Danaher To Acquire Medical Tech Firm Masimo For Nearly $10 Billion
Meanwhile, Prime Healthcare Foundation has acquired Central Maine Healthcare, and Tampa-based Moffitt Cancer Center plans an eastward expansion into Lakeland, Florida.
The Wall Street Journal:
Danaher Strikes $10 Billion Deal For Masimo
Danaher said it will pay $180 per share in cash for Masimo, a nearly 40% premium to where the stock closed Friday, confirming an earlier report by The Wall Street Journal. Masimo, based in Irvine, Calif., is a global med-tech company specializing in patient-monitoring devices such as its pulse oximeters, noninvasive sensors and related software. Danaher, with a market value of over $150 billion, makes a range of products used for advances in biotechnology, life sciences and diagnostics. (Thomas, 2/17)
Modern Healthcare:
Prime Healthcare Foundation Acquires Central Maine Healthcare
The Prime Healthcare Foundation has acquired Central Maine Healthcare. The deal, first announced in January 2025, adds three hospitals, two senior living facilities, a cancer center and more than 40 physician practices to the nonprofit organization’s footprint. Under the terms of the transaction, the Prime Healthcare Foundation will invest $150 million over the next five years toward updating the facilities. Further financial details were not disclosed. (DeSilva, 2/17)
WUSF:
Moffitt Announces Plans To Build An Outpatient Cancer Center In Lakeland
Moffitt Cancer Center announced Tuesday plans to build an outpatient treatment center in Lakeland, adding a eastern expansion to its growing Tampa Bay area footprint. (Mayer, 2/17)
The 19th:
New Student Loan Limits On Nursing Degrees Could Widen Racial Gaps
Shawnie Allen traces her choice to study public health to a moment inside a hospital room in 2023. At 20 years old, she was a junior at Nova Southeastern University when she found out she was six weeks pregnant. Abortion was still legal until 15 weeks of pregnancy, and Allen asked her presiding nurse about options for termination. The nurse’s expression, Allen noted, shifted. (Nutall, 2/17)
CBS News:
After Surviving A Near-Fatal Heart Condition, Former Patient Returns To Children's Health As A Nurse
Erin Hunter-McPhan is serving in the same hospital where she survived as a child. The 36-year-old has Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart condition that almost took her life. "I feel very blessed to be able to be here today and to live what normal life I can," Hunter-McPhan said. (Hurst, 2/17)
KFF Health News:
Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
Jackie Fortiér reads the week’s news: Moves by the Trump administration have slowed cancer research, and more of America’s doctors are working into their golden years. (Cook, 2/17)
On AI and tech —
Stat:
As Health Insurers Embrace AI, Providers Say It Undermines Trust
Facing shrinking profit margins and higher medical costs, the nation’s largest health insurers are accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence throughout their sprawling operations, promising a wave of automation designed to cut expenses and boost productivity. (Ross, 2/17)
Stat:
AI-Powered Cancer Tools To Guide Treatment Are Emerging
Through a microscope, pathologists can see a great deal about a tumor. They can diagnose the disease, and get a sense for how aggressive it may be. But human eyes are limited in ways that computer vision is not, and companies like Valar Labs in Palo Alto, Calif., are developing machine learning algorithms that can extract insights that only artificial intelligence can really see. (Chen, 2/18)
KFF Health News:
Red And Blue States Alike Want To Limit AI In Insurance. Trump Wants To Limit The States
It’s the rare policy question that unites Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and the Democratic-led Maryland government against President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California: How should health insurers use AI? Regulating artificial intelligence, especially its use by health insurers, is becoming a politically divisive topic, and it’s scrambling traditional partisan lines. (Tahir and Sausser, 2/18)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospitals Use Technology To Address Social Determinants Of Health
Technology is helping break down the barriers thwarting health systems’ progress in addressing social determinants of health. Providers are adopting software platforms, data dashboards and artificial intelligence tools to identify gaps in transportation, housing and access to healthy food. The investment in technology could help blunt the impact of reduced federal funding and future Medicaid spending cuts that will further strain the social safety net. (Perna, 2/17)
