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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed restricting the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, which has been linked to developmental issues in children, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from the District of Columbia, Georgia, and Utah.
- District of Columbia: EPA has proposed restricting the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos to 11 crops, including apples, citrus, cotton, strawberries, and wheat. Research has suggested that high levels of chlorpyrifos increase the risk of cognitive and physical delays in young children. The chemical has been banned in the European Union and a few U.S. states. Although EPA attempted to ban chlorpyrifos in 2021, the ban was overturned in 2023 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. In the latest restrictions, chlorpyrifos would be prohibited, except for the exempted crops. According to EPA, the new restrictions would decrease the average annual pounds of chlorpyrifos applied in the United States by 70% compared to historic totals. "The newly proposed restrictions are a step forward, but they fall short of fully protecting children, farmworkers, and our food supply," said Patti Goldman, an attorney at Earthjustice. "Unless the EPA acts quickly to finalize proposed food bans on chlorpyrifos and other organophosphates, it will leave children without desperately needed protections." (Zimmerman, Agriculture Dive, 12/5; Rabin, New York Times, 12/4)
- Georgia: According to new CDC data, 15.8% of U.S. adults, including undiagnosed cases, have diabetes, an increase from 10% in 1999-2000. When adjusting for age, the prevalence of diabetes in 1999-2000 was 9.7%. This number increased to 14.3% between August 2021 and August 2023. Diabetes was most prevalent among adults ages 60 and older (27.3%), followed by those ages 40 to 59 (17.7%). Men also had a higher prevalence of diabetes compared to women (18% vs. 13.7%, respectively). According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is the most expensive chronic condition in the United States, costing an estimated $412.9 billion in 2022. This includes $306.6 billion in direct medical costs. (Reed, Axios, 11/7)
- Utah: Intermountain Health has named Ryan Smith as its new chief digital and information officer (CDIO). Smith, who will take over as CDIO in early 2025, previously held several senior IT leadership roles at Intermountain and was the organization's chief information officer from 2020 to 2022. Currently, Smith is serving as interim president and CEO of Graphite Health, a nonprofit collaborative of health systems that includes Intermountain. "I'm confident that Ryan is the right leader to help Intermountain successfully navigate both opportunities and obstacles as a model health system in the complex world of healthcare that lies ahead," said Intermountain Health president and CEO Rob Allen. "He will lead DTS [Digital Technology Services] to support our mission, vision, and strategy to simplify, expand proactive care, and improve the healthcare experience for our caregivers, patients, members, and communities." (Miliard, Healthcare IT News, 12/5)
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