Safety, quality and clinical practice
Global penicillin shortages are bringing back old diseases, and creating new, deadlier ones | Quartz
Due to penicillin shortages, people around the world are suffering from rheumatic heart disease and other illnesses. In the U.S., Pfizer, which is the only manufacturer of benzathine penicillin G, the antibiotic used to treat syphilis, has had trouble meeting demand because of "manufacturing delays."
Planned Parenthood to close four Iowa clinics after cuts | The New York Times
Iowa's Republican Governor Terry Branstad backed the measure that prohibits public money from going to organizations that provide abortions. As a result, Planned Parenthood will close four of its 12 clinics in Iowa.
'An embarrassment': U.S. health care far from the top in global study | The Washington Post
The U.S. scored low on a healthcare quality index. The top country on the list was Andorra, and the bottom was the Central African Republic.
Information technology
Public health labs to get help sharing Zika test data electronically | Health Data Management
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are joining to facilitate the electronic transmission of laboratory data from Zika virus tests. With the system in place, public health laboratories will be able to connect to providers' electronic health records.
Partners HealthCare launches 10-year project to boost AI use | Healthcare IT News
Partners Healthcare will collaborate with GE Healthcare to develop deep-learning and A.I. technologies to boost productivity and improve patient outcomes.
After WannaCry, Senators float bill to stop US cyber weapon stockpiling | Healthcare IT News
Democratic and Republic senators introduced the Protecting Our Ability to Counter Hacking Act earlier this week, an attempt to stave off leaks of hacking tools like the one used in the Wanna Decryptor (a.k.a. WannaCry) ransomware that recently hit companies and healthcare systems around the world.
In other news
Region in brain found to be associated with fear of uncertain future | Science Daily
A large striatum may have something to do with people's struggles to deal with uncertainty, a new study found. The area of the brain has been associated with general anxiety disorder.
