Transit memorial, pen pals, White House doctor: News from around our 50 states From USA TODAY Network and wire reports, USA TODAY
Alabama
Birmingham: The Birmingham VA Health Care System is expanding its ability to vaccinate veterans against COVID-19, provided it can get enough doses. A partnership with the United Way of Central Alabama will allow the agency to provide as many as 1,000 shots a day beginning this week to veterans who are at least 65 years old, the VA said. That’s up from the current daily total of 300 people. The change comes because the VA’s vaccine clinic is moving into a United Way building in downtown Birmingham. Chief executive Stacy Vasquez said the system will schedule as many veterans as it can for shots, but obtaining additional vaccine is key. “Right now, I have enough vaccine to take care of 5,000 people next week. But then after that, unless I get another shipment, I don’t know,” Vasquez told WBRC-TV last week. The VA’s vacc
Around the nation: Biden issues executive orders for faster relief checks, higher wages, and expanded food aid
⋮
President Biden on Friday signed two executive orders aimed at easing economic hardships tied to America s coronavirus epidemic, in today s bite-sized hospital and health industry news from the District of Columbia, Florida, and New Mexico.
District of Columbia: President Biden on Friday signed two executive orders aimed at easing economic hardships tied to America s coronavirus epidemic by raising wages for certain workers, increasing the amount of money received through federal food assistance programs, and accelerating the distribution of stimulus checks to Americans who haven t yet received them. According to the
LAS CRUCES - The New Mexico House Rules and Order of Business Committee approved new rules Friday, Jan. 22, requiring that all debate during floor sessions and committee meetings this year be conducted by Zoom.
The meetings will be broadcast online, with some ability to provide comments during committee debates. All legislation to be considered by the full House will be placed on a temporary calendar for at least 24 hours in an effort to improve transparency.
“These temporary rule changes are necessary to ensure fair and remote participation by the public and legislators so that the state can pass the critical legislation necessary to recover from COVID-19 and uplift our state,” said House Parliamentarian, state Rep. Daymon Ely, D-Corrales.
LAS CRUCES - New Mexico now leads the nation in the percentage of residents enrolled in Medicaid, and faces the potential of a $170 million shortfall in the program by fiscal year 2022, state Medicaid Director Nicole Comeaux told members of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on Friday.
She said before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Mexico was third in the nation for the percentage of residents enrolled in Medicaid.
“Throughout this public health emergency, we have really seen unprecedented growth that has led us to that slot,” she said. “For that reason, we feel an immense responsibility to ensure that our (health care) providers get adequate reimbursement.”