Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More HIV Cases Linked To Shuttered New Mexico 'Vampire Facial' Salon
New Mexico health officials say new HIV infections have been linked to a salon that performed so-called vampire facials, almost five years after the business closed. The Albuquerque salon, called VIP Spa, was shut down in September 2018 after at least two clients tested positive for HIV following the facials. (Lenthang, 7/7)
On transgender health care
Tennessees ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth can go into effect at least for now after a federal appeals court on Saturday temporarily reversed a lower court ruling. Last month, a district court judge in Tennessee found that the states new law banning transgender therapies like hormone blockers and surgeries for transgender youth was unconstitutional because it discriminated on the basis of sex. The judge blocked large swaths of the law from taking effect. (Barakat, 7/8)
On an early morning in June, Flower Nichols and her mother set off on an expedition to Chicago from their home in Indianapolis. The family was determined to make it feel like an adventure in the city, though that wasnt the primary purpose of the trip. The following afternoon, Flower and Jennilyn Nichols would see a doctor at the University of Chicago to learn whether they could keep Flower, 11, on puberty blockers. (Rodgers and Goldbert, 7/10)
On mental health care
A federal judge has found Washington state in contempt and ordered it to pay more than $100 million in fines for failing to provide timely psychiatric services to mentally ill people who are forced to wait in jails for weeks or months. In her order released late Friday, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman said the Washington Department of Social and Health Services has been violating the constitutional rights of these people since 2015 due to a lack of foresight, creativity, planning and timely response to a crisis of its own making. (Bellisle, 7/8)
In March 2022, John called the police to his home in Mecklenburg County because his 16-year-old son Paul was experiencing a violent behavioral health episode. John and his wife began fostering Paul and his two younger siblings when Paul was 12 and later adopted all three children. John said child welfare services had been involved in Pauls life from a young age, and the boy had several behavioral health diagnoses, including ADHD, a disruptive behavior disorder and an attachment disorder. A child with an attachment disorder struggles to form healthy relationships, and they can have trouble regulating their emotions. (Knopf, 7/10)
Hospitals across the country are stretched beyond capacity caring for more patients with mental illness than ever before. The ongoing closure of crisis services has left many people without access to therapeutic support, making emergency departments (ED) their first point of contact during a mental health crisis. EDs are designed to treat physical traumas and are ill-equipped to provide regular care for people with mental illnesses. The resulting overflow of patients creates a potentially dangerous environment for both patients and staff. (Schabacker, 7/7)
Words that Matt Triplet had waited more than two years to hear finally met his ears shortly after 11 a.m. last Friday. I think you got a law passed, my friend, Triplet was told by Eric Weldele, a lobbyist from Columbus-based Capitol Partners. The DeSales boys lacrosse coachs two-year crusade to mandate mental health training for high school coaches was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Mike DeWine as part of the state budget, turning what started as House Bill 492 into the first such law in the nation. (Purpura, 7/7)
In other health news from across the U.S.
窪蹋勛圖厙 News: Meet The People Deciding How To Spend $50 Billion In Opioid Settlement Cash
As more than $50 billion makes its way to state and local governments to compensate for the opioid epidemic, people with high hopes for the money are already fighting over a little-known bureaucratic arm of the process: state councils that wield immense power over how the cash is spent. In 14 states, these councils have the ultimate say on the money, which comes from companies that made, distributed, or sold opioid painkillers, including Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, and Walmart. In 24 other states, plus Washington, D.C., the councils establish budget priorities and make recommendations. Those will affect whether opioid settlement funds go, for example, to improve addiction treatment programs and recovery houses or for more narcotics detectives and prisons. (Pattani, 7/10)
