Lenny Bernstein
Verified
Former health and medicine reporter for The Washington Post. Still freelancing on the same topics.
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Articles by Lenny Bernstein
A blind man’s triathlon pursuit
We tend to frame this country's fitness and obesity problem almost entirely in terms of lifestyle and motivation. Even the most out-of-shape, time-pressed couch potato can find some way to start exercising, we say. You make it a priority, get up and do it. I've written words to that effect any number of times. It took Doug Powell to remind me, to my embarrassment, that it's not always that simple.
Medical Mysteries: He beat a fungal infection. So why was he so ill again?
Medical Mysteries: He beat a fungal infection. So why was he so ill again? (washingtonpost.com) Medical Mysteries: He beat a fungal infection. So why was he so ill again? By Lenny Bernstein 2025070513003600 When Peter Redweik's physicians finally realized that his splitting headaches, slurred speech and stumbling gait were caused by cryptococcal meningitis — a severe inflammation of his brain caused by a fungal infection — they prescribed amphotericin B.
Millions rely on Medicaid for health care. Will Congress cut it?
President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill could mean drastic cuts for Medicaid. What would that mean for the millions of people insured by the program? House Republicans are trying to push President Donald Trump’s massive tax and immigration bill across the finish line this week, hoping to conquer internal divisions and tee up a vote that would send the bill to the Senate. One of the areas targeted for major cuts is Medicaid, which insures more than 80 million people in the United States.
Measles is spreading. Here’s how to stay safe.
As measles spreads in the United States, we unpack how to stay safe – and why public health experts are so concerned by the confusing, contradictory federal response. The United States is experiencing a rise in measles, the most contagious virus in the world. Many of us have questions: Is my child protected? Do I need another vaccine? What about taking vitamin A?
Inside Texas’s growing measles outbreak
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Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. It was eliminated in the United States 25 years ago because of an effective vaccine. While cases periodically pop up, a growing wave of vaccine skepticism is giving this old virus new traction. Health reporter Fenit Nirappil and “Post Reports” producer Elana Gordon recently traveled to the heart of this growing outbreak, which officials say may take months to get under control.
By Elana Gordon, Peter Bresnan, Maggie Penman Verified, Reena Flores Verified, Lenny Bernstein Verified
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washingtonpost.com
Exclusive | Transplant Charity Used Organ-Transport Jet for Personal Trips
A nonprofit that collects donated organs and transports them to transplant patients around the U.S. used its airplanes for other purposes, including travel for employees and for fundraisers. Indiana Donor Network operates a fleet of small jets that fly kidneys and other vital organs to desperate patients across the U.S. The mission, the fleet says, is to ensure “that each donor’s gift of life is transported to transplant recipients quickly and safely.” Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale
Surgeons can create virtual twin organs to plan for complex surgeries
Share Comment Save Twice a week, scores of people gather at Boston Children’s Hospital to plan the most difficult cardiac surgeries. They analyze three-dimensional, digital copies of hearts projected on a screen, every damaged blood vessel or malformed ventricle a threat to the life or health of a child. Press Enter to skip to end of carousel Innovations This series examines innovations, small and large, that can affect our daily lives in positive ways. Read the series here.
Exclusive | Whistleblower Fired After Making Organ-Collection Allegations
Updated Sept. 24, 2024 5:36 pm ET A former organ procurement worker who told Congress she was pressured to take organs from a person who was still alive was fired after her allegation was relayed during a recent hearing. Nyckoletta Martin, who had previously worked for an organ collection group called Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, said Tuesday that she had been fired by her most recent employer, which makes devices that help preserve hearts, lungs and livers during transport.
Medical Group Accused of Seeking to Collect Organs From Patient Who Was Still Alive
Prosecutors in Kentucky say they are investigating the allegation, which came up during a House hearing on the U.S. organ-supply system Organ-transplant advocate Greg Segal, middle, in New York City in 2016, told House subcommittee members about the allegation on Wednesday.
No sólo los atletas olímpicos: los médicos de equipo también tardan años en formarse
Jeremy Frank empezó a luchar en cuarto de primaria, iniciando un viaje de décadas que le llevaría desde oscuros gimnasios de instituto hasta los focos internacionales de este deporte: Daguestán, Siberia, Finlandia y muchos más. Hombros dislocados, nudillos rotos y cabezas laceradas formaron parte del paisaje por el camino. Ahora, Frank ha llegado a la cima de la lucha libre, los Juegos Olímpicos, a la edad de 46 años.
It’s not just Olympic athletes - team doctors take years to train, too
Medical providers also compete for a chance to help elite athletes bring home medals and have a brief stint at the highest level of the sports they love. 6 min Key takeaways Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed. Caregivers spend years of trials at lesser tournaments before they make it to the Olympics. They have to show how they relate to athletes, handle routine care and respond to emergencies. The medical team must adhere to complex health, communication and security protocols of the Games.
How two Olympians recovered their torn Achilles to compete in triple jump
Thanks to Greek mythology, the thickest, strongest tendon in the human body has been associated with vulnerability for millennia. When the warrior Achilles was an infant, the legend goes, his mother dipped him in the River Styx, making his body invulnerable to attackers — except for the heels she held him by. This week, two veteran Olympians will be performing on repaired Achilles’ tendons at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore.
Inside the opaque world of IVF, where errors are rarely made public
It was one of the worst accidents in the history of reproductive medicine. A storage tank at a San Francisco fertility center imploded, its trove of 4,000 human eggs and embryos damaged or destroyed. A jurylater found that a manufacturing defect was largely to blame for the disaster but also implicated the center. The lab director had unplugged a malfunctioning computer, muting 128 alarms that warned of trouble.
Most IVF errors go unreported in the lightly regulated fertility industry
It was one of the worst accidents in the history of reproductive medicine. A storage tank at a San Francisco fertility center imploded, its trove of 4,000 human eggs and embryos damaged or destroyed. A jurylater found that a manufacturing defect was largely to blame for the disaster but also implicated the center. The lab director had unplugged a malfunctioning computer, muting 128 alarms that warned of trouble.
U.S. launches probe into possible fraud by organ collection groups
Federal authorities have launched a wide-ranging investigation of the nonprofit organizations that collect organs for transplant in the United States, according to six people familiar with the inquiry, whichseeks to determine whether any of the groups have been defrauding the government. The probe involves U.S. attorneys in various parts of the country who are investigating organ procurement organizations in at least five states.
Analysis | U.S. launches probe into organ collection organizations
The probe is seeking to determine whether organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in at least five states have been overbilling the government for their costs, among other concerns. Notably, U.S. attorneys and investigators from the Department of Health and Human Services, alongside the inspector general's office of the Department of Veterans Affairs, are spearheading the effort.
U.S. launches probe into possible fraud by organ collection groups
Federal authorities have launched a wide-ranging investigation of the nonprofit organizations that collect organs for transplant in the United States, according to six people familiar with the inquiry, which seeks to determine whether any of the groups have been defrauding the government. The probe involves U.S. attorneys in various parts of the country who are investigating organ procurement organizations in at least five states.
EEUU endurecerá las normas que regulan el uso de órganos para trasplantes debido a denuncias sobre explotación
El gobierno de Estados Unidos endurecerá la normativa que regula la recolección de páncreas humanos para investigación, después de que una comisión del Senado y otros grupos se quejaran de que la norma estaba siendo explotada por grupos que también se dedican a conseguir riñones, corazones, hígados y otros órganos para trasplantes.
U.S. to tighten rules governing use of donated transplant organs
The U.S. government is moving to tighten a regulation for the collection of human pancreases for research after a Senate committee and others complained the rule was being exploited by groups that also procure kidneys, hearts, livers and other organs for transplant. A rule issued in 2020 allows the nation’s 56 nonprofit organ procurement organizations to collect human pancreases for research and count them toward benchmarks they must meet so they can retain government certification to operate.
Analysis | U.S. to tighten organ donation rules
The U.S. government is moving to tighten a regulation for the collection of human pancreases for research after a Senate committee and others complained the rule was being exploited by groups that also procure kidneys, hearts, livers and other organs for transplant. Some of the groups began collecting large numbers of pancreases after the regulation was issued, eliciting “concern” from the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services in a Jan.
U.S. to tighten rules governing use of donated transplant organs
The U.S. government is moving to tighten a regulation for the collection of human pancreases for research after a Senate committee and others complained the rule was being exploited by groups that also procure kidneys, hearts, livers and other organs for transplant. A rule issued in 2020 allows the nation’s 56 nonprofit organ procurement organizations to collect human pancreases for research and count them toward benchmarks they must meet so they can retain government certification to operate.
Suicide rate reached record high in 2022 but dropped among young people
Suicides among young Americans, whose mental health problems during the coronavirus pandemic reached crisis proportions, declined sharply in 2022, while rates for older groups - especially men - rose, according to data released by the government Wednesday.
La tasa de suicidios en Estados Unidos alcanzó su máximo histórico en 2022 pero descendió entre los jóvenes
Los suicidios entre los jóvenes estadounidenses, cuyos problemas de salud mental durante la pandemia de coronavirus alcanzaron proporciones de crisis, disminuyeron drásticamente en 2022, mientras que las tasas de los grupos de mayor edad -especialmente los hombres- aumentaron, según los datos publicados por el gobierno el miércoles.
Suicide rate reached record high in 2022 but dropped sharply among young people
Suicides among young Americans, whose mental health problems during the coronavirus pandemic reached crisis proportions, declined sharply in 2022, while rates for older groups - especially men - rose, according to data released by the government Wednesday.
Suicide rate reached record high in 2022 but dropped among young people
Suicides among young Americans, whose mental health problems during the coronavirus pandemic reached crisis proportions, declined sharply in 2022, while rates for older groups - especially men - rose, according to data released by the government Wednesday.
Suicide rate reached record high in 2022 but dropped among young people
Comment Save Suicides among youngAmericans, whose mental health problems during the coronavirus pandemic reached crisis proportions, declined sharply in 2022, while rates for older groups — especially men — rose, according to data released by the government Wednesday.
Carters' journey highlights tough questions about when to choose hospice
The death of former first lady Rosalynn Carter on Sunday, and the survival of her husband, former president Jimmy Carter, have exposed one of the most achingly difficult questions faced by people with life-threatening illness: when to choose hospice care. Rosalynn Carter died only two days after entering hospice, the Medicare-supported program for people who have decided to relinquish attempts to overcome illness and focus on the quality of their remaining time.
Carters’ journey highlights tough questions about when to choose hospice
Comment Save The death of former first lady Rosalynn Carter on Sunday, and the survival of her husband, former president Jimmy Carter, have exposed one of the most achingly difficult questions faced by people with life-threatening illness: when to choose hospice care. Rosalynn Carter died only two days after entering hospice, the Medicare-supported program for people who have decided to relinquish attempts to overcome illness and focus on the quality of their remaining time.
How Lunchables as a school lunch choice can contribute to childhood obesity issue
PEMBROKE, N.C. — In his school’s vast, cacophonous lunchroom, Raylen Locklear stacked his Lunchables the way he has seen it done on YouTube, the same way he does it at home. “Well, you put the cookie down first,” the second-grader said, setting out the cracker that comes in a brightly labeled package offered free to every student in Robeson County schools. “You put a ham,” he said, misidentifying the pinkish slice of turkey, a bit larger than a poker chip.
How Lunchables ended up on school lunch trays
PEMBROKE, N.C. — In his school’s vast, cacophonous lunchroom, Raylen Locklear stacked his Lunchables the way he has seen it done on YouTube, the same way he does it at home. “Well, you put the cookie down first,” the second-grader said, setting out the cracker that comes in a brightly labeled package offered free to every student in Robeson County schools. “You put a ham,” he said, misidentifying the pinkish slice of turkey, a bit larger than a poker chip.
How Lunchables ended up on school lunch trays
PEMBROKE, N.C. - In his school's vast, cacophonous lunchroom, Raylen Locklear stacked his Lunchables the way he has seen it done on YouTube, the same way he does it at home. "Well, you put the cookie down first," the second-grader said, setting out the cracker that comes in a brightly labeled package offered free to every student in Robeson County schools. "You put a ham," he said, misidentifying the pinkish slice of turkey, a bit larger than a poker chip.
How Lunchables ended up on school lunch trays
PEMBROKE, N.C. - In his school's vast, cacophonous lunchroom, Raylen Locklear stacked his Lunchables the way he has seen it done on YouTube, the same way he does it at home. "Well, you put the cookie down first," the second-grader said, setting out the cracker that comes in a brightly labeled package offered free to every student in Robeson County schools. "You put a ham," he said, misidentifying the pinkish slice of turkey, a bit larger than a poker chip.
Weak rules allow ultra-processed foods like Lunchables on school menus
Oct. 17 at 6:01 a.m. Share Comment Save PEMBROKE, N.C. — In his school’s vast, cacophonous lunchroom, Raylen Locklear stacked his Lunchables the way he has seen it done on YouTube, the same way he does it at home. “Well, you put the cookie down first,” the second-grader said, setting out the cracker that comes in a brightly labeled package offered free to every student in Robeson County schools. “You put a ham,” he said, misidentifying the pinkish slice of turkey, a bit larger than a poker chip.
Ophelia causes widespread flooding as storm marches up East Coast
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Tropical Storm Ophelia lumbered up the Eastern Seaboard Saturday, flooding streets, downing power lines and sparking an explosion while sparing much of the East Coast from more catastrophic damage. The storm swept ashore near Emerald Isle, N.C. about 6:15 a.m., with near-hurricane-force winds of 70 mph. It is expected to continue slowly northeast, weakening before arriving in the Washington region late Saturday or early Sunday then continuing on to batter and soak New York City and New England.
By Lenny Bernstein Verified, Matthew Cappucci Verified, Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff Verified, Justine McDaniel
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MSN
Verified
Pig kidney transplant in brain dead man marks advance, NYU surgeons say
A genetically altered pig kidney transplanted into a brain dead man has continued to function for 32 days, an advance toward the possible use of animal organs in humans, surgeons at NYU Langone Health said Wednesday. The kidney was not rejected in the minutes after it was transplanted — a problem in xenotransplantation, the use of organs from a different species.
Pig kidney transplant in brain-dead man marks advance, NYU surgeons say
A genetically altered pig kidney transplanted into a brain-dead man has continued to function for 32 days, an advance toward the possible use of animal organs in humans, surgeons at NYU Langone Health said Wednesday. The kidney was not rejected in the minutes after it was transplanted — a problem in xenotransplantation, the useof organs from a different species.
NYU surgeons say transplant of pig kidney to human marks advance
A genetically altered pig kidney transplanted into a brain-dead patient has continued to function for 32 days, an advance toward the possible use of animal organs in humans, surgeons at NYU Langone Health said Wednesday. The kidney was not rejected in the minutes after it was transplanted - a problem in xenotransplantation, the transplanting of organs from a different species.
Second deadly TB outbreak linked to tainted bone grafts
U.S. health officials are racing to control an outbreak of tuberculosis linked to contaminated bone graft material that has killed one person and infected at least four others - the second outbreak of the rare disease in two years. Eight people died in 2021 when the same type of bone repair product used in spinal surgery was also contaminated with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis.
Second deadly TB outbreak linked to tainted bone grafts
Comment U.S. health officials are racing to control an outbreak of tuberculosis linked to contaminated bone graft material that has killed one person and infected at least four others — the second outbreak of the rare disease in two years. Eight people died in 2021 when the same type of bone repair product used in spinal surgery was also contaminated with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis.
Congress authorizes overhaul of troubled organ transplant system Original
Comment Congress approved a thorough revamp of the troubled U.S. organ transplant system Thursday, providing health officials with the authority to break monopoly control of the way kidneys, livers, lungs and other organs are delivered to sick patients. For 37 years, one nonprofit organization, the United Network for Organ Sharing, has held the federal contract to run the system, relying on a 1984 law that blocked almost all competition.
Why experts aren’t all that concerned about Biden’s and Trump’s ages
WASHINGTON — President Biden, 80, and former President Donald Trump, 77, are among the luckier ones. Biden has already outlived about 59 percent of American-born men in his age cohort, while former president Trump has outlived 47 percent of his cohort, according to an analysis of Social Security Administration data for people born in the 1940s by University of Pennsylvania professor Samuel Preston.
Why experts aren't all that concerned about Biden's and Trump's ages
As the oldest major party front-runners in American history - even with demanding schedules - they both remain physically capable. Both candidates have recent passing reports from their physicians and partake in healthy living habits - no smoking, no drinking, no hazardous labor.
Why experts aren’t all that concerned about Biden’s and Trump’s ages
Democrats are salivating at their prospects to flip the House next year -- but even as party operatives boast of having "the full recipe" for success, they acknowledge they're still gathering all the needed ingredients. "Republicans are, for one reason or another, holding some seats that are really tenuous, and the math is pretty favorable," said former Democratic Congressional Campaign Executive Director Tim Persico.
Dispute threatens to disrupt flow of organs to transplant hospitals
The flow of lifesaving organs to 63 U.S. transplant centers could be disrupted as soon as Wednesday by a dispute over the use of data, another potential blow to the troubled transplant system the government has promised to overhaul. The United Network for Organ Sharing, the nonprofit that runs the system, is threatening to revoke an organ-screening company's access to the complex computer network that sends kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs and other organs throughout the country.
Dispute that threatened flow of transplant organs moves to arbitration Original
Comment on this story Comment A dispute that threatened the flow of organs to a quarter of the nation’s transplant hospitals is heading to arbitration instead of a courtroom, according to the organizations involved.
Transplant group extends deadline that threatened flow of crucial organs Original
Comment on this story Comment The nonprofit group that manages the nation’s complex system for assigning organs to transplant patients has issued a two-week extension to a major company at risk of losing access to its database, avoiding at least for now a potential cutoff of the flow of lifesaving organs that could have begun as early as Wednesday.
UNOS, Buckeye dispute threatens flow of organs to transplant hospitals Original
Comment correction A previous version of this article incorrectly quoted the general counsel for the United Network for Organ Sharing as saying transplant data belongs to UNOS. The data belongs to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, which UNOS runs. The article has been updated.
Fauci, former face of U.S. covid response, to join Georgetown faculty
Comment on this story Comment Anthony S. Fauci, who retired from the National Institutes of Health in December after helping two presidents navigate the covid-19 pandemic, plans to join the faculty at Georgetown University on July 1, according to the university. Fauci, 82, will teach medicine and public policy as a “distinguished university professor,” a title that recognizes “extraordinary achievement in scholarship, teaching and service,” Georgetown said in a statement to be released Monday.
Fauci, former face of U.S. COVID response, to join Georgetown faculty
Anthony S. Fauci, who retired from the National Institutes of Health in December after helping two presidents navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, plans to join the faculty at Georgetown University on July 1, according to the university. Fauci, 82, will teach medicine and public policy as a “distinguished university professor,” a title that recognizes “extraordinary achievement in scholarship, teaching and service,” Georgetown said in a statement to be released Monday.
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