CUPE Members Ratify a Milestone Agreement with the Region of Niagara’s Long-Term Care Facilities
CUPE Local 1263 ratified a new collective agreement with the Niagara Region’s municipally run long‑term care facilities, marking a milestone as negotiations were conducted directly without interest arbitration. The deal delivers a 10.5% wage increase over the contract term, along with expanded paramedical benefits and more generous vacation provisions. It covers roughly 2,000 union members, including 950 frontline long‑term care workers across seven facilities. Union leaders say the agreement should improve staff retention, reduce burnout, and set a benchmark for other Ontario care providers.
Flavored Tobacco Bans Linked to Lower Youth Vaping in California
Researchers at UC San Diego examined data from over 2.8 million California students and found that local bans on flavored tobacco products lowered youth vaping rates from 7.7% to 6.2% without increasing cigarette smoking. Using a dynamic difference‑in‑differences design covering 2017‑2022,...
CMS Proposes To Scale Mandatory Joint Replacement Model Nationwide
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposal to expand its Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model nationwide, making it mandatory for all Medicare‑eligible hospitals. The model bundles payments for hip, knee and ankle replacements, covering...
Reprogramming Regulatory T Cells Could Help Immunotherapy Work in Pancreatic Cancer
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University discovered that pancreatic tumors suppress immunotherapy by recruiting large numbers of regulatory T cells (Tregs). In mouse models, an agonistic CD40 therapy not only activated tumor‑killing immune cells but also reprogrammed Tregs into...
New Guidance on Adenomyosis, an Overlooked Uterine Condition Affecting 1 in 3 Women
University of Hawaiʻi physician Kimberly Kho published the first comprehensive expert review on adenomyosis in *Obstetrics & Gynecology*, offering clinicians a practical roadmap for diagnosis and treatment. The guidance emphasizes non‑invasive imaging—ultrasound and MRI—over hysterectomy for confirming the disease, and...
CMS Proposes Mandatory Hospital-Bundled Model for Joint Replacements
CMS has proposed a mandatory, nationwide bundled payment model called CJR‑X for joint replacements, slated to start on Oct 1 2027. The model holds hospitals accountable for Medicare spending on knee, hip and ankle surgeries and the first 90 days of recovery,...
CMS Releases Proposed Rule Establishing Electronic Standards for Drug Prior Authorizations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule on April 10 to create electronic standards for drug prior authorizations, extending the 2024 rule that standardized medical‑service prior authorizations. The proposal requires payers to accept API‑driven requests, shorten...
CMS Showcases Progress Made On Four Medicare Tech Projects
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) showcased progress on four of its five Health Technology Ecosystem projects at an HHS event on April 9. The agency emphasized advancements in AI‑driven claims processing, data interoperability, telehealth integration, and cybersecurity...
CMS Pitches 2.4% Hospital Pay Bump, Mandatory Joint Replacement Model: 7 Things to Know
CMS released its FY2027 Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposal, featuring a 2.4% Medicare payment increase for acute and long‑term care hospitals, estimated to add about $1.4 billion in payments. The rule also introduces CJR‑X, a mandatory, nationwide episode‑based model covering hip,...
Mayo Clinic Enhances Imaging Test with AI
Mayo Clinic researchers applied artificial intelligence to standard coronary artery CT scans, extracting measurements of pericardial fat that markedly improve long‑term cardiovascular disease risk prediction. The findings, published March 24 in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, demonstrate that a metric...
Re: Are Fit Notes Fit for the 21st Century?
A recent BMJ letter highlights persistent flaws in the UK fit‑note system, noting that only 6% of notes use the ‘may be fit for work’ option and that prolonged certification correlates with higher mortality. The author cites a BBC investigation...
Abbott Loses $70M Verdict in Multi-Plaintiff Formula Trial
A Cook County jury awarded $53 million in compensatory damages and $17 million in punitive damages to the parents of four premature infants who developed a life‑threatening gastrointestinal illness after consuming Abbott's Similac formula. The verdict follows a $495 million Missouri judgment against...
Christus Health to Open Texas Multi-Specialty Clinic
Christus Health announced that its new 22,000‑square‑foot multi‑specialty clinic will open on April 13 in Mount Pleasant, Texas, adjacent to the recently launched emergency center. The facility features 36 exam rooms, on‑site laboratory and imaging services, and will offer cardiology, electrophysiology,...
Californians Sue over AI Tool that Records Doctor Visits
A group of Californians filed a proposed class‑action lawsuit against Sutter Health and MemorialCare, alleging that the AI transcription tool Abridge recorded their doctor visits without consent, violating state and federal privacy laws. The complaint says the software captured and...
CMS Proposes Extension of Prior Authorization Rule to Cover Drugs: 6 Notes
CMS has issued a proposed rule that would extend its 2024 prior‑authorization interoperability framework to include prescription drugs. Starting Oct 1 2027, Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA plans would be required to support three pharmacy data standards, enable real‑time formulary checks, and submit...
AFGE: Plan To Access Fed Workers’ Health Data Likely Violates HIPAA
The White House Office of Management and Budget has unveiled a plan to obtain personally identifiable medical records from the insurers that cover federal employees and their families. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation’s largest federal‑worker union,...
Penn Medicine, Epic Lean Into EHR ‘Nudges’
Penn Medicine is partnering with Epic to embed a larger suite of behavioral nudges into its electronic health record, aiming to shift clinicians and patients toward evidence‑based decisions. The collaboration, discussed at a recent Philadelphia workshop, focuses on expanding default...
AdventHealth Breaks Ground on $27M Freestanding ER
AdventHealth broke ground on a new freestanding emergency department in New Port Richey, Florida, with a construction cost of $27 million. The 13,000‑square‑foot facility will house 12 patient beds, on‑site imaging including X‑ray and CT, a dedicated lab, three treatment bays...
Henry Ford Hospital Strike Enters 7th Month: 6 Notes
Nurses represented by Teamsters Local 332 have been on strike at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital for over seven months, beginning on September 1. The hospital’s negotiating team met with union leaders for the 87th time in April 2025, while the union insists...
Texas Launches Rural Hospital Leadership Academy
Texas State University will spearhead the Texas Rural Hospital Officers Academy, a program created by HB 18 in the 2025 legislative session. The academy will deliver more than 100 hours of specialized training each year to leaders of rural hospitals and...
Maternal Prepregnancy BMI, Birth Length Linked to Offspring Atopic Dermatitis
A new study of 2,107 Scandinavian mother‑child pairs links higher maternal prepregnancy body mass index (ppBMI) and longer newborn length to an increased risk of atopic dermatitis by age three. By the third birthday, 525 children (25%) had been diagnosed,...
Children’s Minnesota Staff Email Account Compromised
Children’s Minnesota disclosed that a staff email account was compromised on April 9. An unauthorized actor accessed the account and sent phishing emails with subjects like “Sponsorship Document.” The hospital warned recipients not to click links or open attachments and advised...
Bridging Access Gaps in Pediatric Palliative Care
Community- and person‑centered models are gaining traction as a way to close access gaps in pediatric palliative care. Leaders from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine highlight that children in rural, suburban and urban settings face distinct barriers,...
Finerenone Reduces Clinical Events in Patients With Heart Failure Regardless of CHD History
A prespecified analysis of the FINEARTS‑HF trial evaluated finerenone in 6,001 patients with heart‑failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction, 54% of whom had a history of coronary heart disease. Finerenone reduced the composite of cardiovascular death and heart‑failure...
CMS Releases FY 2027 Proposed Rule for Long-Term Care Hospitals
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a 2.4% increase in the standard rate payments for long‑term care hospitals (LTCHs) in fiscal year 2027, driven by a 3.2% market basket update offset by a 0.8% productivity adjustment. The...
The KPIs that Define Revenue Cycle Excellence
Healthcare revenue cycle leaders face shrinking reimbursements, higher denial rates, and growing complexity, prompting a shift from intuition to data‑driven management. The HFMA MAP Keys provide an industry‑standard framework of 29 KPIs across five domains, delivering a shared language for...
Devyser Partners with Illumina
Devyser announced a strategic partnership with Illumina that will pair selected Illumina sequencing platforms with Devyser’s proprietary reagent kits. Under the agreement, Devyser’s customers can obtain the sequencers through a reagent‑commitment model rather than a traditional capital purchase. The collaboration...
CMS Issues Hospital IPPS Proposed Rule for FY 2027
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a FY 2027 proposed rule that would raise Medicare inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) rates by a net 2.4%, adding roughly $1.9 billion in hospital payments. The increase reflects a 3.2% market‑basket rise...
Predictors of Rapid, Complete Skin Clearance With Psoriasis Biologics
A real‑world analysis of 299 moderate‑to‑severe psoriasis patients treated with biologics found that 76.3% achieved an early super‑response (PASI 100 by week 4 and maintained PASI < 1 through week 48). The strongest positive predictors were biologic‑naïve status and higher baseline neutrophil counts, while palmoplantar...
Q&A: WestBridge Capital on AI-Driven Consolidation of Power, Startup Survival
WestBridge Capital’s Kamal Singh says AI chatbots like Anthropic Claude and OpenAI ChatGPT Health will displace generic wellness and nutrition digital‑health startups, but specialized solutions with proprietary data will survive. He predicts a consolidation where a few platform‑centric AI firms...
CDMO Arterex Upgrades Manufacturing Facility Near Boston
Arterex, a contract development and manufacturing organization for medical devices, is expanding its Mansfield, Massachusetts plant by roughly 15,000 square feet and installing a new steam sterilizer. The addition is expected to raise the site’s operational capacity by about 50%...
ASRT Names 2026 BeRAD Professionalism Award Winners
The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) announced the 2026 BeRAD Professionalism Award winners—Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s James Cancer Hospital and Mount Sinai Health System’s Department of Radiation Oncology. Ohio State cut CT simulation appointment cancellations from 31%...
HIMSSCast: The AI Guiding Principles of Elevance Health
Elevance Health’s chief digital information officer, Ratnakar Lavu, outlined a five‑point AI framework that stresses accountability, transparency, fairness, privacy and safety. The insurer embeds human‑in‑the‑loop audits to catch hallucinations and bias, ensuring models remain explainable and continuously monitored. Cross‑functional teams...
After Three-Year Hiatus, VA to Resume Rollout of New Electronic Medical Records System
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is restarting its Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) rollout after a three‑year pause, with four Michigan facilities going live this Saturday. The program, originally projected at $10 billion, has ballooned to an estimated $37.2 billion and...
Hospitals Are Becoming Hackers’ Favorite Target, but Downtime Simply Isn’t an Option
Hospitals, especially rural and community facilities, are facing a surge in ransomware attacks that threaten critical electronic health record (EHR) systems. The lack of in‑house IT expertise makes downtime unacceptable, forcing providers to seek resilient, managed solutions. CloudWave is helping...
CMS Highlights New Digital Health Ecosystem Tools
On April 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) staged a demonstration of the first wave of products for its newly announced Medicare App Library. More than 50 digital‑health companies showcased tools designed to streamline data access, eliminate...
Real-World Evidence
The FDA is expanding its use of real‑world data (RWD) and real‑world evidence (RWE) to inform regulatory decisions beyond post‑market safety, including new drug indications and post‑approval study requirements. A 2018 framework, mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act, formalizes...
MedPAC Urged by AHA to Scrutinize MA Impacts on Hospital and Post-Acute Provider Finances
The American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to closely examine how Medicare Advantage (MA) affects hospital and post‑acute provider finances. At its April 9‑10 meeting, MedPAC discussed MA enrollment trends and payment incentives, while the AHA...
CMS Issues Update on PAMA Data Reporting Webinar
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted an updated registration link for its April 16, 2024 webinar at 3 p.m. ET, which will cover the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) data collection process. The session will focus on new reporting...
AI Analyzes Reddit Posts to Find Underreported GLP-1 Side Effects
Penn researchers used AI to scan over 400,000 Reddit posts from roughly 70,000 users, uncovering side‑effects of GLP‑1 drugs that are not fully captured in clinical trials. While gastrointestinal distress dominated, about 4% of users reported menstrual irregularities and a...
FY 2027 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS Proposed Rule Summary
On April 2, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule (CMS-1845-P) to update the Medicare Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility prospective payment system (IRF PPS) for fiscal year 2027. The proposal adds new therapy documentation standards,...
Measles Cases Reach 583 in Utah Outbreak
The Utah measles outbreak surged to 559 confirmed cases as of March 31, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services, adding 107 cases in the prior three weeks. South Carolina’s outbreak is nearing 1,000 cases, with 991 reported...
Catholic Sisters Sue for Exemption to LGBTQ+ Rights Law in NY Nursing Homes
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, operators of the 42‑bed Rosary Hill Home in Westchester County, filed a federal lawsuit on April 6 seeking a religious exemption from New York’s LGBTQ+ rights law that requires gender‑affirming care and cultural‑competency training for nursing‑home...
Lung Cancer Molecular Testing Nears 70%, Still Falls Short of Universal Use: Christopher D'Avella, MD
Molecular profiling for newly diagnosed advanced non‑small cell lung cancer has risen from about 50% to roughly 70% before first‑line therapy, driven by stronger guideline awareness and more targetable mutations. However, testing gaps persist, especially when biopsies are performed without...
PreCheck Pilot Program Structure
The FDA’s PreCheck Pilot Program introduces a two‑phase pathway to speed the launch of new U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing sites. Phase 1 delivers early, structured Pre‑Operational Reviews (POR) and builds a Type V Drug Master File that captures facility design, equipment qualification, and...
Death by a Thousand Vendors: Solera Report Reveals The Hidden Costs of Digital Health
Solera Health’s new report, based on a survey of 106 senior benefits leaders at firms with 1,000+ employees, reveals that 90% of large employers spend over $1 million annually on digital health solutions. The hidden operational expense of managing these fragmented...
Oricell Therapeutics Secures $110 Million to Take on One of Oncology's Most Vexing Problems
Oricell Therapeutics closed a pre‑IPO financing round exceeding $110 million, led by Vivo Capital and a slate of international investors. The capital will fund global clinical expansion and further development of its proprietary CAR‑T platform targeting solid tumors. Oricell’s lead candidate,...
University of Cincinnati Launches Clinical Trial to Test New Drug for Prosthetic Joint Infections
The University of Cincinnati has begun enrolling patients in Peptilogics' RETAIN trial, a randomized, double‑blind study evaluating a novel peptide solution designed to penetrate biofilm in prosthetic joint infections (PJI). The trial will compare the peptide irrigant against a saline...
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HEALTH HAZARDS: Patients ‘Left on Floors’ as Court Interdict Sought to Halt Dora Nginza Hospital Strike
The Eastern Cape Department of Health has applied for an urgent court interdict to stop an unlawful strike at Dora Nginza Hospital, where staff walkouts left pregnant women and other patients unattended, some even lying on the floor. Video footage...
Plan for Remade ACIP Panel Adds Focus on Vaccine Safety, Matching Kennedy’s Push
A federal judge recently halted most Trump-era appointments to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), prompting the agency to draft a new charter that reshapes the panel’s composition and priorities. The revised charter emphasizes vaccine safety, mandating transparent...