The Biden administration announced a new plan to expand access to treatments for substance abuse disorders for pregnant women, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Arizona/California and the District of Columbia.

• Arizona/California: More than 30 people have gotten sick from salmonella linked to raw salmon from Mariscos Bahia, a seafood distributor based in Arizona and California. According to FDA, genome sequencing tests are ongoing, but at least one swab at the company's facility matched the salmonella strain in the outbreak. The agency also warned that other fish processed at the facility, including halibut, sea bass, tuna, and swordfish, may have been contaminated. So far, there have been 21 confirmed cases in California, 11 in Arizona, and one in Illinois. Of these individuals, 13 were hospitalized, but all survived. "The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," CDC said."This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella." Currently, Mariscos Bahia has instituted a voluntary recall of the contaminated fish, and restaurants are recommended to stop selling any fish purchased from the company on or after June 14. (Tanner, Nexstar Media Wire/The Hill, 10/20)

• District of Columbia: The Biden administration is planning to expand access to medication to treat substance abuse disorders for pregnant women through federal courts and health programs. According to CDC, opioid use disorder in pregnant women has more than quadrupled over the last few years and has been linked to several complications, include miscarriage, preterm labor, and low birth rate. Under the new program, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Indian Health Service will work to improve women's access to buprenorphine and methadone. "This is a bold statement, a big moment, coming from the president and vice president, to show that pregnancy is the golden opportunity to help women get into recovery," said Anna Lembke, medical director of addiction medicine at Stanford University. (Baumgaertner, New York Times, 10/21)

• District of Columbia: DOJ has requested more information on CVS Health's proposed acquisition of Signify Health before the deal will be allowed to close. Last month, CVS announced it had purchased Signify for roughly $8 billion, marking the company's first foray into the home health industry. According to Modern Healthcare, DOJ's request will extend the time the companies must wait to close their deal by 30 days, although the requirement could be waived. In documents filed to the Securities and Exchange Commission, CVS indicated that it still expects to finalize the acquisition in the first half of 2023. (Tepper, Modern Healthcare, 10/20)