Renuka Rayasam

Visit kff.org to read Renuka's bio.

rrayasam@kff.org
@renurayasam

The Painful Legacy of ‘Law and Order’ Treatment of Addiction in Jail

KFF Health News Original

Efforts to improve addiction care in jails and prisons are underway across the country. But a rural Alabama county with one of the nation’s highest overdose rates shows how change is slow, while law enforcement officials continue to treat addiction as a crime rather than a medical condition.

As More Hospitals Create Police Forces, Critics Warn of Pitfalls

KFF Health News Original

Nearly 30 states have active or proposed laws authorizing independent hospital police forces. Groups representing nurses and hospitals say the laws address the daily realities of patients who become aggressive or agitated. But critics worry about unintended consequences.

Expectant Mom Needed $15,000 Overnight to Save Her Twins

KFF Health News Original

Doctors rushed a pregnant woman to a surgeon who charged thousands upfront just to see her. The case reveals a gap in medical billing protections for those with rare, specialized conditions.

States Try to Obscure Execution Details as Drugmakers Hinder Lethal Injection

KFF Health News Original

Pharmaceutical companies have put the brakes on many states’ ability to execute prisoners using lethal injections. Lacking alternatives, states are trying to keep the public from learning details about how they carry out executions.

Some Addiction Treatment Centers Turn Big Profits by Scaling Back Care

KFF Health News Original

Private equity groups are cashing in on rising rates of alcohol and drug addiction in the U.S. But they aren’t necessarily investing in centers with the best treatment standards, and they often cut extra services.

‘Caged … For No Fault of Your Own’: Detainees Dread Covid While Awaiting Immigration Hearings

KFF Health News Original

Covid remains a threat for the roughly 30,000 people in the country’s network of immigration facilities. But ICE continues to flout its own pandemic protocols, an extension of the facilities’ poor history of medical care.

Patient Mistrust and Poor Access Hamper Federal Efforts to Overhaul Family Planning

KFF Health News Original

For decades, many women of color, particularly those with low incomes, had little control over their family planning care. Now, a White House effort aims to give patients more choices as abortion care evaporates, but patients remain wary of providers.

Texas Revamps ‘Active-Shooter’ Drills at K-12 Schools to Minimize Trauma

KFF Health News Original

School lockdown drills are designed to prepare students for violent threats. But for some students, especially those with special needs, the drills can trigger or exacerbate mental health problems. Texas is taking a step toward balancing safety and mental health with new regulations around how the drills are conducted. “If some kids are coming away traumatized or we’re magnifying existing trauma, we’re not moving in the right direction,” one expert says.

In Jackson, the Water Is Back, but the Crisis Remains

KFF Health News Original

Unsafe water and all that comes with it — constant vigilance, extra expenses, and hassle — complicate every aspect of daily life for residents of Jackson, Mississippi. Health advocates say stress exacerbates underlying health problems. That is why a free clinic in one of Jackson’s poorest neighborhoods has been organizing water giveaways for the past year and a half.

‘Still a Lot of Pain’: Four Years After Mass Shooting, Texas Community Grapples With Fallout

KFF Health News Original

Santa Fe, Texas, was a mental health care desert until a 17-year-old gunman killed 10 people at the local high school in 2018. Now the city, which sits in a rural stretch between Houston and Galveston, has a resiliency center, where anyone affected by the shooting can get free counseling. But even with an influx of mental health care, the community struggles with the aftermath.

Datos de las sobredosis, obtenidos por colaboración colectiva, resaltan en dónde hace falta la ayuda

KFF Health News Original

El proyecto de la Universidad de Texas, llamado TxCOPE, busca resolver un problema que mantiene en vilo a los funcionarios de todo el país en su esfuerzo por reducir el número récord de muertes por drogas: obtener una imagen clara y precisa de las sobredosis no mortales y mortales.

Crowdsourced Data on Overdoses Pinpoints Where to Help

KFF Health News Original

University of Texas researchers are testing a program that would allow harm reduction groups to crowdsource data on fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses statewide. While the data relies on word of mouth, they say, it is more comprehensive than anything that exists now and can be used immediately to prevent overdoses.