Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Justice Department Unveils Streamlined Self-Disclosure Protocol For Healthcare Fraud
Modern Healthcare: DOJ Eases Healthcare Fraud Self-Reporting With New Policy
The Justice Department’s new effort to encourage healthcare companies to self-report fraudulent behavior could streamline a delicate process. The department outlined the new self-disclosure protocol for criminal healthcare fraud in a memorandum issued Thursday. The DOJ’s efforts are a much-needed first step to smooth the process, attorneys said, but companies will still be faced with hurdles to qualify for the full benefits of self-reporting issues. (Early, 10/19)
In other healthcare industry updates —
The Wall Street Journal: Nurses Are In High Demand—But They’re Quitting In Droves
Paige Campbell became a nurse during the pandemic, wanting to make a difference. She landed a job after college working in the emergency department at a Fort Walton Beach, Fla., hospital. Since then, she’s been kicked, spat on and shoved to the ground. Last year, after an emergency patient strangled her, she left for a role remotely monitoring patients. Front-line nurses are in high demand, but she needed a break. (Chen, 10/19)
Verite News New Orleans: Three Things You Need To Know About The New Xavier Medical School
Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine, a collaboration between the largest healthcare provider in the state and Xavier University, will welcome in its inaugural class of students in August 2027. The school was granted preliminary accreditation on Wednesday (Oct. 14), making it one of five historically Black colleges or universities in the nation that has a medical school. (Bell, 10/19)
CIDRAP: Many Hospitals Still Lax On Catheter-Related UTI Prevention, 2 Decades Of Data Show
While more US hospitals are recognizing that urinary catheters pose a risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and better monitoring their use, less than half have a catheter-reminder system for physicians, a study based on 20 years of surveys concludes. For the study, published in JAMA Network Open, researchers at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Ann Arbor Healthcare System and the University of Michigan evaluated systems to prevent catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs) using national surveys of 1,461 hospitals from 2005 to 2025. (Van Beusekom, 10/19)
KFF Health News: More Medications, More Risks. If You’re Worried, Start A Deprescribing Discussion
For nearly three years, Jonathan Bledsoe of Reading, Pennsylvania, took one prescription to stabilize his mood and one to keep his cholesterol in check, among a handful of other medications. “You wouldn’t think you would have to be your own advocate and look out for yourself as far as managing your medications,” the Marine veteran said. “But when you wake up one morning and what you pee comes out the color of fresh brewed coffee, there’s an issue.” (Farmer and Anthony, 10/20)
Modern Healthcare: OpenEvidence, Doximity Reach Settlement In AI Lawsuit
Clinical artificial intelligence competitors OpenEvidence and Doximity have settled an ongoing lawsuit. The companies reached a settlement Thursday, and the case was dismissed with prejudice Friday, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The filing did not include settlement details. The two companies have agreed to handle their own costs and attorneys’ fees. (Famakinwa, 10/19)
