51ÊÓƵ

A number of U.S. colleges and universities say they've seen a surge of students who say the COVID-19 crisis inspired them to pursue the public health field, and crisis communication in particular. The pandemic exposed the need for and challenges of well-executed public health messaging — particularly in a time rife with misinformation campaigns and polarizing politics. (Fernandez, 5/27)

One sign of the severity of Georgia’s nurse shortage can be seen in the bonuses offered to experienced RNs to join a hospital workforce. Some health systems in the state are paying bonuses of more than $10,000 to attract nurses. And Piedmont Healthcare, which is rapidly becoming Georgia’s biggest health system, said it has offered bonuses of up to $30,000, a figure that has startled local health industry officials. (Miller, 5/27)

In a May to June 2020 survey, about 1,200 US health workers relayed frustrations with unsafe and devaluing working conditions, according to a George Washington University press release. Most respondents worked in a hospital setting, and many were nurses. While some said they had employers who were trying their best to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), more said that they felt unsafe because of the lack of it, and many reported retaliation or bullying in response to any workplace concern. Additionally, the constantly changing guidelines from their employer or federal agencies left them frustrated. (5/26)

Dr. Stephanie Ho, a family medicine physician in Fayetteville, Arkansas, said she’s had state legislators in her exam room before. Ho, who has provided gender-affirming care to transgender people in the state since 2015, is also an abortion provider, so she is familiar with lawmakers' restricting the care she provides. She said she wasn’t surprised when the Legislature overrode Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of a bill last month that would ban puberty blockers, hormones and surgery for transgender minors. (Yurcaba, 5/27)