Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Doctors At Salem Hospital Push For Unionization In Face Of Budget Cuts
The Boston Globe: Salem Hospital Doctors Are Organizing A Union
Citing budget cuts, overflowing hospital beds, and decisions being made without their input, doctors at Salem Hospital informed management on Monday that they are organizing a union to improve patient care. Nearly 100 of 145 physicians at the hospital, which is part of Mass General Brigham, have signed cards in support of joining Council 93 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. (Johnston, 1/9)
In corporate news —
Crain's Detroit Business: 3 Michigan Hospitals Merge To Form Aspire Rural Health System
Three hospitals in Michigan’s Thumb region are merging to become a single health system. The rural hospitals ... are now Aspire Rural Health System, the companies announced this week. ... The new health system will operate under a single board made up of members from the three hospitals’ individual boards, which will be dissolved. (Walsh, 1/9)
Modern Healthcare: Cigna Eyes In-Home Services M&A, CEO David Cordani Says
Cigna Group is on the lookout for deals that could expand its in-home care offerings and insurance services, CEO David Cordani said Tuesday at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. He declined to comment on speculation that the company is in talks to sell its HealthSpring Medicare Advantage operations, or whether a sale would lead the insurer to once again pursue a deal with major Medicare Advantage carrier Humana. (Tepper, 1/9)
Stat: Morgan Health, With Ambitious Aims, Wants You To Know It’s Still Here
Almost three years ago, the country’s biggest bank unveiled a lofty plan to fix the health care industry’s entrenched problems. It broke off $250 million to stand up a new business unit, Morgan Health, to do so. (Bannow, 1/9)
Axios: Hospital Fortunes Improved Heading Into Holidays
Hospitals continued to shake off the pandemic's long-term financial effects as the holidays approached, with key metrics like inpatient and outpatient revenue rising year-over-year, the latest Kaufman Hall report finds. (Bettelheim, 1/10)
The CT Mirror: Prospect Medical Holdings Chain Owes CT $67M, Tax Liens Show
The state has filed three tax liens against Prospect Medical Holdings because the California company has neglected to pay $67 million in taxes, records show. (Altimari, Carlesso and Phaneuf, 1/9)
On the treatment of breast cancer —
Fox News: Annual Breast Cancer Screenings Linked To Lower Risk Of Death, Study Finds
Making breast cancer screenings an annual event could save women’s lives, new research suggests. In a study led by Epic Research, a health analytics firm based in Verona, Wisconsin, women who were screened for breast cancer on a yearly basis were shown to have a 17% lower risk of death by any cause compared to those who received screenings every two years, according to a Jan. 4 press release. (Rudy, 1/9)
Minnesota Public Radio: Why Are More Young Women Getting Breast Cancer?
Imagine getting a phone call that changes your life. A phone call that says: “You have breast cancer.” One in eight women in the U.S. will get that call at some point. The median age at diagnosis is 62. But breast cancer diagnoses are on the rise for women under 40. And a cancer diagnosis in your 20s or 30s is typically more aggressive. You’re more likely to die. It’s more likely to come back. (Davis and Brown, 1/9)
Chicago Tribune: AI Model Could Suggest Better Treatment Plans For Breast Cancer Patients
Mohamed Tageldin has worked at the intersection of artificial intelligence and pathology, the study and diagnosis of diseases, for six years. Tageldin, a resident physician at Northwestern University’s McGaw Medical Center, is part of a team of researchers that has developed an artificial intelligence model to more precisely predict long-term outcomes for breast cancer patients. (Guffey, 1/9)
KFF Health News: Mammography AI Can Cost Patients Extra. Is It Worth It?
As I checked in at a Manhattan radiology clinic for my annual mammogram in November, the front desk staffer reviewing my paperwork asked an unexpected question: Would I like to spend $40 for an artificial intelligence analysis of my mammogram? It’s not covered by insurance, she added. I had no idea how to evaluate that offer. Feeling upsold, I said no. But it got me thinking: Is this something I should add to my regular screening routine? Is my regular mammogram not accurate enough? If this AI analysis is so great, why doesn’t insurance cover it? I’m not the only person posing such questions. (Andrews, 1/10)
