• District of Columbia: Last week, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at expanding access to IVF and making it more affordable. The order asks for policy recommendations that will help "protect IVF access and aggressively reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for such treatments." Currently, IVF can cost between $12,000 to $25,000 per cycle. "Our nation's public policy must make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children," the White House said in a fact sheet. Separately, Barbara Collura, president and CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, said the executive order "looks extremely promising" since "[t]he biggest barriers for people to building their families are the out-of-pocket costs, the lack of insurance coverage for this care." (Reed/Bettelheim, Axios, 2/18; Superville/Price, Associated Press/STAT, 2/18)
• District of Columbia: The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has launched a new platform called HealthShifts to help address workforce shortages in the pharmacy industry. HealthShifts was developed with the California Pharmacists Association and is designed to provide innovative staffing solutions and help connect pharmacy professionals with job opportunities across the country. It includes a nationwide job board, as well as shift coverage for pharmacies and flexible work options for professionals. "HealthShifts represents a significant step forward in APhA's commitment to supporting pharmacists and advancing the profession," said Michael Hogue, EVP and CEO of APhA. "This initiative showcases the leadership of the APhA Board and our dedication to investing in innovative solutions that address workforce needs while empowering pharmacists to excel in their careers." (Murphy, Becker's Hospital Review, 2/10; APhA press release, 2/6)
• Georgia: According to a new CDC report, some spillover of bird flu from dairy cattle into humans may have gone undetected, including in states where cattle have not tested positive for the virus. In the study, researchers analyzed blood samples from 150 veterinarians who worked with cattle around the United States and found that three had antibodies to the bird flu virus, suggesting they had recent infections. However, none of the three veterinarians reported having any flu-like symptoms or conjunctivitis. They also had not cared for any cattle with known or suspected infections, though one had worked with infected poultry. According to Gregory Gray, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, the study's findings emphasize how difficult it is to detect and control human infections based on whether the person gets medical care. "If the circulating H5 viruses become more transmissible between humans, we are not going to be able to control transmission as the viruses will spread rapidly and often subclinically," Gray said. Separately, Lauren Sauer, a professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, said that the current bird flu "surveillance is inadequate" and that "[a]ny detection of asymptomatic or mild cases in this study just tells me we're missing cases." (Stone, "Shots," NPR, 2/13)

Maternal and reproductive healthcare is rapidly changing. Health leaders must grapple with worsening maternal health disparities, the nationwide maternal mental health crisis, lasting impacts of the Dobbs v. Jackson  ruling, and the rise of femtech disruptors. Explore our report to learn about four key drivers reshaping maternal and reproductive healthcare delivery.