Near-Premature Organ Procurement Incident Prompts Donors To Reconsider
Registries in America and abroad are suffering after people became spooked when a man in Kentucky was declared dead and sent to have his organs harvested.
AP:
People Opt Out Of Organ Donation Programs After Reports Of A Man Mistakenly Declared Dead
Transplant experts are seeing a spike in people revoking organ donor registrations, their confidence shaken by reports that organs were nearly retrieved from a Kentucky man mistakenly declared dead. It happened in 2021 and while details are murky surgery was avoided and the man is still alive. But donor registries in the U.S. and even across the Atlantic are being impacted after the case was publicized recently. A drop in donations could cost the lives of people awaiting a transplant. (Neergaard, 10/28)
In other health industry developments —
North Carolina Health News and The Charlotte Ledger:
Four More N.C. Hospital Systems Cancel Old Medical Debt Judgments
Five hospitals responsible for nearly all of North Carolina’s lawsuits filed against patients for medical debt have committed to erasing all of their existing judgments, The Charlotte Ledger/NC Health News has learned. Atrium Health, the state’s largest health care system, announced in September that it would clear old judgments and lift liens against thousands of patients. It had quietly stopped filing medical debt related lawsuits in early 2023. (Crouch, 10/29)
Chicago Tribune:
Nurses At University Of Illinois Hospital Vote To Authorize Second Strike
Nurses at University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics have voted to authorize what could be their second strike since August — as they continue to ask for better pay, staffing and security. Of about 1,700 nurses who voted, 88% percent voted in favor of giving their bargaining team the authority to call a strike, according to the union, the Illinois Nurses Association. (Schencker, 10/28)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospital-At-Home Programs Delayed, Cut Amid Cost, Size Concerns
Some health systems are pausing, scrapping or delaying the launch of hospital-at-home programs despite a broader industry push to provide more healthcare in the home. Health systems such as Tufts Medicine, Franciscan Health, Cone Health and UCSF Health pointed to high costs, a shortage of eligible patients and regulatory uncertainty as driving their decisions to curtail home-based hospital programs. But despite the hurdles, others are moving full-speed ahead with new programs or expansions. (Eastabrook, 10/28)
Health News Florida:
HCA Expects Added Expenses And Lost Revenue From Hurricanes Will Top $250 Million
HCA Healthcare on Friday estimated that hurricanes Helene and Milton will cause $250 million to $350 million in additional expenses and lost revenue at its facilities in Florida and other states. (10/26)
Modern Healthcare:
Atrium Health, Novant Health Compete For Beds In North Carolina
Atrium Health and Novant Health are vying for the state's approval to add patient beds at their respective facilities in Charlotte, North Carolina. The state's health department determined this year hospitals could apply by Oct. 15 to add 89 total acute-care beds in Mecklenburg County. The agency is undecided whether to deny one organization's application or divide the approved beds between the health systems, a spokesperson said Monday. (DeSilva, 10/28)
In pharma and research news —
Reuters:
AbbVie Banks On Alzheimer's Therapy With $1.4 Billion Buy Of Aliada
U.S. drugmaker AbbVie said on Monday it will buy Aliada Therapeutics for $1.4 billion in cash, betting on an experimental Alzheimer's treatment still in the early stage of development. AbbVie, with a market value of about a $330 billion, squared off against at least three other pharmaceutical companies interested in Aliada, a person familiar with the sale process said. AbbVie shares closed up 1% on Monday. (10/28)
Stat:
Helsinki Declaration Asks For Timeliness In Release Of Study Results
In a boost for clinical trial transparency, the Declaration of Helsinki was updated so that medical researchers are now responsible not only for making study results public, but also for doing so in a timely manner. (Silverman, 10/28)
