Latest news with #clinics
CBS News
a day ago
- Health
- CBS News
UPMC among clinics subpoenaed by Department of Justice over gender-affirming care
The U.S. Department of Justice subpoenaed more than 20 doctors and clinics that have been involved in performing gender-affirming care on children. Of those, UPMC has been subpoenaed. According to the Department of Justice, these investigations include healthcare fraud, false statements, and more. They allege that those involved in performing these types of services on children will be held accountable, but it's unclear what specifics are in the subpoenas and what exact medical services were performed. While UPMC did issue a statement, it did not provide further information on the subpoena or whether it's regarding a patient, physician, or something else. "These actions have made it abundantly clear that our clinicians can no longer provide certain types of gender affirming care without risk of criminal prosecution," a UPMC spokesperson told KDKA-TV. "This includes specific restrictions on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for individuals under the age of 19." UPMC said, regardless, they will still perform necessary behavioral health support, and that is within the bounds of the law. This is a developing story, stay with KDKA-TV for the latest
News24
4 days ago
- Health
- News24
Just two visits a year: Longer ARV scripts, shorter clinic lines
'I can plan my life now' — Neliswa Nkwali, living with HIV for 25 years, says 6MMD has brought her freedom from clinic queues. 6MMD (six multi-month dispensing) allows stable HIV patients to collect medication only twice a year, cutting down clinic visits. Western Cape clinics began 6MMD last year, easing pressure on staff and improving retention in care through ARV clubs for stable patients. From August, clinics countrywide will issue patients who are doing well on their ARVs, a six-month supply, twice a year. 6MMD is widespread in Africa and started in the Western Cape last year. How will it work? Health Beat catches up with two Cape clinics. newsletter.
ABC News
24-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Ramsay Health Care set to close psychology clinics across the country within weeks
Australia's largest private hospital operator has moved to close the majority of its psychology clinics, leaving thousands of vulnerable patients facing the prospect of being left without crucial care. In a staff meeting earlier this month, Ramsay Health Care revealed it would shut 17 of its 20 psychology clinics across the country by September. Internal documents sent to staff, obtained by the ABC, state the decision was "not made lightly" and followed a review of the challenges in running a widespread network of clinics, including "rising costs, uneven demand and operational complexity". One psychologist who works for Ramsay Health Care, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she is not authorised to speak publicly, said she was deeply concerned about the impact on patient care. She said patients who were not retained by their current psychologist in a new practice, or picked up by another clinician, would have to find alternative care. "Clients are being left in limbo because they potentially are going to have to wait a month or two to see their regular psychologist if they are continuing on somewhere else, or they're going to have to start all over again," she said. "The more clients are going through revolving doors, eventually, they just give up. "This has been extremely frustrating because I'm trying to advocate for clients and for best client care, but it's like words are falling on deaf ears, they are not taking concerns seriously." Ramsay Health Care is Australia's largest private provider of psychology services, and its clinics see a range of high-risk patients with various mental health conditions, including young children, for conditions like depression or PTSD. The provider also runs separate mental health clinics, however they will not be affected by the change. A briefing note sent to staff said three clinics — in Cairns, Charlestown and Joondalup — would remain open, and it was "exploring the merits" of expanding its existing psychology telehealth services. But the note said Ramsay Health Care was not "stepping away from mental health care". "We remain committed to supporting high-quality, accessible services, whether in hospitals, in communities or online," the note said. "This decision reflects a growing community demand for mental health support that is easy to access, flexible, convenient and connected to other services." A Health Department review into the viability of the private hospital system, commissioned by the Albanese government and published in summary last year, identified declining mental health services as a major issue. It noted the sector had raised concerns about access to private hospital psychiatric services, and the difficulty in attracting and retaining psychiatrists prepared to work in a hospital setting. While the number of Medicare-subsidised psychiatric services increased by almost 20 per cent from 2018-19 to 2021-22, the number of services delivered in a private setting dropped by about 15 per cent over the same time period. Eminent psychiatrist, and former Australian of the Year, Patrick McGorry said there was a "great risk" the clinic closures would see some patients left without care. "We already have this access problem, with only 50 per cent of people who have a need for mental health care able to access it at all, and often after long delays" he said. "This will worsen that situation potentially. "It'll throw more patients potentially back on a public sector that's severely underfunded at a state level and in crisis in several states. "So I think this is not a good signal to be sending to the public." In a statement, Ramsay Health Care said it was reshaping how it delivered community-based mental health support, "to better meet the evolving needs of clients and clinicians". "We understand this change might be unsettling and we are working closely with our psychologists to ensure every client is supported and has continuity of care, whether through our existing and expanded telehealth service or with another trusted provider, depending on what is clinically appropriate," a spokeswoman said. "This change is part of Ramsay's broader strategy to strengthen how we deliver high-quality, accessible and connected care across hospital, home and virtual settings."
Tahawul Tech
18-07-2025
- Health
- Tahawul Tech
drone project Archives
Across hospitals, clinics, and health tech labs from Abu Dhabi to Zimbabwe, AI is not just making inroads; it's redrawing the entire map of medicine.
New York Times
16-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Upended by Meth, Some Communities Are Paying Users to Quit
Jamie Mains showed up for her checkup so high that there was no point in pretending otherwise. At least she wasn't shooting fentanyl again; medication was suppressing those cravings. Now it was methamphetamine that manacled her, keeping her from eating, sleeping, thinking straight. Still, she could not stop injecting. 'Give me something that's going to help me with this,' she begged her doctor. 'There is nothing,' the doctor replied. Overcoming meth addiction has become one of the biggest challenges of the national drug crisis. Fentanyl deaths have been dropping, in part because of medications that can reverse overdoses and curb the urge to use opioids. But no such prescriptions exist for meth, which works differently on the brain. In recent years, meth, a highly addictive stimulant, has been spreading aggressively across the country, rattling communities and increasingly involved in overdoses. Lacking a medical treatment, a growing number of clinics are trying a startlingly different strategy: To induce patients to stop using meth, they pay them. The approach has been around for decades, but most clinics were uneasy about adopting it because of its bluntly transactional nature. Patients typically come in twice a week for a urine drug screen. If they test negative, they are immediately handed a small reward: a modest store voucher, a prize or debit card cash. The longer they abstain from use, the greater the rewards, with a typical cumulative value of nearly $600. The programs, which usually last three to six months, operate on the principle of positive reinforcement, with incentives intended to encourage repetition of desired behavior — somewhat like a parent who permits a child to stay up late as a reward for good grades. Research shows that the approach, known in addiction treatment as 'contingency management,' or CM, produces better outcomes for stimulant addiction than counseling or cognitive behavioral therapy. Follow-up studies of patients a year after they successfully completed programs show that about half remained stimulant-free. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
