Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CMS Considering Oversight For Health Care Vendors After Change Cyberattack
Modern Healthcare: CMS Eyes Cybersecurity Oversight Policies For Vendors
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is planning oversight of third-party healthcare vendors in the wake of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, said Jonathan Blum, the agency's principal deputy administrator. Blum, who also serves as chief operating officer for CMS, said at Modern Healthcare's Leadership Symposium Thursday that the agency is working to determine what levers it can pull to ensure severe disruptions in care like those linked to the cyberattack on the UnitedHealth Group subsidiary aren’t repeated. (Early, 9/13)
St. Louis Public Radio: Mercy Sends Notice To Anthem, Threatens To Drop Insurer
Mercy, one of the largest health systems in Missouri, is threatening to stop accepting Anthem insurance unless an agreement on how much the insurer reimburses hospitals for care is reached by the end of the year. (Fentem, 9/16)
AP: Florida Hospitals Ask Immigrants About Their Legal Status. Texas Will Try It Next
For three days, the staff of an Orlando medical clinic encouraged a woman with abdominal pain who called the triage line to go to the hospital. She resisted, scared of a 2023 Florida law that required hospitals to ask whether a patient was in the U.S. with legal permission. The clinic had worked hard to explain the limits of the law, which was part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ sweeping package of tighter immigration policies. The clinic posted signs and counseled patients: They could decline to answer the question and still receive care. Individual, identifying information wouldn’t be reported to the state. (Gonzalez, Salomon and Shastri, 9/16)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Exeter Hospital Delays Closure Of Paramedic Intercept Program, After AG Steps In
Exeter Hospital is delaying plans to end a paramedic intercept program that many area towns rely on, after the New Hampshire attorney general stepped in. The hospital’s Advanced Life Support program sends paramedics in a specially equipped “intercept” vehicle to emergencies that call for more advanced care than EMTs can provide. Local fire chiefs say it’s critical for smaller towns that don’t have their own paramedics on staff 24/7.Earlier this week, Exeter Hospital announced plans to discontinue the program on Sept. 20, sparking an outcry from local emergency officials. (Cuno-Booth, 9/13)
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Los Angeles Times: California OB-GYN Barred From Practice After Investigation
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has barred a Beverly Hills obstetrician-gynecologist from practicing at its facilities after an investigation into “concerning complaints from patients,” according to a spokesperson. Dr. Barry Brock, a longtime physician who has advertised his low rate of cesarean section births, has had his hospital privileges terminated and the matter reported to the Medical Board of California, according to Cedars-Sinai. (Purtill and Alpert Reyes, 9/14)
CNN: Women Say They Were Abused For Years By Oregon Family Doctor
The three women sit huddled together, hands and arms intertwined, heads on each other’s shoulders. For too long, each felt utterly alone and it’s as if their physical closeness gives them a boost of strength. Each tells CNN they were sexually abused by their family doctor. An investigation following similar accounts by other women led to his medical license being revoked. Dozens of women have come forward saying they were molested, often repeatedly. (Duerson and Edwards, 9/15)
WLRN: CEO Of Memorial Healthcare System Is Out After A Negative Board Review
The CEO of one of South Florida’s largest health care networks has resigned following a negative review from the hospital's board. Scott Wester, who was hired in 2022 under a three-year contract to run Memorial Healthcare System, resigned Wednesday, and the board voted unanimously to terminate his contract a day later. (Sanchez, 9/13)
The Washington Post: George Berci, Innovative Surgeon Who Pioneered Laparoscopy, Dies At 103
George Berci, a surgeon who revolutionized the modern operating room by developing the tools and techniques of laparoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure that has improved the experience of millions of patients under the knife, died Aug. 30 at a hospital in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He was 103. His death was announced by Cedars-Sinai, a medical center in Los Angeles where he was recruited in 1967 and where he remained for the rest of his career, reporting for work until he recently became ill with covid-19. He died of complications from the virus, said his daughter, Katherine Berci DeFevere. (Langer, 9/13)
