AGP Executive Report

Water Crisis Escalation: Puerto Rico has begun rotating 48-hour water shutoffs affecting more than 180,000 customers in San Juan and nearby municipalities as drought and record heat deepen the emergency. Residents report outages that can stretch for days, with water trucks becoming a lifeline while officials warn the rationing could last through August and possibly longer. Infrastructure Strain: Reporting highlights that the utility loses roughly 60% of treated water before it reaches homes, turning worsening weather into a public health and daily-life crisis. HIV Testing Access: A new look at HIV testing emphasizes that many people still don’t know their status, while free mailed test kits and quick self-testing can help close the diagnosis gap. Public Health Context: Separate coverage notes dengue’s spread in the U.S. and the need for mosquito-bite prevention as cases appear in new areas. Local Economy/Jobs: Siemens announced plans for a $185M manufacturing plant in Georgia with 1,400+ jobs, and the company lists Puerto Rico among its U.S. footprint.

Water Crisis: Puerto Rico is starting rotating 48-hour water shutoffs for more than 180,000 customers as drought deepens, with San Juan and nearby municipalities like Carolina, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canóvanas and Loíza affected; officials cite record-dry conditions and a strengthening El Niño, while residents warn outages have been building for months and worry about public health impacts. HIV Testing Access: A new report highlights that about 1 in 8 people living with HIV in the U.S. don’t know their status, but free home test kits can be mailed discreetly and take about 20 minutes—underscoring the need for earlier diagnosis. Health Equity & Media: An FCC decision to loosen TV ownership limits is drawing criticism from diversity advocates, who warn it could reduce local news coverage and job opportunities for people of color—an indirect hit to community health information. Disaster Preparedness: The drought-driven shortage is also raising concerns for visitors and businesses, with tourists scrambling to adjust plans as the island’s water system strains.

Water Crisis: Puerto Rico is starting rotating water rationing in San Juan and nearby municipalities as drought worsens, leaving more than 180,000 customers without water for 48 hours at a time, with officials warning it could extend to 72 hours and offering no clear end date. Public Health & Climate: The drought is tied to extreme heat and a strengthening El Niño pattern, with experts saying rainfall over the next weeks will be at least 50% below average—raising risks for dehydration and heat-related illness. Healthcare Tech & Access: Medplus Solutions says it invested over $5 million to expand its San Juan operations and tech capacity, including Medido Health tools used by long-term care pharmacies in the U.S., aiming to improve coordination between doctors, pharmacies, and health institutions. Local Workforce & Training: A Puerto Rico-linked student achievement story highlights phlebotomy success at an international HOSA conference, underscoring ongoing pipeline training for healthcare careers. Health Policy & Oversight: A First Circuit ruling upheld First Amendment protections in a Puerto Rico emergency-statement ban case, a reminder that public health communications can still face legal scrutiny.

Water Crisis: Puerto Rico will start rotating water rationing Friday, leaving more than 180,000 customer accounts without water for 48 hours at a time as drought worsens; officials say the plan could last through August and may expand to 72 hours, with San Juan and parts of Carolina, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canóvanas and Loíza affected. Public Health & Climate: Reporting links the crisis to record-dry conditions and a strengthening El Niño pattern, warning that heat and limited cooling options raise health risks. Healthcare Policy: The First Circuit struck down a Puerto Rico emergency law that criminalized spreading false alarms during declared disasters, citing First Amendment problems. Local Care & Research: Puerto Rico’s governor also advanced a clinical research policy aimed at strengthening emerging therapies innovation. Wellness Culture: A new Puerto Rico podcast, Gastronómicamente 360, launches to explore how gastronomy connects science, health professionals, culture and everyday life. Health Business: A Puerto Rico-based healthcare services firm is in the spotlight as MedImpact arranges financing for a major acquisition.

Water Crisis: Puerto Rico is starting rotating water rationing Friday, cutting service for up to 48 hours for more than 180,000 customers in San Juan and nearby municipalities as drought worsens; officials say water trucks will support hospitals and priority sites, with dry conditions expected to last into September. Mental Health Policy: Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón signed an executive order to set up a pilot clinical research program for emerging therapies, aiming to position Puerto Rico as a hub for regulated trials, including investigational approaches for severe substance use and mental health disorders. Healthcare Access & Funding: U.S. House members urged HHS/CMS to fix Medicare Advantage payment issues for Puerto Rico, pushing a 2028 benchmark tied to the national average to better match levels used for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Legal Rights: The First Circuit struck down a Puerto Rico emergency law that criminalized knowingly false warnings or false alarms, citing First Amendment problems. Local Health Infrastructure: The Esencia luxury development in Cabo Rojo says it will include medical facilities and run on renewable solar power and recycled water—while critics challenge environmental transparency and impacts.

Water Crisis Response: Puerto Rico will start rotating water rationing Friday, cutting service for more than 180,000 customers in San Juan and nearby municipalities for up to 48 hours at a time as drought deepens; officials say the duration is unclear and warn conditions could worsen. Clinical Research Policy: Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón signed an executive order to assess creating a pilot clinical research program for emerging therapies, including investigational ibogaine, aiming to strengthen treatment options for mental health and substance-use disorders. Medicare Advantage Funding Push: U.S. House members urged HHS/CMS to set a Puerto Rico Medicare Advantage benchmark starting in 2028 at 70% of the national AGA, citing long-running payment inequities for seniors. Healthcare Access & Inclusion: The Miracle League highlights year-round, fully inclusive sports opportunities for people with disabilities, with Puerto Rico among the communities building accessible fields. Public Health Infrastructure Note: The island’s water rationing plan also includes deploying water trucks to priority sites like hospitals and elderly care facilities.

Water Crisis: Puerto Rico is starting rotating water shutoffs this week, with more than 180,000 customers in parts of San Juan and nearby municipalities facing up to 48 hours without running water as drought worsens and officials warn there’s no quick fix. Medicare Advantage Push: Governor Jenniffer González-Colón welcomed congressional support urging HHS/CMS to improve Medicare Advantage payment benchmarks for Puerto Rico’s seniors starting in 2028. Clinical Research Boost: The governor signed an executive order aimed at strengthening Puerto Rico’s clinical research capacity and setting up a pilot program for emerging therapies (without routine clinical use). Drug Pricing Accountability: Michigan AG Dana Nessel announced a $400 million settlement in principle with Sandoz over alleged generic drug price-fixing and reduced competition—part of a broader wave of state enforcement. Access & Inclusion: The Miracle League is expanding year-round, fully inclusive sports opportunities for people with disabilities, including Puerto Rico communities. Public Health & Environment: A new report warns seaweed (sargassum) is blanketing Caribbean and Gulf coastlines, harming marine life and tourism—another health and wellness pressure point for the region. Immigration Rights Case: A Puerto Rico woman says ICE detained her using information shared by local authorities, raising concerns about how data-sharing affects health and safety.

Clinical Research Push: Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón signed Executive Order 2026-037 to strengthen Puerto Rico’s clinical research capacity, promote controlled clinical trials for emerging therapies, and assess a pilot program—aiming to position the island as a hub for innovation without routine use of unproven treatments. Drug Pricing Accountability: A major multistate settlement in principle targets Sandoz over alleged generic drug price-fixing and reduced competition, with reforms required and large payments proposed to state enforcers—another reminder that medication costs remain a public health issue. Public Health & Climate Stress: A new Caribbean-focused report links climate-fueled disasters to major health and economic damage, highlighting respiratory risks from Saharan dust and other slow-onset impacts affecting Puerto Rico’s agriculture and daily life. Community Health Access: MyMedicareBroker.com launched a nationwide directory (including Puerto Rico) to help seniors find Medicare brokers more easily, aiming to improve access to guidance in an AI-driven search world. Health System Innovation Partnerships: AiCella joined NSF’s CMaT cell manufacturing center as an industry partner, supporting scalable, reproducible cell-therapy development for cancer and other serious diseases.

Drug Pricing Crackdown: A coalition of 43 U.S. attorneys general reached a $400 million settlement in principle with Sandoz over alleged generic drug price-fixing, with total payments expected to reach about $469 million if approved—another reminder that medication costs can be shaped by policy and enforcement, not just supply and demand. Puerto Rico Water Strain: In San Juan’s Machuchal and along Loíza Street, residents report dry water pipes for 118 days so far this year, far outpacing power outages—forcing people to buy cisterns and pumps, and raising public health concerns around safe water access. Toxic Legacy in Vieques: New reporting highlights how decades of U.S. Navy live-fire training left toxic munitions and contamination concerns on Vieques, with residents linking it to higher cancer risk and ongoing cleanup debates. Care Access & Costs: RazorMetrics says its workflow-based medication optimization program has generated more than $12 million in prescription savings in Tennessee and is expanding its cost-containment model to additional markets, including Puerto Rico. Community Health & Youth: West Point’s men’s basketball team visited Puerto Rico for leadership development and youth engagement, including a clinic for children at Fort Buchanan and games tied to the Arroyo Puerto Rico Classic.

Drug Prices & Antitrust: A coalition of 43 U.S. attorneys general reached a $400 million settlement in principle with Sandoz over alleged generic drug price-fixing and reduced competition, with total payments to state enforcers expected around $469 million and reforms required if approved. Public Health & Access: Walgreens says it’s expanding flu-shot availability to patients age 3 and up, aiming to get ahead of a severe flu season and increase staffing for vaccinations. Environmental Health: Reports highlight toxic munitions and unexploded ordnance tied to decades of Navy training on Vieques, with residents pointing to higher cancer risk and ongoing cleanup concerns. Local Water Crisis: In San Juan’s Machuchal and along Loíza Street, residents report dry pipes for 118 days this year, forcing costly storage solutions and straining health and daily care. Infectious Disease Watch: Florida health officials confirmed a locally acquired dengue case in Miami-Dade, triggering mosquito-control and surveillance efforts. Mental Health Care: A University of Pennsylvania psychiatrist is leading major updates to the DSM, with proposals including a more person-centered “living DSM” approach. Puerto Rico Community & Wellness: A Puerto Rico visit by the U.S. Military Academy’s men’s basketball team included youth clinics and community engagement at Fort Buchanan.

Water Crisis: In San Juan’s Machuchal and along Loíza Street, residents report dry water pipes for more than half the days this year—118 days logged so far—forcing people to store water, buy cisterns and pumps, and raising health and access concerns amid frequent service interruptions. Flu Prevention: Walgreens says it’s starting flu shots early across nearly 8,000 locations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, offering vaccines for ages 3+ and urging people to get immunized before peak spread. Healthcare Leadership: Mission Mobile Medical Group named Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer—an international healthcare transformation expert and former VA quality architect—as Executive in Residence to guide quality improvement efforts. Drug Pricing Oversight: Attorney General William Tong announced a $400M settlement in principle with Sandoz over alleged generic drug price-inflation and reduced competition, with Puerto Rico and other states/territories included in the coalition. Mental Health Research: A new push to update psychiatry’s DSM is led by Penn’s Maria Oquendo, aiming for a more person-centered approach and new ways to reflect social and environmental health factors.

Flu Vaccines in Puerto Rico: Walgreens says it’s starting flu shots early, now offering vaccination for ages 3 and up across nearly 8,000 U.S. locations including Puerto Rico, with CDC estimates citing major flu deaths and hospitalizations last season. Mental Health Care Update: A University of Pennsylvania psychiatrist is leading major work to update the DSM, with ideas like a more “person-centered” approach and a possible “living DSM” model. FDA Medical Device Safety: The FDA issued a Class 1 recall for ResMed Astral 100/150 ventilators in Puerto Rico and across the U.S., warning of a supercapacitor electrolyte leak that can push devices into a fail-safe state, but telling patients not to stop using them. Local Public Health Alert: Florida health officials confirmed a locally acquired dengue case in Miami-Dade, triggering mosquito control and surveillance efforts. Nutrition & Food Access: SNAP’s August 2026 benefit schedule was published, with states using different payout rules. Puerto Rico Health & Environment: Puerto Rico authorized a $2B luxury development, Esencia, including a 24/7 medical center, as environmentalists warn it could strain resources and threaten wildlife. Coastal Health Risk: A major sargassum surge is blanketing Caribbean and Gulf coastlines, raising concerns for tourism and marine life.

Puerto Rico Health Policy & Access: Kamala Harris signaled support for revisiting statehood for Puerto Rico during a Nashville appearance, adding it to a broader agenda that also included public health and healthcare affordability themes. Local Health & Safety: The FDA issued a Class 1 recall for ResMed Astral 100/150 ventilators used in homes and hospitals, citing a component that can fail and stop ventilation; patients are told not to stop using the devices while following recall instructions. Nutrition & Food Security: SNAP’s August 2026 benefits schedule was published, with Puerto Rico residents not covered in the list but the update matters for families across the U.S. Environmental Health: A major sargassum seaweed surge is blanketing Caribbean and Gulf coastlines, raising concerns for tourism-linked health impacts and marine ecosystem stress. Cardiovascular Community: The American Heart Association named Alex Almazan chair for its Southeast board, focusing on heart disease and stroke prevention through community programs. Dengue Watch (Regional): Florida health officials confirmed a locally acquired dengue case in Miami-Dade, underscoring mosquito-control urgency during peak season.

Coastal Health Alert: A new report says massive sargassum blooms are smothering Caribbean and Gulf beaches, with about 27–30 million metric tons recorded in July—raising concerns for marine life, tourism, and the foul-smelling rotting seaweed that can worsen respiratory discomfort. Local Development & Care Access: Puerto Rico authorized the $2 billion “Esencia” luxury project in Cabo Rojo, including a 24/7 medical center, but environmentalists warn the approval lacked enough public scrutiny and could strain resources and wildlife. Medical Device Safety: The FDA issued its most serious Class 1 recall for ResMed Astral 100/150 ventilators due to a supercapacitor failure that can stop ventilation; patients are told not to stop using the devices without guidance. Public Health & Weather: The National Hurricane Center reports no tropical cyclone formation expected for the next seven days, while Saharan dust may trigger breathing issues—especially for people with asthma and COPD. Policy & Health Anxiety: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended MAHA advocates, saying their healthcare concerns reflect “a ton of anxiety” among minority and low-income communities. Cardiovascular Leadership: The American Heart Association named Alex Almazan chair of its Southeast board for 2026–2027, focusing on heart disease and stroke prevention. Puerto Rico Military Community: Fort Buchanan honored the retiring Logistics Readiness Center director, emphasizing readiness and the “human element” behind healthcare-adjacent support for service members and families.

Hurricane Watch: The National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf are quiet for now, with four tropical waves being monitored but no expected tropical cyclone formation in the next seven days—though Saharan dust could worsen breathing for people with asthma and COPD. Dementia Prevention: A new culturally adapted Latin America lifestyle trial (LatAm-FINGERS) found exercise and brain training can improve thinking skills in older adults, pointing to ways to reduce dementia risk before it starts. Coastal Health & Safety: A University of South Florida report says massive sargassum blooms are blanketing Caribbean and Gulf beaches, smothering marine life and creating foul odors as it rots—an issue for tourism and potentially for local public health. Puerto Rico Development Watch: Puerto Rico authorized the $2B Esencia luxury project in Cabo Rojo, including a 24/7 medical center, but environmentalists warn it could strain resources and threaten wildlife. Medical Device Recall: The FDA issued a Class 1 recall for ResMed Astral 100/150 ventilators due to a supercapacitor failure that can stop ventilation; patients are told not to stop using the devices. Local Military Community: Fort Buchanan marked the retirement of Logistics Readiness Center director Onel Colón, highlighting readiness and support for service members and families.

Coastal Health & Environment: Puerto Rico has authorized a $2 billion luxury development, Esencia, in Cabo Rojo—drawing sharp pushback from environmentalists who warn it could strain local resources and threaten wildlife, even as developers say most of the land will be conservation-focused and powered by renewables. Public Health Device Safety: The FDA issued its most serious Class 1 recall for ResMed Astral 100/150 ventilators due to a supercapacitor failure that can stop ventilation; patients are told not to stop using the devices. Climate-Linked Marine Risks: A new report says about 27 million metric tons of sargassum were recorded in July across the Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf, with seaweed smothering shorelines, harming marine life, and affecting tourism—an issue Puerto Rico communities may feel directly. Local Military Health Systems: Puerto Rico National Guard leadership swore in two new Inspector General NCOs, with a stated focus on supporting personnel through medical and administrative processes. Wellness & Nutrition in Hospitals: Sodexo’s Clinicia patient nutrition program is now supporting 500 hospitals and delivering millions of personalized meals annually, aiming to improve outcomes for patients at nutritional risk. Community Health & Safety: A Riverdale case highlights the dangers of unlicensed medical interventions after a man was charged in connection with an unauthorized NAD+ infusion that preceded a death.