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Good morning and happy Thursday. NIH director Jay Bhattacharya will be presenting his agency’s budget to the Senate Appropriations Committee later this morning. We’ll bring you updates, but first, let’s delve into today’s stories.
A surgeon general’s report without a surgeon general?
The Office of the Surgeon General has released a new report advocating for the reduction of children’s screen time by families, schools, and healthcare providers. This is not the first time the office has tackled these issues. During the Biden administration, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy highlighted the need for a warning label on social media and issued an advisory about the mental health risks for young people. The current report does not mention the previous administration’s warnings. More details are available from STAT reporters Chelsea Cirruzzo and Daniel Payne.
In the absence of a Senate-confirmed surgeon general, you might wonder who issued this advisory. While awaiting confirmation of the third Trump administration nominee for the role, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed senior health official Stephanie Haridopolos as interim surgeon general.
‘We’re not crazy monsters’
OpenEvidence chief technology officer Zachary Ziegler addressed the Breakthrough Summit West on Tuesday alongside STAT’s Katie Palmer. OpenEvidence has gained attention and revenue for creating a free chatbot for doctors.
Initially designed for doctors, the tool is now being integrated with major health systems. As OpenEvidence engages with these systems, there is some uncertainty due to the company’s unique market approach, Ziegler explained. He reassured that, despite the unconventional methods, the team comprises reasonable and normal individuals. Read more.
$8 billion
The federal government is providing $8 billion in supplemental Medicaid funds to Florida hospitals for care provided last year. These payments were sanctioned by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services via a state-directed payment program. STAT’s Bob Herman and Tara Bannow have been monitoring these supplemental Medicaid funds, which providers claim help offset financial shortfalls from Medicaid patient care, since last year. Read more about this financial boost and upcoming changes.
Defense Department needs to better monitor suicide prevention efforts, per report
Since 2011, suicide rates among active military members have been on the rise. The Department of Defense has responded by establishing a suicide prevention office and mandating service members to complete suicide prevention training. However, a new report from the Government Accountability Office indicates more needs to be done, especially in tracking how many personnel complete the training.
The GAO outlined 17 recommendations urging the Department of Defense to enhance monitoring of suicide prevention training completion across military branches and to alert relevant leadership when they are not completed. The report emphasizes the necessity of an interactive process for reviewing suicide prevention plans, particularly given the Trump administration’s civilian staff reductions at the Suicide Prevention office and across the DOD.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. For TTY users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.
Doctors should know the health impacts of bullet fragments
Guns are prevalent in the U.S., and annually, approximately 115,000 people are shot. Many survivors retain bullet fragments in their bodies, as removal can sometimes pose more risk. However, these fragments can lead to chronic pain, mobility issues, and organ damage over time, explains emergency physician Adeiyewunmi Osinubi in a new First Opinion essay.
Patients often remain unaware of the long-term effects of retained bullet fragments, and alarmingly, many clinicians are also uninformed. Osinubi highlights the importance of educating both patients and doctors on the health implications of these fragments.
What we’re reading
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White House resisted letting doctor with Ebola return to U.S., Washington Post
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Jasmine Clark is poised to be the first Black woman Ph.D. scientist in Congress, The 19th
- Kennedy fires two leaders on preventive services task force, STAT
- Ebola outbreak opens old wounds about ‘saving Africans,’ New York Times
- Scientists track cellular disruptions that lead to type 1 diabetes, STAT
