AP: US Allows More Baby Formula Imports To Fight Shortage 
Under fire from parents and politicians, President Joe Biden’s administration announced steps Monday to ease a nationwide shortage of baby formula, including reopening the largest domestic manufacturing plant and increasing imports from overseas. The Food and Drug Administration said it was streamlining its review process to make it easier for foreign manufacturers to begin shipping more formula into the U.S. (Perrone and Miller, 5/17)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Eases Baby-Formula Import Rules To Boost Supplies 
Abbott said it had reached agreement with the FDA for the reopening of the Sturgis, Mich., plant where the company makes many formula products. The consent decree between Abbott and the FDA, which must be ratified by a federal court, outlines the steps that the company must take for the agency to allow the reopening of the plant. The company closed the plant in February, after the FDA found bacterial contamination. (Whyte, 5/16)

Reuters: Baby Formula Makers Ramp Up U.S. Supplies To Tackle Shortage 
In the meantime, other baby formula makers have stepped up production and shipped extra supplies to the United States. Reckitt Benckiser is boosting baby formula production by about 30% and making more frequent deliveries to U.S. stores, an executive told Reuters on Tuesday. The company, which makes its U.S. formula in three facilities in Michigan, Indiana and Minnesota, has granted plants "unlimited overtime" to put in extra shifts, Robert Cleveland, senior vice president, North America and Europe Nutrition at Reckitt, told Reuters in an interview. ... [And] Nestle is flying baby formula supplies to the United States from the Netherlands and Switzerland, the company said in an emailed statement to Reuters on Tuesday. (Naidu, 5/17)

Also —

The Hill: Pentagon: Military Bases ‘Not Immune’ To Baby Formula Shortage 
The nationwide baby formula shortage is taking its toll at U.S. military bases across the globe, the Pentagon’s top spokesman said Monday. “We’re not immune to the same supply chain problems that other families across America are experiencing,” press secretary John Kirby told reporters. He said that current stock levels of available baby formula in the continental United States is at 50 percent at base commissaries — neighborhood grocery stores located on military installations — while it stands at 70 percent overseas. (Mitchell, 5/16)

The 19th: How Inequities Make The Baby Formula Shortage Worse For Many Families
Baby formula is in short supply across the country, and families are struggling. Amber Romero, a mother in West Des Moines, Iowa, is feeling increasingly desperate as she tries to feed her child. “I’m a breast cancer survivor, and we’ve had to supplement with formula since I can only produce half of what my baby needs,” Romero said. “We’ve had friends give us formula that they’re not using. This morning, my husband drove to four different stores and went out of town to try to find our preferred brand of formula. He couldn’t find anything. I’m terrified that we’re going to run out of options soon.” (Padilla, 5/16)

The New York Times: Amid a Worsening Formula Shortage, Mothers Are Asked: ‘Why Not Breastfeed?’
Before having her third child last month, Joelyz Lugo had planned to breastfeed, but her daughter’s difficult birth derailed such plans. While in the neonatal intensive care unit, her baby needed to be fed formula, and when the pair finally tried breastfeeding, the baby struggled to latch. One month later, with a baby formula shortage making it all but impossible for Ms. Lugo to give up breastfeeding, she has settled into a grueling routine. Every three hours, she hooks herself up to a breast pump to try and boost production, but her milk supply remains low. Ms. Lugo gets less than an ounce of breast milk per pumping session — a fraction of what her daughter needs. (Pearson, 5/16)

CBS News: Biden Signs Law Banning Infant Sleep Products Blamed For 200 Deaths 
Infant sleep products blamed in the deaths of more than 200 babies in the U.S. will soon be outlawed. President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law legislation that prohibits the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers or inclined sleepers blamed for more than 200 infant deaths, the White House announced. Consumer advocates applauded the development, but noted that manufacturers and retailers have 180 days to comply, leaving additional time for the products to inflict more heartache.  (Gibson, 5/16)

People: President Biden Signs Bill Prohibiting Sale Of Crib Bumpers 
The Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021 (H.R. 3182), signed into law on Monday, prohibits the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers or inclined sleepers for infants. ... According to the legislation, crib bumpers are defined as "padded materials inserted around the inside of a crib and intended to prevent the crib occupant from becoming trapped in any part of the crib's openings; they do not include unpadded, mesh crib liners." (Slater, 5/16)

Bay Area News Group: With New Law, Is It Safe For Babies To Sleep In Car Seats?
It’s a well-known strategy for modern, frazzled parents with a tired, wailing baby: Strap her into a car seat and take her for a drive, letting the soft rocking motion of the car and the purr of the engine lull her to sleep for the rest of the night. But the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, a new federal law signed Monday by President Joe Biden, could spark parents’ questions about whether it’s considered dangerous to use this trick or to otherwise let their babies nap while driving them around to do errands or on road or plane trips. ... According to [Dr. Rachel Moon, chair of the AAP Task Force on Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome (SIDS)] and other experts, it’s “fine” if babies fall asleep in car seats and strollers — but in a limited, supervised way and not as a substitution for a crib, bassinet, co-sleeper or play yard, which the AAP said are considered safe for sleep. (Ross, 5/16)

In case you missed it —

ABC13 Houston: Erika Richter's Newborn Died In 2018 Using An Inclined Sleeper
Erika Richter's 2-week-old daughter, Emma, died while using a Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play sleeper, a type of inclined sleeper that would be banned under the new legislation. "For this bill to be passed, it's a huge win, and for it to have bipartisan support just highlights that this change was long overdue and undeniably necessary," Richter, of Portland, Oregon, told "Good Morning America." (Kindelan, 5/16)

US News & World Report: Baby Products You Should Never Buy 
Millions of Rock 'n Play Sleepers remain in homes even though the product has been recalled for years, according to Consumer Reports, and there have been eight infant deaths and 17 injuries related to this product that occurred after the recall in April 2019. (Kerr, 5/3)

AP: US Deaths From COVID Hit 1 Million, Less Than 2 1/2 Years In 
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 1 million on Monday, a once-unimaginable figure that only hints at the multitudes of loved ones and friends staggered by grief and frustration. The confirmed number of dead is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every day for 336 days. It is roughly equal to how many Americans died in the Civil War and World War II combined. It’s as if Boston and Pittsburgh were wiped out. (Johnson, 5/16)

AP: Death Certificates Reveal That US Hit Grim COVID Milestone 
When the U.S. hit 1 million COVID-19 deaths on Monday, the news was driven by a government tally derived from death certificates. But that’s not the only tally. And you may be wondering, where do these numbers come from? A look behind the data. (Stobbe, 5/16)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Surpasses One Million Covid-19 Deaths 
One hallmark of the pandemic: a high number of deaths within some nonwhite groups, relative to population. Public-health experts say Covid-19 exacerbated long-running issues, including inequalities in the U.S. health system that contribute to poorer care for some people. Other factors, including underlying health issues, crowded living conditions and jobs that require leaving the house for work, also put some populations at higher risk. (Kamp, Stamm and Bentley, 5/16)

The Hill: US Hits 1 Million Deaths From COVID-19 
The U.S. has had more deaths per capita than Western Europe or Canada, and while new deaths have fallen, the total death count is still rising. It is also expected that the United States, like other countries, has undercounted the true number of deaths from the coronavirus. Illustrating how high 1 million deaths originally seemed, then-President Trump said in March 2020 that holding the country to between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths would mean “we all, together, have done a very good job.” (Sullivan, 5/16)

U.S. News & World Report: U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches 1 Million As Country Grapples With How To Move Forward 
Just a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, former President Donald Trump made a prediction. "Look, we're going to lose anywhere from 75,000, 80,000 to 100,000 people,” Trump said in May 2020 when the death toll stood at about 67,000. “That's a horrible thing." Later that same month, when the U.S. death toll crossed 100,000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement that “reaching the milestone of 100,000 persons lost in such a short timeframe is a sobering development and a heart-breaking reminder of the horrible toll of this unprecedented pandemic.” (Smith-Schoenwalder, 5/16)

Also —

The Guardian: ‘Failure Of An American Ideology’: Why Covid Has An Outsized Impact On The US
According to public health experts, the virus’s outsized impact on the US can be attributed in part to underinvestment in long-term care, in primary care and in public health departments. As a result, some people were more vulnerable to Covid and had little connection to – or trust in – the healthcare providers who urged them to socially distance, to wear masks and to get vaccinated. It was a disconnect, they say, that was only exacerbated by misinformation – particularly by Republican leaders’ undermining of scientists’ recommendations. (Berger, 5/15)

Palabra: Chicago-Area COVID Victims Are Misidentified As Other Races, Costing Latinos Urgent Public Health Resources 
It started with a casual perusal of COVID death statistics in summer of 2020. Journalist Ana Arana found that Latinos across the country were routinely misidentified ethnically and racially. The anomalies were easily missed by most media. But Arana’s instincts told her that at stake were significant public health consequences for Latinos. What ensued was a year-and-a half-long palabra investigation into widespread misclassification of Latino COVID deaths that health officials acknowledge but have done little to correct. (Arana and Senese, 5/16)

Bay Area News Group: Chart: How Bay Area's COVID Death Rates Compared To U.S. Counties
The list is long, but it’s not hard to find the Bay Area among the lowest COVID-19 death rates for the U.S.’s 140 largest counties. Try numbers 1 (San Francisco), 2 (San Mateo), 5 (Contra Costa), 9 (Alameda) and 10 (Santa Clara). That’s according to a Bay Area News Group analysis of data on COVID-19 death rates through May 7, the most recent available from the CDC, and 2020 U.S. Census population figures for counties with more than 500,000 residents. We’ve highlighted the Bay Area counties in gold on the list below; the other four counties in the Bay Area are too small to make this ranking. Other California counties on the list are green, including Sacramento (28) — San Diego (31) and LA (68). Stanislaus in the Central Valley was the Golden State’s lowest at 125. If you’re keeping score, Florida’s Orange County (39) had a lower rate than Orange County, California (43). (Blair Rowan, 5/16)

Axios: FDA Authorizes First Non-Prescription Test For COVID-19, Flu, RSV
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the first non-prescription COVID-19 test that can also detect the flu and RSV, the agency announced on Monday. In addition to COVID-19, the test can detect other respiratory viruses, including influenza A and B, commonly known as the flu, and respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV. With the newly authorized test from Labcorp, individuals can collect their own nasal swab at home and send the sample to Labcorp for testing. They can then access their results through an online portal, with a health care provider following up about positive or invalid results. (Shapero, 5/16)

Bloomberg: Covid Or Flu? FDA Approves At-Home Test For Multiple Viruses
The test is made by Labcorp, a laboratory testing company based in North Carolina, and is the first non-prescription test authorized to look for multiple respiratory viruses in one sample. Covid symptoms can be similar to those from other respiratory illnesses like the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, so the new test is meant to help people more easily determine which virus they have. (Muller, 5/16)

And free covid tests are available again —

NBC News: Third Round Of Free Covid-19 Tests Now Available
The federal government started taking orders Monday for a third round of Covid-19 test kits to be mailed to any U.S. household. A Department of Health and Human Services website said Monday that all U.S. households were eligible to order a third round of tests. Each order now contains eight rapid antigen tests, the U.S. Postal Service website says. Previously, four tests were sent out at a time. A spokesperson for the White House said Monday night that more details were expected to be released Tuesday. (Helsel, 5/16)

NPR: COVIDtests.Gov Goes Live Again With More Free Tests 
Americans can once again order free COVID-19 tests from the federal government by visiting COVIDtests.gov. In this round, the U.S. Postal Service will deliver eight free rapid antigen tests to any household in the U.S. that wants them, according to the website. That brings to sixteen the total tests offered per household so far. The site suddenly appeared active Monday to offer the third round of free tests without a prior announcement. The White House is expected to make it official Tuesday, but the site was fully functional and taking orders ahead of time. (Keith, 5/16)

In related news about the pandemic —

Bloomberg: US Set To Extend Covid Public Health Emergency Past July
The US government will extend the Covid-19 public-health emergency past mid-July, continuing pandemic-era policies as the nearly 2 1/2-year outbreak drags on. The Department of Health and Human Services has repeatedly renewed the public-health emergency since implementing it in January 2020. The declaration allows the US to grant emergency authorizations of drugs, vaccines and other medical countermeasures, as well as administer those products to millions of people at no out-of-pocket cost. It’s also enabled millions of Americans to get health coverage through Medicaid, among other benefits. (Griffin, 5/16)

The New York Times: How Often Can You Be Infected With The Coronavirus? 
A virus that shows no signs of disappearing, variants that are adept at dodging the body’s defenses, and waves of infections two, maybe three times a year — this may be the future of Covid-19, some scientists now fear. The central problem is that the coronavirus has become more adept at reinfecting people. Already, those infected with the first Omicron variant are reporting second infections with the newer versions of the variant — BA.2 or BA2.12.1 in the United States, or BA.4 and BA.5 in South Africa. (Mandavilli, 5/16)

New York City recommends masks again —

The New York Times: N.Y.C. Urges People To Wear Masks Indoors But Stops Short Of Requiring It. 
Citing high community transmission and rising hospitalizations from a fifth wave of coronavirus cases, New York City health officials on Monday strongly recommended that all individuals wear medical-grade masks in offices, grocery stores and other public indoor settings citywide. The new recommendations, issued in a health advisory by the city health commissioner, came as the city approached the orange, or “high” alert level for Covid-19, a benchmark it expects to hit in the coming days. The new advisory also called on those who are at increased risk for severe illness, including unvaccinated children under 5 and people over 65, to avoid nonessential indoor gatherings and crowded settings. (Otterman, 5/17)

Covid cases are surging —

The Washington Post: How Fast Omicron’s BA.2 Variant Is Spreading Around The World
In a pattern the world has seen twice over the past year, a new version of the coronavirus is sweeping across the globe. Omicron’s BA.2 subvariant is already by far the world’s dominant form of the coronavirus, as recorded in the GISAID international repository of coronavirus genetic sequences analyzed by The Washington Post. (Keating, Dong and Shin, 5/16)

The Boston Globe: ‘COVID-19 Is Back In Rhode Island,’ Central Falls Health Strategist Warns
“COVID-19 is back in Rhode Island.” No one wants to hear that message, Dr. Michael Fine acknowledged on Monday. But the former state Health Department director, who is now chief health strategist for Central Falls, said it’s crucial that people hear it because this densely populated 1.2-square-mile city has long been the state’s “canary in the coal mine,” warning of impending surges in the virus. And Central Falls is now seeing the number of cases rise, reflecting a wider trend, he said. (Fitzpatrick, 5/16)

Houston Chronicle: Dr. Peter Hotez Warns Of Nation’s Hidden COVID Wave That’s ‘Almost Like Omicron’
“This is a full-on wave almost like omicron,” Dr. Peter Hotez tweeted over the weekend, referring to the variant that sickened more than 800,000 people in a single day at its peak. The Houston vaccine expert issued a flurry of tweets that touched on the “unbelievably transmissible” omicron subvariants known as BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1, which are hitting the northeastern states the hardest. He also drew attention to the rising number of hospitalizations, which increased by about 15 percent last week compared to the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Gill, 5/16)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. Coronavirus Hospitalizations Start Rising Again
Los Angeles County’s coronavirus-positive hospitalizations are rising again, causing health officials to urge residents to put masks back on if they have stopped doing so. L.A. County already requires mask-wearing on public transit and at its airports, and Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer urged residents Monday to wear masks inside schools, stores and workplaces. “This would give us a chance at slowing down spread while we continue to increase the numbers of residents and workers up to date with their vaccinations, since vaccines give us the most protection from severe illness and death,” Ferrer said in a statement. (Lin II, 5/16)

And the FDA has rejected a possible covid treatment —

Stat: FDA Rejects Antidepressant Seen As Possible Covid-19 Treatment
The Food and Drug Administration declined Monday to authorize a 30-year-old generic antidepressant as a treatment for Covid-19, dealing a major blow to a small group of doctors who have organized around the pill for months, arguing that it could provide a cheap and accessible way to prevent hospitalizations and death both in the U.S. and around the world. In an unusual two-page summary — the FDA does not generally disclose the reasoning behind rejections — regulators said that the doctors failed to provide adequate evidence of effectiveness of the drug, called fluvoxamine. (Mast, 5/16)

Fortune: Omicron Breakthrough Infection Can Provide A Better Immune Response Than Booster, Studies Show 
With Omicron subvariants causing COVID cases to jump nationwide, two new studies offer a small consolation for vaccinated individuals who suffer breakthrough infections. The infection leaves you with protections that may be more effective than those offered by a second booster. One study was conducted by German biotechnology company BioNTech SE and the second by the University of Washington in collaboration with San Francisco-headquartered Vir Biotechnology. Both studies investigated the immune responses of various groups based on their vaccination and infection status. (Lodewick, 5/16)

In news about Pfizer and Novavax shots —

The Washington Post: Pfizer Vaccine Booster For Kids 5 To 11 Will Soon Be Approved 
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 as soon as Tuesday, making an extra dose available to protect school-age children as a descendant of the omicron variant is becoming dominant and cases tick upward. Outside experts who counsel the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, are scheduled to meet Thursday and are expected to recommend boosters for that age group. CDC director Rochelle Walensky is expected to concur shortly afterward. (McGinley and Johnson, 5/16)

Axios: Novavax Is Confident COVID Vaccine Approval Is Coming
Officials at Novavax say they're confident their COVID-19 vaccine will receive an emergency use authorization from the FDA early next month, CNBC reports. The Maryland company received $1.6 billion from the federal government to speed the development of the shots early during the pandemic but has yet to make it to the U.S. market. Yet its protein-based COVID vaccine — which uses moth cells to produce shots — has been slowly gaining favor in the EU and the U.K. (Reed, 5/16)

More on the vaccine rollout —

Stat: What Happens When The Government Stops Buying Covid-19 Vaccines?
The federal government has distributed Covid-19 vaccines and treatments for free so far, but most likely, the handouts won’t last forever. At some point, Covid-19 vaccines and treatments will be bought and sold just like other drugs and medical products. But big questions loom about how and when the transition will happen, about how bumpy it will be. (Cohrs, 5/17)

CIDRAP: COVID Vaccines May Cut Hospital Omicron Cases In Youth
Two new observational studies detail Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine protection among US children and adolescents amid the Omicron variant surge, one finding 71% efficacy against infection after a third dose in 12- to 15-year-olds, and the second showing lower risks of infection and hospitalization in vaccinated youth aged 5 to 17 in New York state. The studies were published late last week in JAMA. (Van Beusekom, 5/16)

In updates on vaccine mandates —

WUSF Public Media: Florida's 'Vaccine Passport' Ban Will Be Heard In A Federal Appeals Court 
Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republicans took aim at so-called “vaccine passports” as they pushed to end COVID-19 restrictions. But Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings had other ideas. After the cruise industry had been sidelined by the pandemic, the Miami-based company wanted to require passengers to show documentation they had been vaccinated against COVID-19. Norwegian filed a federal lawsuit last year that challenged a state law banning vaccine passports. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams agreed with the company’s arguments that the ban violated the First Amendment and what is known as the dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and issued a preliminary injunction that applied only to Norwegian. (5/16)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Miami University Approved 94% Of Its COVID Vaccine Exemption Requests
Students, staff and faculty pulled from the Bible, the U.S. Constitution, Ohio law, letters from religious leaders and pro-life rhetoric in hundreds of requests to obtain an exemption from Miami University's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Others gave no reason at all. One student wrote they would not get the vaccine "because I personally don't want to, which is OK." "I prefer not to give my personal reasons because it's not mandatory and neither is the vaccine," the student wrote in their vaccine exemption request form. The request was approved. (Mitchell, 5/16)

AP: Starbucks Will Cover Travel For Workers Seeking Abortions 
Starbucks said Monday it will pay the travel expenses for U.S. employees to access abortion and gender-confirmation procedures if those services aren’t available within 100 miles of a worker’s home. The Seattle coffee giant said it will also make the travel benefit available to the dependents of employees who are enrolled in Starbucks’ health care plan. Starbucks has 240,000 U.S. employees but the company didn’t say what percentage of them are enrolled in the its health care plan. (Chapman and Durbin, 5/16)

And more on Roe v. Wade —

NBC News: Abortion Fight Thrusts State Attorney General Races Into The Forefront
The Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, a decision that would end legal abortion in nearly two dozen states and hand more power to state attorneys general — a shift that has thrust those down-ballot contests into the limelight. (Edelman, 5/16)

The Washington Post: States Pursue Extreme Restrictions In Crafting Post-Roe Abortion Law
What had been a slow, deliberate erosion of abortion rights over the 50 years since the court’s ruling in Roe now seemed to be a flash flood of increasingly severe restrictions and proposals cropping up at the state level, abortion rights advocates say, as antiabortion Republicans envision a post-Roe world. “I think these state lawmakers are feeling emboldened based on what they think is coming down the pike from the Supreme Court,” said Rachel Fey, who works on policy programs for Power to Decide, a nonprofit organization that seeks to prevent unplanned pregnancies and supports abortion rights. (Wang and Kitchener, 5/16)

Politico: What Abortion Rights Advocates Are Planning If Roe Falls
The reproductive rights community is exploring creative new legal avenues to fight state abortion bans in anticipation of a post-Roe v. Wade world. But it’s also confronting a difficult reality: Lawsuits alone will not provide a fix. POLITICO’s publication of a draft Supreme Court opinion that overturns the landmark decision protecting access to abortion has forced attorneys and abortion activists to prepare for a legal Wild West. To stop half the country from becoming an abortion access desert in the coming months, they’re exploring a range of new tactics, all while managing expectations. (Ollstein and Barron-Lopez, 5/16)

NBC News: Alito Says Overturning Roe Gives Women A Voice On Abortion. In The South, It's Not That Simple
In his leaked draft Supreme Court opinion, Justice Samuel Alito argues that overturning Roe v. Wade would allow “women on both sides of the abortion issue to seek to affect the legislative process.” ... But advocates for voting access and civil rights say that Alito’s depiction does not account for the parts of the country, particularly in the South, where laws make it harder for the poor and voters of color to cast their ballots, and where racially polarized voting can make it more difficult for abortion rights candidates to gain ground. (Harris, 5/16)

Texas Tribune: With Roe V. Wade On The Line, Some Texans Look South Of The Border For Abortion Drugs
Maria laid the pregnancy test facedown on the counter in her boyfriend’s bathroom in McAllen and set a timer for the longest three minutes of her life. She watched the timer tick down, mentally running through her litany of reassurances: They’d used a condom; she’d taken the Plan B pill; maybe her missed period was just an anomaly. “I was just praying, please don’t let this be the case,” she said. “I had no idea how I’d navigate the situation. But what can I do but flip this test over?” (Klibanoff, Ferman and García, 5/16)

Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Relief Stabilized Hospital Finances In 2020, Study Finds
Federal relief buoyed hospital finances during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic even though hospital operations took a hit, according to a study published in JAMA Health Forum Friday. The pandemic created unforeseen challenges for the healthcare system, including hospitals canceling elective procedures and patients postponing care. At the same time, costs rose. While the average operating margin suffered in 2020, the average profit margin was similar to previous years, Johns Hopkins University researchers found. (Berryman, 5/16)

North Carolina Health News: COVID-19 Funds May Mask Rural Hospitals' True Outlook 
Between the start of the pandemic and February 2021, rural hospitals nationwide received nearly $15 billion in federal relief dollars, according to researchers at UNC’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. But while the money helped slow the pace of rural hospital closures and enabled these facilities to care for critically ill patients during COVID-19 surges, it did little to address the financial crises facing them before the pandemic. The temporary federal funding may in fact make many rural hospitals appear more financially stable than they really are, according to four different analyses of rural hospital finance data. (Donnelly-DeRoven, 5/17)

AP: New US Hospitals Face Fiscal Crisis Over COVID Relief Money
A whole town celebrated in 2020 when, early in the coronavirus pandemic, Thomasville Regional Medical Center opened, offering state-of-the-art medicine that was previously unavailable in a poor, isolated part of Alabama. The timing for the ribbon-cutting seemed perfect: New treatment options would be available in an underserved area just as a global health crisis was unfolding. In the end, that same timing may be the reason for the hospital’s undoing. (Reeves, 5/17)

In related news —

Modern Healthcare: Rates Of Unnecessary Procedures Persisted Through Pandemic, Study Shows
Despite the risks posed by COVID-19, hospitals continued to perform eight common, low-value procedures during the first year of the pandemic at a rate similar to 2019, according to a Lown Institute analysis published Tuesday. Between March and December 2020, hospitals performed more than 100,000 procedures on older patients that have been deemed overused, according to an analysis of Medicare claims data from 2018 through 2020. These services, which are thought to offer little to no clinical benefit for patients and present additional risks, include hysterectomies for benign disease, coronary stents for stable heart disease and spinal fusions for lower-back pain. (Devereaux, 5/17)

Modern Healthcare: Employer Health Plans Pay Hospitals 224% Of Medicare 
Employers continue to pay hospitals more than double the amount Medicare would pay for the same services, a new study shows. Private employer-sponsored health plans paid hospitals 224% of Medicare prices, on average, according to an updated RAND Corp. analysis of claims from 4,000 hospitals across every state except Maryland. Hospitals with higher market shares tended to have higher prices, according to the study, which supports past research. A 10% increase in hospital market share was associated with a 0.5% increase in a hospital's price relative to Medicare, researchers found. Still, some researchers noted that a 0.5% increase for a significant 10% boost in market share was relatively small. (Kacik, 5/17)

On the 340B drug pricing program —

Stat: Two Dozen States Side With HHS In 340B Dispute 
Two dozen states have waded into the heated dispute between the U.S. government and a growing number of pharmaceutical companies over a federal drug discount program, a complex, but significant battle with widespread implications for much of the American public. In filings in two federal appeals courts, the states and the District of Columbia argued the companies have “flouted” their legal obligations to the 340B program, which requires drugmakers to offer discounts that are typically estimated to be 25% to 50% — but could be higher — on all outpatient drugs to hospitals and clinics that primarily serve lower-income patients. (Silverman, 5/16)

On patient data and patient tracking —

Dallas Morning News: Dallas-Based Christus Health Experienced Unauthorized Activity On Its Computer Network
A Dallas-based Catholic, not-for-profit medical system has experienced a ransomware attack that it says did not affect any private patient health information. Katy Kiser, director of external communications and social media at Christus Health, confirmed the unauthorized activity on the system’s network. (Skores, 5/16)

Modern Healthcare: Needle In A Haystack: Providers Find The Value In Patient-Generated Health Data
Wearable devices and remote portals that gather health data directly from patients have become powerful tools for providers. These technologies, which track measures such as blood pressure, activity level, weight and pain, enable health systems to obtain clearer views of their patients’ health. That’s why providers such as Mayo Clinic and Baptist Health made it a priority to collect data captured by patients outside of a clinical setting. “What we’re realizing, especially in primary care, is the importance of all that additive data,” said Aaron Miri, senior vice president and chief digital and information officer at  Jacksonville, Florida-based Baptist Health. “These things are feeding into social determinants, which are really telling our clinicians how healthy a patient is.” (Devereaux, 5/17)

Stat: New Study Highlights Value Of Patient Tracking, Especially In The ER
Back in the ‘80s, when Shamai Grossman was mulling which medical specialty to choose, the major drawback of emergency medicine was that those doctors rarely got to learn what happened to their patients. Decades later, the same criticism holds true. “We only take care of patients for a few hours, yet the effects of what we do could have an impact way down the road,” said Grossman, an emergency medicine physician and vice chair for healthcare quality in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s department of emergency medicine. (Bannow, 5/17)

In other health care industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Conflict-Of-Interest Threats Grow As Hospitals Diversify Revenue
Geisinger has a committee that identifies any potential conflicts of interest across its staff, including its governing board. Each year, the committee identifies any executive or physician who has a vested interest in a healthcare company that does business with Geisinger. Employees must disclose if their stock in a vendor or the compensation they receive from a business affiliate exceeds a certain threshold. Individuals may have to recuse themselves from any purchasing decision where they would have a potential conflict of interest, said Dr. Jaewon Ryu, Geisinger’s president and CEO. (Kacik, 5/17)

Stat: Google Taps FDA’s Former Digital Health Chief For Global Strategy Role 
Google has hired the former head of digital health at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lead its efforts to develop and commercialize artificial intelligence products to improve the delivery of medical services around the world. Bakul Patel, a 13-year veteran of the FDA, will serve as Google’s senior director for global digital health strategy and regulatory affairs, according to a statement posted on his LinkedIn page Monday. He left his job at the agency last month. (Ross, 5/16)

AP: CVS Exec: People Deserve Fair Shot At Being Healthy
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun sees care disparities play out routinely as an emergency physician. She hopes her new role with CVS Health gives her more influence to fix those problems before they land patients in the hospital. The Woonsocket, Rhode Island, company’s first chief health equity officer says she is focused on giving everyone a fair chance to be as healthy as possible, a task made easier by her employer’s broad reach. Millions of Americans do business daily with CVS Health’s drugstores, clinics, prescription processing and health insurance. (Murphy, 5/16)

KHN: Why So Slow? Legislators Take On Insurers’ Delays In Approving Prescribed Treatments
Andrew Bade, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes nearly two decades ago, is accustomed to all the medical gear he needs to keep his blood sugar under control. His insulin pump contains a disposable insulin cartridge, and a plastic tubing system with an adhesive patch keeps in place the cannula that delivers insulin under his skin. He wears a continuous glucose monitor on his arm. Bade, 24, has used the same equipment for years, but every three months when he needs new supplies, his health insurance plan requires him to go through an approval process called prior authorization. (Andrews, 5/17)

KHN: As Red Cross Moves To Pricey Blood Treatment Method, Hospitals Call For More Choice 
Americans generally don’t spend much time thinking about the nation’s blood supply. That’s mainly because the collection and distribution system is safe and efficient. But there’s a new behind-the-scenes challenge, according to some hospital officials, who fear a change in how blood platelets are handled will sharply increase the cost — and, in some cases, the number of transfusions needed — to treat cancer patients, trauma victims, and those undergoing surgery. (Appleby, 5/17)

On abortion —

Houston Chronicle: St. Luke's Searching For Kid To Be 'Chief Humankindness Officer'
St. Luke’s Health is looking for someone to help spread a message of kindness. The Houston health system is searching for a child between 5 and 12 years old to serve as its “Chief Humankindness Officer.” The honorary title will be bestowed on a child who embodies positive energy and inspiration, according to a news release. The Chief Humankindness Officer will be a face of the health system’s “Hello humankindness” campaign, which focuses on healing the body, mind and spirit through kindness and respect. (MacDonald, 5/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Cerebral Says It Will Stop Prescribing Most Controlled Substances 
Online mental-health company Cerebral Inc. said it would stop prescribing almost all controlled substances, expanding an overhaul of its treatment practices in the wake of scrutiny over how it provided stimulants for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Kyle Robertson, Cerebral’s co-founder and chief executive, wrote in an email to staff on Monday afternoon that the company would stop prescribing controlled substances, excluding those in one category, for new patients effective Friday, and for existing patients in October, according to a copy of the email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The company said it would seek to taper existing patients off their prescriptions for controlled substances or transfer them out of Cerebral’s care to an in-person clinician. (Winkler, 5/17)

In cancer research —

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Froedtert To Offer Proton Therapy For Cancer Patients In Wisconsin
Proton therapy for cancer patients who require radiation therapy will soon be available in Wisconsin. Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin are partnering with Legion Healthcare Partners, a Houston-based for-profit health group, to begin offering the therapy in 2023. Froedtert & the Medical College will begin construction in early 2023 to house the new proton therapy system on the Froedtert Hospital campus in Wauwatosa. Health care officials would not say what they are building or how much it will cost. (Hess, 5/16)

Axios: Study: Benefits Of Prostate Cancer Blood Test Outweigh Harms
The blood test used to detect prostate cancer may be more effective at preventing deaths — particularly among Black men — than previously thought, according to a study in NEJM Evidence. Prostate cancer has one of the most pronounced disparities by race of any cancer, and Black men have historically been underrepresented in trials despite having double the risk of dying from it, the authors write. (Reed, 5/16)

In research on memory loss and Parkinson's —

NPR: Scientists Find Spinal Fluids Rejuvenates Brain Cells And Helps With Memory Loss
A team at Stanford University has demonstrated a new approach to reversing memory loss — in mice. An infusion of spinal fluid from young mice reversed the memory loss typically seen in aging animals, the team reported this month in the journal Nature. A growth factor found in the fluid also improved memory, though to a lesser degree, says Tony Wyss-Coray, a neuroscientist and senior author of the study. "When we put the factor in the mice, they actually are better able to perform a memory task where they have to remember something that happened to them (a small electric shock)," Wyss-Coray says. (Hamilton, 5/16)

Press Association: Powerful Brain Scanners Offer Hope For Treating Some Parkinson's Symptoms
Ultra-powerful brain scanners could offer hope for the treatment of previously-untreatable symptoms in Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests. Both Parkinson's disease and a related disorder, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), are progressive brain diseases that not only affect movement but also damage motivation and cognition. Cognition refers to the mental processes that take place in the brain, including thinking, attention, language, learning, memory and perception. (Massey, 5/17)

NPR: Buffalo Suspect Bought A Rifle Months After Cops Ordered A Psych Evaluation
Robert Donald, 75, the owner of Vintage Firearms in Endicott, N.Y., told NPR that the firearm was purchased in 2022. And he confirmed that he had run a background check on Payton Gendron, the 18-year-old suspect, but that the report showed nothing. The purchase took place months after New York state police briefly took Gendron into custody after he made a threat about a shooting, as authorities have described. Last June, state police investigated Gendron and ordered a psychiatric evaluation. After a day and a half in a hospital, he was released, authorities say. Afterward, he did not remain on law enforcement's radar. The timing of the gun purchase, along with Donald's report of a clean background check, raises questions about why a police-ordered mental health evaluation would not have appeared on the report. (Sullivan, 5/16)

AP: Buffalo Shooter's Previous Threat Raises Red-Flag Questions 
Less than a year before he opened fire and killed 10 people in a racist attack at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store, 18-year-old Payton Gendron was investigated for making a threatening statement at his high school. New York has a “red flag” law designed to keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others, but Gendron was still able to legally buy an AR-15-style rifle. The “general” threat at Susquehanna Valley High School last June, when he was 17, resulted in state police being called and a mental health evaluation at a hospital. (Whitehurst, Tarm and Anderson, 5/17)

In related news on gun violence —

The Hill: Illinois To Cover Funeral Expenses For Children Killed By Gun Violence 
Parents and guardians who experience the death of a child by gun violence will be eligible for up to $10,000 to help pay for funeral expenses thanks to new legislation passed into law in Illinois. The Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Act was signed into law on May 10 by Governor JB Pritzker (D). The bill cites the painful process of bereavement for families, who also must bear the responsibilities of planning and paying for a funeral—usually through some form of debt.  (Ali, 5/16)

Three Illinois deaths are blamed on the heat —

AP: Three Women Found Dead Amid Heat At Chicago Senior Center
Three women who were found dead at a senior living facility on Chicago’s North Side amid high heat have been identified, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said Monday. ... All three women were found unresponsive over a 12-hour span at the James Sneider Apartments, where residents started complaining of oppressively hot conditions days earlier. Alderwoman Maria Hadden said she believes that a lack of air conditioning in the building likely caused the deaths. (5/16)

Chicago Tribune: ‘I Was Scared To Go To Sleep’: Residents, Family Members Describe Oven-Like Conditions In Rogers Park Building Where 3 Women Died
When Veldarin Jackson received a call on Saturday that his 68-year-old mother had been found dead, he and his wife, Adjoa, rushed to her Rogers Park apartment. The pair entered the unit and felt like they were walking into an oven. “It was extremely hot in there,” Adjoa Jackson said. “You could hardly breathe.” Janice Reed, who was found dead around 11:32 a.m. in that furnace-like apartment, was among three women who died Saturday in a Rogers Park senior housing facility after residents had begged the property managers for days to turn off the heat and turn on the air conditioning amid record-breaking temperatures, according to the residents, family members and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. (Buckley and McCoppin, 5/16)

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

AP: Medical Marijuana Petition Drive Sues To Ease Ballot Rules
A group that wants to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska sued the state on Monday to try to overturn a requirement that makes it harder to qualify for the ballot by forcing petitioners to get signatures from a large number rural counties. The federal lawsuit comes after the group Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana lost one of its biggest donors, forcing the campaign to rely primarily on volunteers as it scrambles to place the issue on the November general election ballot. (5/16)

Indianapolis Star: IU Health To Fund New Recovery Center For Moms And Kids
The new residence, which will be on the city's west side, is supported by Indiana University Health's Community Impact Investment Fund and is designed to be an "extension" of the Fresh Start program. It will allow women to remain with their children while in transitional recovery housing, John von Arx, president and CEO of Volunteers of America, said. "We feel firmly that if we can we can arrest that substance use disorder and treat and keep mom in a place where she is going to do just that — recover — that keeping her child with them in a very structured setting has the greatest chance of family and preservation," von Arx said. (Rafford, 5/17)

Iowa Public Radio: Study Finds Program Aimed At Iowans With Mexican Roots Improved Healthy Food Choices 
A new study has found a program aimed at Hispanic families with Mexican roots resulted in significant improvement in healthy food choices. The study, which was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, used the Abriendo Caminos — or opening roads — program developed at the University of Illinois. The program is aimed at Hispanic families, as Hispanic American children have disproportionally high rates of obesity. It focuses on nutrition, physical exercise and family time.The study looked at nearly 400 families with Mexican roots in Texas, California, Illinois and Iowa between 2015 and 2019. (Krebs, 5/16)

Fox News: Mysterious Child Hepatitis Outbreak: UK Study May Identify A Prime Suspect
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated their original Health Advisory on May 11 regarding their investigation of the mysterious worldwide outbreak of hepatitis in children. The World Health Organization (WHO) said a case-control study that will be completed this week should provide more clarity if adenovirus or COVID-19 is causally linked to the mysterious condition, according to multiple reports. "As of May 5, 2022, CDC and state partners are investigating 109 children with hepatitis of unknown origin across 25 states and territories, more than half of whom have tested positive for adenovirus with more than 90% hospitalized, 14% with liver transplants, and five deaths under investigation," the CDC said. (Sudhakar, 5/16)

AP: UK Officials: 4 Men Infected With "Rare" Monkeypox In London 
British health authorities say they have identified four “rare and unusual” cases of the disease monkeypox among men who appear to have been infected in London and had no history of travel to the African countries where the smallpox-like disease is endemic. (5/16)

Bloomberg: UK Biotech Launches With Backing From Pharma Giant AstraZeneca
A new UK biotech company, backed by AstraZeneca Plc and led by former Sanofi executive Hugo Fry, is targeting the treatment and prevention of viral diseases with antibodies. Fry is now chief executive officer at RQ Biotechnology, which launched Tuesday with funding of as much as $157 million, plus royalties, from a licensing deal with AstraZeneca, the U.K. pharmaceutical company. The pact focuses on RQ’s early-stage monoclonal antibodies against Covid, according to a statement Tuesday. (Hesketh, 5/17)

Bloomberg: North Korea's Kim Jong Un Deploys Military To Fight Suspected Covid Cases
Kim Jong Un mobilized North Korea’s military to help fight one of the biggest crises he has faced in his decade as leader, as suspected Covid-19 cases reached nearly 1.5 million in less than a month. Pyongyang reported 269,510 new “fever cases” and six deaths nationwide in a 24-hour period ending 6 p.m. Monday, the state’s official Korean Central News Agency reported. Since late April 56 people have died. (Lee, 5/17)

NBC News: Abortion Access Can't Be Left To Courts And Politicians. Let The People Decide
Almost 10 years ago, I stood on the floor of the Texas state Senate in front of my colleagues, wired and tired. For just under 13 hours, I filibustered to stop a disastrous piece of legislation that threatened to devastate reproductive health care in Texas. That day was a test of physical and mental stamina, but it paled in comparison to the struggle I knew people across the state would face if that draconian anti-abortion bill became law. We stopped the bill from passing that night, but it ultimately did go through. When the Supreme Court overturned the law three years later, it felt like vindication. (Wendy Davis, 5/16)

Columbus Dispatch: Outlawing Abortion Would Be Death Sentence For Many Women
People are going to die. That’s what I tell folks asking what a post-Roe America will look like. It’s as simple, and as terrible, as that. I think about the future for a living. I ask, “What if … this one thing were different? How would life change?” And in a country where abortion is illegal, people will die. (Angelle Haney Gullett, 5/17)

Stat: The U.S. Needs Greater Investment In Medical Countermeasures 
The U.S. government has warned that Russia could use chemical weapons against Ukraine. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has threatened to use nuclear weapons under certain conditions. Russia’s secret police have used nerve agents to attack political opponents inside and outside Russia. And Russian forces have seized two of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Russia is creating the possibility of a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) nightmare. Its aggression against Ukraine makes it clear that American investment in innovative medical countermeasures is long overdue. U.S. policymakers must ensure that this country is as ready as it can be before the worst comes calling. (Joe Lieberman and Michelle McMurry-Heath, 5/17)

Modern Healthcare: Embracing Change On The Long Path Toward Dismantling Racism In Academic Medicine 
Medical schools have increasingly been describing themselves as anti-racist. The term seems straightforward and as a result has been easy to incorporate into our lexicon. Being anti-racist and translating anti-racism into action is far more challenging. In “The Racial Healing Handbook,” Anneliese Singh defines anti-racist as “someone who is actively seeking not only to raise their consciousness about race and racism but also to take action when they see racial power inequities in everyday life.” (Dr. David Muller , Jennifer Dias and Taylor Harrell, 5/17)

The Tennessean: Medication For Opioid Use Disorder Needed In Carceral System
The Biden administration just proposed a historic drug control strategy “to save lives, expand treatment, and disrupt trafficking.” Included is a plan to expand medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) throughout federal carceral settings. Similar comprehensive MOUD treatment mandates should be adopted by the state of Tennessee and local jurisdictions. (Lucas Womack, 5/16)

The Mercury News: Charlie's Law Could Save Lives Of Those With Blood Cancer
I was alone with my doctor in the hospital when she told me I had no bone marrow matches in the world. I cried a lot that day. I was admitted two weeks prior, after relapsing from acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer. As a husband, father and criminal prosecutor, I’ve dedicated my life to caring for my loved ones and protecting my community. Now, leukemia was threatening my life, and there was no one who could protect me from it. Throughout COVID-19, I willingly endured isolation and brutal side effects of chemotherapy in hopes of receiving a bone marrow transplant to stay alive a little longer for my family. Without a match, all my sacrifices felt in vain. No transplant meant the cancer would return shortly after the chemotherapy treatments ended. I was haunted by thoughts of leaving my wife alone to raise my three wonderful daughters. (Charlie Huang, 5/13)

Stat: Omitting Long Covid From Pandemic Messaging Is Harmful For Public Health
Public health messaging about Covid-19 has focused almost exclusively on hospitalizations and deaths. The omission of long Covid, which may affect between 8 million and 23 million Americans, deprives the public of the knowledge necessary to understand the risks of various activities, make informed decisions about risk-taking, and understand what is happening to them if they feel sick for an extended period. (Danielle Wenner and Gabriela Arguedas Ramirez, 5/17)

Bloomberg: Omicron Is Turning Out To Be A Weak Vaccine 
A silver lining to the inconvenience of a mild Covid-19 infection is that for most people it is followed by a honeymoon period — an idyllic time when the immune system is firing on all cylinders and preventing reinfection. But all good things must come to an end. At some point, the surge of protective antibodies wanes. (Lisa Jarvis, 5/16)

Bloomberg: Omicron No Vaccine Substitute, But Breakthroughs May Beat Boosters
Back when we all agreed the Covid pandemic was over, somebody made a big mistake and forgot to let Covid know. So it’s surging for the fifth time in the greater New York City metropolitan area, meaning it will probably be hitting the rest of the country soon. Countless person-hours of productivity are once again being lit on fire by the process of procuring and taking Covid tests, sweating out the results, and then canceling or postponing plans based on them. (Mark Gongloff, 5/16)

USA Today: After 1 Million COVID Deaths In America, Here's What We Must Learn
The United States has reached the grimmest of milestones – 1 million dead from COVID-19. Even if you believe half of those deaths are “from” versus “with” COVID, it would still represent more Americans dead than if a Sept. 11 attack had occurred every week since the pandemic began. And for the record, I and many other experts believe we’ve greatly underestimated versus overestimated deaths from the coronavirus. (Dr. Jerome Adams, 5/16)

Stat: One Million Reasons To Reimagine End-Of-Life Care 
The magnitude of loss from Covid-19 — 1 million-plus deaths, many millions more grieving loved ones who have died, the country’s social fabric in tatters — is incomprehensible. Life expectancy in the U.S. has fallen by two years since the beginning of the pandemic. This is the largest decline in almost a century, driven mainly by deaths among people under age 60. Many of these can be classified as “bad deaths.” As a physician who advocates for better end-of-life experiences, I wonder how the pandemic has changed our relationship with death. (Shoshana Ungerleider, 5/16)