Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Historic' Health Care Worker Strike At Kaiser Permanente Looms After Vote
The Baltimore Sun: Kaiser Permanente Employees In Maryland, Mid-Atlantic Region Vote To Authorize A Strike
The possibility of a historic health care worker strike inched closer to reality Monday after the union representing Kaiser Permanente employees in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., announced their members had voted last week to authorize a work stoppage to protest unfair labor practices if a labor agreement isn’t reached by Sept. 30. The vote, which concluded on Saturday, follows strike authorization votes by nearly 65,000 Kaiser employees in California, Colorado, Oregon and Southwest Washington in the past two weeks, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions said in a news release. (Roberts, 9/18)
In other health industry news —
Stat: Patients, Doctors Press FTC To Beef Up Hospital Merger Scrutiny
Comments to antitrust regulators lay bare Americans’ anger and disillusionment over consolidation’s effects on all sectors of the economy, but especially health care. A 24-year-old wrote that after his hometown hospital in Indiana merged with a bigger group, his mom, who worked there, found it harder to provide good care amid staff cuts and reduced support. An internal medicine doctor in Wisconsin said after his hospital merged, colleagues were fired, drug shortages got worse, and prices skyrocketed. (Bannow, 9/18)
Modern Healthcare: Joint Commission Adding Environmental Sustainability Certificate
Beginning Jan. 1, the voluntary program will certify hospitals that prioritize environmental sustainability as a strategic goal and allocate resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative comes as the Joint Commission overhauls its accreditation standards to alleviate administrative burdens on healthcare organizations while making space for new strategic priorities. (Hartnett, 9/18)
Modern Healthcare: How Epic Cornered The Hospital EHR Market
Since the federal government pushed the use of electronic health records in 2009, there has been a race among vendors to sell the software solutions to health systems. The cost of EHR installation varies by hospital and health system but it can be run more than a $1 billion for larger organizations. For example, Boston-based Mass General Brigham, formerly known as Partners Healthcare, and Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic both reportedly spent more than $1 billion to install Epic Systems' product. (Perna, 9/18)
Axios: Facing Higher Health Costs, Employers Get Tough
Employers girding themselves for an especially pricey health care benefits season this fall are pushing back harder in negotiations, armed with new price transparency data and emboldened by increased industry scrutiny. (Reed, 9/19)
Also —
The Washington Post: Former Dentist Gets Probation After Procedure Left Child Brain Damaged
When she saw her daughter for the first time after a 2016 dental procedure, Courissa Clark said she couldn’t understand why her 4-year-old, Nevaeh Hall, was unresponsive. Earlier that day, Nevaeh had seizures while receiving dental work, according to court documents. Instead of seeking emergency medical services, the dentist, Bethaniel Jefferson, gave the child more sedatives to try to calm her down, documents allege. (Melnick, 9/19)
Modern Healthcare: DocGo Names Lee Bienstock CEO After Anthony Capone’s Resignation
DocGo, a mobile health services company, appointed Lee Bienstock as CEO on Monday and replaced former CEO Anthony Capone, who resigned on Friday. Capone resigned after acknowledging his academic credentials were falsified. In an emailed statement, a DocGo spokesperson said Capone was stepping down for personal reasons. (Turner, 9/18)
KFF Health News: With Its Two Doctors Planning To Retire, An Alabama Town Patches Together Health Care Options
Charity Hodge had mixed feelings when she spotted a Facebook post announcing that her longtime primary care doctor was ready to retire after decades of serving their rural community. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, no!’” Hodge recalled while sitting in an exam room on a July afternoon, waiting to see the physician, Terry Vester. “Well, I’m happy for the retirement part, but that’s my favorite doctor, so I’m crying on the inside.” (Zionts, 9/19)
