Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Minnesota's Rural Maternal Healthcare Takes Hit As Sanford Health Ends Obstetric Services
MPR News: Sanford Luverne To End Labor And Delivery Services In April 2027
Sanford Health will discontinue inpatient labor and delivery services, as well as newborn care, at its Luverne medical center and clinic in April 2027. The health system announced its plans Wednesday, the same day Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison unveiled a new initiative to strengthen rural maternal health care across the state. (Zurek, 10/28)
More news about rural healthcare —
Jackson Hole Community Radio: Jackson Hospital Looks To Ballot With Federal Funds In Limbo
The rollout of federal rural healthcare funds is underway and St. John’s Health may be the only Teton County provider raking in dollars. But since the Jackson hospital is not a critical access hospital, it might have to reimburse the $1.25 million it received earlier this month. (McMurtry, 10/28)
Florida Phoenix: Trump Admin Bumps Florida's Rural Health Award To $193.7M
Florida has been awarded $193.7 million in federal funds to support telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, pharmacy services, diagnostic kiosks, and community paramedicine for rural areas in Florida, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced. The grant is $5 million-plus more than the DeSantis administration had previously announced it was requesting. (Sexton, 10/28)
North Carolina Health News: Staffing Improves For NC Health Care Providers, But Long Term Shortages Continue To Threaten Stability
North Carolina’s health care workforce is growing, and acute staffing shortages have eased in several professions, but employers still struggle to fill open positions and retain workers, particularly in rural communities. (Baxley, 10/29)
In other healthcare industry developments —
Cardinal News: Carilion Clinic To Purchase Piece Of Christiansburg Huckleberry Park For Medical Facility
Carilion Clinic will buy a portion of Christiansburg’s Huckleberry Park to build a medical facility, according to town Mayor Mike Barber. The town council, on a 6-0 vote, approved a $5 million sale to the healthcare company at a Tuesday meeting. (Solorzano, 10/28)
Stat: How Epic Uses Its Power Over Health Data To Stifle Innovation
By most measures, Epic Systems Corp. is a runaway success. Its record-keeping systems, invented at the dawn of personal computers in a Wisconsin basement, are now ubiquitous inside the nation’s largest hospitals. The company collects more than $6.5 billion a year in revenue, wins the lion’s share of new contracts, and holds data on some 8 in 10 Americans. Almost nothing happens in this technology universe without Epic’s involvement — or approval. (Ross and Trang, 10/28)
