Just three days before the start of its next term, the Supreme Court announced that Justice Brett Kavanaugh has tested positive for Covid-19, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from the District of Columbia, Georgia, and Maryland. 

• District of Columbia: The Supreme Court announced that Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday tested positive for Covid-19 during a test conducted as part of the Court's regular testing protocols. According to the Court, Justice Kavanaugh is fully vaccinated and is currently showing no symptoms but will enter quarantine as a precaution. The court's statement gave no indication that Kavanaugh's result would affect the start of the new term next Monday. (Breuninger, CNBC, 10/1; Williams, NBC News, 10/1)

• Georgia/Maryland: For the first time in almost 25 years, CDC and NIH are funding new research on gun violence with the aim of reducing gun-related injuries, deaths, crimes, and suicides. CDC is providing funding to 10 state health departments so they can collect near-real time data on emergency room nonfatal firearm injuries—which could help doctors and epidemiologists identify trends and create rapid interventions. (Westervelt, NPR, 9/29) 

• Maryland: As part of a $2.5 billion financial package from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Act of 2021, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is investing $825 million in 231 community mental health centers across the nation to help curb the impact of mental illness during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Devereaux, Modern Healthcare, 9/29)