Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Report: Telehealth Is Healthier For The Planet
The Wall Street Journal: Virtual Healthcare Has Green Benefits
Virtual doctor’s appointments are helping healthcare companies reduce carbon emissions, though sustainability is mostly seen as a side benefit of telehealth rather than its main driver. The use of telehealth picked up considerably during the Covid-19 pandemic, with virtual visits increasing 38 times from their prepandemic levels and then largely stabilizing, according to 2021 figures provided by McKinsey. At first the practice was seen mostly as a way to improve patient access and convenience while reducing costs, but as the trend stabilized, healthcare companies started viewing virtual consultations as an opportunity to improve their carbon footprint. (Butini, 8/2)
In other health care industry news —
Bay Area News Group: San Jose: Good Samaritan, Regional Medical Center Hospitals Part Of Cyber Attack
Two major San Jose hospitals may have been impacted by a wide-ranging cyber attack that exposed patient names, ZIP codes, phone numbers and other private information from one of America’s largest healthcare providers. (Greschler, 8/2)
CBS News: Stanford Health Care Residents Demanding Better Wages
Stanford Health Care residents are demanding better wages as they say many of them are struggling with debt and making ends meet. (Darrow, 8/2)
Bloomberg: Aging Population Will Exacerbate US Health-Care Worker Shortage
For much of his life, Justin Cooper’s mother was his caregiver. But she was recently hospitalized, and Cooper, who is 41 and has muscular dystrophy, can’t find enough home health aides to fill the void. Unable to hire someone who can stay late on weekends to help him get into bed, he often sleeps in his wheelchair, causing his legs to swell and develop pressure sores. “It’s been a struggle finding people who can come in at specific hours to help,” says Cooper, who lives in Chicago. “It’s not a good situation.” (Smith, 8/3)
Detroit Free Press: Corewell Health To Close Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital In Lakeview
Corewell Health, Michigan's largest health system, announced this week it will close Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital in Lakeview in October because the building is outdated and there has been a steady decline in patient volumes and demand. “The decision to close the hospital was difficult,” said Andrea Leslie, president of Corewell Health’s Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital, in a statement. “For more than 60 years, generations of incredible team members have served the community at Kelsey Hospital. We are so grateful for the dedication and compassion they have for our patients and one another.” (Jordan Shamus, 8/2)
WMFE: Orlando Health Strikes A Deal With UnitedHealthcare, Retaining 70,000 Patients In-Network
Orlando Health was able to come to a multiyear agreement with health insurance giant UnitedHealthcare just before an early Tuesday deadline, keeping patients under in-network coverage. Orlando Health's senior vice president, Michele Napier, released a statement Tuesday morning stating the hospital was pleased to announce it had struck a deal. (Pedersen, 8/2)
Modern Healthcare: HIMSS Sells Global Conference To London-Based Informa
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society said Tuesday it sold its annual exhibition and conference event to Informa, a London-based events and digital services company. Informa first announced its intent to acquire the HIMSS conference last Thursday. (Turner, 8/2)
