Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Workers Accuse HCA Of Putting Profits Before Patients
NBC News: Some Workers At U.S. Hospital Giant HCA Say It Puts Profits Above Patient Care
HCA is a health care juggernaut, employing 284,000 people in 182 hospitals and 125 surgery centers across the country and in the U.K. Operating in 20 U.S. states, HCA generated almost $7 billion in earnings in 2021, double that of the prior year, securities filings show. In the first nine months of last year, it earned $4.2 billion. (Morgenson, Peel and McFadden, 1/12)
In other health industry news —
Axios: 3 Takeaways From JP Morgan
A very soggy edition of the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, better known as JPM, wrapped up Thursday in San Francisco after filling downtown eateries and crowding hotel lobbies all week. The annual health care takeover of San Francisco is arguably still the most influential gathering in the business, offering a chance for investors to get a pulse on the upcoming year and for health execs to humblebrag about how many meetings they squeezed in. (Dreher, 1/13)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Summa Health Opens $84 Million Behavioral Health Pavilion To Support Importance Of Mental Health
When it was clear in recent years that Summa Health’s expanding behavioral health unit had outgrown its home inside the 1920s-era Summa St. Thomas Hospital, the health system faced a choice. It could downsize the unit, or spread its programs across multiple buildings. Summa chose instead to support and acknowledge the importance of mental health. (Washington, 1/12)
WJCT: Jacksonville University Expands Accelerated Nursing Program With Mayo Clinic
Jacksonville University is expanding its accelerated bachelor’s degree program in nursing with the addition of a new clinical partner: Mayo Clinic. The accelerated program offers a path to a bachelor's degree in nursing in one year. JU said the program strives to meet the growing need for nurses in Florida and across the U.S. The expansion will double the number of students in the program at JU's Arlington campus. (Scanlan, 1/12)
Axios: The Push For More In-Home Care Options May Come With Risks
The pandemic-fueled boom in home care could be replicating one of the most worrisome hazards in institutional settings: bloodstream infections from central lines. Home infusion therapy — whether for cancer drugs, antibiotics or other treatments — is becoming a preferred option for more patients. (Reed, 1/12)
Stat: Regeneron's George Yancopoulos Admits Regret, But ‘I Don’t Apologize’
George Yancopoulos isn’t apologizing. The president and chief scientist of Regeneron was booed on stage and received a round of bad headlines last month, after he erupted at CNBC reporter Bertha Coombs for trying to ask him and other panelists at a Milken Institute summit how the health care system would ensure access “when” there was a cure for Alzheimer’s. (Mast, 1/12)
Modern Healthcare: New MetroHealth CEO Airica Steed Targets Health Inequity
New MetroHealth CEO Airica Steed looks to narrow healthcare disparities as the Cleveland-based nonprofit health system restructures after firing its former chief executive. (Kacik, 1/12)
