Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Record Jump In Black Students Enrolling At Med Schools
WGBH: Medical Schools See Record Enrollment Increase Among Black Students
Sabrina Lima said her mom, a nurse, inspired her to pursue a career as a doctor. "I've been on medical missionary trips with her, so seeing her in medicine — she's this amazing woman,” she said. “I just love how she serves others, and I want to serve people in a similar way." Lima, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, began classes at the Tufts Medical School in the fall. She is part of a small group of Black students pursuing careers as physicians, though that number is increasing as schools adopt new procedures to attract and reduce barriers for students of color. (Carapezza, 1/6)
In other updates from the health care field —
Modern Healthcare: Judge Dismisses Cardiologists' $50M Lawsuit Against SSM Health
SSM Health is off the hook after a Missouri judge dismissed a lawsuit from a group of cardiologists who objected to the revocation of their clinical privileges at the St. Louis-based system. Physicians at St. Louis Heart and Vascular sued SSM Health in March seeking $50 million in damages and claiming that being barred from the region's largest health system would impede patient access and cause the doctors economic and reputational harm. (Devereaux, 1/6)
Axios: Nomi Health Buys Artemis Health For $200M
Payment startup Nomi Health has acquired Artemis Health, which uses data to help U.S. employers fine-tune health offerings, in a $200 million deal. The pairing of the two payment-minded startups is part of an ongoing consolidation wave in digital health where small, like-minded upstarts combine their assets to round out their offering. (Brodwin, 1/6)
Health News Florida: Tampa's Veterans Hospital Is Building A New Clinic In Lakeland To Expand Access To Care
The James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa is preparing to build a new clinic in Lakeland that will be about six times the size of its existing facility. The goal is to better meet the health care needs of the region's growing veteran population. Construction is scheduled to start in early spring on the $112 million clinic, according to David K. Dunning, the hospital’s executive director. (Colombini, 1/6)
And in pharmaceutical industry news —
Modern Healthcare: CMS Proposes Tighter Marketing, Network Adequacy For Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage plans could soon see stricter marketing guidelines and more oversight of how Medicare revenue is spent if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalizes a new proposed rule. Medicare Part D plans could face changes in how they can use savings from pricing arrangements with pharmacies. CMS published the proposed 2023 Medicare Advantage and Part D regulation Thursday. In addition, the draft regulation includes several proposals aimed at improving Medicare Advantage for beneficiaries who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. (Goldman, 1/6)
The Wall Street Journal: Jury In Elizabeth Holmes Trial Seized On Two ‘Smoking Guns’ To Convict Theranos Founder, Juror Says
In their second week of deliberations, jurors in the trial of Elizabeth Holmes seized on what one juror described as two “smoking guns” that sealed the fate of the Theranos Inc. founder. Huddled in a fifth-floor courtroom, the four women and eight men were grappling over whether she had defrauded large Theranos investors about her blood-testing startup. Jurors zeroed in on two pieces of evidence they believed showed Ms. Holmes intentionally lied to investors, said Susanna Stefanek, known throughout the trial as Juror No. 8. (Randazzo and Bobrowsky, 1/6)
