For Hospitals, Normal Is A Long Way Off

Modern Healthcare: Pre-Pandemic 'Normal' Not Expected Until 2022, Hospital Execs Say
All of the health systems that responded to a recent survey expect it will be at least 2022 before their operations return to anything resembling a pre-pandemic "normal." Kaufman Hall's survey included 64 mostly hospital and health system respondents. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they were moderately or extremely concerned about the financial viability of their organizations in the absence of an effective COVID-19 vaccine or treatment. (Bannow, 10/19)

PBS NewsHour: For Caregivers, A Difficult Job Becomes Nearly Impossible During The Pandemic 
There are more than 50 million caregivers in the United States, from in-home providers to family volunteers. For these essential workers, the pandemic has represented a crisis on a different scale. We hear some of their stories about what the past few months have been like, and Dr. Jennifer Olsen, executive director of The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. (Woodruff and Norris, 10/19)

Modern Healthcare: Nursing Homes Worry About Third Wave Of COVID-19 As U.S. Cases Rise
When nationwide case counts started climbing in late September, so too did cases in nursing homes, according to an analysis of data from CMS and Johns Hopkins by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. Nursing homes cases had been falling since a peak of 10,125 cases the week of July 26. Deaths were highest at the beginning of the pandemic when there were 3,222 COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes the week of May 31; however, death data for nursing homes isn't available for the weeks prior. (Christ, 1/19)

KHN: ‘No Mercy’ Chapter 4: So, 2 Nuns Step Off A Train In Kansas … A Hospital’s Origin Story 
Ever since Mercy Hospital went “corporate,” things just haven’t been the same — that’s what lots of locals in Fort Scott, Kansas, said when the Mercy health system shuttered the only hospital in town. It’s been years since Catholic nuns led Mercy Hospital Fort Scott, but town historian Fred Campbell is wistful for his boyhood in the 1940s when sisters in habits walked the hallways. (Tribble, 10/20)

In financial news —

Modern Healthcare: Private Equity-Backed Dermatology Groups Got COVID-19 Small-Business Loans
The complex business structures of some private equity-backed dermatology groups allowed them to receive millions in COVID-19 funds intended for small businesses, federal disclosures reveal. Lawmakers and regulators structured the Paycheck Protection Program so that most private equity-owned businesses would not qualify. Only companies with 500 employees or fewer are eligible for the program, which offers loan forgiveness if the loans are spent on qualifying expenses. (Cohrs, 10/19)

Stat: State Treasurers Urge Cardinal Health Shareholders To Reject CEO Bonus
Two state treasurers are urging Cardinal Health (CAH) shareholders to reject a hefty, $2.5 million bonus for the chief executive officer, citing his long-standing tenure at the wholesaler and its role in fomenting the opioid crisis. In a regulatory filing, the treasurers argued that Cardinal appeared to have “persistently failed” to ensure safe and secure distribution of controlled substances, and that rewarding chief executive officer Michael Kaufman would risk shareholder value and have negative implications for society as a whole. (Silverman, 10/19)

AP: Lakes Region General Hospital Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
A New Hampshire hospital moved to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday. Lakes Region General Hospital has begun the legal and regulatory process of filing Chapter 11 and has received an offer from Concord Hospital to potentially acquire hospital assets, WMUR-TV reported. Concord Hospital could acquire Lakes Region General Hospital, Franklin Regional Hospital and all other outpatient care locations. (10/19)

Modern Healthcare: Judge In Sutter Health Lawsuit OKs New Monitor Selection Plan
The judge in the antitrust lawsuit against Sutter Health green-lighted a revised plan Monday for picking a monitor to oversee the health system's compliance with price controls and other terms of its settlement. Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter and California's Attorney General, a plaintiff in the case, now have until March 2021 to find the right person for the crucial job, which could last up to 13 years. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo rejected the parties' initial monitor proposal because they had only interviewed white male candidates, and directed them to come up with a new plan. (Bannow, 10/19)