In South Carolina, Measles Shows How Far Apart Neighbors Can Be on Vaccines
Spartanburg County, South Carolina, has become the epicenter of the largest U.S. measles outbreak in decades, with nearly 1,000 confirmed cases. School vaccination rates have slipped to just under 89%, well below the 95% herd‑immunity threshold needed to block transmission. The surge follows a sharp rise in non‑medical religious exemptions, now approaching 10% of students, and reflects broader vaccine skepticism fueled by COVID‑19 mandates and misinformation. Health officials report a modest rebound in immunizations, but the outbreak underscores the fragility of the nation’s measles‑free status.
Zydus Lifesciences’ Anaemia Drug Desidustat Gets China Approval
Zydus Lifesciences has received NMPA approval for its oral anaemia drug Desidustat, targeting renal anaemia in adult chronic kidney disease patients who are not on dialysis. The therapy, a hypoxia‑inducible factor‑prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, demonstrated efficacy and safety in Chinese Phase III...
5 Best Laboratory Information Systems for Pathology Workflows
Pathology laboratories are adopting specialized Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) to streamline specimen accessioning, case management, and report generation. Core features such as barcode‑based tracking, automated workflow routing, and customizable reporting improve accuracy and reduce turnaround times. Enterprise solutions add multi‑site...
7 Signs Your Child Might Benefit From Early Orthodontic Intervention
Early orthodontic, or interceptive, treatment targets children aged 6‑10 to guide jaw growth and prevent complex problems later. By age seven enough permanent teeth have erupted for orthodontists to assess bite relationships, space availability, and airway issues. The article outlines...
‘How Low Can You Go?’ The Shifting Guidelines for Blood Pressure Control
The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology have lowered the systolic blood‑pressure target for older adults, now urging clinicians to aim for readings below 130 mmHg. Emerging data linking hypertension to cognitive decline have accelerated this shift, prompting more...
Journalists Talk Medicaid Work Mandate in Georgia and Wage Garnishment Bill in Colorado
KFF Health News correspondents highlighted two state‑level policy debates: Georgia's proposed Medicaid work mandate targeting adults 50‑64, and Colorado's bill to limit wage garnishment for medical debt. In Georgia, the rule would require 20 hours of work or community service...
Beyond Language and Geography: Recognising Study Significance (Re: Language and Geographical Bias Limits Global Health Research)
In a rapid response to Ndong’s BMJ commentary, Professor Shigeki Matsubara acknowledges that non‑English and regionally focused papers often receive less global attention, potentially narrowing the evidence base for evidence‑based medicine. He argues that the core issue is not language...
Reablement Insights From Community Nursing Assistants Interviews
A new BMC Geriatrics interview study examined community‑based nursing assistants delivering reablement to home‑dwelling seniors. Assistants reported strong purpose in fostering independence but faced time pressures, training gaps, and limited resources. The research highlighted the emerging role of assistive technologies...
Confidential Health Records From UK BioBank Project Exposed Online
The Guardian uncovered that UK Biobank’s confidential health records have been posted online dozens of times, often through researchers accidentally uploading datasets to GitHub. The leaked files, while lacking names and addresses, contain diagnoses, dates, sex and birth month/year for...
African Countries Consider ‘Vice Taxes’ to Help Fill USAID Cuts
African NGOs are grappling with a sudden 30% budget loss after the U.S. shut down USAID, while European and private philanthropy contributions have also slipped, leaving services for women, children, and HIV patients underfunded. In response, several African governments are...
For Kidney Failure Patients, Hope Springs Local in Batangas
On World Kidney Day, the Renal and Transplant Institute (RTI) in Batangas highlighted kidney transplantation as a viable alternative to dialysis for stage‑5 chronic kidney disease patients. The Philippine Society of Nephrology reports that one Filipino develops chronic renal failure...
Immune Checkpoint Dysregulation Drives Pediatric Bronchiolitis Severity
A new multicenter study links dysregulated immune checkpoint pathways, especially PD‑1/PD‑L1 and CTLA‑4, to heightened severity in pediatric bronchiolitis. Researchers measured checkpoint molecule expression in airway samples from 312 infants and found that higher PD‑1 levels correlated with increased IL‑6,...
Link Between CKM Syndrome Stage and Elderly Falls
Recent research published in the Journal of Geriatric Medicine identifies a strong correlation between the stage of CKM syndrome and the incidence of falls among older adults. The study found that individuals in advanced CKM stages experience a 30% higher...
Association Between Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection and Neisseria Gonorrhea Among Women Screened for HPV in A Rural Community, Southwest Nigeria:...
A case‑control study in rural Southwest Nigeria examined co‑infection of HPV and Neisseria gonorrhoeae among 186 women. HPV‑positive participants showed a 6.45% gonorrhea prevalence versus 1.1% in HPV‑negative controls, yielding an odds ratio of 6.33 though not statistically significant (p=0.12)....
Rare Disease Spotlight: Friedreich Ataxia Moves Beyond Mitochondrial Bandages
Friedreich ataxia (FA) received its first FDA‑approved therapy in 2023 when omaveloxolone, marketed as Skyclarys, earned accelerated approval. Biogen’s $7.3 billion acquisition of Reata Pharmaceuticals secured the drug and highlighted the market’s appetite for rare‑disease assets. Skyclarys works by activating the...
A Smartphone App Can Help Men Last Longer in Bed
A randomized 12‑week trial evaluated Melonga, a smartphone app that teaches pelvic‑floor, mindfulness and cognitive‑behavioural techniques to men with premature ejaculation. Among the 66 participants who completed the study, average intravaginal ejaculation latency rose from 61 seconds to 125 seconds,...
Kian Pee Wan May Be Harmful Due to Hidden Drug Ingredients
The FDA has issued a safety alert warning consumers not to purchase or use Kian Pee Wan, a product marketed as an appetite stimulant and weight‑gain aid. Laboratory testing revealed the supplement contains the prescription steroid dexamethasone and the antihistamine...
Health-Related Quality of Life and Its Influence Factors in Chinese Patients with Phenylketonuria
A 2025 cross‑sectional survey assessed health‑related quality of life (HRQoL) in 196 Chinese phenylketonuria (PKU) patients using the EQ‑5D instrument. The cohort, average age 9.5 years, was predominantly rural (62%) with low educational attainment and modest household incomes. Mean EQ‑5D...
BCBS Study: Hospital AI Billing Tools May Be Driving up Healthcare Costs by Billions
Blue Cross Blue Shield’s new study links hospital AI billing tools to a sharp rise in maternity‑related costs. Analyzing tens of thousands of inpatient claims, the research found acute post‑hemorrhagic anemia diagnoses tripled at the top 10% of hospitals without...
MA Spending 14% Higher Than FFS Medicare, Including at Nursing Homes, Driven by Coding Intensity and Enrollment Trends
Medicare Advantage (MA) spending is projected to be 14% higher than fee‑for‑service Medicare in 2026, adding roughly $76 billion in excess costs. The gap stems from intensified diagnostic coding, a quality‑bonus program that adds $16 billion, and favorable selection that boosts payments...
CMS Moves Forward with 3rd Round of Medicare Drug Negotiations
CMS announced that the third round of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program will proceed with full manufacturer participation, covering 15 high‑cost, single‑source drugs and one drug slated for renegotiation. The agency will issue initial price offers by June 1, 2026,...
Tech Bills of the Week: Improved Biological Data for Research; Section 702 Reform; and More
Congress introduced a suite of bipartisan bills aimed at shaping America’s AI future. The AI‑Ready Bio‑Data Standards Act directs NIST to create standards for biological datasets used in machine‑learning research, while the Government Surveillance Reform Act tightens warrant requirements for...
HCA’s Highest-Earning Executives in 2025
HCA Healthcare reported $6.8 billion net income on $75.6 billion revenue in 2025, driving a $0.7 billion rise in total executive compensation to $32.9 billion. CEO Sam Hazen’s pay jumped $2.7 million, reaching $26.46 million, while the five highest‑earning officers collectively earned over $53 million. The company...
A New Lifeline Helps Inmates Transition to Life Outside the Bars
California’s Medicaid program now reimburses health care services provided inside jails and prisons, giving inmates access to prescription medication, mental‑health treatment, and case‑management before release. The policy, backed by corrections officials, aims to smooth the transition to community life and...
Larry H. Miller COO Frasure Says Dealing With MA Burdens and Higher Acuity Has No ‘Short-Term Fix’
Larry H. Miller Senior Health capped 2025 with the $142 million acquisition of the Kissito Healthcare portfolio, adding six Virginia skilled‑nursing facilities and 532 beds. The integration introduced specialty services such as ventilator, tracheostomy and memory‑care units, expanding the company’s clinical...
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Mild Neonatal Encephalopathy Treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia
A recent cohort study of 220 infants with mild neonatal encephalopathy compared therapeutic hypothermia (TH) to standard care. The TH group experienced more arrhythmia, delayed first feeding, and higher hospitalization costs, yet neurodevelopmental assessments at two years showed no statistically...
Why some Health System CEOs Are Opting Out of Cross-Market Expansion
Health system CEOs are increasingly choosing to deepen services within their existing footprints rather than pursue cross‑market mergers. California’s stringent oversight and seismic safety mandates make out‑of‑state acquisitions financially risky for Scripps Health. Valleywise Health and Saint Francis Health System...
Piedmont, Encompass Tap CEO for Planned Georgia Hospital
Tom Morris has been appointed chief executive officer of Eastside Rehabilitation Hospital, a 40‑bed inpatient rehab facility under construction in Loganville, Georgia, slated to open in June. The hospital is a joint venture between Encompass Health and Piedmont, marking Encompass’s...
Factors Associated with Rapid Repeat Pregnancies in Women at High Risk for Adverse Birth Outcomes
A prospective cohort of 894 women in Indiana’s WeCare community health worker (CHW) program found that 26% experienced rapid repeat pregnancy (RRP), defined as a live birth within 27 months of a prior delivery. Adjusted analyses linked younger age at...
Why Thyme Care Succeeds Where Value-Based Care Has Fallen Short
Thyme Care has expanded its oncology value‑based care program from under 8,000 to more than 85,000 lives by leveraging a population‑level clinical infrastructure that integrates claims data, health‑information exchanges, onboarding assessments and electronic patient‑reported outcomes (ePRO). This data‑driven model delivers...
AHA Shares Recommendations with CMS on Proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027
The American Hospital Association (AHA) submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the agency’s proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027. While the AHA praised CMS’s push for innovative coverage options, it warned...
Report: Virtual GI Solutions Save Money, Improve Patient Symptoms
The Peterson Health Technology Institute report finds that virtual gastrointestinal programs can both improve patient outcomes and lower costs. Wraparound solutions that add nutrition and behavioral support cut annual spending for IBS patients by $1,889, while clinician‑led multidisciplinary platforms save...
MedPAC Releases March 2026 Report to Congress
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its March 2026 report to Congress, outlining recommended payment rates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services for 2027. The commission also proposed allocating an additional $1 billion to safety‑net hospitals through a new Medicare safety‑net...
Measles Cases Continue Nationwide Spread as South Carolina Outbreak Slows, Utah Outbreak Rises
The CDC reports 1,362 measles cases nationwide in 2026, with 94% tied to outbreaks. South Carolina’s outbreak, now at 996 cases, shows signs of slowing, while Utah’s outbreak has risen to 405 cases, marking a recent surge. Both states account...
Webinar to Discuss How Leaders Strengthen Clinical Workforce
The American Hospital Association will host a webinar on March 19 at 1 p.m. ET to examine how health‑care leaders are strengthening the clinical workforce. The session will focus on improving retention, physician well‑being, and coverage stability across hospitals. Attendees will...
Case Report: Optimizing Wound Care: Tailored Nutritional Strategies with Immune- Modulating Enteral Nutrients
A dietitian‑led case series of four critically ill patients with advanced pressure ulcers implemented personalized enteral nutrition, targeting progressive energy and protein goals, glycemic control, and selective immunonutrient supplementation (arginine, glutamine, HMB). Over several weeks to months, each patient showed...
One-Month Early Time-Restricted Eating Enhances Cognition via White Matter–Cortical Pathways in Males with Metabolic Syndrome: Evidence From TBSS and SBM...
A one‑month early time‑restricted eating (eTRE) regimen in 21 male patients with metabolic syndrome led to significant reductions in weight, BMI, fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA‑IR. Neuroimaging revealed increased fractional anisotropy in the left anterior thalamic radiation and cortical thinning...
Development and External Validation of a Machine Learning Model Based on Preoperative Nutritional Status for Predicting Acute Kidney Injury After...
A retrospective study of 811 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients identified pre‑operative nutritional status, especially the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), as an independent predictor of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). Six machine‑learning algorithms were trained on clinical and nutritional...
Uncovering Goal-Concordant Hospice Care Delivery Trends
Recent studies reveal that while hospice and palliative services are increasingly aligning with patient goals, significant gaps remain, especially among advanced‑cancer patients who often receive life‑extending treatment despite preferring comfort care. Only 15% of cancer patients with comfort preferences receive...
Intuitive Surgical Hit by Cybersecurity Phishing Incident
Intuitive Surgical disclosed a phishing breach that accessed employee and customer data via a compromised internal administrative network. The company promptly activated its incident‑response plan, secured affected applications, and confirmed that its da Vinci, Ion, and digital platforms remained untouched....
Quo Vadis mRNA Vaccine Technology? The State of the IP Lawsuits
During the COVID‑19 pandemic, vaccine makers pledged not to enforce mRNA‑related patents, but that restraint has ended, sparking a wave of litigation over lipid nanoparticle (LNP) and mRNA payload technologies. Major cases include Alnylam’s suits against Pfizer and BioNTech, Arbutus’s...
Bimatoprost Implant Reduces IOP, Improves Vision at 12 Months
SpyGlass Pharma’s Bimatoprost Drug Pad‑IOL System demonstrated significant intra‑ocular pressure (IOP) reductions and vision gains in a phase 1/2 trial of 104 patients with open‑angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension undergoing cataract surgery. At 12 months, the 78 µg dose lowered mean IOP 34%...
FDA Approves Cosentyx for Pediatric Hidradenitis Suppurativa
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Novartis' secukinumab, marketed as Cosentyx, for adolescents aged 12 and older with moderate‑to‑severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This marks the first IL‑17A inhibitor cleared for a pediatric indication, extending the drug’s adult HS...
Earlier Cholesterol Testing Can Reduce Heart Attacks and Strokes, New Guideline Says
The American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and nine other medical groups released new guidelines urging cholesterol testing as early as age ten and aggressive LDL reduction beginning around age thirty. The recommendations aim to lower lifelong LDL...
Compounding Quality Center of Excellence | Instructor-Led Trainings
The FDA Compounding Quality Center of Excellence is launching a series of instructor‑led training courses, offered both in‑person and virtually, for outsourcing facilities, pharmacy compounders, and regulators. Each course costs $249 per participant and awards continuing‑education credits to pharmacists, technicians,...
Fourth Circuit Removes Autonomy From Adults In Healthcare Ban Decision
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld West Virginia's ban on Medicaid coverage for gender‑affirming surgeries, extending the restriction from minors to adults. The ruling overturns a lower court finding that the 2004 statute violated anti‑discrimination laws and...
Suspended Lead Suit Brings Radiation Exposure Down to Zero for Many Structural Imagers
Interventional echocardiographers using Biotronik’s Zero‑Gravity suspended lead suits during left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedures experienced dramatically lower radiation, with undetectable levels in 60% of cases. In a JAMA Network Open study of 125 LAAO cases, median dose dropped from...
Jeonbuk National University Researchers Develop DDINet for Drug-Drug Interaction Prediction
Researchers at Jeonbuk National University have unveiled DDINet, a lightweight neural network designed to predict drug‑drug interactions (DDIs) for previously unseen compounds. The model employs five fully‑connected layers and molecular fingerprints, with Morgan fingerprints delivering the best results. Using a...
HIMSS26: Dr. Mehmet Oz Discusses Improving Healthcare Efficiency
At HIMSS26, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz outlined a sweeping technology overhaul aimed at boosting healthcare efficiency and cutting waste. He announced a new Salt Lake City office to attract tech talent and highlighted a $300 billion annual waste figure, with...
New Dyslipidemia Guideline Puts Add-On Testing, Early Screening in the Spotlight
The latest dyslipidemia guideline introduces the PREVENT risk calculator, enabling clinicians to personalize ASCVD risk using routine health data and specific risk enhancers. It expands recommendations to include non‑contrast coronary artery calcium scans, as well as Lp(a) and apoB testing,...