Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Data On 800,000 People Leaked In Lurie Children's Hospital Cyberattack
Crain's Chicago Business: Lurie Children's Hospital Cyberattack Affects Nearly 800K
A months-long cyberattack earlier this year on Lurie Children's Hospital that took down its phone lines, patient records and other services leaked the personal data of nearly 800,000 individuals. According to a data breach notice filed yesterday with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, 791,784 people were affected by the cyberattack, which Lurie first identified in January. (Davis, 6/28)
Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth Group's Optum Drops Steward Physician Group Bid
Optum is not moving forward with its bid to purchase Steward Health Care’s physician group, scuttling a key element of Steward’s financial turnaround plan as it restructures through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. ... A spokesperson for the commission said Friday Optum is no longer working to finalize the agreement. (Kacik, 6/28)
Stat: Ascension Sells Hospitals To Improve Finances
A STAT analysis of the hospitals Ascension is offloading found that all but a small handful of them lost money in 2022 and 2023, according to their annual financial filings to Medicare. Some of t he losses were sizable, especially at a few hospitals in eastern Michigan and Birmingham, Ala. STAT used data from HMP Metrics, a tool that aggregates hospitals’ filings with Medicare.(Bannow, 7/1)
Carolina Public Press: Mission Health At A Critical Crossroads
July could serve as an important turning point in the saga of HCA and Mission Health. Affiliated Monitors’ series of public meetings concerning HCA’s hospitals across Western North Carolina wrapped up recently. The deadline for Dogwood Health Trust to deliver its opinion to the NC Attorney General’s office about whether HCA breached its Asset Purchase Agreement is fast approaching. Less than a week remains until the contract expiration date of Mission Health’s nurses. (Sartwell, 6/29)
Modern Healthcare: Telehealth Sees Rural Growth As States Consider Pay Parity Laws
Providers in rural and underserved areas that have come to rely on telehealth are lobbying hard to keep what they see as a must-have for their organizations. COVID-19 pandemic era waivers that extended telehealth reimbursement flexibilities expire Dec. 31 without congressional action. While most policy experts expect another extension to pass by year's end, industry executives are wary of making additional investments until they get more certainty. (Perna, 6/28)
KFF Health News: The Concierge Catch: Better Access For A Few Patients Disrupts Care For Many
“You had to pay the fee, or the doctor wasn’t going to see you anymore.” That was the takeaway for Terri Marroquin of Midland, Texas, when her longtime physician began charging a membership fee in 2019. She found out about the change when someone at the physician’s front desk pointed to a posted notice. At first, she stuck with the practice; in her area, she said, it is now tough to find a primary care doctor who doesn’t charge an annual membership fee from $350 to $500. (Rossheim, 7/1)
CBS News: Pilot Program In Pittsburgh Aims To Get More Young People To Become Doctors
A pilot program at Allegheny Health Network aims to get more young people, particularly minorities, to become doctors. These incoming eighth graders from Urban Pathways and Manchester Academic Charter School are learning from a dentist how to put sealants in teeth at Allegheny General Hospital. (Sorensen, 6/28)
In obituaries —
The New York Times: Mildred Thornton Stahlman, Pioneer In Neonatal Care, Dies At 101
Dr. Mildred Thornton Stahlman, a Vanderbilt University pediatrician whose research on fatal lung disease in newborns led to lifesaving treatments and to the creation, in 1961, of one of the first neonatal intensive care units, died on Saturday at her home in Brentwood, Tenn. She was 101. On Oct. 31, 1961, Dr. Stahlman fitted a premature baby who was gasping for breath into a miniature iron lung machine, also known as a negative pressure ventilator, the kind used for children with polio. The machine worked by pulling the baby’s frail chest muscles open to help draw in air. The baby survived. (Epstein, 6/30)
