AP: Alabama Hospital Pauses IVF Treatments After Court Ruling On Embryos
Alabama’s largest hospital paused in vitro fertilization treatments Wednesday as providers and patients across the state scrambled to assess the impact of a court ruling that said frozen embryos are the legal equivalent of children. The University of Alabama at Birmingham health system said in a statement that it must evaluate whether its patients or doctors could face criminal charges or punitive damages for undergoing IVF treatments. “We are saddened that this will impact our patients’ attempt to have a baby through IVF,” the statement from spokeswoman Savannah Koplon read. (Chandler, 2/21)

Axios: Fertility Treatments Freeze After Alabama Supreme Court's Embryo Ruling
The University of Alabama at Birmingham paused in vitro fertilization treatments, citing "the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care." Medical professionals throughout the state are questioning whether they'll need to overhaul their approach to IVF, most likely in ways that could make it riskier, more expensive and more painful for women trying to conceive. (Baker, 2/21)

Al.Com: Women Getting IVF In Alabama Say Window Closing On Getting Pregnant: 'I’m Terrified.'
Kelly Belmont and her husband began IVF treatment in Alabama in October and had an appointment in January to retrieve her eggs. Unfortunately, the procedure was not successful, and Belmont planned another round in April. But now she is worried. “Honestly, I’m terrified,” Belmont said. Her clinic has not announced any plans to pause IVF treatment, but patients in Alabama who have used vitro fertilization are suddenly facing uncertainty following a surprising decision by the Alabama Supreme Court that embryos constitute children. (Yurakin, 2/22)

CNN: A Military Family Faces Uncertainty Over Having Another Child With The Help Of IVF After Alabama’s Supreme Court Ruling
Julie Eshelman and her husband conceived their 2-year-old daughter through in vitro fertilization and kept their frozen embryos in storage, hoping to keep available a vital option for growing their family. But with the military family being redeployed to Alabama, that option is now shrouded with uncertainty following a recent state Supreme Court ruling, Eshelman told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday. (Salahieh, 2/22)

CNN: About 2% Of Babies Born In The US Are From IVF. Here’s What You Need To Know About It
Talk to a group of 100 people born in the United States, and chances are two of them were born as the result of in vitro fertilization, said Dr. Zev Williams, director of the Columbia University Fertility Center. “In many ways, IVF is actually one of the great triumphs of modern medicine,” he said. “One thing that’s helpful to know is just how common it is. About 2% of births in the US results from IVF. Over 8 million babies have been born using this technology.” (Holcombe, 2/21)

Public figures are speaking on the controversial Alabama ruling —

The 19th: Nikki Haley, Like The Alabama Supreme Court, Said IVF Embryos Are Babies
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Wednesday that she sees embryos created through in-vitro fertilization as “babies,” just days after a ruling out of Alabama that fertility treatment advocates say could disrupt access to the procedure. (Barclay and Panetta, 2/21)

The New York Times: Alabama Rules Frozen Embryos Are Children, Raising Questions About Fertility Care
On Tuesday, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said the ruling would cause “exactly the type of chaos that we expected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and paved the way for politicians to dictate some of the most personal decisions families can make.” (Caryn Rabin and Ghorayshi, 2/20)

The Hill: HHS Secretary: UAB Decision To Pause IVF Treatment Will Have ‘Heart-Wrenching Consequences’
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra decried the recent University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) health care system’s decision to pause in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments Wednesday. “I’ve long made clear that overturning Roe was just the beginning of the attacks on women’s health, privacy, & autonomy — and that’s exactly what we continue to see,” Becerra said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. (Suter, 2/21)

The Washington Post: How Alabama IVF Clinics, Doctors Are Navigating The Embryo Ruling
In Alabama, seeking or providing infertility treatment is now mired in anxiety. The Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that embryos are equivalent to existing children and therefore eligible to be claimed in a wrongful-death suit ... Many in Alabama now fear IVF will be permanently inaccessible or severely limited because of the financial and physical costs to patients and civil or criminal liability for providers. (Javaid and Bellware, 2/21)

The Washington Post: What Alabama’s Frozen Embryos Ruling Means For IVF Across The U.S.
Frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) are people, Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled last week, opening up a new front in the national debate over reproductive rights.The ruling, which declared that clinics can be held liable for discarding frozen embryos, has sparked fears that IVF services in the state could be restricted or even ended. On Wednesday, at least two of the state’s IVF clinics, Alabama Fertility and the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, announced they were pausing parts of their IVF treatment. (Javaid and Rosenzweig-Ziff, 2/21)

Politico: ‘Another Hot Potato’: Alabama’s IVF Ruling Risks Political, Legal Backlash
The Alabama Supreme Court ruling granting legal personhood to frozen embryos could set up a political and legal backlash against conservatives heading into the November election. The decision not only threatens GOP efforts to court suburban women and other constituencies uneasy about abortion bans, but also complicates the party’s standing with millions of people who may oppose abortion but support — and in many cases use — in-vitro fertilization and other forms of fertility care. (Miranda Ollstein, 2/21)

AP: FDA Warns Against Smartwatches And Rings That Claim To Measure Blood Sugar Without Needles
Smartwatches and rings that claim to measure blood sugar levels for medical purposes without piercing the skin could be dangerous and should be avoided, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday. The caution applies to any watch or ring, regardless of brand, that claims to measure blood glucose levels in a noninvasive way, the agency said. The FDA said it has not authorized any such device. (Aleccia, 2/21)

Reuters: US FDA Warns Against Using Smartwatches To Measure Blood Glucose
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ... said it was working to ensure that manufacturers, distributors and sellers do not illegally market unauthorized gadgets that claim to measure blood glucose levels. The devices are different from smartwatch applications that display data from FDA-authorized blood glucose measuring devices that puncture the skin, the regulator said. (2/21)

On technology and burnout —

The Hill: 83 Percent Of Doctors In New Survey Say AI Could Help Fight Burnout
Most physicians in a new survey said they regularly feel burned out, and many believe artificial intelligence (AI) could be the solution. The survey, released Wednesday by Athenahealth, found around 93 percent of respondents experienced burnout after working 15 hours over their normal hours. ... Roughly 83 percent, however, said AI could contend with some of those problems hovering over the health care industry, per the survey. (Timotija, 2/21)

CNBC: Doctors Feel Burned Out But Encouraged By Potential Of AI, Survey Says
Doctors in the U.S. are struggling to contend with burnout, staffing shortages and overwhelming administrative workloads, but many are optimistic that artificial intelligence could help to ease these problems, a new survey found. (Capoot, 2/21)

Axios: Burnout Is Worse For Women Health Care Workers
Health care's big burnout problem is significantly worse for women working in the field than men, according to a new comprehensive review of research on health care worker wellbeing. Burnout pushes some exhausted health care workers out of the industry, and it can also increase the risk of medical errors that put patients in danger. (Goldman, 2/22)

AP: How AI Health Care Chatbots Learn From The Questions Of An Indian Women's Organization
Komal Vilas Thatkare says she doesn’t have anyone to ask about her most private health questions. “There are only men in my home — no ladies,” said the 32-year-old mother and housewife in Mumbai. “I don’t speak to anyone here. So I used this app as it helps me in my personal problems.” The app she uses is powered by artificial intelligence running on OpenAI’s ChatGPT model, that Myna Mahila Foundation, a local women’s organization, is developing. Thatkare asks the Myna Bolo chatbot questions and it offers answers. Through those interactions, Thatkare learned about a contraceptive pill and how to take it. (Beaty, 2/21)

Politico: House AI Panel Has Health Care Expertise
The new bipartisan House AI task force includes members well-positioned to consider artificial intelligence’s impact on health care. Among the 24 representatives on the task force are several with health care policy expertise. ... Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced the new task force Tuesday and asked it to recommend actions Congress could take to set new AI regulatory standards and spur investment in the technology. (Payne, Paun, Reader and Schumaker, 2/21)

Politico: Addiction Apps Are Leaking Sensitive Data, Group Claims
Advocates for people who suffer from substance use disorder say addiction recovery apps are leaking sensitive data to third parties including Facebook and Google. A new report from the Opioid Policy Institute, which supports better addiction care and is lobbying for a government crackdown, names 21 substance use disorder apps that it says have shared information about the people who use them. They include DynamiCare, Workit Health, Bright Heart Health and Eleanor Health. (Reader, 2/21)

AP: Dozens Of Idaho Obstetricians Have Stopped Practicing There Since Abortions Were Banned, Study Says
More than 50 Idaho obstetricians have stopped practicing in the state since a near-total abortion ban took effect in August 2022, according to a newly released report. Data compiled by the Idaho Physician Well-Being Action Collaborative also shows that only two obstetricians moved to the state to practice in the last 15 months, the Idaho Statesman reported on Tuesday. ... The number of obstetricians in Idaho decreased from 227 in 2022 to about 176 in 2023, a decline of 51 doctors, the report said. (2/22)

In other reproductive health news —

AP: Sex Ed Classes In Some States May Soon Watch A Fetal Development Video From An Anti-Abortion Group
Baby Olivia isn’t a real baby. It’s an animated fetus that develops over the course of a three-minute video that has become a new front in state-level abortion politics. Bills in the Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia legislatures would require public school students to watch a video like Baby Olivia, which was created by an organization that opposes abortion. ... The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a professional organization with over 60,000 members, said in an email that the video is anti-abortion misinformation “designed to manipulate the emotions of viewers.” (Fingerhut, 2/22)

AP: Georgia GOP Senators Seek To Ban Sexually Explicit Books From School Libraries, Reduce Sex Education
Republican senators in Georgia want to cull sexually explicit books from schools, ban sex education for younger students, display the Ten Commandments in classrooms and allow religious chaplains to counsel teachers and students. The measures, which passed Senate committees Wednesday, could spark contentious debate ahead of a key legislative deadline next week. Many of them mimic measures passed in other states, part of a broad GOP effort to reshape education. (Amy, 2/22)

KFF Health News: Lawsuits Claim South Carolina Kids Underwent Unnecessary Genital Exams During Abuse Investigations
Three ongoing federal lawsuits filed in South Carolina accuse the state of forcing boys and girls to undergo traumatic genital exams during child abuse investigations, even when no allegations of sexual abuse have been raised. One 14-year-old plaintiff — who goes by “Jane Doe” to protect her privacy — was placed into foster care in 2021 after she disclosed to a social services caseworker that her mother had spanked her with a belt and a tree branch.“I never, ever mentioned sexual abuse,” said Jane. (Sausser, 2/22)

Politico: Democratic Senators Say They Oppose Any Pandemic Treaty That Weakens Pharma’s Rights
Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said Wednesday they oppose any weakening of intellectual property protections for the makers of vaccines, drugs and diagnostic tests in a pandemic treaty the World Health Organization is negotiating with member nations. As diplomats work on the treaty this week in Geneva, developing nations are pressing for patent waivers that would allow the countries to quickly make their own products. (Paun, 2/21)

Roll Call: In Congress And Courts, A Push For Better Care For Trans Prisoners 
Congressional Democrats are pushing for more information about the living conditions of transgender inmates in federal prisons and jails amid a spate of lawsuits about alleged civil rights violations, including a refusal to provide gender-affirming care. (Bridges, 2/21)

In health news relating to elections and polling —

The Hill: 6 In 10 Hold Favorable View Of Affordable Care Act In New Polling
More than half of U.S. adults have a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as the health care measure used by millions of Americans continues to gain popularity, according to a poll released Wednesday. The survey, released by health policy research group KFF, found that 59 percent of U.S. adults had a favorable view of the ACA, though respondents differed along party lines on what they would like to see done with the law. (Nazzaro, 2/21)

The Hill: Health Costs, Medical Bills Are Top Economic Concern Among Voters: Poll
Unexpected health costs and surprise medical bills are among the leading concerns of voters heading into the 2024 election, which contribute to their negative views about the economy, according to a poll released Wednesday by health policy research group KFF. At least 8 in 10 voters said it was “very important” for the 2024 presidential candidates to talk about inflation and the affordability of health care. (Weixel, 2/21)

The 19th: Trump And Biden's Rematch Shares A Stage With Abortion Politics
Both were born decades before the Supreme Court guaranteed a right to abortion in the Roe v. Wade decision — and lived to see it get overturned. (Panetta and Barclay, 2/21)

Stat: Presidential Age Debate Obscures A Simple Fact: Some Cognitive Skills Improve As We Get Older
When a psychology professor in Michigan looked through his data on interpersonal conflict a decade ago, he discovered something unexpected. The study, which examined differences across cultures and age groups, seemed to show Americans got wiser as they got older. (Goldhill, 2/22)

Axios: White House Commits $100M For Women’s Health Research
The Biden administration pledged to invest $100 million for women's health research, First Lady Jill Biden announced Wednesday. The investment is part of federal efforts to close gender gaps in research, which supporters say have led to insufficient funding for endometriosis, MS and other conditions that disproportionately affect women. (Solis, 2/21)

The Hill: Law Enforcement Leaders Urge Biden To Reclassify Marijuana To Lesser Status
A group of law enforcement leaders urged President Biden to reclassify marijuana to a lesser status in a Thursday letter. “We are current and former police chiefs, sheriffs, federal and state prosecutors, and correctional officials from across the country dedicated to protecting public safety and reducing unnecessary arrests, prosecutions, and incarceration,” reads the letter from the Law Enforcement Leaders To Reduce Crime & Incarceration group. (Suter, 2/22)

Reuters: United Therapeutics Starts Litigation With FDA Over Rival Liquidia's Drug Application
United Therapeutics (UTHR.O), opens new tab said on Wednesday it had filed a case with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, alleging that due procedure was not followed in allowing rival Liquidia's (LQDA.O), opens new tab application for a blood pressure drug. United Therapeutics alleged that Liquidia skirted long standing FDA rules, precedents and procedures when it filed its application for an inhaled dry powder of treprostinil for pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). (2/21)

CIDRAP: COVID Vaccine Mandates May Have Had Unintended Consequences, Researchers Say
US state COVID-19 vaccine mandates didn't significantly change uptake, and states with mandates actually had lower COVID-19 booster and voluntary adult and child flu vaccine coverage than those that banned vaccine requirements, an analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data suggests. (Van Beusekom, 2/21)

WLRN: A Sixth Measles Case Was Confirmed At A Broward School Amid Vaccination Concerns
The Broward County School District on Tuesday reported another case of measles at a Weston elementary school, bringing the total number of infected children to six. The district said it expects further guidance from the Florida Department of Health, which said it is investigating the outbreak at Manatee Bay Elementary. (Ramos and Cabrera, 2/21)

On the opioid crisis and addiction —

Axios: America's Drug Overdose Crisis Has Profound Ripple Effects
More than 4 in 10 Americans personally know someone who has died of an overdose, and an estimated 13% of the population have had their lives disrupted as a result, according to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health. With more than 100,000 people dying from overdoses a year, America's drug crisis has undeniably altered millions of lives. But the study suggests that the epidemic's reach into American life has, if anything, been underestimated. (Owens, 2/22)

USA Today: More Americans Grieving As Overdose Deaths Mount, RAND Says
A survey by the nonprofit think tank RAND Corporation found that more than 40% of American adults know someone who died from an overdose and close to a third say that death disrupted their lives. The study authors noted that little is known about the impact of these deaths on extended families. ... The consequences of each overdose death are tripled and quadrupled by the impact they have on friends and family, said Justin Phillips, founder and CEO of Overdose Lifeline. (Cuevas 2/21)

North Carolina Health News: Public Health Officials Say Sports Betting Legalization Will Lead To Uptick In Gambling Addiction
It might be better if some things that happen in Vegas don’t stay there. Public health researchers say the betting mecca could share valuable lessons about the effects of sports gambling with states that are just now legalizing it. (Blythe, 2/22)

Also —

Newsweek: Forget 10k? Scientists Reveal How Many Steps Cut Senior Heart Failure Risk
There is no doubt that walking is associated with a mountain of health benefits, including reducing our risk of heart diseases, diabetes, dementia and certain cancers. However, studies have shown that the maximum risk reductions for all cause mortality can be seen after 8,800 daily steps, with maximum reduction in cardiovascular risk seen at 7,100 steps. ... But new research, published in the journal JAMA Cardiology, has shown that women over 60 can see significant improvements in heart health after just 3,000 daily steps. (2/21)

Los Angeles Times: Actually, Compartmentalizing Can Be Good For You
Lynn Bufka isn’t sure how she’s going to get through the next nine months. The licensed psychologist, stress expert and spokesperson for the American Psychological Association usually watches the news on TV each morning. But with a contentious presidential election coming up, lately she’s been reluctant to pick up the remote. “I don’t want to hear anything about the election and it’s only January,” she said in an interview last month. “Even as a psychologist I’m trying to think through how best to manage it.” (Netburn, 2/21)

Axios: Dunkin' SPARKD' Energy Drinks Launch Nationwide Despite Panera Controversy
Dunkin' has introduced new fruit-flavored energy drinks that contain slightly less caffeine than Panera Bread's Charged Lemonades, which led to lawsuits over customer deaths. Heavily caffeinated beverages like energy drinks are growing in popularity but can carry health risks. (Tyko, 2/22)

CIDRAP: US Study: Disparities In Death Rates Persist After Acute Phase Of Pandemic
A new research letter in JAMA Network Open demonstrates that pre-COVID disparities in all-cause mortality have largely persisted after the acute phase of the pandemic, as patterns have largely returned to baseline. The study examined annualized age-standardized death rates (ASDRs) among major demographic groups in the United States from March 2018 through May 2023. Sex, race and ethnicity, metropolitan status, and region were all considered. (Soucheray, 2/21)

CIDRAP: Paxlovid Use Tied To 84% Lower Risk Of Hospital Care
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill investigators report today that COVID-19 hospitalization risk was reduced by 84% among Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) recipients in a large, diverse healthcare system during January to August 2022, when the Omicron strain was dominant. The study appears in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Paxlovid is authorized for use in US patients 12 years and older at risk for developing severe outcomes from COVID-19 infections. (Soucheray, 2/21)

In other research and innovation news —

Stat: Study Fuels Hope CAR-T Cell Therapy Could Treat Autoimmune Disease
People with autoimmune disorders don’t usually get to talk about a cure. There’s symptom management, hopeful periods of remission often followed by relapses, but rarely a lasting fix for the way their immune system attacks healthy cells. If the immune system is an army, then those with conditions like lupus, multiple sclerosis, or rheumatoid arthritis are often fighting a never-ending war of friendly fire. (Gaffney, 2/21)

AP: Silent Brain Changes Precede Alzheimer's. Researchers Have New Clues About Which Come First
Alzheimer’s quietly ravages the brain long before symptoms appear and now scientists have new clues about the dominolike sequence of those changes — a potential window to one day intervene. A large study in China tracked middle-aged and older adults for 20 years, using regular brain scans, spinal taps and other tests. Compared to those who remained cognitively healthy, people who eventually developed the mind-robbing disease had higher levels of an Alzheimer’s-linked protein in their spinal fluid 18 years prior to diagnosis, researchers reported Wednesday. (Neergaard, 2/21)

Stat: Antivenom Research: Lessons From HIV Applied In Search For Universal Antidote
Antivenom, like Mexican Coke or grandma’s cookies, is still made the old-fashioned way. In antivenom’s case, the recipe is straightforward: Pump a horse full of sub-lethal doses of venom from various local snakes, wait for them to develop an immune response, tap their blood, purify out antibodies, bottle, and freeze. (Mast, 2/21)

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Staffing Not Meeting Demand Despite 2023 Hiring Gains
The healthcare industry has significantly increased its staffing over the past few years, returning overall employment levels to pre-pandemic trend lines and leading other sectors in job growth. It’s a monumental accomplishment, but experts say these gains aren’t nearly enough to offset healthcare’s understaffing woes. With employee turnover, clinician retirement and health systems building more facilities to meet the service demands of an aging patient population, industry job openings still vastly outnumber the staff available to fill them. (Devereaux, 2/21)

KFF Health News: Health Care Workers Push For Their Own Confidential Mental Health Treatment
States are redefining when medical professionals can get mental health treatment without risking notifying the boards that regulate their licenses. Too often, health care workers wait to seek counseling or addiction treatment, causing their work and patient care to suffer, said Jean Branscum, CEO of the Montana Medical Association, an industry group representing doctors. “They’ve invested so much time in their career,” Branscum said. “To have anything jeopardize that is a big worry on their mind.” (Houghton, 2/22)

In other industry news —

Modern Healthcare: ACOs, Nursing Homes Collaborate On Proposal For CMS
Better integrating nursing homes into accountable care organizations could lead to significant Medicare savings, but would also require tweaks to ACOs or new value-based care tests, according to a trade organization report released Wednesday. Only about 2,000 nursing homes are participating in ACOs. But a white paper, published by the American Health Care Association and the National Association of ACOs, said nursing homes could play a critical role in value-based care. (Eastabrook, 2/21)

Reuters: Change Healthcare Network Hit By Cybersecurity Attack
UnitedHealth Group-owned (UNH.N), opens new tab Change Healthcare said on its status page that it was hit by a cybsecurity attack on its systems on Wednesday, saying the disruption will last at least through the day. The Tennessee-based company, which is a national provider of healthcare cost transparency and consumer engagement solutions, said it was facing enterprise-wide connectivity issues that started at 05:05 ET (10:05 GMT). (2/22)

The New York Times: Duke Shuts Down Huge Plant Collection, Causing Scientific Uproar
Duke University has decided to close its herbarium, a collection of 825,000 specimens of plants, fungi and algae that was established more than a century ago. The collection, one of the largest and most diverse in the country, has helped scientists map the diversity of plant life and chronicle the impact of humans on the environment. The university’s decision has left researchers reeling. (Zimmer, 2/21)

Stat: Dario To Buy Mental Health App Maker Twill In Cash And Stock Deal
DarioHealth, which makes apps for managing chronic diseases, today announced it will acquire digital mental health company Twill for $10 million in cash plus stock valued at over $20 million at the end of Tuesday trading. The move is a bet that a consolidated offering can attract a critical mass of large customers in a market where profits have been elusive. (Aguilar, 2/21)

Modern Healthcare: HCSC Bets On Medicare Advantage With Cigna Deal
Financial and regulatory challenges in Medicare Advantage aren't stopping Health Care Service Corp. from diving deeper into its suddenly murky waters. Industry leaders UnitedHealth Group and Humana, along with other carriers such as Centene, Molina Healthcare and CVS Health subsidiary Aetna, recently disclosed that their Medicare Advantage operations are under financial strain amid higher-than-expected medical expenses, federal policies to constrain spending and promote quality, and a looming payment cut. (Berryman, 2/21)

Reuters: Teladoc Slides On 'Anemic' 2024 Sales Forecast
Shares of Teladoc Health (TDOC.N), opens new tab slumped 20% after the biggest publicly listed telehealth firm forecast 2024 sales below expectations on sluggish demand for its online mental health platform. At least two analysts said while the company managed to improve its margin in the fourth quarter, the weaker sales forecast for this year highlighted continued challenges in demand for its online mental health platform, BetterHelp. (2/21)

Reuters: Icahn Enterprises Warns Of Drop In Asset Value, Names Insider Teno CEO
Icahn Enterprises (IEP.O), opens new tab on Wednesday warned of a sequential decline in its indicative net asset value in the fourth quarter, sending shares of the investment firm, which named insider Andrew Teno as its CEO, down 11%. The drop in a key metric that gauges the value of a fund's assets adds more pressure on IEP's stock, which saw a selloff last year after short seller Hindenburg Research bet against the firm. (2/21)

Modern Healthcare: Community Health Systems Plots $1 Billion In Facility Sales
Community Health Systems may sell more than $1 billion of facilities in the next few years as it tries to improve its bottom line. The possible divestitures are in a handful of markets, and at least one is expected to close by the end of the year, President and Chief Financial Officer Kevin Hammons told analysts on Wednesday's fourth-quarter earnings call. (hudson, 2/21)

Modern Healthcare: Walgreens To Close VillageMD Clinics In Florida, Exit Market
Walgreens is closing its remaining VillageMD primary care clinics in Florida.Clinics in the Tampa and Orlando areas will close on March 15 as the company exits the Florida market, a company spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. VillageMD's website lists about 40 clinic locations in Florida, all co-located with Walgreens stores. VillageMD plans to support patients by providing them with resources on other care sites and how to access their medical records, the spokesperson said. (Hudson, 2/21)

Minnesota Public Radio: Closure Of Fergus Falls Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit Faces Local Opposition
Tensions ran high during a Minnesota Department of Health public hearing Wednesday over Lake Region Healthcare’s decision to close the Bridgeway inpatient behavioral health unit in Fergus Falls. LRH leaders cited staffing shortages, rising costs and a decline in patient numbers for ending the service. The hospital will continue to provide outpatient mental health services but now plans to partner with other inpatient units in the region, including one in Fargo, N.D. (Eagle III, 2/21)

Reuters: Emergent Appoints Former Bausch + Lomb CEO To Head Company
Emergent BioSolutions (EBS.N), opens new tab said on Wednesday it has named former Bausch + Lomb (BLCO.TO), opens new tab CEO Joseph Papa to the top job as the company, which makes the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan, aims to return to revenue growth. Shares of Emergent rose more than 10% before the bell. Papa has 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry. (Santhosh, 2/21)

Modern Healthcare: McDonough District Hospital CEO Brian Dietz Resigns
Brian Dietz resigned Tuesday as president and CEO of McDonough District Hospital in Macomb, Illinois, the hospital said. Dietz was suspended with pay by the hospital's board Dec. 28 amid an internal investigation into unspecified allegations. The suspension was set to end Feb. 5, but was extended to Tuesday for unspecified reasons. (DeSilva, 2/21)

Obituaries —

The Washington Post: Jonathan Uhr, Immunologist Who Advanced Cancer Treatment, Dies At 96 
Jonathan W. Uhr, a medical researcher who expanded the field of immunology with studies that helped explain how antibodies work, led to a therapy that effectively eradicated a blood disorder that could be fatal for newborns, and opened promising new avenues in the treatment of cancer, died Feb. 15 at a hospice center in Dallas. He was 96. He had prostate cancer, said his wife, Ginger Uhr. (Langer, 2/21)

The New York Times: Hydeia Broadbent, H.I.V. And AIDS Activist, Dies At 39
Hydeia Broadbent, who was born with H.I.V. and as a child became a leading voice in raising awareness about the virus and AIDS, died on Tuesday at her home in Las Vegas. She was 39. Her father, Loren Broadbent, confirmed the death. No cause was given. Ms. Broadbent was 6 years old when she began sharing her struggle with H.I.V. on television programs, aiming to educate the public amid an epidemic that produced panic and stigma around AIDS, according to her website. (Mayorquin, 2/21)

AP: Georgia Has The Nation's Only Medicaid Work Requirement. Mississippi Could Be Next
After years of refusing to expand Medicaid, some of Mississippi’s Republican leaders now say they are open to the policy — if they can require new enrollees to have a job. That approach could hinge on presidential politics and an ongoing legal battle in Georgia. In a statement to The Associated Press, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said Mississippi must consider all options to improve its labor force participation rate and poor health outcomes, both of which are among the worst in the country. (Goldberg, 2/21)

Chicago Sun-Times: Illinois Budget Proposal Would Erase $1 Billion In Medical Debt
Following Cook County’s lead, Gov. J.B. Pritzker will propose investing $10 million of federal funds in his budget to erase more than $1 billion in medical debt for Illinois residents. It’s a formula being proposed in New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut and other counties and cities across the country. But Cook County in 2022 became the first local government in the nation to enact the program. (Sfondeles, 2/21)

WFSU: Coaches In Florida May Soon Be Required To Take And Maintain CPR Training
According to the American Heart Association, each year more than 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital in the United States — with 7,000 of them suffered by minors. Because of this, state Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, proposed legislation (SB 830) Thursday to bring more lifesaving policies to Florida's schools. (Andrews, 2/21)

Side Effects Public Media: As More Rural Hospitals Stop Delivering Babies, Some Are Determined To Make It Work
At a time when many rural hospitals continue to make the tough choice to shutter their obstetrics units and stop delivering babies, Iowa Specialty Hospital’s OB unit is thriving. Jenn Mewes steps around construction equipment into Iowa Specialty’s brand new labor and delivery room in Clarion, Iowa. The new room is equipped with a bathtub, a refrigerator and a nursery to take care of the newborn. (Krebs, 2/21)

AP: Amid Fentanyl Crisis, Oregon Lawmakers Propose More Funding For Opioid Addiction Medication In Jails
Kendra Sawyer spoke with her dad from the Deschutes County jail and told him she loved him. Six hours later, in the throes of opioid withdrawal, the 22-year-old took her own life. ... Oregon jails could soon see a rise in the number of inmates struggling with opioid addiction like Kendra, if efforts are successful during this legislative session to roll back Measure 110, the state’s first-in-the-nation drug decriminalization law that legalized the possession of “personal use” amounts of illicit drugs such as heroin. In response, state lawmakers from both parties are pushing for more funding for medications used to treat opioid addiction in jails. (Rush, 2/22)

The New York Times: Oklahoma’s Anti-Trans Law Draws Scrutiny After Nex Benedict’s Death
A 16-year-old student in a small Oklahoma town outside Tulsa died after what the police said was a “physical altercation” in a high school bathroom, drawing outrage from gay and transgender rights groups who said the student was attacked because of their gender identity.The student, Nex Benedict, who often used the pronouns they and them, told relatives that they did not see themselves as strictly male or female. Under an Oklahoma law passed in 2022, students must use the bathrooms that align with their birth gender. (Goodman and Sandoval, 2/21)

NPR: N.C. Hospital Sues An 18-Year-Old Quadriplegic To Make Her Leave
From her hospital bed, Alexis Ratcliff asks a question: "What 18-year-old gets sued?" ... When she refused to move to the distant nursing home, the hospital sued her for trespass. The standoff in North Carolina shows the failure of states across the country to adequately address the long-term-care needs of younger people with complex disabilities. This year marks the 25th anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion that found states have an obligation to help people with disabilities — young and old — live, whenever possible, in their own homes and not in institutions like hospitals and nursing homes. (Shapiro, 2/22)

Kansas City Star: Family Of Hospital CEO Sues University Of Chicago Hospital
The death of a former hospital CEO could have been prevented, an Illinois lawsuit said. The family of Ruth Colby is suing the University of Chicago and her surgeon after complications from heart surgery led to Colby’s death, the lawsuit said. (Linderman, 2/21)

CIDRAP: New Guidelines Recommend Fecal Microbiota Transplant, Related Therapies For Most Patients With Recurrent C Diff 
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released new guidelines on the use of fecal microbiota-based therapies for adults with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). (Dall, 2/21)

CIDRAP: Study Spotlights Lower HPV Vaccine Uptake In Higher-Income Groups 
Parents with higher socioeconomic status say they're less likely than lower-income groups to vaccinate their children against human papillomavirus (HPV), and reasons for hesitancy vary between the groups, according to a new research study. (Schnirring, 2/21)

ScieneDaily: Link Between High Levels Of Niacin -- A Common B Vitamin -- And Heart Disease, Study Suggests 
Researchers have identified a new pathway that contributes to cardiovascular disease associated with high levels of niacin, a common B vitamin previously recommended to lower cholesterol. (Cleveland Clinic, 2/19)

ScienceDaily: Heart Attack Significantly Increases Risk Of Other Health Conditions 
Having a heart attack significantly increases the risk of developing other serious long-term health conditions, a major new study shows. (University of Leeds, 2/16)

CNN: Alabama Embryo Ruling Could Set A Precedent For Other Conservative States
The Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday will transform infertility care across the state, potentially setting the stage for a ruling that a fetus or even an embryo outside the womb holds constitutional rights. The ruling is a reminder of how important fetal personhood is becoming for both the antiabortion movement and the Republican Party — and of its potentially drastic consequences. In the United States today, recognizing the value of an embryo or fetus sets a precedent that no state can permit access to abortion — and that anyone who chooses abortion may be committing a crime. (Mary Ziegler, 2/21)

Chicago Tribune: Women Shouldn't Be Denied The Option Of IVF
In Alabama, the state Supreme Court last week ruled that frozen embryos are children and have the same legal rights as other “unborn children.” Justice Greg Cook, who offered a dissenting opinion, wrote that the decision “almost certainly ends” IVF in Alabama. This is an unjust ruling that takes away a reproductive right from women. (Michael Frerichs, 2/22)

USA Today: My Last Embryo In Alabama Has 'Personhood.' Will IVF Be Possible?
We have been unsure about when or how we wanted to grow our family again, but this astounding court decision may have drastically limited our options moving forward. By conferring personhood status on our last frozen embryo, these seven judges have made us wonder if we can be charged with murder if we try to implant it but the pregnancy does not succeed. (Brittany Stuart, 2/22)

Newsweek: The Dangers Of Cleaning Products We Don't Discuss 
An increased culture of self-sanitization and assiduous cleaning that was ushered in somewhat abruptly in the first few months of 2020 has set a new norm that is here to stay. And given the intensity and impact of the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic over the last few years, understandably so. (Jose Luis Rodriguez Gil, 2/21)

Bloomberg: The World Can't Abandon The Fight Against Malaria
Over the past two decades, the fight against malaria has been among the biggest success stories in global health. Campaigns to prevent and treat infections, particularly in Africa, have saved an estimated 11 million lives since 2000, the vast majority of them young children. Yet that progress has recently stalled — and in some countries, new cases are surging again. (2/22)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Gene Therapy Can't Cure Deafness Because It Doesn't Need To Be Cured
The CHOP trial is one of five across the globe, all aimed at restoring hearing. Being the first such trial in the U.S., the news media and medical community heaped praise on the experiment, but this is only one side of the story. (Sara Novic, 2/21)

Stat: A Solution To The After-Hours Primary Care Problem
One of us, Jeffrey M., is on weekend call for our office-based internal medicine practice. It is midafternoon, and a patient leaves a message with our answering service — she is concerned about her mother’s respiratory symptoms. So, Jeffrey interrupts his late lunch and rings her back. As she explains that her 96-year-old mother has a harsh cough and nasal congestion, he hears both the facts and the worry in her voice. After a moment or two of symptom description, she says that her deepest concern is preventing a visit to the hospital that she knows will be disruptive, frightening, and risky. (Jeffrey Millstein and Jeffrey Tokazewski, 2/22)

The Tennessean: Nix Old Health Care Law And Lower Prices For Tennessee Patients
In an already appropriately and highly regulated industry, Tennessee’s certificate of need (CON) law requires health care providers to obtain approval from the state before adding or expanding health care facilities, services, or equipment. The law empowers state bureaucrats, rather than patients’ needs, to determine what health care services are available and prevents providers from offering care they otherwise would. (Tori Venable and Thomas Kimbrell, 2/21)

Los Angeles Times: Commentary: I’m An American Doctor Who Went To Gaza. What I Saw Wasn’t War - It Was Annihilation
In late January, I left my home in Virginia, where I work as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and joined a group of physicians and nurses traveling to Egypt with the humanitarian aid group MedGlobal to volunteer in Gaza. I have worked in other war zones. But what I witnessed during the next 10 days in Gaza was not war - it was annihilation. (Irfan Galaria, 2/21)