Senate vs. Steward; see-through mice; hoping for the better – Morning Medical Update

Pleading the Fifth

Nurses who worked in hospitals of the bankrupt Steward Health Care testified to a Senate committee about how leaders put profits over patients. Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, was subpoenaed to testify at the same hearing, but did not. In a follow-up to that, his lawyer said he is invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The Hill has this report – and there may be more to come today if the committee votes on resolutions involving criminal and civil contempt.

FD&C Yellow #5

FD&C Yellow #5
_{© National Science Foundation}

In case you missed it, researchers this month announced they made mouse skin transparent using a highly scientific and complex secret ingredient developed through years of painstaking research … just kidding. No, they really did make mouse skin transparent, it’s just that the process was surprisingly simple: paint the creatures with yellow food coloring. Here’s the study, a news release and an explainer. (It’s too soon to tell if the process work on people.)

There’s always hope

When times are tough, such as during a global pandemic, is it better to live in the moment or look forward to better times ahead? This analysis compares mindfulness and hope as ways to manage stress and stay professionally engaged during periods of stress at work. Researchers focused on performing arts, but lessons may apply to other fields – even health care, which at times may be a stressful job.