State Highlights: N.H. Hospitals Hit Hard By IV Bag Shortages Linked To Hurricane Maria; Partners HealthCare’s Plan To Acquire Hospital To Get AG Scrutiny

New Hampshire Public Radio: N.H. Hospitals Sound Alarm Over Supply Shortages Tied To Hurricane Maria
At Weeks and other hospitals across the state, pharmacy managers like Eddy have spent the last three months scrambling to deal with an unexpected fallout from the September storm that knocked out power to Puerto Rico: a backlog in the supplies they need to perform all kinds of routine medical procedures, from IV drips to surgeries. As FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb testified to Congress in October, Puerto Rico plays a critical role in the whole country’s supply of medical products. (McDermott, 1/3)

Boston Globe: AG Maura Healey To Review Partners’ Plan To Buy Mass. Eye And Ear
A state health care watchdog agency Wednesday asked Attorney General Maura Healey to review Partners HealthCare’s plan to acquire a specialty eye and ear hospital, saying the deal would raise medical costs substantially. The Health Policy Commission said Partners’ takeover of Massachusetts Eye and Ear would boost health spending by as much as $61 million a year — expenses that ultimately would be borne by consumers and businesses. (Dayal McCluskey, 1/3)

Marketplace: Inpatient Care Could End At Nashville's Safety Net Hospital
Public hospitals are often cash-strapped. And in Nashville, the city's safety net facility is seen by many as an unnecessary money pit. Now the mayor has proposed ending the inpatient part of the hospital and rethinking the city's role in caring for the uninsured. (Farmer, 1/3)

The Associated Press: Lawyers Seek To Ease Doctor’s Sentence For Medicare Fraud
Even though a politically prominent Florida eye doctor was convicted of Medicare fraud, that doesn’t mean the federal government lost more than $100 million as prosecutors contend, his attorneys argued Wednesday as they tried to save him from a lengthy prison sentence. Dr. Salomon Melgen may have told Medicare he was treating patients for diseases they didn’t have but they did have other eye diseases and benefited from the treatment they received, attorneys Matthew Menchel and Josh Sheptow told U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra. (Spencer, 1/3)

Houston Chronicle: Central Care's 6 Clinics Could Close Next Week After Funding Loss 
A network of Houston health centers serving vulnerable residents has sued the federal government to prevent the loss of funding that local officials say would close six clinics as early as next week. Central Care Integrated Health Services obtained a temporary restraining order in late December against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' acting secretary to extend the terms of an operating grant until Monday. A hearing is set before Chief U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal in Houston Monday, and an amended lawsuit filed Jan. 1 seeks to continue federal funding beyond that point. (George, 1/3)

Modern Healthcare: Hackensack Meridian And JFK Cement Merger 
Hackensack Meridian Health and JFK Health finalized their merger to create a combined entity with 16 hospitals throughout New Jersey, the companies announced Wednesday. Executives of the Edison, N.J.-based systems said the marriage would allow them to expand patient access and better deliver preventive healthcare. The merger will bolster a combined ambulatory network of 160 facilities, reflecting the importance of more convenient outpatient settings where patients can get more affordable and efficient treatment. (Kacik, 1/3)

Texas Tribune: Relatives Report Inadequate Heating At More Than 30 Texas Prisons
More than 30 Texas prisons had heating issues during a cold snap that brought freezing temperatures to much of the state this week, according to reports by inmates’ family members. The Texas Inmate Families Association, a support and advocacy group, compiled reports by inmates' relatives that blamed poor insulation, broken windows and nonfunctioning heaters for the cold conditions in the facilities. (McCullough, 1/3)