AHA Makes Recommendations to CMS on Strengthening Domestic Supply Chain for PPE, Essential Medicines
The American Hospital Association (AHA) submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on a proposed rulemaking aimed at strengthening the domestic supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE) and essential medicines. The AHA supports CMS’s plan to offer incentives for hospitals to purchase American‑made products, urging that these incentives be widely accessible, account for higher domestic costs, and avoid heavy administrative burdens. It also recommends making public designations voluntary based on domestic procurement percentages, creating separate non‑budget‑neutral Medicare payments, and removing a structural measure from the inpatient quality reporting program.
RFK Jr.’s Peptide Deregulation Threatens the Foundations of Drug Safety
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr announced on a podcast that the federal government will lift restrictions on 14 injectable peptides, allowing compounding pharmacies to produce and sell them without the usual FDA review. The move bypasses the scientific advisory...
Southcoast Health Creates 12-Officer Force to Combat Workplace Violence
Southcoast Health announced the creation of an in‑house police department, deploying a 12‑officer force led by newly appointed chief Marc Duphily. The move follows five years of using Massachusetts State Special Police and is driven by a sharp rise in...
SCOUT-HCM: Mavacamten Can Benefit Teens With Obstructive HCM, Too
The phase III SCOUT‑HCM trial showed that mavacamten (Camzyos) significantly reduced left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradients in adolescents with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) compared with placebo. Forty‑four patients aged 12‑17 were randomized to weight‑based doses of 2 or 5 mg daily, achieving a...
AHA Responds to CMS’ CRUSH RFI on Potential Actions Addressing Fraud in Health Care
The American Hospital Association (AHA) responded to CMS’s Request for Information on the Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH) initiative, urging data‑driven, low‑burden regulatory changes. It called for stronger oversight of Medicare Advantage organizations and enhanced transparency tools for...
CMS Report Finds Rise in Premiums for 2026 Marketplace Enrollees
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported that average out‑of‑pocket premiums for Health Insurance Marketplace enrollees jumped from $113 in 2025 to $178 in 2026, a $65 monthly increase. The rise follows the expiration of the enhanced premium tax...
Hospitals in New York, New Mexico Receive Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence was granted to two hospitals—one in New York and one in New Mexico—recognizing their superior patient safety, leadership, and operational performance. Administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the...
STAT+: Doctors Without Borders Calls Gilead ‘Unconscionable’ for Refusing to Sell HIV Prevention Drug to the Organization
Doctors Without Borders has condemned Gilead Sciences for refusing to sell its long‑acting HIV prevention drug lenacapavir directly to the humanitarian organization. The company had previously negotiated a limited‑supply request, while a separate deal with the Global Fund aims to...
Payers’ Prior Authorization Denial Rates Go Public: 5 Notes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized an Interoperability and Prior Authorization Rule that obliges payers to publish annual aggregated prior‑authorization metrics, with the first set due March 31 for calendar‑year 2025. The rule also shortens decision timelines to seven...
Adam Lewis, General Manager, Talent and Workforce Management, Viventium — Founder, Apploi
Health care hiring remains a primary engine of U.S. job growth, projected to add 693,000 positions by 2025. Without those additions, the broader economy would lose roughly 570,000 jobs, highlighting a stark labor gap. Viventium’s acquisition of Apploi positions the...
Texas Health Resources CEO to Retire, Successor Named
Barclay Berdan, CEO of Texas Health Resources, will retire in September after four decades with the system, having overseen major clinical, digital, and operational transformations since taking the helm in 2014. The board has appointed senior executive vice president and...
ACA Enrollment at 23.1 Million in 2026
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported ACA enrollment at 23.1 million for 2026, a 5% dip from the 2025 peak but still 8% above 2024 and 41% higher than 2023. New consumer sign‑ups fell 13% to 3.6 million, while returning...
Recall for Devices that ‘Exploded’ Reminds Us Patients Aren’t the only Ones at Risk
Erbe announced a Class 1 FDA recall of 40,952 single‑use flexible cryoprobes after reports of loud ruptures that injured healthcare staff. The failures were traced to insufficient adhesive application, causing gas‑inlet loosening and tubing bursts outside the patient’s body. At least...
Public Health Providers Have to Obey Strict Cyber Security Rules – so Should Private Contractors
New Zealand’s recent cyber‑security strategy follows high‑profile health data breaches that exposed over 120,000 patients’ records. The government argues that existing privacy legislation does not impose enforceable cyber standards on private IT contractors supporting public health providers. It calls for...
Drug Trials Snapshots: INLURIYO
Eli Lilly’s oral selective estrogen receptor degrader INLURIYO (imlunestrant) received FDA approval on September 25 2025 for adults with advanced ER‑positive, HER2‑negative breast cancer harboring an ESR1 mutation after endocrine therapy failure. The decision rests on the EMBER‑3 trial, which enrolled 874...
HSAs Are Being Touted as a Way to Make Healthcare More Affordable. But It...
Health savings accounts (HSAs) are being promoted by Republicans as a solution to rising healthcare costs, positioning them as a tool for smarter consumer spending. However, experts argue the tax‑advantaged accounts mainly benefit affluent Americans and may shift more expenses...
#ACC26: Merck Touts Comparator Data for Oral Cholesterol Drug
Merck reported that its experimental oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlici‑tide, outperformed a range of commonly prescribed cholesterol‑lowering medicines in a head‑to‑head comparator trial. The data bring the drug a step closer to becoming the first oral PCSK9 therapy on the market....
#AAD26 Roundup: Takeda, Alumis, Priovant and Incyte Take the Stage
At the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meeting in Denver, Takeda, Alumis, Priovant and Incyte each unveiled late‑stage dermatology data, ranging from novel biologics to targeted small molecules. Sanofi and Biogen also presented, highlighting mixed results in eczema and lupus...
HHS Launches $100M Addiction Recovery Program, Digital Health Plays Growing Role in Treatment
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a $100 million STREETS program to expand addiction treatment and housing support for people experiencing homelessness. The initiative, part of the Great American Recovery Initiative, will start in eight pilot communities and...
Registration Discounts End March 31 for Healthier Together Conference
The American Hospital Association’s inaugural Healthier Together Conference will take place May 12‑14 in Dallas, and early‑bird registration rates expire on March 31. The three‑day event will convene health‑care leaders to discuss community‑health partnerships, data‑driven care coordination, and strategies for addressing social...
Depressed Elderly Adults Are Almost 5 Times More Likely to Develop Alzheimer’s
A longitudinal study of over 4,300 depressed Chinese seniors compared with 43,000 non‑depressed peers found depression dramatically increases dementia risk. Depressed participants were almost five times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and 1.9 times more likely to develop vascular...
‘Walk in My Shoes for a Bit’: Cyril’s Fight to Die on His Own Terms
Cyril Land’s struggle to secure voluntary assisted dying (VAD) in regional Victoria highlights systemic barriers that persist despite a national rise in VAD usage. A 2026 Go Gentle Australia report shows Victoria recorded only 799 VAD applications last year—well below...
Perth Nurse Struck Off After Altercation with Autistic Boy on Psych Ward
Perth registered enrolled nurse Daniel Luckhurst was struck off after two separate aggressive episodes with vulnerable patients on a psychiatric ward at Bentley Hospital in August 2023. In one incident he seized a phone from an Aboriginal patient and used...
AdventHealth to Roll Out Smart Rooms Network-Wide
AdventHealth announced a network‑wide rollout of smart rooms across more than 55 hospitals in nine states, slated for completion in 2026. The upgrade equips patient rooms with digitized whiteboards, electronic door signage and EHR‑linked in‑room video that connects patients to...
CDRH Guidance: Patient Preference Information (PPI) in Medical Device Decision Making
On March 27, 2026 the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health issued new guidance on incorporating voluntary patient preference information (PPI) throughout a medical device’s total product life cycle. The document supersedes the 2020 guidance and details when and...
Private Clinics Face Longevity Learning Curve
Longevity medicine is moving from niche research into private clinics, where providers are experimenting with layered diagnostics such as genomics, imaging and deep blood panels. The Longevity Show’s new blog outlines the challenges these clinics face, including the lack of...
Can I Drive when Taking Medicinal Cannabis? Is It Safe?
Medicinal cannabis prescriptions are expanding across Australia, yet THC‑containing products can impair driving for several hours. Inhaled doses peak within the first hour and may affect cognition for up to six hours, while oral formulations can linger for eight to...
How to Choose Laser Safety Glasses for Different Wavelengths
Choosing laser safety glasses requires matching the eyewear to the specific laser wavelength and power level. Optical density (OD) ratings must correspond to the laser’s wavelength range to provide adequate attenuation. Industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and research often operate...
Discovery of Noma-Linked Bacteria Opens Path to Early Diagnosis and Prevention
Researchers at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have discovered a previously undescribed Treponema species strongly associated with noma, a fatal disease affecting impoverished children. Using metagenomic sequencing and machine learning on saliva samples, they identified the bacterium early in disease...
Combined Diagnostic Approach Improves Accuracy in Differentiating Eczema From Psoriasis
A recent European dermatology study of 73 skin‑biopsy samples shows that pairing traditional dermatopathology with PCR‑based molecular testing markedly improves the ability to distinguish eczema from psoriasis. While pathology alone achieved 76.9% accuracy, the integrated method resolved ambiguous cases and...
Apple Store to ID Regulated Medical Device Apps
Apple’s App Store will now label apps that qualify as regulated medical devices on their product pages in the United States, United Kingdom and European Economic Area. Developers must indicate this status in App Store Connect if their app falls...
Culturally Tailored Meals Improve HF Outcomes in Navajo Residents
A randomized trial on the Navajo Nation evaluated a culturally tailored, medically designed meal program (MUTTON‑HF) for heart‑failure patients. Over eight weeks participants received 14 traditional meals per week sourced from local Diné farmers and prepared by a Native‑run company....
Gene Therapy Reduces Geographic Atrophy Lesion Growth
Ocugen’s phase‑2 ArMaDa trial of the modifier gene therapy OCU410 showed a 31% reduction in geographic atrophy lesion growth and a 27% slower rate of ellipsoid zone loss at the medium dose, with 55% of treated eyes achieving at least...
Illinois Hospital Sued Over Vaccine Mandate
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Silver Cross Hospital for refusing a religious accommodation request from a surgical technologist who declined the COVID‑19 vaccine. The employee asked for an exemption in August 2021; the hospital denied the request and terminated...
Everson Walls to Lead the American Diabetes Association’s Step Out Walk: North Texas as Grand Marshal
The American Diabetes Association will host its annual Step Out Walk in North Texas on April 25, 2026, at the Levy Event Plaza in Irving. Former Dallas Cowboy and Super Bowl champion Evian Walls will act as grand marshal, highlighting...
Depression Improves with Mebufotenin
A phase‑2b trial of inhaled mebufotenin (GH001) in 81 adults with treatment‑resistant depression showed rapid symptom relief, with 57.5% of the active‑treatment group achieving remission by day 8 versus none on placebo. The mean MADRS score fell by 15.2 points compared...
A Florida Hospital Drops Its Lawsuit Against a Woman Who Refused to Leave the Facility
Florida’s Tallahassee Memorial Hospital withdrew a lawsuit it filed to evict a former patient who remained in room 373 for months after her October discharge. The hospital had sought a court injunction and sheriff assistance, arguing the occupied room strained...
With Federal Changes Coming to Medicaid, New Jersey Pursues Ways to Keep People Enrolled
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has earmarked more than $10 million in her $60.7 billion budget to modernize the state’s Medicaid enrollment system ahead of federal rule changes that will require low‑income adults to prove eligibility twice a year. The new requirements...
Atlantic Health to Deploy Artera’s AI Agents for Colonoscopy Patient Outreach
Atlantic Health, a nonprofit system serving New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, has partnered with AI firm Artera to launch outbound AI agents that call patients scheduled for colonoscopies. The agents initiate a multilingual, interactive phone conversation a week before...
MedCity Pivot Podcast: How Fujifilm Tackled An Existential Crisis
Fujifilm faced a 60% revenue collapse in 2006 as digital cameras displaced film, prompting a strategic pivot toward healthcare. The company launched a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in 2011, acquiring Biogen’s large‑scale site and expanding its biotech capabilities....
Aultman Health CIO Says Healthcare Must Move AI From Experimental to Operational
Aultman Health System’s CIO Raza Fayyaz says the health‑care sector must shift AI from experimental pilots to everyday operations. He outlines a three‑pronged strategy that combines pre‑built AI tools, robotic process automation, and large‑language‑model reasoning to streamline clinical and administrative...
Transcatheter ViV a Solid Option for Failed Mitral Bioprostheses: SURViV
The SURViV randomized trial compared transcatheter mitral valve‑in‑valve (ViV) with redo surgical replacement in 150 patients with failed bioprosthetic mitral valves, many of whom had rheumatic disease. At one year, ViV showed a markedly lower all‑cause mortality (5.3% vs 20.8%)...
Virtual Care Provider Makes Big Gains with Zoom AI Clinical Tools
PocketRN adopted Zoom Workplace for Clinicians to embed AI‑powered transcription and note generation directly into its virtual nursing workflow. The integration cut documentation time by roughly 60%, dropping average note creation from 20 minutes to under 10. Daily labor savings...
Study: MRSA Nasal Swab Testing Not Compromised by Mupirocin
A retrospective cohort of 1,034 ICU patients across four Tennessee hospitals found that MRSA PCR nasal swab testing remains highly accurate after mupirocin decolonization. The negative predictive value was 98.8% before treatment and 99.1% when the test was performed within...
Readers Write: RHTP Is Money for Rural Hospitals, But States Say Maybe Not
The Rural Hospital Transformation Program (RHTP) is funneling federal dollars to shore up financially distressed rural hospitals, but several states are pushing back on participation. Officials cite legal gray areas and concerns about matching requirements that could complicate fund distribution....
Butterfly Network Receives FDA Clearance for AI-Powered Gestational Age Ultrasound Tool
Butterfly Network has secured FDA clearance for an AI‑driven Gestational Age tool that operates via a blind‑sweep on its handheld ultrasound devices. The software, trained on over 21 million images, delivers gestational age estimates comparable to expert sonographers for pregnancies between...
In the Loop: The Feds Will See You Now
The Federal Trade Commission, under Chairman Andrew Ferguson, has launched a new healthcare task‑force aimed at tightening antitrust oversight of the sector. The unit will focus on merger reviews, pricing practices, and data‑driven market analyses. Private equity and hedge fund...
HIMSSCast: Self-Pay Numbers Continue to Increase
The expiration of ACA premium tax credits, Medicaid funding cuts, and rising benefit costs are driving a sharp increase in self‑pay patients and higher out‑of‑pocket balances. Hospitals anticipate a 10‑15% rise in patient cost‑sharing and uncompensated care. Even commercially insured...
Discontinuing Beta-Blockers After MI Reasonable in some Patients
The SMART‑DECISION trial showed that stopping beta‑blockers one year after a myocardial infarction is non‑inferior to continuing them in stable, low‑risk patients without heart failure or reduced ejection fraction. Among 2,540 participants followed for a median of 3.1 years, the...
Abbott Integrates Precision Oncology Portfolio Into Flatiron Health’s OncoEMR to Streamline Cancer Care
Abbott has partnered with Flatiron Health to embed its Precision Oncology testing suite directly into Flatiron’s cloud‑based OncoEMR platform. The integration lets oncologists order tests such as Oncotype DX, OncoExTra, Oncodetect and Riskguard from within the patient chart, with results automatically...