Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mississippi Hospital Ends Birth Services, Joins List Of Closed Facilities
AP: Another Mississippi Hospital Will Stop Delivering Babies
A hospital on the Mississippi Gulf Coast will suspend labor and delivery services April 1 because of a shortage of obstetricians, further decreasing health care access in a state that has seen other hospitals shut down birthing centers or intensive care for newborn babies. Singing River Gulfport said in its announcement Thursday that hospital leaders hope the suspension of services will be temporary, WXXV-TV reported. (3/3)
More on costs and staffing —
Modern Healthcare: 4 Takeaways From Health Systems’ 2022 Earnings Reports
Labor shortages, rising expenses and poor performance in the financial markets led to a money-losing year many in the industry would like to forget. “When you look back at 2022, for a sizable portion for the sector, it’s going to go down again as really one of, if not the worst, operating income years ever,” said Kevin Holloran, senior director at Fitch Ratings. “Some people got better as the year went on … but not everybody.” (Hudson, 3/3)
KHN: Struggling To Survive, The First Rural Hospitals Line Up For New Federal Lifeline
Just off the historic U.S. Route 66 in eastern New Mexico, a 10-bed hospital has for decades provided emergency care for a steady flow of people injured in car crashes and ranching accidents. It also has served as a close-to-home option for the occasional overnight patient, usually older residents with pneumonia or heart trouble. It’s the only hospital for the more than 4,500 people living on a swath of 3,000 square miles of high plains and lakes east of Albuquerque. (Tribble, 3/6)
North Carolina Health News: Advanced Practice Nurses Spar With Doctors Who Oppose Granting More Autonomy
Stephenie Brinson is fed up with having to pay a doctor every month to periodically examine her patients’ charts and paperwork twice a year — just so she can run a private nursing practice in Garner. A primary care provider and board-certified family nurse practitioner, Brinson said she started a primary care business 10 years ago that has grown to employ more nurse practitioners and serve a large population of un- and underinsured patients. She had worked as a nurse in other health care settings for a decade before deciding to strike out on her own. (Hoban, 3/6)
Stat: Novant Hospital Merger In North Carolina Raises Antitrust Concerns
Hospital systems are turning to cross-market mergers to satiate their thirst for growth and avoid antitrust heat. But hospitals are also still signing other lower-profile deals, which experts believe inevitably lead to higher insurance premiums and create more medical bill stress for people in those communities. “Smaller mergers just don’t get the attention they deserve because they affect fewer people,” said Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice University who studies hospital consolidation. (Herman, 3/6)
In other health care industry news —
AP: Nevada Crash Is 3rd Fatal One Tied To Air Medical Service
The company that owns the medical transport aircraft that crashed in northern Nevada last week, killing all five people aboard, has been tied to two other fatal crashes in the last four years. A review of records shows that with the latest crash, 11 people total have now died on planes owned and operated by Guardian Flight, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Friday. The company is also now facing its fourth National Transportation Safety Board probe since 2018, said Bruce Landsberg, NTSB vice chairman. (3/3)
Modern Healthcare: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Opens Family Commons
During long days at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital five years ago, Paula Elsener and her son would find respite sitting by a window behind a bank of elevators. “That was our spot,” she said, reflecting on the secluded corner with two chairs and views of a nearby pyramid-shaped building. (Berryman, 3/6)
KHN: Virtual Or In Person: Which Kind Of Doctor’s Visit Is Better, And When It Matters
When the covid-19 pandemic swept the country in early 2020 and emptied doctors’ offices nationwide, telemedicine was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Patients and their physicians turned to virtual visits by video or phone rather than risk meeting face-to-face. During the early months of the pandemic, telehealth visits for care exploded. (Andrews, 3/6)
St. Louis Public Radio: Wash U Professor Advocates For Hospitalized Mental Health Patients
A Washington University professor’s research on patients who are hospitalized for mental health problems has prompted Congress to make sure such patients are included in federal health surveys. The provision included in the federal 2023 budget bill will require providers to ask people who were hospitalized for mental or behavioral health problems questions that could help improve care. (Fentem, 3/6)
The Washington Post: For Many Congregations, Wiping Out Medical Debt Has Become A Popular Calling
When members of First Presbyterian Church decided to launch a capital campaign to expand and renovate their imposing Gothic Revival edifice, they also wanted to take on a service project to help the poor. The congregation settled on raising $50,000 to eliminate medical debt for people living below the poverty line. (Shimron, 3/3)
