Why Are Rates Of Maternal Mortality Rising So Quickly?
Maternal mortality in the United States reached 649 deaths in 2024, a slight decline from 669 in 2023 but still far above historical norms. The surge is driven by two intertwined crises: 2.2 million women of child‑bearing age live in maternity‑care deserts, and the Health Resources and Services Administration projects a shortage of nearly 70,000 physicians—including 7,000 OB‑GYNs—by 2038. Lack of prenatal and primary‑care access leaves chronic conditions unmanaged, amplifying risk during pregnancy and postpartum. Experts argue that targeted funding, expanded training slots, and community‑focused resources are essential to reverse the trend.
CMS Unveils New Pediatric Care Model
CMS announced the Accelerating State Pediatric Innovation Readiness and Effectiveness (ASPIRE) Model, a ten‑year voluntary initiative for up to five states to improve whole‑person care for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries up to age 21. The model places accountability for quality...
AL-S Pharma Tests How Far SOD1 Biology Extends Into Sporadic ALS
The article outlines BioCentury’s cookie policy, detailing the categories of cookies used on its website—strictly necessary, functional, marketing, advertising, and analytics. Each type is described in terms of purpose, activation status, and impact on user experience. The policy emphasizes that...
How A Small Rural Hospital Is Using AI to Catch Heart Disease Sooner
Wayne General Hospital in rural Mississippi has adopted Eko Health’s AI‑powered digital stethoscope, allowing clinicians to detect cardiac conditions such as atrial fibrillation, low ejection fraction and valvular disease in real time. The AI engine combines auscultation with ECG data...
AHIP CEO: “We Are Laser-Focused on Affordability”
AHIP President and CEO Mike Tuffin told a Washington briefing that affordability is the organization’s top priority as hospital, drug and specialty care costs outpace wages and inflation. He blamed hospital consolidation and drug‑maker patent thickets for rising premiums and...
Sexual Health Victoria Launches New ‘Unusual Discharge?’ Campaign to Tackle STI Crisis
Sexual Health Victoria (SHV) has launched the statewide "Unusual Discharge?" campaign to confront a sharp rise in sexually transmissible infections. Gonorrhoea cases have jumped 52% and chlamydia exceeds 22,000 diagnoses in the past year, while only 16% of Australians have...
AbbVie Named Official Pharma Partner of MLB, Expands ‘Striking Out Cancer’ on Opening Day
AbbVie has secured a multi‑year deal to become Major League Baseball’s Official Pharmaceutical Partner beginning with the 2026 season, extending its Striking Out Cancer initiative league‑wide. The program will donate $20 for every strikeout, up to $1 million per season, with...
How Healthcare Teams Use Amplitude AI with Confidence & Safety
Amplitude has introduced its Global Agent AI, an analytics assistant that operates on the same governed data healthcare teams already use. The AI analyzes events, funnels, and cohorts, delivering natural‑language insights while respecting existing role‑based access controls and avoiding exposure...
Towards Intelligent and Miniaturized Drug Delivery Devices
Intelligent and miniaturized drug delivery devices (IMDDDs) combine biotechnology, AI, electronics, and novel materials to provide precise, programmable drug release inside the body. These platforms integrate real-time sensing with adaptive control, enabling dose adjustments based on biomarkers such as glucose...
We Showed a 20% Tax on Junk Food Would Save More Lives than a Sugar Tax
New Lancet Public Health research models a 20% tax on unhealthy foods in Australia. The model predicts 212,000 premature deaths avoided and about A$14.9 bn (≈ $9.8 bn USD) saved in health‑care costs. If the tax revenue funds fruit and vegetable subsidies, prices could...
Influencers Are Promoting These Three Health Tests – but They Risk Doing More Harm than Good
Social media influencers are promoting full‑body MRI scans, AMH fertility tests, and testosterone panels, prompting a surge in consumer demand for these pricey examinations. Medical authorities warn that these tests often detect incidental findings or provide misleading information, leading to...
Proposed FTC, CVS Agreement Underway To Settle Inflated Insulin Costs Allegations
The Federal Trade Commission and CVS Caremark have reached a settlement that resolves all claims alleging the pharmacy‑benefit manager inflated insulin prices through anticompetitive rebate practices. Court filings on March 23 indicate the agreement ends the FTC’s lawsuit in its...
New Zealand: Smart Health Roadmap Transforming Diabetes Care
New Zealand has unveiled a National Diabetes Roadmap that uses smart technologies and digital health tools to overhaul prevention, diagnosis, and management of diabetes. The plan addresses an estimated 348,000 New Zealanders with diabetes, especially high‑risk Māori, Pacific and South Asian groups,...
Key Adviser Quits Federal Vaccine Panel
Dr. Robert Malone, appointed vice‑chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., resigned abruptly after a federal judge ruled the panel’s advisers lacked the expertise to issue vaccine guidance. The court order placed ACIP in...
Consumers Increasingly Turn to AI Chatbots for Health Information: Report
A recent Rock Health survey of 8,000 U.S. adults shows that one in three consumers have turned to AI chatbots for health information, a usage rate that has doubled over the past year. ChatGPT dominates the market with a 23%...
Rural New Mexico Hospital Deploys AI Scribe
Artesia General Hospital in rural New Mexico has integrated Microsoft’s Dragon Copilot AI scribe into its TruBridge electronic health record. Physicians report noticeably faster clinical documentation compared with legacy dictation tools, freeing up time for patient interaction. The hospital cites...
Brain Volume in Bipolar Disorder Increases During Depression and Shrinks During Remission
A two‑year longitudinal MRI study of 62 bipolar disorder patients and 62 healthy controls tracked gray matter volume in the right exterior cerebellum. Patients who did not experience new manic or depressive episodes showed significant cerebellar volume loss, while those...
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: Nursing Homes Change Hands in South Carolina, Florida and Mississippi
A New York private‑equity firm bought a 181‑bed skilled nursing facility in South Carolina, planning to lease it to a regional operator. A New Jersey‑based operator acquired a 120‑bed Florida facility and a 100‑bed Mississippi property, both with high occupancy...
A Virtual Lifeline: Nursing Homes Push Telehealth Reform, Highlight Access in Rural Facilities, Say Waivers Create Uncertainty
Telehealth has become essential for rural nursing homes, a fact underscored by the recent government shutdown that exposed reliance on temporary waivers. Operators like Care Initiatives use virtual platforms for psychiatry, therapy, and after‑hours care, while advocacy groups push the...
Government Fails to Offer Fair Deal to CUPE Long Term Care Workers; Union Prepares for Strike
The Canadian Union of Public Employees’ Lead Table for long‑term care workers in Nova Scotia announced a bargaining impasse after the provincial government presented the same contract proposal for the fifth time. Union leaders called the offer unfair and said...
136 Hospitals with 5+ Magnet Designations
Approximately 2% of the nation’s 6,093 hospitals have earned Magnet designation five times or more, placing 136 facilities in an elite group. The American Nurses Credentialing Center has recognized 657 hospitals worldwide, with 136 achieving five or more designations and...
UF Health Taps New Vice President of RCM Business Support
Peter Thompson has been appointed vice president of revenue cycle management business support at UF Health in Gainesville, Florida. He previously served as vice president of client services at BuoyFi, a medical‑debt‑management firm, and as executive vice president of business...
57% of Health Systems Rank AI as Top Tech Priority: Report
Health system executives are placing artificial intelligence at the forefront of their technology roadmaps, with 57% naming AI‑based clinical solutions as their top priority for 2026‑27. This surge follows a steep rise from 19% last year, even as 41% of...
These Families Help Scientists Find Alzheimer's Treatments. Their Network Is at Risk
An international consortium of more than 200 families carrying dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s mutations, the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN), has been pivotal in uncovering the disease’s pre‑clinical brain changes and accelerating amyloid‑targeting drug trials. Researchers leveraged the certainty of genetic...
Hawley Seeks Internal Data From Danco As Telehealth Abortions Rise
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has demanded that Danco Labs, the maker of mifepristone and misoprostol, turn over any internal communications it has had with the FDA, telehealth providers, pharmacists, patients, state medical boards, and attorneys general concerning the safety of...
CTEM for Healthcare: A Guide to Continuous Threat Exposure Management
Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is a Gartner‑originated framework that shifts healthcare cybersecurity from periodic, patch‑centric vulnerability programs to real‑time, threat‑informed risk mitigation. CrowdStrike’s field CTO Cristian Rodriguez highlights that CTEM correlates exposures with exploitability, adversary behavior, and business impact,...
CMMI AI Lead Bullish On Future Of ACCESS Model, Downplays Tech Focus
CMS Innovation Center’s AI and technology chief expressed strong confidence that the upcoming ACCESS payment model, built around outcome‑aligned payments (OAPs), will quickly gain traction in Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers. He emphasized that the model’s focus on aligning payments...
Doctors for America Raises PDUFA, CNPV, Bayesian, Supply Chain Concerns With Lawmakers
Doctors for America met with bipartisan lawmakers to flag several regulatory concerns at the FDA. The group warned that “America First” provisions in the upcoming PDUFA negotiations could increase user fees and hinder drug access, while the agency’s reliance on...
Epicardial Fat Shows Promise as a Clinical Risk Factor for CAD
Researchers analyzing 773 patients in the PARADIGM registry found that larger epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volumes measured by coronary CT angiography were strongly associated with both any plaque progression and rapid plaque progression over an eight‑year follow‑up. While high EAT...
Addressing Mobile Device Risks in Healthcare: Strategies for Better Security and Compliance
Mobile devices have become essential in healthcare, but attacks on Android devices have surged 244%, exposing critical vulnerabilities. A recent Imprivata survey shows 44% of organizations lack formal mobile device policies and 55% have no visibility into device usage. Without...
Tech Life
BBC World Service’s "Tech Life" program examines how artificial intelligence can enhance health professionals’ workflows, enable earlier disease detection, and reshape global self‑care practices. Host Shiona McCallum interviews a female entrepreneur focused on making women’s health technology more affordable and accessible....
Efforts to Meet HR 1 Medicaid Rules Can Also ‘Build for the Future’
HR 1 requires states to redetermine Medicaid expansion beneficiaries every six months and enforce an 80‑hour work, volunteer or education requirement before renewal, dramatically increasing staff workload. Experts advise leveraging existing ex parte automation—already used for income‑based renewals—to incorporate work‑requirement data...
Senate Democrats Urge Kennedy to Stop Hindering Key Health Panel
Nineteen Senate Democrats sent a letter to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging him to stop obstructing the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Kennedy has canceled or postponed three USPSTF meetings since summer 2025 and has not appointed replacements for members...
Industry Payments to Cardiologists Are Linked to Increased Medicare Spending: Michael I. Ellenbogen, MD, and Yubin Park, PhD
A new AJMC study examined more than 26,000 U.S. cardiologists and found that industry payments are linked to higher Medicare costs. Every $10,000 in payments corresponded with an additional $14.10 in spending per beneficiary. The research, presented on the Managed...
The Search for a New CDC Director Nears a Deadline
The federal Vacancies Act triggers a 210‑day deadline tomorrow for naming a permanent CDC director, ending the acting tenure of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. The Trump administration has been rotating temporary leaders since Susan Monarez’s dismissal in August, and now must...
Nonbinary Doctor Sues NYC Health + Hospitals Alleging Forced Identity Concealment
Danielle Peterson, a nonbinary dermatology resident, filed a federal lawsuit against NYC Health + Hospitals alleging they forced her to conceal her gender identity, subjected her to harassment, and terminated her contract despite independent medical clearances. The complaint details directives...
Progressive Defeats ERISA Challenge to Tobacco and Vaccine Surcharges
On March 20, 2026, a federal judge in Ohio dismissed all five ERISA claims brought by Progressive employees challenging tobacco‑free and COVID‑19 vaccine premium discounts. The court held that Progressive’s wellness program satisfied the “full reward” requirement without retroactive reimbursements...
Food and Drug Administration Expert Panel on Infant Formula “Operation Stork Speed”
Operation Stork Speed, the FDA’s new initiative launched in March 2025, convened an expert panel in June to overhaul U.S. infant formula regulations. The panel’s three‑part report recommends updating nutrient specifications, establishing a centralized formula database, and replacing outdated safety...
Medicare Advantage Linked to Higher Hospice Use in Advanced Cancer Patients
A JAMA Network Open study of 196,536 Medicare decedents with advanced cancer found that continuous enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) produced the highest hospice use (74.8%) compared with traditional Medicare (TM) at 68.5%. Switching between MA and TM added 2‑3...
Innovators – and Regulators – Convene to Build the Future at HIMSS26
The HIMSS26 Global Health Conference convened leading health‑IT innovators, policymakers, and newcomers to discuss the future of digital health. Sessions highlighted artificial intelligence, business intelligence, and workforce transformation, while regulators from the FTC and the White House presented emerging policy...
States Weigh Hospital Price Caps
Several states are weighing legislation to cap hospital charges relative to Medicare rates. Maine’s original 200% Medicare cap was softened to limit price hikes for specific insurance plans, while Delaware proposes a 250% cap that could trim $413 million from hospital...
New Off-the-Shelf Conduit for CABG Shows Promise in First-in-Human Study
Vascudyne’s acellular tissue‑engineered vessel with external support (ATEV‑ESS) demonstrated early promise as an off‑the‑shelf conduit in a first‑in‑human study. Three patients with multivessel coronary disease received the device; two implants remained patent at 12 months with no thrombus or major...
NDIS Participants Work More and Feel Better After Accessing the Scheme
New analysis by the e61 Institute shows that people who join Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) work roughly two extra hours per week and earn about $50 USD more each fortnight within four years of entry. Participants also report a...
What Jefferson Health Hopes to Gain From NCQA Advanced Primary Care Pilot
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) selected Jefferson Health as one of four participants in its Advanced Primary Care pilot, aimed at shaping standards for data‑driven, team‑based care. Jefferson’s primary‑care network spans roughly 150 sites, 1,000 clinicians, and one...
Priority Health Appoints Brian Steele, DO, as Chief Medical Officer
Priority Health announced the appointment of Brian Steele, DO, as senior vice president and chief medical officer, effective April 6, 2026. Steele will oversee the health plan's clinical, pharmacy, and population‑health programs, aiming to deepen value‑based care and improve member...
Laser Eye Surgeons Should Be Vigilant for P. Lilacinum Infection
Three patients developed fungal keratitis after laser eye surgery at a New York clinic in December 2024, with Purpureocillium lilacinum confirmed in two cases. The infections prompted the clinic to halt procedures and triggered a health‑department review that uncovered incomplete...
STAT+: Drug Company Penalties for Paying Kickbacks to Doctors Failed to Dent Bottom Lines, Analysis Finds
A JAMA Network Open study examined 64 pharmaceutical kickback settlements from 2000 to 2025, uncovering $10.25 billion in penalties. The drugs at the center of those cases generated $458.6 billion in U.S. sales, meaning fines represented just 2.2 percent of related revenue. The...
ENR West 2026 California Owner of the Year: UC Davis
UC Davis has been named ENR West’s 2026 California Owner of the Year, recognizing its expansive capital program across academic and healthcare facilities. The university’s $7.5 billion Vision 2030 plan will culminate in the 14‑story California Tower, adding 909,000 sq ft and 334 new...
For Medical Devices, “Possible Use” Amounts To Infringement Only If The Use Is In Line With Medical Practice
The Munich Local Division dismissed Emboline’s infringement claim against AorticLab, confirming that a medical device can still infringe a patent if the patented use is technically possible. However, the court added that for medical devices the infringing use must align...
Concussions Predict Depression, Anxiety in Athletes
A Neurology study of 3,910 former college athletes found that those with three or more lifetime concussions exhibited significantly higher anxiety, depression, and related symptom scores five years after graduation. About 36% of participants reported at least one concussion, and...