Markian Hawryluk

Markian Hawryluk was a senior Colorado correspondent for KFF Health News until he retired in January 2024.

@MarkianHawryluk

How COVID Colors The Salon Experience

As Colorado gradually reopens, a beauty salon in Loveland is swamped as its clients clamor for haircuts, trims and color. But business isn’t exactly back to normal as new precautions slow every step.

Not So Fast Using CPAPs In Place Of Ventilators. They Could Spread Coronavirus.

U.S. pandemic planning envisioned the possibility of using CPAP machines for milder cases of COVID-19 when ventilators are in short supply. But evidence suggests that the machines, commonly used by people with sleep apnea, can aerosolize and possibly spread the virus. That leaves hospitals with few good alternatives if the demand for ventilators exceeds the supply.

No reemplazar ventiladores por máquinas CPAP, podrían propagar el coronavirus

El suministro limitado de ventiladores es una de las principales preocupaciones que enfrentan los hospitales mientras reciben más casos de COVID-19. En Italia, donde se han visto abrumados por pacientes con insuficiencia respiratoria, los médicos han tenido que tomar decisiones difíciles de vida o muerte sobre quién usa un respirador y quién no. En los […]

Despite A Birth By A Colorado Legislator, Paid Family Leave Bill Feels Labor Pains

A Colorado lawmaker giving birth near the start of the state’s four-month legislative session highlighted the lack of comprehensive paid family leave. Yet a bill to add a statewide system that once seemed a sure thing is getting bogged down.

During A Pandemic, States’ Patchwork Of Crisis Strategies Could Mean Uneven Care

If a coronavirus pandemic were to hit the U.S., only 36 states have blueprints for “crisis standards of care” to sort out who gets what kind of medical care amid scarce resources. And not all the plans are of high quality. That means health care providers in some states will be better prepared for a crisis than others — but all could face tough decisions.

Colorado Forges Ahead On A New Model For Health Care While Nation Waits

Since gaining control of the House, Senate and governor’s office, Colorado Democrats are pushing an aggressive health care agenda. With measures to create a public insurance option, welcome drug importation, lower drug prices, curtail surprise billing and cap insulin copays, the state is becoming a likely model for health policies at the federal level.