March 2023

US Representatives Abigail Spanberger and Brian Fitzpatrick introduced bipartisan legislation to assist school districts in funding telemental health services. By Mark Melchionna March 27, 2023 – Introduced by US Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), the Connecting Students with Mental Health Services Act would assist school districts in funding telemental health services, thereby improving access to care. Mental health […]

Erica Carbajal  Members of a homeless advocate group are accusing hospitals across San Diego of prematurely discharging homeless or indigent patients — a practice known as patient dumping, according to local news outlets.  On March 22, an advocacy group called Housing 4 the Homeless held a press conference outside of Scripps Mercy Hospital in San

Alexis Kayser (Email)  Mandated nurse-to-patient staffing ratios are on trial in legislative sessions nationwide — stalling in some states, clearing hurdles in others. Here are six updates from across the country:  1. New Jersey: A coalition of New Jersey labor unions representing nurses has called for mandated nurse-to-patient ratios, the Asbury Park Press reported. On March 20, leaders gathered outside

Access to pediatric inpatient care is on a downward trend in the US, with factors including a rise in child mental health hospitalizations, ongoing staffing shortages and Medicaid reimbursement changes. Children often have to wait hours for an inpatient bed, availability is particularly strained at facilities in rural areas, and February’s percentage of occupied pediatric

Alexis Kayser (Email) Nurses and physicians are increasingly opting for contract roles and self-employment, according to a recent study from LinkedIn. The company termed this phenomenon the “Great Untethering.”  LinkedIn’s economic graph team examined the percentage of nurses, physicians and mental health professionals in contract or self-employed professions from 2020 to 2022.  Across all three professions,

Ashleigh Hollowell (Twitter) – Friday, March 17th, 2023 Residency matches for the first class of OB-GYN applicants post-Roe v. Wade will soon be announced. Preliminary data from the American Association of Medical Colleges shows that 2023 applications for the specialty have fallen from 2022, according to Roll Call. Uncertainty about where and how to practice since Roe v. Wade was overturned may be