Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
70% Of US Doctors Have Left Private Practice For Hospitals, Companies
Modern Healthcare: Nearly 70% Of U.S. Physicians Now Employed By Hospitals Or Corporations, Report Finds
Almost seven in 10 U.S. physicians are now employed by hospitals or corporations like private equity firms and health insurers as the COVID-19 pandemic drove doctors away from independent practice, a new report finds. Between Jan. 1 2019 and Jan. 1, 2021, 48,000 physicians quit private practice to take jobs at hospitals or other companies, Avalere Health researchers concluded in the study. These employers now own almost half of the country's medical practices. (Bannow, 6/29)
Modern Healthcare: Escape Rooms Show Value In Training Health Workers Infection Control Safety
Researchers say the same team-building and problem-solving skills individuals foster while playing escape room simulation games can be used to help healthcare staff improve their adherence to infection control measures. Central Texas Veterans Health Care System staff nurses Gracia Boseman and Kristy Causey in 2017 created a zombie-themed high consequence infectious disease escape room as a way of boosting attendance to voluntary infection prevention and control education programs. The escape room led to a sharp rise in attendance to training. Participation went from an average of 20 clinical staff members per session to 189 clinical and non-clinical workers, training a total of more than 1,100 employees over three years. But the scenario Boseman and Causey created also led to increased adherence to infection control practices. (Ross Johnson, 6/28)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Legal Battle Over Joel Freedman’s Hahnemann Hospital Real Estate Heating Up
Two years after Hahnemann University Hospital went bankrupt, the legal war over proceeds from the eventual sale of the hulking Center City property is heating up, with an early skirmish expected at a Wednesday court hearing. The latest conflict arises from the split of the Hahnemann and St. Christopher’s real estate from the hospitals, which filed for Chapter 11 protection starting on June 30, 2019. The real estate was kept out of the bankruptcy. Some saw that split as an insidious move by Joel Freedman, the California businessman who paid $170 million — all of it borrowed — in 2018 for Hahnemann and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, to ensure that he would make money no matter what. (Brubaker, 6/29)
Axios: The WHO Lays Out Ethical Principles For The Use Of AI In Health Care
A broad new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) lays out ethical principles for the use of artificial intelligence in medicine. Health is one of the most promising areas of expansion for AI, and the pandemic only accelerated the adoption of machine learning tools. But adding algorithms to health care will require that AI can follow the most basic rule of human medicine: "Do no harm" — and that won't be simple. (Walsh, 6/29)
In health care industry news from Oregon, Connecticut and West Virginia —
Modern Healthcare: Feds, States Aim To Bolster Healthcare M&A Oversight
The Oregon legislature passed a bill that would bolster healthcare merger and acquisition oversight, with a focus on preserving services for underserved communities. Oregon regulators would have to sign off on any merger, acquisition or affiliation that would increase a healthcare organization's net patient revenue by $1 million or more. The Equal Access to Care Act would apply to healthcare entities that reported at least $25 million in net patient revenue the three years preceding the proposal. (Kacik, 6/28)
Charleston Gazette-Mail: Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Executive Director Resigns
Dr. Sherri Young, health officer and executive director at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, announced her resignation from the agency Monday after more than a year of leading the county’s COVID-19 response. Young was named health officer on July 1, 2019, becoming the first woman and the first doctor of osteopathic medicine to hold the position. According to a news release from the health department announcing the move, Young is leaving for “a new opportunity.” She will remain as interim health officer until the position is filled. (Coyne, 6/28)
The CT Mirror: Report: CT Must Improve Health Data Collection On Race And Ethnicity
Connecticut has no statewide standards for the way its medical facilities gather, report and use patient data on race, ethnicity and language – an important step in addressing equity in health care, according to a new report commissioned by the Connecticut Health Foundation. Advocates have cautioned that collecting data on race, ethnicity and language won’t by itself solve health disparities, but by gathering and analyzing the information, providers can target gaps in care experienced by people of color. (Carlesso, 6/28)
