Roll Call: White House Says New Funds Needed For Boosters, Existing Money Difficult To Repurpose 
The White House said Monday that it has about $300 billion in unspent COVID-19 funding but only about $60 billion that is unallocated as it warned lawmakers that it doesn’t have enough money for additional vaccination efforts unless Congress provides more relief. The administration again requested that Congress provide $22.5 billion in supplemental COVID-19 aid without offsets. It said it would be difficult and controversial to repurpose the $60 billion. Senate Republicans have pushed to repurpose existing funding. (Raman, 3/21)

AP: Biden Aides To Congress: Fund COVID Aid, Don't Cut Budget
Congress should provide the $22.5 billion President Joe Biden wants for continuing the battle against COVID-19 without cutting other programs to pay for it, senior administration officials said Monday. And if Republicans continue to insist that additional federal efforts to combat the pandemic must be paid for by culling spending elsewhere, the GOP should specify what it wants to cut, the officials said. (Fram, 3/21)

NPR: School Meal Programs To Lose Flexibility, Funding, If Congress Doesn't Act
When schools pivoted to virtual learning early in the pandemic, the National School Lunch Program was thrown into chaos. Millions of children rely on school meals to keep hunger at bay, so school nutrition directors scrambled to adopt new, creative ways to distribute food to families. Some of these changes were improvements on the status quo, they say. And as part of pandemic relief legislation, the federal Food and Nutrition services agency waived the requirement that schools serve meals in a group setting, increased school-year reimbursement rates to summer levels for school food programs and granted more flexibility in how food is prepared and packaged. (Aubrey, 3/21)

Also —

The Washington Post: Biden Has New Covid Plan That Spurs Worries About Readiness For Next Surge 
Cathy Colledge, who has Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, feels like she’s on her own trying to avoid a coronavirus infection that might kill her. New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention telling 99 percent of Americans living in counties labeled green or yellow that they can safely go without masks puts the onus on her to protect herself, whether she goes to the grocery store or travels to Florida to see her grandchildren. “I want to move on, too,” said Colledge, 70, of Salt Lake City. (Sun and Abutaleb, 3/21)

KHN: To Families’ Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesn’t View Them As Essential Caregivers
When the Biden administration announced a set of proposed nursing home reforms last month, consumer advocates were both pleased and puzzled. The reforms call for minimum staffing requirements, stronger regulatory oversight, and better public information about nursing home quality — measures advocates have promoted for years. Yet they don’t address residents’ rights to have contact with informal caregivers — family members and friends who provide both emotional support and practical assistance. (Graham, 3/22)

Houston Chronicle: Democrats Press Biden To Get Planned Parenthood Back Into Texas Medicaid Program
Democratic congressional members from Texas are asking the Biden administration to push for the return of Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider, nearly a year after state leaders kicked out the organization over false claims it was selling fetal tissue. In a letter sent late Monday to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the group urged officials to enforce the program’s “free choice” provision, which allows recipients to access family planning services from any willing and qualified provider. (Blackman, 3/21)

In news about the Affordable Care Act —

CNN: Obamacare: Low-Income Americans Now Can Sign Up For $0 Premium Plans On Federal Exchange 
Low-income Americans who missed signing up for 2022 Affordable Care Act coverage can now enroll in plans with $0 premiums through the federal exchange's website. Those with incomes less than 150% of the federal poverty level -- $19,320 for an individual and $39,750 for a family of four -- can select policies on healthcare.gov through a special enrollment period, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told CNN exclusively on Monday. Most people will be able to select plans with no premiums, while others may have to pay a few dollars. The agency is launching advertising and outreach campaigns to spread the word about the new special enrollment period, which lasts for the rest of the year. The effort will also target those experiencing certain life changes, such as losing job-based coverage, getting divorced or aging out of a parent's policy, which have always allowed them to sign up for Obamacare policies during the year. (Luhby, 3/21)

NBC News: GOP Venting, 2024 Auditions And A Historic Moment: Highlights From Day 1 Of Ketanji Brown Jackson Hearing
The first day of the Senate hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson offered a sharp contrast between the two parties: Democrats focused on the nominee and many Republicans vented about past judicial fights and railed against "dark money." The Judiciary Committee proceedings Monday included opening statements from senators and ended with introductory remarks from Jackson, 51, who is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Questioning begins Tuesday. (Kapur, 3/21)

The Washington Post: Ketanji Brown Jackson Pledges Independence And Neutrality In Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing 
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Monday promised she would be an independent jurist who will decide cases “without fear or favor” — emphasizing her neutrality on the bench in hopes of heading off the expected criticism from Republicans that she has been a judicial activist. Jackson, who will be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court if confirmed, spent her official introduction before the Senate Judiciary Committee detailing her approach as a judge, describing it as narrowly focused on resolving the issues before her. She has been a federal judge for nine years, both on the trial court and now on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. (Kim, Marimow and Davis, 3/21)

The New York Times: Fact Checking Judge Jackson’s Record On Child Sexual Abuse 
Republican lawmakers are misleadingly portraying Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s Supreme Court pick, as uncommonly lenient on felons who possess images of child sexual abuse. During Judge Jackson’s confirmation hearing on Monday, and in social media posts before the hearing, several senators homed in on her judicial record on the issue. In doing so, they omitted the context of her remarks and sentencing decisions. Here’s a fact check. (Qiu, 3/21)

In updates on the health of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas —

AP: What We Know About Justice Clarence Thomas' Hospitalization
The court provided no additional information about the infection that put Justice Clarence Thomas in the hospital other than to say he is responding to intravenous antibiotics. There was no indication about the seriousness of the infection or what caused it, but the court said Sunday evening he was expected to be out in a day or two. ... At arguments at the court Monday, Thomas’ chair to the right of Chief Justice John Roberts was empty and Roberts took note of Thomas’ absence without explaining why. (Gresko and Sherman, 3/21)

And other news from Capitol Hill —

NBC News: House Members From New York Want Info On Federal Contract To Manage Health Care For Some 9/11 Survivors
A bipartisan group of House members from New York says an ongoing probe of a health care program for some 9/11 first responders and survivors shows the program “consistently struggled,” and the members are demanding details about a multimillion-dollar contract that brings in a new company to manage it. In November, NBC News broke the news that LHI — the company responsible for administering World Trade Center Health Program benefits for 9/11 first responders and survivors who live outside metropolitan New York — had lost its government contract to Managed Care Advisors (MCA)-Sedgwick. An NBC News investigation in September reported concerns from nearly two dozen 9/11 first responders and survivors served by the program. (Abou-Sabe and Salam, 3/22)

Dallas Morning News: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Discusses Medical Costs With Dallas Leaders At Health Care Roundtable
Federal funding for COVID-19 testing and treatment is running out, potentially leaving North Texas vulnerable to future virus outbreaks, Dallas health care leaders warned Monday during a discussion with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi joined Dallas Democratic congressman Colin Allred, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins and Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Dr. Philip Huang in a health care roundtable to discuss the cost of medical care and the financial burden shouldered by community health organizations because of Texas’ high rate of uninsured residents. (Wolf, 3/21)

The Texas Tribune: Ted Cruz Criticized The Harm-Reduction Drug Program. Here’s What It Does
Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz criticized President Joe Biden last month for supposedly funding the distribution of free crack pipes — an assertion federal officials denied and called misleading. Cruz was referring to the Biden administration’s $30 million grant program that aims to mitigate the fallout from the country’s opioid crisis and increased fentanyl overdoses. The program relies on what are called harm-reduction policies, which call for minimizing the detrimental health and economic impacts of drug abuse until users can get treatment rather than criminalizing addiction. (Zhang, 3/22)

The Hill: Daylight Saving Change Faces Trouble In House
Legislation to make daylight saving time permanent passed the Senate last week, but the House is not ready to be a rubber stamp, spelling potential trouble ahead for its passage in the lower chamber. Leaders on both sides of the aisle have made clear they are not in a rush to act on the legislation, with some citing the focus on the crisis unfolding in Ukraine, as well as the need for further review from members before taking up the proposal. (Folley, 3/21)

The Wall Street Journal: New Research Shows Higher Risk Of Developing Diabetes After Covid-19 Infection 
A large new study found that people who recovered from Covid-19 within the past year are 40% more likely to receive a new diagnosis of diabetes compared to those who weren’t infected. The increased risk translates into 1% of people who have had Covid-19 developing diabetes who otherwise wouldn’t have, the study’s author says, resulting in potentially millions of new cases world-wide. (Reddy, 3/21)

The Washington Post: Covid Infection Associated With A Greater Likelihood Of Type 2 Diabetes, According To Patient Record Review 
People who had covid-19 were at greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes within a year than those who managed to avoid the coronavirus, according to a large review of patient records released Monday. The finding is true even for people who had less severe or asymptomatic forms of coronavirus infection, though the chances of developing new-onset diabetes were greater as the severity of covid symptoms increased, according to researchers who reviewed the records of more than 181,000 Department of Veterans Affairs patients diagnosed with coronavirus infections between March 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021. (Bernstein, 3/21)

The Lancet: Risks And Burdens Of Incident Diabetes In Long COVID: A Cohort Study
There is growing evidence suggesting that beyond the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, people with COVID-19 could experience a wide range of post-acute sequelae, including diabetes. However, the risks and burdens of diabetes in the post-acute phase of the disease have not yet been comprehensively characterised. To address this knowledge gap, we aimed to examine the post-acute risk and burden of incident diabetes in people who survived the first 30 days of SARS-CoV-2 infection. (Xie and Al-Aly, 3/21)

In news about diabetes treatments —

Pharmaphorum: FDA Sets August Decision Date For Provention's Type 1 Diabetes Drug
Provention is seeking approval of teplizumab as a treatment to delay clinical type 1 diabetes in at-risk individuals, hoping the drug can become the first disease-modifying therapy in these patients. The FDA asked for more data on the antibody’s pharmacokinetics (PK) when it turned it down last year, saying it was unconvinced by a bridging study designed to show equivalence between Provention’s product, made by contract manufacturer AGC Biologics, and the drug that teplizumab’s original developer Eli Lilly used in clinical trials. (Taylor, 3/2

The Boston Globe: Could A 100-Year-Old Vaccine Treat Type 1 Diabetes? MGH Researchers Are Working To Find Out
For more than 100 years, it’s been jabbed into the arms of children around the world to fend off tuberculosis. Now, a researcher at MGH is testing whether this very old vaccine could help lower blood sugar levels in children with Type 1 diabetes. The research, led by Dr. Denise Faustman, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Immunobiology Laboratory, is in its early stages and has proved to be controversial among diabetes researchers and interest groups. But evidence is growing that the vaccine, called bacillus Calmette Guérin or BCG, can do more than prevent TB. Annually, 100 million doses of the vaccine are given to newborns in 84 percent of the world’s countries. Because TB isn’t common in the United States, children here do not receive the vaccine. (Bartlett, 3/21)

Also —

Hometown Stations: March 22nd Is Diabetes Alert Day And Good Time To Check If You Are At Risk For The Disease
The American Diabetes Association is issuing a wake-up call to see if you are at risk of having diabetes. About 1 in 5 people in the United States who are living with diabetes are unaware that they even have the disease, and that ratio goes to 8 out of 10 people who have prediabetes and don’t realize it. So, the association has called March 22nd, Diabetes Alert Day, for people to check to see if they are at higher risk for developing the disease. “So, we know that if someone is more overweight or obese, if they have a family history of diabetes, or if they are just not very active puts people at bigger risk of developing prediabetes or diabetes,” says Emily Blackmore, Certified Nurse Practitioner at the Lima Memorial Diabetic Center. (Cummins, 3/21)

Insider: Eat Carbs In The Morning To Live Longer With Diabetes, Study Says
If you have diabetes, eating more carbs in the morning and leafy greens at night may help you live longer, according to new research published March 15 in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Researchers from Harbin Medical University in China looked at data from 4642 Americans with diabetes over 11 years of follow up as part of the NHANES study. They compared eating habits, based on 24-hour food questionnaires, with levels of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality over time. (Landsverk, 3/21)

San Francisco Chronicle: COVID’s Severe Risk To Pregnant Women Is Real, A Large Kaiser Study In California Shows
Unvaccinated pregnant women infected with the coronavirus have more than twice the risk of having dangerous sepsis or other severe medical problems, than those who don’t have the virus, according to a study of thousands of Northern California women published Monday. The analysis of 43,886 women who gave birth at Kaiser Permanente Northern California between March 1, 2020, and March 16, 2021 — before coronavirus vaccines were widely available — revealed that babies born to mothers who contracted COVID were also more likely to be born prematurely, placing them at greater risk for brain and heart problems. (Asimov, 3/21)

ABC News: COVID-19 May Double Severe Complications In Pregnancy, Study Finds 
A new study has added to the body of research showing the risks pregnant people face due to COVID-19, especially among those who are not vaccinated. The study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, found pregnant people with COVID-19 had more than double the risk of negative outcomes compared to pregnant people without the virus. (Kindelan, 3/21)

In related news about the spread of the coronavirus —

Fox News: Omicron Subvariant BA.2: Health Officials Call It 'Variant Of Concern'
The subvariant omicron BA.2 has health officials’ attention, just as COVID restrictions have eased up. It has been classified as a "variant of concern," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). This variant is also called "stealth" omicron because its genetic mutations could make it difficult to distinguish from the delta variant using PCR tests as compared to the original version of omicron, according to the American Medical Association. WHO said in a recent statement "initial data suggest that BA.2 appears inherently more transmissible than BA.1, which currently remains the most common Omicron sublineage reported." (McGorry, 3/21)

Los Angeles Times: California Could See Coronavirus Uptick With BA.2 Subvariant
Coronavirus cases are on the upswing worldwide, prompting some officials to warn that California could see increases this spring because of the Omicron subvariant BA.2, even though cases of the strain so far have been modest in the state. The World Health Organization has recorded the first week-over-week increase in global coronavirus cases since late January, with cases rising 8% compared with the previous week. With infections up in parts of Africa, Asia and Europe, officials say they wouldn’t be surprised if new cases climbed again in the U.S. — and in California — this spring. What remains unclear is whether a national increase would be a ripple or a deluge that could again strain hospitals. (Lin II and Money, 3/21)

Axios: Experts Call For More Investment In Wastewater Surveillance
Wastewater monitoring programs around the nation indicate a new surge of COVID-19 similar to Europe's may be on its way in the U.S. But public health authorities aren't getting a full picture because a hoped-for national early warning system remains a patchwork quilt. More than 700 sites around the U.S. report wastewater surveillance data to the National Wastewater Surveillance System, set up by the CDC in 2020 to identify case surges and new variants. Plenty of places around the country including Washington, D.C., as well as Chicago, Des Moines and the Twin Cities are using sewage surveillance. But as Politico recently reported, many sites don't regularly report, and only 12 states routinely submit data, leaving "gaping holes" in surveillance. (Reed, 3/22)

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah’s Weekend COVID-19 Case Count Includes Lowest Single-Day Tally In 2 Years
Utah reported 343 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend — 67 on Friday, 102 on Saturday and 174 on Sunday. Friday’s tally marked the state’s lowest single-day case count since March 25, 2020, when 40 cases were reported in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. The next day, Utah reported 86 cases, state data shows. In the past week, the average number of new cases per day is 134; the average number of new cases per day so far this month is 190. (Pierce, 3/21)

Also —

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Expands Mobile COVID-19 Testing In Bid For Greater Equity
San Francisco is boosting its mobile COVID-19 testing options across the city in an effort to make access to testing more equitable and to ensure that testing operations are more responsive to communities’ needs, officials said Monday. The new “mobile testing strategy” is designed to allow the city to target specific neighborhoods that need more testing resources. Communities with particularly high test positivity rates and areas that have seen the greatest impact from COVID-19 will receive more testing opportunities, including access to mobile testing vans, the Department of Public Health said in a news release. (Picon, 3/21)

CIDRAP: Accuracy Of Second SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test Estimated At 94%
The estimated overall accuracy of a second COVID-19 rapid antigen test among asymptomatic New York City workers was 94% in a comparative effectiveness study published late last week in JAMA Network Open. Led by a Weill Cornell Medicine researcher, the team tested 179,127 participants in a workplace screening program using Sofia2 SARS Antigen Fluorescent Immunoassay, LumiraDX, and BinaxNow tests at an international service company from November 2020 through October 2021. (3/21)

The Hill: Federal Judge Blocks DC Law Allowing Kids To Get Vaccinated Without Parental Consent 
A federal judge temporarily blocked the District of Columbia from enforcing a law that would have allowed children to get vaccinated without the knowledge of their parents, ruling the law violated parents' religious liberties. The law in question, the Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act of 2020, allows children as young as 11 years old to be vaccinated so long as a provider deems them capable of informed consent.  (Weixel, 3/21)

And more about the rollout of vaccines and covid treatments —

The New York Times: Vaccination Rates Have Stalled With Another Potential Uptick Coming
Since last summer, the U.S. inoculation campaign has sputtered, undermined by vaccine skepticism, partisan politics and misinformation. And warnings of another potential surge, fueled by the new Omicron subvariant, BA.2, may have little impact on vaccination rates. Rates for boosters are even further behind. Omicron’s emergence in late fall pushed federal regulators to expand booster eligibility, and some Americans rushed to get the additional dose. But the booster campaign has stalled, with about half of eligible U.S. adults still not boosted as of Monday, according to the C.D.C. People may be even less motivated now than before, as masks come off, restrictions are lifted, and the public shifts toward treating the coronavirus as a part of daily life. (Lukpat, Petri and Stolberg, 3/22)

Bloomberg: Can I Get A Second Covid Booster? FDA Advisers To Consider Extra Shot
U.S. government advisers will meet early next month to discuss the use of additional Covid-19 booster shots as states and companies lower prevention safeguards such as masking and work at home. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet April 6 to discuss the use of future booster doses to address current and potential future virus strains of concern, according to a statement Monday. The panel advises the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on immunizations. (Rutherford, 3/21)

KHN: Immunocompromised Patients Worry Vaccine Exemptions Put Them In Peril 
Charlie O’Neill received part of her husband’s liver in a 2013 living donor transplant and has been taking drugs that suppress her immune system ever since to prevent her body from attacking the organ. “I frequently get infections,” she said. “Just being an immune-compromised person, you are faced with just every little cold and flu.” O’Neill lives in the small town of Pony in southwestern Montana’s Madison Valley. Despite living in an uncrowded rural setting, O’Neill said, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic was terrifying. She rarely left home, waiting for covid-19 vaccines to become available. (Bolton, 3/22)

AP: Doctors Finding Hurdles To Using Pills To Treat COVID-19
High-risk COVID-19 patients now have new treatments they can take at home to stay out of the hospital — if doctors get the pills to them fast enough. Health systems around the country are rushing out same-day prescription deliveries. Some clinics have started testing and treating patients in one visit, an initiative that President Joe Biden’s administration recently touted. (Murphy, 3/21)

Southern California News Group: Pills To Fight COVID-19 Coming To A Drugstore Near You
“The health care system is already set up to make things as difficult as possible,” said Dr. Aaron E. Carroll, distinguished professor at Indiana University, at the webinar. One-stop shops are more likely to be in wealthy communities than in poorer ones, where the drugs are more likely to be needed, he said. So sick people without pharmacy-based clinics nearby must find a testing site — getting more difficult as states scale down those efforts — and test results can take a day or two to come back. Then folks must find a doctor to write a prescription for the new drugs, and then find a pharmacy that has them in stock. And all this must happen very quickly — within about five days of infection, for some of the oral drugs to work their magic. (Sforza, 3/21)

In updates on covid mandates —

Los Angeles Times: L.A. Teachers Union Approves Deal To Lift Mask Mandate 
Members of the Los Angeles teachers union have ratified an agreement to make masking optional in the nation’s second-largest school system, the union announced Monday night. Under the agreement, the indoor masking requirement for students and staff will be lifted Wednesday for staff and students ranging from early transitional kindergarten through 12th grade and also including adult school and work sites without students. Among those who cast ballots, 84% voted yes and 16% voted no. (Blume, 3/21)

AP: New Orleans Lifts Proof-Of-Vaccine Rule For Bars, Eateries 
Bars, restaurants and other businesses in New Orleans are no longer required to make patrons show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test for the disease, the city said Monday in a news release. The mandate, which dates back to August, was officially lifted at 6 a.m. (McGill, 3/21)

The Boston Globe: Ricardo Arroyo Says Vaccine Opponents Protested Outside His Mother’s Home Monday Morning
Nearly three months after demonstrators began gathering in the early mornings outside Mayor Michelle Wu’s Roslindale home to protest Boston’s vaccine mandates and coronavirus restrictions, City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo says his family is being targeted as well. But when a small group of demonstrators gathered outside a Hyde Park home Monday morning, Arroyo wasn’t there. The house belongs to his mother, a 70-year-old retired Boston Public Schools teacher, he said on Twitter. “She told them it wasn’t my home but they ignored her & kept on for hours,” he wrote. “City Hall is open and they can protest there. It’s clear the goal isn’t protest but targeted harassment and its wrong.” (Stoico, 3/21)

Modern Healthcare: More Insurers Cut Payment For Patient Consultations
Health insurers Anthem and Aetna began denying providers' claims that include consultation codes this year, joining the growing ranks of payers cutting reimbursement amid an industrywide coding change. Consultations are a type of evaluation and management service provided at the request of another physician. For example, a primary care physician may refer a patient to a cardiologist. The specialist would then examine the patient, offer an opinion and send the individual back to the primary care provider for treatment. The cardiologist in this case would bill for the visit using a consultation code. (Tepper, 3/21)

In news about health care personnel —

Fox News: Covid Pandemic Takes Toll On Key Medical Support Community
The pandemic has not only contributed to a shortage of home health aides but also affected the medical equipment industry, home health equipment suppliers told Fox News. This has created problems for individuals who need equipment servicing for wheelchairs, home oxygen equipment, ventilators and more, according to some home health agencies.  Anecdotal reports of home care equipment personnel shortages said without equipment specialists, vulnerable seniors are forced into nursing homes and left struggling with how to adjust or service their own equipment. (McGorry, 3/21)

Detroit Free Press: Michigan Facing Shortage Of Primary Care Physicians
Michigan is experiencing a decline in the number of primary care physicians, with more shortages expected by 2030, particularly impacting residents in underserved areas. The shortages can be curbed, in part, by beefing up state funding for existing programs to recruit, train and retain physicians in that field, a group of family medicine physicians said Monday. Michigan has 269 health professional shortage areas, where either the proportion of family physicians and primary care physicians is too low or there are no primary care physicians whatsoever, according to Kaiser Family Foundation data, said Dr. Jennifer Aloff, a family physician at Midland Family Physicians. (Hall, 3/21)

The New York Times: Concussions Doctor Under Scrutiny In Plagiarism Scandal 
For more than two decades, Paul McCrory has been the world’s foremost doctor shaping the concussion protocols that are used by sports leagues and organizations globally. As the leader of the Concussion in Sport Group, McCrory helped choose the members of the international group and write its quadrennial consensus statement on the latest research on concussions — a veritable bible for leagues, trainers, doctors and academics that an N.F.L. spokesman once called “the foundation of all sports-related research.” (Belson, 3/21)

Miami Herald: State Complaint Says Tampa FL Doctor Did Wrong Site Surgery 
Asking the patient to confirm where a cancer surgery should be performed after the patient had been given a sedative led to a Tampa area doctor performing a wrong site surgery, a state complaint said. The administrative complaint against the license of Safety Harbor doctor Robert Davidson starts the discipline process. Davidson’s online Florida Department of Health license profile shows no previous disciplinary actions against the license he’s held in Florida since 2002. An email from the Miami Herald to the address on his profile was not returned. (Neal, 3/21)

KHN: As A Nurse Faces Prison For A Deadly Error, Her Colleagues Worry: Could I Be Next? 
Four years ago, inside the most prestigious hospital in Tennessee, nurse RaDonda Vaught withdrew a vial from an electronic medication cabinet, administered the drug to a patient, and somehow overlooked signs of a terrible and deadly mistake. The patient was supposed to get Versed, a sedative intended to calm her before being scanned in a large, MRI-like machine. But Vaught accidentally grabbed vecuronium, a powerful paralyzer, which stopped the patient’s breathing and left her brain-dead before the error was discovered. (Kelman, 3/22)

In other health industry news —

Columbus Dispatch: Hospital Mergers: Health Care Costs Rise, Patients Suffer, Studies Say
If you need to go to the hospital in Ohio these days, your choices are dominated by a handful of multibillion-dollar medical systems. The state's seven largest medical systems run a combined 58 community hospitals – more than 40% of the total – American Hospital Association statistics for 2019 show. Add in a variety of other medical facilities and doctors offices, and these seven systems occupy nearly 1,100 locations across the state, according to an analysis by The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network. Leaders of these systems say health care consolidation means better, more cost-effective care and improved access to specialists for patients of once-independent hospitals. (Rowland, 3/22)

Anchorage Daily News: The Historic Split Of Alaska’s Massive Health Department Is Now Law. What’s Next?
Dunleavy said during a media briefing Monday he thought that the split would “drive down costs over, we think, a short period of time.” “The idea is that with better oversight and better focus, that we will get better outcomes,” he said, later saying the success of the split will be measured based on staff and public feedback as well as data like staff turnover and vacancy rates. The reorganization was designed to minimize disruption to people using the department’s services, officials say. The new Department of Health contains divisions aligned by payment to include those taking Medicaid: Public Health; Public Assistance; Behavioral Health; Health Care Services; and Senior and Disabilities Services. (Hollander, 3/21)

AP: Reno's Newest Hospital On Track To Open This Spring 
A new full-service hospital in Reno is poised to open this spring. The Reno Gazette-Journal reports a pre-opening event on Monday will show select guests the progress of Northern Nevada Sierra Medical Center. CEO Alan Olive says the hospital received its certificate of occupancy. So, equipment can now be moved into the facility. (3/21)

Bloomberg: Health Insurance Startup Raising Funds At $2.7 Billion Valuation
Digital health-insurance startup Alan is in talks to raise new funding with a valuation about 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion), according to people familiar with the matter. The round isn’t finalized yet and the details could change, the people said, who asked not to be named discussing private information. A spokesperson from Alan declined to comment. Paris-based Alan last raised 185 million euros in April 2021 at a 1.4 billion-euro valuation from investors including Coatue Management, Temasek and Index Ventures. Other backers include Exor NV, the holding company of Italy’s billionaire Agnelli clan, and Dragoneer, an early backer of Spotify. (Levingston and Berthelot, 3/21)

Stat: How A Team Effort To Improve Health Care With The Help Of AI Paid Off
The project began with a vexing problem. Imaging tests that turned up unexpected issues — such as suspicious lung nodules — were being overlooked by busy caregivers, and patients who needed prompt follow-up weren’t getting it. After months of discussion, the leaders of Northwestern University’s health system coalesced around a heady solution: Artificial intelligence could be used to identify these cases and quickly ping providers. If only it were that easy. (Ross, 3/21)

The Baltimore Sun: Johns Hopkins Engineers Build Robot To Perform Surgery Without A Doctor 
In a high-tech lab on Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus in Baltimore, engineers have been building a robot that may be able to stitch back together the broken vessels in your belly and at some point maybe your brain, no doctor needed. The robot has a high-tech camera on one arm and a high-tech sewing machine on a second arm. It’s already reattached halves of a pig’s intestines. “It’s like park-assist in a car,” said Axel Krieger, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering in Hopkins’ Whiting School of Engineering. “Performs the procedure autonomously.” (Cohn, 3/22)

In other pharmaceutical and biotech news —

Stat: An ALS Therapy Sets Up A Crucial Test Of The FDA’s Independence 
A high-profile, experimental therapy for ALS is teeing up a crucial test of the Food and Drug Administration’s ability to withstand political pressure. The drug, from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, has been the subject of an immense pressure campaign from ALS patients and advocacy organizations — one with roots in the broader “right-to-try” movement’s successful efforts to weaken the agency’s ability to limit patients’ access to drugs to treat deadly diseases. ALS advocates charge that the FDA has stubbornly blocked access to therapies that might add even a glimmer of hope to a diagnosis that is otherwise a death sentence — an argument that the FDA has worked hard to counter. (Florko, 3/22)

Axios: Controversial Alzheimer's Drug Approval Ignites FDA Reform Debate
The FDA's conditional approval of a controversial Alzheimer's drug last year has sparked heightened scrutiny and an attempted overhaul of a popular regulatory pathway used to fast-track cancer drugs and certain other treatments. Accelerated approval allows patients to access new drugs deemed to meet unfilled needs much faster than if the drug went through the regular approval process. But critics say that more needs to be done to prove these drugs actually work in the real world, which could have big implications for the pharmaceutical industry. (Owens, 3/21)

Stat: The Biggest PBMs Are Handling More Of The Country's Drug Price Deals
Alex Schmelzer didn’t think he’d be the most-hated person in drug pricing negotiations, but he was. Schmelzer founded a consulting firm in 2016 to help companies battle their pharmacy benefit managers, the behemoth intermediaries that negotiate drug prices, process claims, and create networks of pharmacies. Schmelzer and his colleagues pored through data and discovered many employers were paying too much for their workers’ drugs. But after three years, in 2019, Schmelzer had to shut down his shop. It turns out his clients didn’t want him to battle as hard as he did — even if they were getting overcharged. (Herman, 3/22)

Bloomberg: Fresenius Medical Creates Kidney-Care Business With InterWell, Cricket
Fresenius Medical Care AG is creating a new kidney-care business with InterWell Health LLC and Cricket Health Inc. that the companies say is valued at $2.4 billion. Fresenius Medical will be majority owner of the new entity, which will operate under the InterWell Health brand, according to a statement Monday. The move comes as German health-care conglomerate Fresenius seeks ways to spur growth after suffering from higher costs and lower demand during the pandemic. The parent entity is considering initial public offerings for two of its four business units and has said it’s open to fielding offers for its controlling stake in the kidney-dialysis division Fresenius Medical. (Loh, 3/21)

Stat: What Makes A Biotech A Biotech? 
The prototypical biotech company is easy to envision: think Moderna, Alnylam, and Genentech. But what about Pfizer, which claims “biotechnology is [the company’s] foundation?” What about Twist Bioscience, which doesn’t make therapeutics but was dubbed one of the “most innovative biotechnology companies of 2021”? And what about diagnostics companies, like Exact Sciences, a key element of its local biotech ecosystem? Historically, experts distinguished between biotech and pharmaceutical companies based on how a therapeutic was made. But the line that once separated these categories has become fuzzier over time, and the biotech umbrella has expanded to cover far more than therapeutics. (Sheridan, 3/21)

Also —

Stat: 'Harmful And Wasteful': Many Pediatric Clinical Trials End Early, Don't Report Results
An extensive analysis of thousands of pediatric trials found one in 10 ended early — and among the studies that were completed, the vast majority of results still hadn’t been reported or published years later, raising concerns about incomplete knowledge about treatments for children. Moreover, the problems existed regardless of the funding sources, although studies supported by the pharmaceutical industry were significantly more likely to be discontinued. And industry-sponsored trials also had lower odds of being published three years after completion, according to the analysis, which looked at 13,200 studies conducted from October 2007 to March 2020 and was published Tuesday in Pediatrics. (Silverman, 3/22)

NBC News: Texas Appeals Court Reinstates Injunction Blocking Investigations Into Parents Of Transgender Kids
A Texas appeals court on Monday reinstated an injunction blocking a state agency from investigating parents whose transgender children receive gender-affirming care. The Texas Third Court of Appeals ruled on a motion filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Lambda Legal, which had filed a lawsuit on behalf of a transgender teen’s parents who were being investigated for possible child abuse by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. (Richards, 3/21)

NPR: A Third Of Trans Youth Are At Risk Of Losing Gender-Affirming Care, Study Says
The recent wave of Republican-led bans attempting to block transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming medical care may be fertile political ground for conservatives in an election year, but a new study shows the bans are putting tens of thousands of vulnerable young people in jeopardy. A report from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law estimates that more than 54,000 transitioning transgender youth ages 13 through 17 are at risk of losing access to gender-affirming medical care, even in cases where doctors, therapists and parents concur with the need for those treatments. And in at least three states — Alabama, North Carolina and Oklahoma — lawmakers are pushing legislation that would impact about 4,000 18-to-20-year-olds. The figures are staggering considering that only about 150,000 American youth identify as transgender. (Romo, 3/21)

CNN: For Trans Youth's Health, The More Inclusive Adults' Language Is The Better, Study Says 
There is more we can do to make our kids feel seen, accepted and secure -- and it starts with adding more terms for gender identity and sexual orientation to the official forms we give them, according to a new study. Researchers in Minnesota analyzed data from students across the state in grades eight, nine and 11, finding that a significant portion of the youth population identified with terms including lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, pansexual, transgender, genderqueer, genderfluid or nonbinary. Many of the identities the students in the study use are often absent from forms and surveys given to them, which is especially concerning given the high rates of depression and bias-based bullying many students, particularly those who identified as pansexual, nonbinary or transmasculine. A step as simple as expanding identity options could help, according to the study, published Monday in the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Holcombe, 3/21)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Southern Nevada LGBTQ Clinic Growing To Keep Up With Demand
When Rob Phoenix was growing up gay in rural Pennsylvania, he never had someone with whom he could feel comfortable asking questions about sex or his body. Today the 56-year-old family nurse practitioner is doing his best to ensure that others won’t face that situation through his Huntridge Family Clinic, the only LGBTQ-focused health clinic in Southern Nevada. His goal is to provide care for all of a patient’s needs regardless of who they are, their needs or ability to pay. Now, his small clinic on East Sahara Avenue is having a big impact on the LGBTQ community. (Shoro, 3/21)

And more mental health news —

The Washington Post: The Children’s Mental Health Crisis Predates The Pandemic 
The pandemic hasn’t created a children’s mental health crisis out of nowhere; rather, it’s shone a spotlight on a catastrophe that has been hiding in plain sight for a very long time. “This is not a new problem,” Sandy Chung, a pediatrician in Fairfax, Va., and president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics, explained to me recently. “Over the last several decades, we’ve been seeing an increase in mental health conditions in children and adolescents.” (Warner, 3/21)

Columbus Dispatch: Harry Miller Talks About Mental Health Struggles On Today Show
In an appearance on NBC’s "Today" show on Monday morning, former Ohio State offensive lineman Harry Miller spoke publicly for the first time about his medical retirement due to struggles with mental health. Miller on March 10 announced that he was ending his football career after three seasons with the Buckeyes and shared that he contemplated suicide before last fall. He ultimately told coach Ryan Day about having suicidal thoughts and received treatment as a result. His decision earlier this month to open up about his mental illness stemmed from the idea that “somebody has to say something,” he said. (Kaufman, 3/21)

The Baltimore Sun: Abingdon Teens Wins Hershey Microgrant To Do Project For Hospitalized Kids 
A Patterson Mill Middle High School junior is the recipient of the 2021 Hershey Heartwarming Project Action Grant. The $250 microgrant is awarded to youth ages 13 to 17 for initiatives benefiting their community, mental wellness and advocacy, according to a news release. Ashlee Brockwell, 17, of Abingdon will launch her winning “Deck the Doors” project this spring with the help of the Harford County based, youth-led nonprofit We Cancerve Movement, Inc. Brockwell said her project promotes inclusivity and mental wellness among children that are hospitalized or critically ill. (Fontelieu, 3/22)

In other public health news —

NPR: Great Value Buttermilk Pancake Mix Recalled After Potential Contamination
A single lot of Great Value Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix is being recalled after fragments of a cable used in the processing line were found in some products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a notice. The recall stems from "potential foreign material contamination," said Continental Mills, the manufacturer. The mix is sold at Walmart stores, and the affected product was distributed nationwide, according to the recall notice posted to the FDA's website. (Wamsley, 3/21)

Lexington Herald Leader: KY Lawmakers Override Vetoes On Jobless Benefits, Ending COVID Emergency 
The Republican-majority General Assembly late Monday overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s vetoes of two bills in which the governor had urged lawmakers to show compassion for Kentuckians facing hard times. In one measure, House Bill 4, the state of Kentucky will reduce the length of time that unemployment insurance benefits are available to workers who lose their jobs. ... The other measure would end the COVID-19 pandemic-related state of emergency effective immediately. (Sheves, 3/22)

Lex18.com: Kentucky Senate Overrides Beshear's Veto To End COVID State Of Emergency
The Senate passed the measure by a vote of 25-8, with all Senate Democrats voting against the override. The bill now heads back to the House. (3/21)

In updates on abortion from West Virginia, Florida, and Texas —

AP: W.Va. Gov Signs Law Barring Abortion Because Of Disability
West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice has signed a new law barring parents from seeking abortion care because they believe their child will be born with a disability. Justice posted about his signature of the “Unborn Child with a Disability Protection and Education Act” on Twitter on Monday. He made the announcement about the new law in a tweet to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. (Willingham, 3/21)

WUFT: Floridians Face New Reality Of Curtailed Abortion Access After 2022 Legislative Session 
Baileigh Johnson’s Southern Baptist faith has been a core pillar throughout her life. From age 2 onward, she attended Sunday church services with her family. She went to a private Christian school until 10th grade and served as a youth group leader between the ages of 14 and 18.The church was her home as much as her actual home was. But at the age of 29, she made a decision some consider a complete renunciation of one’s faith: She got an abortion. (Rodriguez, 3/21)

The Washington Post: Texas’s Strict New Abortion Law Has Eluded Multiple Court Challenges. Abortion Rights Advocates Think They Have A New Path To Get It Blocked
The initial attacks came in court and on social media, when a group of antiabortion lawyers accused two Texas abortion rights groups of funding abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, the legal limit under Texas’s restrictive abortion ban. They filed official requests in court for more information on the abortions, then took to Twitter, warning that anyone who helped fund abortions through these two groups “could get sued.” ... Now, abortion rights groups think those threats may have opened the door to something that has eluded them ever since the law took effect in September: a viable path for a legal challenge. (Kitchener, 3/21)

In updates on the drug crisis —

Chicago Tribune: "Overdose Action Plan' Introduced To Address Opioid Crisis. 
Two years after issuing an executive order creating a committee to address the opioid crisis in Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced the formation of a statewide Overdose Action Plan to tackle a problem that only got worse during the pandemic. “There are so many people who end up in a struggle with the disease that is addiction — self-medicating, trauma, simultaneous mental health challenges, a pain prescription gone wrong,” Pritzker said. “But no matter what brings someone here, their life is worth saving. (Spaulding, 3/21)

The Courier-Journal: Louisville Officials Approve Plan Allowing Drug Rehab Center To Open In Neighborhood
New neighbors are coming to a Valley Station subdivision, with a city committee giving the green light to allow a drug rehabilitation treatment center to open in an old church. In a 3-2 vote that one member called "perhaps the most challenging" case he could remember, Louisville's Board of Zoning Adjustment ruled Monday that Isaiah House, a Christian program that works to help people recovering from drug addiction, can set up a location inside the Valley Hope Center, a former church and current event venue at 10803 Deering Road. The plan calls for the nearly 30,000-square-foot venue to be converted into an inpatient rehab center, where up to 100 men in addiction recovery can get clean and take part in educational opportunities and job training. (Aulbach, 3/22)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Narcan Is Preventing Opioid Overdose Deaths In Milwaukee Communities
Peel. Place. Press. These three simple steps, which can be accomplished in seconds through a nasal spray, could save someone's life. Naloxone, more commonly known as Narcan, is often seen as the most-effective way to reverse an opioid overdose. And while drug overdose deaths continue to hit record levels across the nation and in the Milwaukee area, public health officials are encouraging the use of the medication to save lives in order to get individuals the help they need, as data from the American Medical Association says nearly 80% of opioid overdose deaths happen outside a medical setting. (Casey, 3/21)

Stat: Teva, Allergan Reach $107 Million Deal With Rhode Island Over Opioid Crisis
Just as a trial was getting underway, Allergan and Teva Pharmaceutical reached a settlement worth $107 million with the state of Rhode Island over their alleged roles in fomenting the U.S. opioid crisis. The deal calls for Teva to pay $21.5 million over 13 years and Allergan, a unit of AbbVie, to pay $8 million over six years. In addition, Teva will supply the state with two medicines to combat the crisis — valued at $78.5 million, based on wholesale prices — over the next decade. The medicines are Teva’s generic version of Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse an opioid overdose, and buprenorphine, which combats opioid use disorder. (Silverman, 3/21)

And more health news from across the U.S. —

AP: Sick Mine Workers Allege Insurer Delaying Medical Payments
Attorneys for Montana mine workers sickened and killed by toxic asbestos exposure filed a lawsuit against Zurich American Insurance on Monday for allegedly stalling legal settlements and medical payments after transferring the workers’ claims to investors who can profit off the delays. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Great Falls on behalf of 17 former workers and representatives of 29 deceased workers who developed lung cancer and other diseases following exposure to asbestos during the 1960s and 1970s at a W.R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana. (Brown, 3/21)

AP: Judge: Ex-Governor Must Testify In Flint Water Civil Trial 
Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and several other officials must testify in a civil trial involving engineering firms being sued over liability for lead-contaminated water connected to the Flint water crisis, a judge ruled Monday. U.S. District Judge Judith Levy denied motions by Snyder, his former advisor, two former state-appointed emergency managers and an ex-Flint city official to quash subpoenas compelling them to testify. (3/21)

AP: Minnesota Republicans Offer Alternate Plan For Family Leave
Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature offered a voluntary proposal for paid family and medical leave Monday that would rely on tax credits for employers who choose to participate, in contrast with Democratic proposals that would require paid time off for workers to care for their families. Sen. Julia Coleman, of Waconia, and Rep. Jordan Rasmusson, of Fergus Falls, depicted their plan as an innovative way to support employees who need time off after childbirth, or to care for sick children, or for parents nearing the end of their lives. They also presented it as an affordable alternative for small businesses that would help them compete with deep-pocketed big companies. (Karnowski, 3/21)

Bloomberg: Every Country Is Flunking WHO Air Quality Standard: Report
Hundreds of millions of people around the world are breathing dirty air that far exceeds health guidelines, and climate change is making pollution worse, according to a new report that analyzed real-time air quality data from tens of thousands of monitoring stations. Those sensors measured levels of PM2.5, particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller in length that’s found in vehicle exhaust, power plant emissions, desert dust storms and smoke from cooking stoves and wildfires. Scientists have linked exposure to PM2.5 with heart and lungdisease and 7 million premature deaths each year. (Woody, 3/22)

Reuters: No Country Met WHO Air Quality Standards In 2021 - Data
Not a single country managed to meet the World Health Organization's (WHO) air quality standard in 2021, a survey of pollution data in 6,475 cities showed on Tuesday, and smog even rebounded in some regions after a COVID-related dip. The WHO recommends that average annual readings of small and hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 should be no more than 5 micrograms per cubic metre after changing its guidelines last year, saying that even low concentrations caused significant health risks. (3/22)

In updates from Ukraine —

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Donating 50 Ventilators To Ukraine As The Russian Invasion Continues 
Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday that the Maryland Department of Health donated 50 ventilators to Ukraine to help hospitals treat the wounded during Russia’s invasion. The Republican governor said the Astral portable ventilators were donated to the Paul Chester Children’s Hope Foundation — a Dickerson-based grassroots medical organization that provides surgical care to people in developing countries. “The State of Maryland continues to stand in solidarity with President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine,” Hogan said in a news release. “We are proud to make this donation to help save lives and aid the Ukrainians in the fight against Russian aggression.” (Oxenden, 3/21)

The Washington Post: David Beckham Lends Instagram Account To Ukrainian Doctor In Kharkiv 
Soccer legend David Beckham handed over control of his Instagram account — and its 71.5 million followers — on Sunday to a Ukrainian doctor caring for pregnant women and their babies in the war-torn city of Kharkiv. Throughout the day, Iryna, a pediatric anesthesiologist and the head of the regional perinatal center in Kharkiv, posted a moving first-person account of her daily life in Ukraine’s second-largest city, an early target in Moscow’s advance that has been ravaged by missile strikes. (Pannett, 3/21)

And more global developments —

The Washington Post: Hong Kong Lifts Flight Bans, Suspends Mandatory Mass Testing Amid Waning Tolerance For ‘Zero Covid’
Hong Kong will lift flight bans in place for nine countries including the United States and reduce mandatory quarantine for returning residents to seven days, in the first easing of the city’s draconian coronavirus restrictions in many months as the financial hub buckles under the weight of its “zero-covid” policy. (Yu, 3/21)

AP: Indonesia Set To Lift Quarantine Rules For Overseas Tourists 
Indonesia will lift all quarantine requirements for overseas visitors entering the country, its tourism minister said Monday, two years after it imposed border restrictions due to COVID-19.Tourism and Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno told reporters that foreign tourists will still be required to have a negative PCR test before entering the country. Quarantine requirements will be lifted from Tuesday, he added. (Tarigan, 3/21)

The Washington Post: A BA.2 Covid Wave Shouldn’t Worry Most Americans 
In the coming weeks, the United States could see another wave of covid-19 infections driven by a subvariant of the omicron strain, known as BA.2. While the federal government needs to do much more to prepare for this potential surge, most Americans should not be worried. (Leana S. Wen, 3/21)

The New York Times: The Best Time To Prepare For A Covid Surge Is Now
The most important lesson of the Covid pandemic is that the only constant is change. Variants spread, cases surge and abate, treatments change and knowledge expands. This means that we — the public, elected officials and public health leaders — need to learn constantly and adapt quickly, acting on the insight that no one policy response is likely to stay effective for long. (Tom Frieden, 3/22)

Bloomberg: Covid’s Fifth Wave Shows Us How To Live With The Omicron Virus Subvariant
Covid cases are on the rise in several European countries. Upticks are visible again in France, Italy and the U.K. Infection rates in both Austria and Germany eclipse previous waves of the virus (based on cases per million). China is grappling with new highs in terms of case counts. The U.S. may soon follow. This fifth wave of the virus is likely to be mercifully short-lived in many areas, but the picture varies around the world. This divergence gives us something of a report card on the efficacy of the Covid policies in place. (Therese Raphael and Sam Fazeli, 3/22)

Stat: The Covid-19 Pandemic Is A Complex Problem, Not A Complicated Problem
Federal public health officials did many good things in response to Covid-19, like investing in Operation Warp Speed, but they misdiagnosed the nature of the pandemic: They deemed it a complicated problem rather than a complex problem. This error reduced the effectiveness of the country’s pandemic response, and a course correction is necessary to improve the response to future pandemics. In 2001, I developed a checklist for health care workers to reduce infections from catheters, tubes that are widely used to deliver fluids and critical medicines to people who have been hospitalized. At the time, catheter infections resulted in approximately 31,000 deaths a year in the U.S, putting it in the top 15 leading causes of death. (Peter Pronovost, 3/22)

Bloomberg: Why China's Covid-Zero Policy Has Found Success While Hong Kong's Falters
Hong Kong appears to have accepted defeat. On Monday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam set out a blueprint for undoing the stringent social distancing measures and border curbs that severely curtailed residents’ daily lives for the past two years. Despite the government’s Covid-zero measures, 3.6 million of the city’s 7.3 million residents may have been infected. The statistic reflects badly on Hong Kong. But that doesn’t mean that the same policy in China has failed. (Anjali Trivedi and Shuli Ren, 3/21)

The Tennessean: The Vital Role Of Nurses During Covid-19 And Beyond
Nurses have been among the most visible essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.But the virus and the delta and omicron surges that sickened and killed tens of thousands in Tennessee left many of these health professionals burned out. Nevertheless, their work continues to be essential even as the COVID appears to be waning for the moment. (David Plazas, 3/18)

The Tennessean: Remove Outdated Tennessee Laws Restricting Advanced Practice RNs
We are two nurses who have long promoted access to needed health care services and the removal of unnecessary and outdated regulations that prevent nurse practitioners and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) from providing those services efficiently. We now see a shift that may portend a much-needed change in our quest for regulatory change. At recent meeting of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, Senate Bill 176, which is focused on APRN practice, was discussed. (Ruth Kleinpell and Carole R. Myers, 3/22)

The CT Mirror: Vaccine Mandates In Higher Ed: Legal And Justified
While the omicron surge is hopefully the last phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may unfortunately not be the last pandemic we face. These and other lessons from efforts to control the pandemic will be valuable for any future episode. As a faculty member in public higher education I have been involved in vaccine mandate committees at the university and systemwide level. These mandates, as approved at institutions of higher education throughout the state, have served to protect the health of students, faculty and staff, and to encourage vaccinations by those who might otherwise hesitate. (David Blitz, 3/21)

Modern Healthcare: We’ve Made Progress To Advance DEI In Healthcare—But There’s More Work To Do
Opportunities persist for healthcare organizations and the executives who lead them to address diversity, equity and inclusion head-on. Despite the efforts of many, a great deal of inequity still exists in healthcare delivery, due to variation in care quality, lack of access or because of discrimination based on personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, geographic location or socioeconomic status. These disparities have, unfortunately, been magnified during the pandemic. Many in the industry thought we were doing a lot—but we now know we need to be doing a heck of a lot more. (Anthony Armada, 3/22)

Modern Healthcare: Follow The Science: Healthcare Should Be Personalized, Not Political
There has been much public discourse about the use of race and other personal risk factors in treating COVID-19—with a specific focus on risk calculators. While these may be headline-grabbing claims, our duty as healthcare providers is to always follow the best available evidence and science, without regard for political fallout. The challenge is to remain objective, not letting predispositions or politics cloud our judgment. The people and communities we serve deserve no less. (Laura Kaiser, 3/22)

Miami Herald: America’s Elderly Under Siege From COVID, Other Challenges 
Claude Pepper’s legacy in Miami and throughout Florida, with roads, bridges, senior centers, parks, forums and organizations named after him is remarkable. He was on the cover of Time Magazine on May 2, 1938. He was in the U.S. Senate at the time. But the most significant part of Pepper’s legacy, especially as he grew older, was returning to Congress years after he lost his Senate seat and chairing the House Select Committee on Aging . Pepper pushed the ban on mandatory retirement (with Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Colonel Sanders as a witness), protected nursing homes, expanded home healthcare and bolstered Social Security, with solvency through 2034. That put him on the cover of Time Magazine again on April 25, 1983, as America’s “Spokesman For the Elderly.” (Robert Weiner and Ben Lasky, 3/21)

Also —

Los Angeles Times: He Killed Himself. She Helped Him. It Should Have Been Easier 
In her new book, “In Love,” Amy Bloom writes about her husband, Brian Ameche, a gregarious, life-embracing former-college-football-player-turned-architect, and how they fell in love later in life in a small town in Connecticut. And she writes about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the early days of his decline, and eventually his death at age 66. But what distinguishes this book from other such memoirs is that Ameche made a decision within 48 hours of his diagnosis: He did not want to live on indefinitely as the horrendous brain-wasting disease took control and destroyed him. He preferred to die sooner. He wanted to end his life, he said, “while I am still myself, rather than become less and less of a person.” (Nicholas Goldberg, 3/21)

The CT Mirror: Assisted Suicide: A Dangerous Practice Based On False Claims
As a physician assistant working for the last 46 years, I have spent my life caring for and treating the illnesses of many patients, which included easing their pain, especially when their diseases, or the resulting outcomes, could not be cured. Like all health care practitioners, I swore an oath to serve as a healer. As a result, if I ever told a patient that, instead of seeking treatment, they should end their life, I would deserve to lose my medical license. Yet that is exactly what Connecticut legislators are proposing. (Jack Pike, 3/22)