Latest news with #CélineGounder
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Doctors fear ICE agents in health facilities deter people from seeking care
As the Trump administration continues its push to undocumented immigrants, doctors are hearing that some patients are avoiding getting the health care they need over fears that Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids could take place in medical settings. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, told "CBS Mornings Plus" on Tuesday that she has not seen any official ICE raids in hospitals, but that ICE agents have been seen in hospitals as well as other health care facilities. That's because detention standards require that ICE detainees be provided medical services, including initial medical and dental screenings, as well as emergency care. "They are often bringing in people that they've detained for medical clearance," said Gounder, who is also a practicing internist and infectious disease expert in New York City. "We see this often with law enforcement. But it is creating an atmosphere of fear. And my colleagues and I have had numerous patients tell us that they hesitated or waited too long to come in for health care." And delays in care matter, Gounder added. Delayed care for a heart attack or stroke, for example, can lead to more loss of heart or brain tissue. Gounder also heard from an emergency medicine physician in Los Angeles who has seen the impact of ICE agents appearing in hospital settings. The agents are arriving with ski masks and looking intimidating to the general patient, affecting the overall health of the community because it's creating an atmosphere of fear instead of of wellness, according to the doctor. The doctor also alleged agents have committed ethics violations, including not showing their identification, not allowing patient privacy during interviews and examinations, preventing doctors from contacting family for necessary medical information and preventing family from visiting. "These are really standard things," Gounder said. "Every patient should have the right to these kinds of provisions for good health care." "If you're a law enforcement official coming into a hospital or health care facility, you need to be identifying yourself as such, you need to be showing your badge or your ID," Gounder said, adding that those who want to enter private patient areas "also need to be showing a judicial warrant." Federal legal standards and privacy protections, including HIPAA and the 4th Amendment to the Constitution, bar unreasonable searches and seizures, including in non-public hospital areas. CBS News has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. A lot of health care providers don't know what their rights are, Gounder said, prompting at least some hospitals to offer employees guidance on potential ICE encounters. At Bellevue Hospital, for example, where Gounder works, staff were recently given sample prompts for interacting with non-local law enforcement, including ICE agents. The hospital told staff, in part: "We do not require a patient's immigration status to provide care, and we do not share medical or personal information about our patients unless required by law." The presence of ICE agents is not just a concern for physical health, but also mental health. "Think about who has come here as an immigrant, many of them have faced real trauma in their home countries," Gounder said. "So this, what feels like militarization of an emergency room, can be very re-traumatizing and cause some very relevant health impacts." Sneak peek: Who Killed Aileen Seiden in Room 15? Everything we know so far about the deadly Texas floods Search continues for dozens after Texas floods, at least 79 dead with more severe weather expected


CBS News
5 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Doctors fear ICE agents in health facilities are deterring people from seeking care
As the Trump administration continues its push to undocumented immigrants, doctors are hearing that some patients are avoiding getting the health care they need over fears that Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids could take place in medical settings. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, told "CBS Mornings Plus" on Tuesday that she has not seen any official ICE raids in hospitals, but that ICE agents have been seen in hospitals as well as other health care facilities. That's because detention standards require that ICE detainees be provided medical services, including initial medical and dental screenings, as well as emergency care. "They are often bringing in people that they've detained for medical clearance," said Gounder, who is also a practicing internist and infectious disease expert in New York City. "We see this often with law enforcement. But it is creating an atmosphere of fear. And my colleagues and I have had numerous patients tell us that they hesitated or waited too long to come in for health care." And delays in care matter, Gounder added. Delayed care for a heart attack or stroke, for example, can lead to more loss of heart or brain tissue. Gounder also heard from an emergency medicine physician in Los Angeles who has seen the impact of ICE agents appearing in hospital settings. The agents are arriving with ski masks and looking intimidating to the general patient, affecting the overall health of the community because it's creating an atmosphere of fear instead of of wellness, according to the doctor. The doctor also alleged agents have committed ethics violations, including not showing their identification, not allowing patient privacy during interviews and examinations, preventing doctors from contacting family for necessary medical information and preventing family from visiting. "These are really standard things," Gounder said. "Every patient should have the right to these kinds of provisions for good health care." "If you're a law enforcement official coming into a hospital or health care facility, you need to be identifying yourself as such, you need to be showing your badge or your ID," Gounder said, adding that those who want to enter private patient areas "also need to be showing a judicial warrant." Federal legal standards and privacy protections, including HIPAA and the 4th Amendment to the Constitution, bar unreasonable searches and seizures, including in non-public hospital areas. CBS News has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. A lot of health care providers don't know what their rights are, Gounder said, prompting at least some hospitals to offer employees guidance on potential ICE encounters. At Bellevue Hospital, for example, where Gounder works, staff were recently given sample prompts for interacting with non-local law enforcement, including ICE agents. The hospital told staff, in part: "We do not require a patient's immigration status to provide care, and we do not share medical or personal information about our patients unless required by law." The presence of ICE agents is not just a concern for physical health, but also mental health. "Think about who has come here as an immigrant, many of them have faced real trauma in their home countries," Gounder said. "So this, what feels like militarization of an emergency room, can be very re-traumatizing and cause some very relevant health impacts."
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Certain type of hormone therapy increases breast cancer risk, study finds
Women using a certain type of hormone therapy to treat menopause symptoms could be at higher risk for breast cancer, according to a new study. The study, published Tuesday in The Lancet Oncology, found that estrogen plus progesterone increases the risk of breast cancer in women under 55 with a uterus, while estrogen alone reduces the risk. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, told "CBS Mornings" Wednesday the study participants, all under age 55, were divided into two groups — women who still have their uterus and those who do not, since they require different types of treatment. A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, which may be done for a number of reasons, including abnormal vaginal bleeding, severe pelvic pain, uterine fibroids, severe endometriosis and certain types of cancer. Approximately 600,000 females get hysterectomies in the U.S. each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic. "For the women who do still have a uterus, you have to give estrogen plus progesterone together. Estrogen alone will cause a thickening of the uterine lining, which can cause a different kind of cancer, what we call endometrial cancer. So you have to give the combination," Gounder said. "In women who no longer have a uterus, you can give estrogen alone." And the difference in treatment mattered. "What they found is estrogen alone reduced the risk of breast cancer," she said. "There seems to be a slight increase in risk in breast cancer if you also took progesterone." This research is a "great example of (how) science evolves," Gounder added. It comes after an early 2000s study called the Women's Health Initiative that focused on older women who may not have started hormone replacement therapy until 10 or so years after going through menopause. The study, which raised safety concerns and led to a longtime public misunderstanding around hormone therapy, has since been found problematic in terms of how it was designed. Now healthcare professionals largely consider the treatment option safe and effective. "The newer research is focused on what actually happens in real life, which is women who go through menopause in their 40s or 50s, (and) start treatment around that age," Gounder said. As with most medications, hormone replacement therapy comes with certain risks for some people. The Mayo Clinic notes it can lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots and some cancers. In other cases, however, it can help reduce risk of cancer, prevent bone loss and reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. As the latest study shows, timing and type of hormone therapy can be crucial to potential outcomes, making it important that people consult their doctor and consider family history and other factors when considering treatment options. Gounder said hormone replacement therapy is the most effective treatment for a lot of perimenopausal symptoms, and added, "You really need to sit down and talk to your doctor (to determine) what is the appropriate thing for you." Extended interview: Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to CBS News after U.S. strikes Details from inside the courtroom as Sean "Diddy" Combs jury announced verdict Split verdict in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial | Special Report


CBS News
02-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Certain type of hormone therapy increases breast cancer risk, study finds
Women using a certain type of hormone therapy to treat menopause symptoms could be at higher risk for breast cancer, according to a new study. The study, published Tuesday in The Lancet Oncology, found that estrogen plus progesterone increases the risk of breast cancer in women under 55 with a uterus, while estrogen alone reduces the risk. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, told "CBS Mornings" Wednesday the study participants, all under age 55, were divided into two groups — women who still have their uterus and those who do not, since they require different types of treatment. A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, which may be done for a number of reasons, including abnormal vaginal bleeding, severe pelvic pain, uterine fibroids, severe endometriosis and certain types of cancer. Approximately 600,000 females get hysterectomies in the U.S. each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic. "For the women who do still have a uterus, you have to give estrogen plus progesterone together. Estrogen alone will cause a thickening of the uterine lining, which can cause a different kind of cancer, what we call endometrial cancer. So you have to give the combination," Gounder said. "In women who no longer have a uterus, you can give estrogen alone." And the difference in treatment mattered. "What they found is estrogen alone reduced the risk of breast cancer," she said. "There seems to be a slight increase in risk in breast cancer if you also took progesterone." This research is a "great example of (how) science evolves," Gounder added. It comes after an early 2000s study called the Women's Health Initiative that focused on older women who may not have started hormone replacement therapy until 10 or so years after going through menopause. The study, which raised safety concerns and led to a longtime public misunderstanding around hormone therapy, has since been found problematic in terms of how it was designed. Now healthcare professionals largely consider the treatment option safe and effective. "The newer research is focused on what actually happens in real life, which is women who go through menopause in their 40s or 50s, (and) start treatment around that age," Gounder said. As with most medications, hormone replacement therapy comes with certain risks for some people. The Mayo Clinic notes it can lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots and some cancers. In other cases, however, it can help reduce risk of cancer, prevent bone loss and reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. As the latest study shows, timing and type of hormone therapy can be crucial to potential outcomes, making it important that people consult their doctor and consider family history and other factors when considering treatment options. Gounder said hormone replacement therapy is the most effective treatment for a lot of perimenopausal symptoms, and added, "You really need to sit down and talk to your doctor (to determine) what is the appropriate thing for you."


CBS News
20-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
How climate change is increasing complication risks for pregnant women
Early season heat waves gripping the Central and Southern United States are bringing attention to the health dangers of high temperatures during pregnancy. While extreme heat can be dangerous for anybody, pregnant women are particularly at risk — and according to a report released last week, climate change is making things worse. The analysis, from the nonprofit Climate Central, found that climate change nearly doubled the average number of "pregnancy heat-risk days" — extremely hot days linked to an increased risk of preterm birth — in the U.S. from 2020 to 2024. "These are the days when pregnant women are at increased risk for a number of different complications — so heat stroke, heat exhaustion," Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, said on "CBS Mornings Plus" Tuesday. "If you have these kinds of symptoms in a pregnant woman, it's even more concerning, because you can have other complications like preterm birth." Heat can have such an impact because pregnancy puts major stress on the heart. "You're more likely to get dehydrated during pregnancy. You have an increase in your blood volume during pregnancy, and so being dehydrated, being exposed to extra heat, you're working that much harder to keep yourself and your baby cool," Gounder said. While it's important to be aware of temperatures throughout an entire pregnancy, Gounder said it's especially important during the third trimester, which can be hardest on the body. It's also when the risk of extreme heat causes the most number of complications, she added. Finding ways to stay cool should also be top of mind, Gounder said, especially as resources related to heat safety are being cut. "You're going to have to stay on top of this a whole lot more, because some of the surveillance that was being done by NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), by the CDC, is now being cut by the Trump administration," Gounder said. "That is part of their job — to do the surveillance and let people know and to have those cooling centers open and ready to welcome people." In February, more than 800 employees were dismissed from NOAA, the nation's primary hub for weather and climate information that is considered the authority on forecasting, storm tracking and climate monitoring. The job cuts were part of a federal cost-cutting initiative by the Trump administration and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Also under the DOGE initiative were cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including large agencies like the CDC, the nation's public health agency, which is responsible for protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats, tracking health trends and developing health and safety guidelines. To help stay cool, Gounder suggests not over exerting yourself on hot days, finding a shady place to take breaks when outside and seeking spaces like a public library if you need to cool down further. Sara Moniuszko Sara Moniuszko is a health and lifestyle reporter at Previously, she wrote for USA Today, where she was selected to help launch the newspaper's wellness vertical. She now covers breaking and trending news for CBS News' HealthWatch. contributed to this report.