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What We're Reading: Staffing Company Cuts Benefits; Pentagon Has Unsent Ventilators; Collecting COVID-19 Survivor Plasma
Alteon Health will be reducing benefits to doctors and nurses helping to fight coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); the Pentagon has 2000 ventilators it does not know where to send; blood donation centers will soon start collecting plasma from COVID-19 survivors.
Emergency Department Nurses, Doctors Will See Benefit Cuts
Citing lost revenue from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to ProPublica, medical staffing company Alteon Health and its parent company Frazier Healthcare Partners will be reducing salaries, time off, and retirement benefits for nurses and doctors on the front lines of the pandemic. Financial benefits that will be suspended include 401(k) matches and paid time off. With hospital budgets also being slashed, clinicians are decrying the 20% cuts to their salaries despite putting in more hours and making more sacrifices, such as being forced to stay away from their homes to protect their families. Meanwhile, Alteon’s chief executive officer Steve Holtzclaw says the cuts are necessary.
Where Should the Pentagon Send 2000 Ventilators?
The Pentagon is still waiting to hear from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and HHS on where it should send 2000 ventilators, reports CNN. Of the 2000 ventilators available, 1000 are ready immediately, according to Lt General Giovanni Tuck, the Pentagon’s top logistics official. There are also a purported 5 million N95 masks available, of which the Pentagon has shipped 1.5 million, with 500,000 more to be sent out soon. FEMA spokeswoman Lizzie Litzow says “ventilators are shipped to the states in the amount needed to manage the immediate crisis.”
COVID-19 Survivors Will Soon Be Able to Donate Their Plasma at Blood Centers
AABB, formerly the American Association of Blood Banks, yesterday issued guidance on how survivors of COVID-19 will be able to donate their plasma to help others fighting the disease, says Kaiser Health News. Still considered experimental, what is known as convalescent plasma therapy was used during the 1918 influenza pandemic and as a measles treatment in the 1930s. The AABB guidance recommends that blood collection centers coordinate their efforts with local health departments and hospitals in reaching out to recovered patients to donate.
Standard Criteria for Loss of Ambulation Needed in DMD
April 19th 2024A recent study suggests the differences between ambulation definitions for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can impact the identification of ambulant vs nonambulant individuals, and standard criteria across settings are needed.
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Overcoming Employment Barriers for Lasting Social Impact: Freedom House 2.0 and Pathways to Work
April 16th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our second episode, in which we learn all about Freedom House 2.0 and the Pathways to Work program.
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Early Involvement Critical in Treating Immunotherapy-Induced Overlap Syndrome
April 19th 2024A series of case studies reveals the importance of early diagnosis and involvement of special teams of clinicians when dealing with potential cases of overlap syndrome, which encompasses myocarditis, myasthenia gravis, and immune checkpoint inhibitor–related myositis.
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Making Giant Strides in Maternity Health Through Baby Steps
April 9th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are kicking off a special month-long podcast series with our strategic alliance partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our first episode, which is all about the Baby Steps Maternity Program and its mission to support women throughout every step of their pregnancy journey.
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