Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Former CEO Of Chicago Hospital Charged In $15M Embezzlement Scam
Chicago Tribune: Ex-Loretto Hospital CEO Charged In Embezzlement Scheme
The former CEO of Loretto Hospital has been charged in an embezzlement scheme that allegedly bilked millions of dollars from the small West Side safety-net hospital, even as the COVID-19 pandemic was raging. George Miller, 73, was charged in a superseding indictment made public Friday with a single count of bribery conspiracy. An arraignment date has not been set. (Soglin, 10/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: Blue Shield Of California To Lay Off 61 Employees Statewide
Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health plan provider, is set to lay off 61 employees across the state, including in Oakland, just before the holiday season, according to regulatory filings. “Blue Shield of California is driven by its mission to provide access to quality health care that’s sustainably affordable for all,” the company said in a statement. “This includes reducing administrative costs, operating efficiently, and ensuring we have the right talent, skills, and capabilities in place. With that in mind and the economic headwinds we are now facing, we have decided to reduce our staff by 61 positions.” (Vaziri, 10/14)
Modern Healthcare: BCBSA Antitrust Lawsuit Reaches $2.8B Tentative Settlement
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and its 33 member companies will pay $2.8 billion and change the way they operate under a tentative settlement reached with a collection of providers. The multipronged settlement would end a 12-year legal battle concerning allegations that the companies and the nonprofit association violated the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 by colluding to suppress competition and lower reimbursement. (Tepper, 10/14)
Bloomberg: Clinical Care Medical Centers Operator MBMG Holding Files For Bankruptcy
The operator of Clinical Care Medical Centers, a Florida-based health system owned by Sun Capital Partners, has filed for bankruptcy and intends to sell the business to an affiliate of Humana Inc. MBMG Holding LLC filed Chapter 11 Sunday in Miami, attributing its financial troubles to Medicaid and Medicare-related changes that have cut into its revenue as well as rising costs following the Covid-19 pandemic which have stressed the health sector. (Randles, 10/14)
Laconia Daily Sun: Doctors Raise Alarm Over Concord Hospital's Primary Care Cuts In Laconia
In the wake of the loss of three primary care physicians from Concord Hospital's Laconia Clinic, health care professionals in the Lakes Region say they’re worried about patient outcomes, and hospital officials have left them with more questions than answers. But hospital representatives assure the public there are no intentions of consolidating primary care to Concord. (Perry, 10/11)
In other health industry developments —
NBC News: Why Some Doctors See A Downside To Notifying Women About Dense Breasts
Mammogram studies show that almost half of women over age 40 have dense breasts. Going forward, women with dense breasts will be encouraged to talk to their doctors and told that “other imaging tests in addition to a mammogram may help find cancers.” Some health advocates argue that the notifications have oversimplified a complex issue. They argue that without clear, evidence-based instructions, women could be left scared, confused and frustrated. (Szabo, 10/12)
ABC News: Indigenous Women Continue To Face Barriers To Breast Cancer Care, Report Finds
Nicole Hallingstad credits her cat, Rudy, with finding her breast cancer. ... Hallingstad, a member of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, faced profound barriers to breast cancer care that are shared by many American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women. These barriers have contributed to growing disparities over the last three decades. "It's often really difficult to get to a qualified health care center that is close to the rural areas where so many of our people live," Hallingstad said. (Cobern and Parekh, 10/14)
The Washington Post: Nutrition Should Play Bigger Role In Medical Training, Panel Asserts
A panel of experts identified 36 nutrition competencies for inclusion in undergraduate and graduate medical school and training in a new consensus statement in JAMA Network Open. The experts noted that diet is a strong behavioral influence on health risks and that “seven of the 10 leading causes of death in the US are directly affected by diet.” Yet, they wrote, nutrition is “limited or completely absent” from most medical education programs in the United States. (McMahan, 10/14)
Stat: Study: Few Hospital Websites Post About LGBTQ+ Services Or Policies
When children’s hospitals around the country were subject to threats and harassment in 2022 over misconceptions about gender-affirming care services, many of them responded by stripping information about the care from their websites. Two years later, new research shows that few adult and children’s hospital websites share information about LGBTQ+ services and policies. (Gaffney, 10/14)
KFF Health News: California Hospitals Scramble On Earthquake Retrofits As State Limits Extensions
More than half of the 410 hospitals in California have at least one building that likely wouldn’t be able to operate after a major earthquake hit their region, and with many institutions claiming they don’t have the money to meet a 2030 legal deadline for earthquake retrofits, the state is now granting relief to some while ramping up pressure on others to get the work done. (Sciacca, 10/15)
