Power Outage Forced Hundreds Of Hospital Patients To Evacuate In LA
News outlets report on the impact of a succession of power outages that hit a Los Angeles hospital. A baby was born amid the chaos, the Los Angeles Times said. Separately, a study found ChatGPT may be as good as recent med school graduates in making clinical decisions.
Los Angeles Times:
Baby Is Born Amid Evacuation At White Memorial Hospital
Hundreds of patients, including some infants and others in critical care, had to be evacuated early Tuesday from Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital in Boyle Heights after part of the complex lost power, authorities said. The patients from the neonatal intensive care unit, obstetrics unit and others in the hospital’s Specialty Care Center were transferred to other facilities on the campus and to other area hospitals, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. One woman gave birth during the evacuation, a hospital official said. (Lin and Petri, 8/22)
AP:
Hundreds Of Patients Evacuated From Los Angeles Hospital Building That Lost Power In Storm's Wake
A succession of power outages at a Los Angeles hospital prompted the evacuation of 28 patients in critical condition to other hospitals early Tuesday, while 213 other patients were moved to another building in the medical center, and a baby was delivered by flashlight, authorities said. (8/23)
In other health care industry news —
The Boston Globe:
ChatGPT, As Good As Recent Med School Graduates? Study Says Yes
Artificial intelligence is nearly as good as a recent medical school graduate at making clinical decisions, but struggles in key areas that show it won’t be replacing the doctor anytime soon, according to a new study by Mass General Brigham. The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, found that ChatGPT was about 72 percent accurate in overall clinical decision-making for patients — from arriving at a final diagnosis to coming up with treatment plans. While there are no formal benchmarks, researchers estimate that such passing performance is on par with a new doctor, known as an intern or resident. (Bartlett, 8/22)
Stat:
Obesity Specialists Are Scarce. Here’s How That’s Starting To Change
Treatment of obesity has never been more prominent, with the advent of medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro generating both excitement and concern. Overlooked, however, is a severe shortage of doctors who actually specialize in treating obesity. (Bajaj, 8/23)
The Boston Globe:
Black And Hispanic Patients Admitted And Return To The Hospital In Higher Rates Than Others, Study Finds
New state data shows that Black and Hispanic residents are using hospital services at higher rates than other groups, potentially pointing to uneven challenges accessing primary care and differences in the quality of care received at the hospital. In a report issued Wednesday, the Center for Health Information and Analysis said while many Massachusetts residents struggle to access high quality, affordable, and timely health care, systemic inequities and institutional racism exacerbate these issues for many communities of color. (Bartlett, 8/23)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Upheaval At America’s Disappearing Nursing Homes, In Charts
Patients spend months waiting in hospitals for nursing-home beds. The U.S. has at least 600 fewer nursing homes than it did six years ago, according to a WSJ analysis of federal data. (Kamp, Evans and Lenth, 8/23)
Modern Healthcare:
GLP-1s, Virtual Health Draw Employer Skepticism
Employers are increasingly troubled about some of the downsides of virtual health, the survey revealed. Around 70% of respondents expressed trepidation about how virtual care solutions can create a siloed experience for their employees accessing services, and nearly half said they're concerned about how these solutions may not directly connect with each other. Many digital health companies that target the employer market say buyers are not interested in “point solutions,” an industry term for software products that only focus on one area of medical care. (Perna, 8/22)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospital Charity Care Spending Scrutiny Intensifies
States are increasing their oversight of nonprofit hospitals’ financial assistance policies, seeking to ensure hospitals are earning their tax exemptions by doing enough to help the poor. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed a bill in July that looks to increase access to free or discounted healthcare by requiring hospitals to proactively screen patients and streamline the signup process. The law represents a growing effort among states to bolster accountability and increase scrutiny of nonprofit hospitals’ charity care contributions. (Kacik, 8/22)
KFF Health News:
Doctors And Patients Try To Shame Insurers Online To Reverse Prior Authorization Denials
Sally Nix was furious when her health insurance company refused to pay for the infusions she needs to ease her chronic pain and fatigue. Nix has struggled with a combination of autoimmune diseases since 2011. Brain and spinal surgeries didn’t ease her symptoms. Nothing worked, she said, until she started intravenous immunoglobulin infusions late last year. Commonly called IVIG, the treatment bolsters her compromised immune system with healthy antibodies from other people’s blood plasma. (Sausser, 8/23)
