State Highlights: Deputies Didn’t Have Keys For S.C. Women Who Died During Flooding While Locked In Van, Lawyers Say; Harvard Receives Largest Gift In Medical School’s History

Media outlets report on news from South Carolina, Massachusetts, Oregon, Tennessee, Wisconsin, California, Ohio, Texas and Kansas.

The Associated Press: Lawyers: Cops Didn't Have Key As Women Drowned In Police Van

Two women drowned in the back of a locked cage while being taken for involuntary commitment to a mental hospital because the police van they were in took an unsafe route and rolled over, and deputies lacked a key or bolt cutters to get them out, a lawyer for one of the women's families told South Carolina lawmakers Thursday. The deputies, who drove around barricades and a manned checkpoint and ignored the safer route they had been given to avoid floodwaters from Hurricane Florence, bear plenty of responsibility for the deaths of Wendy Newton and Nicolette Green, said Tommy Brittain, a lawyer for Newton's family. (Collins, 11/8)

The Associated Press: Harvard Medical School Receives 'Transformational' Gift

Harvard has received a $200 million gift that officials say is the largest in its medical school's 236-year history. The gift announced Thursday is from Len Blavatnik and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Officials say the gift will allow the medical school to accelerate research and develop new tools to diagnose, prevent and treat disease. (11/8)

The Oregonian: Portland Mental Health Center Cleared Of Federal, State Investigation

Portland's main psychiatric center is in the clear from federal and state scrutiny as of this week. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified Unity Center for Behavioral Health on Wednesday night that it had made all the necessary improvements after nearly a year of oversight for severe and persistent safety problems. The Oregon Health Authority, on behalf of the federal government, had issued two damning reports with findings that included at least two preventable patient deaths and patient-on-patient sexual assaults. Other issues included patients harming themselves and escaping the center. (Harbarger, 11/8)

Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Is Getting A New 76-Bed Mental Health Hospital

As Nashville continues to struggle with an overwhelming need for mental health care, state officials have approved plans for a new behavioral health facility in the city’s Metro Center area. The 76-bed hospital, a joint venture from Saint Thomas Health and Acadia Healthcare, is expected to open in 2020, according to a new release issued on Thursday. The facility will include 40 adult psychiatric beds, providing inpatient care and substance abuse services, and 36 geriatric psychiatric beds, the release said. (Kelman, 11/8)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Health Care Prices In Milwaukee, Green Bay Well Above National Average

Different studies over the years have shown that health care prices in the Milwaukee area are higher than those in other markets. The Health Care Cost Institute now has an estimate on just how much higher. Its estimate: Milwaukee's prices are 17 percent above the national average. (Boulton, 11/8)

The Associated Press: 1 Death Linked To Ongoing Turkey Salmonella Outbreak

Federal health officials on Thursday reported the first death in an ongoing salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkey. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the death was in California but didn't have any immediate details. Since last November, the agency said 164 people have fallen ill in 35 states, with the most recent case being reported on Oct. 20. (11/8)

Cincinnati Enquirer: WalletHub: Ohioans Have 12th Worst Weight Problem In U.S.

Ohio – you can stand to lose a few poundsThat's the message WalletHub relayed as it ranked the state as the 12th highest obesity and overweight problem in the U.S. And the findings from WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez are grim. (Pugh, 11/8)

East Oregonian: Boardman Health Clinic Seeks To Open Center In Pendleton

The empty office building at the former site of St. Anthony Hospital could become home to a new Pendleton health clinic. Columbia River Community Health Services, Boardman, is looking to buy and renovate the three-story building with the help of a Community Development Block Grant from Business Oregon. The county board of commissioners voted 3-0 at its meeting Wednesday in Pendleton for the county to serve as the grant applicant. Columbia River Health also runs Umatilla County’s school-based health center. (Wright, 11/8)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Tech Child Psychiatry Hub Opens In Midland

The children’s and adolescent psychiatry hub in Midland is open for business. Officials from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, the Midland Development Corp., Midland Health and the city of Midland cut the ribbon Thursday on a new facility in central Midland. The ceremony also served as an acknowledgment of a partnership that could impact as many as 9,000 children and adolescents in West Texas every year. (Doreen, 11/8)

KCUR: Most Kansas City Area Hospitals Do Well In A New Patient Safety Report

Seven of 20 Kansas City area hospitals got A’s in patient safety, according to a new report, while nine got B’s and four got C’s. The grades were assigned by The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that twice a year rates 2,600 general acute-care hospitals across the country on patient safety measures. The 28 performance measures include handwashing practices, blood infections and patient falls. Leapfrog uses the measures to come up with a single letter grade ranging from A to F, meant to show how effective a hospital is in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors. (Margolies, 11/9)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Future Cloudy For Shriners Hospital Cincinnati As Funding, Cases Slide

Local hospital officials declined to discuss the future of the 30-bed hospital, one of 22 in the national Shriners network. But the push to lower-cost outpatient facilities is forcing Shriners to re-evaluate how to deliver care, national Shriners spokesman Mel Bower said In a statement Thursday. Bower did not have any details on what happens next. (Saker, 11/9)

Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Health Director Bill Paul Is Stepping Down — Six Months Early

Nashville’s longtime director of health announced Thursday that he will be stepping down next month — six months earlier than previously expected. Dr. Bill Paul, who has lead the Metro Public Health Department since 2007, was expected to leave the position when his current contract expired in July of next year. A news release issued Thursday said Paul will instead leave the job on Dec. 14. No explanation for Paul’s departure was provided in the statement. Paul did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to a department spokesman. (Kelman, 11/8)

Austin American-Statesman: Austin-Based Medici Acquires Health Care Messaging Company

Five months ago, Austin-based tech company Medici raised $22 million for expansion. Now the company is putting some of that investment to work by acquiring fellow medical communication company DocbookMD, which is also based in Austin. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. (Hawkins, 11/8)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription