Study Links Low Birthweight to Increased Stroke Risk in Young Adults, Independent of BMI and Gestational Age
Researchers presenting at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul revealed that low birthweight significantly increases the risk of stroke in young adulthood. An analysis of nearly 800,000 Swedish individuals showed this link remains even after adjusting for adult body‑mass index and gestational age at birth. The authors propose adding birthweight to routine stroke risk assessments. The findings underscore a lifelong impact of early‑life growth patterns on cardiovascular health.
Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital Notifies 257,073 After January Data Breach
Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital in Texas disclosed a cyberattack that compromised personal data of over 257,000 individuals. The breach was detected on Jan. 31, after an intrusion that began Jan. 15, 2026. Exposed information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, email, Social Security numbers, dates...
BJC Executives: Key Questions Shaping Value-Based Care Strategy
BJC Health System, now a 24‑hospital, $10.7 billion organization after its 2024 merger with Saint Luke’s, is deepening its value‑based care strategy across a continuum that links clinical, operational and financial teams. Executives highlighted lessons from pioneering an ACO in 2012,...
Rhode Island Hospital Birthing Center to Remain Open Amid Funding Push
Newport Hospital’s Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center will stay open only if it secures roughly $4.9 million in additional annual funding from the state and private donors. An independent Kaufman Hall review confirmed the center’s high‑quality, around‑the‑clock obstetric, pediatric and anesthesia...
Nursing Home Oversight: CMS Revises Survey Rules, Strengthens Penalties and Immediate Jeopardy Standards
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued sweeping revisions to its nursing home survey rules, tightening onsite timelines, clarifying revisit protocols, and expanding civil money penalties. The agency also refined the definition of Immediate Jeopardy to include scenarios...
OHSU CEO Out After 3 Months
Oregon Health & Science University announced that CEO Tarek Salaway, who took the helm in mid‑December, has been terminated after just three months. The university said his dismissal stemmed from his concerns about bias and resource waste being dismissed. Chief...
Arkansas System Names CEO
Arkansas’s Mississippi County Hospital System has appointed Lacey Carter, MSN, as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately. Carter joins from Ozarks Healthcare in Missouri, where she served as chief operating officer, chief nursing officer and executive director of nursing....
ONC To Issue Payment Rules, Work With OCR During Fiscal 2027
The Trump administration’s FY 2027 budget request outlines that the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) will issue new rules updating payment policy and will collaborate with the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to strengthen patient...
Sanford Health CIO Steps Into New Role
Brad Reimer has been elevated from CIO to chief technology and digital officer at Sanford Health, the 58‑hospital system based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After nearly four years overseeing the network’s IT operations, he will now steer digital transformation,...
More Medical Schools Swap Lectures for Active Learning
U.S. medical schools are increasingly adopting flipped classroom active learning. The approach gives students material before class and uses in‑person time for discussion, problem‑solving, and hands‑on exercises. A 2025 study showed higher knowledge‑based test scores at schools using active learning....
4 Notable Health Tech Funding Announcements in March
In March, four health‑tech firms announced sizable funding rounds, underscoring the sector’s rapid growth. Miami‑based eMed secured $200 million Series A to scale its AI‑driven GLP‑1 program for employers, while New York’s Nitra raised $187 million to enhance AI‑powered administrative automation for practices. Grow...
The American Diabetes Association Urges Continued Commitment to Federal Funding for Critical Diabetes Research and Prevention Programs
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) issued a statement urging the President and Congress to maintain and increase federal funding for diabetes and obesity research and prevention in the FY 2027 budget. It highlighted that diabetes accounts for one‑quarter of U.S. healthcare...
Buffalo Bills, Kaleida Health Extend Naming Rights Partnership
Buffalo Bills and Kaleida Health have renewed their partnership, granting Kaleida naming rights to the team’s training complex, now called the Kaleida Health Performance Center. The agreement keeps Kaleida as the Bills’ official health‑care provider and expands joint community‑health initiatives...
Changemaker and HIMSS Michigan Founder Continues Lifetime of Leadership
Veteran healthcare IT executive Helen Hill, SEMHIE Vice President and CIO, continues to shape Michigan’s health information landscape. She founded the state’s HIMSS chapter and now serves on the board and chairs the interoperability task force for the Michigan health...
FDA Approves Extension of Eylea HD Dosing Intervals
The FDA has approved an extension of dosing intervals for Regeneron's Eylea HD, allowing injections as infrequently as every 20 weeks for patients with wet age‑related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). The label update incorporates two‑year efficacy and...
CORRECTING and REPLACING ATL Medical Integrates OMNIVISION’s OVMed® OH0131 Image Signal Processor Into Its PREVOYANCE® Medical Imaging System
ATL Medical announced the integration of Omnivision’s OVMed® OH0131 image signal processor into its Prevoyance® medical imaging platform. The OVMed ISP brings advanced algorithms that fine‑tune brightness, contrast, saturation, hue and sharpness while aggressively reducing noise. The press release was...
White House Seeks 12% Cut to HHS in 2027
The White House’s FY 2027 budget proposal slashes the Health and Human Services (HHS) discretionary budget by $15.8 billion, a 12.5% cut from FY 2026. The National Institutes of Health would see funding drop $5 billion to $41 billion, and several agencies—including the National Institute...
White House Seeks 12% Cut to HHS in 2027
The White House’s FY 2027 budget request calls for a 12.5% cut to the Department of Health and Human Services, slashing $15.8 billion from the agency’s discretionary budget. The proposal trims NIH funding by $5 billion, eliminates the National Institute on Minority Health...
White House Issues FY 2027 Budget Request
The White House unveiled its FY 2027 budget request, projecting roughly $1.5 trillion in total federal outlays with a notable boost to health‑related programs. The proposal follows the American Hospital Association’s latest *Costs of Caring* report, which highlights rising expenses for hospitals...
Proactive Approaches May Mitigate QOL Impacts of MASH
A new real‑world study published in JHEP Reports shows that patients with metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatohepatitis (MASH) experience markedly lower health‑related quality of life when advanced fibrosis and cardiovascular‑renal‑metabolic (CVRM) comorbidities are present. The analysis of 2,675 patients across Canada, France,...
Q&A: AWS on New AI Agents, Quantum Computing in Healthcare
At HIMSS 2026, AWS chief medical officer Dr. Rowland Illing outlined the company’s new AI‑driven agent platform, Amazon Connect Health, which bundles five agents to streamline patient‑provider interactions while keeping a human in the loop. He emphasized AWS’s push for...
Joint Commission Launches Outcome-Driven Certifications on Perinatal Care, Cardiac Procedures
The Joint Commission announced the rollout of outcome‑driven certifications, debuting two programs that assess hospital performance in perinatal care and cardiac surgeries. The perinatal certification will measure maternal and newborn outcomes alongside patient‑experience scores, while the cardiac certification will track...
Balancing Efficacy and Tolerability in Skin Cancer Treatment: Todd Schlesinger, MD
At the American Academy of Dermatology meeting, Dr. Todd Schlesinger emphasized that proactive management of adverse events is essential for keeping skin‑cancer patients on effective therapies. He outlined next‑step options for melanoma that progresses on immunotherapy, including clinical trials, switching...
Collaborative Care Is Redefining Survival in Multiple Myeloma
Collaborative, multidisciplinary care is reshaping multiple myeloma treatment, linking hematology, transplant, pharmacy, infectious disease, and supportive services across the disease continuum. The non‑linear therapy pathway—spanning induction, autologous stem‑cell transplant, maintenance, CAR‑T and bispecific antibodies—requires constant cross‑specialty communication to avoid delays...
H.H.S. Takes a First Step Toward Restoring Vaccine Advisory Committee
The Health and Human Services Department is set to renew the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) charter for two years, allowing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to appoint new members after a federal judge halted the committee’s work....
MedeAnalytics Showcases How Health Plans Turn AI-Driven Insights Into Measurable Performance Improvement
MedeAnalytics announced its participation in several payer‑focused events, including Becker’s webinars, the Spring Payer Issues Roundtable, and OpsIgnite 2026. The company will showcase how its AI‑powered Health Fabric™ platform unifies fragmented data, enabling health plans to improve medical loss ratio,...
Complementary Value of CEUS-Guided Hookwire Localization Combined with Methylene Blue Staining for Sentinel Lymph Node Detection, and the Predictive Role...
A single‑arm study of 76 patients evaluated contrast‑enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)‑guided hookwire localization combined with intra‑operative methylene blue staining for sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection. The dual‑modality approach identified SLNs in 73 patients, achieving a 96.05% overall detection rate, with each...
Reconstruction of Dialysis Access in an End-Stage Renal Disease Patient with Severe Peritonitis and Thoracic Deformity: A Case Report
A 39‑year‑old man with end‑stage renal disease, severe peritonitis, thoracic deformity, and extensive vascular calcification faced repeated dialysis access failures. After conventional fistula and graft attempts failed, clinicians placed a cuffed dialysis catheter via the left innominate vein using digital...
Immune-Capable Cervix-on-a-Chip Enables Study of Sexually Transmitted Infections
Researchers at the University of Maryland and partner institutions have unveiled the first immune‑capable cervix‑on‑a‑chip, a microphysiological system that mimics the human cervical environment, including epithelial, stromal, immune cells and a native microbiome. The platform was validated with Chlamydia trachomatis...
An Injectable Particle Could Make Surgery Safer for Infants
Researchers at North Carolina State University have engineered an injectable microgel, called BK‑TriGs, that dramatically reduces surgical bleeding in infants. In mouse models mimicking neonatal hemostasis, the particles cut blood loss by 50‑60 percent compared with controls. The microgel leverages...
Beyond BMI: Shawn Davis, MD on Why Adiposity Is the Better Measure for Managing Obesity
Shawn Davis, MD, argues that adiposity—actual body fat—offers a more precise gauge of metabolic risk than the traditional body mass index (BMI). She notes that targeting a modest 5%‑15% reduction in adiposity can markedly improve hypertension, dyslipidemia, and sleep apnea,...
Zanubrutinib Demonstrates Favorable Tolerability in R/R CLL/SLL
A systematic review and meta‑analysis of four trials involving 508 relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL patients found that zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) has low treatment‑discontinuation (7.2%) and atrial fibrillation rates (2.9%). While 98.5% of patients experienced at least one adverse event, only 67%...
Disparities Widen Across Regions as Global Hypertension Burden Grows
A new meta‑analysis of 287 studies covering 6.1 million adults shows that 1.71 billion people—about one‑third of the global adult population—had hypertension in 2020. While high‑income nations saw a modest 2.7 % drop in age‑standardized prevalence, low‑ and middle‑income countries experienced a 5.8 %...
Operationalizing Seamless Care Between Community and Academic Centers: Turab Mohammed, MD
Dr. Turab Mohammed, a hematologist‑oncologist at Novant Health, outlined how community systems can operationalize seamless collaboration with academic centers through dedicated care‑navigation teams and real‑time communication protocols. He emphasized early referral of high‑risk leukemia and lymphoma patients to preserve T‑cell...
Hospital Sues Cardiology Practice for Alleged Breach of Contract, Ending Years-Long Partnership
Boone Health, a 392‑bed hospital in Columbia, Missouri, has sued its longtime cardiology partner, Missouri Heart Center, alleging breach of a non‑compete clause and refusal to release patient data. The cardiology group intends to exit the partnership in May and...
Development of a Culturally Sensitive Breast Cancer Patient Education Toolkit in Rwanda: A Methodological Approach
Breast cancer cases in Rwanda are expected to rise from 1,131 in 2018 to roughly 2,420 by 2040, creating a critical need for patient education. OAZIS Health responded with the ICYIZERE Initiative, developing a culturally sensitive education toolkit through four...
Multi-Target Gene Therapy for Osteoarthritis: Dual-Axis Modeling and In Silico Validation
A computational study proposes a multi‑target gene therapy for osteoarthritis that combines anti‑inflammatory, anabolic, and catabolic‑blocking transgenes delivered via a dual‑vector AAV system. Network perturbation modeling shows the multi‑axis approach achieves an ECM Recovery Score of 76.2, markedly higher than...
Update on FDA’s Ongoing Evaluation of Reports of Suicidal Thoughts or Actions in Patients Taking a Certain Type of Medicines...
The FDA’s November 1, 2024 drug safety communication reports a preliminary review of suicidal thoughts and actions among patients using glucagon‑like peptide‑1 receptor agonists (GLP‑1 RAs). After analyzing adverse event reports, clinical trials and observational studies, regulators found no clear causal link,...
Scientists Map How the Body Traps 'Sleeping' Tuberculosis
Scientists at James Cook University used spatial transcriptomics to map where latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis resides within lymph nodes and bone marrow, revealing how the immune system contains the dormant bacteria. The study, published in Nature Communications, identified CD8⁺ T cells...
FDA Adds Warning About Rare Occurrence of Serious Liver Injury with Use of Veozah (Fezolinetant) for Hot Flashes Due to...
On December 16, 2024, the FDA issued a Boxed Warning for Veozah (fezolinetant), the first non‑hormonal drug approved for menopausal hot flashes, highlighting a rare but serious risk of liver injury. The agency now mandates baseline liver testing and monthly...
Serious Liver Injury Being Observed in Patients without Cirrhosis Taking Ocaliva (Obeticholic Acid) to Treat Primary Biliary Cholangitis
The FDA’s latest safety communication reveals that Ocaliva (obeticholic acid) is causing serious liver injury in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients without cirrhosis, including cases that required liver transplants or resulted in death. In a post‑market trial, 7 of 81...
FDA Adds Boxed Warning About a Rare but Serious Allergic Reaction Called Anaphylaxis with the Multiple Sclerosis Medicine Glatiramer Acetate...
The FDA issued a new boxed warning for glatiramer acetate (Copaxone, Glatopa), highlighting a rare but potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction. Data from 1996‑2024 show 82 reported cases worldwide, including six deaths, with most events occurring within an hour of injection...
FDA Requires Warning About Rare but Severe Itching After Stopping Long-Term Use of Oral Allergy Medicines Cetirizine or Levocetirizine (Zyrtec,...
The FDA issued a drug safety communication warning that stopping long‑term use of oral antihistamines cetirizine (Zyrtec) or levocetirine (Xyzal) can trigger rare but severe itching (pruritus). Between April 2017 and July 2023, 209 cases—including 197 in the United States—were...
FDA Adds Warning About Serious Risk of Heat-Related Complications with Antinausea Patch Transderm Scōp (Scopolamine Transdermal System)
The FDA has issued a Drug Safety Communication adding a new warning to the Transderm Scōp scopolamine patch about serious heat‑related complications, including hyper‑temperature, hospitalization and death. The warning follows 13 reported cases worldwide—seven in the U.S.—with four hospitalizations and two...
FDA Requires Expanded Labeling About Weight Loss Risk in Patients Younger than 6 Years Taking Extended-Release Stimulants for ADHD
The FDA is requiring a uniform "Limitation of Use" label for all extended‑release stimulants used in ADHD treatment, warning that children under six years face higher drug exposure and a significant risk of weight loss. The agency’s analysis of clinical...
CDC Warns of Medetomidine in Illicit Drugs
The CDC issued a health advisory warning that the veterinary sedative medetomidine is increasingly appearing in the U.S. illicit drug supply. Seizure reports jumped 950% in 2024 and another 215% in 2025, now spanning at least 18 states with the...
FDA Is Requiring Opioid Pain Medicine Manufacturers to Update Prescribing Information Regarding Long-Term Use
The FDA has mandated that manufacturers of extended‑release/long‑acting opioid analgesics update their prescribing information to reflect new post‑marketing study results. Two large PMR studies (3033‑1 prospective cohort and 3033‑2 retrospective cohort) found that roughly 22% of long‑term users develop opioid...
FDA Removes Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program for the Antipsychotic Drug Clozapine
The FDA announced that, effective June 13 2025, the risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) for clozapine is being eliminated. While the drug’s potential to cause severe neutropenia remains, the agency concluded that updated labeling and a new Medication Guide provide sufficient...
FDA to Recommend Additional, Earlier MRI Monitoring for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease Taking Leqembi (Lecanemab)
On August 28, 2025 the FDA issued a drug‑safety communication recommending an additional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan before the third infusion of Leqembi (lecanemab) for Alzheimer’s patients. The agency’s analysis identified 101 serious cases of amyloid‑related imaging abnormalities with...
How Jefferson Became the First to Achieve URAC Community Health Worker Accreditation
Jefferson Health became the first organization to earn URAC’s Community Health Worker Program Accreditation, establishing a national benchmark for CHW recruitment, training, and integration. The program has expanded from fewer than a dozen CHWs in 2023 to nearly 40 staff,...