The largest healthcare strike in Oregon's history began its first full week on Monday, with nearly 5,000 nurses and over 100 doctors hitting the picket lines as union negotiations continue with Providence Health. Healthcare workers began the strike on Friday, picketing at multiple hospitals and clinics across Oregon. The strike includes nurses, physicians, advanced practice providers, certified nurse midwives, and other healthcare professionals at eight Providence hospitals and six Providence Women’s Clinics across Oregon.
The number of people in the United States who develop dementia each year will double over the next 35 years to about one million annually by 2060, a new study estimates, and the number of new cases per year among Black Americans will triple. The increase will primarily be due to the growing aging population, as many Americans are living longer than previous generations. By 2060, some of the youngest baby boomers will be in their 90s and many millennials will be in their 70s. Older age is the biggest risk factor for dementia. The study found that the vast majority of dementia risk occurred after age 75, increasing further as people reached age 95.
The rapidly spreading wildfires that have transformed much of Los Angeles County into a raging hellscape are not only upending the lives of tens of thousands of residents and business owners, but also stressing the region's hospitals, health clinics, first responders, and nursing homes.
The research found that the top concerns medical professionals have are liability-related and responsibility-related. But the respondents also shared a concern about how the practice of medicine and the satisfaction of interacting with patients might be reduced or eliminated.
Several hospitals and healthcare facilities have closed their clinics and offices in the southern California area as the devastating wildfires continue to spread. Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest healthcare systems in California, announced it has closed seven of its medical offices and clinics so far due to the fires and high winds.
Enrollment of Black and Hispanic students in medical schools dropped precipitously last year after the Supreme Court banned the consideration of race in admissions, according to data released Thursday by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The number of Black enrollees fell by 11.6% compared to last year, while the number of Hispanic enrollees decreased 10.8%. The numbers were even starker for Indigenous students; the number of American Indian or Alaska Natives dropped by 22.1%, while students who were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders dropped by 4.3%.