Daily Edition for Monday, January 10, 2022
Monday’s summaries of California health news covers covid spending, omicron, worker shortages, testing, boosters, nursing homes and more.
Black-Owned Hospice Seeks to Bring Greater Ease in Dying to Black Families
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
National data shows that Black Medicare patients and their families are not making the move to comfort care as often as white patients are. Experts speculate it’s related to spiritual beliefs and widespread mistrust in the medical system due to decades of discrimination.
Supreme Court Weighs Biden’s Workplace Vaccine Requirements
By Julie Rovner
The court is considering whether to let the rules go into effect as opponents fight them in lower courts. Conservative justices pressed lawyers hard about whether the administration overstepped its authority, but liberal members of the high court questioned why the government shouldn’t be expected to move forcefully when facing a severe health crisis.
Daily Edition for Friday, January 7, 2022
Friday’s summaries of California health news covers universal health care bill, campus shutdowns, omicron, vaccine mandates, tests and more.
Hospitals Recruit International Nurses to Fill Pandemic Shortages
By Nick Ehli
Montana’s largest hospital recently signed employment contracts with two dozen foreign nurses. Nationwide, a backlog of 5,000 international nurses await approval to enter the U.S.
A Catch-22 Trips Up Some in Legal Guardianship Who Try to Regain Independence
By Carter Barrett, Side Effects Public Media
If a judge decides someone cannot make their own decisions, the person can be placed under a court-appointed guardianship, also known as a conservatorship. Some states are beginning to allow less-restrictive alternatives.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Contagion Confusion
It’s 2022 and the covid-19 pandemic is still with us, as are congressional efforts to pass President Joe Biden’s big health and social spending bill. But other issues seem certain to take center stage on this year’s health agenda, including abortion, the state of the health care workforce, and prescription drug prices. Tami Luhby of CNN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Victoria Knight, who reported the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode.
Daily Edition for Thursday, January 6, 2022
Indoor Mask Mandate Extended Until Feb. 15: With the omicron variant spreading rapidly, California health officials announced Wednesday they would extend the state’s indoor mask mandate to Feb. 15. Read more from The Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times, CapRadio, Bay Area News Group and AP.
The War on Cancer at 50: The Origin Story Begins With a Socialite Citizen-Lobbyist
By Gabrielle Emanuel, WBUR
After the National Cancer Act became law 50 years ago, cancer went from shameful taboo to one of the best-funded areas of medicine. Much of the credit for this transformation goes to one woman, Mary Lasker.
A New Paradigm Is Needed: Top Experts Question the Value of Advance Care Planning
By Judith Graham
Prominent researchers say the nationwide effort to get people to spell out how they want to be treated as they die is not improving patients’ care.
