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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
School's out, but child care providers not letting up on measles precautions
Jun. 7—FARGO — With a measles outbreak in North Dakota continuing to grow, local schools may be off the hook after letting out for summer vacation. Other organizations, though, must be vigilant, and there's still plenty of opportunity for the virus to spread among unvaccinated children, health experts said. North Dakota had the highest rate of measles based on population of all states as of June 3, according to data compiled by the North Dakota Public Health Association. The state had 4.3 cases per 100,000 residents, or a total of 34 cases thus far in the outbreak. Dr. Stephanie Grondahl, a pediatric hospitalist at Essentia Health, said given poor vaccination rates in North Dakota, it's probably not if, but when more cases emerge. "Kids are going to go places for the summer and there are going to be exposures, and with how contagious it is, it will spread," she said. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Red River Valley provides child care to around 1,100 school age children at 16 licensed sites during the school year, CEO Robin Nelson said. Come summer time, about 600 children are served at nine sites. Just like schools, child care providers must keep immunization records on file for enrolled children, she said. Her organization has taken an extra step, she said, to compile lists of children who have received the measles, mumps and rubella or MMR vaccine and those who haven't due to medical, philosophical or religious reasons. The list is kept internally so the organization can be more prepared for various circumstances. "We have to control what we can on our end," Nelson said. She proactively sent an email to families a few weeks ago, spelling out the policy relating to children who have not received the MMR vaccine. If such a child has been exposed to measles, either on site or elsewhere, they are excluded from child care for 21 days, unless they get an MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure, Nelson said. Measles was a common childhood illness before the MMR vaccine was developed to prevent it. It's made a comeback, however, in certain areas where immunization rates are low. The virus is highly contagious, lingering in the air for several hours, and usually doesn't cause long-term medical issues. However, measles can be serious and even deadly, especially for children younger than age 5 and people whose immune systems are compromised. Dr. Avish Nagpal, director of infection prevention at Sanford, said he expects to continue to see smaller outbreaks of measles as the virus finds pockets of children who are not immunized. "We are still early in the outbreak. I do anticipate that we'll see more cases as a slow churn," Nagpal said. Grondahl said it's recommended that children get their first MMR dose after they turn 1, and a second dose between ages 4 and 6. Nagpal said it is possible for an infant to get their first dose between six and 12 months, but it won't count toward the normal vaccination schedule. He also recommends women of childbearing age receive the MMR vaccine because they cannot receive it once they become pregnant. For the very youngest children, Grondahl had this advice. "I think from a very personal standpoint, if I had a child who was unimmunized, I would probably try to keep them away from large crowds, especially in areas where we know that there are active outbreaks happening," she said.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Confirmed measles cases in North Dakota rises to 19
Blood sample positive with measles virus. (iStock / Getty Images Plus) Confirmed cases of measles in North Dakota increased to 19 this week after the Department of Health and Human Services reported additional exposures occurred on a flight to Williston. Molly Howell, immunization director for HHS, said she is 'cautiously optimistic' about the slow spread of the disease in the state that was first confirmed May 2. But she reiterated that it takes two full incubation periods, or 42 days, without any new cases to declare an outbreak over. 'We're definitely a long ways from that,' Howell said. Thirteen cases of measles involve people in Williams County and six confirmed cases were reported in Cass County, including one person who was hospitalized. All of the cases involve people who were unvaccinated. Fifteen of the people are under age 19, including one child under age 5, according to the department. The latest exposure occurred on a May 14 United Airlines flight from Denver to Williston. Anyone who entered the Williston Basin International Airport between 10:22 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. that day should consider themselves exposed to the virus, according to the department's website. The state health department recommends any unvaccinated people, those without at least one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, exposed at the airport should quarantine themselves for 21 days to see if symptoms develop to prevent exposure to the community. Nonpartisan poll finds 'remarkably low' trust in federal health agencies Howell said state health officials were able to get the flight manifest from the affected plane and all North Dakotans on the flight were notified about their exposure to the illness. Anyone showing symptoms should contact a health care provider before walking into a medical clinic to receive instructions on how to present themselves for testing, Howell said. Measles symptoms can develop up to 21 days after exposure. The symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, eye irritation and a body-wide rash. The measles virus is spread through the air and people remain contagious for several days before and after the first symptoms appear, the department said previously. Other North Dakota exposure sites include: Tractor Supply Williston on May 12. Band Day Parade Williston in Harmon Park, Main Street and 11th Street on May 10. Essentia Health Walk-in Care Clinic on 52nd Avenue in Fargo on May 9. Essentia Health – The Lights West Fargo Clinic on May 7. Missouri Ridge Elementary School from April 29 to May 2. Howell said over the next few days the quarantine period for Williston schools will expire. 'Hopefully, we won't have any children positive from the school setting,' she said. 'From what I'm hearing from local public health, people have been coming in to be vaccinated … which is great to hear.' As of May 22, the CDC reported 1,046 measles cases have been confirmed nationwide across 30 states. About 67% of those cases involved people under age 19 and 97% of the confirmed cases involved people who were unvaccinated or had an 'unknown' vaccination status. 'We don't want there to be any more cases, so we just really want to encourage people to revisit vaccination with a trusted health care provider,' Howell said. An updated list of measles exposure sites can be found on the HHS website. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
2 new measles cases confirmed in Cass County; 1 hospitalized
A nurse gives an MMR vaccine at the Utah County Health Department on April 29, 2019, in Provo, Utah. The vaccine is 97% effective against measles when two doses are administered. (Photo by) Two new measles cases were confirmed in Cass County on Sunday, bringing North Dakota's total cases to 11 since May 2, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. The department reported both people were unvaccinated and one was hospitalized as a result of the disease. Both people are believed to have contracted measles from international travel. Two Essentia Health clinics in the Fargo area were exposed to the disease and public health officials said unvaccinated individuals present at those facilities should quarantine themselves for 21 days to monitor for symptoms. The two clinics exposed were: Essentia Health – The Lights West Fargo Clinic from 2:30 to 6 p.m., May 7. The entrance to the clinic is shared with Bar Down Sports Bar and Restaurant. Essentia Health Walk-in Care Clinic from 5:30 to 8 p.m., May 9. Some schools cancel band trip to Williston because of measles cases; parade to go on Last week, public health officials reported three schools in Williston were exposed to measles that resulted in about 150 unvaccinated students isolating at home to monitor for symptoms. Nine measles cases have been confirmed in Williams County since May 2. The health department recommends children between 12-15 months old should receive their first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and a second dose between 4-6 years of age. 'People who are vaccinated and exposed to measles are not likely to develop the disease,' said Molly Howell, immunization director for HHS. 'MMR vaccination is critical to preventing the spread of measles in the community. Anyone who is eligible and has not yet been vaccinated is encouraged to contact a trusted health care provider about MMR vaccination.' Howell said the MMR vaccine is 93% effective after one dose and 97% effective after a second dose. Adults born before 1957 are generally presumed immune due to natural exposure, the department said. Immunization records for North Dakota residents can be reviewed through the HHS website or by contacting a health care provider. Measles symptoms can develop up to 21 days after exposure. The symptoms are: Fever Cough Runny nose Eye irritation Body-wide rash The measles virus is spread through the air and people remain contagious for several days before and after the first symptoms appear, the department said. They added there is no specific medical treatment for measles, but antibiotics may be used in cases resulting in a secondary bacterial infection. The risk of measles to the general public is low due to a majority of North Dakotans being immunized against the disease. Vaccines are available through most clinics. For families in need, the federally funded Vaccines for Children Program offers support through local providers. For information about measles, vaccination, or local clinic availability, contact the HHS Immunization Unit at 701-328-2378 or 711 (TTY), or visit For more information about measles or immunizations, contact the HHS Immunization Unit at 701-328-2378, 711 (TTY) or visit: SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill signed this week seeks to prevent health coverage delays for North Dakota patients
Gov. Kelly Armstrong signs a bill that seeks to prevent insurance prior authorization from blocking patients' access to care in an April, 23, 2025, ceremony at the Capitol. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) New legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Kelly Armstrong aims to protect patients from care-delaying snags in the health insurance prior authorization process. Prior authorization refers to when someone must obtain approval from their insurance company before they can undergo a procedure, obtain medication or receive some other health service. The process allows insurance companies to review whether the service or medication is necessary for the patient. Insurers say prior authorization helps control costs and make sure that patients are getting the best care they can. But some doctors, patients and advocates say the process can be misused in a way that prevents people from accessing necessary services, or that leaves patients and hospitals to foot the bill for expensive treatments. Insulin caps bill headed to North Dakota governor Susan Finneman, a Bismarck resident who testified in favor of the bill, said 10 years ago her insurance company refused to authorize medical scans needed to treat her spine infection, leading her to put off health care and for the infection to fester. She ultimately needed spinal reconstruction surgery — which she said her insurance company took so long to authorize that she nearly had to reschedule the procedure. Finneman said she had to personally call the highest-ranking doctor working at her insurance company to get the surgery approved. 'It's not right that people have to figure out how to navigate it on their own,' she said at a Wednesday ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 2280. The new law sets guidelines for how insurance companies must handle the prior authorization process, including mandatory deadlines for responding to authorization requests and requirements that denials are reviewed by medical professionals. The law does not cover all state-regulated insurance markets, according to testimony from Sanford Health. State employee health insurance plans, for example, are excluded. Other sections direct insurance companies to publicize information about how its prior authorization process works, and to give advance notice to patients and health care providers when the company plans to change this process. Andrew Askew, vice president of public policy for Essentia Health, said in testimony on the bill most large insurers in North Dakota don't cause issues with their prior authorization procedures. But that's not the case with every company, he said. 'There's a lot of insurance companies that are completely unreasonable,' Askew said. States try to rein in health insurers' claim denials, with mixed results In 2024 survey results published by the American Medical Association, 93% of doctors reported the prior authorization process had resulted in care delays to patients that posed significant health risks. Doctors occasionally must provide an emergency procedure on short notice without time to send a request to an insurance company. The prior authorization process in those instances must happen retroactively. Askew said in some cases, the insurance companies don't give medical providers enough time to send this retroactive claim and to supply the backup documentation showing the procedure was necessary. When prior authorization cannot be obtained after a procedure is provided, the patient or hospital may be forced to cover the full cost, he said. 'That's extremely burdensome for hospitals that are trying to make a margin, trying to get patients care when they need it,' Askew said. The new law says that prior authorization may not be required for a patient to receive emergency health care. It also says patients and health care providers have at least two business days after an emergency procedure to notify insurance. North Dakota House approves change to state health insurance plan Insurance companies must also ensure that when they deny health care to someone, that decision is made by a medical doctor or pharmacist, the statute states. The law also mandates that appeals to prior authorization decisions are reviewed by medical doctors. In both cases, the medical professionals must have active, specialized experience in the field of medicine relevant to the health service in question. Several other provisions in the law are intended to prevent patients from being abruptly cut off from their health care. For example, the law states that if an insurance company changes its prior authorization coverage requirements for a medication or health care service, the change generally may not impact those receiving the medication or service until those patients' insurance plans turn over. If an insurance company violates the requirements outlined in the law, any health care services under prior authorization review are automatically granted, it states. A prior authorization decision does not determine whether the insurance will cover something. A patient can be granted pre-authorization for a procedure but then still have to pay for part or all of it, in other words. Some insurers testified in opposition to the law. Megan Hruby of Blue Cross Blue Shield testified that prior authorization only impacts a small number of procedures, and said the requirements would create more bureaucratic barriers, not remove them. She said the law would also increase insurance costs for taxpayers. Hruby noted that the Legislature's Health Care Committee studied prior authorization during the 2023-2025 interim session and didn't end up making any policy recommendations. The law will take effect Jan. 1, 2026. It also requires that covered insurance companies report annual data to the state related to prior authorizations, including the number of approvals and denials, and the reason requests were denied. The statute directs the Legislature to consider two prior authorization-related studies during the interim legislative session. The first will study prior authorization requirements under state employee health insurance, and how those requirements impact patients and health care costs. The study would the require insurance plans to submit data by July 1 to the North Dakota Insurance Commissioner detailing the previous years worth of prior authorization requests granted, denied and appealed. The data would also have to include why any requests were denied, and how many denials were reversed. The second study tasks legislators to research ways to send prior authorization requests electronically, as opposed to through the mail. Any policy recommendations to come out of the studies will be forwarded to lawmakers to consider for the 2027-2029 legislative session. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Couple Marries in Hospital ICU After Pregnant Bride Is Taken Off Ventilator
A pregnant Minnesota woman was taken to the hospital just two weeks before her wedding date Although she was intubated and briefly took a turn for the worse, experiencing septic shock and pneumonia, her nurses helped her keep her original wedding date by throwing a ceremony in the hospital room 'This might top the list for the happiest things I've seen at work,' a nurse said One young couple got serious about their relationship "in sickness and in health" when they decided to tie the knot in a Minnesota intensive care unit. According to a GoFundMe page organized on the couple's behalf, 23-year-old Ariana Sleen, who is pregnant with her first child, was rushed to Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minn., with severe back pain on March 31 — just two weeks before she was set to tie the knot with her now-husband, Chandler Sleen. According to the hospital, Ariana quickly took a turn for the worse and was diagnosed with pneumonia. She then went into septic shock and had to be placed on a ventilator. 'I just remember being rushed from room to room and I was just like, 'I have no idea what's going on,' and then just flashes of waking up and a bunch of people surrounding me,' Ariana recalled to local outlet Northern News Now. Her condition remained poor for several days, per the GoFundMe, as she battled a severe urinary tract infection, a kidney infection with abscesses and a serious lung infection. But according to Ariana, Chandler never left her side. 'She had very bad pneumonia, went into septic shock, and that's when they had to put the tube in,' Chandler told the outlet, opening up about his fiancée being placed on a ventilator. 'I was definitely very terrified,' the dad-to-be added. 'I mean, these are the two most important people in my life right here and they were both struggling.' Despite the health scare, the hospital reported that Ariana began to improve and was taken off the breathing machine, just one day before the couple was originally set to tie the knot. 'I was able to start standing the day after,' Ariana told Northern News Now. 'He picked it down to the exact date. That's like another reason where I was like, 'We have to go through with it,' because it was just like God's divine intervention.' Related: Couple Has the Ultimate Full Circle Ceremony at the Public Library After Bookstore Proposal Luckily for the Sleens, their nurses decided to add another line to their job title — wedding planner. "All the nurses and everybody came together and put us in what's known as the 'Taylor Swift Suite,' " Ariana recalled, per Essentia Health, "and we got married." Three of Ariana's intensive care nurses — Madeline Vogel, Olivia Schmid and Deanna Anderson — opened up about wanting to help the couple as much as they could. 'I just tried to clean up the room a little, make room for a wedding cake and food and got some carts and threw a sheet over it as a tablecloth,' Anderson told Northern News Now. 'We had to get creative,' Vogel added. After the nurses tidied up Ariana's room and helped her into her wedding gown, she and Chandler said "I do" right there in the hospital bed. 'This might top the list for the happiest things I've seen at work,' Vogel noted. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Related: 88-Year-Old Couple Gets Married After Meeting at Senior Center: See the Sweet Wedding Photos (Exclusive) Reflecting on their experience, the newlyweds said they were extremely grateful to their nurses for helping them put together an impromptu wedding. 'These ladies have been nothing but the kindest, sweetest people,' Ariana told the outlet. 'They'll get an invite to the reception and everything for sure." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The pair also said they plan to come back to Essentia Health when Ariana is ready to give birth to their baby — a son to be named Sebastian — in June. 'To come back here after every set of kids we have and be like, 'We get to come back to the same spot that we got married, that somehow, that was awesome,' ' Ariana said. Read the original article on People
