Public Health
Updated
Senate confirms RFK Jr. to lead HHS
Kennedy’s confirmation comes during a legal battle over whether the National Institutes of Health can cap the percentage of funding it provides for indirect research costs.
Democrats worry RFK Jr. could purge ‘thousands’ of federal health employees
Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary said that NIH, FDA and CDC would be integral in his objective to prevent chronic disease.
Will civil service protections hold up against RFK Jr.’s threats to the federal public health workforce?
Kennedy, Trump’s pick to lead HHS, has talked openly about removing swaths of civil servants at FDA and NIH.
HHS to crack down on providers blocking access to electronic medical records
The Health and Human Services Department has received more than a thousand claims of blocked or stymied access to electronic health record information in recent years.
States, tribes get $1.5B in federal grants to fight the opioid epidemic
The federal funds will support substance use prevention and treatment efforts, workforce capacity building and access to medications to reduce addiction.
FDA greenlights a new COVID vaccine after a summer of rising numbers of cases
While the death rate from COVID-19 steadily decreased during the first half of the year, it began ticking up slightly in June, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The FDA calls them ‘recalls,’ yet the targeted medical devices often remain in use
When it comes to medical devices, recalls can include not only “removals,” in which the device is removed from where it is used or sold, but also “corrections,” which address the problem in the field.
USDA to take ‘additional step’ in testing beef from former dairy cattle for bird flu
The undersecretary for food safety at the USDA said Tuesday that the new testing program follows three studies undertaken during the spring and summer that all found beef in the nation’s food supply is safe to eat.
How the FDA could shape the future of psychedelics research
To move the drugs forward, manufacturers may need to follow the agency’s advice for elevating the quality of evidence.
ICE detainees suffer preventable deaths
ICE detention facilities suffer from outdated systems, a lack of translation services – and a penchant for releasing ailing detainees to reduce the death count. A Q&A with a medical researcher examines systemic failures.
Federal funding for major science agencies is at a 25-year low
Research funding is down in recent years despite promises made with the CHIPS and Science Act.
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‘We’re flying blind’: CDC has 1 million bird flu tests ready, but experts see repeat of COVID missteps
Three months into the U.S. bird flu outbreak, only 45 people have been tested. Laboratories say their path forward has been slowed by miscommunication and uncertainty.
Bird Flu tests are hard to get. So how will we know when to sound the pandemic alarm?
If the government doesn’t prepare to ramp up H5N1 bird flu testing, researchers warn, the United States could be caught off guard again by a pandemic.
White House enlists doctors and hospitals to combat gun violence
Calling gun violence a “public health crisis,” the Biden administration is asking state and local health departments, health systems and hospitals to boost their data collection on emergency room visits for firearm-related injuries.
The 'silver tsunami' is here. Is government ready?
About 10,000 Americans are turning 65 every day. As the nation’s aging population continues to climb, states and the federal government are working to get plans in place to care for older adults.
Fauci defends his work on COVID-19, says he has an ‘open mind’ on its origins
The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases explained to members of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic why guidance shifted so much during the first several months of the pandemic.
New regulation would allow some former feds to skirt conflict-of-interest contact requirement
A rule proposed in the Federal Register would allow for former senior employees of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to have contact with HHS officials within the conflict-of-interest restriction period of one year.
Senate Veterans’ Affairs chair calls for more mental health care providers in rural areas
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., asked VA Secretary Denis McDonough to increase the number of providers and ensure they are “in locations where veterans need them most.”
Biden just signed the largest executive order focused on women’s health
From maternal health to menopause, federal agencies will study the health issues that emerge across a woman’s lifespan.
Investigation finds for-profit nursing homes cut corners on safety and drain resources with financial shenanigans
The report finds that these problems are most pronounced in midsize chains that dodge public scrutiny. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it is “unwavering in its commitment to improve safety and quality of care for the more than 1.2 million residents receiving care in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes.”
