Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
RSV Pressures On Michigan Hospitals Lead To Calls For Bailout Aid
The Michigan Health and Hospital Association is pursuing unallocated American Rescue Plan Act funds and an allocation from the state general fund to stabilize the industry, John聽Karasinski, director of communications for the Lansing industry group, told Crain's in an email. (Walsh, 11/14)
Underscoring the worrisome conditions, California Department of Public Health officials on Monday reported the season鈥檚 first death of a child under 5 due to flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. 鈥淭his tragic event serves as a stark reminder that respiratory viruses can be deadly, especially in very young children and infants,鈥 Dr. Tom谩s Arag贸n, California鈥檚 public health director and health officer, said of the pediatric death. (Money and Lin II, 11/14)
A Washington state mother is warning about the dangers of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, after her 7-month-old daughter was hospitalized with the illness. Mya Walker said her daughter, Ariella Rain, was a happy, healthy baby until the end of October, when she started developing symptoms of RSV. (Kekatos, 11/15)
More health news from across the U.S. 鈥
Five people died of Legionnaires鈥 disease over the summer at a New York City nursing home that had been cited repeatedly for improper maintenance of the cooling towers where the Legionella bacteria can spread, The New York Times reported. The outbreak at Amsterdam Nursing Home, a 409-bed facility in upper Manhattan, was the city鈥檚 worst since 2015 when a cooling tower in the Bronx was blamed for an infection that caused 16 deaths. (11/14)
Residents of the Citadel of Salisbury, a COVID-devastated nursing home, have charged that they were damaged by the facility鈥檚 deliberate understaffing. Similar cases have taken years to move forward, meanwhile those who claim harm are aging and dying. (Goldsmith and Crumpler, 11/15)
The Rhode Island Life Index 2022, funded by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island in partnership with the Brown University School of Public Health, reveals trends in Rhode Islanders鈥 perceptions of quality of life issues. The report, published Monday, showed an overall index a score of 59, four points lower than in 2021, marking the lowest index score of the report鈥檚 history. (Gagosz, 11/14)
