Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
After Using AI To Help Spot Cancer, Doctors' Own Skills Faded, Study Finds
Bloomberg: AI Eroded Doctors’ Ability To Spot Cancer Within Months In Study
Artificial intelligence, touted for its potential to transform medicine, led to some doctors losing skills after just a few months in a new study. AI helped health professionals to better detect pre-cancerous growths in the colon, but when the assistance was removed, their ability to find tumors dropped by about 20% compared with rates before the tool was ever introduced, according to findings published Wednesday. (Black, 8/12)
More on AI in health care —
Becker's Hospital Review: AI Adoption Is Outpacing Health System Governance
Eighty-eight percent of health systems are using AI internally, yet only 17% have a mature governance structure and fully formed AI strategy, according to a report released Aug. 12 by the Healthcare Financial Management Association and Eliciting Insights, a healthcare strategy and market research firm. The findings are based on survey responses from 233 health systems and qualitative interviews with CFOs conducted in the second quarter of 2025. (Diaz, 8/12)
Modern Healthcare: Highmark, Abridge To Launch AI-Powered Prior Authorization Tool
Highmark Health and clinical documentation vendor Abridge are developing a tool that uses generative artificial intelligence to approve prior authorization requests at the point of care, the companies announced Tuesday. The Pittsburgh-based health system and Blue Cross Blue Shield insurer will incorporate the software into its operations, and Highmark Health and Abridge have bigger plans. (Tepper, 8/12)
In hospital news from Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio —
Minnesota Public Radio: CentraCare, Central Minnesota's Largest Healthcare Provider, To Lay Off 535 Employees
Health care system CentraCare announced on Tuesday it’s cutting hundreds of staff. CentraCare spokesperson Karna Fronden said the cuts affect 535 employees at 44 different locations. About 70 percent are administrative and support roles, and the rest are patient care positions. (Marohn, 8/12)
St. Louis Public Radio: Fort Leonard Wood Hospital Won’t Get Downgraded, Hawley Says
A new hospital in Fort Leonard Wood will not be downgraded to a clinic, according to a Missouri senator. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said he has gotten language added to a Senate appropriations bill to make sure the new hospital will be built as originally planned. (Ahl, 8/12)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Former Doctor Who Worked At Ohio Children’s Hospital Faces Child Porn Charges
A former doctor who once worked at a children’s hospital in southwest Ohio appeared in federal court Tuesday on child-pornography charges. A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio says Howard Saal, 73, of Cincinnati, is charged with transporting and possessing child pornography. (Pinckard, 8/12)
More health care industry developments —
Modern Healthcare: Nonprofit Hospitals See Improved Credit Ratings In 2025: Fitch
Credit ratings for nonprofit hospitals and health systems are looking stronger in the first half of 2025, following downgrades in recent years. The gap between credit upgrades and downgrades has nearly closed this year, with nine upgrades and eight downgrades from January through June, according to data from credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings. As of one the largest agencies, Fitch rates more than 250 nonprofit hospitals, including children’s hospitals. (Hudson, 8/12)
Modern Healthcare: Hospital Executive Retirements Jump As Succession Planning Lags
A growing number of health system CEOs are planning to retire or leave their organizations, exposing gaps in succession planning that could dent provider finances. Health systems are ramping up searches for the next generation of leaders, prioritizing a chief executive’s ability to navigate financial uncertainty brought about by the new tax law, grasp digital and data trends, work with policymakers and have a systemwide strategic vision, provider executives said. (Kacik, 8/12)
Bloomberg: Cardinal Health To Acquire Solaris Health In $1.9 Billion Deal
Cardinal Health agreed to purchase Solaris Health in a $1.9 billion deal, the company’s latest acquisition in the urology category and an expansion of its multispecialty strategy. “Urology is an attractive specialty for us,” said Jason Hollar, chief executive officer of Cardinal Health, in a statement. Among other recent urology acquisitions, Cardinal Health recently completed the purchase of Academic Urology & Urogynecology. Solaris Health has more than 750 providers in 14 states. (Garcia, 8/12)
North Carolina Health News: Charlotte Med School Diversity Data Still Missing As ECU Releases Stats
Mecklenburg County commissioners chair Mark Jerrell said he is confident that Atrium Health will share data with him on the racial and ethnic makeup of the first class on the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Charlotte campus — but he doesn’t have the numbers yet and doesn’t know if they will be made public. (Crouch, 8/13)
Should doctors always wear their white coats? —
MedPage Today: White Coat Or Casual? Here's What Patients Prefer
Physician attire -- namely, white coats -- affected patients' perceptions of professionalism, trust, and communication, a systematic review indicated. However, patient preferences for such attire depended on clinical environment, medical specialty, physician gender, and the context of care, including the COVID-19 pandemic, reported Bo-Young Youn of Hwasung Medi-Science University in Hwaseong-si, South Korea, and colleagues in The BMJ. (Henderson, 8/12)
