At her confirmation hearing before the Senate on July 9, Susan Monarez garnered praise from the Republican chairman, Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is a physician, for her commitment to rebuilding public trust in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Democrats grilled her about the impact of cuts in federal funding for health programs and medical research, and expressed concern about the CDC's role under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Here's a quick synopsis of her thoughts on key issues.
Children may be more likely to survive a rare, potentially fatal influenza complication if they receive rapid treatment for brain swelling and extreme immune responses, a Stanford Medicine-led report found.
After public outcry and pressure from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, MetroWest Medical Center will no longer close its neonatal intensive care unit at its Framingham Union Hospital, opting to instead keep a step-down NICU open. On Aug. 9, Framingham Union will transition from its 12-bassinet Level II NICU Service, also known as a Special Care Nursery, to a Level IB nursery: a NICU serving newborns requiring a higher level of care and monitoring but without advanced respiratory services offered at the Level II classification.
New Hampshire is the first state to legally require doctors and medical staff to follow a patient's desires to seek sterilization, especially if it's the result of a medically necessary operation. The new law, signed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte earlier this month, specifically addresses people with medical conditions who want to get sterilized for their reproductive health.
Hospital to Housing is an innovative program launched in May 2019 that aims to improve medical outcomes and reduce costs by providing housing support to stabilize the lives of some frequent users of the emergency room.