Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Local Officials Have No Plans To Save Boston's Carney Hospital From Closure
CBS News: State And City Officials Tell Carney Employees They Will Not Save Boston Hospital
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Boston Public Health Commission have no plans to take over Carney Hospital by eminent domain, officials told a crowd of Carney employees on Tuesday night. ... "Declaring a public health emergency will not give the city, Mayor Wu, or I the regulatory authority, the licensure ability, or most importantly the money that it will take to run Carney Hospital, even in the short term," Boston Public Health Commission Director Dr. Bisola Ojikutu told the crowd. (Moller, 8/13)
Modern Healthcare: Steward Health To Sell Physician Group To Rural Healthcare Group
Private equity-owned Rural Healthcare Group plans to acquire Steward Health Care’s physician group for $245 million. Steward Health Care, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, signed a definitive agreement to sell Stewardship Health, the for-profit health system’s physician group that spans nine states. The proposal requires approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas and must clear the customary regulatory process. (Kacik, 8/13)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Webster Groves Residents Oppose Psychiatric Hospital
Residents of this suburban community are pushing back against a planned psychiatric health center on the site of a K-12 academy that they believe would add traffic and make their neighborhoods less safe. The not-for-profit mental health provider KVC Missouri wants the property at 303 North Gore Avenue to add a hospital that would take in hundreds of children and keep them overnight. (Prasad, 8/13)
Modern Healthcare: Hospital-At-Home Programs Need Support For Family Caregivers
The role of unpaid family caregivers is drawing focus as Congress decides the future of a hospital care at home waiver. Unpaid family caregivers are increasingly a linchpin in healthcare as more patients opt to get care where they live and providers struggle to recruit and retain staff. Nearly one-third of individuals provide care or assistance to at least one person with an illness or disability, according to the University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging released last week. (Eastabrook, 8/13)
Crain's Detroit Business: Blue Cross Michigan Cuts 64 Jobs Due To Rising Drug Costs
Rising healthcare costs have put Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in cost-cutting mode, leading to the elimination of 64 jobs. The Detroit-based insurer eliminated the positions this month in response to its $544 million underwriting loss, largely attributed to a $1.8 billion rise in pharmacy costs. (Walsh, 8/13)
On health care data —
Modern Healthcare: Francisco Partners To Sell QGenda To Hearst Health
Private equity firm Francisco Partners has agreed to sell healthcare workforce management software company QGenda to media company Hearst. A source with knowledge of the deal said the price is in the range of $200 billion to $300 billion. The deal is expected to close in September. (Turner, 8/13)
Modern Healthcare: Data Breach Threats Drive Investment Into Hospital Cybersecurity
Community Hospital Corp. information technology administrators saw unusual traffic on its website coming from Russia on July 24. An audit of the health system’s recently upgraded firewall alerted the information technology team to a source testing out administrative passwords to gain access to the website. (Kacik, 8/13)
