Category: Public Health

How a Former Catholic Priest Is Navigating a California Medicaid Plan Through Big Changes 

Michael Hunn left the clergy and became a hospital and health system executive. He’s been named CEO of CalOptima, Orange County’s Medi-Cal health insurance plan for low-income residents, and his spiritual background is helping him guide the publicly run plan into the future.

A Year In, Montana’s Rolled-Back Public Health Powers Leave Some Areas in Limbo

Montana lawmakers stripped authority from local health boards, leading to power struggles between cities and counties and leaving public health officers to wonder to whom they answer.

CDC extends federal transportation mask mandate

The U.S. is extending its mask mandate for public transit through May 3, the CDC said in a statement April 13. The rule had been set to expire April 18. 

‘We are at a really good moment’: 3 takeaways from the new COVID-19 chief’s 1st week

Despite a rise in infections nationwide, the White House new COVID-19 response coordinator, Ashish Jha, MD, expressed optimism about the current state of the pandemic in the U.S. during his first week on the job. 

Syphilis, gonorrhea cases jumped amid pandemic: 5 CDC findings

Reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases fell during the start of the pandemic — likely due to a drop in screenings — but most rose by the end of 2020, new CDC data shows.

Private Equity Ownership of Nursing Homes Triggers Capitol Hill Questions — And a GAO Probe

In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden decried these financial arrangements, which two members of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee had already asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate.

Biden Administration Announces Boost for Rural Health Care in Midterm Election Push

President Joe Biden’s Cabinet members are fanning out across the county to promote benefits coming to rural America from covid relief and infrastructure legislation.

When Symptoms Linger for Weeks, Is It Long Covid?

Patients with symptoms that last three to 12 weeks after an acute covid infection should adopt a “watchful waiting” approach to recovery, an expert says. Keep in contact with a primary care doctor and take it easy.

BA.2 now makes up 86% of new US cases: 5 COVID-19 updates

The BA.2 omicron subvariant accounts for 85.9 percent of new cases in the U.S., according to the CDC’s latest estimates for the week ending April 9. 

Babies Die as Congenital Syphilis Continues a Decade-Long Surge Across the US

Congenital syphilis rates keep climbing, according to newly released federal data. But the primary funding source for most public health departments has been largely stagnant, its purchasing power dragged even lower by inflation.