The Search Is on to Replace Tom Price
On Friday, HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, stepped down amid controversy over his use of private charter flights for government business, and now a replacement needs to be found. According to POLITICO, already a dozen names are being discussed, from a former senator to famous talk show doctor Mehmet Oz, MD. However, rumored to be considered is Seema Verma, the current administrator for CMS, who is close to Vice President Mike Pence; Florida Governor Rick Scott, who is a former hospital executive; Scott Gottlieb, MD, who is the current FDA Commissioner; and David Shulkin, the VA secretary and a holdover from the Obama administration.
CHIP Not Reauthorized by Deadline
Congress has missed its chance to reauthorize funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which is set to expire. The Senate had released a bipartisan plan to reauthorize the program earlier in September, but hadn’t voted on it. According to The Hill, 3 states and the District of Columbia are set to run out of money by December. The majority of states will run out of money by March 2018.
CDC Releases Report on STDs
There are an estimated 110 million sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases at any given time in the United States, according to a new report from the CDC. The most common STD is chlamydia, which had a 4.7% increase in the number of cases from 2015 to 2016. The number of gonorrhea infections increased 22.2% among men and 13.8% among women during that same time frame. And the rate of syphilis is at the highest it has been since 1993.
POSITIVE Trial Update on Patients With Breast Cancer Attempting Pregnancy
December 8th 2023At last year’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, POSITIVE trial primary outcome data were presented on breast cancer–free interval, with women who paused endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy having a similarly small rate of recurrence vs external controls from the SOFT and TEXT trials: 8.9% vs 9.2%.
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Dr Kathryn Lindley on Pregnancy-Related Cardiovascular Care Gaps and Training Initiatives
December 8th 2023Cardiologists need skills in risk assessment, contraception counseling, and hypertension management for pregnant patients, according to Kathryn Lindley, MD, FACC, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
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Real-World Data Show Poor Outcomes Among Patients With ACS and Blood Cancers
December 8th 2023A real-world analysis found that patients with acute coronary syndrome who were also diagnosed with a hematologic malignancy had worse survival outcomes, and patients with multiple myeloma were overrepresented in the population.
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