Los Angeles Times: 6 Women Sue USC, Alleging They Were Victimized By Campus Gynecologist
Six women filed civil lawsuits Monday alleging that a longtime gynecologist at the University of Southern California sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care and that USC failed to address complaints from clinic staff about the doctor's behavior. One woman alleged Dr. George Tyndall forced his entire ungloved hand into her vagina during an appointment in 2003 while making "vulgar" remarks about her genitalia, according to one of the lawsuits. Another woman alleged that Tyndall groped her breasts in a 2008 visit and that later he falsely told her she "likely had AIDS." A third woman accused the doctor of grazing his ungloved fingers over her nude body and leering at her during a purported skin exam, the lawsuit states. (Hamilton, Ryan and Winton, 5/21)

The Associated Press: USC Sued Over Clinic Gynecologist Accused Of Misconduct
Dr. George Tyndall routinely made crude comments, took inappropriate photographs and forced the plaintiffs to strip naked and groped them under the guise of medical treatment for his "sexual gratification," the civil lawsuit said. Tyndall, who worked at a USC clinic for 30 years, denied wrongdoing in interviews with the Los Angeles Times. He didn't return phone calls and it wasn't known Monday if he has an attorney. The complaint accuses the university of failing to properly respond to complaints about Tyndall. USC said in a statement that it was aware of the lawsuit. (5/21)

The New York Times: 5 Women Sue U.S.C., Alleging Sexual Abuse By Campus Doctor
“There will be other women coming forward,” said Louanne Masry, a lawyer at Taylor & Ring, a law firm in Manhattan Beach, Calif., that represents one of the women. “We’re getting lots of calls in. This is only going to grow.” A second lawsuit, filed on behalf of four unnamed women, called the former gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall, a “serial sexual predator” and blamed the university for “actively and deliberately” covering up Dr. Tyndall’s predations for years. (Arango, 5/21)

Bloomberg: USC Sued For Failing Student Victims Of Abuse By Gynecologist
USC issued a report last week in which it admitted that complaints dating back to 2000 were sufficient to terminate the gynecologist. The doctor worked at the university since 1989 and examined as many as 16 women a day, according to the complaint. The former student seeks to represent the hundreds, if not thousands, of other women who were examined by the gynecologist at USC. The university said in a statement that it was aware of the lawsuit. (Pettersson, 5/21)

Los Angeles Times: California Attorney General Appeals Judge's Decision To Overturn Physician-Assisted Suicide Law
California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Monday filed an appeal against a judge's recent ruling overturning the state's physician-assisted suicide law. The controversial law, which allows terminally ill patients to request lethal medications from their doctors, has been the subject of litigation since it was enacted two years ago. Last week, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Ottolia ruled that the law's passage was unconstitutional and the law should be overturned. (Karlamangla, 5/21)

Sacramento Bee: California Attorney General Appeals Assisted Death Ruling 
Nearly two years after the law took effect, a judge in Riverside County ruled last week that the Legislature improperly passed the bill during a special session on health care funding. Becerra argued in court documents that the reversal "contradicts both the deference owed the Legislature and an earlier finding by the same court that the act was within the scope of the special session," called to improve the efficiency of the health care system and improve health in California. He said laws enacted during a special session can be broadly germane to the subject matter. (Luna, 5/21)

The Mercury News: California Defends Right-To-Die Law, Files To Block Ruling
The news was welcomed by Dr. Lonny Shavelson of the Berkeley-based practice Bay Area End of Life Options, who faced the prospect of suspending or canceling a long-planned death that is scheduled for Wednesday. “This is a tremendous relief to me and those patients,” said Shavelson, a former emergency medicine physician who works with patients who cannot find a doctor to write a prescription to end their lives. (Krieger, 5/21)

In other news from the attorney general's office —

Sacramento Bee: California's Top Cop Moves To Defend Planned Parenthood
California's top cop hinted last week that the state will file another lawsuit against the federal government, potentially taking on the Trump administration over its plan to strip funding for Planned Parenthood and other clinics that provide abortions. At issue is funding for family planning and abortion services through the Title X program, expected to cost $260 million. (Hart, 5/21)

The California Health Report: The ACA Left Behind One Low-Income Group: Latinos, Report Finds
The expansion of the federal low-income health program to cover more people hasn’t benefited Latinos as much as other racial and ethnic groups, according to a recent report by UCLA researchers. The Affordable Care Act expanded the program, called Medicaid, and it has allowed millions of previously uninsured people to qualify for government-funded health care. Thirty-two states, including California, and the District of Columbia have implemented the expansion. In California, where Medicaid is known as Medi-Cal, almost 4 million people gained coverage after the program’s expansion in 2014. (Boyd-Barrett, 5/21)

And in related news —

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Free Health Care For Unauthorized Immigrants In California? It's Being Considered 
Amid escalating tension — and even legal battles — between California and the Trump administration over immigration, an effort is underway to expand health care coverage for unauthorized immigrants in the state. Just last week, President Donald Trump met with state and local leaders from California at the White House, including Escondido Mayor Sam Abed and county supervisor Kristin Gaspard, to applaud them for taking stands to oppose state immigration policies his administration finds unconsitutional. Meanwhile, Politico is describing this health care effort from Democrats in Sacramento as “one of the most daring examples yet of blue-state Democrats thumbing their nose at Trump.” (Hamblin, 5/21)

Capital Public Radio: After Texas Shooting, California Assembly Votes To Expand Gun Violence Restraining Order 
The California Assembly is pushing to expand the use of gun violence restraining orders after Friday’s school shooting in Texas. ...Employers and co-workers at businesses could also request gun violence restraining orders, under the bill. (Bradford, 5/21)

In other news from Sacramento —

The California Health Report: Bill Would Require Childcare Centers To Test Drinking Water For Lead
The California legislature is considering a bill that would require childcare centers throughout the state to ensure their drinking water is lead free. Public schools and childcare centers within public schools must already test their drinking water for lead under a state law that took effect this year. The new bill would extend this requirement to privately run childcare centers, mandating they take action to replace any water pipes and fixtures found to be leaching lead. (Boyd-Barrett, 5/21)

Capital Public Radio: Need A Ride To The Doctor? UC Davis Will Call Some Pregnant Women A Lyft. 
Hospitals are increasingly trying out rides-hailing companies such as Lyft and Uber to get patients to appointments. A new UC Davis pilot program funded by the Children’s Miracle Network will cover the cost of a Lyft for expectant parents. (Caiola, 5/21)

In other news —

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Grossmont District Honors 'Healthcare Heroes' For 2018 
Nominated by colleagues, mentors or friends, the heroes are community volunteers who help improve the quality of health care in East County. Winners are feted by the Grossmont Healthcare District at an annual luncheon. This year marked the 12th year of the awards. (Pearlman, 5/21)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Would Defy Federal Law With Safe Injection Sites
San Francisco city officials widely agree that safe injection sites are worth trying, especially since the status quo — people shooting up openly on our sidewalks — is untenable. But they’re wringing their hands about the Trump Justice Department, run by the far-right Attorney General Jeff Sessions, placing an even bigger target on San Francisco. (Knight, 5/22)

In other public health news —

Los Angeles Times: Yes, President Trump, There Is A Difference Between HIV And HPV. Here's A Handy Tipsheet
In the early days of his presidency, Donald Trump famously declared that "nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated." At the time, he was talking about health insurance. But perhaps he was also thinking about two potentially life-threatening viruses — HIV and HPV. In a video that came to light this week, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates described two meetings with Trump where the men discussed a variety of issues related to innovation, science, education and global health. (Kaplan, 5/18)

The New York Times: Despite Attacks On Obamacare, The Uninsured Rate Held Steady Last Year
Last year, Trump administration officials declared Obamacare “dead,” pulled enrollment ads offline, distributed social media videos critical of the law and sent signals that the law’s requirement to buy health insurance was no longer in effect. But the number of Americans with health insurance stayed largely unchanged. The results of a big, government survey on health insurance status were published Tuesday, and they show that the uninsured rate remained basically flat at 9.1 percent in the first year of the Trump presidency. (Sanger-Katz, 5/22)

The Associated Press: US Clings To Health Coverage Gains Despite Political Drama
Overall, the survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 9.1 percent of Americans were uninsured in 2017, or a little more than 29 million people. After nearly a year of Trump, that was almost the same as toward the end of the Obama administration. For perspective, the uninsured rate dropped from 16 percent since the Affordable Care Act was signed in 2010, which translates roughly to 19 million people gaining coverage. (5/22)

Modern Healthcare: Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Epic In Arbitration Case 
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that companies can prohibit workers from using class-action litigation to resolve workplace disputes, handing Epic Systems Corp. and other employers a win. In a 5-4 decision on three consolidated cases, the justices said companies can include clauses in employment contracts that require employees to use individual arbitration to resolve disputes. That decision could affect about 25 million employees. (Arndt, 5/21)

In other national health care news —

The Hill: HHS Secretary To Head U.S. Delegation At World Health Assembly
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar will attend the 71st World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland, as the head of U.S. delegation on Tuesday. Azar will deliver remarks on the the U.S. commitment to global health security, attend official events focused on key public health challenges and participate in multiple bilateral meetings with health ministers and officials from other nations, according to HHS.The WHA is the decisionmaking body of the World Health Organization. (Hellmann, 5/21)

The Washington Post: Suicide Rates For Black Children Twice That Of White Children, New Data Show
African American children are taking their lives at roughly twice the rate of their white counterparts, according to a new study that shows a widening gap between the two groups. The 2001-2015 data, published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, confirm a pattern first identified several years ago when researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio found that the rate of suicides for black children ages 5 to 12 exceeded that of young whites. The results were seen in both boys and girls. (Nutt, 5/21)

The New York Times: Want To See Your Baby? In China, It Can Cost You
A day after Juliana Brandy Logbo gave birth to twins this month through an emergency cesarean section in a Chinese hospital, she thought the worst was over. Then the demands for money began. First, Ms. Logbo said, the hospital told her that she had to pay $630 in hospitalization fees if she wanted to see her girls. Three days later, she said, the amount rose to nearly $800. She didn’t have the money. The demands left her weeping outside the newborn department in the hospital. (Wee, 5/22)

NPR: Doctor Burnout Fueled By Denying Immigrant Care
One patient's death changed the course of Dr. Lilia Cervantes' career. The patient, Cervantes says, was a woman from Mexico with kidney failure who repeatedly visited the emergency room for more than three years. In that time, her heart had stopped more than once, and her ribs were fractured from CPR. The woman finally decided to stop treatment because the stress was too much for her and her two young children. Cervantes says she died soon after. Kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease, is treatable with routine dialysis every two to three days. Without regular dialysis, which removes toxins from the blood, the condition is life threatening: Patients' lungs can fill up with fluid, and they're at risk of cardiac arrest if their potassium level gets too high. (Harper, 5/21)

The New York Times: New Cancer Treatments Lie Hidden Under Mountains Of Paperwork
Dr. Nikhil Wagle thought he had a brilliant idea to advance research and patient care. Dr. Wagle, an oncologist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and his colleagues would build a huge database that linked cancer patients’ medical records, treatments and outcomes with their genetic backgrounds and the genetics of their tumors. The database would also include patients’ own experiences. How ill did they feel with the treatments? What was their quality of life? The database would find patterns that would tell doctors what treatment was best for each patient and what patients might expect. (Kolata, 5/21)