Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
UM Health-Sparrow Workers Threaten To Strike After Contract Talks Stall
Crain's Detroit Business: UM Health-Sparrow Nurses, Healthcare Workers Plan Strike
The roughly 2,000 nurses and other healthcare workers at University of Michigan Health-Sparrow in mid-Michigan plan to strike the health system later this month. The members of the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital-Michigan Nurses Association notified the healthcare system that its workers will strike for five days starting at 7 a.m. Jan. 20 after failing to reach a labor contract despite five months of negotiating. (Walsh, 1/7)
More health care industry and pharmaceutical updates —
Modern Healthcare: Blue Shield Of California Is Latest Blues Plan To Restructure
Blue Shield of California is following in the footsteps of other Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurers by reorganizing its corporate structure and rearranging its leadership team. The company created Ascendiun at the start of the year to serve as the nonprofit parent of its insurance arms, its clinical services division Altais and its healthcare startup studio Stellarus, Blue Shield of California announced in a news release Wednesday. (Tepper, 1/8)
Modern Healthcare: Molina, Innovive Health Take On High-Risk Medicaid Patients
Molina Healthcare of Iowa is teaming up with Innovive Health to provide in-home healthcare services for Medicaid patients with serious medical and behavioral health issues. The partnership with Molina marks Innovive Health’s entry into the state. The company coordinates medical and behavioral health services with primary care providers and specialists. It also sends nurses, home health aides, physical therapists and occupational therapists into patients’ homes to provide supplemental care. (Eastabrook, 1/8)
Modern Healthcare: H1 Acquires Ribbon Health, Adds FDA's Stephen Hahn To Board
H1 has acquired fellow health data company Ribbon Health, kicking off what could be a flurry of merger and acquisition activity this year in the sector. H1 also named Dr. Stephen Hahn, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, to its board of directors. (Perna, 1/8)
Modern Healthcare: Transcarent To Acquire Accolade For $621M
Transcarent is acquiring Accolade for approximately $621 million, the company said Wednesday. Transcarent, which connects self-insured employer customers to behavioral health, urgent care, cancer care, pharmacy and weight management services, is purchasing Accolade for $7.03 per share in cash. Accolade provides healthcare navigation and engagement tools to employers. (Perna, 1/8)
The Wall Street Journal: AMD Invests In Drug-Discovery Company Absci In Push To Sell AI Chips
Advanced Micro Devices is investing $20 million in Absci, a drug-discovery company based in Washington state, in a move aimed at selling its artificial intelligence chips in the healthcare sector. The deal is structured as a private investment in a public equity and includes an equity stake in Absci. AMD didn’t disclose the amount of its stake. (Lin, 1/8)
