Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
AMA Takes Steps To Further Distance Itself From Discriminatory Past
The American Medical Association has removed a public display of its founder and taken his name off of one of its most prestigious annual awards as the organization seeks to reconcile its past discriminatory practices as part of its efforts to address systemic racism as a public health threat. In an opinion editorial posted to its website on Wednesday, American Medical Association CEO Dr. James Madara called the moving of a bust and display of Dr. Nathan Davis from public view at its Chicago headquarters to its archives a necessary step toward reconciling the AMA's past actions of discrimination. Women and Black doctors were barred from joining its ranks until the 1960s. (Ross Johnson, 2/17)
What happens when pandemic fighters are at risk themselves with preexisting medical conditions? (Kreidler, 2/12)
KHN: I Wanted To Go In There And Help: Nursing Schools See Enrollment Bump Amid Pandemic
Last December, Mirande Gross graduated from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, with a bachelors degree in communications. But Gross has changed her mind and is heading back to school in May for a one-year accelerated nursing degree program. The pandemic that has sickened more than 27 million people in the United States and killed nearly 500,000 helped convince her she wanted to become a nurse. I was excited about working during the pandemic, Gross, 22, said. It didnt scare me away. (Andrews, 2/18)
KHN: Montanas Health Policy MVP Takes Her Playbook On The Road
Marilyn Bartlett might be the closest thing health policy has to a folk hero. A certified public accountant who barely tops 5 feet, Bartlett bears zero resemblance to Paul Bunyan. But she did take an ax to Montanas hospital prices in 2016, stopping the states employee health plan from bleeding money. Marilyn is not a physically imposing person, said Montana Board of Investments Executive Director Dan Villa, who worked closely with Bartlett in state government. She is a blend of your favorite aunt, an accounting savant and a little bit of July Fourth fireworks. (Gorenstein and Walker, 2/18)
