Stories written by Sean Price

Medicare Recouping COVID-19 Loans - 09/26/2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently began automatic recoupment of advance payments it made to practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency announced.   The Accelerated and Advance Payment Program increased cash flow to Medicare physicians and health care professionals af

Governor Declares State of Disaster for Texas on COVID-19 - 09/25/2024

Gov. Greg Abbott escalated Texas' response to the COVID-19 pandemic by declaring a “state of disaster” for all 254 counties Friday, a move that allows state agencies to focus their efforts on the emergency and gives state and local health authorities increased authority to act.    “The state of Texa

Encourage Recovered COVID-19 Patients to Donate Plasma - 09/24/2024

Convalescent plasma  is a promising treatment being developed for COVID-19. But assuming it works – and that’s still a big question – more plasma is needed from people who have recovered, says Susan N. Rossmann, MD, chief medical officer of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center in Houston. “For tre

Encourage Patients to Donate COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma - 09/24/2024

 Photo: Getty Images   Although no drugs have been proven safe and effective for treating COVID-19, convalescent plasma  is one of the most promising treatment options being studied. But there’s a catch: Blood banks don’t have enough plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to treat cu

DSHS Report: COVID Vaccines Dramatically Prevent Infection and Deaths - 09/24/2024

Texas physicians have strongly encouraged patients  to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and a new report  from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has confirmed why that advice is sound.  As of mid-January, of the nearly 29,000 Texans who have died from COVID-19-related illnes

COVID-19 Will Not Affect Public Charge Status for Immigrant Patients - 09/24/2024

If you care for immigrant patients who are affected by the "public charge" rule – which limits access to green cards for immigrants who receive Medicaid and other public benefits – remind them they can seek all types of medical care for COVID-19 without jeopardizing their immigration status, according to a state

COVID-19 Vaccine, Treatment Drug Offer Hope for Treating Patients - 09/23/2024

The effort to combat COVID-19 appeared to take two important steps this week. On Monday, Pfizer and the German company BioNTech announced an early analysis of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate showed 90% fewer symptomatic cases in the group who received the vaccine compared with those who received the placeb

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Should Include Effective Communication, TMA Tells State - 09/23/2024

State health officials must ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed effectively and efficiently, particularly early on when supplies are limited, and ensure that they are seen as trusted tools in the fight against the illness.  That was the message Monday from Dallas public health physician John Ca

COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts Reaching More Texans, Health Officials Say - 09/23/2024

COVID-19 vaccination efforts are gaining ground in Texas and will continue to improve, but an ongoing shortage of doses hampers the state’s efforts to vaccinate nearly 30 million residents, the state’s top public health official told the Texas Medical Association’s Winter Conference  Saturday. “The bigg

COVID-19 Surge Revives Need for Awareness on Monoclonal Antibody Treatments - 09/23/2024

  With COVID-19 cases spiking again across Texas, public health officials are urging physicians to acquaint themselves with the criteria for patients who can receive monoclonal antibody therapy.  “We’re hearing from our regions and local health departments

County Society Exec “Literally Meeting With People in Parking Lots” to Get PPE for Physicians - 09/23/2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the international market for personal protective equipment (PPE) into chaos. So physicians across Texas have found they have to go big or go home when it comes to obtaining those critical supplies. Companies selling masks are either ignoring small, private orders from indivi

County Medical Societies Take A Bite Out of PPE Shortfall - 09/23/2024

  Gwendolyn A. Quintana, (center) a third-year medical student headed up the PPE drive in Bexar County.  For the medical community, the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic have been defined by shortages: testing shortages, ventilator shortages, and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages. W

Cases Up, Deaths Down; What’s Going On With COVID-19 in Texas? - 09/23/2024

Physicians get asked about COVID-19 all the time, and many questions are tough to answer, particularly because so many things about the disease are still unknown.  But after looking at some recent trends, Texas Medicine Today  staff had a few questions of our own.  For example, since late Ma

Biden Vaccine Mandate Plan Mostly Excludes Small Medical Practices - 09/23/2024

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden introduced a six-point plan  that mandates COVID-19 vaccines for millions of Americans. Many details of the plan are still being developed as specific regulations are written, but at least one aspect of the plan is clear: The vaccination mandate for “over 17 million h

As Delta Variant Spreads Among Young Texans, Interest in Vaccines Increases - 09/20/2024

Texas’ third surge in COVID-19 – fueled by the fast-spreading delta variant – is making young people sick in record numbers.  That tragic uptick has many parents reassessing their attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines, says Gary Floyd, MD, a pediatric emergency department physician in Keller and president-e

Texas Physicians Propose Mass Violence Prevention Strategies - 09/20/2024

How should Texas address the incidents of mass violence that have rocked the state in recent years? Physicians laid out medicine’s priorities before a special committee of the Texas House of Representatives late last week. The hearing  of the House Select Committee on Mass Violence Prevention and Comm

DSHS Seeks More Funding for Lab, Fighting Maternal Deaths - 09/19/2024

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is asking state lawmakers for new or “exceptional” funding to help the agency tackle several important health concerns facing the state, according to Commissioner John Hellerstedt, MD.

Get Up to Date on New Fetal Death Reporting in Texas - 09/19/2024

Currently, Texas physicians must report fetal deaths on paper forms. But beginning Aug. 1, those records will be filed electronically to the Texas Electronic Vital Events Registrar, also called TxEVER. To help physicians prepare for the transition, the Texas Department of State Health Services will host a physician-only webinar from 6:30 to 7:30 pm July 30.

Talk to Patients About: Varicella - 09/19/2024

The varicella-zoster virus  does double-duty: It can cause chickenpox when you’re young and reactivate later in life as a painful, blistery rash called shingles. Well, there’s a vaccine for each disease.

Talk to Patients About: Rubella - 09/19/2024

The virus that causes rubella often appears deceptively mild — so mild in fact that one-quarter to half of people infected with it will have no symptoms at all, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vaccination is the best protection.

Capital Gains: Attracting Investors Without Losing Independence - 09/19/2024

Can physicians line up venture capital without letting go of their independence? It’s not so easy.

Spread of Travel-Related Illnesses Tracks Increase in International Travel - 09/17/2024

As international travel has picked up, so too has the spread of travel-related infectious diseases and physicians' responsibility to more thoroughly investigate patients' travel plans and history during visits.

Talk to Patients About: Breakthrough Infections for COVID-19 Vaccinations - 09/13/2024

 The new mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 are highly effective at giving people immunity against the disease. But as with all other vaccines, that immunity is not 100% for everyone who receives them.  

Suicide Risk in Kids With Adverse Childhood Experiences Exacerbated by Pandemic - 09/13/2024

Suicide and suicidal thoughts among high school students who have accumulated adverse childhood experiences became a concern among health care professionals before 2020. But the “social and educational disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated concerns about adolescents’ mental health and suicidal behavior,” according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Class Care: School-Based Health Centers Deliver Care to At-Risk Youth - 08/27/2024

School-based health centers in Texas deliver physical and behavioral care to at-risk youth.