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Experts: COVID was ‘an awakening’ to health disparities in CT. What has been done to fix issues?
Jordan Fenster, CT Insider, March 12
COVID-19 exposed racial and ethnic disparities in health and economic well-being that existed long before the pandemic. As we enter the third year of the pandemic, many experts are asking how we can learn from the last two years to create a more equitable state.
Lower income adults at greater risk for health issues following intensive care stays, Yale study finds
Alex Putterman, Hartford Courant, March 8
A new study reveals that older adults with lower incomes were disproportionately likely to develop health issues following stays in the intensive care unit. The effect was particularly strong in cognitive health; low-income adults ages 65 and older were more than 10 times more likely to develop probable dementia after an ICU stay than those not eligible for Medicaid.
Want vulnerable Californians to have healthier pregnancies? Doulas say the state must pay up.
Rachel Bluth, Kaiser Health News, March 15
The maternal mortality rate is rising nationally, and the rate for Black mothers is nearly three times that of white mothers. Studies have associated doula care with a range of better birth outcomes. Five Medicaid programs cover services from doulas — non-medical workers who help parents before, during, and after birth — and six more are implementing one soon. In California, payment rates have become an issue.
Immigration activists rally in support of child health care extension
Katy Golvala, The Connecticut Mirror, March 10
Rosario Tepoz arrived in Connecticut from Mexico 10 years ago with a 2-year-old son. Six years later, Tepoz had a daughter, born in Connecticut and, as a result, born into citizenship in the United States. Today, her children face completely different realities when it comes to accessing medical care. Her daughter has health insurance; her son does not.
Doctors often turn to Google Translate to talk to patients. They want a better option.
Katie Palmer, STAT, March 16
Google Translate is a familiar tool for doctors whose workplaces lack interpretation for less commonly spoken languages. Although formally discouraged by health systems and state medical registration boards, doctors often have nowhere else to turn. Researchers are exploring the possibility of a similar tool that could be designed specifically for health care, and if it could help reduce health disparities.