Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Maternal Mortality Rates Rise In U.S. -- Higher Than Most Other Industrialized Countries
If keeping moms alive while pregnant and in the weeks just after birth is a good barometer of health care in a country, the U.S. looks pretty bad. A study published this month (Aug. 5, 2016) in Obstetrics and Gynecology says the maternal mortality rate rose 27 percent (26.6 percent) between 2000 and 2014 in the U.S. while 157 countries reported a decrease during the same period. Maternal mortality is still rare, but the increase is "a national embarrassment," said study author Eugene Declercq, a professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health. "Our rates are comparable to Iran, the Ukraine and Russia, not countries we generally want to compare out health outcomes to." (Bebinger, 8/11)
When planning for a disaster on the scale of the Pulse Night Club shooting, researchers say it’s important to study what actually happens – and not what you think is going to happen. Conventional wisdom often doesn’t play out during a mass shooting.That these two survivors [Patience Carter and Akyra Murray] did the initial search for victims defies the conventional wisdom that police and paramedics do the search and rescue. (Aboraya, 8/10)
And media outlets report on stories from the states —
Matt Resnik has helped changed the face of autism in his hometown. When he was diagnosed as a child, his parents poured their hearts into getting him therapy, even launching an organization, in hopes he would outgrow his challenges and find his place as an independent adult in the world. Instead, they’ve helped shape the world around him. (Donvan, 8/10)
Tennessee lags most of the country in policies designed to fight and prevent cancer diagnoses and treatment, according to a new progress report. The state received red or yellow classifications — falling short or making progress, respectively — in 10 legislative categories from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network's "How Do You Measure Up" report. An estimated 37,650 people in Tennessee will be diagnosed with cancer in 2016, according to the organization. (Fletcher, 8/10)
The Florida Department of Health has confirmed a case of brain-eating amoeba. The potentially deadly infection was contracted by a swimmer who bathed in unsanitary water at a private residence in Broward County, ABC News 10 reports.The amoeba, whose scientific name is Naegleria fowlerii, can cause a rare and devastating infection of the brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). (Gallagher, 8/11)
