Category: Health Care
-
A More Appropriate Management Model for State Mental Health Facilities
by James C. Sherlock I always find it disturbing when state agencies operate institutions that they are also responsible for regulating and inspecting. It almost cannot work. I have brought this up with regards to the VDOE operation of a virtual learning program when that same agency oversees private providers of the exact same services.…
-
Crime in Virginia — the Statistics of Race and their Causes
—
by
in Children and Families, Civil Rights, Individual Liberties, Corruption and Scandals, Crime, Corrections, Law Enforcement, Culture wars, Democracy and Western Civilization, Demographics, Education (K-12), Efficiency in Government, General Assembly, Governance, Government Finance, Health Care, Housing, Land use & Development, Mental illness and substance abuse, Politics, Public safety & health, Race and Race Relations, Regulations, Gov’t Oversightby James C. Sherlock Crime, especially violent crime, is a constant topic in private conversations and in public politics, and thus here on Bacon’s Rebellion. Comments on BR crime-related articles turn quickly to race, often without basis in fact. I will offer below the actual crime statistics by race from 2021, the latest available year,…
-
Last Gasp for Masks
by Kerry Dougherty A friend of mine went to the dermatologist yesterday. The medical office was in the Sentara Leigh medical complex in Norfolk and she was required to wear a face diaper. Hey, there were a total of 5 cases of covid yesterday in Norfolk. That’s 2 cases for every 100,000 residents. There may…
-
The Registered Nurse Shortage
by James C. Sherlock I have reported often about the severe and increasing shortages of nurses both in Virginia and nationally. At some point in nearly everyone’s life, we literally will not be able to live without the help of a nurse, whether for injury or illness or just declining overall health. We need both…
-
Public School Climate Lessons Terrorize Virginia’s Children
by James C. Sherlock A headline from the home page of Save the Children: “Climate Change Is a Grave Threat to Children’s Survival.” Climate change is thus not a “challenge.” Not a threat to children’s happiness. But rather a threat to their “survival.” That is what children are being taught in many Virginia public school…
-
Virginia Hospitals Under Pressure on Finances and Personnel
By James C. Sherlock I have written for years about Virginia hospitals and their state oversight, including Virginia’s monopolistic Certificate of Public Need (COPN) law and its administration by the Department of Health. Virginia hospitals, and indeed those across the nation, are now under more stress than in generations. Hospitals nationally are under financial pressures…
-
Private Hospitals show Virginia’s State Hospitals, Colleges and Universities the Way to Efficiency
by James C. Sherlock We read far too often about funding “crises” in government institutions and programs. The general public, me included, would be far more attentive and sometimes supportive if government would follow the lead of private companies and continually right-size itself and emphasize customer-facing services. The health care industry — or rather the…
-
What Do We Owe To and Expect from a Special Ed Teacher?
by James C. Sherlock On February 16, USA Today published a story by Jeanine Santucci. That is the latest in an excellent series of reports on the shooting of Newport News first grade teacher Abigail Zwerner. Her article, “Virginia 6-year-old who shot his teacher exposes flaws in how schools treat students with disabilities.” raises questions that Virginians…
-
Government Actors Try to Deflect, Deny and “Move On” from Failures During COVID
by James C. Sherlock The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is in full self-defense mode. CDC and the left backed, indeed insisted, upon social isolation during the pandemic. Now they deflect and deny agency in the consequences. They continue to try to insulate themselves from the catastrophic educational and mental health effects on…
-
Bias and Risk in Behavioral Polls and Studies – A Cautionary Tale for Public Policy
by James C. Sherlock Here at BR, both the authors and commenters spend a great deal of time discussing the outcomes of behavioral polls and studies. Taxes, mandates, and bans are behaviorally informed. As are most public policies. But behavioral science adds levels of risk and bias much more prevalent than in the hard sciences.…
-
Moral Injury Is Driving Doctor Burnout
by Dr. Scott Armistead Physician burnout is a major issue in the U.S., receiving attention in medical education, medical specialties and at various government levels. Moral injury, in my professional and teaching experience, is a significant and growing challenge to physician wellness. Moral injury happens when one’s personal convictions are unwelcomed and one is pressured…
-
Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Virginia Public Schools – Dangerous Children’s Services Act Changes Proposed
by James C. Sherlock One of the key elements of state and local efforts to support children with behavioral health, educational disabilities, and other challenges is the Children’s Services Act (CSA) (the Act). In education, its primary role has been paying for placement of children and youth with educational disabilities into private special education schools (PSES).…
-
Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Virginia Public Schools – Big Complications and Major Changes
—
by
by James C. Sherlock Rebecca Aman, a member of the Newport News School Board, is frustrated. She told me in an interview that: Without sufficient discipline and access to clinical mental health services, behavioral intervention does not work to make schools safer and healthier. She believes that Newport News schools need to improve both discipline…
-
Mental Health and Virginia Public Schools – Part 1 – Progressives, School Closures and Child Mental Health
By James C. Sherlock We have arrived today at a situation in which huge percentages of Virginia children and adolescents exhibit mental health problems. Both sides of the political divide acknowledge the problem. It’s existence is not up for debate. Both blame the soaring pediatric mental health issues, a problem before COVID, on COVID school…
-
Virginia Community Schools Redefined – Part 2 – Stop Trying to Provide Mental Health Services in School
by James C. Sherlock In Part 1 of this series I described the current Virginia Community School Framework (the Framework) and found it not only lacking, but counter-productive. Its basic flaw is that it assumes all services to school children will be provided in the schools by school employees, including mental health services. When you…