Axios

From hospitals and clinics to doctors' offices and urgent care centers, healthcare executives and clinicians agree: staffing shortages directly compromise their ability to provide high-quality care to patients. As the American healthcare staffing gap grows, patient care inevitably suffers.

Cyclospora cases continue to rise throughout the country, with very few signs of slowing down — but it doesn't even compare to some of the biggest outbreaks in history.

The big picture: Foodborne illnesses happen all of the time, affecting one in six Americans every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The American Red Cross says "tens of thousands" of people donated blood this week after it declared a national blood crisis, but the U.S. still needs more donors.

Why it matters: The U.S. faces an alarming blood supply crisis that could last the entire summer, potentially delaying surgeries, trauma care and other treatments that depend on blood transfusions.

Nearly eight in 10 voters say they're more likely to support a candidate if they champion maternal health reform, with the vast majority backing proposals regardless of party, according to a new national poll.

Why it matters: In a deeply polarized era — particularly around women's health issues — maternal health is a rare area of bipartisan agreement.

Taco Bell sales have fallen sharply since the national cyclospora outbreak, but the company's executives said they're already noticing signs of a rebound.

Why it matters: Health officials have identified more than 11,000 confirmed or suspected cases of the parasite, which can cause "explosive" diarrhea.

Senate Democrats released a white paper Wednesday detailing their goals for overhauling private health insurance and asking for feedback to help them translate those goals into policy.

Why it matters: The effort signals a radical revamp of how insurance is structured and regulated, with a particularly strong emphasis on lowering patients' costs across the board.

I grew up just outside of London, in a small town called Ilford. I went to regular public school, and for years I thought I was stupid.

• Teachers and kids thought I was stupid. I got awful grades, and when I compared my spelling, handwriting or grammar to anyone else, I confirmed that something was wrong.
• My parents scraped together the money to get a test. Unfortunately, these tests are ridiculously expensive. Back then especially, but even now, most people can't afford them. Luckily my parents pulled together the money and got me tested — and wow.

Rates of high blood pressure during pregnancy have soared across the country, according to new CDC data.

Why it matters: High blood pressure is associated with serious complications for mom and baby.

Dr. Anthony Fauci faced dozens of questions and theatrics Wednesday before the Senate's Homeland Security Committee.

Why it matters: Fauci, who led the nation's infectious disease response during the COVID pandemic, has remained a polarizing political figure, and his handling of the pandemic faces renewed scrutiny after Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released more than 1,000 pages of the doctor's personal diary this week.

Anthony Fauci, who led the nation's infectious disease efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, invoked the Fifth Amendment on Wednesday and declined to answer questions from a Senate committee investigating the origins of the coronavirus.

• Homeland Security Chair Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said the committee will vote on a contempt resolution against Fauci next week.

Why it matters: Fauci said Paul was trying to get him to say something that could put him in legal jeopardy. Paul said his use of the Fifth Amendment was "unsupported" since former President Biden preemptively pardoned Fauci before leaving office.