Akron Children’s Chosen for Former Ohio College Campus Site
Akron Children’s Hospital won the bid for the former Notre Dame College campus, a nearly 50‑acre property in South Euclid, Ohio. The health system plans to convert the site into a hub for pediatric specialty services, extending its footprint in the Greater Cleveland area. The city identified South Euclid as the backup bidder, underscoring local interest in the development. Akron Children’s already operates two hospitals, six regional centers and more than 50 primary and specialty locations.
This Engineer Spent 100 Days Underwater—And It Added 10 Years to His Life, He Claims
Biomedical engineer Joseph Dituri spent 100 days in a 22‑foot‑deep underwater chamber at 1.6 ATA, claiming dramatic health improvements. He reported weight loss, lower cholesterol, a seven‑fold testosterone boost, and doubled REM sleep. While Dituri sees the results as proof that...
AHA Chair Authors Column in USA Today Insert on Advancing Patient Safety
American Hospital Association (AHA) Chair Marc Boom, M.D., published a column in the May 8 edition of USA Today’s special insert on patient safety. The piece underscores how hospitals and health systems are continuously raising safety standards by leveraging innovation across...
Daiichi Sankyo Posts 'Extraordinary Loss' Of Nearly $1B
Daiichi Sankyo announced it is scrapping its planned antibody‑drug‑conjugate (ADC) manufacturing line, a move that triggered an extraordinary loss of 149.4 billion Japanese yen (approximately $950 million). The loss reflects a write‑down of capital expenditures and R&D investments tied to the abandoned...
Trauma-Informed Spiritual Care Vital for Dying Veterans
Hospices are urged to adopt trauma‑informed, military‑culture‑aware spiritual care models to better serve dying veterans, according to Darrell Robinson of SpirituWell and Emory Healthcare. Recent studies reveal veterans often experience moral injury, survivor’s guilt, and unaddressed combat‑related trauma that resurfacing...
How Expert Guidelines Have Influenced TAVR Vs. SAVR Decisions
New analysis presented at the AATS 2026 meeting shows that the 2020 ACC/AHA valvular disease guidelines halted the decline of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and stabilized its volume after years of erosion by transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The...
BioWorld and Nasdaq Stock Indices
BioWorld’s May briefs highlight three distinct biotech developments. Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology have isolated human antibodies that neutralize measles by blocking viral entry, a timely advance as global measles vaccination rates slip. Meanwhile, eight confirmed hantavirus...
New Kind of Liver Cell May Protect Against Common Liver Disease
Researchers at the University of Michigan identified a previously unknown hepatocyte subpopulation that emerges only in metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatohepatitis (MASH) livers. The new cells exhibit high expression of the immune‑related gene THEMIS, which regulates cellular senescence. Mouse experiments showed that...
Being Overweight May Lead to Faster Cognitive Decline
A 24‑year longitudinal study of more than 8,200 U.S. adults over 50 found that higher body‑mass index (BMI) accelerates cognitive decline, affecting memory, executive function and emotional regulation. Each unit increase in BMI was associated with a faster deterioration of...
Some Gene Therapies No Longer Require Clinical Trials, Thanks to New FDA Rule. Is This Safe, and Who Will It...
The FDA has introduced a "plausible mechanism pathway" that lets developers market experimental gene‑editing therapies for rare, monogenic disorders without completing traditional large‑scale clinical trials. The rule relies on prior safety data for the delivery platform and permits customization of...
Can Existing Flu Shots Help Protect Against Bird Flu?
Researchers from National Taiwan University and the University of South Florida analyzed 35 ferret studies spanning two decades and found that seasonal influenza vaccines containing the neuraminidase N1 protein reduced H5N1‑related mortality by roughly 73%. By contrast, vaccines without N1...
The “Goldilocks” Choice: Why Older Adults Are Turning to Cannabis
A new University of Utah and Colorado study finds adults over 60 are the fastest‑growing cannabis consumers in the U.S., driven primarily by a desire for better quality of life rather than a psychoactive high. Participants cite chronic pain, insomnia...
5 Things to Know About the Converging Medicaid Funding Crisis
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will slash federal Medicaid spending by $1 trillion over the next decade, forcing state budgets to shrink by $664 billion and capping managed‑care rates at 100% of Medicare in expansion states and 110% elsewhere. States are expected to lower...
Close a Critical Gap in Hospital Security with Athena Security’s Ambulance Bay Weapons Detection System
Athena Security unveiled an AI‑powered Ambulance Bay Weapons Detection System that automatically scans patients on stretchers or wheelchairs as they pass through a dedicated scanner. The solution replaces manual hand‑wanding, reducing screening time by 30‑60 seconds per patient while delivering...
AHA Pushes Back on Families USA Report
The American Hospital Association (AHA) pushed back on a May 7 report from Families USA, calling it "long on rhetoric, short on reality." The AHA argued that hospitals are price takers, constrained by Medicare rates and insurer negotiations, and that the report...
Microsoft Warns of Sophisticated Phishing Campaign Heavily Targeting Health Care Organizations
Microsoft Threat Intelligence has identified a large‑scale, multistage phishing campaign that disproportionately targeted the U.S. health‑care sector. The operation sent “code of conduct” themed emails to more than 35,000 users across 13,000 organizations, using adversary‑in‑the‑middle techniques to hijack authentication tokens...
I’m an ICU Doctor Who Treated a Critically Ill Hantavirus Patient. Here’s What Everyone Should Know.
A 14‑year‑old patient in Ohio was diagnosed with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome after a week of severe respiratory failure, requiring mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The disease carries a 35‑47% mortality rate and lacks a specific antiviral, making supportive...
Guiding Patients Through Cancer Care With Compassion, Historical Perspective: Deborah Doroshow, MD, PhD
In an AJMC interview, Dr. Deborah Doroshow, an assistant professor at Mount Sinai’s Tisch Cancer Institute, describes her role as a guide for cancer patients and families, emphasizing plain‑language communication and staged information delivery. She splits her clinical work between...
I Barely Survived Hantavirus. This Is What It's Really Like.
Carina Hsieh’s feature recounts 18‑year‑old Evie H.’s battle with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare rodent‑borne disease with a 35‑47% fatality rate. After a headache escalated to respiratory failure, she was rushed to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where doctors performed CPR, placed...
Japan’s FY26 Price Revision Expands G1 Repricing and Drives Price Reduction
Japan’s FY26 National Health Insurance drug price revision took effect in April 2026, lowering average prices by 4.02% across about 15,800 products. The revision expands the G1 repricing rule to all off‑patent medicines and biologics with biosimilar competition, driving price...
Health Firms Odyssey, Mobia Fall After $454 Million IPO Haul
Odyssey Therapeutics and Mobia Health debuted on the Nasdaq, together raising about $454 million—$304 million for Odyssey and $150 million for Mobia after an upsized IPO and a private placement. Despite the strong capital infusion, Odyssey’s shares fell 8.8 % in early trading, and...
Tandem to File Tubeless Insulin Pump with FDA This Quarter
Tandem Diabetes Care will file a 510(k) this quarter for a tubeless version of its Mobi insulin pump, aiming for FDA clearance in the second half of 2026. The company reported Q1 revenue of $247.2 million, a 5 % year‑over‑year increase, while...
Contact Tracing Could Be Key in Halting the Spread of Hantavirus. Here's How It Works
An international public‑health team is tracing more than two dozen passengers who left the MV Honius cruise ship after a hantavirus case was identified. Because the virus requires close, prolonged exposure and transmits only briefly, officials assess the risk of...
Withings Report Reveals Why Menopause Is a Critical Cardiovascular Window
Withings' 2026 Menopause Transition report, based on data from 2.5 million women in 11 countries, shows menopause is a pivotal cardiovascular window. Atrial fibrillation prevalence jumps fourfold globally and 3.8 times in the U.S. between early reproductive years and late post‑menopause. Heart‑rate...
Medical Marijuana Removed From Schedule I – Moving Closer to Broadcast and Online Advertising but Concerns Still Remain
The Justice Department and DEA moved FDA‑approved medical marijuana and state‑licensed medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, creating a limited federal pathway for distribution. Recreational cannabis remains Schedule I, so its advertising stays prohibited. The change allows federally registered dispensaries to...
A Monocyte‐Targeted Nanoplatform for Phagocytosis Activation and Ferroptosis Inhibition in Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Researchers have engineered a monocyte‑targeted nanoplatform (mPDA@DFO‑CpG‑N1) to accelerate hematoma clearance after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The system combines a high‑affinity aptamer for selective monocyte delivery, a TLR9 agonist that overrides CD47‑SIRPα inhibition, and the iron chelator deferoxamine to block ferroptosis....
FDA Delays Leqembi Decision; Artiva Raises $300M; Pharvaris Prices Offering
The FDA has postponed its decision on the subcutaneous formulation of Leqembi, moving the target date to August 24, delaying a potential launch for Eisai and Biogen’s early‑Alzheimer’s therapy. The shift adds uncertainty to the Alzheimer market, where Leqembi could become...
As Federal Government Pulls Back, Colorado Charts Independent Course with Vaccines
Colorado enacted a new law allowing the state to diverge from federal CDC vaccine recommendations, letting Medicaid purchase vaccines based on national medical societies and granting pharmacists authority to prescribe and administer shots. The legislation is part of a broader...
Federation of American Hospitals Taps New Government Relations Head
The Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) appointed Elizabeth Schwartz, former Merck executive director of U.S. policy and government relations, as senior vice president and head of government relations. Schwartz will lead advocacy for roughly 1,000 for‑profit hospitals as the sector...
Urgent Care Clinics Boost Revenue and Throughput with AI Scribe
Experity Health’s AI Scribe, embedded in its urgent‑care EHR, automatically transcribes provider‑patient conversations into structured notes. Since its rollout in October 2025, more than 450 clinics have logged over 400,000 visits, cutting daily documentation time by roughly 40%. The efficiency...
In Florida Court, Sackler Family Member Admits Felony Tied to Her Opioid Addiction
Joss Sackler, wife of former Purdue board member David Sackler, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of obstruction of justice after admitting she deleted WhatsApp messages showing she was the intended recipient of a seized prescription‑drug shipment. The admission...
Abridge Releases Ambient AI Tech for Nurses
Abridge announced that its ambient documentation AI is now available to nurses at every health‑system client nationwide. The technology automatically captures and records patient‑encounter notes, aiming to cut the administrative load that nurses traditionally shoulder. Early adopters include Mayo Clinic,...
Privacy and Security Rules Extend to Paper Records
Health systems that revert to paper charts during electronic health record (EHR) downtime remain subject to HIPAA’s privacy and security rules, warns Polsinelli attorney Rebecca Romine. The guidance emphasizes that paper‑based protected health information (PHI) must be handled, stored, and...
The Week in Hospital M&A
Hospital mergers accelerated this week as Atrium Health and WakeMed announced a $2 billion merger to broaden North Carolina care, while UPMC signed a definitive agreement to acquire CommonSpirit’s Trinity Health System in Ohio. A lawsuit in Tallahassee seeks to block...
Health System Downtime Recovery Must Involve All Technologies
Hospital contingency plans for network downtime typically center on electronic health records (EHR), leaving specialty applications unprotected, according to Rebecca Romine of Polsinelli Law Firm. When a network outage occurs, these critical tools can become inaccessible, jeopardizing patient care and...
Healthcare Cybersecurity Has Become an Operational Risk, Not Just a Security Function
Healthcare cybersecurity has moved from a back‑office IT issue to a core operational risk that directly affects patient care, revenue, and regulatory compliance. Ransomware and other attacks now disrupt electronic health records, scheduling, imaging and connected devices, forcing hospitals into...
Three Wins for AI in the Revenue Cycle
Brian Kenah, CTO of EnableComp, outlines three early AI wins in hospital revenue cycle management. First, document intelligence converts unstructured PDFs—contracts, fee schedules, regulations—into real‑time decision data for reimbursement. Second, intelligent integration leverages APIs and robotic process automation to replace...
Willis Knighton Health Taps AI Scribe Vendor
Willis Knighton Health, a four‑hospital network in Shreveport, Louisiana, has chosen Commure as its enterprise ambient AI scribe vendor. The partnership integrates Commure’s AI‑driven documentation tool with the system’s Meditech Expanse EHR. A seven‑specialty pilot showed 88% of providers experienced...
‘Financially and Operationally Unsustainable’: North Carolina Hospital to Drop Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans
CarolinaEast Medical Center, a 350‑bed hospital in New Bern, North Carolina, announced it will terminate its contracts with Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans effective July 1. The hospital cited burdensome payment policies, frequent claim denials, and reimbursement...
Healthcare Adds 37,300 Jobs in April: 4 Things to Know
Healthcare employment rose by 37,300 jobs in April, aligning with the sector’s 12‑month average of 32,000 monthly gains, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ambulatory services led the surge with 18,200 new positions, while hospitals added 4,300 and...
Ninth Circuit Affirms Legacy Health's Vaccine Mandate over Religious Exemption Claims
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Legacy Health’s COVID‑19 vaccine mandate, rejecting the religious exemption claims of nine employees. The court applied the Supreme Court’s 2023 Groff undue‑hardship standard, emphasizing that non‑financial burdens such as staffing shortages and patient safety constitute substantial...
AI Struggles with Basic Data Tasks for Hospital Administrators: Study
A study by Mount Sinai and Mayo Clinic evaluated nine large language models on two basic administrative data tasks using 50,000 emergency department records. Simple prompts like “how many patients were admitted?” yielded poor accuracy across all models. Adding chain‑of‑thought...
Minnesota's Main Safety Net Hospital Seeks State Rescue
Hennepin County Medical Center, Minnesota’s largest safety‑net hospital, is on the brink of closure as early as June unless the state provides emergency funding. The Minnesota Senate has passed a $150 million rescue package, while lawmakers debate additional measures such as...
What Intermountain’s CEO Didn’t Anticipate About Its Epic EHR Launch
Intermountain Health completed the largest single‑site Epic EHR rollout in September 2024, migrating all 34 hospitals and 400 clinics at once rather than in phases. CEO Rob Allen chose the “big‑bang” approach to avoid a multi‑year fragmented transition that would...
Hantavirus Revives Fears of Covid-19 Pandemic in East Africa
A hantavirus outbreak on the Atlantic‑bound cruise liner MV Hondius has triggered health alerts at Kenya’s Mombasa port and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The incident arrives as East African cruise tourism, which has been rebounding after Covid‑19, sees a surge...
Participating Faculty: Clinical Management and Economic Drivers of Heart Failure With Preserved or Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction
A multidisciplinary faculty has been announced for a session on clinical management and economic drivers of heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF/HFmrEF). The panel includes senior HEOR leaders from Bayer and evidence‑generation specialists from Cencora, alongside...
What's the Playbook for Continuity and Compliance when IT Systems Are Down
Rebecca Romine of Polsinelli outlines a practical playbook for health‑care providers to preserve patient privacy when cyberattacks force a switch from electronic health records to paper‑based workflows. She stresses pre‑approved paper‑form templates, strict access controls, and real‑time documentation of manual...
HCA, Tenet, CHS and UHS Stand Firm on 2026 Financial Projections After Q1
The four largest for‑profit health systems—HCA, Tenet, Community Health Systems (CHS) and Universal Health Services (UHS)—reaffirmed their 2026 financial guidance after reporting Q1 results. HCA posted $1.62 B net income and expects $6.5‑$7 B net income in 2026, while Tenet’s net income...
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain’s Strategic Moment: Lessons From Health System Leaders
Health system leaders at Becker’s 16th Annual Meeting highlighted a turning point in pharmaceutical distribution, emphasizing that poor data quality hampers AI forecasting and that clean, centralized inventory data is now a prerequisite. Executives described initiatives such as RFID deployments...
Communicating Benefit and Risk Information
The FDA’s Division of Drug Information highlighted its dual‑track approach to benefit‑risk communication: direct patient‑oriented counseling and sponsor‑directed guidance for manufacturers. Since 1999, the agency has mandated Medication Guides for drugs with serious adverse‑effect potential, and it enforces balanced risk...