Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Absent A Contract Agreement, Brigham And Women's RNs Will Walk The Picket Line
ABC News: 4,000 Brigham And Women's Nurses 'Overwhelmingly' Vote To Authorize Open-Ended Strike
About 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston voted "overwhelmingly" on Thursday to authorize an open-ended strike. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), which represents the nurses, said this could be the largest open-ended registered nurse (RN) strike in state history. No strike date has been set yet. Before it occurs, the nurses will be legally required to give 10 days' notice. If the strike is held, it would continue until the nurses reach a contract agreement with the hospital. (Kekatos, 9/25)
More healthcare industry updates —
The Keene Sentinel: Keene Hospital Cuts 12 Positions And Plans To Close An Inpatient Rehab Unit
Cheshire Medical Center took steps this week to eliminate its inpatient rehabilitation center and cut 12 positions to balance its operating budget. In a statement Friday, Dr. Joseph Perras, CEO and president of the Keene hospital, said the Farnum Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit will stop taking new patients. (Engel, 9/27)
Modern Healthcare: UConn Health Delays Bristol, Day Kimball Hospital Acquisitions
UConn Health’s proposed acquisitions of Bristol and Day Kimball hospitals have been delayed. Farmington, Connecticut-based UConn said Friday it is committed to the deal but needs more time for due diligence and planning to ensure the facilities’ long-term financial sustainability. (Hudson, 9/25)
AP: Mississippi’s Governor Awarded More Than $104 Million To Improve Rural Healthcare. Where’s It Going?
A handful of recipients accounted for a substantial share of the first round of federal awards to boost rural health in Mississippi, according to an analysis of funding conducted by Mississippi Today. Memorial Health System, based in Gulfport, received the largest share of funds — more than $15 million for 12 projects, while a consortium of hospitals in south central Mississippi received more than $13 million for seven projects. Together, the hospitals accounted for over a quarter of $104 million in grants announced by Gov. Tate Reeves on Sept. 14. (Dilworth, 9/25)
Modern Healthcare: Penn Medicine, IBX, Regent Surgical Plan 18 Surgery Centers
Penn Medicine, Independence Blue Cross and Regent Surgical are forming a company and plan to build and operate at least 18 ambulatory surgery centers. The facilities will be located in Penn Medicine’s service area of Pennsyvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The first one is expected to open next year, a spokesperson said Friday. A timeline for when all facilities will be complete has not been announced. (DeSilva, 9/25)
Modern Healthcare: Wellstar’s Ketul Patel Eyes Expansion Beyond Georgia
Wellstar Health System wants to be more than an Atlanta-area provider. Since President and CEO Ketul Patel took the reins last October, Wellstar has restructured operations and set its sights on expansion, first in Georgia and then possibly beyond. Despite laying off more than 750 people in July, the roughly $8 billion system is rapidly adding to its footprint, including a hospital in Columbia County that opened last month. It also acquired Clayton-based Mountain Lakes Medical Center in August and reached an agreement a few weeks ago to acquire Stephens County Hospital in Toccoa by the end of the year. (Hudson, 9/25)
Healthcare Dive: 340B Hospitals Lag Behind Peers In Charity Care Spending: Report
A new report from a conservative think tank is accusing 340B hospitals of providing less charity care than other nonprofit hospitals, despite receiving discounted drugs. Hospitals participating in the 340B drug discount program spent 2.16% of their operating expenses on free or discounted care for low-income patients, called charity care, compared with 2.82% at non-340B hospitals, according to a Thursday analysis from the Pioneer Institute and CancerCare. (Hughes, 9/25)
Also —
San Francisco Chronicle: How Bay Area Doctors Prep For LASIK Surgeries In Earthquake Country
In most of the LASIK procedures he performs, Dr. Edward Manche, a Stanford Medicine ophthalmologist, uses one laser to cut a paper-thin flap in a patient’s cornea, then another to precisely remove tiny amounts of tissue and reshape the eye. The procedure leaves almost no room for error, demanding precision measured in microns. So in the earthquake-prone Bay Area, what happens when the ground starts to shake? It’s a common question, eye surgeons say, but the scenario is far less dramatic than people may imagine. (Park, 9/26)
Bloomberg: Oura IPO Draws Four Times More Orders Than Shares Offered
Health and fitness ring-maker Oura Inc.’s initial public offering raising as much as $2.2 billion has drawn about four times as many orders as there are shares available, according to people familiar with the matter. Banks working on the share sale by the company and some of its backers expect to stop taking investor orders on Monday afternoon, one of the people said. Oura and the selling shareholders are offering 50 million shares for $40 to $44 each, its filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission show. (Lipschultz and Hughes, 9/25)
