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 reached about 33 nursing hours, translating to $27,720 in monthly cost reductions, while nurse satisfaction rose to 92 % and orientation time halved. These gains enable the organization to scale its relationship‑based virtual care model without sacrificing human interaction.
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...
How Small Medical Practices Can Build HIPAA-Aligned DevSecOps Without Enterprise Budgets
Small medical practices handle protected health information but often lack the security resources of large hospitals. The article outlines how adopting a HIPAA‑aligned DevSecOps approach—using AWS native tools, strict access controls, secret management, and automated CI/CD pipelines—can close common gaps...
The Future of Healthcare in America: What to Expect in the Next Decade
Artificial intelligence is becoming a core pillar of U.S. health care, with Deloitte ranking generative AI as a top strategic priority. AI tools are set to streamline diagnostics, clinical decision support, and administrative tasks, improving patient access and reducing in‑person...
NOTIFY-HF Decompensation Alerts for Patients May Improve Care
The NOTIFY‑HF pilot tested patient‑facing mobile alerts generated by the HeartLogic algorithm in implantable defibrillators, showing the approach is feasible, safe, and well‑accepted. Among 160 heart‑failure patients, the intervention lowered alert incidence by 22% and reduced hospitalizations, with a 65%...
How a Safety-Net System Reached 70% Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates
NYC Health + Hospitals has leveraged a data‑driven population health registry to raise its colorectal cancer screening rate to 70%, far surpassing the national average of roughly 59%. The program combines patient‑friendly FIT kit materials in 14 languages, automated MyChart...
The Crucial Role of Payload Linker Innovation in the Growth of ADCs
Antibody‑drug conjugates (ADCs) are becoming a cornerstone of oncology, with the global market expected to reach $65.2 billion by 2031. The number of ADC programs has more than tripled, rising from 557 in 2020 to 1,643 in 2025, driven by advances...
DAS Health Appoints Lee Horner as Chief Executive Officer
DAS Health announced the appointment of Lee Horner as its new chief executive officer, marking a strategic leadership shift aimed at accelerating growth. Horner brings more than two decades of executive experience in healthcare software and services, having led high‑growth...
The Dosing Problem That Precision Medicine Has Yet to Solve
Only about 45% of cancer patients receive a dose within the optimal therapeutic window, leaving many under‑dosed or over‑dosed. True Dose is introducing an at‑home capillary blood‑spot kit that lets patients collect finger‑prick samples for therapeutic drug monitoring, with results...
Lilly Races to Become First Longevity Big Pharma
Eli Lilly has signed a deal with AI‑focused biotech Insilico Medicine valued up to $2.75 billion, with $115 million paid upfront and the remainder tied to milestones. The agreement grants Lilly an exclusive worldwide license to several preclinical oral candidates and access...
Bone Health in Oncology: Closing Gaps, Reducing Costs, and Unlocking Biosimilar Value
At the MASCC/ISOO 2025 meeting in Seattle, experts highlighted persistent gaps in bone health management for oncology patients, especially those with breast and prostate cancer. They emphasized that underuse of bone‑modifying agents leads to preventable skeletal‑related events, increased mortality, and...
How Do Non-Mydriatic Retinal Cameras Improve Eye Exams
Non‑mydriatic retinal cameras capture high‑resolution images of the eye’s back without dilating the pupil, eliminating the need for stinging drops and post‑exam visual blur. The technology speeds image capture to a few seconds, allowing clinics to see more patients while...
‘It’s Dangerous, and That’s the Message’: Aussie Study Finds Vaping Likely Causes Cancer
An Australian scientific review concluded that vaping likely increases the risk of lung and oral cancer, marking the most definitive link to date. The analysis relied on short‑term laboratory and human exposure studies because long‑term cohort data are unavailable. While...
Top-Paying Healthcare Settings for Travel Nurses and How to Land Them
Travel nurses can command top-tier pay by targeting high‑acuity settings such as trauma centers, intensive care units, operating rooms, and specialized labor‑delivery or NICU units. Specialized certifications like CCRN, TNCC, and RNC‑OB dramatically increase bargaining power, while geographic flexibility lets...
Spotify For The Body: Personalized Health Scans With Sensor-Driven Data
Spotify co‑founder Daniel Ek has launched Neko Health, a full‑body scanning startup, with its first U.S. clinic slated for New York. The service combines advanced imaging of vascular, organ and metabolic systems to flag serious conditions, reporting 1.2% of scans...
Biogen Bounces Back With FDA Nod for High-Dose Spinal Muscular Atrophy Drug
The FDA approved a high‑dose formulation of Biogen’s SMA drug Spinraza, cutting the loading phase from four to two injections and adding a four‑month maintenance schedule. The new regimen, backed by the DEVOTE study, showed significant motor‑skill gains versus sham...
Duke Health Names Familiar Face as New CEO
David Zaas will re‑join Duke Health as chief executive on May 1, 2026, after a decade leading Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, where he oversaw eight hospitals and 27,000 employees. Zaas previously spent nearly two decades at Duke Health in various senior...
AI Is Fueling a New Arms Race in Healthcare: Here’s How We Stop It
Artificial intelligence is sparking an adversarial arms race in healthcare utilization management, pitting provider‑centric approval bots against payer‑focused denial algorithms. The clash threatens patient access, inflates provider burnout, and undermines trust. Simultaneously, regulators are pushing for real‑time, FHIR‑based authorizations under...
Triple Therapy Momentum: Caterina Brindicci of AstraZeneca on Breztri in Asthma
AstraZeneca is testing its COPD triple‑inhaler Breztri Aerosphere in uncontrolled asthma. Phase III KALOS and LOGOS trials showed 76‑90 mL improvements in FEV₁ and a 14% reduction in severe exacerbations versus standard ICS/LABA therapy. The studies enrolled about 4,300 patients across 20...
Future-Proofing Network Connectivity for Healthcare Innovation
Healthcare providers are aligning network connectivity strategies with broader digital transformation goals to support telehealth, cloud‑based EHRs, AI diagnostics, and connected devices. Executives emphasize that the challenge extends beyond bandwidth to building secure, resilient, and adaptable architectures. Cox Business highlights...
Red Light Therapy’s Regulatory Implications
Red and near‑infrared light therapy, known as photobiomodulation, has shifted from clinics to the consumer health market, prompting a surge in device sales and investor interest. In the United States, products reach consumers via distinct FDA pathways: 510(k) clearance for...
New Hope for Children with Severe Epilepsy
Scientists at Manchester University have identified a recessive RNU2‑2‑related neurodevelopmental disorder as one of the most common genetic causes of childhood epilepsy. The condition, which manifests with seizures and severe delays in speech and walking before age one, has been...
Why CREST-2 Trial Results Should Inform, Not Replace, Clinical Judgment
The New England Journal of Medicine released the CREST‑2 results, a pair of parallel randomized trials that compared intensive medical management (IMM) alone with IMM plus either carotid stenting (TFCAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with asymptomatic high‑grade carotid...
Glucose Control in Gestational Diabetes Tied to Offspring Obesity
A large Kaiser Permanente cohort study found that women with gestational diabetes who achieve stable, optimal glucose levels have offspring obesity risk similar to those without gestational diabetes. Women whose glucose control improves slowly or remains suboptimal face 1.3‑to‑1.6 times...
Zongertinib a ‘Breakthrough’ for NSCLC with HER2 Mutations
Zongertinib (Hernexeos) received FDA accelerated approval for first‑line treatment of HER2‑mutant advanced NSCLC, based on Beamion LUNG‑1 data presented at the European Lung Cancer Congress. In previously untreated patients (cohort 2), the drug achieved a 76% objective response rate and a...
Attract New Dental Patients: Proven Strategies for Practice Growth
Dental practices are losing roughly 15% of their patient base each year, yet 68% still rely only on word‑of‑mouth referrals. The American Dental Association reports that offices that adopt comprehensive, digital‑first attraction strategies achieve 32% higher annual growth. Patients now...
Veteran Paramedic Named New EMS Chief of Wis. City
Middleton, Wisconsin, announced that veteran paramedic Kris O’Dell has been named chief of its Emergency Medical Services Department. The appointment, approved by the Middleton Common Council in February, follows O’Dell’s nearly 32 years in EMS, including over 25 years as...
Mind Cymru Calls on Next Welsh Government to Address Mental Health Stigma This World Bipolar Day
On World Bipolar Day, Mind Cymru called on the incoming Welsh Government to invest in anti‑stigma programmes after its Big Mental Health Report showed a decline in workplace willingness to work with people with mental health problems. A 2025 YouGov...
As U.S. Blockade Bites, Cuba’s Health Care and Science Suffer
The United States’ de‑facto oil blockade has triggered prolonged electricity blackouts across Cuba, crippling hospitals and forcing the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) to suspend eight of its ten active clinical trials. Supply shortages and a collapsed transport network are...
20 Future Icelandic HealthTech and MedTech Leaders
Iceland’s HealthTech and MedTech sectors have transformed from a niche research community into a globally competitive innovation hub, leveraging the nation’s high‑resolution genomic database, a single‑payer health system, and strong university‑hospital ties. The breakout success of Kerecis, sold for $1.3 billion,...
Ambient Scribe Technology Guidance for Healthcare and Information Governance Professionals Launches
NHS England has published new guidance for healthcare and information‑governance professionals on deploying ambient scribe AI technology. The guidance outlines consent (implied consent acceptable), transparency, accuracy checks, a lawful basis under GDPR, record‑retention rules, and mandatory security risk assessments. It...
UK Biotech Day 2026 | May 27-28 | London, UK
UK Biotech Day 2026 will take place on May 27‑28 at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow. The two‑day conference convenes executives, R&D scientists, investors, legal and finance professionals from pharma, biotech, medtech, and tech‑bio sectors. Positioned as...
Imaging
Edith H. Quimby, a pioneering physicist, established the field of radiation dosimetry in the mid‑20th century. Her methods allowed precise measurement of radiation absorbed by the human body, transforming medical imaging and radiation therapy from guesswork to quantifiable science. The...
Will ACCESS Move the Needle on Tech-Enabled Chronic Care?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will launch the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) model on July 5, 2026, a ten‑year voluntary payment experiment for fee‑for‑service Medicare beneficiaries with hypertension, diabetes, chronic musculoskeletal pain or depression. The...
School Nurses Report Satisfaction with Stock Inhaler Program
The Resources for Every School Confronting Unexpected Emergencies Illinois (RESCUE‑IL) stock inhaler program was evaluated across 483 Illinois public schools, with 327 nurses and staff responding. Satisfaction was high, with 96.3% reporting they were very satisfied or satisfied, and 95.9%...
NPHI Calls for National Moratorium on New Provider Medicare Enrollment
The National Partnership for Healthcare & Hospice Innovation (NPHI) has urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to impose a temporary, nationwide moratorium on new hospice provider enrollments, citing a rise in fraudulent operators. The organization’s letter also...
US FDA Approves Higher-Dose of Biogen’s Genetic Disorder Drug
The U.S. FDA has approved a higher‑dose version of Biogen’s gene‑replacement therapy for a rare genetic muscle‑weakening disorder, likely spinal muscular atrophy. The new regimen starts with two 50 mg loading doses two weeks apart, followed by a 28 mg maintenance dose...
Why Americans Aren't Living Longer
Tufts University researchers found that U.S. life expectancy improvements have stalled over the last decade, with baby‑boomers (born 1950‑59) and the 1970‑85 cohort experiencing lower longevity than their predecessors. The study links the slowdown primarily to rising mortality from cardiovascular...
Homeless Populations in Need of Stronger Hospice Support
Morning Light Inc., an Indiana nonprofit, is tackling the hospice gap for aging homeless individuals by providing free housing alongside end‑of‑life care. In 2023 the organization cared for 51 hospice patients, averaging 58 days per stay, within its 12‑room facility....
CVS Begins Rollout Of Smaller ‘Pharmacy-Only’ Stores
CVS Health announced the launch of its first pharmacy‑only store in Chicago and plans to open nearly 20 similar locations by year‑end. The new format, about 3,000 square feet, focuses on prescription fulfillment, vaccinations and a curated OTC assortment, cutting...
Q&A: Digital Workforce Looks to Expand Further Into the U.S. Market
Digital Workforce, a Helsinki‑based automation firm, serves over 200 large organizations and targets roughly $40 million in revenue this year. Its flagship Outsmart platform blends robotic process automation and AI to run entire patient‑care pathways, with a particular emphasis on healthcare...
Study: Breath Test Could Transform Microbiome Diagnostics for Clinical Labs
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have demonstrated that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath mirror gut microbiome activity. Published in Cell Metabolism, the proof‑of‑concept study showed breath profiles could differentiate children with...
Medtronic Wins FDA Clearance for Robot in Cranial, ENT Surgeries
Medtronic has secured FDA 510(k) clearance for its Stealth AXiS surgical system, extending its use to cranial and ear‑nose‑throat (ENT) procedures. The modular platform combines AI‑enabled tractography, navigation and real‑time ultrasound, and can operate in both hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers....
5 Takeaways From The Newly Released Brain & Heart Guidelines
The 2026 C‑CHANGE/CMAJ clinical guidelines formally unite brain and heart health, presenting 11 harmonized recommendations. They now require routine cognitive screening for atrial fibrillation patients and depression screening for coronary artery disease sufferers. Intensive blood‑pressure control is endorsed for its...