The Washington Post: TSA Stops Mask Enforcement After Federal Judge Voids Mandate
Federal officials stopped enforcement of a federal mask mandate Monday in transportation settings after a federal judge struck down the requirement, raising public health concerns and prompting several airlines to announce that face coverings are optional on domestic flights. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of the Middle District of Florida said the mandate exceeds the statutory authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal officials last week had extended the mask mandate for commercial flights and in other settings, including on buses, ferries and subways, until at least May 3. (Laris and George, 4/18)

The Hill: Multiple Airlines, Amtrak To Drop Mask Requirements 
United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways all announced that masks would be optional for both passengers and employees as well as in airports. Amtrak also announced that it would make masks optional for its guests and train employees. ... In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for Amtrak said that it would make masks optional for employees and customers on board trains and in stations but added that “masks are welcome and remain an important preventive measure against COVID-19.” (Beals, 4/18)

The New York Times: How U.S. Airlines Are Changing Their Mask Rules
Generally, the airlines said they would no longer require masks at airports and on flights within the United States, though several said they would still require them when flying into cities and countries where requirements were still in place. Some airports may continue to require masks, too. Here’s what each of the major national airlines had to say. (Chokshi, 4/18)

And Uber says it no longer requires masks —

Fox Business: Uber Will No Longer Require Masks After Florida Judge Strikes Down CDC Travel Mask Mandate 
Uber will no longer require riders and drivers to wear masks effective immediately, the company announced Tuesday. "As of April 19, 2022, riders and drivers are not required to wear masks when using Uber," the ride-share company said on its website. "However, the CDC still recommends wearing a mask if you have certain personal risk factors and/or high transmission levels in your area." (Taylor, 4/19)

In related news from California, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania —

Los Angeles Times: Some California Transit Agencies Ask Riders To Still Mask
Some public transit agencies in California are asking riders to continue wearing masks on buses and trains, despite a federal court ruling in Florida on Monday that struck down the masking mandate on public transportation. The Biden administration said Monday’s court decision means that the federal order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requiring mask use on public transit — including planes, airports, buses and trains — is not in effect at this time. The CDC still recommends the public wear masks when using public transportation. (Lin II and Money, 4/18)

KCRA: Northern California Transportation Hubs No Longer Require Masks After Federal Ruling
After a federal judge in Florida on Monday voided the national mask mandate for airlines and other forms of public transportation, multiple agencies in Northern California said they will stop requiring face coverings. Because of that court ruling, the TSA told KCRA 3 it would “no longer enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs.” (Ayestas, 4/18)

ABC7 New York: MTA, NJ Transit, Amtrak To Still Require Masks After Judge's Decision To Void Mandate On Airplanes, Public Transportation
In New York, Metropolitan Transportation Authority communications director Tim Minton said the system was "continuing to follow CDC guidelines and will review the Florida court order." The MTA operates New York City buses and subway trains as well as two commuter rail lines. Face coverings have been mandatory on all trains and buses since early in the pandemic. (4/19)

CBS Philly: SEPTA, Amtrak No Longer Requiring Masks After Federal Judge Struck Down US Mandate For Public Transportation
Face masks will no longer be required on SEPTA buses, trains and trolleys and in stations and concourses, the transportation authority said Monday night. This comes after a federal judge in Florida struck down the national mask mandate covering airlines and public transportation, ruling the mandate exceeded the authority of U.S. health officials. SEPTA said masks are still recommended. ... SEPTA said employees who work inside its offices, districts and shops in Philadelphia must continue to wear a mask to comply with the city’s mandate. (4/18)

Fox News: White House Calls Federal Ruling To Toss Mask Mandate 'A Disappointing Decision'
The White House said the federal court ruling Monday to void the Biden administration’s mask mandate for travelers using public transportation such as trains and airplanes was "obviously a disappointing decision" in light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommending its order for passengers to wear face coverings be extended. A federal judge on Monday voided the Biden administration's transportation mask mandate from the CDC, which applies to people as young as 2 years old, and had been set to expire a number of times. The order was recently extended to May 3 before Monday’s ruling. (Singman, 4/18)

The Hill: White House Urges Travelers To Keep Wearing Masks After ‘Disappointing’ Ruling 
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday the Biden administration still recommends that individuals wear masks on public transit after a judge struck down the federal mask mandate for travel on planes, trains and buses. Psaki told reporters during the daily briefing that administration officials are “still reviewing” the ruling from a federal judge in Florida, which she called “disappointing.” The press secretary left the door open to the administration appealing the ruling. (Gangitano, 4/18)

Daily Beast: Biden Administration Won’t Challenge Striking Down Of Travel Mask Mandate
The White House on Monday evening indicated it would not seek to challenge a federal judge’s ruling that a nationwide mask mandate on board public transportation was unlawful, according to Reuters. ... {And] a White House official on Monday told airline business reporter David Slotnik that there were no plans in place to lift the requirement for travelers inbound for the U.S. to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test before their arrival. (McDougall, 4/18)

Reuters: U.S. Will No Longer Enforce Mask Mandate On Airplanes, Trains After Court Ruling
A U.S. administration official said while the agencies were assessing potential next steps, the court's decision meant CDC's public transportation masking order was no longer in effect. The administration could still opt to appeal the order or seek an emergency delay in the order's enforcement. (Shepardson, Singh and Mason, 4/19)

And reaction from airline passengers —

Newsweek: Some Airline Passengers Cheer When Told Mask Mandates Lifted
Airplane cabins broke out into applause midflight as jubilant pilots announced over intercoms that the federal transportation mask requirements had been struck down by a judge. ... Erica Stapleton, a reporter with Phoenix Fox affiliate KSAZ-TV, posted a video to Twitter showing Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" being piped into a flight cabin after the announcement. "When you're actually on a flight & they tell you the federal mask mandate is lifted for travelers," she wrote. "Lots of cheering from passengers on board." (Thomas, 4/18)

USA Today: 'I Was Happy. I Could Breathe Better': Travelers, Crew Left Confused After Mask Mandate Was Lifted
Alexandra Rybakovsky saw the news Monday night mid-flight on a seatback monitor. As she was walking off the plane she noticed flight attendants chatting about it as they took off their masks. The New Jersey resident was flying back with her family from Aruba when they learned that masks were no longer required on domestic flights. "We were relaxed all the way there, it's not (a) bother (for) us to wear it," she told USA TODAY. "Most of the time we don't need it because we're vaccinated."  (Hines, Schulz and Collins, 4/18)

WINK: Passengers React To Judge Voiding Federal Mask Mandate For Travel
The first thing everyone sees as soon as they set foot inside of Southwest Florida International Airport is a sign stating that you must wear a mask at all times. Just last week, the Centers for Disease and Prevention called to an extension of that mask mandate until May 3. Monika Kampa lives in Florida. “I don’t like the mask thing, but for transportation, I would say yes, because you’re so close to people,” said Kampa. But others, like Carter Ames from Michigan, disagree. “I don’t agree with anything they say, really. I just… they keep extending and extending it, and I don’t think it’s doing anything to help. I think most people are over it,” Ames said. (Cuadra and Hill, 4/18)

The New York Times: Supreme Court Rules Against Air Force Officer Who Refused Vaccine 
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the Pentagon may take disciplinary action against a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve who refused to be vaccinated against the coronavirus on religious grounds. The court’s brief, unsigned order gave no reasons, which is common when the justices act on emergency applications. The court’s three most conservative members — Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch — noted dissents but did not explain their thinking. (Liptak, 4/18)

AP: High Court Won't Hear New York City Teacher Vaccine Dispute 
The Supreme Court is declining to wade into a lawsuit filed by four New York City public school employees over a policy that they be vaccinated against COVID-19. Lower courts had previously allowed the policy to go into effect while litigation continued, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor had also rejected an emergency request that the policy be put on hold. The justices said Monday they wouldn’t get involved in the dispute. As is typical the justices did not say anything in rejecting the case, and it was one of more than 100 the court turned away. (4/18)

In related news about vaccine mandates —

AP: NMSU Ending Option Of COVID-19 Testing; Vaccination Required
New Mexico State University will require all students on campus to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 1, ending the option of submitting weekly tests as an alternative, the university announced Monday. Chancellor Dan Arvizu also said in a memo to students, faculty and staff that NMSU no longer will require weekly testing for students and employees who decided against getting a booster or received an exemption from vaccination. (4/18)

And some hospitals are easing mask rules —

Houston Chronicle: Houston Hospitals Relax Mask Rules As Daily COVID Admissions Hit New Low
Some Houston hospitals are relaxing mask rules as new COVID-19 admissions sink to the lowest point since the pandemic began, according to Texas Medical Center data released Monday. The data shows that medical center institutions last week admitted an average of 42 patients per day — a dramatic drop from the high of 497 daily new admissions in mid-January. The previous low was in late June 2021, just before the delta variant hit Houston, when hospitals reported 48 new patients per day. (Gill, 4/19)

KWWL: UnityPoint Health Hospitals In Eastern Iowa Revising Mask Requirements
UnityPoint Health hospitals in Eastern Iowa are revising mask requirements, now making them optional for Waterloo, Dubuque, and Cedar Rapids locations. The revisions were made due to the hospitals experiencing low rates of transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, masks are now optional for most patients, visitors and fully vaccinated UnityPoint Health team members. These changes are effective immediately at Allen (Waterloo) and Finley (Dubuque) and will begin Tues., April 19 at St. Luke’s (Cedar Rapids.) (Ellis, 4/18)

Post and Courier: Conway Hospital Removes Mask Requirement For Those Vaccinated, First In Area
Conway Medical Center has taken another step in easing previously instituted COVID-19 measures and restrictions, citing lower infection rates in Horry County since the pandemic first began. Wearing medical masks at the healthcare facility off Singleton Ridge Road is now optional for employees and visitors who are fully vaccinated — the first hospital across Horry and Georgetown counties to take such a step. (Caines, 4/12)

National Geographic: Government Documents Reveal CDC Delayed Disclosing Likely COVID-19 Animal Spillover Event
A trove of government documents obtained by National Geographic provides the first behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) investigation into a suspected COVID-19 animal-to-human spillover event in Michigan in late 2020. The documents, and the agency’s statements in response to them, make clear the CDC was aware that mink on a fur farm may have infected humans at least three months before it quietly updated its website in March 2021. (Maron, 4/5)

The New York Times: Four Americans Were Infected With A Virus Variant Seen In Mink 
In the first year of the pandemic, at least four people in Michigan were infected with a version of the coronavirus observed mostly in mink, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday. The cluster, which previously included just three cases, represents the first known instance of possible animal-to-human transmission of the virus in the United States. (Anthes, 4/18)

In other news about the spread of covid —

CNBC: Leaving Covid Safety To Personal Choice Will 'Come Back To Bite Us,' Ex-Obama Health Official Says
A former Obama health policy director on Monday criticized what she sees as a potentially dangerous shift in government messaging on Covid safety protocols. “My biggest issue with the it’s-your-call kind of theme that’s out there [is] we don’t do this in any other area of illness, health, or disease or burden. I don’t tell a patient with high LDL cholesterol, ‘Hey, you go figure out what your 10-year cardiovascular risk is, and you can decide,’” Dr. Kavita Patel said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “Of course, they are able to decide what their options are after I talk to them about what I think is best,” added Patel, a primary care physician in the Washington, D.C. area. (Hur, 4/18)

The Boston Globe: Pandemic’s Lesson For Many Older Folks: Stay In Your Home As Long As You Can
For many older Americans and their families, the devastating COVID-19 outbreak — which caused more than 200,000 deaths in nursing homes nationally — was a persuasive argument for living at home as long as possible. Now, as the pandemic grinds into its third year, a loose-knit band of tech gurus, gerontology researchers, and volunteer-powered elder support groups, called “villages,” is seeking to overcome the obstacles to aging in place. Among the toughest: a worsening shortage of home care workers, who can assist the oldest residents with walking, dressing, or showering. Coronavirus sped up the deployment of “age-tech,” technology that helps older people age in place, by seven to 10 years, said Joe Coughlin, director of MIT AgeLab in Cambridge. (Weisman, 4/18)

San Francisco Chronicle: Does It Feel Like Everyone Has COVID? Why Some Experts Say S.F. May Be In A Surge Now Even Though Cases Are Low
Peter Chin-Hong doesn’t normally like relying on anecdotal evidence. But in the last few weeks, he said, it has become harder to ignore what feels like an undercounted coronavirus surge in San Francisco. “There’s been so many people getting COVID,” Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, told The Chronicle. “The amount of people and outbreaks I've been hearing about are not in sync with the official numbers.” While San Francisco’s case counts are showing an increase as the omicron BA.2 subvariant spreads across the U.S., Chin-Hong said that he and other researchers do not believe current case rates reflect the scale of the increase, in part because fewer people are getting tested than before. (Neilson, 4/19)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri Health Experts Monitor New Subvariant As COVID Cases Rise In St. Louis
Health experts here are worried by rising COVID-19 rates in other parts of the U.S. and are monitoring a new highly contagious strain of the virus, which has now been detected in the St. Louis area. For over a month, local experts have been watching warily as parts of Europe and Asia have been hit with overwhelming surges of COVID-19. Since late March, cases have been rising in the northeastern United States. On Monday, a renewed mask requirement took effect in Philadelphia in response to a swift rise in cases. The Illinois state health department on Thursday issued a warning that COVID-19 case rates are “slowly rising in many areas of the state.” The department advised residents to pay close attention to their local case rates, and, if they are in an area with rising infections, wear a mask in indoor spaces and consider avoiding large gatherings. (Merrilees, 4/19)

AP: Agencies Monitoring Hawaii Wastewater For COVID-19 
Federal authorities have begun monitoring Hawaii wastewater for COVID-19, while the state expects its own monitoring program to be fully operational this summer, officials said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been testing in the islands as part of its National Wastewater Surveillance System, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. (4/18)

In updates on vaccines and treatments —

CIDRAP: Extending Time Between MRNA COVID Vaccine Doses May Boost Efficacy
COVID-19 mRNA vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection was 5% to 7% higher when the two primary doses were given at least 7 weeks rather than 3 to 5 weeks apart, according to an observational study of hospital and community healthcare workers (HCWs) in British Columbia published late last week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. ... After adjustment, mRNA VE against infection was 71% for one dose at a median of 7 weeks and 90% for two doses at 13 weeks. Seven months after the second dose, VE was still greater than 80%. Two-dose VE was consistently 5% to 7% higher when given at least 7 weeks apart than after a 3- to 5-week interval. (4/18)

KHN: Why Cheap, Older Drugs That Might Treat Covid Never Get Out Of The Lab 
In March 2020, Dr. Joseph Vinetz left the contemplative world of his Yale University infectious-disease laboratory and plunged into the covid ward at Yale New Haven Hospital, joining an army of health care workers who struggled to treat the deadly viral disease. There were no drugs against covid-19, and no way to predict which infected patients would develop pneumonia or fall into an inflammatory tailspin leading to severe illness or death. In desperation, Vinetz and countless other doctor-scientists trawled the literature for existing medicines that might help. (Allen, 4/19)

NPR: There Are Lessons For COVID In The U.S.'s Lingering Battle With HIV
HIV and SARS-CoV-2 are completely different viruses. They spread and make people sick in completely different ways. But in 2020, when COVID-19 started to spread, Stephanie Brooks-Wiggins says, it felt familiar. "Everywhere you went, people just seemed to be getting sick," she says. Through the pandemic, she lost five family members to COVID-19. "I lost my son-in-law. I lost my mother-in-law, my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law. They all died within months of each other." Back in 1986, when she was diagnosed with HIV, it felt the same way. "There were people dropping like flies – people were dying," she says. (Simmons-Duffin, 4/19)

And more on covid prevention —

The Baltimore Sun: Howard County Teen Creates Award-Winning COVID-19 Protective Kit For Teachers 
Arthur Wang, 17, realized the severity of COVID-19 months before most of his classmates when he got updates about the then novel virus from his uncle, who is a doctor in China. It inspired the Columbia resident to come up with an effort to better support teachers and other workers in Howard County, where he is a junior at River Hill High School, and beyond. “We wanted to help the community,” he explained. “I realized how hard it was for the teachers to switch from virtual to in-person classes. Some teachers said it was like flying a plane with no direction.” (Williams IV, 4/19)

KHN: Better Ventilation Can Prevent Covid Spread. But Are Companies Paying Attention? 
Americans are abandoning their masks. They’re done with physical distancing. And, let’s face it, some people are just never going to get vaccinated. Yet a lot can still be done to prevent covid infections and curb the pandemic. A growing coalition of epidemiologists and aerosol scientists say that improved ventilation could be a powerful tool against the coronavirus — if businesses are willing to invest the money. (Szabo, 4/19)

Roll Call: Report: FEMA Reimbursed Ineligible COVID-19 Funeral Expenses 
A multibillion-dollar funeral assistance program for COVID-19 victims reimbursed families for some ineligible expenses that included flowers, catering and transportation, according to a report released by federal investigators Monday. The Department of Homeland Security inspector general's office issued a “management alert” to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which runs the program. It called on FEMA’s administrator to modify the agency’s operating procedures to comply with longstanding policy. "FEMA is putting millions of taxpayer dollars at an elevated risk of waste and abuse by reimbursing funeral expenses identified as ineligible by its own policies," the inspector general’s report said. (Lerman, 4/18)

Politico: White House Global Covid-19 Summit To Be Held In May 
The White House announced Monday that its Global Covid-19 Summit, which it hopes will bring new funding and coordination for global pandemic responses, will be held May 12. The summit will be co-hosted by Belize, Germany, Indonesia and Senegal — CARICOM chair, leader of the G-7, leader of the G-20 and African Union chair, respectively. (Payne, 4/18)

In other news from the Biden administration —

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Xavier Becerra To Announce Mental Health Initiative In Las Vegas Visit
U.S. Health and Human Services Director Xavier Becerra will announce in Las Vegas on Tuesday a key mental health initiative, according to his office. Becerra will announce the initiative at the Nevada Healthcare Provider Summit hosted by Gov. Steve Sisolak. The secretary also will discuss lessons learned during the pandemic, his office said. Later in the day, Becerra will host an event in support of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot at Martin Luther King Family Health. He will hear from Nevada leaders and clinicians about barriers to cancer prevention and treatment, and announce a new Health and Human Services’ effort to increase access to screening services. More than 9.5 million cancer screenings were missed in the United States because of the pandemic. (Hynes, 4/18)

The Hill: Biden Has Confidence In Feinstein’s Ability To Serve, Psaki Says 
President Biden still has confidence in Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) ability to serve in the wake of a report detailing concerns from some congressional colleagues about her mental fitness. “Yes. She’s a longtime friend, a proud public servant and someone he has long enjoyed serving with and working with,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters when asked if Biden has confidence in the California senator. (Samuels, 4/18)

Modern Healthcare: Supreme Court Tosses Medicaid Work Requirement Cases
The Supreme Court on Monday tossed out cases challenging Medicaid work requirements in Arkansas and New Hampshire. The justices said lower courts should vacate their prior rulings nixing the work requirements, as the cases are moot. But work requirements are still being debated in the lower courts, since Georgia sued the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over the agency's decision to pull approval for the state's planned requirements. (Goldman, 4/18)

In other Medicaid and Medicare news —

The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Grapples With How To Remove People From Medicaid
More than 400,000 Ohioans may lose Medicaid coverage – government-paid health insurance for low-income or disabled people – this summer when the federal government's COVID-19 emergency declaration ends, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Under the declaration, Ohio and other states were unable to take people off Medicaid, even if they became ineligible. Around 3.3 million Ohioans were enrolled in Medicaid this fiscal year as of February, an increase from around 2.8 million from 2020. But that declaration is set to end July 15, and many don't expect it to be renewed. (Wu, 4/19)

Axios: Pandemic's End Could Surge The Number Of Uninsured Kids
The formal end of the pandemic could swell the ranks of uninsured children by 6 million or more as temporary reforms to Medicaid are lifted. Gaps in coverage could limit access to needed care and widen health disparities, by hitting lower-income families and children of color the hardest, experts say. A requirement that states keep Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled during the public health emergency in order to get more federal funding is credited with preventing a spike in uninsured adults and kids during the crisis. (Bettelheim, 4/18)

North Carolina Health News: Medicaid Often Better For Complex Behavioral Needs 
When 13-year-old CJ gets mad, he gets really mad, really, really mad. “Have you ever heard the term blind rage?” He asks on a thick spring morning in Asheville. His dog, Jake, who’s also around 13 years old, sits at CJ’s feet, waiting for another half of a biscuit. “It’s like a movie. It’s like you’re watching it, but you can’t do anything.” Because he is a minor, North Carolina Health News is using CJ’s initials, rather than his full name. This anger, this rage, it forces CJ outside of his body. It stops him from seeing, feeling, or doing anything else. The only way CJ has found to push the anger out of his body, and put himself back in, is to run around, yell, scream and push people. (Donnelly-DeRoven, 4/19)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Carriers See Big Money In Covering The Costliest Patients
When Commonwealth Care Alliance nurses visit Cynthia Monty’s home, she likes that they don’t talk rough. Instead, the providers always ask about her cats and her art projects. The not-for-profit insurer’s employees ask what she needs. They never rush when taking her blood pressure. CCA paid for the 68-year-old’s walker, wheelchair and in-home hospital bed, which helps keep her feet elevated so they don’t swell up from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease while she sleeps. When Monty complained the bed was uncomfortable, CCA bought her a mattress cushion. “I am just so thankful for CCA because I’d still be struggling if it wasn’t for them,” said Monty, a retired nurse’s aide from Boston who CCA connected to Modern Healthcare. (Goldman and Tepper, 4/19)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Proposes $1.6 Billion Increase To Inpatient Hospital Pay For FY23
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Monday proposed bumping up inpatient hospital payments by approximately $1.6 billion in fiscal 2023. The proposed Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System rule represents a 3.2% increase in fiscal 2023 payments from the year before. CMS also wants to add health equity measures to the hospital inpatient quality reporting program, including one that tracks hospital commitment to health equity, and officially suggested the "birthing friendly" hospital designation it announced last week. CMS asked for feedback last year on how to advance health equity through quality measurement. (Goldman, 4/18)

In related Medicare news about nursing homes and the elderly —

USA Today: COVID Nursing Home Staff Shortage Forces Facilities To Shut Down
A 99-bed nursing home in one of Cleveland's poorest neighborhoods will close its doors in less than two months. Like many nursing homes in urban and rural pockets of America, Eliza Bryant Village has struggled to maintain operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Costs are too high and reimbursement isn't enough. The home loses more than $100 each day for every resident covered by Medicaid, which represents about 95% of the home's population. So the home that describes itself as the oldest, continually operating, African American-founded nursing home in the U.S. will close June 8. Most elderly residents, some having lived there for several years, already have found new facilities. As of April 15, 17 residents were still searching for their next home. (Alltucker, 4/18)

Modern Healthcare: Nursing Homes Still Enduring Staff Shortfalls
Two years after the pandemic, nursing facilities are still experiencing significant workforce challenges. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation issued in December 2021 allows organizations to bring back medical staff who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 after five days of isolation, even if they’re still symptomatic, and without providing a negative test. “Even with this revised guidance, we are seeing high levels of staffing shortages that prevent many nursing homes from accepting new patients or assisting overwhelmed hospitals,” the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living said in a statement. “So, while we support the CDC guidance, it’s not enough to stem the tide of this historic labor crisis.” (Cohen, 4/19)

Houston Chronicle: Texas County Has The 2nd Highest Alzheimer’s Rate In The US. Why?
The disease took Noemi Fleming’s elderly mother slowly, the first hints in repeated anecdotes or phrases. Then misplaced keys and bills. Then, Fleming caught her mother walking outside in the middle of the night, looking for the newspaper. “Mama, it’s 1 o’clock in the morning,” Fleming would tell her. “The newspaper doesn’t get here until 8.” Fleming’s mother died at 91 in their hometown of Rio Grande City after a two-decade battle with Alzheimer’s, a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. The family’s story is a familiar one in Starr County, a mostly rural, heavily Hispanic county of about 65,000 on the Texas-Mexico border, where about 26 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. That rate is the second highest among all U.S. counties, according to Medicare data. (Gill, 4/18)

Axios: Many Doctors Have Misconceptions About E-Cigarettes, Study Says
More than 60% of all doctors incorrectly believed all tobacco products are equally harmful, making them less likely to recommend e-cigarettes for people trying to quit smoking, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. While the FDA has not approved e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation device, there is growing evidence they may help lure smokers to a less harmful option, the study authors note. (Reed, 4/18)

And more about health care workers —

San Francisco Chronicle: Fed-Up Nurses Walk Out At Sutter Health And Prepare To Strike At Stanford Hospitals
Labor disputes led thousands of Sutter Health nurses to stage a one-day strike Monday, as thousands more at Stanford Health prepared to walk off the job next week. Stanford administrators immediately threatened to withhold health benefits and pay from workers who strike, while Sutter hired temporary replacements to ease the burden of Monday’s walkout on patients. Hospital nurses across California say they’ve reached a boiling point two years into the pandemic. Despite being hailed as health care heroes, they say they are exhausted from understaffing and overwork, and angered by offers of raises they consider puny. (Asimov, 4/18)

AP: Abortion Training Under Threat For Med Students, Residents
Browse any medical dictionary, and before hitting appendectomy and anesthesia, you’ll find abortion. The first two procedures are part of standard physician education. But for many U.S. medical school students and residents who want to learn about abortions, options are scarce. And new restrictions are piling up: Within the past year, bills or laws seeking to limit abortion education have been proposed or enacted in at least eight states. The changes are coming from abortion opponents emboldened by new limits on the procedure itself, as well as a pending Supreme Court decision that could upend the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. (Tanner, 4/18)

Inquirer.com: Marathoner Nurse Wearing Scrubs Sets Record At Boston Marathon
Long pants, no problem. Clad in blue hospital scrubs, Philadelphia nurse Samantha Roecker ran the Boston Marathon on Monday in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 2 seconds — the fastest marathon by a woman while wearing nursing attire. Setting the record was not her primary goal. Roecker, 30, ran to raise funds and awareness for the mental health and well-being of others in her profession, prompted by hearing stories of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Avril, 4/18)

In other health care industry news —

AP: Doctors Suggest New Names For Low-Grade Prostate Cancer
A cancer diagnosis is scary. Some doctors say it’s time to rename low-grade prostate cancer to eliminate the alarming C-word. Cancer cells develop in nearly all prostates as men age, and most prostate cancers are harmless. About 34,000 Americans die from prostate cancer annually, but treating the disease can lead to sexual dysfunction and incontinence. Changing the name could lead more low-risk patients to skip unnecessary surgery and radiation. (Johnson, 4/18)

The New York Times: Scientists Question Data Behind An Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug 
A small biotech company that trumpeted an exciting new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease is now under fire for irregularities in its research results, after several studies related to its work were retracted or questioned by scientific journals. The company, Cassava Sciences, based in Austin, Texas, announced last summer that its drug, simufilam, improved cognition in Alzheimer’s patients in a small clinical trial, describing it as the first such advance in treatment of the disease. Cassava later initiated a larger trial. (Mandavilli, 4/18)

And more about the cost of cancer drugs —

Axios: Hospitals' Massive Cancer Drug Markups
The prices that private insurers agree to pay hospitals for cancer drugs are often at least double what the hospital paid to acquire the drugs, according to a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine. The blame for high drug prices goes well beyond drug manufacturers, and is ultimately borne by patients through higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Patients generally either get their prescriptions drugs from pharmacies or administered directly in a hospital or doctor's office. (Owens, 4/19)

Stat: Nation’s Top Cancer Hospitals Slap Hefty Markups On Drugs, Study Says
The nation’s preeminent cancer hospitals are charging commercial health insurers anywhere from double to seven times their costs of acquiring cancer drugs, a new study shows. Most top cancer institutions also are keeping their drug prices secret in direct violation of federal law, potentially exposing themselves to fines. The findings reinforce how cancer care, especially the drugs, generates significant revenue for hospitals, and how markups on drugs potentially put insured cancer patients in financially perilous situations. (Herman, 4/18)

In other pharmaceutical and research news —

NBC News: Viagra And Nitrates Don’t Mix, So How Are Some Men Still Taking Both?
As any sports fan knows, thanks to the incessant drumbeat of game-time Viagra and Cialis commercials, mixing erectile dysfunction drugs with nitrates for chest pain can cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Most medical guidelines strongly warn men not to take both types of medications. Researchers in Denmark and the U.S., however, have recently found that a substantial number of men are nevertheless obtaining overlapping prescriptions for both classes of drugs. But evidence suggests that they don’t appear to suffer negative health outcomes, such as heart attacks, as a result. (Ryan, 4/18)

Stat: PETA Urges USDA To Probe Research Facilities Over Monkey Shipments
A prominent animal rights group asked U.S. authorities to investigate leading medical research labs for allegedly violating federal law after finding dozens of instances where nearly 2,000 monkeys were shipped between facilities without required veterinary inspections. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals cited documents obtained from several state agencies that indicated timely inspections did not take place before or after the monkeys were shipped across state lines. These documents must be completed no more than 10 days before monkeys are delivered. Carriers may only accept monkeys for shipping if they are accompanied by a valid veterinary inspection certificates. (Silverman, 4/18)

Bloomberg: Pandemic Health-Tech Boom In U.S. Loses Momentum
The wild boom in health-tech funding that followed Covid-19 is starting to fade. The pandemic triggered a record wave of investment in new health-care companies. Doctors were forced to figure out how to practice online almost overnight, and Covid’s devastation exposed the systemic failings of American health care. Entrepreneurs with thoughts about how to fix them Zoomed into meetings with VCs looking for places to put their money in an economy walloped by Covid. Big checks were written, setting records for investment in digital health. In the U.S., investors put $29 billion into digital health last year, double the level of 2020 and up from about $1 billion a decade earlier. (Tozzi, 4/18)

Boise State Public Radio News: Teen Overdose Rates Doubled In Two Years Due To Fentanyl 
New research in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that teens aren't using more illegal drugs – but they are dying from drug overdoses at twice the rate due to fentanyl. The study, published this week, found that drug use in 14- to 18-year-olds remained stable over the last decade. However, the number (and rate) of overdose deaths more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, reaching 1,146. Nearly 80% of those deaths involved fentanyl. American Indian and Alaska Native adolescents suffered the highest rates, followed by Hispanic teens. (Beck, 4/18)

WQCS: Prescription Crackdown Pushes Opioid Crisis To The Streets, Says Doctor On Treasure Coast Task Force 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more people between the ages of 18 and 45 died from fentanyl overdoses in 2021 than from COVID, car accidents, cancer and suicide, combined. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine, but 50 to 100 times more potent. It’s killing people across the country, in Florida, and along the Treasure Coast. Dr. Kenneth Palestrant, a leading member of the Treasure Coast Opioid Task Force, says this latest drug epidemic is effecting the region, just as it has the rest of the nation. "It’s bad everywhere," said Palestrant, a Port St. Lucie family physician who has lived in the Treasure Coast for 30 years. “Seventy-three percent of the deaths that we’ve seen recently involve fentanyl," he said, citing data from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "That’s a tremendous upsurge.” (Kerrigan, 4/18)

In other public health news —

The Wall Street Journal: Contaminated-Baby-Formula Investigation Turns Murky 
A federal investigation into popular baby formulas and serious infant bacterial infections has been complicated by conflicting evidence that could make it difficult to prove or disprove a definitive connection, government officials and food-safety experts say. Federal officials received complaints over four months beginning last September of four babies who were hospitalized with rare bacterial infections after being fed powdered baby formula made at an Abbott Laboratories manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Mich. Two of the babies later died. (Walker, 4/18)

KHN: As Eating Disorders Spike During Pandemic, Rural Treatment Options Lag 
Erin Reynolds had battled bulimia since childhood, but the weeks before she entered treatment were among her worst. At 22, she was preparing to leave her home in Helena, Montana, for an inpatient program in New Jersey with round-the-clock medical care. Looking back six years later, Reynolds said seeking help was one of the most difficult parts of the recovery process. “I just kept bingeing and purging because I was so stressed,” she said. “I’m leaving my job that I love, leaving all my friends and my town and saying goodbye to normal life.” (Graf, 4/19)

The Washington Post: A Food Pantry’s Closure Means More Than Lost Meals For Hundreds Of Families 
It was Friday, and for more than a decade, Fridays had been when the food deliveries arrived. Around 15,000 pounds of food were expected this morning. Volunteers were hauling the first boxes off a truck. Stacy Downey, 52, was determined, if possible, to treat this day like any other, so she was now standing outside the Little Food Pantry That Could, shoulders hunched against the morning cold, sliding into her familiar workday routine. “How much red?” she asked, leaning over boxes of peppers. “Do we have any yellow? Orange? The greens ones are okay but they are not as popular as the red, yellow or orange.” (Swenson, 4/18)

KUNC: Study: A Gun In The House Doubles Homicide Risk – And Women Are Usually The Victims 
The Mountain West has some of the highest gun ownership rates in the nation — and some of the least restrictive gun laws. New research suggests those high rates come with big risks. Those who live in homes with guns are more than twice as likely to die from homicides, according to a new study. Researchers at Stanford University looked at homicides among nearly 18 million Californians over a 12-year period. They also zoomed in on different kinds of homicides, such as people killed by their partners or spouses. They found that people living with handgun owners were seven times more likely to be shot by their spouse or intimate partner. The vast majority of those victims – more than 80% – were women. (Vincent, 4/18)

The New York Times: The Pandemic Has Been Hard On Our Feet 
There is no hard data on the increase in foot pain, but Dr. James Christina, the executive director of the American Podiatric Medical Association, said it’s been a clear trend for many of his 12,000 members. Members like Dr. Rock Positano, the co-director of the Non-surgical Foot and Ankle Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, who has seen foot pain increase so much — 20 to 30 percent — that he called the phenomenon “pandemic foot.” (Altman, 4/18)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Why You May Need To Drink More Water In Your 60s
It is estimated that 40% of community-dwelling older adults may be chronically underhydrated. A study published in the Journal of Physiology found older adults should drink more water in order to regulate their body temperature. The researchers studied young and older men’s body temperature when exercising. As you exercise, your body’s temperature regulation adjusts how much you sweat to prevent further water loss and dehydration. However, the study found that as you age, the ability to regulate your body’s temperature decreases, making older adults more susceptible to dehydration. (Ramakrishnan, 4/18)

Also —

CBS News: Safety Sensors On Florida Free Fall Ride Were Manually Adjusted In "Unsafe" Way Before Teen's Fatal Accident, Report Finds
The 14-year-old who died after falling from a thrill ride in Florida last month was in a seat that had previously been manually adjusted in a way that made the ride "unsafe," a report released this week by forensic investigators found. Quest Engineering and Failure Analysis' report found that the adjustment to the seat that Tyre Sampson fell from prevented safety sensors from shutting the ride down, even though the space between the seat and harness harness was too wide. (Jones, 4/18)

CBS News: GE Recall: Refrigerators Sold At Home Depot, Lowe's And Best Buy Recalled After 37 Injuries
GE Appliances is recalling six models of free-standing French door refrigerators sold nationwide because of handles that may detach, posing a fall risk to those trying to pull the freezer doors open. Louisville, Kentucky-based GE has received 71 reports of freezer drawer handles detaching, resulting in 37 injuries, including three serious falls, the company said Thursday in a notice posted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. GE is a division of Chinese multinational Haier Group. (Gibson, 4/18)

AP: J&J's Janssen Settles With WVa For $99M In Opioid Lawsuit
West Virginia will receive $99 million in a settlement finalized Monday with Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. over the drugmaker’s role in perpetuating the opioid crisis in the state that has long led the nation in drug overdose deaths. State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said during a news briefing that he believes West Virginia’s settlement is the largest in the country per capita with Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen, which has faced opioid litigation in dozens of communities throughout the U.S. (Willingham, 4/18)

In more legal news about opioid use —

CNN: William Husel: Jury Deadlocked In Murder Trial Of Ohio Doctor Accused Of Overprescribing Fentanyl To The Dying 
Jurors in Ohio said Monday they are at an impasse and cannot reach a unanimous verdict in the murder trial of William Husel, the doctor accused of overprescribing the powerful opioid fentanyl to his critically ill patients and hastening their deaths. Franklin County Judge Michael Holbrook instructed the jurors to continue their deliberations, which began April 12. ... After several more hours of deliberations, the jury sent a note to the court asking for additional guidance on the definition of “reasonable doubt.” The judge directed them to the definition in the jury instructions without providing further context. The jury did not reach a verdict Monday and will return Tuesday at 9 a.m. to begin their fifth day of deliberations. (Levenson, Casarez and Vitagliano, 4/18)

NBC News: Dealer Sentenced To Almost 11 Years In Rapper Mac Miller's Overdose Death
An Arizona man who helped supply the counterfeit oxycodone drugs that led to the overdose death of rapper Mac Miller was sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison Monday, federal prosecutors said. Ryan Reavis, 38, is one of three men charged in Miller’s death in the Studio City section of Los Angeles in 2018. (Helsel and Blankstein, 4/18)

In other news from across the U.S. —

AP: Pennsylvania Health Department To Get New Acting Secretary 
Pennsylvania’s acting health secretary is leaving the job and Gov. Tom Wolf said Monday his physician general will take over leadership of the department. Wolf said Keara Klinepeter’s last day is Friday. He plans to name Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson to succeed her as acting health secretary. Klinepeter has been acting secretary since her predecessor, Alison Beam, left at the end of 2021.Klinepeter has been deeply involved in the government’s handling of COVID-19, including as special advisor to the secretary and executive deputy secretary. (4/18)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Saint-Gobain Will Bring Drinking Water To N.H. Homes Affected By PFAS Contamination 
Saint-Gobain has agreed to permanently provide safe drinking water for about 1,000 properties testing above state limits for PFAS chemicals, after the contamination was attributed to air emissions from the company’s facility in Merrimack. The properties covered by the agreement have up to this point been offered bottled water by Saint-Gobain, some households since 2020, said Mike Wimsatt, director of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services’ waste management division. “People are frustrated. You know, they want to have safe, clean water for them and their families,” he said. “Nobody likes carting bottled water or having to have bottled water delivered to their home. They’d much rather have a permanent solution where they can draw water from their tap to consume.” (Hoplamazian, 4/18)

WUFT: Two UF Students Are Working To End Their Rare Disease, Friedreich’s Ataxia 
Christian Maugee, 22, and Shandra Trantham, 24, dreamed of finding a cure for the neuromuscular disorder Friedreich’s Ataxia, or FA, since they found out they were diagnosed. Maugee and Trantham both have the disease that affects one in 50,000 people in the United States. According to Johns Hopkins HealthCare, symptoms begin showing between ages 5 and 15. The disease causes muscle weakness and a loss of balance and coordination. FA causes many challenges for Maugee. The disease doesn’t change his mental capacities, but his body struggles to follow physical commands and complete daily tasks, and he has had issues with seeing contrast colors in his vision. (Carson, 4/18)

Health News Florida: Tampa OB-GYN Says The New Florida Abortion Law Brings Negative Consequences 
Many physicians are among those critics raising alarms about a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that bans most abortions after 15 weeks. One is Dr. Robin Schickler, an OB-GYN in Tampa. She says there’s a lot of misinformation surrounding abortion. One thing she says many people don’t understand is that if a person is ending their pregnancy past the 15 week mark, there’s a reason. “Whether they were afraid to tell someone, they just didn’t know, or there’s something wrong with the pregnancy. And so these are really important cases that need to be done and they’re not going to be able to get the care," Schickler told WFSU. (4/18)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma School District To Keep Bathroom Policy For Trans Students
Still under pressure from certain state officials, the Stillwater Board of Education asked the state on Monday to issue emergency rules governing school bathroom policies for transgender students. The school board said it would continue with Stillwater Public Schools’ protocol allowing students to use the bathroom that agrees with their gender identity unless the district is forced to do otherwise. The district said it has not received any reports of behavioral concerns as a result of the policy since it was enacted in 2015. (Martinez-Keel, 4/18)

The Washington Post: CDC Drops All Countries From Its Highest-Risk Covid Category
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its international covid-19 travel advisory system Monday, designating its highest-risk category for extreme scenarios. As of Monday, the CDC dropped all countries from its “Level 4” category, now labeled “Special Circumstances/Do Not Travel.” About 120 destinations now have a Level 3 advisory — including Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy and many other popular European destinations — for “high” levels of the coronavirus, while 12 destinations sit at Level 2. Another 55 are designated Level 1, its lowest-risk level. (Diller, 4/18)

And more global covid news —

Bloomberg: China Covid: Shanghai Reports Seven More Deaths In Current Omicron Outbreak
Shanghai reported another seven Covid-19 deaths as the financial hub grapples with a record outbreak that’s brought unprecedented disruptions to residents and threatens the country’s economic growth. The people who died were aged between 60 and 101 and had severe underlying health conditions, and follow three deaths announced on Monday. Shanghai reported 20,416 new infections, a decline from a recent peak though still elevated as the coronavirus continues to spread through the city. (Shanghai, 4/19)

CIDRAP: Worldwide COVID-19 Deaths Increased 6% On Weekends Amid Pandemic
A global analysis of nearly 6 million COVID-19 deaths over 2 years reveals that 6% more occurred on weekends than on weekdays in all countries except Germany, according to data to be presented at the annual congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Apr 23 to 26 in Portugal. ... The study authors said the higher weekend death rate may have been due to lower hospital efficiency, uneven staffing levels, a different mix of personnel expertise, variable hours, reduced capacity, or delays in reporting. (4/18)

In other developments —

Iowa Public Radio: Importers Are Banning Poultry From Only Some Parts Of The U.S. During This Bird Flu Outbreak 
More than 80 countries have put restrictions on imports of U.S. poultry products out of fear of bird flu spreading from American farms to their shores. During the bird flu outbreak of 2014-2015, roughly half as many countries barred U.S. poultry. But those bans applied to any American poultry. This time, more nuanced trade policies parse their import restrictions to poultry from specific counties or regions in the U.S. where a highly contagious form of bird flu has been detected. “There is a large reduction in the size of restricted zones from past outbreaks,” Mike Stepien, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, wrote in an email to Harvest Public Media. “Previously, several countries restricted the entire United States, and many countries implemented state-wide restrictions.” (Peikes, 4/18)

The New York Times: Pushing ‘Long Covid’ Sufferers Too Hard Could Cause Them To Crash 
Most of us were brought up with the folk wisdom that exercise is the best medicine, and often it’s true. But not for people who are suffering from long Covid and other post-viral syndromes. For them, overexertion can severely aggravate their conditions, whose symptoms may include fatigue and brain fog. There’s even a term for it: “push and crash. ”The problem is that push and crash — which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns about in a bulletin to health care providers — is precisely what the American employment system is geared to cause. (Peter Coy, 4/18)

Los Angeles Times: Confused About The Second COVID Booster? So Are Some Experts 
Vaccine resisters have accused the federal government of pushing COVID-19 shots without ensuring that the benefits outweigh the risks. But what about when one of the people raising questions about the latest round of jabs is Paul A. Offit, arguably the most prominent supporter of vaccines in the nation, a vocal force against people who spread silly myths about vaccination and himself the developer of a vaccine against rotavirus. (Karin Klein, 4/19)

CNN: Air Passengers, Keep Your Masks On 
Once again, the shifting winds of the Covid-19 pandemic have placed the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a pickle. Last month, in the (very brief) good old days after the original Omicron variant had settled, the agency had indicated that, on April 18, it would reevaluate the mask-wearing mandate on airplanes, trains and other "transportation conveyances." (Kent Sepkowitz, 4/18)

Stat: Medicine Needs To Do Right By People Living With Chronic Pain 
As a medical student, the prism of pain helped me begin seeing patients as people — discerning their stories, examining their bodies, understanding their lives, and more. In medical schools around the world, the first simulated patient students encounter to emulate the rituals and mannerisms of medicine is someone in pain. Yet chronic pain, particularly the kind not emanating from a broken bone or an inflamed appendix, seemed like a distant, hazy concept for me. That changed when, one day while exercising, I heard a loud click in my back and the metal bar I was holding with 200 pounds of weights came crashing down on my chest, pinning me to the bench. (Haider J. Warraich, 4/19)

The Washington Post: Teen Overdose Deaths Are Surging To New Heights. Where Is The Outrage?
Teens now make up the fastest-growing age cohort for overdose deaths in the United States. Take a moment and think about what that says about this country. And consider that, without a fundamental rethinking of drug policies, this problem will only get worse. From January to June 2021, about 1,150 adolescents aged 14 to 18 died of drug overdoses, a research letter published recently in JAMA found. That’s a 20 percent increase from 2020 — and more than double the 2019 death toll. This is a small portion of the more than 100,000 Americans who died of overdoses in the first half of last year, but the surge is horrifying nonetheless. (Robert Gebelhoff, 4/18)

Los Angeles Times: Is My Copay Coupon Charity — Or A Bribe? 
Before my insurer had even preapproved coverage of the new injectable medicine my doctor had prescribed, I got a voicemail from its manufacturer informing me that I might qualify for its co-pay assistance program. That meant the company would cover at least the lion’s share of my copay, leaving me with a minimal, if any, out-of-pocket contribution. My antennae were up: If a drug maker is offering copay assistance, you can assume the list price of the drug is high, but I wasn’t sure how high. Did this outwardly kind offer represent, essentially, a kind of bribe? (Elizabeth Rosenthal, 4/19)

Modern Healthcare: Medicaid Needs Partners To Smooth The Off-Ramp For Millions Of Americans 
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services extended the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration for another 90 days, perhaps for the last time. For nearly two years, state Medicaid leaders have been actively preparing for the end of this declaration—an event that could trigger the largest health coverage changes since the Affordable Care Act. (Lindsey Browning and Heather Howard, 4/19)

The Tennessean: RaDonda Vaught Serves As The Scapegoat, But Is Not Solely To Blame
RaDonda Vaught, the former Vanderbilt nurse whose mistaken administration of a paralytic resulted in a patient’s death, was found guilty by a system that has failed to understand how safety is created in health care.  Vaught made a mistake that ordinarily would be difficult to make, because of the many safety checks that are usually a part of a drug administration system. It is that system which should be the object of scrutiny— this case is a symptom of its failure. (John Corsino, 4/18)

Miami Herald: With A Physician Leading Your Team, You're Getting The Best Quality Healthcare
The world of healthcare and medicine can be complicated. From APRNs, NPs and PAs to MDs and DOs, how is a patient to understand the differences between the many medical professionals they see?You likely recognize the titles nurse practitioner (NP) and physician assistant (PA), and you’ve probably been treated by them many times. The ecosystem of each of these highly trained medical professionals is a valuable one when all are working together to achieve a common goal: providing patients the highest quality care in the most efficient manner. (Michael Swartzon, 4/18)

The Colorado Sun: Banning All Flavored Tobacco Doesn’t Work
Colorado lawmakers are attempting to ban the sale of flavored tobacco and vapor products under the auspice of “protecting the children.” It’s laudable to reduce youth use of age-restricted products, but a ban on all flavored tobacco and vapor products disregards data indicating youth are not overwhelmingly using combustible tobacco products. This could lead to more harm than good and ultimately fails to address why youth use vapor products. (Lindsey Stroud, 4/19)