Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nurses Vote To End Strike At 4 Out Of 5 New York City Hospitals
The New York Times: Nurses At 4 N.Y.C. Hospitals Vote To End Strike, But It Continues At One
More than 10,000 nurses who have been on strike for a month will return to work at two major New York City hospital systems after voting to approve a new contract. But more than 4,000 strikers were still holding out for a better deal. On Wednesday, the nurses’ union, the New York State Nurses Association, announced that members at Montefiore Medical Center and Mount Sinai Hospital, along with two other medical centers in the Mount Sinai system, had ratified the tentative deal, which includes salary increases and modest improvements to nurse staffing levels. (Goldstein, 2/11)
Honolulu Civil Beat: Hawai‘i Doctor Shortage Has Patients Paying Fees For Fast Care
Last month, Kiah Bland of Waikiki set out to find a primary care physician. What she assumed would be a painless chore swiftly became a desperate search. Most doctors in her area weren’t accepting new patients. Those still building their patient base had lengthy waits for an office visit. Eventually, the 36-year-old found a Honolulu physician who could see her immediately — for a price. The doctor, who does not accept health insurance, explained that it would cost her $200 a month to become a patient. (Lyte, 2/11)
Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Hiring Drives Growth In January Jobs Report
Healthcare hiring is starting off the year strong, accounting for more than half of all jobs added in January. The industry’s employers added 82,000 jobs in January, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Overall, the economy added 130,000 jobs across all industries. The gains follow a 2025 in which, despite propping up the job market, increases in healthcare hiring mostly were lower than in 2024. (DeSilva, 2/11)
Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Private Equity Deals Rose 10% In 2025: PitchBook
This year is expected to be a strong one for private equity investment in healthcare, especially for certain specialties. The number of deals rose 9.5% in 2025, with an estimated 747 deals announced or closed during the year, according to PitchBook. That’s compared with 682 deals in 2024 and 801 deals in 2023, according to a report from the financial data and research company. (Hudson, 2/11)
Becker's Hospital Review: 10 Years After CMS’ First Mandatory Bundled Payment Model, What Did It Actually Build?
This April will mark a decade since CMS launched the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model, the federal government’s first mandatory, episode-based payment program applied broadly to hospitals. CJR required hospitals in 67 randomly selected metro areas to take financial accountability for the full 90-day episode of hip and knee replacements, putting post-acute care, surgeon behavior, implant costs and readmissions into a single performance frame. (Emerson, 2/11)
In pharmaceutical industry news —
Stat: Merck Is Urged To Ensure Wide Access To An HIV Prevention Pill Being Tested
In a preemptive move, more than 170 patient advocacy groups from 30 countries are urging Merck to create a global access strategy for an HIV prevention pill, which is still being studied in clinical trials. (Silverman, 2/11)
Bloomberg: Novo To Follow Lilly And Sell Obesity Shot Wegovy In Vials
Novo Nordisk A/S aims to start selling its weight-loss blockbuster Wegovy in vials, its latest move to win over customers it’s lost to rival Eli Lilly & Co. Currently Novo sells the drug in plastic injector pens. Lilly launched vials nearly two years ago to offer a lower-priced version of its shot and alleviate shortages. It’s unclear what Novo will charge for vials, but the company already has been aggressively discounting its obesity drugs to compete. (Kresge and Muller, 2/11)
Bloomberg: Astra’s Ex-Chief In China Formally Charged With Insurance Fraud
AstraZeneca Plc’s former China head Leon Wang has been formally charged with medical insurance fraud, unlawful collection of personal information and illegal trade, with the case heading to court. The company was also indicted on charges of illegal trade, and the unlawful collection of personal information, AstraZeneca said in its latest financial results this week, though it said no illegal gain was alleged from that. It will not face the more serious charge of insurance fraud. (Furlong, 2/11)
