Hello Colorado!
This week I want to start the newsletter off by showing you a preview of a project The Denver Post has coming from one of our photojournalists, RJ Sangosti. RJ spent many months following families in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood of Denver as they struggle with asthma. The families, who live near the Central 70 expansion project, are concerned their asthma will be made worse by the construction.
The full story, called The Long Shadow, will be published Sunday. But you can read and watch the preview here.
FTC OK’s 4.3 billion takeover of DaVita’s medical group
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has approved the $4.3 billion acquisition of DaVita Medical Group, a subsidiary of the Denver-based dialysis provider Davita Inc. The FTC approved the deal, which was first announced in December 2017, with a 4-0 vote.
Before the FTC’s vote, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a complaint related to anti-competitive concerns about the effect the merger with Optum, a health services company, will have on the health care market in Colorado Springs. DaVita Medical Group is a physicians network that serves about 1.7 million patients in six states, including Colorado.
Read more here.
ICYMI: More than 60 patients file lawsuit against Porter Adventist Hospital
- If you haven’t already, read the story The Denver Post published about the more than 60 patients who are suing the Denver hospital over a breach in sterilization procedures. The lawsuit claims Porter’s failure to properly sterilize equipment led to “hundreds of severe infections” and at least one death.
- Also, read the story about the patients who said they became sick after their surgeries at Porter.
Health must-reads:
- Four nursing homes in Colorado appeared on a list of facilities that have documented patterns of poor care — from filthy conditions to physical abuse — for their residents.
- Denver’s latest health trend involves a needle and an IV bag — and a company behind it is growing.
- More than 23,000 containers of baby formula were recalled for concerns that they may contain “metal foreign matter.”
- Children in Colorado are more likely than kids in other states to die before their 18th birthdays, according to a new report.
- About one in every six times someone is cared for in the emergency room or checks into a hospital, they get a “surprise” medical bill, according to a new study.
Here’s what I’m reading:
- As rural health care facilities close, patients turn to infrequent and free clinics — The Washington Post
- Humans are living longer — are their life spans long enough? — The Atlantic
- An executive order from the White House is expected to make more health care prices public — The New York Times
- In 2018, opioid prescriptions fell 14 percent in Colorado as doctors pull pack from the pills — CPR
- A case in which insurance companies say the federal government owes them Obamacare payments will go to the U.S. Supreme Court — Politico
Have a story tip or other feedback? Email me at jseaman@denverpost.com. You can also follow me on Twitter at @JessicaSeaman. And don’t forget to become a subscriber to The Post!
See you in two weeks
— Jessica