FTC Suing To Block Private Equity Acquisition Of Catheter Coatings Maker
The move could signal the beginning of increased regulatory scrutiny of private equity deals. Also in the news, a medical helicopter crash in Mississippi kills all aboard; Mass General Brigham begins second round of layoffs; "medical gaslighting" is a real concern for patients; and more.
Axios:
FTC Sues To Block Medical Device Coatings Deal
The Federal Trade Commission under President Trump is making its first move to challenge private equity in health care, by suing to block the $627 million acquisition of a maker of specialized coatings for catheters and other medical devices. It's the first such FTC action around M&A since Trump was sworn in and could signal continued regulatory scrutiny as private equity buys more health care firms. (Bettelheim, 3/10)
More health industry developments —
The New York Times:
3 People Killed In Medical Helicopter Crash In Mississippi
All three people aboard a medical helicopter were killed when it crashed into a densely wooded area outside Jackson, Miss., on Monday while returning from transporting a patient, hospital officials said. Two of the people were crew members who worked for the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the other was a pilot, Dr. LouAnn Woodward, the center’s top administrator, said during a news conference. The helicopter was not carrying any patients at the time of the accident, she added. (Vigdor, 3/10)
St. Louis Public Radio:
Time Is Running Out For Homer G Phillips Hospital
The three-bed Homer G. Phillips Memorial Hospital in north St. Louis could soon lose its license for good. The troubled facility closed in December when the state found it didn’t have enough blood on hand. Hospital officials at the time said the closure was temporary but in late February sent many employees emails saying their jobs at the hospital had been eliminated. (Fentem, 3/11)
Modern Healthcare:
Mass General Brigham Layoffs To Affect Second Round Of Employees
Mass General Brigham is laying off a second round of employees this week, as part of a restructuring plan announced in February. The organization said last month it would cut management and administrative positions to reduce redundancies and create more efficiency, in response to a projected $250 million budget shortfall in the next couple of years. Local media outlets report the cuts will affect about 1,500 employees, or just under 2% of the workforce, though the system has not confirmed numbers. ( Hudson, 3/10)
CBS News:
More Hospitals Are Treating Patients At Home To Reduce Overcrowding. Here's How It Works
For James Edwards, a 57-year-old patient with congestive heart failure, recovering at home from shortness of breath rather than in a hospital setting was a welcome option. Nurses come to check on him twice a day and monitoring equipment would notify the hospital about any change in vitals. The house calls are part of a mobile medical program that's growing nationally, with Medicare, Medicaid and some private insurance carriers offering coverage for the service. (Strassmann, 3/10)
Fierce Healthcare:
'Medical Gaslighting' Tops Patient Safety Concerns For 2025, ECRI Warns
Clinicians’ increased burdens are making it harder for valid concerns voiced by patients, their families and their caretakers to be acknowledged, raising the risk of missed diagnoses and exacerbated health disparities, the ECRI warned in a new report. An annual ranking of the top 10 patient safety concerns, released Monday by the healthcare quality and safety group and its Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) affiliate, places dismissed concerns above other issues like insufficient artificial intelligence governance and medical misinformation. (Muoio, 3/10)
Also —
ProPublica:
What A Wrongful Death Lawsuit Reveals About Lincare, America’s Largest Oxygen Provider
Lincare, a giant respiratory-device supplier with a long history of fraud settlements and complaints about dismal service, is facing its latest legal challenge: a lawsuit that claims its failures caused the death of a 27-year-old man with Down syndrome. The case, set to go to trial in state court in St. Louis on March 17, centers on the 2020 death of LeQuon Marquis Vernor, who suffered from severe obstructive sleep apnea and relied on a Lincare-supplied BiPAP machine to help him breathe while sleeping. The lawsuit, filed by his mother, accuses Lincare of negligence after the company took seven days to respond to her report that the device had stopped working. (Elkind, 3/10)
