Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Brutality' Of Mental Health System Assailed At Irvo Otieno's Funeral In Va.
Family, friends and other mourners gathered Wednesday at a Virginia church to remember Irvo Otieno at a funeral service, celebrating his life and calling for mental health care and policing reforms after the 28-year-old Black man鈥檚 death earlier this month while in custody at a state psychiatric hospital. 鈥淗e had an illness. He should have been doctored to, not treated with brutality,鈥 said civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy. (Rankin, 3/29)
Seven sheriff鈥檚 deputies and three hospital employees are accused of second-degree murder in the March 6 death of the aspiring musician, 28, who prosecutors say was smothered during what the family said was a mental health crisis. 鈥淲hat kind of sickness would make men pile on a man that鈥檚 already handcuffed and shackled?鈥 Rev. Al Sharpton said during the eulogy. (Remen and Gast, 3/30)
In other mental health news 鈥
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) will return to the Senate during the week of April 17 after being hospitalized for clinical depression, according to a person familiar with the situation who asked for anonymity to speak candidly about the senator鈥檚 condition. (Goodwin, 3/29)
West Virginia will no longer allow children under 16 to marry, after the governor signed a compromise bill Wednesday. The law signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice continues allowing children ages 16 and 17 to get married with restrictions. Under the new law, those minors must get parental consent and can鈥檛 marry someone more than four years older than them. Existing legal marriages, and those done in other states, are unaffected. Previously, anyone younger than 16 could have gotten married with a judge鈥檚 waiver. (Raby, 3/29)
More health news from across the U.S. 鈥
A train carrying ethanol derailed and sparked a fire in Raymond, Minn., authorities said Thursday, urging nearby residents to evacuate. People within a half-mile of the incident were told to evacuate after emergency responders found 鈥渘umerous rail cars鈥 on a BNSF train had derailed on the edge of the city and caught fire, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff鈥檚 Office said in a statement overnight. (Francis, 3/30)
A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers is investigating 10 organ procurement organizations, including two from Ohio, on suspicion they may be padding their pancreas collection numbers in order to keep government contracts. (Shuda, 3/28)
While arguing for a bill that would provide emergency one-time funding for nursing homes, Rep. Jennifer Carlson referenced "A Modest Proposal," a satirical essay published in 1729 that offers a brutal proposition for managing a vast population of vulnerable citizens. (Schabacker, 3/29)
Reno Police Department Detective Janira Varty was injured in 2019 during a car accident when she slid on black ice while on duty. Afterward, her entire body was in pain, and she was unable to lift things or raise her arms above her shoulders. (Hill, 3/29)
Few would fault Bill Milner if he decided it was time to slip out of his scrubs and retire from dentistry, then go off and travel the world. At age 73, he has been tending to teeth in North Carolina for nearly half a century. He has been honored by his peers. In January, the American Dental Association Board of Trustees bestowed upon him the 2023 ADA Humanitarian Award. (Blythe, 3/30)