Weekly Reader - August 8, 2022

Welcome to Finestra’s Weekly Reader, wherein we recount intriguing, important, or infamous health care-related stories you may have missed over the past week.

• “Nursing Homes Are Suing the Friends and Family of Residents to Collect Debts” (Kaiser Health News) - This shocking headline is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of this disturbing but increasingly common practice among some nursing homes.
• “What you need to know about chemicals in your sunscreen” (Washington Post) - With the summer in full swing - and much of the United States experiencing hot weather - stories about dangerous chemicals in sunscreen are common to see. But what’s the truth?
• “To Retain Nurses and Other Staffers, Hospitals Are Opening Child Care Centers” (Kaiser Health News) - As labor shortages contribute to many hospitals’ woes, some are attempting to keep talented nurses around by offering their own child care facilities.
• “Three Pressing Questions About Monkeypox: Spread, Vaccination, Treatment” (NY Times) - With all of the news about monkeypox, it can be easy to lose focus: here are three major questions that public health experts are asking.
• “The Debt Crisis That Sick Americans Can’t Avoid” (Kaiser Health News) - Although student debt is an oft-discussed topic in mainstream U.S. politics, medical debt often receives far less coverage. Why is that?
• “White House identifies six close contacts of Biden's rebound case of COVID-19” (The Hill) - President Biden again tested positive for COVID-19 after initially testing positive weeks ago.
• “Because of Texas Abortion Law, Her Wanted Pregnancy Became a Medical Nightmare” (Kaiser Health News) - Bans an abortion are having potentially unintended consequences for patients who are experiencing pregnancy.
• “The smallpox vaccine stockpile isn’t the monkeypox solution we need — yet” (Vox) - Could the smallpox vaccine be an answer to monkeypox? The short answer is that it’s more complicated than one might at first believe.
• “When Mental Illness Leads to Dropped Charges, Patients Often Go Without Stabilizing Care” (Kaiser Health News) - If someone’s mental illness leads to a charge being dropped against them, it is very common that they will end up going without adequate attention to their mental health.
• “Monkeypox can’t use the same at-home testing playbook as COVID-19” (The Verge) - It is not looking as if at-home monkeypox testing will be able to be deployed in a similar manner as at-home COVID-19 testing.
• “‘Children Are Not Little Adults’ and Need Special Protection During Heat Waves” (Kaiser Health News) - As heat waves engulf many parts of the United States, public health officials are calling attention to the unique situations of minors.