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Federal detention center officer dies of ‘potential’ COVID-19

October 13, 2020

Days after news of a federal inmate’s death due to the coronavirus at the Southern Nevada Detention Center in Pahrump, the private company that operates the facility announced a staff member also has died.

CoreCivic, which runs the federal detention center, confirmed the staff member’s death in an emailed response to questions from the Review-Journal on Tuesday. A detention officer died on Sunday “due to potential COVID-19 related issues,” spokesman Ryan Gustin said in the statement.

On Friday, the Nevada federal public defender’s office announced that 29-year-old Brandon Patton, an inmate at the detention center, had died of the coronavirus. The U.S. Marshals Service later confirmed Patton’s death.

Patton was the first known inmate housed in Nevada to die of COVID-19.

The Pahrump facility is the only federal detention center in the state. The Department of Corrections, which operates state prisons, has not had any staff members or prisoners die

Federal Electronic Health Record Connects With More Community Partners > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Release

October 13, 2020

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| Community Health

The Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization (FEHRM) program office announces the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) significantly expanded their joint health information exchange (HIE) network with the private sector on Oct. 9 after connecting with the CommonWell Health Alliance.

CommonWell brings a nationwide network of more than 15,000 hospitals and clinics to the 46,000 community partners already part of the joint HIE.

Launched earlier this year, the joint HIE is a modernized health data sharing capability that enhances the ability of DOD, VA and USCG to quickly and securely share electronic health record (EHR) data bidirectionally with participating community health care providers. The result provides more informed care for patients who are navigating between different health care providers.

“The CommonWell connection means DOD, VA and USCG providers can access more information about their patients to make the

Federal retirement and Social Security benefits to increase by 1.3 percent in January

October 13, 2020

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| Health Benefits

The increase applies only to annuity benefits for retirees, not to the salaries of current federal employees. Retiree COLAs are set automatically by an inflation index whose annual count concluded with the announcement Tuesday of figures through September.

In contrast, current employees receive pay raises set through the annual government budget process. No decision has been reached regarding a January 2021 raise.

President Trump has recommended a 1 percent pay raise while Congress so far has taken no position. If no figure is enacted into law by the end of the year, that amount will take effect automatically. Some members of Congress continue to advocate for increasing the figure to 3 percent to match the planned raise for military personnel.

For retirees, some COLA policies vary depending on which of the two main federal retirement systems applies to them.

All of those retired under the Civil Service Retirement System, applying

Fair Haven Community Health Care ranked as a top 10 quality leader by federal agency

October 12, 2020

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NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — In this pandemic, it has never been more important for low-income neighborhoods to have access to good health care.

At the same time, Fair Haven Community Health Care (FHCHC) is earning national recognition for the work it is doing.

It is one of nearly 1,400 federally-qualified health centers. To get their funding, those centers are all required to send in a copious amount of information every year.

“The government crunches those numbers, and then in the summer, they come out and say these are the health centers that, out of the 1,400 nationwide, have done the best,” explained FHCHC CEO Dr. Suzanne Lagarde.

This summer, the center was recognized as being in the top 10 percentile for being a quality leader, and the top two percent in handling of behavioral health by the Health Resources & Services Administration.

The organization began in 1971, seeing just

Newport Mental Health to create COVID-19 suicide prevention program thanks to federal grant – News – providencejournal.com

October 9, 2020

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“With the confluence of the pandemic, layoffs, racial inequity, and an election year, we’re facing tremendous uncertainty, which unfortunately also gives rise to serious behavioral issues and suicide,” Newport Mental Health president and CEO Jamie Lehane said in announcing the $800,000 grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Administration.

NEWPORT — A federal grant will allow Newport Mental Health to establish a COVID-19 Emergency Suicide Prevention program for residents of Aquidneck Island.

Although suicide statistics since the beginning of the pandemic are incomplete, most mental-health experts expect to see a rise in attempts and fatalities without aggressive intervention.

“With the confluence of the pandemic, layoffs, racial inequity, and an election year, we’re facing tremendous uncertainty, which unfortunately also gives rise to serious behavioral issues and suicide,” Newport Mental Health president and CEO Jamie Lehane said in announcing the $800,000 grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Administration.

The multi-year grant,

Federal Health Agencies Push Back Against Political Interference

October 8, 2020

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| Health Center

Food And Drug Administration Headquarters In Maryland — WHITE OAK, MD – JULY 20: A sign for the Food And Drug Administration is seen outside of the … [+] headquarters on July 20, 2020 in White Oak, Maryland. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

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Less than a month before the election and one week into President Trump’s own disease course, the White House is experiencing pushback from its foremost federal health agencies.

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released stricter guidelines for authorizing Covid-19 vaccines, despite the best efforts of the current administration to block them. The decision came shortly after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its own safety guidelines to reaffirm the possibility of airborne transmission, resolving what has been a matter of contention for months.

Both reversals are welcome developments for those of us who fear the White House has overstepped one too many boundaries to advance its own

Does the Federal Health Information Privacy Law Protect President Trump?

October 7, 2020

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| Global Health

Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News and Victoria Knight

Within one day, President Donald Trump announced his COVID diagnosis and was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment. The flurry of events was stunning, confusing and triggered many questions. What was his prognosis? When was he last tested for COVID-19? What is his viral load?

The answers were elusive.

Picture the scene on Oct. 5. White House physician Dr. Sean Conley, flanked by other members of Trump’s medical team, met with reporters outside the hospital. But Conley would not disclose the results of the president’s lung scans and other vital information, invoking a federal law he said allows him to selectively provide intel on the president’s health.

“There are HIPAA rules and regulations that restrict me in sharing certain things for his safety and his own health,” he told the reporters.

The law he’s referring to, HIPAA, is

Trump Administration Will Cease Federal Funding to Hospitals That Do Not Report COVID-19 Data | Top News

October 6, 2020

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(Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will halt some federal funding to hospitals that do not comply with its requirements for reporting data on COVID-19, senior administration officials told reporters on a Tuesday call.

Starting Wednesday, hospitals will be given 14 weeks to provide daily reporting to HHS on COVID-19 cases and deaths, as well as other information such as influenza cases and use of personal protective equipment, the officials said.

Hospitals that fail to comply will lose access to reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, federal insurance programs for seniors, the disabled, and people with low incomes, they said.

The data will help coordinate the federal government’s response to COVID-19, including helping allocate supplies of antiviral drug remdesivir, and distribute its stockpile of personal protective equipment, such as surgical masks, said Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator.

HHS is requiring that hospitals provide

Federal agency recognizes Fair Haven Community Health Care for excellence

October 5, 2020

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Covid-19 testing at Fair Haven Community Health Care

Covid-19 testing at Fair Haven Community Health Care

Photo: Ian Christmann

Covid-19 testing at Fair Haven Community Health Care

Photo: Ian Christmann

NEW HAVEN — Fair Haven Community Health Care has been recognized as a “health center quality leader” by the Health Resources & Services Administration, according to a release.

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It is the fourth year in a row that Fair Haven Community Health Care has been recognized this way, according to the health center.

The Fair Haven center is the only health center in New Haven and one of only three in Connecticut to be “designated a 2020 Gold Award Health Center Quality Leader for best overall clinical performance,” the release noted.

Fair Haven ranked among the top 10 percent of health centers

Maryland Food Bank criticizes Trump-signed letter in federal food boxes, but will distribute them anyway

October 2, 2020

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| Health Food

The Maryland Food Bank and its partner organizations have given out 6.5 million pounds of produce, dairy, and meat to families in need through the federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program since late May, on top of its usual donations.

But food bank officials are criticizing a new addition to the boxes this week, which they view as politically motivated. With a month to go before the election, President Donald Trump’s administration has begun requiring contractors to enclose a letter on White House letterhead, in English and Spanish, signed by Trump.

It touts the 50 million food boxes delivered to families across the country in the past four weeks and encourages hand-washing and good hygiene, staying home if you feel sick, protecting the elderly and other vulnerable people, practicing social distancing and wearing a face covering.

“As President, safeguarding the health and well-being of our citizens is one of my highest

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