Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Major New Mexico Hospital Network Hobbled By Cybersecurity Threat
AP: Cybersecurity Issue Knocks Out A Major New Mexico Hospital Network
A major hospital network in New Mexico raced to fix a cybersecurity issue on Monday that forced it to send ambulances to other hospitals and left the state without an emergency department capable of treating the most serious injuries. The University of New Mexico Health System told people not to show up at its main hospital in Albuquerque and canceled appointments at its more than 30 clinics. It said it was working to resolve the issue, the extent and nature of which was not immediately clear. (Keller and Wu, 10/27)
More news about hospitals and elderly care —
Lake County News-Sun: Vista Medical's Future Uncertain After Losing Trauma Designation
As State Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, and state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Gurnee, work feverishly to ensure Waukegan continues to have a hospital, Vista Medical Center East officials are struggling to deal with ongoing financial issues. (Sadin, 10/26)
Chicago Tribune: Potential Buyer Of Weiss, West Suburban Hospitals Has Mixed Track Record
After months of court battles and community outcry, the now-shuttered West Suburban and Weiss Memorial hospitals could soon have a new owner. But questions remain about whether it’s possible to reopen the hospitals at all and, if so, if an organization affiliated with Insight Hospital & Medical Center in Bronzeville is the right operator to do it. (Schencker, 10/26)
The Baltimore Sun: Howard Hospital Unveils New 29-Bed Observation Unit
Flanked by Howard County officials, Dr. Shafeeq Ahmed, president of the Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, hammered through a ceremonial wall in November to mark the start of construction on a new hospital project. Less than a year later, Ahmed held oversized scissors and cut the ribbon Thursday to unveil the hospital’s new 29-bed observation unit — which officials say will help provide faster, more-efficient care. (Kaiser, 10/26)
The Baltimore Sun: Wicomico Nursing Home Dispute Fuels Calls For Maryland Reforms
Two Eastern Shore lawmakers are calling for stronger nursing home safeguards amid the dispute over Wicomico Nursing Home. Their push comes as a new state task force prepares to examine care across Maryland. (Davis, 10/26)
Axios: Long-Term Care For Elderly Joins Affordability Debate
Drug prices and insurance premiums are front and center in any discussion about health affordability. But another cost driver will only become more burdensome in the coming years: long-term care. (Bettelheim, 10/27)
On healthcare at home —
Modern Healthcare: Mass General Brigham Downsizes Hospital-At-Home Program
Mass General Brigham is ratcheting back its hospital-at-home program after losing roughly $90 million in recent years. The Boston-based health system will suspend the program beginning Nov. 10 at Salem Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Heather O’Sullivan, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mass General Brigham Healthcare at Home, told employees in a letter late last week. Changes to staffing will be determined at a later date, she said. Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital will continue admitting patients to hospital-at-home where capacity constraints are the greatest. (Eastabrook, 10/26)
Wyoming Public Radio: Home Visitors — One Way To Monitor The Mental Health Of New Moms?
Home visitors can help intervene when new moms struggle with their mental health. Disorders like postpartum depression and anxiety were the leading cause of maternal death in the U.S. as of 2022. (Merzbach, 10/26)
North Carolina Health News: Duke Study Links Home-Delivered Meals To Fewer Hospital Readmissions
A hospital can treat an infection, stabilize blood sugar or care for a wound. But for an older adult heading home after a hospital admission, recovery can be affected by something far more fundamental — food. New research from Duke University suggests that getting people regular meals after a hospital stay could mean a lower chance of their winding up right back in the hospital. (Fredde, 10/27)
On prior authorization and insurance —
Healthcare Dive: Five Major Companies Pledge Faster, Electronic Prior Authorizations
Amazon, Google, Meta and other employers agreed to reform their prior authorization policies for their self-funded health plans, which provide coverage for millions of Americans. (LaPointe, 10/23)
Fierce Healthcare: Walmart Builds Out Better Care Services With General Medicine
Walmart is teaming up with startup General Medicine to expand its Better Care Services, turning the digital healthcare platform into a more comprehensive healthcare marketplace. With the updated experience, which launches today, consumers can compare providers, see their potential costs with and without insurance and connect to care. Walmart and General Medicine provided Fierce Healthcare with a first look at the partnership. (Landi, 10/26)
Fierce Healthcare: UnitedHealthcare Expands AI Companion Avery To 21M Members
Earlier this year, UnitedHealthcare unveiled Avery, a generative AI companion aimed at supporting care coordination for its members. At the time, the tool was available to about 6.5 million of its members in employer plans and 160,000 people enrolled in Medicare Advantage. Now, the insurer is expanding access to 21 million of its members, growing the tool's reach at a faster clip than was initially expected. (Minemyer, 10/26)
Also —
MedPage Today: AI Scribes Improved Note-Taking Time But Not Productivity, Study Finds
The use of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven ambient scribe in outpatient practice was associated with reductions in time spent taking notes and increased note length, but other productivity measures were largely unchanged, researchers found. (Frieden, 10/26)
KFF Health News: Remember This Acronym Next Time You’re Facing A Big Medical Decision: B.R.A.I.N.
Gina Conley, an Army veteran in Aberdeen, North Carolina, knew she wanted a low-intervention birth for her first child. But her plan started to go off the rails as soon as she got to the hospital. “Everything that I did not want to happen had happened,” she said. “And I just remember that feeling of being just so utterly defeated.” Her cervix wasn’t dilating quickly, and Conley said her midwife insisted that she take Pitocin to speed up the labor. Later, when she was nearly fully dilated, the midwife asked to break Conley’s amniotic fluid sac, another intervention used to move labor along. (Farmer, Anthony, and Siner, 10/27)
