Gateways Expands Access To Mental Health Care In LA County: Gateways Hospital this week broke ground on a 27,000-square-foot youth mental health center in Echo Park. The new hospital wing at the Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Center will have 37 new inpatient beds. The project is expected to be completed by late 2026. Read more from the Los Angeles Blade.
NPR: Rising Measles Cases In The U.S. May Require Vaccine Boosters For Some Adults
A measles outbreak in West Texas is continuing to spread. And with kindergarten vaccination rates dipping across the country, more communities may be at risk of outbreaks. But it's not just kids who should be vaccinated. Infectious disease experts say some adults may need to get revaccinated, too. Measles can spread incredibly fast — it's one of the world's most contagious diseases, more than flu, polio, Covid, or just about any other infectious disease. (Godoy, 2/21)
Axios: Experts Warn of Worst U.S. Flu Season Since 2009
The worst flu season in 15 years has left hundreds of thousands of Americans hospitalized while straining physicians' offices and emergency departments. This flu season is classified as a "high-severity" season, with estimates of at least 29 million cases, the most since the 2009-2010 flu season, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. (Reed, 2/18)
The Hill: New York Sues Major Vape Companies For Marketing To Kids And Teens
New York is suing some of the largest vape distributors for allegedly fueling the country’s youth vaping epidemic. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the lawsuit against 13 major e-cigarette manufacturers, distributors and retailers for illegally marketing and selling popular flavored vape brands like Puff Bar and Elf Bar to minors. Selling flavored nicotine vapes has been banned in New York since 2020, but the products can still be found in corner stores and smoke shops in the city. (O’Connell-Domenech, 2/20)
Newsweek: Blind Children Regain Sight After 'Remarkable' Eye Disorder Breakthrough
Children with a rare form of eye disorder who were born blind can now see thanks to a "remarkable" gene therapy breakthrough. Researchers from London's Moorfields Eye Hospital, biotech firm MeiraGTx and University College London have demonstrated that their therapy is both safe and effective in improving the vision of and slowing retinal deterioration in young patients born with "LCA-AIPL1." This previously untreatable genetic disorder, which affects some 2–3 of every 10 million newborns, leads to profound visual impairments and legal blindness. (Randall, 2/21)
Stat: Years After Apple Study, Asthma Management Tool Launches
Four years after Apple announced a study to explore how its products could be used to support people with asthma, an application developed from that research is now available to the public. Called Asthma Tool, the free software allows users to track their symptoms and triggers and to use wearable devices to monitor vitals, like resting heart rate, for signs that asthma may be acting up. (Aguilar, 2/20)
Concerns Rise Over Potential Restrictions On ADHD Medications
President Donald Trump has instructed his administration to scrutinize the “threat” to children posed by antidepressants, stimulants and other common psychiatric drugs, targeting medication taken by millions in his latest challenge to long-standing medical practices. The directive came in an executive order Thursday that established a “Make America Healthy Again” commission led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has criticized the use of those drugs and issued false claims about them. (Nirappil, Eunjung Cha and Gilbert, 2/16)
The Washington Post: Panel Recommends Plain Water And Pasteurized Milk As Best Drinks For Kids
Children and teens should drink water, plain pasteurized cow’s milk and limited amounts of 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices, according to healthy beverage guidelines recently released by an expert panel. In a consensus statement, the panel recommended limiting plant-based milk alternatives, flavored milk, caffeine and beverages sweetened with both sugar and nonsugar sweeteners. (Blakemore, 2/15)
Newsweek: Experts Warn Of U.S. Hospital Crisis By 2032
U.S. hospitals are on track for a crisis come 2032 that may lead to hundreds of thousands of additional deaths each year. This is the warning of a study by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), who found that hospitals are not only fuller now than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic—but are on track to exceed the critical threshold of 85 percent hospital occupancy within just seven years. (Randall, 2/19)
Becker's Hospital Review: Valley Children's Invests In Paid Study Time To Retain Nurses
Leaders at Madera-based Valley Children's see employer-sponsored education programs as a critical strategy for addressing healthcare workforce gaps. As such, the hospital recently launched an Associate-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing pathway program in partnership with Fresno State. The 18-month program is designed to help associate degree nurses advance their careers while continuing to work full-time. (Carbajal, 2/20)
MedPage Today: Will The Egg Shortage Impact Flu Shots?
While millions of vaccine doses are made using chicken eggs each year, experts say the current egg shortage won't hamper next year's flu vaccine production cycle. Previous bird flu outbreaks and decades-old public health infrastructure have led industry to protect the hens used for vaccine production, experts told MedPage Today. Moreover, flu vaccines that don't require eggs are available, and mRNA-based flu shots are in development. (Robertson, 2/19)
CNN: HHS Issues New Definitions of Terms Like ‘Sex,’ ‘Man,’ and ‘Woman,’ Sparking Criticism
In one of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first moves as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the agency released guidance Wednesday for the US government, external partners and the public that offers a narrower definition of sex than the ones used by many scientists and that aligns with a January executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The department also launched a website promoting these definitions and created a video defending a ban on transgender women participating in women’s sports. (Christensen, 2/20)
The New York Times: Nearly 1 In 10 U.S. Adults Identify As L.G.B.T.Q.
Nearly one in 10 adults in the United States identifies as L.G.B.T.Q., according to a large analysis from Gallup released Thursday — almost triple the share since Gallup began counting in 2012, and up by two-thirds since 2020. (Cain Miller and Paris, 2/20)
CalMatters: How Can California Better Prepare Disabled Households For Future Wildfires?
When strong winds shattered the windows on the top floor of Nancy Busacca’s Pasadena home, Michelle Hollis knew it was time to go. Hollis, Busacca’s caretaker for the past year, packed the essentials. She tried to remain as calm as possible so as not to frighten Busacca, who, weakened by esophageal cancer, could not walk. As flames neared the home, Hollis first worried about smoke inhalation because Busacca used supplemental oxygen. At the same time, Hollis tried to figure out how she would lift Busacca into her SUV. Luckily, a second caregiver who had wrapped up her overnight shift had stayed to help. (Ibarra, 2/19)
The New York Times: An Invisible Medical Shortage—Oxygen
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of people in poor nations died literally gasping for breath, even in hospitals. What they lacked was medical oxygen, which is in short supply in much of the world. On Monday, a panel of experts published a comprehensive report on the shortage. Each year, the report noted, more than 370 million people worldwide need oxygen as part of their medical care, but fewer than 1 in 3 receive it, jeopardizing the health and lives of those who do not. Access to safe and affordable medical oxygen is especially limited in low- and middle-income nations. (Mandavilli, 2/17)