As Patients Fell Ill With Covid Inside Hospitals, Government Oversight Fell Short
A KHN investigation finds that hospitals with high rates of covid patients who didn鈥檛 have the diagnosis when they were admitted have rarely been held accountable due to multiple gaps in government oversight.
NY Reaches Agreement With DOJ Over Vaccine Access for Blind People
Following a February KHN investigation into covid vaccine accessibility, the Department of Justice reached an agreement with five New York government agencies to make their websites accessible to people who are visually impaired.
Covid Is Killing Rural Americans at Twice the Rate of Urbanites
The pandemic is devastating rural America, where lower vaccination rates are compounding the already limited medical care.
M谩s de la mitad de los estados han revertido poderes de salud p煤blica durante la pandemia
Motivados por votantes enojados por los cierres y los mandatos sobre el uso de m谩scaras durante la pandemia, legisladores republicanos en m谩s de la mitad de los estados de EE.UU. est谩n quitando los poderes que los funcionarios estatales y locales usan para proteger al p煤blico contra las enfermedades infecciosas
Over Half of States Have Rolled Back Public Health Powers in Pandemic
At least 26 states have passed laws to permanently limit public health powers, a KHN investigation has found, weakening the country鈥檚 ability to fight not only the current resurgence of the pandemic but other health crises to come.
Lack of a Vaccine Mandate Becomes Competitive Advantage in Hospital Staffing Wars
After months of burnout from the pandemic, hospitals are scrambling to fill nursing and other jobs. Some administrators, particularly in rural areas, are afraid to implement vaccine mandates that alienate their short-handed staffs.
The Delta Variant Thrives in a State of Political and Public Health Discord
At the center of the nation鈥檚 delta variant outbreak, public health efforts are mired in a political turf war.
Government Oversight of Covid Air Cleaners Leaves Gaping Holes
Thousands of schools have spent millions of federal covid relief dollars snapping up air cleaning technology that claims to inactivate covid-19. But the devices fall into a regulatory gap.
More Than 100 Missouri Schools Have Bought 鈥極ften Unproven鈥 Air-Cleaning Technology
Across Missouri, more than 100 schools have spent over $3.5 million 鈥 often at the taxpayers鈥 expense 鈥 snapping up ionization and other air-purifying devices in an attempt to keep kids safe from covid-19. But experts warn the largely unregulated technology hasn鈥檛 been thoroughly tested in classroom settings and is 鈥渙ften unproven.鈥
Boeing Tested Air Purifiers Like Those Widely Used in Schools. It Decided Not to Use Them in Planes.
The technology that schools have been snapping up in the fight against covid 鈥渉as not shown significant disinfection effectiveness鈥 to install on its planes, Boeing found. Now the company鈥檚 study is being debated in a proposed class-action suit.
Stark Racial Disparities Persist in Vaccinations, State-Level CDC Data Shows
Black Americans鈥 vaccination rates still trail all other groups, while Hispanics show improvement. Native Americans show the strongest rates nationally.
As Schools Spend Millions on Air Purifiers, Experts Warn of Overblown Claims and Harm to Children
A KHN investigation found that more than 2,000 schools have spent millions of dollars for systems, lured by air purifier companies鈥 claims that experts say mislead or obscure the potential for harm from toxic ozone.
Expertos en salud p煤blica temen que los fondos desaparezcan cuando termine la pandemia
El Congreso ha enviado miles de millones a los departamentos de salud para luchar contra covid. Pero hist贸ricamente, esta financiaci贸n se acaba cuando termina la emergencia sanitaria.
Public Health Experts Worry About Boom-Bust Cycle of Support
Congress has poured tens of billions of dollars into public health since last year. While health officials who have juggled bare-bones budgets for years are grateful for the money, they worry it will soon dry up, just as it has after previous crises such as 9/11, SARS and Ebola. Meanwhile, they continue to cope with an exodus from the field amid political pressure and exhaustion that meant 1 in 6 Americans lost their local health department leader.
Redfield Joins Big Ass Fans, Which Promotes Controversial Covid-Killing Technology
Dr. Robert Redfield, Trump鈥檚 CDC director, lends his scientific credibility to its Clean Air Systems subsidiary, which touts a 鈥渧irus-killing ion technology鈥 added to its fans. But indoor air quality experts question whether some of its technology works in the real world.
How One State鈥檚 Public Health Defunding Led to Vaccination Chaos
The underfunding of public health and political backlash destabilized Missouri鈥檚 vaccine rollout, creating racial inequity and forcing some residents to drive hours to get shots.
Her Doctor鈥檚 Office Moved One Floor Up. Her Bill Was 10 Times Higher.
Same building. Same procedure. Same doctor. But now you鈥檙e charged a hospital facility fee. For one Ohio Medicare patient, the copay for a shot that used to cost her about $30 went up to more than $300.
Birx Joins Air-Cleaning Industry Amid Land Grab for Billions in Federal Covid Relief
Air-cleaning companies with limited oversight are targeting a growing market of schools desperate for covid-19 protection. Donald Trump鈥檚 former covid adviser lands with one that built its business, in part, on ozone-emitting technology.
University of Missouri Settles Lawsuits Over Knee Surgeries Involving Veterinarian
The University of Missouri settled a collection of 22 medical malpractice and false advertising lawsuits over knee surgeries for $16.2 million. One doctor involved in the cases is among Missouri鈥檚 highest-paid state employees; the other is a veterinarian.
Covid Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws, Create Inequity for the Blind
A KHN investigation found covid vaccine registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels are flouting disability rights laws and limiting the ability of people who are blind or visually impaired to sign up for shots.
