State roundup: Hurricane Sandy has east coast hospitals scrambling

Oct 30 2012

A variety of state health policy news reports from around the country.

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Providers Along East Coast Prepare For Hurricane Sandy
Healthcare providers on the East Coast have spent the weekend preparing for Hurricane Sandy, with hospitals canceling elective surgeries and discharging patients to free up beds. ... Facilities up and down the East Coast added weekend appointments at dialysis clinics and asked employees to prepare to work beyond their shifts as they brought in back-up power generators and prepared extra sleeping areas for staff (Kutscher, 10/28).

The Associated Press/Fox News: Massachusetts Shuts Down Another Compounding Pharmacy After Inspection Prompted By Meningitis Outbreak
Massachusetts shut down another compounding pharmacy over sterility concerns after a surprise inspection prompted by the nationwide meningitis outbreak linked to a different company, state officials have said. Dr. Madeleine Biondolillo of the state Department of Public Health said inspectors went to the Waltham location of Rhode Island-based Infusion Resource last week and found significant issues with the environment in which drugs were being mixed (10/29).

Related summary of news coverage from the weekend: FDA Report Says Pharmacy Knew About Contamination Problems (10/27)

Boston Globe: State Wants Pharmacist To Resign As A Regulator
The [Gov. Deval] Patrick administration has demanded that Sophia Pasedis, lead pharmacist of a sister company to the Framingham pharmacy at the center of the national meningitis outbreak, resign from the state board that oversees pharmacies, saying board minutes "call into question" whether she recused herself from matters concerning both companies. State health officials said at a Sunday news conference that Pasedis has refused to step down (Lazar, Kowalczyk and Wallack, 10/28).

Los Angeles Times: Crucial Test For An Outpost Of Healthcare In South L.A.
Nonprofit community clinics like this one in South Los Angeles are part of medical safety net created a generation ago to help fill the unmet needs of poor, uninsured and chronically ill patients in struggling rural and urban communities. With the major elements of President Obama's healthcare reform set to begin in 2014, they are being tested like never before. There are 1,250 federally funded clinics nationwide that provide healthcare and social assistance, surviving on a mix of grants, fundraising and reimbursements from government insurance plans (Gorman, 10/28).

Modern Healthcare: N.Y. Nurses Union Votes To Leave ANA
The New York State Nurses Association, which represents 20,000 members, has voted to leave the American Nurses Association, according to a news release. About 91 percent of members voted to leave the ANA on Thursday at the NYSNA Biennial Conference in Mashantucket, Conn. (Selvam, 10/27).