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Cleveland hospitals delay surgeries due to COVID-19 spike
Three Cleveland area hospital systems – Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and MetroHealth – will be postponing some surgeries due to a spike of COVID-19 cases in the area, turning the clock back to the height of the pandemic when many facilities p…
HHS appeals block on healthcare worker vaccine mandate
Unhappy about a federal court decision that put the brakes on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ national vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, the Department of Health and Human Services has filed an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals …
CVS Health partners with Microsoft to advance digital-first strategy
As part of efforts to accelerate a digital-centric strategy, CVS Health is teaming with Microsoft and will be tapping into its cloud computing and artificial intelligence technologies, the company announced this week.
HHS seeks comment on efforts to improve organ transplant equity, dialysis care
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is soliciting public feedback on potential changes to rulemaking it’s considering to improve both the organ transplantation system and dialysis ca…
FDA investigating possible impacts of Omicron variant, urges vaccination and boosters
As with previous variants of the COVID-19 virus, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has signaled its intent to actively work with federal partners, international regulators and medical product companies to quickly address any potential impacts of th…
Hospital margins shrinking as labor expenses grow, finds Kaufman Hall
Hospital margins became even thinner in October due primarily to rising labor expenses, which largely offset reductions in high-acuity COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant, according to Kaufman Hall’s new November flash report.
HCA is building three Florida hospitals as part of a $3 billion investment
HCA Healthcare has announced plans to build three new acute care hospitals in Florida to help meet the state’s growing need for healthcare services.
The new hospitals include a 90-bed acute care facility in Gainesville, a 60-bed hospital near The Villa…
TeamHealth wins lawsuit against UnitedHealth
Tennessee-based TeamHealth Holdings has won a lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare, which alleged the insurer’s shared savings plan encouraged the underpayment or termination of physician contracts. The suit claimed UHC underpaid on 11,000 claims for a tot…
COVID-19 vaccine protection wanes with time, strengthening case for boosters
Protection against COVID-19 infection following inoculation from the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine begins to gradually wane over time, particularly 90 days after receiving the second dose, strengthening the case for booster shots, according to new findings p…
Value-based contracts led to better care quality, says Humana
Looking at new data published on its Medicare Advantage members, major insurer Humana found that those MA patients receiving value-based care had better outcomes overall, along with lower costs and more preventative care.
