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The United States is facing a shortage of physical therapists, impacting
patient care across the nation. According to the American Physical
Therapy Association (APTA), the job vacancy rate for therapists in
outpatient settings last year was 17%. The shortage is particularly acute in
rural areas and high-cost-of-living areas like California.
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The United States received a D+ grade for the second consecutive year in
the annual report card on maternal and infant health by the nonprofit
March of Dimes. The report highlights that the nation's preterm birth rate
was 10.4% in 2022, down only 1% from the previous year. Preterm births are
a leading cause of infant deaths.
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Warmer winters due to climate change are making ticks, especially the
ones that spread Lyme disease, more active during winter months. This
increased activity, combined with milder winter days, raises the risk of tick
bites and Lyme disease infections even in the colder seasons.
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Childhood cancer mortality in the US has decreased by 24% over the
past two decades, with a notable drop in death rates for children under
10. However, disparities exist among racial and ethnic groups, as rates
continued to decline only for White children between 2011 and 2021, leading
to a 20% higher cancer death rate among Black and Hispanic children
compared to White children in 2021, according to a report by the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Nearly 450 patients at Salem Hospital in Massachusetts may have been
exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV during endoscopy
procedures over a two-year period. The hospital corrected the practice,
and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health determined that the
infection risk is extremely small, with no evidence of infections reported to
date.
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