• District of Columbia: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday kept in place a lower court order that said hospitals cannot be federally required to terminate a pregnancy when they violate a Texas abortion ban. Previously, Texas had asked the justices to leave the order in place while the Biden administration had asked for it to be thrown out. According to the Biden administration, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) requires EDs to provide abortions if a pregnant patient's health or life is at serious risk, even in states where abortion is banned. However, varying state laws around abortion have made it difficult for healthcare providers to determine when EMTALA applies. According to doctors in Texas, the state's abortion law is dangerously vague since a medical board has not listed all the conditions that could apply for an exception to the ban. "I think we're going to continue to see physicians turning away patients, even patients who could qualify under the state's exceptions, because the consequences of guessing wrong are so severe and the laws are not that clear," said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis. (Associated Press/MedPage Today, 10/8)
• Illinois: Tom Brady is partnering with Abbott and universities in the Big Ten conference to boost blood donations. During the summer, the Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage, with the number of donors reaching its lowest point in 20 years. Through the partnership, the school that has the most blood donations during the 2024 football season will receive $1 million from Abbott to advance community or student health. Students, alumni, and fans can choose to donate blood on the behalf of any of the 18 member schools at blood centers across the United States. "I've been giving blood since I was in high school," said Brady, an alumnus of the University of Michigan. "The one stat that stood out to me was every person that donates saves up to three lives. You just go there and spend an hour of your time and give something that can really help a lot of people in need." (Millington, Axios, 9/27)
• Texas: Steward Health CEO Ralph de la Torre stepped down from the company, effective Oct. 1. Steward filed for bankruptcy protection in May and recently closed two hospitals in Massachusetts, laying off around 1,200 workers. According to a spokesperson for de la Torre, he "has amicably separated from Steward on mutually agreeable terms" and "will continue to be a tireless advocate for the improvement of reimbursement rates for the underprivileged patient population." Before he stepped down from his position, de la Torre sued the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, arguing that it violated his right against self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment. De la Torre declined to testify before the committee, which probed cost-cutting measures at Steward Hospitals, even after he was issued a subpoena. On Sept. 25, the full Senate voted to hold de la Torre in contempt after he skipped the committee hearing. In his lawsuit, de la Torre said that the contempt vote was an unconstitutional attempt to get him to testify. He is currently seeking a ruling that he can't be punished for using his Fifth Amendment rights or be forced to comply with the subpoena. According to a spokesperson for committee chair Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the contempt vote had unanimous support in the Senate, and the lawsuit has "no merit." (CBS News, 9/28; Knauth, Reuters, 9/30)

Maternal and reproductive healthcare is rapidly changing. Health leaders must grapple with worsening maternal health disparities, the nationwide maternal mental health crisis, lasting impacts of the Dobbs v. Jackson  ruling, and the rise of femtech disruptors.  Download our report to learn about the four drivers reshaping maternal and reproductive healthcare delivery.