VA to Better Fund Rural Nursing Homes
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is looking to better funnel money to nursing homes in rural areas. According to the AP, rural areas typically aren’t awarded grants under the current guidelines, which prioritizes based on demographics and the need for beds. As a result, veterans and lawmakers have been seeking funding for a new veterans’ home in southwestern Montana for a decade. New regulation to change guidelines and ensure money goes to rural areas will have to undergo a public comment period.
Jury Awards $417 Million in J&J Talcum Powder Case
A jury in Los Angeles has awarded the largest award in a lawsuit tying ovarian cancer to Johnson & Johnson talcum powder. The jury has ordered the company to pay $417 million in damages to a woman who developed ovarian cancer after using its talcum powder, reported The New York Times. The company has been sued by thousands of women with only a few lawsuits going to trial. Most of the jury awards have been far smaller, such as $110 million to a Virginia woman. Research into the connection between talcum powder and ovarian cancer have been inconsistent and Johnson & Johnson plans to appeal the verdict.
White House’s Vaccine Safety Commission on Hold
A White House vaccine safety commission, which would have been chaired by a leading vaccine skeptic, might be on hold. A STAT exclusive with Robert Kennedy, Jr, outlined how he hadn’t spoken to White House officials about the commission in months, but that he had been meeting with officials at the FDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At the beginning of the year, the idea of a vaccine safety commission had first been announced by Kennedy, who said President Donald Trump had asked him to serve as chairman. The NIH has maintained that vaccines are safe and effective, and the new FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, MD, continues to express support for vaccines.
Empowering Community Health Through Wellness and Faith
April 23rd 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. In the third episode, Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, MS, CHES, CPT, discusses approaching community health holistically through spiritual and community engagement.
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What We’re Reading: Abortion Privacy Rules; Alzheimer Drug Hurdles; Nursing Home Staffing Overhaul
April 23rd 2024New health privacy rules aim to protect patients and providers in an evolving abortion landscape; some physicians express concerns about efficacy, risks, and entrenched beliefs in treating Alzheimer disease; CMS addresses longstanding staffing deficits in nursing homes.
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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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Survey Results Reveal Potential Factors Slowing the Decline in Cardiovascular Mortality Rate
April 23rd 2024Research indicated that worsened glycemic, blood pressure, and obesity control, as well as increased alcohol consumption, leveled lipid control, and persistent socioeconomic disparities may have contributed to the decelerated cardiovascular mortality decline in recent years.
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Award-Winning Poster Presentations From AMCP 2024
April 23rd 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, multiple poster presentations concerned with health equity, data collection, glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, and more were acknowledged for their originality, relevance, clarity, bias, and quality.
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