The heat is already making it hard for Texans this summer with most regions reporting triple digit temperatures for multiple days.

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center said temperatures will be above normal for the rest of July for much of the state, making it dangerous and even deadly for people doing outside activities.

Afra Evans, registered nurse and clinical educator at Children's Health in Dallas, said in addition to staying hydrated and avoiding sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages you should also take extra precautions to stay safe.

"Wide brim hats, having that water with you, having the snacks with you," Evans suggested. "You can even buy like the tents, any way to keep shade on you. You don't want to be in direct sunlight. You want to wear strong enough sunscreen that has SPF 50 and higher."

Some signs of a heat emergency include fatigue, lightheadedness, clammy skin and nausea and vomiting. Evans stressed in an extreme cases, you need to seek medical attention.

In addition to protecting yourself and your family from the heat, you may be called on to help someone else in distress. Evans recommended if you have not taken a CPR class recently, it is probably time for a refresher.

"The requirements where you were doing certain things in a certain cadence have changed," Evans emphasized. "Even the sequence that you render CPR has changed. One of the biggest things is that we tell adults that we need to call 911 immediately to get the additional assistance that you have from EMS or emergency services."

She added a portion of the CPR classes can be taken virtually through the American Heart Association.

Virtual medical visits are also a great way to stay on top of your health care needs this summer.

Dr. Donna O'Shea, chief medical Officer of population health for UnitedHealthcare, said most insurance plans provide virtual and urgent care at no additional cost.

"It's much less expensive and more timely than going to an emergency room, with all, you know, the copays that ensue," O'Shea explained. "But also just the time since we know emergency room visits increase in the summer, that means longer waiting time for you to find out If you really even needed to be there."

A bill in the Tennessee General Assembly is reigniting debate over how rural hospitals can staff anesthesia providers. House Bill 979 would address the shortage of anesthesiologists in rural Tennessee by allowing hospitals in counties with fewer than 105,000 residents to directly employ physician anesthesiologists.

Hospitals now have to use third-party anesthesiology services.

Dr. Louis Chemin III, anesthesiologist and physician with Tennessee Anesthesiology Consultants Exchange, supports physician supervision in what's known as the "Anesthesia Care Team" model. He said anyone hired as an anesthesiologist would be required to follow strict medical guidelines.

"Currently under state law, a hospital cannot employ an anesthesiologist, a radiologist, a pathologist or an emergency medicine physician. If this bill were to pass, it would allow hospitals in these rural communities the option to hire an anesthesiologist," he contended.

Chemin said the bill would allow a hospital anesthesiologist to perform anesthesia in one operating room, or to supervise the process in up to four operating rooms.

On Wednesday, the bill passed the House with a vote of 72 to 5, with 11 members "present but not voting." It now heads to the state Senate.

When a physician anesthesiologist provides medical direction to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists or Anesthesiologist Assistants, Chemin explained, they must comply with seven steps outlined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to qualify for reimbursement under Medicare.

"This law means that if a hospital employs an anesthesiologist, that they must allow the anesthesiologist to practice in a way that is safe and is in agreement with these seven steps," he continued.

Chemin added that these requirements would ensure the anesthesiologist's active involvement in the patient's care and safety.


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A new report found Missouri's public health agencies are not sharing information effectively and fixing the problem could lead to better health care for people in the state.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services released its first assessment of the state's digital health system, highlighting ways to improve how health data is shared and used. The evaluation uncovered significant gaps in sharing critical information such as disease rates, hospital visits, birth outcomes and access to care.

Joshua Wymer, chief health information and strategy officer for the department, shared key insights from the report.

"Data is still often siloed," Wymer pointed out. "There was an opportunity with data to advance inoperability, there's an opportunity to always be better at privacy and security because we know that the threat of that is always evolving."

The report recommended establishing clear rules and strong leadership for better data management. More than 200 organizations took part in the assessment, through 25 meetings across nine regions.

A separate study found health care providers said patient access to electronic health records improved communication and treatment discussions. Wymer also shared what citizens expect from the systems as health data grows in importance.

"They expect their data to not only be available and readily accessible, but they expect it to be private and secure," Wymer reported. "And they expect an experience that moves closer and closer to them and their routine and their priority."

The assessment revealed Missouri's public health agencies have different digital capabilities but are ready to adopt new data systems.


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Wednesday is National Healthcare Decisions Day and advocates are calling attention to Florida's pressing need for advance care planning, particularly among vulnerable groups.

About one in five Floridians is over 65 and the state also struggles with one of America's highest uninsured rates, at 10.7%, significantly above the 8% national average.

Brandi Alexander, chief engagement officer for the national end-of-life advocacy group Compassion & Choices said Latino residents have nearly double the uninsured rate of white Floridians. She noted there are good reasons for anyone to plan for their future health care needs.

"Nearly half of the population are people of color in Florida," Alexander pointed out. "A 2021 study found that the preventable mortality rate for Black individuals was 1.5 times higher than it was for their white peers."

The annual awareness day encourages families to discuss and document their medical preferences before a crisis strikes. Florida's 52 licensed hospice organizations serve patients through hundreds of care teams statewide, according to state health data. Alexander emphasized clarifying care wishes can alleviate burdens on families and reduce preventable suffering.

Alexander added normalizing the conversations can empower patients and reduce disparities.

"The more we have tools and the more we normalize the conversation, we can start changing some of the negative stigma that comes with talking about death," Alexander stressed. "Because once you're talking about it and you know what options are available to you, you can then really advocate for yourself within the health care system - and that's how we really create change."

Free resources, including advance directive forms and multilingual guides, are available through the state health department and advocacy groups like Compassion & Choices.