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Policy makers have long decried “unnecessary” use of emergency departments — which research suggests could account for up to 4 out of 10 ER visits — chalking it up to patients who don’t know better, or who can’t get care elsewhere. But those surveys fail to recognize just how long people wait to be seen, or how desperate they are for help. (Jessica Bartlett, 5/7)

“First, do no harm” is a guiding principle in medicine, reflecting the commitment from doctors and nurses to ensure treatment and care to protect patients while not worsening outcomes. Illinois’ licensing rules for medical professionals who want to volunteer in retirement run counter to this core tenet. (5/7)

Federal and state governments have and retain sensitive health care data on hundreds of millions of Americans. Through programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Uncle Sam knows which medications people take, which doctors they go to, and even personal habits that correlate with health. And, thanks to reckless government sharing of that information, law enforcement agencies have data on millions of beneficiaries. (Ross Marchand, 5/7)

DeCarli had been conducting a six-year examination, funded by the National Institutes of Health, of brain and vascular conditions that can be risk factors for dementia. The study, involving hundreds of medical staff, 14 research sites, and 1,700 patients at 19 clinical locations in the U.S., was building toward a goal of 2,250 patients. (Steve Lopez, 5/7)

As a primary care physician serving Medicaid patients, I recently witnessed a preventable hospitalization that perfectly illustrates America’s health care dysfunction. (Sanjay Basu, 5/8)

Vaccination is one of the greatest public health achievements in history. It protects individuals, saves lives and strengthens entire communities — especially our children. Yet in 2025, as Kansas faces a dangerous measles outbreak and falling vaccination rates, our state leadership chose to weaken vaccine protections for children in child care settings. (Bill Clifford and Brandan Kennedy, 5/7)