New York Health System to Shutter ASC Amid Declining Patient Volume
Catholic Health System announced it will close the Sterling Surgical Center in Orchard Park, New York, citing a sharp drop in patient volume over the past year. The outpatient facility, which once performed about 8,600 surgeries annually with a staff of 28, will have its services consolidated at the system’s other ambulatory surgery centers in Amherst, Cheektowaga and Lockport. Employees have been offered positions elsewhere in the network, with severance for those who leave, and the shutdown awaits state health‑department approval. The move comes as Catholic Health and other Western New York providers brace for financial pressure ahead of Medicaid changes slated for 2027.
Northwell Built a Medical School without Grades or Class Rank. Here’s Where It Stands, 15 Years In
The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, launched in 2011 by Hofstra University and Northwell Health, abandoned grades and class rank, replacing traditional exams with essays, oral assessments, and high‑fidelity simulations while immersing students in clinical work from day...
Cancer Is Now a Story of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly – but Also Hope | Devi Sridhar
At the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, a new oral drug, daraxonrasib, doubled five‑year survival for pancreatic cancer patients in a 500‑person trial, offering a rare breakthrough for a disease with historically poor outcomes. A concurrent head‑and‑neck cancer vaccine,...
Potential Big Impact If Firms That Own Pharmacy Benefit Managers Must Break Up
A bipartisan "Patients Before Monopolies Act" would bar health insurers that own pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from also owning retail pharmacies, giving firms like Cigna, CVS Health and UnitedHealth a year to divest. The proposal targets specialty pharmacies, which now...
HCA Hospital in Tennessee Names COO
HCA Healthcare announced that Sam Younger, PhD, MSN, will become chief operating officer of TriStar Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, effective June 1. Younger previously served as COO of TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital in Bowling Green, Kentucky, also an HCA facility....
Smart Drug that Strips Cancer Cells of ‘Invisibility Cloak’ Can Shrink Tumours by 30%, Trial Shows
Researchers at Oxford’s Greywolf Therapeutics reported that the oral drug GRWD5769, when paired with cemiplimab immunotherapy, caused tumor shrinkage in 26 of 83 heavily pre‑treated patients across six common cancer types. Fifteen of those patients saw reductions of at least...
The Link Between HIV and Chronic Pain
Over half of people living with HIV suffer chronic pain, a condition that remains hard to treat. A new study in the Journal of Neuroscience shows that the HIV envelope protein gp120, when injected into the mouse spinal cord, boosts...
Prescription Drug Prior Authorization: Costs to Pharmacies and Physicians
A systematic review of 14 U.S. studies quantifies the labor costs of prescription‑drug prior authorizations (PAs) in outpatient settings. Health‑system pharmacies spend 15‑24 minutes per PA, costing $15‑$63, while physician practices require 25‑64 minutes, costing $16‑$49. The analysis highlights substantial...
Epic Integrates Firearm Injury Risk Screening Tool From Northwell Health
Northwell Health’s NIH‑funded "We Ask Everyone" firearm injury risk screening tool has been embedded in Epic’s electronic health record platform. The digital module identifies patients at risk, provides free gun locks, and connects them to hospital‑based violence‑intervention services while capturing...
Vandalia Health CFO Begins New Role as CEO
Jeff Sandene, previously executive vice president and CFO of Vandalia Health, assumed the role of president and chief executive on June 1. The promotion, originally slated for July after Dave Ramsey’s retirement, was accelerated when Pat Keel was appointed as the...
Arkansas Children’s Taps Chief Research Officer, Institute President
Arkansas Children’s announced that Dr. Tamara Perry will assume the role of senior vice president and chief research officer, effective July 1, while also becoming president of the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute. Perry, a longtime employee with nearly two decades at...
Ahead of Becker’s ASC: Kathy Saunders on Denials, Underpayments and Scaling RCM in Orthopedics
Kathy Saunders, SVP of revenue cycle management at Redefine Healthcare, explained how denials, underpayments and staffing pressures are reshaping revenue cycle management for orthopedics groups using athenahealth. She highlighted that the Adonis analytics platform enables proactive, batch‑level denial detection and...
Health Sector Council Issues Framework to Govern AI Cybersecurity Risk
The Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity Working Group has published the Health Industry AI Cyber Governance Framework Implementation Guide, a dedicated roadmap for managing AI‑related cyber risks in healthcare. The guide targets threats such as data poisoning, model drift,...
Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and FFS Targeted Medicaid Practitioner Payments Proposed Rule Summary
On May 22, 2026, CMS issued a proposed rule to implement section 71116 of Public Law 119‑21, the Working Families Tax Cut, modifying payment limits for State Directed Payments (SDPs) in Medicaid managed care. The rule expands the revised cap...
Rural Hospitals Are Collapsing Under Administrative Burden That AI Alone Cannot Solve
More than 180 rural hospitals have shut since 2005, and providers spend over $25 billion annually on claims adjudication, with roughly $18 billion tied to claims that are eventually paid. The repetitive, manual work required to correct, resubmit and appeal denied claims...
The Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Blood-Based Biomarkers With Depressive Symptoms
Researchers examined blood‑based biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease in nearly 12,000 community‑dwelling seniors from the ASPREE trial to determine links with depressive symptoms. In fully adjusted models, only plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) remained significantly associated with higher CES‑D‑10 scores,...
2026 AAN Annual Meeting Highlights
The 2026 AAN Annual Meeting revealed a sharp rise in early‑onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD) mortality, climbing from 0.08 to 2.06 deaths per million and disproportionately affecting women and Black patients. Comparative trials showed multimodal lifestyle interventions delivering over 200% cognitive...
Workers’ Comp Medical Prices Vary Dramatically by State, With Fee Schedules Proving Key to Cost Control
The Workers Compensation Research Institute’s 2026 Medical Price Index shows stark state‑by‑state variation in workers’ compensation medical fees, with Wisconsin’s prices nearly four times those in Massachusetts. States lacking a fee schedule—Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Wisconsin—pay...
The Nurse Who Closed a Dangerous Gap in Rural Sexual Assault Care
Sheridan Miyamoto launched SAFE‑T System, a telehealth forensic nursing platform that links rural hospitals with certified sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) in real time. Using a purpose‑built imaging device, the service enables remote experts to guide evidence collection, resulting in...
ASCO26: Platinum-Resistant ADC Leader Elahere Stumbles in Platinum-Sensitive Disease
AbbVie’s Elahere, the only FDA‑approved FRα‑targeted ADC for platinum‑resistant ovarian cancer, failed to meet its primary endpoint in the Phase II MIROVA trial for platinum‑sensitive disease. The combination of Elahere with carboplatin produced a 66.2% overall response rate but showed no...
CBT for Depression in Primary Care: Gold Standard, or One Option Among Many?
A systematic review and meta‑analysis of 44 randomized trials involving more than 10,000 primary‑care patients evaluated cognitive‑behavioural therapy (CBT), behavioural activation and cognitive therapy for depression. The therapies outperformed inactive controls, but the pooled effect was modest (g≈0.44). Direct comparisons...
A Free Market Approach to Healthcare: Lower Costs and Better Outcomes
Dean Baker argues that U.S. healthcare costs are driven largely by patent‑protected drug and device pricing, not labor. He estimates annual spending of roughly $750 billion on pharmaceuticals, $130 billion on equipment, and $50 billion on therapeutic devices, all inflated by monopoly protections....
Three Ebola Vaccines in Development Amid Growing Outbreak Fears
Three separate teams – IAVI, Moderna and the University of Oxford – are racing to develop vaccines against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has caused over 1,000 suspected cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and nine confirmed cases...
Process to Add New Layers of Heart Muscle May Help in HF
Researchers reported the first-in-human trial of a tissue‑engineered heart muscle product, called biologic ventricular assist tissue (Repairon), aimed at adding new muscle layers to failing hearts. In the phase 1‑to‑2 BioVAT‑HF study, 20 patients with reduced ejection fraction received up to...
Scaling AI in Health Systems: From Innovation to Sustainable Implementation
Healthcare leaders face shrinking margins and rising denial rates, prompting a shift from traditional, black‑box AI to clinically‑first, transparent solutions. Solventum’s CTO Hari Bala argues that AI must embed clinical reasoning and integrate directly into EHR workflows to become a...
Mobility and Resilience Are Healthcare's New Normal
Verizon Business is rolling out next‑generation, resilient network infrastructure aimed at supporting the expanding ecosystem of connected medical devices in hospitals. The solution promises robust, low‑latency connectivity and real‑time decision‑support analytics to keep critical equipment online. Robin Goldsmith highlighted that...
Helping Maintain Healthcare's Digital Connectivity Infrastructure
Verizon Business is expanding its healthcare practice to manage the intricate digital networks that power modern hospitals, from clinician workstations to mobile devices and wearables. Robin Goldsmith, the firm’s healthcare and life‑sciences lead, highlighted the company’s end‑to‑end services designed to...
Moderna Partners with CEPI on Ebola Vaccine Efforts Amid Outbreak in Africa
Moderna and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) have struck a partnership that allocates up to $50 million to advance an experimental mRNA vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV). The funding will support preclinical work, Phase 1 trials and manufacturing capacity...
The Most Expensive Queue in Healthcare Isn’t Prior Auth — It’s the IT Backlog
Healthcare’s most costly queue isn’t prior authorization but the IT change‑request backlog that sits for weeks or months. Front‑line staff bypass delays with spreadsheets and manual checklists, creating a hidden "workaround economy" that doubles administrative effort. The article argues that...
AstraZeneca Aims for a New Blockbuster Run in Cardio Disease
AstraZeneca has received FDA approval for Baxfendy, a first‑in‑class aldosterone synthase inhibitor targeting hypertension, marking its entry into a new blockbuster arena beyond its oncology stronghold. The drug is positioned as the cornerstone of the company’s next‑generation cardiovascular, renal and...
Oncolytics Biotech® Announces Positive Initial Preclinical Findings Supporting Further Evaluation of Pelareorep in Combination with RAS-Targeted Approaches
Oncolytics Biotech reported that its oncolytic virus pelareorep, when paired with RAS‑targeted inhibitors, produced markedly stronger anti‑tumor effects in a solid‑tumor preclinical model. The company will extend this work to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and colorectal cancer, testing KRAS G12C, pan‑RAS and...
ALS Canada Rallies Around Progress in Research and a Call for Continued Action This ALS Awareness Month
During ALS Awareness Month, the ALS Society of Canada highlighted recent breakthroughs, including Health Canada’s 2025 approval of Qalsody (tofersen) for SOD1‑ALS, and renewed its push for federal backing of the Canadian Collaboration to Cure ALS. The charity underscored that...
Combined Pharmacotherapy and Psychotherapy Impact on Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Researchers analyzed claims data from 18,316 commercially insured adults with opioid use disorder between 2019 and 2022. They found that months when patients received both medication for OUD (MOUD) and evidence‑based psychotherapy saw a 33.5% reduction in emergency department visits,...
What China’s New CGT Rules Mean for Biotech Business
China's State Council Order No. 818, effective May 1 2026, establishes a national framework for clinical research and commercial translation of advanced biomedical technologies, including cell and gene therapies. The order creates a dual‑track regulatory system, allowing qualified hospitals under the National Health...
Closing CVD Care Gaps in Early-Onset CRC: Meng-Han Tsai, PhD
Meng‑Han Tsai, PhD, highlighted stark cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality gaps among early‑onset colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Men diagnosed before age 50 experience nearly five times the age‑adjusted CVD death rate of women, driven by higher pre‑existing chronic conditions and lower health‑care...
Elevance Again Avoids Medicare Advantage Sanctions, but Threat Remains
Elevance Health avoided immediate Medicare Advantage (MA) sanctions after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) accepted its resubmitted risk‑adjustment data and a wire transfer covering estimated overpayments. The company disclosed a potential liability ranging from $350 million to $1.5 billion,...
ASCO26: Verzenio Gives Hope of Liposarcoma Treatment Advance
An investigator‑initiated phase 3 SARCO41 trial showed Eli Lilly’s CDK4/6 inhibitor Verzenio (abemaciclib) significantly prolonged progression‑free survival in patients with advanced dedifferentiated liposarcoma, achieving a median PFS of 9.7 months versus 1.5 months on placebo. Overall survival also trended higher, with more than...
Mo. Hospital Unveils Appreciation Lounge for EMS Crews
Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri, opened an EMS Appreciation Lounge during National Emergency Medical Services Week. The lounge, located at Freeman Hospital West, features recliners, a fully stocked refrigerator, and a color television. It is designed for paramedics, EMTs,...
Nanoparticles Boost Delivery of Lung Cancer Drugs 30-Fold
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have created a hybrid lipid‑polymer nanoparticle that can ferry lung‑cancer drugs directly to tumor sites, increasing bioavailability by more than 30‑fold. The delivery vehicle keeps the drug in circulation longer and diverts it away...
What to Know About Vaccination for Patients with Kidney Disease
The National Kidney Foundation’s multidisciplinary working group released consensus recommendations to boost vaccination rates and effectiveness among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Guidance spans twelve categories, urging annual vaccine history reviews, pre‑vaccination serologic testing, household contact immunization, and the appointment...
Caring for Ageing Parents Is Becoming a Financial Nightmare in the US. Here’s What We Can Do | Courtney E...
Caring for aging parents is turning into a financial crisis as the youngest baby boomers near 65 and their children face soaring elder‑care costs. Only 3‑4% of Americans over 50 have long‑term care insurance, while 46% have no retirement savings...
Revolution Medicines Highlights P-III (RASolute 302) Trial Results on Daraxonrasib for Previously Treated Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
Revolution Medicines reported that its KRAS‑G12 inhibitor daraxonrasib achieved statistically significant overall survival and progression‑free survival benefits in a Phase III RASolute 302 trial involving 500 patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Median overall survival was 13.2 months versus 6.6‑6.7 months on...
Q&A: Practical Strategies to Reduce Hypoglycemia Risk
The article outlines practical strategies for clinicians to lower hypoglycemia risk in patients with diabetes, defining three severity levels (Level 1 < 70 mg/dL, Level 2 < 54 mg/dL, Level 3 severe symptoms). It highlights insulin and sulfonylureas as the highest‑risk agents and recommends de‑intensifying therapy, especially for older...
Military Health Care: Families Face Challenges Accessing Care for Special Needs, Defense Has Not Reviewed Coverage
The GAO report finds that the Department of Defense’s TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) provides habilitative, skilled nursing, and limited respite services for military families with special‑needs dependents, but its coverage limits have not changed since 2009. In seven...
When the Camera Enters the Consultation Room
A letter to the BMJ highlights a growing privacy risk as physicians in China film patient interactions for social‑media platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou. Unlike typical influencers, these clinicians have medical authority and institutional backing, making their content especially persuasive...
If Your AI Can’t Explain Itself, Can FDA Authorize It?
Manufacturers are encountering FDA deficiency letters on AI‑driven diagnostic tools despite high accuracy because reviewers cannot understand how the algorithms work. The agency now emphasizes explainability, requiring clear documentation of model logic, data provenance, and clinical interpretability under Good Machine...
Intravacc and Primrose Bio Renew Partnership to Enhance Conjugate Vaccine Development
Intravacc, a global CDMO specializing in vaccines, has renewed its strategic partnership with biotech firm Primrose Bio to provide a seamless, end‑to‑end solution for conjugate vaccine development. The alliance leverages Primrose’s PeliCRM197® carrier protein, available in GMP‑grade milligram to kilogram...
ASCO26: Key Readouts in Lung Cancer
At ASCO 2026, several lung‑cancer therapies posted striking efficacy data. BMS/BioNTech’s bispecific pumitamig achieved a 70% overall response rate in frontline NSCLC, while Kelun’s RET inhibitor lunbotinib reported over 80% response in both treatment‑naïve and pre‑treated patients. J&J’s Rybrevant‑Lazcluze combination demonstrated...
ASCO26: BMS and J&J Debut Shining Multiple Myeloma Data
At ASCO 2026, Bristol Myers Squibb reported that its cereblon‑modulating combo MeziKd delivered an 18‑month median progression‑free survival (PFS) versus 8.3 months for carfilzomib‑dexamethasone alone, with an 80.2% overall response rate. Johnson & Johnson’s bispecific antibody Tecvayli cut the risk...
China Has Approved the World’s First Invasive Brain-Computer Chip—Here’s What’s Next
Chinese startup Neuracle’s NEO invasive brain‑computer interface received the world’s first regulatory approval for commercial use, allowing patients with spinal‑cord paralysis to regain hand function. The coin‑size device, placed on the dura mater, enabled patient Dong Hui to write and...