Latest Morning Briefing Stories

‘Warm’ Hotlines Deliver Help Before Mental Health Crisis Heats Up

KFF Health News Original

“Warmlines” are phone lines or electronic chat options for people who are not having a full-blown mental health crisis but who could use support to stave off one. They are a growing trend in mental health outreach to supplement existing hotlines, with one successful warmline in the Bay Area recently expanding to cover all of California.

Violencia en hospitales: buscan reducir ataques de pacientes a profesionales de salud

KFF Health News Original

Los pacientes representan aproximadamente el 80% de los incidentes violentos graves denunciados, pero a veces los agresores son familiares y amigos frustrados o estresados.

Black Mothers Get Less Treatment For Postpartum Depression Than Other Moms

KFF Health News Original

Cultural barriers may keep some African American women from seeking treatment for postpartum depression as early as they need it, and the standard screening tools aren’t always relevant for some black women.

Patient-Induced Trauma: Hospitals Learn To Defuse Violence

KFF Health News Original

Health care workers face a greater threat of workplace violence than workers in most other industries. Hospitals are installing security cameras and panic buttons, arming security guards with stun guns and teaching their employees how to handle potentially violent situations.

An Atlanta Nonprofit Brings Medical Care And Connection To The Homeless

KFF Health News Original

“Street medicine” programs seek out people living in back alleys and under highways. It’s a public health approach designed to build trust and eventually connect homeless patients to other services.

Joven indocumentado, en más riesgo de deportación por su trastorno mental

KFF Health News Original

Defensores de la salud mental dicen que la situación es particularmente difícil para los indocumentados, tanto para el acceso al tratamiento como con las autoridades de inmigración.

Affordable Mental Health Care? It’s Getting Even Tougher to Access

KFF Health News Original

More than a decade after Congress passed a law mandating equal access for mental and physical health care, Americans struggle to find affordable, in-network mental health providers.

¿Cuidado de salud mental asequible? El acceso es cada vez más difícil

KFF Health News Original

En 2017, 70,237 estadounidenses murieron por sobredosis de drogas y 47,173 por suicidio, según los CDC. En 2018, casi el 20% de los adultos sufrieron una enfermedad mental.

Surgeon General’s Marijuana Warning Omits Crucial Context

KFF Health News Original

Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the drug has a “unique impact” on the developing brain ⁠— technically true, but neglecting a vital comparison to other drugs, as well as shortcomings in the existing research.

Medicaid Tweak Might Offer Means To Improve U.S. Maternal Health

KFF Health News Original

Many pregnant women lose health coverage shortly after delivery. Democratic presidential candidates are eyeing the issue, and some experts say making Medicaid more accessible to new moms could be an answer.

Más adolescentes buscan atención médica para sus problemas de salud mental

KFF Health News Original

En 2018, los servicios de urgencias de California trataron a 84,584 pacientes jóvenes, de 13 a 21 años, con un diagnóstico primario relacionado con la salud mental.

Sit, Heal: Dog Teaches Military Med Students The Merits Of Service Animals

KFF Health News Original

Although service dogs are commonly seen at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, a retriever mix is a clinical instructor in the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology.

How Germany Averted An Opioid Crisis

KFF Health News Original

Doctors are less likely to prescribe opioids in Germany and quicker to notice if a patient is at risk of abuse. And, for those who do experience addiction, treatment is easier to come by.

Bruising Labor Battles Put Kaiser Permanente’s Reputation On The Line

KFF Health News Original

Kaiser Permanente just avoided a nationwide strike by thousands of workers, but now faces a new strike threat Monday. The labor battles are exposing the health care giant to scrutiny from lawmakers, health care advocates and others who accuse it of no longer living up to its nonprofit ideals.