Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Philadelphia Nonprofit Uses Religious Rights Argument For Safe Drug Sites
A Philadelphia nonprofit argued in federal court on Monday that it has a religious right to open a place for people to consume illicit drugs under medical supervision in order to save lives amid a devastating overdose crisis. Safehouse, whose board members include faith leaders from around Philadelphia, argues that the federal government is infringing upon members’ religious beliefs by barring them from opening a supervised drug-consumption site. (Whelan, 12/4)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, N.J., and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, N.J., are no longer refusing ambulances after a cyberattack on Ardent Health Services caused the hospitals to divert them, patch.com reported Dec. 4. On Dec. 4, a spokesperson from Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health, the operator of both hospitals, told the news outlet that Mountainside Medical Center and Pascack Valley Medical Center have ended their diversion status. (Diaz, 12/4)
Alvin Community College’s licensed vocational nursing program was ranked No. 1 in the state by PracticalNursing.org. The organization, which provides resources for nursing students, recently released their list of Best LVN Programs in Texas. The school was joined by several other Houston area colleges that made the list of top programs, including Brazosport College in Lake Jackson which ranked No. 7, San Jacinto College-North in Houston at No. 15, Lone Star College in Cypress at No. 17, and Texas Health School in Houston at No. 30. (Bhakta, 12/4)
Lawmakers in the Ohio Senate want to eliminate growing marijuana at home, increase the tax rate and change who gets the money from the state's new legal marijuana program, according to changes announced Monday. The overhaul, which was added to an unrelated liquor bill Monday, comes after Ohio voters approved legal marijuana in a 57-43% vote last month. The Ohio Senate plans to vote on the new House Bill 86 on Wednesday. (Balmert, 12/4)
Noelis Guaregua, who is eight months pregnant, wasn’t receiving prenatal care at the city-run migrant shelter where she’s staying, so she set out on a mile-long walk in freezing temperatures to a police station where she’d heard she could find food and medicine. Originally from Anzoágueti, Venezuela, the 31-year-old had traveled for over two months with her family to get to the United States. She arrived at the city’s shelter on the Lower West Side last Tuesday. (Salzman, 12/4)
