VA Worker Hospitalized After Shooting At Outpatient Clinic In Rural Georgia
The injuries suffered by the unidentified employee, as well as their condition, are unclear. USA Today reported that police officers killed the shooter after confronting them at the clinic in Jasper, about 60 miles north of downtown Atlanta.
USA Today:
Suspect Dead After Shooting At Veterans Affairs Clinic In Georgia
A suspect is dead, and another person is injured after a shooting erupted at a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in northwestern Georgia, authorities said on Tuesday, March 17. In a statement to USA TODAY, VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz said the victim shot at the Pickens County VA Clinic was an employee. The employee was "airlifted by helicopter for medical attention," according to Kasperowicz. (Nguyen, 3/17)
More health news about veterans —
Military Times:
VA’s Review Of Disability Claims For Fraud Won’t Include Past Filings, Officials Say
The Department of Veterans Affairs is developing a tool that will analyze veterans’ disability claims applications for fraud — a program VA officials say could identify providers or companies that abuse the system. The tool will not, however, be used to pursue potentially fraudulent past claims, a concern that arose recently among veterans following a congressional hearing that divulged the program’s development. (Kime, 3/17)
In other health care industry news —
San Francisco Chronicle:
Sutter Health To Combine With Midwest Provider Allina
Sutter Health, Northern California’s largest hospital system, is poised to combine with Allina Health, a major health care provider based in Minneapolis that will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Sutter, the two organizations said Tuesday. The two providers have signed a letter of intent to combine Sutter’s 27 hospitals in Northern California with Allina’s 13 hospitals in Minnesota and Wisconsin. (Ho, 3/17)
Barron's:
Google Partners With CMS On Linking Medical Records To Fitbit
Google is partnering with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on an initiative for consumers to gather and store their personal medical records on the Fitbit app, the company said at an event Tuesday. Rishi Chandra, who leads the Fitbit team at the tech giant, said the collaboration with the government agency, along with several other firms, will facilitate app users in verifying their identity to collect their own health records from medical providers, and link them to the app. (Dunn, 3/17)
Stat:
How A Texas Couple Is Getting Rich Off Out-Of-Network Medical Bills
When they met, it was at a party in Las Vegas, music bumping. Alla Kosova, newly divorced, told her friend to pick out her next husband, and she ushered over a stranger from the crowd. The next day, just before their first date, Scott LaRoque, an entrepreneur visiting from Texas, rushed to the Bellagio to swap out his $20 shirt for a Giorgio Armani one. Alla picked him up in a Ferrari. (Bannow, 3/18)
Modern Healthcare:
How Primary Care Is Expanding Into Senior Living Communities
Primary care is moving into senior living communities as companies add more healthcare options in order to keep residents living there longer. The trend is helping some senior living operators move the needle on health outcomes and lower healthcare costs for older, sicker residents. On average, people living in senior communities have up to three chronic conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Eastabrook, 3/17)
KFF Health News:
Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
Katheryn Houghton reads the week’s news: Looming Medicaid cuts could mean states stop covering dental care for adults, and a growing number of U.S. nurses are moving to Canada. (Cook, 3/17)
