health care

ICU Travel Nurse On Her Work During The Pandemic's Deadliest Days

6:14pm January 14, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Lydia Mobley, an intensive care unit nurse with Fastaff Travel Nursing, about what it's like to treat COVID-19 patients as the coronavirus continues to surge in the U.S.

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Nikil Saval, a newly elected Pennsylvania state senator, speaks in support of opening a "supervised injection site" for opioid users in Philadelphia during a Nov. 16 rally outside the federal courthouse.

Health & Safety

In Philadelphia, Judges Rule Against Opening 'Supervised' Site To Inject Opioids

2:45pm January 14, 2021

by Nina Feldman

A federal appeals court ruled the effort by nonprofit Safehouse to open a "supervised injection site" to prevent overdose deaths is laudable but illegal under the so-called federal crack house law.

High Demand For COVID-19 Vaccine Strains Health Departments In South

4:43pm January 13, 2021

by Debbie Elliott

An uneven vaccine rollout across Southern states is causing frustration. Health departments are overwhelmed with people seeking shots as phone lines and websites are unable to keep up with the demand.

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Staff and residents of the Ararat Nursing Facility in the Mission Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles got COVID-19 shots on Jan. 7. Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been surging throughout Los Angeles County.

Why You Should Still Wear A Mask And Avoid Crowds After Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine

8:36pm January 12, 2021

by Joanne Silberner

It takes time after vaccination for immunity to the virus to build up, and no vaccine is 100% effective. Plus, scientists don't yet know if the vaccine stops viral spread. Here's what's known so far.

Trump Officials Call For States To Expand COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility

5:12pm January 12, 2021

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Trump administration officials on Tuesday announced several changes to the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, including a call for states to open up eligibility to everyone age 65 and older.

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Washington Nursing Homes Still Waiting For Promised COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

4:20pm January 12, 2021

by Anna Boiko-Weyrauch

Assisted living facilities and nursing homes in Washington state have not received as many COVID-19 vaccine doses as promised. Frustrated residents and staff are looking for answers.

A health care worker with the Florida Department of Health administers a Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine at a retirement community in Pompano Beach, Fla. New Trump administration guidance arrived Tuesday, urging states to make all people over 65 eligible

Trump Administration Urges States To Open COVID-19 Vaccination To Everyone Over 65

3:40pm January 12, 2021

The federal government announced several big changes to its vaccine plans, upending earlier guidance about whom to prioritize for the next phase.

Dr. Jeff Bahr, who oversees medical group operations for Advocate Aurora Health in Wisconsin, says he's pleased with the health system's pace of vaccinations so far.

Health & Safety

Wisconsin Health Executive Says Vaccine Rollout 'Tested The Nimbleness' Of System

5:32pm January 11, 2021

by Mary Louise Kelly

Vaccinations around the U.S. got off to a rocky start. But in Wisconsin, Dr. Jeff Bahr of Advocate Aurora Health says he's "very pleased" his system administered more than 30,000 doses in three weeks.

Sarah Lind, a nurse with Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp., Southwest Alaska's tribal health care provider, vaccinates James Evan in December. They're standing on the tarmac in the village of Napakiak, where Evan works for YKHC at the clinic.

'We Don't Feel Forgotten At All': Alaska Fires Up COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

1:10pm January 11, 2021

by Nat Herz

In Alaska, the coronavirus vaccine is heading to tiny villages on small planes and snow machines. The massive undertaking echoes previous efforts to get vaccines to remote corners of the state.

Nurses at Albany Medical Center picketed on Dec.1, asking for more personal protective equipment. They say they're having to reuse N95 masks up to 20 times.

For Health Care Workers, The Pandemic Is Fueling Renewed Interest In Unions

5:01am January 11, 2021

by Aneri Pattani

Many front-line health workers who have faced a perpetual lack of PPE and inconsistent safety measures believe the government and their employers have failed to protect them from COVID-19.