month, many New Yorkers looked to their city’s leaders for immediate guidance on how to stay safe, but were frustrated when they received none. Mayor Eric Adams and other officials have reacted defensively to accusations that they were not proactive enough during a crisis that brought historically unhealthy air to the city. They have repeatedly said that New York had never faced anything like the smoke conditions, and that they did their best to respond to a threat they could never have anticipated. (Gold, 7/12)

Houston Chronicle: Saharan Dust Cloud Arrives In Houston As Highs Near 100 This Weekend
Over the next couple of weeks, several surges of Saharan dust are likely to affect Southeast Texas. The one forecast to arrive locally Friday could create some problems for people with asthma or lung issues. While the vast majority of residents won’t notice any adverse health effects from the Saharan dust, sensitive groups could feel allergy-like symptoms such as itchy eyes, sneezing, or coughing. (Ballard, 7/12)

The Hill: Abortion Providers Sue To Block Iowa’s New Abortion Ban 
Abortion providers and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Iowa’s just-passed bill that would ban most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Emma Goldman Clinic and the ACLU of Iowa filed the challenge in district court less than 12 hours after the bill passed. (Weixel, 7/12)

AP: Iowa Republicans Passed A Strict Abortion Bill Last Night. A Legal Challenge Was Filed By Morning
The challenge, brought by the ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma Goldman Clinic, requests that a district court temporarily put the soon-to-be law on hold as the courts assess its constitutionality. A hearing is scheduled for Friday afternoon, according to court documents, just before the governor’s bill signing. (Fingerhut, 7/12)

In other news relating to abortion matters —

The Hill: Almost 3 In 4 In New Poll Support Abortion Access In First Six Weeks Of Pregnancy
Seventy-three percent of Americans believe that abortion should be legal six weeks into pregnancy, including 88 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of Republicans, according to the poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs. Americans were more divided when asked about whether abortion should be legal at 15 weeks and 24 weeks into the pregnancy, with 51 percent and 21 percent in support of it, respectively. (Sforza, 7/12)

Reuters: Factbox: U.S. State Abortion Legislation To Watch In 2023
State legislatures are wrestling with how much to restrict or expand abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Here is a snapshot of pending and passed legislation seeking to restrict or protect access in 2023. (Borter and Bernstein, 7/12)

Also —

St. Louis Public Radio: Cori Bush Fights To Maintain Access To Abortion Drug
The drug mifepristone, used in more than half of abortions nationwide and in nearly all medication abortions, has been deemed a safe and effective way to end pregnancies since 2000, when the FDA approved its use. However, the future of access to mifepristone now depends on the outcome of pending court cases, including a case before a New Orleans federal court of appeals. Attorneys expect a ruling from the judges in the coming weeks or months. (Woodbury, 7/12)

Politico: Chamber Of Commerce Requests Preliminary Injunction In Drug Price Negotiation Lawsuit
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its subsidiaries asked a federal court on Wednesday to grant a preliminary injunction to halt implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act’s drug pricing provisions. The new motion “focuses solely on the due process clause” and asks the court to “preserve the status quo” while further litigation plays out. CMS plans to publish a list of the first up to 10 drugs selected for negotiations by Sept. 1 — an action the Chamber of Commerce argues has already harmed the manufacturers of drugs expected to be selected. (Lim, 7/12)

The Hill: Chamber Of Commerce Files Motion For Preliminary Injunction On Medicare Drug Negotiation
“We’re seeking timely relief before the government can further implement its illegal and arbitrary price control scheme. If allowed to go into effect, the scheme would harm not only U.S. businesses but U.S. patients — limiting access to medicine, deterring needed investment, and stifling innovation,” Andrew Varcoe, deputy chief counsel at the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, said in a statement. (Choi, 7/12)

Politico: House Panel Approves Bills Targeting Pharmacy Benefit Managers For More Disclosure
The House Education and the Workforce Committee advanced four health care bills focused on transparency for hospitals and pharmacy benefit managers with bipartisan support Wednesday. Some of the package seeks to bolster the No Surprises Act, a 2020 law aimed at protecting patients from receiving surprise medical bills, Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said, and lower health care costs. (Leonard and Wilson, 7/12)

In other developments —

CIDRAP: GAO Releases Recommendations Aimed At Future Pandemics
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on key COVID-19 findings and recommendations, with the aim of helping federal agencies better prepare for future emergencies, according to a GAO press release. The report is a continuation of the GAO's series on the accountability and effectiveness of the federal government's $4.7 trillion pandemic response since 2020. (Soucheray, 7/12)

The 19th: Harris And Buttigieg Discuss Air Travel Accommodations For Wheelchair Users
Vice President Kamala Harris convened a roundtable discussion with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and over a dozen disability advocates Tuesday in honor of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, with a focus on air travel for wheelchair users. Every year, airlines damage thousands of wheelchairs. Currently, wheelchair users on flights must be transferred from their chairs to smaller chairs designed for airplane aisles, and their chairs are stowed away. Buttigieg announced last summer that the Department of Transportation would work toward a new rule that would allow disabled travelers to stay in their own wheelchairs when they fly. That rule has not yet been announced. (Luterman, 7/12)

Politico: Priority Review Voucher Reauthorization Likely Falling Off PAHPA
An FDA program intended to incentivize development of new drugs to prevent or treat biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear threats is likely to lapse in early October despite support from some Republicans and the pharmaceutical industry. A House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee package to reauthorize the nation’s pandemic preparedness law set to be marked up Thursday did not include the FDA program, which is implemented through vouchers worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Lim, 7/12)

Politico: House Appropriators Slash Global Health Funding In 2024 Bill
The House Appropriations Committee approved legislation on party lines Wednesday cutting all funding to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund, while slashing off a fifth of the $600 million the Biden administration requested for reproductive health and family planning. (Paun, 7/12)

On a review of an energy drink —

Stat: Schumer's War On Logan Paul's Prime Energy Drink Likely To Fizzle
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the most powerful person in the U.S. Senate, wants the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the increasingly popular energy drink brand Prime. But it’s unclear what grounds the FDA would have to single out the company in the near future, or what the agency could really do on its own if it wanted to take serious actions against its co-founder, social media star and professional wrestler Logan Paul. (Florko, 7/13)

The Hill: FDA To Review Schumer’s Concerns Over YouTube Stars’ Energy Drink 
“The FDA has received the letter, is reviewing the concerns outlined in the letter, and will respond to the Senator directly,” the statement read. Schumer called for an investigation into Prime, a beverage brand that makes a caffeinated energy drink as well as a hydration drink without caffeine. Schumer claimed that Prime, founded by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI, was marketing the energy drink to children on social media. (Fortinsky, 7/12)

CIDRAP: Global Groups Warn Of Ongoing H5N1 Avian Flu Threat To People
Three global health groups today warned that, with H5N1 avian flu outbreaks continuing to devastate animal populations and increasing detections in mammals, the virus could adapt to more easily infect humans. The joint statement came from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). They urged countries to work together across sectors to protect both animals and people. (Schnirring, 7/12)

Reuters: Surging Bird Flu Outbreaks Raise Human-Infection Risk, UN Agencies Warn 
Three UN agencies on Wednesday warned that an ongoing rise in avian flu outbreaks globally raised concerns that the virus might adapt to infect humans more easily, and urged countries to strengthen disease surveillance and improve hygiene at poultry farms. Earlier this year, a new H5N1 strain of bird flu that is highly contagious among wild birds explosively spread to new geographical regions, infecting and killing a variety of mammal species and raising fears of a pandemic among humans. (7/12)

CIDRAP: Southern Hemisphere Flu Activity Rises; Central America Reports Hot Spots
Southern Hemisphere flu activity continues to rise in some countries, though levels have stabilized or are declining in others, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest update, which covers roughly the middle 2 weeks of June. (Schnirring, 7/12)

On news relating to teen mental health —

CIDRAP: More Emergency Visits For Teen Girls' Mental Health Seen During Second Year Of Pandemic
A new study in JAMA Psychiatry shows emergency department (ED) visits and stays for mental health needs soared for adolescent females in the United States in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising by 22% when compared to the year before the pandemic. In general, the authors of the study also found a significant increase (72%) in the percentage of youth in EDs with long onboarding (waiting in an ED or medical inpatient unit) times. (Soucheray, 7/12)

The New York Times: E.R. Visits For Teenage Girls Surged During The Pandemic
As the coronavirus pandemic dragged through its second year, an increasing number of American families were so desperate to get help for depressed or suicidal children that they brought them to emergency rooms. A large-scale analysis of private insurance claims shows that this surge in acute mental health crises was driven largely by a single group — girls aged 13 to 17. (Barry, 7/12)

In other public health developments —

Stat: Why More Americans Aren't Using The 988 Crisis Hotline
It’s been a year since the U.S. launched its 988 national mental health hotline — and while the service is still dealing with logistical challenges, its biggest issue may be persuading more Americans to make use of it. Only 33% of Americans are at least somewhat familiar with the number and the service it provides, according to a survey of more than 2,000 adults conducted by Ipsos and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) conducted in June 2023. A larger percentage of Americans had at least heard of 988 (63%), but didn’t know much more about it. Still, this was an improvement compared with September 2022, when only 44% of Americans had heard about it at all. (Merelli, 7/13)

CBS News: Nearly 1 In 10 U.S. Children Have Been Diagnosed With A Developmental Disability, CDC Reports
The share of American children who have ever been diagnosed with a developmental disability increased again in 2021, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and now more than 1 in 10 boys have had an intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder or another developmental delay. Among kids ages 3 to 17 years old, 8.56% have ever been diagnosed with any developmental disability as of 2021, according to the latest results from the agency's ongoing National Health Interview Survey. (Tin, 7/13)

CBS News: Norovirus Outbreaks Surging On Cruise Ships This Year
Norovirus outbreaks spiked on cruise ships this year, with data showing more outbreaks happened between January and June than over the course of any other full calendar year in the last decade. Thirteen norovirus outbreaks have been reported on cruises so far in 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which keeps a record of annual case counts dating back to 1994. (Mae Czachor, 7/12)

Politico: Fatal Drug Overdoses Remain At Record Levels, CDC Data Shows
The number of people dying of drug overdoses in the U.S. was nearly the same between February 2022 and February 2023 as it was during that period the previous year, provisional data released by the CDC Wednesday showed. The CDC estimated that 109,940 people died of an overdose in that 12 month period, compared to 110,043 the previous year. (Paun, 7/12)

Reuters: How Aspartame Made The Agenda Of The WHO's Cancer Research Arm
The imminent move to label aspartame as a possible carcinogen comes after years of advocacy from a leading consumer group in the United States and a handful of cancer scientists hoping to settle a decades-long debate over the sweetener's safety. Reuters reported last month that the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO), known as the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), was set to make that declaration on July 14, according to two sources with knowledge of the process. (Rigby, 7/13)

Also —

KFF Health News: Got Milk In School? Farmers Fight Health Advocates Over The Creamy ‘Whole’ Variety
Amanda Condo works at her family’s Pennsylvania dairy farm, but her son often won’t drink milk at school. He doesn’t like the flavor. That’s because the cafeteria at his elementary school serves only skim milk and 1%, which he contends tastes too watered-down, she said. “It’s a bad experience for kids who are our future milk drinkers, and it’s leaving a bad taste in their mouths.” (Galewitz, 7/13)

Bloomberg: Google's Med-PaLM AI Product For Medical Industry Isn't Ready For Patients Yet
One day in February 2022, two AI researchers at Alphabet Inc.’s Google found themselves engrossed in conversation about artificial intelligence and its potential for real applications in healthcare. As Alan Karthikesalingam and Vivek Natarajan discussed adapting Google’s existing AI models to medical settings, their conversation stretched for hours and into dinner over dosas at a restaurant near the tech giant’s Mountain View headquarters. By the end of the evening, Natarajan had written a first draft of a document that described the possibilities for large language models in health care, including research directions and its challenges. (Alba and Love, 7/12)

CNBC: The A.I. Revolution In Health Care Is Coming
The pandemic brought about an explosion in the use of telemedicine. Now, artificial intelligence is set to further transform health care. AI-driven health care goes beyond chatbot doctors and AI diagnoses. Many of the transformations happen behind the scenes with productivity and comprehension enhancements. With 83% of executives agreeing science tech capabilities could help address health-related challenges around the world, the move to AI-driven health care may seem slow at first, but the wave appears to be building. (Curry, 7/12)

Meanwhile, a key figure expects AI to rapidly advance —

The Hill: Musk Predicts ‘Digital Superintelligence’ Will Exist In 5–6 Years 
Elon Musk said he believes “digital superintelligence” would exist in the next five or six years, during a conversation with Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) hosted on Twitter Spaces Wednesday. “I think it’s five or six years away,” the Twitter owner and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla said in the conversation about artificial intelligence. (Fortinsky, 7/12)

On "custom" gene therapy innovations —

Stat: Custom Gene Therapy Hints At New Path For Rare Disease Treatments
When Timothy Yu developed milasen, a custom drug for a young girl named Mila with Batten disease, he ignited a spark in the field of personalized medicine. Milasen was the first medicine specifically designed for a single person, and it was developed in just about a year. In response to milasen, nonprofit organizations have emerged calling for the development of personalized therapies for the estimated 400 million people living with rare diseases worldwide. (Iskandar, 7/12)

CNN: European Regulator Expands Investigation Into Risks Of Suicidal Thoughts In Users Of Popular Weight-Loss Medications Like Ozempic
European regulators said Tuesday that they’d broadened an investigation started last week into the risk of suicidal thoughts among patients taking popular drugs for weight loss, like Ozempic, to include more potential cases and other medicines in the class. The European Medicines Agency is now evaluating about 150 reports of possible cases of self-injury and suicidal thoughts, the regulator said in a statement Tuesday. (Tirrell, 7/12)

In other health care industry news —

Stat: More Hospitals Are Billing Patients As Online Messages Surge
Health systems drowning in messages from patients are grasping for new ways to manage the deluge — including charging for especially time-consuming responses. In recent months, health systems including Cleveland Clinic and University of Washington have trotted out new billing policies for when patient portal questions require more than just a few minutes of a provider’s time — an attempt to compensate for staff time spent while also stanching the breakneck response pace patients have come to expect in the consumer world. (Ravindranath, 7/13)

Modern Healthcare: Aspirus Health, St. Luke's Duluth Plan Combination
Wausau, Wisconsin-based Aspirus and St. Luke’s Duluth, a two-hospital system based in Minnesota, signed a letter of intent to combine via a member-substitution agreement, the nonprofit systems said Wednesday. A transaction would expand Aspirus’ 17-hospital network in northern and central Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Minnesota, while St. Luke’s Duluth would increase its borrowing capacity and gain access to Aspirus’ health plan. (Kacik, 7/12)

Minnesota Public Radio: St. Luke’s Plan To Merge With Aspirus Health Is The Latest For Minnesota Health Care 
Duluth-based St. Luke’s plans to merge with Aspirus Health, a nonprofit health system that operates in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The new system will contain 19 hospitals, 130 outpatient locations and nearly 14,000 staff, according to the release, and will serve “residents of northeastern Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.” (Wiley, 7/12)

Stat: EU Fines Illumina $475 Million Over Grail Acquisition
The European Union on Wednesday issued an antitrust fine of $475 million to the U.S. genetic sequencing giant Illumina for closing its acquisition of cancer detection company Grail before clearing it with regulators. The fine amounts to nearly 10% of Illumina’s annual global revenue, which is the most the European Commission can penalize a company under its merger regulations. The commission called Illumina’s actions “an unprecedented and very serious infringement” of the EU’s policies, including the “cornerstone” that regulators review deals that can alter the market. (Joseph, 7/12)

San Francisco Chronicle: UCSF In Talks To Buy St Mary's, St. Francis Memorial Hospitals
UCSF is in talks to take over St. Mary’s Medical Center, St. Francis Memorial Hospital and several outpatient and urgent care clinics throughout San Francisco currently operated by the Catholic hospital chain Dignity Health, according to a memo reviewed by The Chronicle. (Mishanec, 7/12)

Modern Healthcare: HonorHealth To Buy 26 FastMed Urgent Care Centers In Arizona
HonorHealth is taking ownership of 26 FastMed urgent care centers in the Phoenix area. Scottsdale, Arizona-based HonorHealth operates the urgent care locations through a joint venture with FastMed. The nonprofit system said it plans to fully take over operations this summer. Financial terms were not disclosed. (Hudson, 7/12)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW-Milwaukee Receives $20 Million Donation From Zilber Family Foundation
A record-breaking $20 million gift to the Joseph J. Zilber College of Public Health, announced Wednesday by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will support faculty and research, create new student scholarships and further the college's work to combat health disparities in Milwaukee and around the state. (Shastri, 7/12)

Also —

CIDRAP: Melinta To Seek Approval Of 2 Antibiotics For Use In Kids, Against Biothreats
Drugmaker Melinta Therapeutics announced yesterday that it will receive funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to advance two antibiotics targeting multidrug-resistant infections for use in children. (Dall, 7/12)

AP: New Hampshire, Hospitals Resolve Lawsuit Over Psychiatric Patients
New Hampshire hospitals and state health officials said Wednesday they will work together to solve the state’s long-standing problem of holding psychiatric patients in hospital emergency rooms, a move that ends years of litigation. (7/12)

Politico: PhRMA Snags Avalere President To Helm Policy Team
Elizabeth Carpenter, president of consulting firm Avalere Health, will take over as the head of policy at PhRMA, the advocacy group announced on Wednesday. The role, which is part of the group’s leadership team, manages the legislative, regulatory and political strategies and oversees the research department that works alongside its lobbying team. She begins her new role on Sept. 5. (Wilson, 7/12)

In news on health industry personnel —

Stat: How Dance Can Help Nurses Traumatized By Covid
“Code yellow!” someone screamed. I dipped in and out of consciousness, in and out of panic. Eighteen years as a nurse myself and I knew one thing for sure: It was a burst ectopic. The fetus was not viable. I had lost a lot of blood. I could die. As I contemplated the possibility of never waking up after surgery, my nurse leaned in close, took my hand, and said, “It’s OK. I’m here and you’re going to be OK.” (Tara Rynders, 7/13)

Modern Healthcare: Women Leaders In Healthcare To Gather In Chicago Next Month
Healthcare organizations are making intentional efforts to recruit, retain and promote more diverse leaders, but the process is not without challenges. Modern Healthcare’s Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference, Aug. 9 to Aug. 11 in Chicago, will bring together women and allies from across the industry to share strategies for achieving career growth and satisfaction while advancing diverse, inclusive leadership. You can purchase tickets and see the latest agenda and event updates here. (7/12)

Axios: California Lawmakers Consider Minimum Wage For Health Workers
Legislation that would establish the nation's first minimum wage for health care workers advanced in the California State Assembly this week over the objections of an unusual alliance of providers, hospitals and a big nurses union. The Labor and Employment Committee on Wednesday approved the bill, sending it next to the Appropriations Committee and giving it momentum headed into the August recess. (Dreher, 7/13)

AP: Takeaways From AP's Examination Of Nuclear Waste Problems In The St. Louis Region 
Uranium processing in the St. Louis area played a pivotal role in developing the nuclear weapons that helped bring an end to World War II and provided a key defense during the Cold War. But the cost to the region has been staggering. ... The government has paid out millions to former Mallinckrodt workers with cancer, or their survivors. Many people with rare cancers who grew up near the waste sites believe their illnesses, too, are connected to radiation exposure. (Phillis and Salter, 7/12)

AP: How America’s Push For The Atomic Bomb Spawned Enduring Radioactive Waste Problems In St. Louis
Decades later, even with much of the cleanup complete, the aftereffects haunt the region. Federal health investigators have found an increased cancer risk for some people who, as children, played in a creek contaminated with uranium waste. A grade school closed last year amid radiation concerns. A landfill operator is spending millions to keep underground smoldering from reaching nuclear waste illegally dumped in the 1970s. (Phillis and Salter, 7/12)

In news on a surgeon who livestreamed procedures —

AP: Plastic Surgeon Who Livestreamed Procedures On TikTok Banned From Practicing Medicine In Ohio
An Ohio plastic surgeon’s state medical license was permanently revoked Wednesday after a medical board determined she harmed patients while livestreaming their surgeries on the social media app TikTok. The Ohio Medical Board voted to ban Katharine Grawe — also known as Dr. Roxy in her plastic surgery practice “Roxy Plastic Surgery” and to her many TikTok followers — from ever practicing again in the state. (Hendrickson, 7/12)

Columbus Dispatch: 'Dr. Roxy' Loses Medical License For Livestreaming Surgeries On TikTok
Dr. Katharine Roxanne Grawe, a Powell plastic surgeon accused of injuring patients while livestreaming some procedures online, will never again work as a doctor in Ohio. The State Medical Board of Ohio on Wednesday voted to permanently revoke the medical license of Grawe, who also goes by "Dr. Roxy." Grawe's license had been suspended since Nov. 18, with further action pending a hearing that took place in May and a final decision Wednesday by the full medical board. (Filby, 7/12)

Other health news from across the states —

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Doctor Charged With Giving Contaminated Fentnayl To Patients
A Las Vegas pain management doctor indicted in Southern California on charges of giving adulterated fentanyl to patients and scheming to defraud Medicare will go before the Nevada medical board to defend his license in December. Dr. David James Smith, who is licensed and has practiced in both states, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that also include over-prescribing fentanyl and other opioids. (Hynes, 7/12)

AP: Tens Of Thousands Of Georgia Residents Removed From Medicaid In June, State Officials Say
Georgia has removed another 95,000 adults and kids from state insurance rolls as it continues to review who is eligible for coverage now that the federal government has ended a pandemic public health emergency, state officials announced Wednesday. The removals from Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance represent a little under half of the roughly 217,000 people who were due for renewal in June, the Georgia Department of Community Health said in a news release. (7/12)

St. Louis Public Radio: Mo. Supreme Court Hears Case On State Health Regulations 
The Missouri Supreme Court is considering a case that sharply curtailed the authority of local health officials to address public health emergencies. The high court heard arguments in the case Wednesday, most of which focused on the right of local governments to appeal the case even though they were not a party to the initial lawsuit. The court will issue its ruling at a later date. (Lippmann, 7/12)

The Washington Post: Conjoined Twins Go Home After Doctors Separated Them In Rare Surgery
When Eliza and Ella Fuller were born in March, they were conjoined at the stomach. Doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston spent months planning a rare surgery to separate the twins so they could live independently. After a successful procedure last month, Eliza and Ella recovered in different rooms and learned to eat and sleep alone. On Tuesday, the twins hit another milestone. After spending their first 133 days in the hospital, Eliza and Ella were discharged and brought to their Center, Tex., home, where doctors expect they will grow up healthy. (Melnick, 7/12)

AP: Arizona Woman Who Faked Being A Nurse Practitioner During Pandemic Gets 5-Year Prison Term
An Arizona woman who faked being a nurse practitioner during the coronavirus pandemic was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison. State prosecutors said 58-year-old Pamela O’Guinn pleaded guilty to fraud, forgery and identity theft. (7/12)

AP: Medical Marijuana Sales In Arkansas Could Set New Record
Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas are on track to set a new record this year, state officials said. From January through June, patients spent $141 million to buy a little more than 29,000 pounds of marijuana, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. That’s up from $134 million in the first six months of 2022. (7/12)

NBC News: Hazardous Chemical Polluted Air Weeks After Ohio Train Derailment, Analysis Shows
Soon after the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, a team of researchers began roving the small town in a Nissan van. It was February, less than three weeks after the disaster, and the van was outfitted with an instrument called a mass spectrometer, which can measure hundreds to thousands of compounds in the air every second. (Bendix, 7/12)

AP: Giant Rabid Beaver Attacks Georgia Girl Swimming In Lake
A rabid beaver bit a young girl while she was swimming in a northeast Georgia lake, local news outlets reported. Kevin Beucker, field supervisor for Hall County Animal Control, told WDUN-AM that the beaver bit the girl on Saturday while she was swimming off private property in the northern end of Lake Lanier near Gainesville. (7/12)

North Carolina Health News: Changes Could Be Coming To NC Dental Practice Laws
North Carolina’s dental profession sometimes gets blamed for being too reluctant to make any changes to laws defining who can practice dentistry in the state in order to keep a tight lock on who gets licensed to provide oral health care. Dental hygienists fought for years to have greater autonomy to practice without the direct supervision of a dentist on site until January 2020, when they gained some ground in that long-running scope of practice tug-of-war. (Blythe, 7/13)

New Hampshire Public Radio: NH Hospitals And State DHHS Resolve ‘ER Boarding' Lawsuit
In a resolution released Wednesday, hospitals and the state of New Hampshire announced an agreement to resolve litigation around the practice of holding psychiatric patients in hospital emergency rooms, known as “ER boarding.” Under the terms of that deal, New Hampshire will have to eliminate waitlists for inpatient mental health care by May 2024. That deadline was originally set in an opinion issued by a federal judge earlier this year. (Cuno-Booth and Tuohy, 7/12)

ScienceDaily: Neurons That Track, Regulate Blood-Sugar Levels Are Found
New research has discovered neurons within the brain which detect and respond to changes in the level of sugar within the bloodstream. (University of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine, 7/11)

ScienceDaily: Gum Disease Linked To Buildup Of Alzheimer's Plaque Formation
Although most people don't associate oral disease with serious health problems, increasing evidence shows that oral bacteria play a significant role in systemic diseases like colon cancer and heart disease. Now, new research shows a link between periodontal (gum) disease and the formation of amyloid plaque, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. (Forsyth Institute, 7/10)

CIDRAP: Study Finds Strong Link Between Pandemic Preparedness And Fewer COVID Deaths 
The pandemic was less deadly in countries that rank higher in preparedness, according to new study findings, which counter the perception that the countries with the best capacities fared worst during the heat of the battle with COVID-19.Researchers also dug into how well countries used their tools, a factor that hampered outcomes in the United States. The team from Brown University School of Public Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) detailed their findings yesterday in BMJ Global Health. (Schnirring, 7/7)

Dallas Morning News: UHC Should Reverse Course On Prior Authorization Policy
Insurers delaying and denying care without good reason is absolutely unacceptable when your doctor says you need a procedure to determine whether you have cancer. Yet that is what many fear will happen due to UnitedHealthcare’s new advance notification policy, which lays the groundwork for far-reaching prior authorization requirements for most gastrointestinal colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures. (Rajeev Jain, 7/13)

Newsweek: Supporting Women's Reproductive Health Is Key To Climate Goals
World Population Day has been observed on July 11 each year since 1990. This year, as people across the globe experience record-breaking heat, wildfires, smoke, storms, and floods, it's an opportune time to consider the often overlooked but profound connections between population and climate change. (Kathleen Mogelgaard, 7/11)

CNN: The Surprising Second Life Of The Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision 
In Ohio, Republicans seeking to defeat a ballot initiative creating a state constitutional right to abortion have seized on another culture war issue: gender-affirming care. An ongoing ad campaign, initiated by anti-abortion group Protect Women Ohio, claims that the Ohio measure would allow minors to get gender-affirming care without parental consent. Those ads have been debunked — the ballot initiative says nothing about gender identity and has no impact on gender-affirming care. But there may be a surprising connection between abortion and gender-affirming care after all — one developed by conservatives, a reinvention of the Supreme Court’s decision destroying federal abortion rights. (Mary Ziegler, 7/12)

Stat: The New HIV Moral Panic 
In May, just before Pride Month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released news worth celebrating: 2021 saw the lowest numbers of new HIV diagnoses in decades. New HIV infections were down 12% from 2017 to 2021, thanks to successful prevention efforts, including PrEP. The end of the epidemic may finally be in our grasp. But lawmakers and judges may undo this progress by cashing in on the political capital of renewed moral panic about HIV. (Meredithe McNamara, 7/13)

Scientific American: How My Mother's Dementia Showed Me Another Side Of Neurodiversity 
After a series of tests, our mom was diagnosed with vascular dementia, one of the forms of age-related cognitive decline that currently devastates 57 million people worldwide. (Steve Silberman, 7/12)