Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Survey Finds Many Med School Students Are Considering Quitting
Fox News: A Quarter Of US Medical Students Consider Quitting School And Most May Not Treat Patients: New Survey
Among the next generation of doctors, many are considering quitting medical school even before donning their long white coats. A quarter of all medical students in the United States might quit school. That’s according to a new report from Elsevier Health, which surveyed students to get their perspectives on education, career plans and expectations for the future of health care. (Sudhakar, 11/6)
In other health industry news —
Military.com: VA Set Records For Number Of Appointments, Claims Processing, Compensation Over The Past Year
The Department of Veterans Affairs set records in multiple areas this past fiscal year -- a pace officials say they hope to continue in 2024 with targeted hiring for high-demand jobs, it announced Monday. The Veterans Health Administration, the VA's medical services arm, oversaw 116 million medical appointments in fiscal 2023, a 2.7% increase from the record set in fiscal 2022. And the Veterans Benefits Administration, which handles VA disability compensation and benefits, paid out $150 billion in compensation and benefits to 1.5 million veterans and survivors, a 39% increase, and processed nearly 2 million disability claims, up nearly 16%. (Kime, 11/6)
Modern Healthcare: Envision Healthcare Emerges From Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Envision Healthcare has restructured its operations as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process and reduced its debt by more than 70%, the physician staffing company said Friday. Envision filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, entering into a restructuring support agreement for about $7.7 billion in debt. The bankruptcy filing followed months of financial turmoil due to multiple payer lawsuits, rising labor costs and impacts from the No Surprises Act, which cut into much of Envision's profits from out-of-network bills. (Hudson, 11/6)
Crain's Chicago Business: Outcome Health Founder Rishi Shah Wants Sentencing Delayed | Modern Healthcare
Rishi Shah has rehired his original attorney, whom the Outcome Health founder says withdrew because he couldn’t afford him, as Shah is seeking to delay his sentencing until February. Shah, convicted alongside co-defendants Shradha Agarwal and Brad Purdy of a nearly $1 billion startup fraud in April, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 5. Each faces up to 30 years in prison. (Pletz, 11/6)
On the use of artificial intelligence —
Axios: IVF Doctors Could Use AI To Help Pick Embryos
AI could help people get pregnant. As doctors deal with overwhelming demand for fertility services, machine learning tools are offering ways to help streamline the IVF process. (Mallenbaum, 11/7)
Stat: Detecting Disease From Voice Signals With AI, And Data Concerns
Over the past few years, researchers have started using AI to capture signals from our voices in hopes of quickly diagnosing diseases. Academics and startup founders in the nascent field talked about the potential benefits, as well as the privacy implications, of this technology at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit on Tuesday. (Lawrence, 11/7)
