NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Scholten Launches Health Care Advisory Board Amid Alarming Attacks on Health Care

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – Michigan

    GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI03) announced the formation of her new Health Care Advisory Board, bringing together a group of health leaders from across West Michigan for a roundtable conversation focused on protecting access to care, advancing medical innovation, and confronting looming federal health care cuts to Medicaid, health care research, and more.

    “The Health Care Advisory Board is the next step in my ongoing partnership with health care providers throughout West Michigan—one that brings together some of the most innovative and compassionate health care minds in the country who serve right here in West Michigan,” said Rep. Scholten. “At a time when leaders in Washington are pushing dangerous cuts that would kneecap our ability to prevent illness, fight disease, make progress on cancer research and save lives, I am fighting back–with my vote in Washington, and my voice back home here in West Michigan. I will keep engaging to ensure our region remains a leader in health care innovation and access.”

    The roundtable today convened a broad coalition of regional medical leaders who represent institutions ranging from major medical centers to community clinics, federally qualified health centers, and individual family practices across urban and rural settings. The Advisory Board will serve as a long-term partner to Rep. Scholten, helping shape her health policy work in Washington and ensuring that the voices of health care professionals and patients across West Michigan are front and center in the fight for equitable, accessible care. 

    The launch comes at a critical moment. Proposed cuts to health care will slash nearly a third of the federal health budget, including a 40% cut to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as a 40% cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reducing its 27 research centers to just eight. The Department of Health and Human Services also plans to cut 10,000 employees from the workforce. Additionally, an upcoming May 7 mark-up in the House will look to cut $880 billion from the Energy and Commerce budget, which covers Medicaid. 

    Rep. Scholten emphasized her interest in supporting safe and accessible innovation and reiterated her commitment to bringing local insights back to Congress.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Podiatrist prescribers will increase access to medicines

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Regulations that will soon allow podiatrists to prescribe certain medicines have been approved, giving patients with painful foot and leg conditions better access to healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.
    “Enabling podiatrists to be able to prescribe medicines is all part of our Government’s commitment to ensuring Kiwis have access to timely, quality healthcare in their communities,” Mr Brown says.
    “Podiatrists play a critical role in managing a range of conditions affecting feet and lower limbs, including symptoms of chronic health conditions like diabetes, which impact many New Zealanders.
    “New regulations will give podiatrists the authority to prescribe medicines relating to their role, enabling patients to have more direct access to the medicines for these conditions.
    “This means podiatrists will join other health professions that have designated prescriber rights, including specially trained nurses, dieticians, and pharmacists. Medicines will include some oral painkillers and oral antibiotics, and some topical antifungals, topical steroids, and local anaesthetics.
    “Podiatrists usually work in community and rural settings. They are particularly important for helping manage diabetes or health conditions of older people, as people with diabetes and older people are vulnerable to nerve and circulation problems, both of which can lead to foot and leg sores and infections.
    “These changes will allow podiatrists to prescribe medicines directly, so patients can access the treatments they need without requiring extra GP appointments for the same condition.
    “The Government has also recently announced changes to prescriber regulations to give nurse practitioners and other professions increased prescribing rights within their scope of practice.
    “By expanding access to medicines and enabling health professionals to get on with their jobs, we can make it easier and quicker for people to get the care they need in their communities, closer to home,” Mr Brown says.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wicker, Rosen Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address Physician Shortage in Rural Areas

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Jackie Rosen, D-N.V., introduced a bill to help increase the number of specialist doctors and other medical specialists in rural communities. The bipartisan Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care (SPARC) Act would tackle the shortage of physicians in rural communities by creating a student loan repayment program for specialist physicians and other specialist medical professionals practicing in rural areas. Mississippi, especially rural areas, face severe physician shortages and is among the most medically underserved states within the United States.
    Click here for bill text.  
    “The entire nation is dealing with a physician shortage, and rural communities in Mississippi have been particularly affected. Congress can help provide a solution,” said Senator Wicker. “The SPARC Act would offer targeted incentives to medical professionals who choose to work in underserved towns and cities. I believe this bill will encourage providers to bring their services to areas that need them most.”
    “Nevada’s shortage of medical professionals is jeopardizing the ability of families to get the care they need — especially in our rural communities,” said Senator Rosen. “We need new solutions to bring more physicians to all parts of our state, which is why I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to create a student loan repayment program for specialist physicians practicing in rural areas. I’ll keep working to address the medical provider shortage crisis Nevada is facing.” 
    “As the only academic medical center and the largest health system in a rural state, the University of Mississippi Medical Center supports measures that increase access to health care for all Mississippians. The SPARC Act would be an effective tool to encourage more skilled physicians to establish specialty-medicine practices in rural Mississippi communities. UMMC’s overall mission is to foster a healthier Mississippi, and should this bill pass and be enacted, it will help us move closer to that goal,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of UMMC.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor honors fallen workers with national Workers Memorial Day program April 24

    Source: US Department of Labor

    The U.S. Department of Labor will honor workers whose jobs have claimed their lives during its national Workers Memorial Day program on April 24, 2025. 

    The department will welcome families traveling from across the country to the nation’s capital for the program, which pays tribute to men and women who have lost their lives while on the job, as well as all the fallen workers before them, and the survivors who remain to grieve and carry on.

    Today, work-related injuries in the U.S. claim about 15 people’s lives a day. In 2023, a reported 5,283 workers  suffered fatal injuries, a decrease of 203 worker deaths from 2022.

    U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Occupational Safety and Health Administration Acting Assistant Secretary Amanda Wood Laihow, and Mine Safety and Health Administration Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy James Paul McHugh will speak during this year’s Workers Memorial Day ceremony, which will be held at the department’s Washington headquarters at 1 p.m. EDT. The event will also be livestreamed. 

    Workers Memorial Day is observed on April 28 with local observances across the country that bring together workers, families, and unions in a shared commitment to preventing workplace hazards so that every worker can return home safely at the end of the day. 

    April 28 also marks a significant milestone in workplace safety – the anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration – which opened its doors in 1971 following the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. 

    Every worker has the right to a safe and healthy workplace. Ensuring workers’ well-being is a shared responsibility that demands ongoing collaboration among employers, labor unions, safety professionals, and workers. Reinforcing workplace protections and promoting a strong safety culture helps prevent tragedies and builds a future where every job is a safe, family-sustaining one.

    Learn more about Workers Memorial Day events nationwide.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Move more, think sharper: How physical activity boosts brain health in ageing

    Source:

    22 April 2025

    A brisk walk, a splash of water aerobics, or even a light jog around the block – if your heart rate goes up then so too will your brain health according to new research from the University of South Australia.

    Conducted in partnership with the US-based AdventHealth Research Institute, the new study found that staying active through moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with significantly better processing speed, working memory, and executive function in older adults.

    Interestingly, the biggest cognitive gains were seen among people who went from doing no moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, to even doing just five minutes, clearly illustrating the power of exercise for the human brain.

    Assessing data from 585 older adults (aged 65-80 years) in the USA-based IGNITE trial*, the study examined associations between time spent in sleep, sedentary behaviour, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity across the 24-hr day, and cognitive performance.

    Researchers identified a two-way relationship between ‘huff-and-puff’ physical activity and brain health: do more exercise and your brain health improves; but do less and it declines.

    UniSA researcher, Dr Maddison Mellow says the study highlights how small changes to your daily activities can have big impacts on your brain health.

    “There are three mutually exclusive lifestyle behaviours in the 24-hour day – sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity – and how these interact to influence our health outcomes,” Dr Mellow says.

    “For example, we know that being more active can improve our sleep; or having a better night’s sleep could boost our energy levels to perform physical activity the next day. But what we don’t know is the optimal balance of time spent in each of these behaviours to maximise cognitive performance.

    “In this study we explored how different uses of time impact your brain. We found that higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity – that is, activity performed at higher intensities that increases your heart rate and breathing – was related to better cognitive performance.

    “Specifically, ‘huff-and-puff’ physical activity (like aerobic exercise) improves processing speed (how fast your brain thinks), executive function (how well you plan, focus, and multitask) and working memory (your ability to store information for short periods of time).

    “Importantly, the opposite was also true: lower levels of this higher intensity physical activity were related to poorer performance on these tests.”

    The findings were consistent across different genetic and demographic backgrounds. Interestingly, the findings did not extend to episodic memory (the what, where and when details of an event) or visuospatial function outcomes (your ability to recognise places and navigate through spaces).

    Co-researcher, Dr Audrey Collins, says understanding the interplay between different activities could empower older people to make positive health changes.

    “There are only 24 hours in a day, so every day, we make decisions about how we spend our time. For example, if we sleep for eight hours, then there’s 16 hours remaining for waking behaviours like physical activity or sedentary behaviour; that’s the basic reality,” Dr Collins says.

    “Our results show that how we choose to spend our time across the 24-hour day may be differentially related to our brain health.

    “Understanding that we need to prioritise physical activity – such as physical activity that gets our heart rates up, according to our findings – is the key.

    “With one in six people in the world expected to be 60 years or older by 2030, we need to make sure we are supporting and empowering people to age well.

    “In this instance, we hope that knowledge is power: boost your physical activity and boost your brain health to stay fit and well as you age. However, these results are cross-sectional and need to be tested longitudinally and experimentally.”

    Notes for editors:

    * The IGNITE study was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), University of Kansas Medical Center (Kansas City, KS), and Northeastern University (Boston, MA) and involved a large, well-characterised sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults. Participants were, on average, 69.8 years of age, predominantly female (70%), and self-reported as inactive.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contacts for interview:  Dr Maddison Mellow E: Maddison.Mellow@unisa.edu.au

    Dr Audrey Collins E: CFD.ExternalComm@adventhealth.com
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489  E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Pharmaceutical Company Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Distribution of $60 Million in Diverted HIV Drugs

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – Adam Brosius, 60 of Delray Beach, pleaded guilty in connection with his role in a nationwide scheme to unlawfully distribute misbranded and adulterated HIV drugs to unsuspecting patients.

    According to court documents, Brosius was a part owner of Safe Chain Solutions LLC (“Safe Chain”), a wholesale distributor of pharmaceuticals based in Cambridge, Maryland, that purported to sell legitimate prescription drugs to pharmacies throughout the country, including expensive HIV medication. 

    In connection with his guilty plea, Brosius admitted that he and his co-conspirators illegally acquired HIV drugs that had been diverted from the regulated pharmaceutical distribution chain by various means.  One common method of prescription drug diversion involved buying bottles of supposed prescription HIV medication from individuals on the street, repackaging and relabeling the bottles, and then reselling the drugs to Safe Chain at steeply discounted prices with falsified documentation concealing the drugs’ true origin.  Brosius and his co-conspirators were notified of the false documentation accompanying these drugs but continued purchasing the steeply discounted HIV drugs and reselling them to pharmacy customers, which dispensed the diverted drugs to unsuspecting patients.  According to court documents, at times patients received bottles labeled as their prescription medication but which contained a different drug entirely, with one patient passing out and remaining unconscious for 24 hours after taking an anti-psychotic drug thinking it was his prescribed HIV medication.

    Sentencing is set for August 29, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale before United States District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.  Brosius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Miami Regional Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

    Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian of the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case. 

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20255.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Promoting Work Zone Safety Statewide

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul is promoting work zone safety by urging all drivers to slow down, stay alert and follow New York State’s Move Over Law to protect roadside workers and other motorists. As construction season kicks into high gear statewide, these efforts highlight National Work Zone Awareness Week — which is celebrated from April 21-25, 2025 — and the national theme: “Respect the zone so we all get home.”

    “Every roadside worker deserves to return home safely at the end of their shift,” Governor Hochul said. “We’re asking all drivers to do their part by reducing speed, eliminating distractions and staying vigilant in work zones so that our hard-working and dedicated roadside workers are safe. A few extra seconds of your time and attention can save a life.”

    In 2024, there were more than 156 crashes in Thruway work zones resulting in one fatality and 30 injuries. Distracted driving, following too closely, an unsafe lane change or disregarding traffic warning signs caused the majority of the crashes. In addition, two Thruway Authority employees died and another was seriously injured in separate incidents while working on the New York State Thruway. In its 70-plus year history, 22 Thruway employees have been killed while on the job.

    In 2024, there were 322 intrusions in New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) work zones. These intrusions resulted in the deaths of two drivers who entered the work zones and 138 additional injuries to highway workers and the traveling public. A total of 58 members of the NYSDOT family have died on the job across New York State, dating as far back as 1939.

    Throughout National Work Zone Awareness Week, the New York State Thruway Authority and NYSDOT will be hosting awareness events, lighting digital highway signs with safety messages and sharing important safety reminders on social media platforms. In addition — at the direction of Governor Hochul — State landmarks will be illuminated in orange on Wednesday, April 23 in recognition of Go Orange Day. Drivers are encouraged to:

    • Slow down when approaching work zones.
    • Move over for all stopped vehicles including roadside workers, emergency responders and disabled vehicles.
    • Stay off phones and avoid other distractions while driving.
    • Follow posted signs and flagger instructions.

    This April also marks two years since the launch of the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement (AWZSE) pilot program. The pilot program was established by legislation enacted into law by Governor Hochul in 2021 which authorized a five-year pilot program run as a joint effort by NYSDOT and the Thruway Authority to enhance the State’s ongoing efforts to slow motorists down in work zones and make New York’s highways safer.

    More than 425,000 Notices of Liability have been issued statewide, with over 38,000 repeat offenders since the AWZSE program began issuing Notices of Liability in May 2023. In locations where the cameras have been present more than once, fewer Notices of Liability are being issued, meaning that people are slowing down when cameras are present.

    Fines through the pilot program are issued as follows:

    • First Notice of Liability: $50 fine
    • Second Notice of Liability: $75 fine if within an 18-month period of first violation
    • Third and Subsequent Notices of Liability: $100 fine if within an 18-month period of first violation

    To further protect the workers who build and maintain roads and bridges, Governor Hochul proposed making the AWZSE pilot program permanent and increasing penalties for repeat violators in her Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget, in addition to expanding the program to include Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels and New York State Bridge Authority properties. Additionally, the Governor suggested enhancing penalties for assaults against transportation workers, extending protections similar to those provided to many MTA and retail workers. These actions will improve safety for both workers and drivers.

    Beginning with National Work Zone Awareness Week and continuing through the construction season, the New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies will once again be conducting “Operation Hardhat” details to enforce vehicle and traffic laws in highway work zones. Under “Operation Hardhat,” State Troopers or local police officers are dressed as highway maintenance workers in active NYSDOT or Thruway work zones across New York, identifying and citing motorists for several violations, including disobeying flagging personnel, speeding through work zones, cell phone and seatbelt use, and/or violations of the State’s Move Over law. Last year 2,755 tickets were issued by State Police and participating law enforcement agencies during 62 deployments across the State.

    The New York State Department of Transportation and Thruway Authority have produced new videos encouraging motorists to move over in work zones. See the NYSDOT video here and Thruway Authority video here.

    To celebrate “Go Orange Day” and to commemorate National Work Zone Awareness Week, the following New York State landmarks will be lit orange on Wednesday, April 23:

    • Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
    • Kosciuszko Bridge
    • The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
    • State Education Building
    • Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
    • Empire State Plaza
    • State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
    • Niagara Falls
    • The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
    • Albany International Airport Gateway
    • MTA LIRR – East End Gateway at Penn Station
    • Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
    • Moynihan Train Hall

    The New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA) is observing Work Zone Awareness Week by conducting a “road show” at each of its five vehicular spans. Each day will consist of a meeting with staff, followed by a meeting with local stakeholders and first responders to discuss safety concerns, explore opportunities for collaboration, and share information about NYSBA’s upcoming construction season. Additionally, the necklace lights on the Mid-Hudson Bridge will be illuminated in orange in honor of “Go Orange Day” to promote work zone safety.

    New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “Each day, roadside workers risk their lives to enhance the safety of the roads we all rely on. It’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure they can perform their jobs safely and return to their families after their shifts. Drivers need to remain alert and reduce their speed in work zones. Let’s show our appreciation for the dedicated men and women who keep our roads operating safely.”

    New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Our dedicated highway maintenance and construction workers routinely work in hazardous conditions so that the rest of us can get where we need to go, safely. They have families, friends and loved ones who love them and depend on them. We owe them all a debt of gratitude and paying back that debt begins with keeping them safe. I appreciate Governor Hochul’s continuing efforts to protect our workers so remember, every driver has a role to play — during National Work Zone Awareness Week and throughout the year – that is why I urge all motorists to put down your phones, slow down, and pay attention, especially in work zones. Lives are at stake.”

    New York State Bridge Authority Executive Director Dr. Minosca Alcantara said, “This week serves as an important reminder that work zone safety is a shared responsibility for everyone who travels on our state’s roadways. In recognition of this, the Bridge Authority is bringing together staff and local leaders at each of our five vehicular bridges to reinforce our partnerships and collective commitment to protecting employees working in construction zones. By remaining vigilant and looking out for our work crews, we help ensure that our staff return home safely to their loved ones—and that all travelers experience a safer journey.”

    New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “Highway workers, law enforcement officers and other emergency responders, work in a dangerous environment and risk their lives to keep the traveling public safe. They should be able to do their jobs without fear of harm and go home to their families at the end of each workday. It is important that motorists are aware of their responsibility to slow down, move over and put electronic devices away.”

    New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “As someone who spends a lot of time on the road driving across New York, I cannot understate my appreciation for the men and women who work to maintain the safety of those roads. We must all mind the rules of the road, and especially the rules of the work zone, to ensure that everyone on both sides of the cones and barricades are safe at all times.”

    State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “This National Work Zone Awareness Week is a reminder for drivers to slow down, drive safely, and obey the rules of the road. Our highway employees work hard every day to improve our roads and get drivers where they need to go, and it’s only right that we work to keep them safe while on the job. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul, the Thruway Authority and NYSDOT for their continued partnership to keep all New Yorkers safe on the road.”

    Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli said, “Work Zone safety continues to be a priority for me as Chair of the Transportation Committee. In 2021, I was proud to sponsor and get passed into law legislation creating a pilot program for the use of speed cameras in work zones. There is no excuse for speeding and reckless driving in work zones. Our workers deserve a safe working environment and to safely go home to their families at the end of their shifts.”

    Associated General Contractors of New York State President and CEO Mike Elmendorf said, “Work zone safety isn’t just a one-week concern—it’s a year-round priority. As construction season ramps up, we urge all drivers: stay alert, slow down, and move over in work zones. Every day, highway workers and flaggers face serious risks from speeding and distracted drivers. That’s why New York’s work zone speed camera program is critical — it saves lives and must be made permanent and expanded. The recent rise in assaults on transportation workers makes it even more urgent to strengthen legal protections for those building and maintaining our infrastructure. AGC NYS is proud to partner with Governor Hochul and NYSDOT to create safer roads for workers and drivers alike. We applaud the Governor’s Executive Budget proposals to make the speed camera program permanent and close legal loopholes that leave workers vulnerable. Now, the Legislature must act to protect the men and women who keep New York moving.”

    New York State American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations President Mario Cliento said, “In just a few days, we will mark Workers Memorial Day to honor those who lost their lives on the job. As leaders move closer to finalizing the state budget, we have a unique opportunity to improve worker safety with new work zone protections and traffic laws. No worker should fear for their life while performing their job, and no family should have to grieve the loss of a loved one due to preventable and entirely avoidable roadway incidents. We thank Governor Hochul for prioritizing worker safety, and we look forward to working with her on protecting the workforce that keeps our roads safe.”

    New York State Building and Construction Trades Council President Gary LaBarbera said, “Construction sites are inherently dangerous and the added hazards and less-controllable variants of roadways and high speed traffic only increase the risks for worksites on our highways. This is why we must continue to encourage drivers to proceed with more caution and mindfulness around roadway work zones. We applaud Governor Hochul for her ongoing leadership and action on this important issue. Every hard-working New Yorker, including our brave tradesmen and tradeswomen working on our roadways, deserve to return home safely to their families at the end of each shift.”

    Laborers’ International Union of North America Vice President and New England Regional Manager Donato A. Bianco, Jr. said, “National Work Zone Awareness Week serves as an important reminder to everyone traveling our highways to slow down, stay alert and respect the men and women who perform this necessary and inherently dangerous work. Every day, LIUNA members build, repair and maintain the roads we drive to our jobs and back home to our families. It is because of these workers that our commutes are safer and more efficient. We all owe it to them to prioritize their safety and ensure they also return home to their loved ones at the end of their workday.”

    New York State Laborers Health and Safety Trust Fund Executive Director Frank Marchese, Jr. said, “National Work Zone Awareness Week is an important initiative that calls attention to the perils of road construction, and why driver attentiveness is imperative all year round. The data shows that prioritizing work zone safety legislation and initiatives creates a far less hazardous environment for workers simply doing their jobs by reducing speeding and distracted driving. Our union calls on everyone to do their part to keep workers safe, and show support for those who keep New York State moving forward.”

    New York State Conference of Operating Engineers President Thomas A. Callahan said, “Our members work hard building and repairing New York’s roads and bridges. That dangerous work becomes deadly with reckless and careless drivers. That’s why we urge the Legislature and the Governor to pass a budget that includes speed cameras in work zones legislation in addition to other safety measures.”

    Civil Service Employees Association Thruway Local 058 President Sean Kennedy said, “CSEA affirms our commitment to making sure all of our members make it home at the end of the work day. Drivers need to do their part too.”

    Civil Service Employees Association President Mary E. Sullivan said, “Our union joins Governor Hochul, the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Thruway Authority in observing National Work Zone Awareness Week from April 21 to April 25. As road work season begins, we want to once again highlight the importance of safe driving in highway work zones. This year, we observe this week remembering our union brother Stephen Ebling, who lost his life while working in a Thruway work zone. As motorists, we must always use caution while in work zones; respect the zone so we can all get home.”

    New York State Public Employees Federation President Wayne Spence said, “The 54,000 members of the New York State Public Employees Federation, especially the hardworking professionals at the NYS Department of Transportation, urge all New Yorkers to stay aware, on task and use caution when driving through highway work zones. As we enter National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 21-25, 2025, all New Yorkers should all be mindful that our highway workers have families that need them. In 2024 alone, there were more than 156 crashes in Thruway work zones resulting in one fatality and 30 injuries. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these accidents were entirely preventable if the drivers had focused on operating their vehicles and maintained appropriate work zone speeds — distracted driving and operator error were responsible for the vast majority of these crashes. PEF urges all motorists to pay attention and respect our highway work zones so all these dedicated workers can get home safely to their families.”

    Teamsters Local 456 President and Principal Officer Louis A. Picani said, “National Work Zone Awareness Week is a crucial time to reflect on the safety of our workers and the public. One of Teamsters Local 456’s objectives is to maintain the safety and well-being of our members. We support our partners in state government in enforcing stringent safety measures to protect those who build and maintain our roads. Local 456 not only represents the New York State Thruway workers, whose lives are in danger every day, but also the construction workers who are out fixing and maintaining roadways for those who travel them every day. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Governor Hochul for her unwavering support and commitment to enhancing work zone safety. Together, we can ensure that every work zone is a safe zone.”

    Safety is a shared responsibility. By working together, we can reduce accidents and ensure safer roads for workers and drivers alike.

    For more information on National Work Zone Awareness Week and how to stay safe while driving through work zones, visit the state’s comprehensive website at ny.gov/workzone.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Hosts Event on His New Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Expand Telehealth

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today discussed his new bipartisan, bicameral legislation to expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicaid, the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act, while visiting the Thayer House in Burlington. Senator Welch was joined at the Thayer House by a clinician from Cathedral Square’s Support and Services at Home (SASH) program, Vermont patients, and health care providers.  
    “The COVID-19 pandemic proved that telehealth not only works, but is essential,” Senator Welch said about the CONNECT for Health Act. “Rural and underserved areas in Vermont, and across the country, need modern solutions to help get folks connected to care, and increasing telehealth services must be part of the answer. This bipartisan bill takes commonsense steps to bridge that gap and make sure that our policies adapt to the capabilities of our technology.”  
    The Thayer House is an affordable living community for Vermonters aged 55 and older, and is a SASH program location. SASH is based in more than 140 living communities throughout the state and supports the health of Vermonters who rely on Medicare. 
    The CONNECT for Health Act would make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. Current Medicare telehealth flexibilities will expire on September 30th, 2025, without Congressional action. Telehealth provides essential access to care, with nearly a quarter of Americans accessing telehealth monthly. Telemedicine is also on the rise in Vermont, with 92% of healthcare providers in the state reporting use of audio/video services to provide care to patients in the past 60 days.  
    See photos from the event below:  

    “In a rural, northern state such as Vermont, our patients face many barriers that limit their ability to physically reach our offices– lack of transportation, bad weather, back roads, days that get dark early during our long winters.  These factors hit our older patients particularly hard.  One tool that is helping patients get the care they need is to be able to see us from home using telehealth.  The Vermont Medical Society and Vermont Academy of Family Physicians thank Senator Welch for introducing this important legislation and call on Congress to join him in ensuring patients with Medicare can continue to make use of telehealth visits,” said Anne Morris, MD, family physician, Milton, VT; Board member, Vermont Medical Society and past-president of the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians. 
    “Telehealth visits increase our resident’s access to care, are more convenient, and save travel time. Telehealth visits also allow our nurses to participate with residents. This can improve the resident’s understanding of their care and ensures that our staff have an in depth understanding of the care plan,” said Jessiyln Dolan, RN, a SASH Wellness Nurse.  
    “Telehealth is so much easier and I never have to cancel.  I can’t do computers very well, so having help from SASH makes it possible to talk to my doctor. I don’t have a car, and it is hard to get a ride to the doctor’s office,” said Helen Mischik, a resident of Thayer House.  
    The CONNECT for Health Act is cosponsored by a broad bipartisan coalition of more than 60 Senators and is led by Senator Welch and Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives. The CONNECT for Health Act has the support of more than 150 organizations, including the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, and American Telemedicine Association.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Nadler Statement On Proposed Trump Cuts to Domestic HIV Programs 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

    WASHINGTON, DC –  Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) made the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s reported plan to slash over $40 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services and eliminate all dedicated domestic HIV prevention programs: 

    “It is unconscionable that the Trump Administration has proposed cutting over a third of the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget. As a proud, longtime champion for federal HIV prevention and assistance programs, I am appalled that the administration’s proposed budget would eliminate all federal HIV prevention efforts and devastate funding for HIV research. This is yet another exceptionally cruel and reckless move by the Trump Administration, and it would have devastating consequences for our nation’s public health.

    “Over a million people in this country are living with HIV/AIDS, including more than 100,000 in New York State and over 60,000 in New York City alone. Young people, gay and bisexual men, and people of color are being disproportionately affected. Eliminating our nation’s HIV/AIDS prevention programs would mean many of the most vulnerable among us would lose access to HIV testing, prevention, and care. Simply put, Americans will die as a direct result of the Trump Administration’s cuts.

    “Trump’s budget proposal would eliminate the Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic Initiative, the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention, and the Minority AIDS Initiative. It also eviscerates funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program and slashes the NIH’s budget by 40%. NIH funds the vast majority of research driving breakthroughs in HIV treatment. Trump’s proposed budget cuts compound Republican proposals to slash Medicaid in the upcoming budget reconciliation process, as 40% of adults with HIV are covered by Medicaid.

    “We’ve seen this kind of cruelty before. In the 1980s, we had a President who ignored an epidemic and a Congress reluctant to devote resources to finding its cure. The federal government turned its back on people fighting HIV/AIDS, and as a result, we lost a generation of young men and women far too soon. Nearly half a century later, the administration has put forth a budget proposal that once again abandons Americans who are fighting HIV/AIDS.

    “However, Trump can’t unilaterally make these cuts; he needs the consent of Congress. I vow to continue to fight for full funding for our nation’s HIV/AIDS prevention and research programs in the congressional appropriations process. I’ve led the congressional effort to increase funding for the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program, or HOPWA, for over 3 decades. Since its inception in 1992, HOPWA has provided critical housing support to low-income people living with HIV. Linking individuals living with HIV to stable, supportive housing leads to an 80% reduction in mortality from AIDS.

    “New York has always led the fight against HIV/AIDS, and we will not turn our backs now. It is up to this Congress to ensure that Trump’s devastating cuts never become reality. Congress must summon the resolve of the generations who came before us—activists like the founders of ACT UP and Gay Men’s Health Crisis—and fight with everything we have to protect the progress we’ve made.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Sentencing of Former Sutter Roseville Nursing Assistant for Theft from Elders

    Source: US State of California

    Monday, April 21, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    ROSEVILLE – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the sentencing of a former Sutter Roseville nursing assistant for stealing credit cards and cash from multiple patients at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. Between November and December 2022, Shekira Thompson stole cash and credit cards from three elderly patients under her care. She charged over two thousand dollars on the credit cards at several locations such as a wig store, nail salon, and the mall.   

    “Healthcare providers have a profound responsibility to treat their patients with the highest level of compassion and dignity,” said Attorney General Bonta. “They support individuals during some of the most challenging moments in their lives. At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to fighting against all types of elder abuse and neglect. We will take prompt action to ensure that anyone who exploits or harms these vulnerable members of our community is held accountable. We appreciate the collaboration with Sutter Health Department of Protective Services on this investigation.”
     
    Thompson was charged with two felony counts of theft from an elder or dependent adult, one misdemeanor count of theft from an elder or dependent adult, and one count of felony identity theft. Thompson entered a plea of guilty to all charges and admitted to all aggravating factors set forth in the criminal complaint. Today, Thompson was sentenced to serve 200 days in jail, placed on formal probation for two years, ordered to pay restitution to the victims, and was prohibited from working as a caregiver in a facility whose primary purpose is to care for elders or dependent persons.
     
    The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
     
    A copy of the complaint can be found here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jaremy Smith Sentenced to Life in Prison for New Mexico State Officer’s Murder

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – Jaremy Smith has been sentenced to life in prison for a violent crime spree that culminated with the murder of Officer Justin Hare in New Mexico.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    On March 15, 2024, Smith encountered NMSP Officer Justin Hare in Tucumcari, New Mexico, when Officer Hare stopped to assist Smith with a flat tire on the BMW. When Officer Hare pulled over behind the BMW, Smith exited the driver’s side of his car and approached the passenger window of Officer Hare’s patrol car. After a short discussion, Officer Hare asked Smith to walk to the front of the patrol vehicle. Instead, Smith shot Officer Hare, who slumped to the right in the driver’s seat. Smith then moved to the driver’s side of the patrol vehicle and shot Officer Hare two additional times before entering the driver’s seat and driving away with Hare still inside the vehicle.

    Screenshot of Exhibit 1 (00:01:02) depicting Smith walking to driver’s side window of the patrol vehicle

    At some point, the vehicle’s distress system was activated. Smith drove westbound on I-40 before exiting on a frontage road and removing Officer Hare from the vehicle, leaving him on the side of the road, and drove away. Smith drove the patrol vehicle for another 10 minutes, eventually crashing the patrol unit into shrubbery along the north frontage road of Interstate 40 in Guadalupe County, New Mexico.

    When Officer Hare did not respond to the dispatcher’s check for an update, a second officer was sent to the scene. While en route, the second officer received the distress signal from Officer Hare’s handheld radio. The officer then spotted Officer Hare’s patrol unit driving in the opposite direction at high speed along the frontage road. The second officer attempted to catch up with Officer Hare’s unit, but before he could, Smith crashed the patrol vehicle. Upon approaching the crashed vehicle, the officer found it empty, with no sign of Smith or Officer Hare. The officer then began a search of the area and found Officer Hare, still alive. Officer Hare was rushed to Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari, where he was pronounced dead at 7:21 a.m.

    After crashing the stolen patrol car, Smith fled on foot, stole a flatbed truck in Cuervo, and drove to Albuquerque. Smith was heading to Albuquerque because he had a former girlfriend who lived there.

    Smith’s capture came on March 17, 2024, when a gas station clerk in Albuquerque recognized the unusual spelling of his name from police advisory messages when he presented identification to make a purchase, and the clerk contacted law enforcement. Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputies quickly arrived, and Smith attempted to ambush them before fleeing through a residential neighborhood. During the chase, Smith discarded the firearm used to kill Officer Hare, which was later recovered. Law enforcement also found the stolen flatbed truck, with ammunition inside, and further linked Smith to the crime spree.

    “Jaremy Smith’s violent crime spree left a trail of destruction across state lines, endangering the lives of both the public and first responders,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellsion. “Today’s sentence serves as a powerful reminder that violence against those who serve and protect the public will not be tolerated. Officer Justin Hare, a hero who saw someone in need and selflessly stepped in to help, paid the ultimate price. We honor his memory by ensuring that Jaremy Smith will never again be able to endanger the lives of others. Our focus remains on securing justice for victims and holding violent criminals fully accountable for their actions.”

    “Every day, first responders answer the call to protect others- often at great personal risk. The loss of Officer Hare is a heartbreaking reminder of that reality,” said Raul Bujanda Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “While this sentence does not undo the pain inflicted upon our community, we hope it brings a sense of resolution to his family. We will continue to work with our partners to pursue violent offenders with every tool at our disposal.”

    “Jaremy Smith, in a cruel and calculated act of evil, ambushed Officer Justin Hare, executing him and leaving him to die alone in the cold after stealing his patrol vehicle,” said Chief Troy Weisler of the New Mexico State Police. “Thanks to the courage of community members and the tireless efforts of our local and federal partners, Smith was swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. With today’s sentencing, the court has sent a clear and unwavering message: anyone who harms those who protect and serve will face the full and unrelenting weight of justice. While no sentence can bring Justin back, our officers will rest easier knowing that Jeremy Smith will never again walk free and will spend the rest of his life exactly where he belongs.”

    On January 17, 2025, Smith pled guilty to carjacking resulting in death, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, kidnapping resulting in death, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and New Mexico State Police investigated this case with assistance from the Tenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Jack Burkhead prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda chairs breakaway session, “Promoting Swasth Bharat through Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Arogya Mandir” during Civil Services Day Celebrations in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda chairs breakaway session, “Promoting Swasth Bharat through Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Arogya Mandir” during Civil Services Day Celebrations in New Delhi

    Two pillars of Ayushman Bharat – AAM and AB PMJAY are a result of a very well-thought process which started in 2015 and culminated with the adoption of the National Health Policy in 2017: Shri JP Nadda

    “National Health Policy 2017 is the first such policy covering all aspects of healthcare holistically”

    Highlights need for enhancing capacity of health administrators to ensure timely and effective decision making, enhancing capacity of ASHA and community health workers, strengthening hub-and-spoke model of digital health intervention and monitoring and assessment of health impacts

    Ayushman Bharat encompass the philosophy of Universal Health Care and also builds the pathway to achieve UHC: Dr VK Paul

    “Thanks to AB PMJAY, hospitalization rates in India has increased by 40% and out-of-pocket expenditure has decreased from 64% in 2013-14 to 39.4% in 2021-22”

    Posted On: 21 APR 2025 6:42PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda chaired a breakaway session titled “Promoting Swasth Bharat through Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Arogya Mandir” during the Cvil Services Day celebrations, here today. Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog was also present.

     

    Addressing the gathering, Shri JP Nadda stated that providing affordable and quality healthcare to every poor person in the country is a priority of the central government and the two pillars of Ayushman Bharat initiative – Ayushman Arogya Mandir and AB PMJAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) are a result of a very well-thought process. “The consultations started in 2015, zonal conferences were held in 2016 and in 2016, the National Health Policy was laid out which is first such policy covering all aspects of healthcare holistically”, he stated.

    Shri Nadda highlighted that the government’s expenditure on healthcare has increased from 29% in 2014 to 48% today leading to decline in out-of-pocket expenditure of people. He stated that screening of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Ayushman Arogya Mandir and expanding the package of services being provided there has helped in providing preventive and promotive healthcare and addressing the growing concern of lifestyle diseases. “Health facilities are being encouraged to undertake self-assessment under the Indian Public Health Standards 2022 and National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS)”, he stated.

     

    The Union Health Minister also highlighted the need for enhancing capacity of health administrators to ensure timely and effective decision making, working on the program implementation plans, enhancing the capacity of ASHA workers and community health workers, strengthening and institutionalizing the hub-and-spoke model of digital health intervention and monitoring and assessment of health impacts.

    Union Health Minister stated that the narrative that there is less funding for the health sector will soon end. He stated that while the Central Govt is providing it’s share of funding, there is lack of absorption in the states.

    Shri Nadda urged the young officers to have an impact survey done of the benefits that have accrued from the programmes of the Health Ministry at the ground level.

    He concluded his address by stating that while there has been a tremendous progress in healthcare in the last 10 years, the government is committed towards providing affordable, accessible, equitable and quality healthcare for all.

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr V K Paul stated that the underlying motivation behind today’s paradigm for health is achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), i.e., to ensure that every citizen has access to quality healthcare without financial hardship. He stated that health coverage today not only entails curative treatment but also promotive, preventive, palliative, rehabilitative and therapeutic. “The two pillars of Ayushman Bharat initiative – Ayushman Arogya Mandir and AB PMJAY encompass the philosophy of UHC and also builds the pathway to achieve UHC.”

    Dr Paul stated that “as many as 90% of essential interventions for UHC can be delivered through primary healthcare systems” and “an estimated 75% of projected health gains under the SDGs can be achieved through primary healthcare system”. He highlighted that countries with strong primary healthcare have higher life expectancy, better health outcomes, lower medication use and overall lower medical costs. “Because of this, the National Health Policy attaches prime importance to this and commits two-third of financial resources to primary healthcare system.”

    Dr Paul highlighted that thanks to AB PMJAY, hospitalization rates in India has increased by 40%. “The out-of-pocket expenditure has decreased from 64% in 2013-14 to 39.4% in 2021-22”, he stated. He stated that these figures highlight that the two pillars of Ayushman Bharat are serving their purpose. He concluded his address by urging the different ministries and departments of the Union Government to work in coordination for achieving health goals.

     

    Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava said that India’s dream of Viksit Bharat cannot be attained without achieving ‘Swasthya Bharat’. She stated that healthcare sector has seen a significant uplift in the last decade with the launch of initiatives like Ayushman Bharat. She stated, “Ayushman Bharat is based on providing continuum of care from providing comprehensive primary healthcare through Ayushman Arogya Mandir with referral and research linkages for follow-up to secondary and tertiary healthcare. AB PMJAY falls under the second pillar. To enable the referral linkages, there is the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) which falls under the third pillar and the PM ABHIM (Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission) comes under the last pillar to address infrastructure gaps.”

    The Union Health Secretary gave an overview of the health system strengthening approach under the National Health Mission which operates under three broad pillars: Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition; Communicable Diseases and Non-Communicable Diseases.

    She highlighted India’s success in decline of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) which is more than double that of the global decline. “Similarly, India’s decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) is also much higher than the global decline”, she stated. She also highlighted that 31 states have achieved replacement level of fertility as per NFHS-5. Smt. Srivastava informed that these successes are the result of developing very comprehensive primary healthcare system by strengthening our primary healthcare centres and sub-centres and developing them as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

     

    Smt. Gayatri A. Rathore, Principal Secretary of Medical & Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Rajasthan; Smt. L S Changsan, Addl. Secretary, Union Health Ministry; Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Addl. Secretary and Mission Director (NHM), Union Health Ministry; Shri Saurabh Jain, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry and senior officers of the Union Government were present on the occasion.

     

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hotel & Restaurant Federation gears up for country-wide International Day of Yoga 2025 observation

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 21 APR 2025 6:22PM by PIB Delhi

    The private sector taking leadership roles in public yoga activities, in pursuit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call to take the rewards of yoga to every corner of the country, is an unmissable trend in the countdown to the IDY this year.

    Aligning with this trend, the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) announced their early plans, with their members proudly taking up “Harit Yoga” activities. These include:

    1. Yoga Retreat on 22nd April 2025 – Atmantan Wellness Centre, Mulshi, Maharashtra. An immersive yoga retreat set in the serene Sahyadri hills, offering a deep connection with nature and the self.
    2. Campus event on 29th April 2025 – FHRAI Institute of Hospitality Management (FHRAI-IHM), Greater Noida . A vibrant campus event engaging future hospitality leaders in the principles of yoga and sustainability.
    3. Event on 17th May 2025 at JW Marriott, Bangalore. A flagship gathering in the heart of the city, celebrating wellness in urban life through a rich blend of yoga, dialogue, and community action.

    The Federation added in their announcement that these events are not just symbolic- they represent FHRAI’s steadfast commitment to supporting the Government of India’s vision of a healthier, greener, and more mindful society. Through these collaborative efforts, FHRAI aim to amplify the message of yoga as a lifestyle, deeply rooted in Indian tradition yet universally relevant in today’s world.

    Harit Yoga is one among the 10 Signature Activities being coordinated by the Ministry of Ayush in the run-up to IDY 2025, to mark the special occasion of the IDY observation completing 10 years. The project combines wellness and environmental awareness and seeks to use the medium of yoga to propagate the message of the conservation of the environment. Harit Yoga activities typically go beyond Yoga sessions, and participants will engage in eco-friendly activities like tree planting, beach clean-ups, and community-driven environmental efforts. It will also include educational campaigns covering critical topics like climate change and conservation, encouraging sustainable lifestyles. The last two weeks have seen the emergence of international participation in Harit Yoga, and it will inspire worldwide communities to join these environmentally conscious initiatives.

    FHRAI has made plans to conduct yoga events on a large scale in preparation for IDY-2025. As informed by Ms. Payal Swami, Assistant Secretary General of the Federation, FHRAI is proud to stand with the Government in the yoga movement and looks forward to making their IDY events inclusive and impactful.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom makes CalRx® Naloxone available for all Californians at $24

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 21, 2025

    California is the first state in the nation to provide an affordable direct-to-consumer drug online

    What you need to know: CalRx® Naloxone is now available directly to individuals at the same affordable price of $24 previously offered to businesses, further reducing barriers to this critical overdose reversal medication. 

    Sacramento, California – Today, Governor Newsom announced that individual twin-packs of CalRx®-branded over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone HCL 4 mg nasal spray are now available to all Californians at a low price of $24 per carton – almost half the standard market price. Previously offered only to government entities and businesses in packs of 24, this new direct-to-consumer program expands individual access to this life-saving overdose reversal medication. By making naloxone more affordable and accessible, California is empowering communities to save lives.

    “Life-saving medications shouldn’t come with a life-altering price tag. CalRx is about making essential drugs like naloxone affordable and accessible for all — not the privileged few. California is using our market power as the 5th largest economy in the world to disrupt a billion-dollar industry to save lives…and we’re just getting started.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Naloxone, a medication that blocks the effects of opioids, can quickly reverse an overdose, giving individuals crucial time to receive medical help. By offering this life-saving medication at a fixed, affordable price, CalRx is improving public health through accessible, essential medications.

    Anyone residing in California can now visit the CalRx website to purchase an individual twin-pack of naloxone HCL 4 mg nasal spray for $24, plus tax and shipping fees. This price makes the CalRx offering among the most cost-competitive options currently available.

    Bigger picture

    The launch of CalRx®-branded naloxone in May 2024 was more than just an expansion of access to a single medication — it represented a larger shift in how California is reshaping the pharmaceutical market to prioritize affordability, transparency, and public health.

    By leveraging state purchasing power and strategic partnerships, CalRx is establishing a new standard for making essential medications more accessible at lower, more predictable prices. This initiative not only provides lifesaving naloxone at an affordable cost but also demonstrates how bold, state-led action can disrupt traditional pricing models and ensure that cost never stands in the way of care.

    This initiative is part of Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis. A recent study published on the Naloxone Savings Dashboard revealed that the state’s CalRX initiative has saved California over $6 million to date. For more information on opioids and how you can protect yourself and loved ones, visit Opioids.CA.GOV, a one-stop shop for Californians seeking resources around prevention and treatment.

    Impact on the opioid crisis

    For the first time in California, data through June 2024 showed a decline in synthetic opioid-related overdose deaths, from drugs such as fentanyl and tramadol. This had reversed a trend of increased synthetic opioid-related death in the state from 2018 through June 2023. The overdose crisis remains complex and is constantly evolving due to a variety of factors. Year-to-year changes cannot be credited to any one cause, but it is clear that a comprehensive effort is making a difference, as we continue to address opioid trafficking, prevent overdoses, support those with opioid use disorder, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids.

    How to obtain CalRx Naloxone

    1. Online ordering: California residents and businesses can order CalRx® Naloxone HCL 4 mg nasal spray for $24 per box by visiting the CalRx Get Naloxone website.

      2. Naloxone Distribution Project: Eligible organizations may qualify for free CalRx® Naloxone HCL 4 mg nasal spray through the Department of Health Care Services’ Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP). For more information, visit the NDP website.​

    CalRx® program

    The California Department of Health Care Access and Information, which administers the CalRx program, recently published its Naloxone Savings Dashboard, revealing that this initiative has saved California over $17 million to date.

    The success of this program was also highlighted in a February 2025 Health Affairs journal article titled, “Increasing competition, improving access, and lowering the cost of naloxone in California.”

    For more information on CalRx® naloxone, please visit CalRx® Naloxone. 

    For more information regarding California’s response to the opioid crisis, please visit http://opioids.ca.gov.

    Health care, Press Releases

    Recent news

    Apr 21, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today on the passing of Pope Francis:”Jennifer and I join the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. He saw God in all His creatures, reminding us of humanity’s obligations…

    Apr 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: Leaders across the nation, from elected officials to representatives from the business community, are praising California’s efforts to challenge President Trump’s authority to unilaterally enact tariffs. SACRAMENTO – This week, Governor…

    Apr 18, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has granted 16 pardons and 9 commutations.       The Governor granted a posthumous pardon to Sergeant Richard Allen Penry, an Army Veteran who received the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom statement on the passing of Pope Francis

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 21, 2025

    Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today on the passing of Pope Francis:

    “Jennifer and I join the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. He saw God in all His creatures, reminding us of humanity’s obligations towards each other and the world we live in, asking us to ‘care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation.’

    “Like the saint honored by His Holiness’s papal name, Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis led with his love of peace and creation and sought to protect and lift up the vulnerable. He championed human dignity, especially that of the poor, called the world to urgent climate action, condemned the death penalty, and confronted painful truths — including the Church’s role in the genocide of Indigenous peoples. His papacy was characterized by moral courage, a profound respect for all creation, and a deep conviction in the transformative power of love to heal and unite. 

    “As we mourn His Holiness, we honor him by choosing to believe that a better world is possible through grace and kindness, and through fellowship with our neighbors, no matter our differences.”

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Apr 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: Leaders across the nation, from elected officials to representatives from the business community, are praising California’s efforts to challenge President Trump’s authority to unilaterally enact tariffs. SACRAMENTO – This week, Governor…

    Apr 18, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has granted 16 pardons and 9 commutations.       The Governor granted a posthumous pardon to Sergeant Richard Allen Penry, an Army Veteran who received the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest…

    Apr 18, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Brian Kaplun, of San Francisco, has been appointed Deputy Secretary for Policy and Strategic Planning at the Health and Human Services Agency. Kaplun held several roles at the United…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RI Delegation Helps Launch New Equipment for Warwick FD

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WARWICK, RI – After delivering a $1 million federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner today helped the Warwick Fire Department place state-of-the-art pieces of equipment into service to ensure local firefighters can safely and effectively respond to emergencies throughout the community.

    The delegation joined Mayor Frank Picozzi, Fire Chief Peter McMichael, and Warwick firefighters to celebrate the AFG award and to officially launch 72 new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units.

    “Ensuring that our firefighters have modern, updated equipment to keep them safe is critical. I was pleased to work with my colleagues to deliver this funding to Warwick and provides dozens of new SCBA units that will ensure firefighters can respond to emergencies safely, efficiently, and effectively,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

    “The men and women of the Warwick Fire Department do heroic work every day to protect their community,” said Whitehouse.  “I’m glad to help deliver this federal funding to ensure Warwick’s first responders have access to the tools they need to do their job safely and effectively.”

    “Warwick firefighters are among Rhode Island’s bravest, and we owe it to them to make sure they have the tools they need to do their jobs,” said Magaziner. “Bringing home $1 million in federal funding for new breathing equipment is one way Rhode Island’s congressional delegation is stepping up to meet that responsibility and have the backs of local firefighters. I’ll keep fighting for first responders to get them whatever they need to keep Rhode Islanders safe.”

    “I want to thank Senators Reed, Whitehouse and Congressman Magaziner for their ongoing efforts in securing funding to ensure the safety of not only our residents, but our firefighters,” said Mayor Picozzi.  “This new equipment will be instrumental in protecting our first responders, and for that I am grateful.”

    The new equipment launched today replaces outdated SCBA units that are no longer compliant with operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). An SCBA is a device worn by firefighters and other rescue workers that provides breathable air and necessary protection against harmful toxins in what are called Immediate Danger to Life and Health (IDLH) atmospheres.

    Thanks to Rhode Island’s congressional delegation, Rhode Island’s fire departments received a record-breaking amount of federal funding last year through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant funding, with a total of nearly $30 million for firefighters and first responders across the state.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 21st, 2025 Heinrich, Rounds Introduce Legislation to Expedite Use of AI Medical Devices for Medicare Patients

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), co-chairs of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, introduced the Health Tech Investment Act, legislation aimed at improving health outcomes for Medicare patients by encouraging the use of cutting-edge, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled medical devices. The bill establishes a consistent and predictable Medicare payment pathway for these technologies, providing patients with earlier and more accurate diagnoses.

    “I’m proud to cosponsor legislation that expands Medicare coverage of new technologies and helps New Mexicans get the best, most affordable high-quality care they need when they need it,” said Heinrich.

    “Medicare patients deserve access to the life-changing care that artificial intelligence-enabled devices can offer,” said Rounds. “There is currently no clear Medicare payment system for these devices, meaning that it can take years to be approved and paid out by Medicare accurately. This legislation would create that system, improving diagnoses and encouraging the adoption of AI devices in clinical settings.”

    The use of AI in healthcare is quickly becoming the standard of care, with practitioners using algorithm-based healthcare services (ABHS) to detect and diagnose diseases sooner and advance better patient outcomes. The FDA has over 600 AI-enabled medical devices, but the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lacks standard or consistent methods for covering and paying for these products. This inconsistency will, in the long run, impact the adoption and patient access to medically appropriate AI technologies across the country.

    The Health Tech Investment Act will assign all U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved AI-enabled medical devices to a New Technology Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) in the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) for a minimum of 5 years so that adequate data regarding delivery and service costs is acquired before assignment of a permanent payment code.

    Specifically, the Health Tech Investment Act:

    This legislation is endorsed by AdvaMed, Alliance for Aging Research, Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer, Focused Ultrasound Foundation, National Health Council, National Psoriasis Foundation, Patients Rising, and Right Scan Right Time.

    The text of the bill is here. 

    a

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Walgreens Agrees To Pay Up to $350M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and Submitting False Claims

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON — The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

    The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. 

    The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

    In light of the settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

    “Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

    “This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”

    “Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”

    “This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.”  

    “With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”

    “This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”    

    “Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”

    In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances. 

    “Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation’s largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”

    “Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”

    “In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”

    The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

    The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisianaprovided substantial assistance in the investigation.

    The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

    The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Hears From Healthcare Providers in Wenatchee: Medicaid Cuts Would be Devastating

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    04.21.25

    Cantwell Hears From Healthcare Providers in Wenatchee: Medicaid Cuts Would be Devastating

    Cantwell continues tour of WA to fight back against proposed Medicaid cuts; Cantwell reports highlight impacts to WA State health care if GOP cuts Medicaid to pay for lower taxes for the ultra-wealthy

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, heard from health care providers in the Wenatchee Valley about the dangers of cuts to Medicaid being considered by Republican lawmakers.

    At an April 17 roundtable hosted by U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D, WA-08) and joined by Sen. Cantwell, health care providers warned that such cuts would devastate the region’s health care system and limit access to lifesaving care. 

    Cutting Medicaid, Sen. Cantwell said, “affects the programs, then affects the hospital, then it affects the workforce, then you end up with shortages, then you end up with deserts. Then you end up with, ‘Who wants to have a business there?’ It keeps cascading,” Sen. Cantwell said. “This is a crazy idea. This is not a sledge hammer — this is like a ticking time bomb that’s blowing up the foundation of the system. And we have to take your stories and go back [to D.C.] and convince these people that it’s not even worth thinking about.”

    Wenatchee marked the fourth stop in Sen. Cantwell’s tour around the state to hear from folks who would be directly impacted by cuts to Medicare. Last month, Sen. Cantwell heard from voices across Washington state about the dangers of President Trump and the GOP’s proposed cuts to Medicaid. Doctors, patients, and health care providers in Seattle, Spokane, and the Tri-Cities warned that such cuts would devastate Washington state’s health care system and limit access to lifesaving care.

    WATCH:

    FOX 13 Seattle: WA health leaders join Sen. Cantwell against proposed Medicaid cuts

    KREM 2 Spokane: Spokane doctors, patients speak at Medicaid roundtable hosted by Sen. Cantwell

    KAPP 35 Tri-Cities: MARIA CANTWELL: How proposed cuts to Medicaid could impact South Central Washington

    In February, Sen. Cantwell released a snapshot report highlighting the impact that slashing Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy would have on Washington state’s health care system — especially in Central and Eastern Washington. In March, Sen. Cantwell released a second snapshot report highlighting impacts on the Seattle-area health care delivery system.

    READ MORE:

    The Seattle Times: Cuts to Medicaid would hurt WA’s children, poor

    The Spokesman Review: Medicaid could be on chopping block after Northwest Republicans help pass House budget measure

    The Tri-City Herald: Newhouse backs House GOP budget plan that could lead to cuts for Tri-Cities Medicaid users

    Medicaid is the federal program that insures many low-income adults and children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. Washington state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, ensures that eligible Washingtonians can afford to seek health care and see providers when they need to. The program also ensures that hospitals — which are required to treat everyone, regardless of their ability to pay — receive reimbursements for the significant number of low-income people they serve. Over 1.9 million Washingtonians are enrolled in Apple Health.

    The House of Representatives has passed a budget resolution that would necessitate $880 billion in cuts from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid. Supporters of the bill claim that the text includes no mention of Medicaid — however, the extent of the cuts required by the legislation would mean that the committee has essentially no other options other than to hack away at Medicaid.

    Video of yesterday’s roundtable in Wenatchee is HERE; photos are HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s opening and closing remarks are HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Lankford Advocate for Greater Health Care Access for Rural Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act to re-empower physician-owned hospitals (POHs) to expand and deliver high-quality care to Medicare and Medicaid patients in rural communities. 

    Currently, POHs are prohibited from expanding and creating new hospitals. While they represent less than five percent of the 5,700 hospitals nationwide, POHs have a successful track record of providing individualized and innovative quality care, and they meet a growing demand for health care services, especially in rural areas. Seventy-three percent of POHs with a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) overall hospital quality star rating earned three or more stars in the program; 26 percent of them have earned five stars.

    “Millions of Americans need the access to health care that physician-owned hospitals can provide,” said Boozman. “These institutions also serve as important economic pillars in less populated communities. Removing arbitrary limits that can help expand medical care in rural Arkansas and beyond is an important step to ensuring reliable, quality health systems operate in more communities.”

    “Oklahomans and rural communities across the country need more quality health care options,” said Lankford. “This bill lifts the outdated restrictions that have blocked physician-owned hospitals from growing or opening where they’re needed most. Local physicians should be empowered to deliver high-quality, patient-focused care in rural Oklahoma.”

    The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), John Barrasso (R-WY) and Ted Budd (R-NC).

    The legislation is endorsed by the American Medical Association (AMA), Physician-Led Healthcare for America (PHA) and the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). 

     “Across the country, patients in rural communities are struggling to access essential medical care as more rural hospitals are forced to close due to the immense financial strain associated with declining reimbursements and rising medical costs,” said AMA President Bruce A. Scott, M.D. “By allowing physicians to invest in and revitalize these hospitals, this legislation has the power to preserve and expand access to critical health care services in the communities that need them most. Physician-led hospitals are known to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care. This is a commonsense solution to a worsening problem. The AMA strongly supports this legislation and urges Congress to pass it as a vital step toward improving health care access for rural patients.”

    “The daily headlines are impossible to ignore,” said PHA President-elect Carlos Cardenas, M.D. “Healthcare costs are skyrocketing, rural hospitals are shuttering at alarming rates, and quality and patient satisfaction continue to decline. The status quo is failing us. It’s time to revitalize our healthcare system with a proven solution: physician-led hospitals.” 

     “When physicians lead hospitals, patients win,” said AAOS Advocacy Council Chair Dr. Adam Bruggeman, M.D. “Physician-led hospitals are a powerful solution to the consolidation plaguing our healthcare system. By lifting outdated restrictions on physician ownership, we can drive down costs, improve quality, and expand access to care, especially in underserved rural areas. It’s past time to empower physicians to build healthcare institutions that prioritize patients over profits.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Promoting a Healthier California: Attorney General Bonta Announces New Funding Available for Local Public Agencies Through the 2025-2026 Tobacco Grant Program

    Source: US State of California

    Funding helps combat the illegal sale of tobacco products to youth

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) is now accepting proposals for the 2025-2026 Tobacco Grant Program, which will provide approximately $28.5 million in grant funding to eligible local agencies. The program aims to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to our youth. Any local public agency within the State of California that has authority to enforce tobacco-related state laws or local ordinances related to retail tobacco sales and marketing is eligible to apply. This may include police and sheriffs’ departments, district and city attorneys and county counsels, public health departments, cities, counties, and public school/college districts. Information on the application process is available at oag.ca.gov/tobaccogrants. DOJ will also hold a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, April 30 at 10:00 AM PT to provide guidance to those interested in applying for the Tobacco Grant Program. To RSVP for the webinar, please click here.

    “At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to protecting our youth from the dangers posed by tobacco products. The reality is that, especially in recent years, companies have been aggressively going after our young people and attempting to turn as many of them as possible into regular customers,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I encourage local agencies to apply to the Tobacco Grant Program — it is a critical tool that allows us to collaborate and hold accountable those companies and individuals who violate our laws around tobacco products.” 

    Companies target our youth by making and marketing tobacco products with a myriad of kid-friendly flavors and loading those products with nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that harms the developing brains of children and young adults. Surveys show flavored tobacco products remain the products of choice for young people. In 2024, among students reporting current e-cigarette use, 87.6% used flavored products. Tobacco usage during adolescence increases the risk for lifelong nicotine addiction and adverse health consequences. 

    DOJ’s Tobacco Grant Program aims to reduce childhood addiction to tobacco products by supporting local partners who:

    • Enforce the statewide flavor ban and similar local flavor ordinances.
    • Prosecute and penalize retailers who violate statewide and local tobacco laws, including those who sell or market tobacco products to youth under the age of 21, including over the internet.
    • Conduct retail inspections to ensure compliance.

    The program is funded by Proposition 56, the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016. To date, the Tobacco Grant Program has distributed approximately $212 million in grant funding to approximately 470 grantees through a competitive process.

    Attorney General Bonta remains committed to combating the illegal marketing and sale of tobacco products. Just this year, he announced a lawsuit against Flumgio Technology Inc., Berkeley Int’l Business Crew, and their founder, Mr. Zaoyu Zhu, for importing, marketing, and selling the popular FLUM brand e-cigarettes, which are illegal under California’s retail flavor ban and lack Food and Drug Administration authorization. He also announced lawsuits against two California online retailers of e-cigarettes, Ejuicesteals and E-juice Vapor, Inc., alleging that they engaged in unlawful remote sales of tobacco products and failed to verify the age of California consumers properly. Finally, Assembly Bill 3218 — his sponsored bill to help ensure the successful implementation of the flavored tobacco ban — was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom last year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Annual Report to the Nation: Cancer deaths continue to decline

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    Media Advisory
    Monday, April 21, 2025

    Overall death rates from cancer declined steadily among both men and women from 2001 through 2022.

    What
    Overall death rates from cancer declined steadily among both men and women from 2001 through 2022, even during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2024 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. Among men, overall cancer incidence, measured as the rate of new cancer diagnoses, decreased from 2001 through 2013 and then stabilized through 2021. Among women, overall cancer incidence increased slightly every year from 2003 through 2021, with the exception of 2020. The report appeared April 21, 2025, in Cancer.
    Progress in reducing cancer deaths overall is largely the result of declines in both incidence and death rates for lung cancer and several other smoking-related cancers, the researchers noted. New diagnoses and deaths from lung cancer, for example, have declined in both men and women over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the incidence of cancers associated with obesity has been rising. These include female breast, uterus, colon and rectum, pancreas, kidney, and liver cancers.
    The report also shows that new diagnoses of breast cancer gradually increased over the study period, but the overall breast cancer death rate decreased. Cancer death rates in children declined steadily over the study period; those for adolescents and young adults also declined until recently, when the decline slowed and stabilized. From 2018 to 2022, cancer deaths decreased for each major racial and ethnic population group. From 2017 to 2021 (excluding 2020), cancer incidence was stable among men in each major racial and ethnic population group but increased among women in each major racial and ethnic population group. During the same time period, among men, incidence was highest in non-Hispanic Black men, whereas among women, incidence was highest in American Indian and Alaska Native women. 
    The report also included an analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on observed cancer incidence in individual states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for the first two years of the pandemic. Cancer incidence declined sharply in 2020, likely due to pandemic-related disruptions in health care, but returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2021. The magnitude of the 2020 decline was similar across states, despite variations in COVID-19 policy restrictions. The researchers noted that these findings underscore the importance of providing access to health care, even during public health emergencies, to ensure the timely diagnosis of cancer.
    The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer is a collaborative effort among the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the American Cancer Society (ACS); and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).The report provides annual updates on cancer trends in the United States.
    The report is based on cancer incidence data from population-based cancer registries, funded by CDC and NCI and compiled by NAACCR, and on cancer death data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Vital Statistics System.
    For more about the report, see: https://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_nation/.
    Who

    NAACCR: Recinda L. Sherman, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    ACS: Ahmedin Jemal, D.V.M., Ph.D.
    CDC: Jane Henley, M.S.P.H., and Lisa C. Richardson, M.D., M.P.H.
    NIH: Serban Negoita, M.D., Dr.P.H., and Kathleen A. Cronin, Ph.D., M.P.H.

    The Study
    “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, Featuring State-Level Statistics after the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic” appears April 21, 2025, in Cancer.
    About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH’s efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call NCI’s contact center, the Cancer Information Service, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
    About the American Cancer Society (ACS): The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. For more than 100 years, the American Cancer Society has been the preeminent cancer-fighting organization in the United States through research, education, advocacy, and patient services. We have helped lead the evolution in the way the world prevents, detects, treats, and thinks about cancer. For more information go to www.cancer.org.
    About the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC’s world-leading experts protect lives and livelihoods, national security and the U.S. economy by providing timely, commonsense information, and rapidly identifying and responding to diseases, including outbreaks and illnesses. CDC drives science, public health research, and data innovation in communities across the country by investing in local initiatives to protect everyone’s health. For more information, see www.cdc.gov.
    About the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR): The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc., is a professional organization that develops and promotes uniform data standards for cancer registration; provides education and training; certifies population-based registries; aggregates and publishes data from central cancer registries; and promotes the use of cancer surveillance data and systems for cancer control and epidemiologic research, public health programs, and patient care to reduce the burden of cancer in North America. For more, see naaccr.org.
    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
    NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®
    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Secures Major Reforms to Protect Mental Health Patients at Westchester Medical Center

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a landmark settlement with Westchester County Health Care Corporation (WMC) and HealthAlliance, Inc. (HealthAlliance), collectively known as WMCHealth, that will expand access to inpatient psychiatric care in the Hudson Valley and overhaul how the hospital system treats patients experiencing mental health crises. An Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation found that three WMCHealth hospitals in the Hudson Valley – Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla (WMC-Valhalla), MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, and HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston – put vulnerable patients at risk by discharging them without adequate mental health crisis evaluation or stabilization and improperly left much-needed inpatient psychiatric beds closed for years. Under the settlement, WMCHealth has agreed to restore inpatient psychiatric beds that were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and implement extensive reforms to better serve emergency room patients experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.

    “For too long, vulnerable New Yorkers experiencing mental health or substance use crises have been met with inadequate care when they went to an emergency room for help,” said Attorney General James. “Mental health care is medical care, and mental health crises must be treated as the emergencies they are. This settlement should serve as a patient care model for hospitals in every corner of our great state. My office will continue to fight to ensure all New Yorkers have access to quality, compassionate emergency mental health care.”

    This is the first settlement in the nation reached by an attorney general for an investigation of a hospital’s inadequate treatment of mental health and substance use disorder patients under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals to screen and stabilize any patient who presents with an emergency medical condition. The OAG investigation also found violations of the New York Public Health Law, the New York Mental Hygiene Law, and state regulations that provide minimum standards for treatment of patients in emergency departments and prohibit hospitals from taking licensed inpatient psychiatric beds offline without state approval.

    The OAG launched an investigation in 2022 after hearing and receiving powerful testimony at Attorney General James’ Mental Health Hearings, which highlighted the serious impact of inpatient psychiatric bed closures at HealthAlliance Hospital and raised questions about inadequate care of young children in mental health crisis at WMC-Valhalla. The ensuing investigation uncovered troubling lapses in patient care at the three hospitals, including:

    • Discharging patients with active suicidal ideation or other emergency psychiatric conditions without proper stabilization;
    • Improperly medicating agitated children without sufficiently attempting to de-escalate their behavior or documenting those efforts;
    • Failing to follow protocols to protect vulnerable patients from leaving the hospital before being properly discharged, leading to preventable tragedies;
    • Failing to obtain vital input from family members and community providers; and
    • Maintaining incomplete or inaccurate medical records and violating WMCHealth’s own policies. 

    The investigation revealed that many patients who sought care at WMCHealth emergency rooms were discharged prematurely or received inadequate care or supervision. For example:

    • In one instance, an adolescent who had recently attempted suicide was deemed actively suicidal and recommended for inpatient care by a WMCHealth psychiatrist. Instead, she was discharged without properly reassessing and monitoring her behavior to ensure she was stable enough for discharge.
    • In another case, a teenager in acute distress was physically restrained and heavily medicated within minutes of arrival. Although she was so agitated that staff administered medications twice more, she was discharged quickly thereafter, without adequate time for monitoring to ensure her condition had stabilized and with insufficient documentation that emergency room staff first tried non-invasive interventions or de-escalation techniques.
    • In a third instance, an emergency room psychiatrist ordered constant monitoring for a patient, noting that he had recently left a treatment facility against medical advice. Despite this, the patient remained unsupervised, necessary precautions were not taken, and the patient successfully left the hospital without discharge, tragically passing away shortly thereafter.

    The OAG investigators also found that WMCHealth kept an inpatient psychiatric unit at HealthAlliance Hospital closed for far longer than allowed by the state, forcing patients in crisis to travel longer distances for care and filling up local emergency rooms with mental health or substance use patients awaiting beds. In March 2020, HealthAlliance Hospital closed the 40-bed unit to increase capacity for COVID-19 patients – but the beds were never ultimately used to treat any COVID patients, and the beds remained out of service long after June 2021, when pre-COVID regulatory requirements went back into effect.

    Declining capacity for inpatient psychiatric beds has harmed communities across the state, especially in the Hudson Valley, where there are very few other hospitals in the region that provide this service. As one WMCHealth nurse testified at Attorney General James’ 2022 Mental Health Hearing, the continued closure of HealthAlliance Hospital’s psychiatric unit “eliminated all in-patient psych beds in Ulster County” and forced patients to instead travel up to 90 minutes for care. Another mental health provider called the loss of beds “horrible for the patients” and said, “85 percent of the patients I used to see on a regular basis are gone and I have no idea where they are.” The provider testified that as a result of the lost capacity, “patients are spending more time in the ER than they should,” and that people were “stuck for days waiting for a bed,” often sleeping on stretchers in hallways, and that the emergency room was “just not set up to hold patients for longer periods.”

    Following OAG’s investigation, WMCHealth finally reopened 20 of the psychiatric beds at HealthAlliance Hospital in December 2024 and has announced plans to construct an additional 20-bed psychiatric unit at MidHudson Regional Hospital. These additions will finally restore pre-COVID inpatient psychiatric capacity across the three hospitals, and as part of today’s settlement, WMCHealth cannot close any of its reopened inpatient beds for the next three years. For the two years thereafter, the health system must consult with OAG before making any changes to inpatient capacity.

    As a result of the investigation, WMCHealth must implement extensive reforms at its emergency rooms in Valhalla, Poughkeepsie, and Kingston. For one, the hospital must modify its policies and procedures to ensure adequate screening for suicide risk, substance use disorders, violence risk, and elopement safety risk for all patients who come to the emergency room. The settlement requires WMCHealth hospitals try to gather information about patients’ conditions from past medical records, family members, treatment providers, or other sources, and to consider this information when making determinations about the patients’ treatment plans. WMCHealth must also establish relationships and open lines of communication with community behavioral health agencies and residential facilities that frequently send patients to the emergency room – making it easier to coordinate care and ensure all relevant providers are connected to best treat the patient.

    To set patients with complex needs (including patients who repeatedly visit the emergency room for mental health conditions) up for success post-discharge, staff will be required to evaluate whether patients may struggle to transition to community-based care after being discharged. For these patients, WMCHealth must develop individualized discharge plans to ensure patients have access to necessary follow-up mental health care and, where appropriate, develop care plans to improve treatment for patients upon any return visit to the emergency room.

    In addition, WMCHealth must develop new protocols for using restraints and medication to treat agitated patients, particularly children – meaning emergency room staff will be required to clearly and thoroughly document all uses of restraints or medication to treat agitation, provide adequate clinical justification for use, and demonstrate and document specific efforts to use less restrictive alternatives to deescalate the patients’ behavior.  

    To guarantee these changes are made, Attorney General James and WMCHealth have agreed to robust oversight measures. WMCHealth will develop a training protocol to enact the settlement requirements and appoint an internal compliance administrator, who will ensure all three hospitals adhere to the agreement and submit compliance reports to OAG every six months for at least two years. WMCHealth must pay $400,000 in penalties and fees and/or costs to New York state and, if it fails to comply with the terms of the agreement, it will be liable for an additional $10,000 penalty per violation.

    WMCHealth has also committed to making new and meaningful investments in implementing a new behavioral health service, such as deploying peer counselors in the emergency room, making mental health providers available at its primary care clinics, expanding substance use disorder treatment at the HealthAlliance Hospital and MidHudson Regional Hospital emergency rooms, and enacting an evidence-based procedure to make post-discharge follow-up calls to patients who are screened for moderate or high-risk of suicide.

    “Children experiencing serious psychiatric distress were put in danger by inadequate hospital protocol and procedures. Now, thanks to Attorney General James, the children in our care and many others in Westchester will be able to get the emergency care they need,” said Ron Richter, CEO of JCCA. “We are grateful to AG James for listening – and responding – to our struggles trying to get the right urgent care for our kids. She is a true partner in making New York a better place for all. It does take a village, including our state’s hospital system, to ensure the safety of our kids and all community members.”

    “After the death of my son Harris by accidental overdose, I founded the Harris Project to drive systemic change for young people, and their loved ones, impacted by co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders,” said Stephanie Marquesano, Founder of The Harris Project. “This settlement acknowledges the real harm caused by fragmented care and creates a powerful opportunity to reimagine emergency departments as compassionate, clinically competent entry points to healing. With restored psychiatric beds, stronger protocols, and meaningful oversight, we can increase access to care, implement quality co-occurring services, and rebuild trust across Westchester and the Mid-Hudson region. Through our Co-Occurring System of Care Committee, we’re bringing people together to listen, learn, and lead—and we welcome Westchester County Health Care Corporation to be part of creating lasting change.”

     “We want to thank New York State Attorney General Letitia James for her steadfast commitment to supporting mental health services in Westchester County,” said Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins. “When our residents are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, it is often a matter that must be attended to immediately, and the care these patients receive at Westchester Medical Center is of utmost importance. Ultimately, this settlement means that vulnerable patients who are admitted will not be put at risk or discharged prematurely without adequate mental health crisis intervention. By requiring WMCHealth Hospitals to gather more detailed information about patients’ conditions before determining their treatment, we are ensuring higher quality, more compassionate care.”

    “I deeply appreciate this thorough and detailed investigation by Attorney General James into the inadequate treatment of patients experiencing mental health crises,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “The findings on past practices are unacceptable and deeply concerning, and the settlement’s requirements for extensive reforms of policies and procedures, from intake through treatment and release, will ensure that our residents receive the proper mental health care they need and deserve. Ulster County will soon open an around-the-clock Crisis Support Center just blocks from the hospital, and we look forward to partnering with both HealthAlliance and the Office of the Attorney General as we all collectively work to strengthen our system of care for residents struggling with mental health and substance use.” 

    “Too many families in the Hudson Valley have watched loved ones fall through the cracks of a broken mental health system,” said Senator Nathalia Fernandez. “This agreement marks a turning point in how we treat and value psychiatric care. I commend Attorney General James for stepping in and securing reforms that put patient safety, accountability, and compassion back at the center of care.”

    “For years, our Ulster County community has been sounding the alarm about the devastating loss of local mental health and substance use disorder care in Kingston,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “We’re grateful that Attorney General Letitia James has joined us in this fight, leading to new service protections and patient-centered care that will be implemented at Kingston HealthAlliance and across all WMCHealth hospitals so our neighbors have greater access to the life-saving services they deserve.”

    “Today’s announcement by New York Attorney General Letitia James marks a significant milestone in tackling the mental health crisis in New York,” said Senator Shelley B. Mayer. “This settlement establishes a robust precedent, ensuring that individuals in crisis receive the essential care they need and rightfully deserve. I commend Attorney General James for her unwavering commitment to the people of New York and for her leadership in driving all hospitals and psychiatric units to make substantial improvements in delivering dignified and high-quality mental healthcare.”

    “Comprehensive psychiatric care is not just vital for the safety and well-being of individuals, but for all of society,” said Senator James Skoufis. “Our communities, schools, and families are safer when patients get the care they need. I’m very grateful for Attorney General James’ successful efforts here in the Hudson Valley.”

    “This settlement, the first of its kind in the nation, is incredibly welcome news,” said New York Assemblymember Dana Levenberg. “The expansion of access to psychiatric evaluation and care at Westchester Medical Center will save lives in my district. I applaud our Attorney General for her tireless efforts on behalf of New Yorkers, which are truly appreciated.”

    “This settlement represents a vital step forward in treating mental health with the urgency, dignity, and care it deserves,” said New York Assemblymember Nader Sayegh. “I commend Attorney General James for holding institutions accountable and ensuring that no patient in crisis is turned away, neglected, or left without a path to healing. This agreement offers not just reform, but hope for families, youth, and individuals who need to know that their lives and well-being matter.”

    “Congress passed EMTALA in 1986 to ensure that individuals experiencing mental health crises receive the full, stabilizing care they need,” said Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky. “I am happy that the parties involved here have arrived at this robust settlement, which should restore and improve acute mental health care for Hudson Valley residents. We in state government are well aware New York must keep building its capacity for these critical, and often complex, cases. To that end I will continue to support greater investments in psychiatric and mental health care in the 2025-2026 State Budget and in subsequent budgets—including training and incentives for more mental health professionals to enter the field as providers of inpatient and outpatient services.”

    This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Michael Reisman and Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant to the First Deputy Gina Bull, under the supervision of Health Care Bureau Chief Sudarsana Srinivasan. The Health Care Bureau is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and for Submitting False Claims to the Federal Government

    Source: US State of California

    Note: View settlement here.

    The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

    The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. 

    The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

    In light of Friday’s settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

    “Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

    “This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”

    “Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”

    “This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.” 

    “With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”

    “This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”    

    “Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”

    In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances. 

    “Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation’s largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”

    “Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”

    “In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”

    The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

    The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisiana provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

    The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

    The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.  

    For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:

    For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal healthcare fraud, visit:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and for Submitting False Claims to the Federal Government

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Note: View settlement here.

    The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

    The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. 

    The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

    In light of Friday’s settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

    “Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

    “This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”

    “Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”

    “This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.” 

    “With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”

    “This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”    

    “Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”

    In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances. 

    “Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation’s largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”

    “Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”

    “In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”

    The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

    The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisiana provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

    The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

    The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.  

    For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:

    For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal healthcare fraud, visit:

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study assessing temperature-related deaths in urban heat islands

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Nature Climate Change assesses temperature-related deaths in urban heat islands.

    Dr Chloe Brimicombe, Climate Scientist and Extreme Heat Impact Researcher, University of London, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said:

    “The paper shows how urban greening (maintaining parks and planting trees) and cool roofs, painting roofs white are intervention which reduces the rise in heat in cities and are associated with reduced heat related mortality.

    “In the paper all the results are related to a general U-shaped relationship this is where we see more deaths when it’s cold and hot in comparison to when it’s just warm. This is a global trend but there are actually local differences so sometimes we see a J shape where there’s a point at which heat related mortality rises faster than cold related mortality. It’s also different for age, cause of death and for socio-economic factors like wealth, type of housing and ethnicity.

    “Also, there is what we call a lagged effect, someone could take up to a month to die from cold, whereas it is 3 days to a week with heat – when we consider our body, they affect us differently – you shiver when cold and sweat when hot.

    “In addition, this paper does not take into account humid heat which is more deadly than dry heat. And we have seen in other recent studies that urban greening may be affecting this and therefore heat during the night-time and mortality.

    “This is a problem in UK towns and cities, there has been local research showing that green roofs are associated with reduced heat-mortality in London. We see a rise in cold and heat related mortality in UK cities, we all remember how unbearable UK urban areas were in the July 2022 heatwave. This paper gives evidence that more funding should be set aside so that local towns and cities can increase adaptation strategies including maintaining parks, planting trees and vegetation, increasing coverage of cool roofs and reflective roofing which may reduce the burden of heat related mortality.

    “With all this in mind the paper demonstrates really how we need to take into account local contexts and there is a lot that local cities are doing, and we should celebrate these efforts, but adaptation alone is not enough we need to urgently prioritise transitions to net zero and beyond.”

    Dr Clare Heaviside, Associate Professor (Cities, Climate and Health), University College London (UCL), said:

    “Urban adaptations influence local temperatures year-round, impacting human health. These complex effects vary across populations, cities and geographic and climatic zones. Therefore, maximising benefits and minimising negative impacts in specific settings requires location-specific modelling and data (health and meteorology), rather than relying on generalised results that extrapolate sparse data to different settings.

    “That is why our (and many other) modelling studies use locally derived temperature-mortality relationships, daily mortality data and detailed regional urban climate modelling to best assess the impacts of adaptations like greening and cool roofs. For example, we modelled the health impacts of the UHI in summer and winter in the West Midlands, and found a protective effect of the UHI on winter mortality as well as a (larger) negative impact of the UHI in summer.

    “Cool roofs reduced summer mortality and had a negligible effect in winter, so even with cool roofs present all year round, the reduced solar radiation in winter meant that the cool roofs did not diminish the beneficial impact of the UHI during cold weather. Therefore we found an annual net positive health impact of cool roofs, due to the larger benefits in summer. Of course this is highly context specific and will not necessarily be the case everywhere, so we would need similar data and modelling in other locations to test similar impacts of adaptations.”

    Dr Madeleine Thomson, Head of Climate Impacts and Adaptation at Wellcome, said:

    “While the study’s modelling provides valuable insights into global trends, it assumes adaptation strategies have the same impact across seasons around the world.

    “Local context matters. Effective climate adaptation must be tailored to the place — and the people — it’s meant to protect. Many cities are already doing this with evidence-based approaches that consider the impact year-round.

    “Copenhagen, for example, planted deciduous trees that offer shade in summer to reduce urban heat, while shedding their leaves in winter to let sunlight in—helping to cool the city in summer without intensifying winter cold. This seasonal adaptability makes them an effective tool against the urban heat island effect.”

    “Extreme heat is a rising global threat due to climate change, putting vulnerable groups — including older adults, children, and pregnant women — at serious health risks. Cities must act with urgency, using local evidence to protect lives now and into the future.”

    ‘Dual impact of global urban overheating on mortality’ by Shasha Wang et al. was published in Nature Climate Change at 16:00 UK time Monday 21 April 2025, which is when the embargo will lift.

    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02303-3

    Declared interests

    Dr Chloe Brimicombe: No COIs

    Dr Madeleine Thomson: No interests to declare.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to cluster-randomised trial of blood pressure reductions for all-cause dementia

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Nature Medicine looks at blood pressure control for dementia.

    Dr Julia Dudley, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

    “This large trial of over 33,000 people in rural China provides further evidence that addressing high blood pressure could be one way to reduce dementia risk. This is consistent with a landmark report published in The Lancet last year, which highlighted untreated high blood pressure as one of 14 risk factors that account for almost half of global dementia cases. Existing medicines and lifestyle changes to reduce blood pressure could present a more accessible way to lower dementia risk for those with high blood pressure.

    “While the results from this trial are reassuring, further studies are needed to understand how other risk factors like genetics interact with factors like high blood pressure to influence dementia risk. It will also be interesting to see whether interventions trialed in this study can work in other populations across the world. 

    “Looking after our heart and blood vessel health is something we can all do to improve our overall wellbeing and reduce our risk of dementia. With no current treatments available on the NHS to slow or stop the diseases that cause dementia, there has never been a more pressing need to promote good brain health and to gain a deeper understanding of how we can reduce our risk of developing dementia.

    “The government also has a vital role to play in tackling the health and lifestyle factors that influence dementia risk – including cardiovascular health. This could mean introducing policies to reduce salt, sugar, and calories in processed foods, and lowering the NHS Health Check eligibility age in England from 40 to 30, so more people can start managing their blood pressure earlier in life.

    “If you’re worried about your blood pressure, or haven’t had it checked for a while, speak to your GP or your local pharmacy may offer this service. If you’re over 40, you should ideally have your blood pressure checked at least every five years.”

    Prof James Leiper, Director of Research, British Heart Foundation, said:

    “There has been evidence for a long time that people who have high blood pressure have a higher risk of developing dementia, especially vascular dementia. The findings of this large trial, involving high blood pressure treatments that are already widespread, offer strong evidence that enhanced treatment of high blood pressure could in turn reduce the heightened dementia risk that comes with it.

    “It will be important to see whether this reduced risk continues for longer than the four-year follow up period in the study, and whether similar effects are seen in other populations that receive the same treatment. If so, wider use of high blood pressure treatment in people with the condition could be recommended to fight the growing impact of dementia.”

     

    Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said:  

    “Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. The condition is progressive and although no single behaviour is guaranteed to prevent dementia, we know that what’s good for your heart is often also good for your head.

    “This study is one of the first big trials to test whether treating high blood pressure, supported by health coaching can reduce dementia risk, and the results appear to be promising.

    “It is encouraging that the intervention worked in real-world, rural settings using non-physician healthcare workers, which may have implications for delivering care in areas with limited resources in the future. However, this four-year study cannot tell us whether the benefits will last in the long-term so we will continue to follow this trial. 

    “Research will one day beat dementia. This study takes another step forwards and we will be keen to see further studies provide more information about the impact of blood pressure control over the longer term and in other populations.”

     

    Prof Sir Mark Caulfield, Vice Principal for Health for Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, said:

    “the findings reported in Nature Medicine show that optimizing blood pressure control convincingly reduces risk of dementia. There have been prior studies suggesting correlation of blood pressure level and dementia risk -especially vascular dementia – but this is a very emphatic outcome of a trial. The trial is in a Chinese population so some people might say it isn’t generalisable, but we know from other research that the correlation of blood pressure level with adverse outcomes is consistent across populations. This is a really major advance in dementia prevention and will transform global blood pressure guidance and prevention strategies.”

    Prof Ian Maidment, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, Aston University, said:

    “There is already good evidence that we should control hypertension to reduce the potential risk of dementia.

    “The study here showed that the intervention reduced the risk of dementia (as expected). However, the intervention would require significant modification. It was delivered by “village doctors” in rural villages in China. It would require significant changes for the UK and other similar healthcare systems; although potentially community pharmacists could deliver a similar programme.

    “There are also a number of further limitations to consider before we should consider changing UK practice. The cohort were relatively young at baseline (62/ 63 years old) and only followed up for 48 months. In part due to these two factors, very few dementia cases actually arose during the trial: 4.59% (n=668) intervention vs 5.40% (n=734) in control. This represents 66 excess cases (734 minus 668; although the denominator is different. There were 17,407 people in the intervention group vs 16,588 in the control group). There was also no health economic data for the intervention delivered across 163 villages for 48 months.”

    Prof Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology, University of Oxford, said:

    “This is a landmark study with a very large sample size and a robust effect. It’s a wake-up call to treat high blood pressure intensively, not just to protect the heart but also the brain.”

    “Remarkably, within just four years, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of dementia by aggressively treating raised blood pressure. Although many patients and their GPs understand how important it is to treat blood pressure, they might not appreciate what a risk it poses for developing dementia. In my clinic, I recommend keeping BP consistently below 140/80.”

     

    Prof Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, and President of the British Neuroscience Association said:

    “This paper by He and team based at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center tested whether treatment for high blood pressure was associated with a reduction in risk of developing dementia.  The team randomly assigned 163 villages in rural China to treat people with high blood pressure with medication and coaching to help them manage blood pressure and in 163 similar villages, people received standard care. The team observed that the people in the group receiving treatment for two years had a 15% reduced risk of developing dementia to the control group . This randomized, controlled trial provides further strong evidence supporting the importance of managing blood pressure and other cardiovascular risks to protect the brain during ageing. It is important to note that treating high blood pressure was not a fool-proof guarantee as some people receiving treatment still developed dementia.  Although lifestyle modification is not a guarantee of avoiding dementia, strong evidence suggests there are things we can all do to keep our brains healthy and reduce dementia risk as we age including keeping mentally, physically, and socially active, treating conditions like hearing loss and high blood pressure, and avoiding things like head injury, too much alcohol, and smoking.”

    Prof Atticus Hainsworth, Professor of Cerebrovascular Disease, St George’s, University of London (SGUL), said:

    “It is encouraging to see further support for the concept that intensive blood pressure control reduces dementia risk. Jiang He and colleagues report a large clinical study, sampling older people from over 300 Chinese villages (almost 34,000 participants). Blood pressure was treated with cheap, readily-available drugs, managed by community healthcare workers who were not specialist doctors. They found a significant reduction in dementia risk among those villages where blood pressure was treated intensively. The implication is clear. We have an intervention that moves the needle on dementia risk, that can be delivered to large numbers of people in their communities, at modest cost.

    “There are parallels with a previous large clinical trial of intensive blood pressure lowering in older North Americans (the SPRINT-MIND study). The reduction in risk was similar – about 15%. In both studies, the beneficial effect did not depend on using specific drug type to lower blood pressure. And in both, an effect of treatment was apparent after 12-18 months (though both studies continued for a longer duration).

    “Replicating experimental findings doesn’t always happen. Here we are looking at similar findings from two big trials in different settings – rural China and (largely urban, primarily white) North America. These concordant findings may prompt changes in healthcare policy guidelines.”

    Prof Toby Richards, Department of Allied and Public Health, School Of Health, Sport And Bioscience at the University of East London, said:

    “Dementia is a rising problem in society today.

    “In this large community based clinical trial in 34,000 people, the authors have shown two important findings. Firstly, that non-medical staff can provide medical information and deliver primary care protocols effectively in a community setting. And secondly that effectively lowering blood pressure to

    “The data reinforce recent European Society of Cardiology 2024 guidelines aiming for a lower blood pressure and a structured algorithm of treatment.

    “This has important ramifications for individuals.  Blood Pressure can be relatively easy to measure at home enabling individuals to take control and autonomy for their health and these data show benefit in reducing the risk for developing dementia.

    “In a resource strapped NHS these data also show that an algorithm of Treatment based on the European Society guidelines can be implemented by non-health care professionals,  potentially at pharmacy level.

    “In summary these data support treating blood pressure to

    ‘Blood pressure reduction and all-cause dementia in people with uncontrolled hypertension: an open-label, blinded-endpoint, cluster-randomized trial’ by Jiang He et al. was published in Nature Medicine at 16:00 UK time on Monday 21st Monday. 

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03616-8

    Declared interests

    Prof James Leiper: No conflicts of interest to declare.

    Prof Sir Mark Caulfield: Mark Caulfield was President of the British and Irish Hypertension Society between 2009-11 and served on the European Society of Hypertension Council.

    Between 2013-21 he was Chief Scientist for Genomics England, a Department of Health and Social Care Company

    Prof Ian Maidment: No declarations of interest.

    Prof Masud Husain: I don’t have any conflicts of interest.

    Prof Tara Spires-Jones: I have no conflicts with this study but have received payments for consulting, scientific talks, or collaborative research over the past 10 years from AbbVie, Sanofi, Merck, Scottish Brain Sciences, Jay Therapeutics, Cognition Therapeutics, Ono, and Eisai. I am also Charity trustee for the British Neuroscience Association and the Guarantors of Brain and serve as scientific advisor to several other charities and non-profit institutions.

    Prof Atticus Hainsworth: I have co-authored a publication with one of the authors, Dr Jeff Williamson, on a related topic. I lead the Vascular Experimental Medicine group in DementiasPlatformUK. I serve on a scientific panel for AriBio Ltd.

    Prof Toby Richards: Professor Richards has declared no conflicts of interest.

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Cyber A.I. Group Names Dr. Peter J. Morales as Chief Technology Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI and NEW YORK and LONDON, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cyber A.I. Group, Inc. (“CyberAI” or the “Company”), an emerging growth Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and IT services company engaged in the development of next-generation Cybersecurity technology, announced today the appointment of industry leading expert and adjunct professor at NYU, Dr. Peter J. Morales as the Company’s Chief Technology Officer.

    Dr. Morales brings over 30 years of pioneering experience across finance, education, enterprise technology and the defense sectors, with a long-standing commitment to ethical innovation, advanced systems architecture, and AI expertise. As CTO at CyberAI, Dr. Morales is expected to play a pivotal role in accelerating the CyberAI’s strategy and scaling AI-powered solutions by driving the launch of the Company’s next-generation AI-driven cybersecurity IP through its CyberAI Sentinel 2.0™ initiatives.

    CyberAI Sentinel 2.0™ represents a paradigm shift in Cybersecurity, committed to monetizing proprietary technology and providing clients with a holistic solution to cybersecurity threats by safeguarding digital assets. CyberAI intends to become a cost-effective solution to comprehensive Cybersecurity services for middle market companies on a global basis. This is in addition to CyberAI’s short-term objective of acquiring, consolidating and transforming IT services companies aggregating $100 million in revenues within the next 12 to 18 months with an anticipated listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

    “We are honored to announce the appointment of Dr. Morales as our new Chief Technology Officer,” stated Walter Hughes, CEO of CyberAI. “His proven track record of building secure, scalable systems across both public and private sectors—including developing technology infrastructure at the NYSE and leading cloud initiatives at NYU— makes Dr. Morales uniquely qualified to guide our global technology initiatives, including CyberAI Sentinel 2.0, as we acquire and evolve top-performing IT service companies toward our stated objective of achieving $100 million in revenue.”

    Over the years, Dr. Morales has held executive and academic leadership roles that bridge advanced technology with strategic innovation. At the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), he served as VP, CIO, and CISO, leading programs in cybersecurity, software development, data analytics, and enterprise systems. In addition, over 10 years at NYU, Dr. Morales led a global peer-to-peer collaboration platform initiative, launched a PMO, oversaw the university’s first AWS cloud migration, and cultivated a research partnership with NASA Langley, resulting in a Space Act Agreement.

    His early career included developing mission-critical systems for the U.S. Navy’s F-18 aircraft and building high-performance trading infrastructure for the American and New York Stock Exchanges. Dr. Morales also led the creation of a pioneering diagnostic platform for pediatric neurological research at North Shore University Hospital.

    “Throughout my career, I’ve been drawn to challenges where complex systems, human ingenuity, and mission-critical outcomes intersect, and that’s exactly what CyberAI represents,” said Dr. Morales. “CyberAI’s model—rooted in acquiring established, high-performing companies and enhancing their value through practical, responsible A.I. adoption—is exactly the kind of approach that intrigues me. With its visionary strategy and strong momentum, CyberAI is positioned to transform the IT services landscape and I look forward to helping integrate and elevate their CyberAI Sentinel 2.0 initiatives through secure, intelligent systems that drive real-world impact.”

    Dr. Morales holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, an M.S. in Engineering Management from NYU Tandon School of Engineering, as well as a Doctorate in Computer Science with a specialization in computational econometric modeling. He has been a PMP-certified project manager for more than 20 years and is Scrum Master certified.

    In addition, Dr. Morales continues to teach in NYU’s M.S. programs in Project and Systems Management, and he serves on the boards of the EPIC Education Foundation and NABU, a UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) NGO. He has also delivered project management training across numerous New York City agencies and taught advanced tech and leadership courses at St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

    “Dr. Morales brings the kind of visionary yet grounded leadership that is essential to CyberAI’s long-term success,” said Alfonso J. Cervantes, Jr., Executive Chairman of CyberAI. “As we execute on our global acquisition strategy, we are not simply aggregating companies—we are transforming them into next-generation technology enterprises. His leadership ensures we can generate our own proprietary technology into industry leading AI innovation, operational efficiency, and cyber resilience.”

    Through AI innovation, CyberAI Sentinel 2.0 is designed to empower enterprises with intelligent, adaptive, and proactive protection, while also leveraging CyberAI’s expanding customer base as the Company continues to grow through its M&A initiatives.

    About Cyber A.I. Group

    Cyber A.I. Group, Inc. (“CyberAI”) is an international company engaged in the acquisition and management of worldwide Cybersecurity and IT services firms. CyberAI is pursuing a highly proactive “Buy & Build” strategy to rapidly expand operations internationally by acquiring a broad spectrum of IT services companies and repositioning them to address fast-growing market needs for Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence markets. The Company has developed an active pipeline of 300+ perspective acquisitions which are in various stages of analysis. The Company’s initial target is to acquire multiple companies representing aggregate revenues annualizing $100 million within the next 12 to 18 months with an anticipated listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE). CyberAI’s business model is focused on the acquisition and consolidation of IT services worldwide with proven ability in broad conventional technology services with strong cash flow and enhance performance through A.I.-driven Cybersecurity initiatives. This emphasis on conventional companies with strong revenues and EBITDA distinguishes CyberAI from the explosion of A.I. startups that may be pinning their future on a single technological breakthrough which may never materialize. This “Buy & Build” strategy provides CyberAI with the maximum flexibility for diversification and risk management for moving into new fields and addressing fast moving market opportunities. For additional information, please visit: cyberaigroup.io.

    Contact

    Cyber A.I. Group, Inc.
    Tel: 786.749.1221
    info@cyberaigroup.io

    London:
    60 Park Lane, #3
    London, W1K 1NA

    New York:
    641 Lexington Avenue, 14th Floor
    New York, NY 10022

    Miami:
    990 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 503
    Miami, FL 33132

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ee965b05-1ae6-4730-b9a3-aa42dd86d1ef

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Launches Second Edition of Walk-a-thon India, Three Lucky Winners to Get Galaxy Watch Ultra

    Source: Samsung

     
    Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, today announced the launch of the second edition of ‘Walk-a-thon India’, a campaign designed to bolster the spirit of health and fitness in the country.
     
    Starting today, users can participate in the challenge and track their daily step count for a period of one month until May 20, 2025 via the Samsung Health app. All users who complete 200,000 steps during this period will be eligible for prizes.  Three lucky winners will get Galaxy Watch Ultra while all others who complete 200,000+ steps will get 25% discount on Galaxy Watch Ultra.
     
    The second edition of ‘Walk-a-thon India’ builds on the tremendous response received during the first chapter held in February 2025, which saw over 100,000 entries from enthusiastic participants across the country.
     
    The 30-day steps challenge will be hosted exclusively on the Samsung Health app, which is available on Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Participants can monitor their progress through a real-time leaderboard within the Samsung Health app, allowing them to compare their performance and stay motivated throughout the challenge. To qualify and be eligible for prizes, participants are required to complete a minimum of 200,000 steps over the 30-day duration. After completing the challenge, the finishers need to visit the Samsung Members app between May 26 and June 15, 2025 to claim their prize.
     
    Samsung Health App
    Samsung Health is a global wellness platform that allows users to track a wide range of health metrics including steps, exercise, calorie intake, blood pressure, ECG, and sleep patterns. The app is designed to promote healthy living and is compatible exclusively with Samsung Galaxy smartphones. With seamless integration and user-friendly features, the app empowers users to maintain and improve their overall well-being.
     
    Galaxy Watch Ultra
    Galaxy Watch Ultra, priced at INR 59999, boasts 10ATM water resistance, an IP68 rating for dust and water protection, and is built to military-grade MIL-STD-810H standards, making it resilient in tough environments. The device delivers up to 100 hours of battery life in Power Saving mode, offering long-lasting performance. It is equipped with Samsung’s cutting-edge BioActive Sensor, which supports on-demand ECG recording and Heart Rate Alerts to detect irregular heart activity. Galaxy Watch Ultra also comes with Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification (IHRN) feature.
     
    Users can participate in the challenge by registering for the Walk-a-thon India challenge on Samsung Health App.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Senate Resolution Recognizing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, John Cornyn, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Marsha Blackburn, and Maggie Hassan introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution designating April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

    “Elected representatives and leaders in the communities of the United States must be ever vigilant and proactive in support of evidence-based means to prevent child abuse and neglect, and to support families,” the resolution stated.

    In introducing this resolution, the senators outlined that:

    1. Child abuse and neglect and child sexual abuse are preventable, and that a healthy and prosperous society depends on strong families and communities
    2. Greater awareness and education around child abuse prevention is  essential
    3. Efforts to help survivors of childhood sexual abuse heal and get justice warrant support

    This resolution is endorsed by more than 20 national and state organizations, including Prevent Child Abuse America, Buckner International, Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Now, Children At Risk, Children’s Trust Fund Alliance, Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Family Compass, First3Years, Healthy Families America, Illuminate Colorado, National Association of Counsel for Children, Tennessee Voices, TexProtects, The Kempe Foundation, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, United Ways of Texas, and Zero to Three. 

    Full text of the resolution is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –