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A leading New York City hospital system has begun canceling appointments for transgender children following President Trump’s executive order threatening to withhold federal funding to hospitals that provide gender-affirming treatments, according to the children’s parents. The hospital system, NYU Langone Health, has not made any public announcements. But word spread among parents of trans children after the hospital canceled appointments for two 12-year-olds who had been scheduled to receive implants that dispense puberty-blocking medication. (Goldstein, 2/1)

Wyoming House lawmakers passed a bill on Jan. 30 that adds protections for people who donate blood for themselves or a family member before a procedure, instead of using blood from a community bank. Those opposed argued that the protections are an unnecessary interference in healthcare systems. (Khera, 1/31)

When a storm hits the Texas coast during the summer hurricane season, state Sen. Borris Miles knows among the first calls he’ll get is from a constituent letting him know power is down at an independent living complex, shutting off air conditioning for older Texans. “‘Senator! You got these people here,’“ he said, recalling a plea from a caller when Hurricane Beryl knocked out power to an assisted living facility last summer. “‘What are we going to do?’’’ (Langford, 2/3)

One of Evelyn Tharp’s sons died of a drug overdose. So did her brother. And two nephews and a niece. Her surviving son and daughter wrestle with severe mental illness and drug use. Her family life is chaotic except for the presence of a Hamilton County outreach worker named Sarah Coyne. ... The story of Hamilton County, which includes Cincinnati, is the story of much of America at the start of 2025. Deaths from drug overdoses have fallen sharply, offering hope the crisis will further ease. (Ovalle, 2/3)

When someone is having a mental health crisis — whether they’re thinking about suicide, acting erratically or experiencing hallucinations — they frequently end up in a hospital emergency department, mostly because there are few places for them to go. (Knopf, 2/3)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Little Tracking, Wide Variability Permeate The Teams Tasked With Stopping School Shootings

Max Schachter wanted to be close to his son Alex on his birthday, July 9, so he watched old videos of him. “It put a smile on my face to see him so happy,” Schachter said. Alex would have turned 21 that day, six years after he and 16 other children and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, were shot and killed by a former student in 2018. In the years before the shooting, that former student had displayed concerning behavior that elicited dozens of calls to 911 and at least two tips to the FBI. (Platzman Weinstock, 2/3)

With Republicans considering deep cuts in Medicaid, the Commonwealth Fund examined the program's participation by children and adults in every state and Washington, D.C., using 2023 census data. Healthcare providers have expressed concerns that any cuts could lead to an increase in uncompensated care. Measures being considered to save money include changing Medicaid into block grant to states, defunding the Medicaid expansion, and instituting work requirements. (Broderick, 1/31)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Across The South, Rural Health Care Has Become ‘Trendy.’ Medicaid Expansion Has Not

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a small primary care clinic run by Clemson University draws patients from across the region. Many are Hispanic and uninsured, and some are willing to travel from other counties, bypassing closer health care providers, just to be seen by Michelle Deem, the clinic’s bilingual nurse practitioner. “Patients who speak Spanish really prefer a Spanish-speaking provider,” Deem said. “I’ve gotten to know this community pretty well.” (Sausser, 2/3)