Editor's Note The median hospital margin of 3.8% for April is an improvement over the previous month and year-over-year, according to the latest National Hospital Flash Report from Kaufman Hall. Compiled by Kaufman and Syntellis Performance Solutions (now part of Strata), the monthly report analyzes 3 years’ worth of both…
Editor's Note Change Healthcare is responsible for notifying affected parties about privacy breaches resulting from the February cyberattack on the company, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced May 31. The announcement took the form of an update to an FAQ webpage from HHS’ Office for Civil…
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated OptumHealth Care Solutions’ recall of the Nimbus II ambulatory infusion pumps a class 1, the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death. According to the agency’s May 30 announcement, the company recalled the pumps in direct…
Editor's Note A nearly 2-year drop in global life expectancy from 2019 to 2021 indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic effectively erased decade of progress, according to The World Health Organization’s 2024 World Health Statistics report. According to May 24 Healio report on WHO’s findings, global life expectancy dropped by 1.8…
Editor's Note Florida became the first US state to permit doctors to perform cesarean sections (C-sections) outside hospitals, siding with a private equity-owned physicians group advocating for cost reduction and a homier birthing environment, KFF Health News and HealthLeaders May 28 reports. However, the hospital industry and the American College…
Editor's Note Colorado is the first state in naton to pass legislation regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in pivotal decision-making, including in healthcare, according to a May 22 report in Politico. The new law has sparked significant debate, according to the report, with some viewing it as a…
Editor's Note Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic diabetes treatment and Wegovy weight-loss treatment, outperformed a placebo and demonstrated capacity to reduce risk of death from kidney-related or cardiovascular causes in a recent study of patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease spearheaded by manufacturer Novo Nordisk. Published…
Editor's Note A choking hazard prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to designate Vyaire Medical’s recall of Twin Tube sample lines—critical components of the Vyntus CPX system—as Class 1, the most serious category of recall indicating a risk of serious injury or death. According to the agency’s May…
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated the recall of Hologic Inc.’s BioZorb Marker a class 1, indicating a risk of serious injury or death. BioZorb is an implantable radiographic marker used to mark soft tissue (such as breast tissue) for future medical procedures. Provided sterile…
Editor's Note A joint letter from the American Medical Association (AMA) and more than 100 medical organizations asks Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to confirm that providers do not bear responsibility for legal reporting requirements for information stolen in the Change Healthcare cyberattack, including personal patient data.…