Infrastructure Bill Negotiations Likely to Drag on for Awhile, Analyst Says
WASHINGTON — Negotiations on the two infrastructure bills being considered in Congress — both of which contain health-related provisions — are likely to drag into the fall, according to one healthcare analyst. “I don’t think it’s going to be September or October,” said Allison Orris, Washington-based counsel at Manatt Health, a professional services firm based […]
Biden Announces New Actions to Fight COVID
WASHINGTON — President Biden announced several additional actions Wednesday aimed at fighting increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, largely from the Delta variant of the virus. “Today, I’m directing the Secretary of Education to take additional steps to protect our children,” the president said during an address from the East Room. “This includes using all of […]
Wildfire smoke may have contributed to thousands of extra COVID-19 cases and deaths in western U.S. in 2020
Thousands of COVID-19 cases and deaths in California, Oregon, and Washington between March and December 2020 may be attributable to increases in fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke, according to a new study co-authored by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study is the first to quantify the degree […]
HHS’s Climate Change Office: Not Open Yet, but Getting Positive Reviews
WASHINGTON — Mum’s still the word when it comes to the new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at HHS, but advocates on the subject seem happy with what they’ve seen so far. The office’s creation was mandated by President Biden in a January 27 executive order on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home […]
New DNA study provides critical information on conserving rainforest lizards
A study published June 16 in Biotropicaby a team of researchers at the University of Washington, the UW Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, WWF Hong Kong and the University of Colombo has provided an important road map to conserving rough-nosed horned lizards in Sri Lanka. Rough-nosed horned lizards, or Ceratophora aspera, are small […]
Senate Committee Shines Spotlight on VA’s Troubled EHR Program
WASHINGTON — The new electronic health record (EHR) system in the veterans healthcare system still leaves a lot to be desired, witnesses said at a Senate hearing. The VA signed a $10 million contract for a new EHR system with Cerner Millennium in May 2018. This system was supposed to modernize the VA’s EHR and […]
House Report Spotlights Drug Company Stock Buybacks, High Salaries
WASHINGTON — Pharmaceutical companies spend lavishly on stock buybacks and executive salaries even as Americans struggle to pay for their high-cost prescription drugs, Democratic House members said. “For too long, Big Pharma has charged patients in this country exorbitant prices for critically needed drugs,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the House Oversight and […]
House Members Argue for Puerto Rico Coal Plant Shutdown
WASHINGTON — A coal-powered electricity plant in Puerto Rico that is releasing toxic coal ash should be shut down immediately because it is harming patients’ health, several House members said. “Whether through production or storage, there is no good outcome related to coal ash,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), who is originally from the Dominican […]
FDA Must Do More to Stop Youth Vaping, House Members Say
WASHINGTON — The FDA should be doing more to stop kids from getting addicted to e-cigarettes, House members told FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, MD, at a hearing on youth vaping on Wednesday. “I just want to make sure America understands, you have the authority to commit today to preventing millions of kids from becoming […]