The U.S. is developing new safeguards for the organ transplant system after a government investigation found a Kentucky group continued preparations for organ donation by some patients who showed signs of life. While the organ removals were canceled, near misses that some lawmakers called horrifying should never happen. A House subcommittee asked how to repair trust in the transplant network for potential organ donors and families — some of whom have opted out of donor registries after these cases were publicized.
Americans who drink heavily are more than twice as likely to develop significant liver disease compared to 20 years ago, according to a new Keck Medicine of USC study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
President Donald Trump on Thursday instructed federal agencies to determine methods to forcibly put homeless people dealing with mental illness or drug addiction into treatment centers for longer periods, while gutting existing harm reduction programs. In an executive order, titled 'Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets,' Trump says that government programs meant to address homelessness — such as harm reduction and housing programs — have failed and do not address the issue's root causes.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is investigating CU Anschutz for its post-operation practices. CDPHE said it's addressing a public complaint about the hospital's cleaning and sterilizing of used surgical equipment. UCHealth vice president of communications Dan Weaver says the Sterile Processing Department is short-staffed and some surgeries have to be postponed. 'We have increased the number of staff members working in SPD to increase the amount of instruments being sterilized, and this volume of cleaned equipment is returning to normal,' Weaver says. 'Until the SPD is at full capacity, some elective cases will be postponed to ensure we have the instruments needed to provide all urgent and emergent surgeries and procedures.'
UnitedHealth Group revealed Thursday it is facing DOJ investigations over its Medicare billing practices, adding to a string of setbacks for a company that owns the nation's largest and most powerful private insurer. In a securities filing, the company said that it has started complying with formal criminal and civil requests from the DOJ, and that it reached out to the department after reports of the probes surfaced. UnitedHealth also said it has launched a third-party review of its business policies and performance metrics.