Tag Archives: healthcare

The Washington Post reports: Medical groups representing millions of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers on Monday called for mandatory vaccinations of all U.S. health personnel against the coronavirus, framing the move as a moral imperative as new infections mount sharply. “We call for all health care and long-term care employers to require their employees to be vaccinated against …

Reuters reports: Pope Francis greeted well-wishers on Sunday from the 10th floor balcony of his hospital room where he is recovering from major intestinal surgery. The pope, 84, stood for 10 minutes on the balcony of his special suite at Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, and thanked the crowd of at least 200 supporters for their prayers. Pope Francis said good …

ABC News reports: Essential workers who helped New York City through the COVID-19 pandemic are being honored Wednesday with a parade up Broadway, a celebration of flying paper and floats that’s been used to fete returning soldiers, astronauts and championship sports teams in the past. “We’ve got a lot to appreciate, because we’re well underway in our recovery. We’ve got …

Axios reports: Some of the hospitals with the highest revenue in the country also have some of the highest prices, charging an average of 10 times more than the actual cost of the care they deliver, according to new research by Johns Hopkins University provided exclusively to Axios. Hospitals each determine their own charges, or list prices. While few patients …

Media Matters has the transcript: DAGEN MCDOWELL: I think any Medicare for all any government-run healthcare is now dead. Because you look at Tony Fauci. And who would want some spotlight-seeking, power-hungry bureaucrat who’s some fame floozy deciding who gets to live and die? JESSICA TARLOV: People without insurance would still prefer that. MCDOWELL: No, they wouldn’t. GREG GUTFELD: That’s …

CNN reports: Uninsured Americans who want to buy Affordable Care Act coverage have another three months to do so, thanks to an executive order President Joe Biden signed last month. The federal Obamacare exchange, healthcare.gov, reopens for a special enrollment period on Monday. Most states that run their own marketplaces are also doing the same or are extending their sign-up …

The Seattle Times reports: Last Friday, Molly Stearns, chief development officer at Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, emailed about 110 donors who gave more than $10,000 to the Eastside hospital system, informing them that highly coveted vaccine slots were available. “Dear Overlake major donors…” the email read. “We’re pleased to share that we have 500 new open appointments in the …

The Washington Post reports: President Biden is scheduled to take executive actions as early as Thursday to reopen federal marketplaces selling Affordable Care Act health plans and to lower recent barriers to joining Medicaid. The orders will be Biden’s first steps since taking office to help Americans gain health insurance, a prominent campaign goal that has assumed escalating significance as …

The Texas Tribune reports: Across Texas, hospital intensive care units are being battered as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in a post-holiday surge. Dozens of facilities have reported that their ICUs have been at or above 100% capacity for weeks, leaving staff overworked and stretched thin. More than 50 Texas hospitals are currently reporting that their ICUs are 100% full …

NBC News reports: President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine to be his assistant secretary of health, leaving her poised to become the first transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. A pediatrician and former Pennsylvania physician general, Levine was appointed to her current post by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in 2017, making her …

The Hill reports: President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden honored frontline workers in a New Year’s Eve address Thursday during ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” broadcast from Times Square. “My mother used to have an expression,” Biden said. “Bravery resides in every heart and someday it’ll be summoned. [In] the people we’re honoring tonight, it was summoned …

The Tennessean reports: Tennessee Department of Health officials announced Sunday that the state could “break” its hospital system if a Christmas surge of COVID-19 cases matches that of Thanksgiving. Commissioner Lisa Piercey said there have been multiple household gatherings where people have been affected statewide, as Thanksgiving surges proved. “We know how this happens,” she said. “We want to preserve …

The Associated Press reports: The first of many freezer-packed COVID-19 vaccine vials made their way to distribution sites across the United States on Sunday, as the nation’s pandemic deaths approached the horrifying new milestone of 300,000. “This is a historic day,” said Richard W. Smith, who oversees operations in the Americas for FedEx Express, which is delivering 630-some packages of …

CNN reports: More Americans who don’t even have coronavirus are suffering from soaring Covid-19 hospitalizations. Newly released data from the US Department of Health and Human Services show at least 200 hospitals were at full capacity last week. And in one third of all hospitals, more than 90% of all ICU beds were occupied. Coronavirus patients occupied 46% of all …

The Salem Statesman Journal reports: An oncology nurse at Salem Health has been placed on administrative leave after posting a video on social media showing disregard for COVID-19 restrictions. In the video, uploaded Friday to TikTok, the nurse, identified by hospital officials as Ashley Grames, says she doesn’t wear a mask in public outside of work, continues to travel and …

Gothamist reports: The number of people in the United States hospitalized for COVID-19 on Thursday topped 90,000, marking a record high for the 17th day in a row and a grim sign of what lies ahead as infections continue to soar. Around 125,000 new coronavirus cases were reported across the country. However, the full picture of infections and deaths was …

The New York Times reports: Coronavirus outbreaks in the United States were once traced back to their origins, whether at busy restaurants or crowded meatpacking plants. But now that the virus is spreading rapidly in much of the country — more than 2,200 U.S. deaths from Covid-19 were reported on Tuesday alone, making it the deadliest day in more than …

The Wall Street Journal reports: New coronavirus cases in the U.S. climbed to another record, topping 100,000 for the ninth day in a row, as hospitals faced increasing numbers of Covid-19 patients. The U.S. reported more than 144,000 new cases for Wednesday, up about 4,000 from the day before, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The total number …

The Hill reports: A top health department official in Wisconsin says that the state is nearing a point at which some patients who need lifesaving care will be unable to receive it due to overcrowding in hospitals resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said during a discussion hosted by …

CBS News reports: President-elect Joe Biden is expected to speak on the Affordable Care Act Tuesday, just hours after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over the health care law’s future. Biden is expected to defend the signature health care law of President Barack Obama’s administration, which Republican challengers aim to strike down. The high court ruled eight years ago …