Teen With Bird Flu Critically Ill; NIH in the Crosshairs; Dementia Deaths Rise

— Health news and commentary gathered by MedPage Today staff

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Morning Break over illustration of a syringe, Covid virus, and DNA helix over a photo of green vegetation.

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The teen hospitalized in Canada with a presumptive case of avian flu is in critical condition. (AP)

The Nation looked at the future of public health under a second Trump administration.

And the New York Times examined what Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s ideas about the FDA might mean for raw milk, stem cell therapies, and more.

One of the top targets to be restructured in the next Trump administration may be the NIH, where Kennedy said he would seek to immediately replace 600 employees. (NPR)

The family of a security guard who was shot and killed at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, sued the hospital for $35 million, accusing it of negligence. (AP)

A Chicago news investigation found that 88 Illinois hospitals failed to properly treat sexual assault victims. (NBC Chicago)

Congress faces pressure during the lame duck period to reform the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry. (The Hill)

In Idaho, women suing the state over its abortion ban say they became "medical refugees," forced to leave the state to seek care. (AP)

Meanwhile, a woman in Kentucky seeking an abortion is suing the state over its near-total ban. (The Hill)

Maryland is training more health workers to administer medication abortion pills, procedural abortions, and highly effective birth control methods. (KFF Health News)

Experts warned about the "chilling" effect of the Texas attorney general suing doctors over gender-affirming care. (Salon)

University of Colorado Health agreed to pay $23 million to resolve allegations that it fraudulently billed for emergency department care, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Also, the DOJ filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to block UnitedHealth Group's proposed $3.3 billion acquisition of home health and hospice provider Amedisys.

Finally, a Florida ophthalmology practice agreed to pay $1.3 million to resolve allegations of fraudulent claims for cranial ultrasounds, the DOJ said.

KFF Health News sued the HHS Office of Inspector General to force it to release Medicare Advantage health plan audits and other data.

Dementia claimed the lives of 288,436 U.S. older adults in 2022, up from 275,538 in 2021, the CDC said.

Air pollution exposure was associated with head and neck cancer incidence. (Scientific Reports)

Brief cognitive behavioral therapy by video telehealth reduced suicide attempts among adults with recent suicidal ideation or behavior. (JAMA Network Open)

Janelle Goetcheus, MD, who transformed medical care for homeless people in Washington, D.C., died at age 84. (Washington Post)

Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela died last month at age 63 of septic shock, according to his death certificate. (AP)

Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA, will be AARP's next CEO.

A Russian pediatrician was sentenced to 5 years in prison over her alleged remarks about the Ukraine war. (BBC)