Sentara Health Plans announces liaison program for Tidewater Region public schools
(Sentara – December 16, 2024)

Sentara Health Plans is partnering with the Tidewater Region’s public schools to introduce a pioneering program designed to address the social determinants of health affecting students. This initiative reflects the Health Plans’ commitment to fostering the overall health and well-being of students and their families by connecting them with vital community resources. Launched this summer, the pilot program assigns a dedicated liaison to public schools in the Virginia Department of Education’s Tidewater Region, working closely with school counselors, teachers, and administrators to create a tailored approach that meets the unique needs of each school and region. The liaison serves as a bridge, connecting students, parents, and school staff to educational and wellness support resources.

VCU student is first in America to graduate with new Ph.D
(WRIC – December 16, 2024)

Nadia Tasnim Ahmed, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, will soon become the first person in America to have a Ph.D in pharmaceutical engineering. According to the university, VCU launched the nation’s first pharmaceutical engineering Ph.D program in 2020 — and Ahmed became its first student. Her interest in medicine began in her home country of Bangladesh, where she earned her master’s degree in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Dhaka. She then earned a second master’s degree in pharmaceutical nanotechnology at the University of South Florida, after moving to the United States.

Ballad Health invests in cancer care with expansion of Johnson City cancer services
(Ballad Health – December 18, 2024)

In its ongoing commitment to increase access to quality oncology and hematology services in the Appalachian Highlands, Ballad Health is investing in an expansion of Ballad Health Cancer Care – Johnson City, enabling the health system to offer high-quality cancer treatment and hematology services to more patients close to home. The finished expansion will add exam rooms, physician offices and two new chemotherapy wings complete with private rooms. The first phase of the expansion is complete, which includes 11 additional exam rooms, a dedicated work area for clinicians, an expanded in-house pharmacy, three new physician offices and an expanded registration area.

What is a High-Risk Pregnancy and What to Expect
(Bon Secours – December 17, 2024)

Pregnancy is often an exciting and joyful time, but it can also bring concerns, especially when health issues arise. If you’ve been told that you have a high-risk pregnancy, it’s essential to understand what this means and how it will impact your experience.

Celebrating a Century of Excellence
(Centra – December 18, 2024)

From its founding on July 12, 1924, Virginia Baptist Hospital (VBH) established itself as a facility marked by hope and healing. Our centennial year has been a time to honor that legacy, celebrating the stories, milestones and people who have shaped our history. From pioneering achievements to community connections, this year-long commemoration highlighted VBH’s enduring commitment to innovation, excellence and compassionate care.

TriCities Hospital welcomes new chief medical officer
(HCA Virginia – December 15, 2024)

TriCities Hospital, part of the HCA Virginia Health System, is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Prakasam Kalluri as the new Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Kalluri is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a specialization in spine care. With extensive experience and a deep commitment to improving patient care and clinical excellence, he is expected to play a pivotal role in advancing the hospital’s healthcare services.

Rett Syndrome Discovery Could Lead to Better Treatment
(UVA Health – December 18, 2024)

Scientists investigating the severe developmental disorder known as Rett syndrome have discovered a series of crucial molecular changes that occur long before symptoms appear. The findings could be used to develop better treatments for the devastating, life-shortening condition, the researchers say.

Step into the season of unparalleled joy
(VCU Health – December 18, 2024)

This is a time of year when we come together, celebrating each other and the joy of the holiday season. The past year has been a strong one – Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health are reaching great heights as a public research university and academic health system, doing work that preserves and restores health for all people of Virginia and beyond through innovation in service, research, and education. That is only possible because of all of you who make our community VCU. We look forward to another great year to come. Now we invite you to celebrate with us, remembering that sometimes, the greatest joys are the ones we were not expecting.

Powerful collaborations help congenital heart disease patients thrive as adults
(VCU Health – December 17, 2024)

How many doctors does it take to heal a heart? Paula Peyton has been on a lifelong quest to find out. Paula’s medical journey began nearly 40 years ago, during what should have been a relaxing day trip to a beach in Virginia’s Tidewater region. Suddenly, out of nowhere — she fainted. Paula was rushed to a nearby hospital, revived, evaluated, and admitted, then released a few days later. While she was in the hospital, doctors said something might be wrong with her heart. Paula’s father, a dentist in Newport News at the time, encouraged her to follow up with a family friend who was a local cardiologist. What Paula learned next changed her life as she knew it.

Police swarm Colonial Heights nursing home. People placed in handcuffs.
(Brightgram – December 18, 2024)

Police removed multiple people from Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on Wednesday morning at the Ellerslie Avenue facility. CBS 6 senior reporter Wayne Covil was at the center and saw officers checking the driver’s licenses of individuals when they arrived for work. Some people were escorted out of the nursing home and taken to police headquarters, where Covil saw several people exit a police van in flexible handcuffs.

Hope and recovery: Personal journeys amid Mississippi’s opioid crisis
(News From The States – December 18, 2024)

As Mississippi grapples with the opioid epidemic, individuals and local organizations are leading efforts to fight addiction using personal experiences and acts of compassion to guide others toward recovery. Opioid-related overdose deaths in Mississippi in 2022 accounted for 78.4% of all overdose fatalities in the state, claiming 281 lives, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health. Mississippi pharmacies dispensed over 410,000 opioid doses daily on average, totaling 149 million doses in a year — equivalent to about 50 doses per resident, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.

Troubled California teens gain protections under a new law championed by Paris Hilton
(News From The States – December 18, 2024)

Beginning Jan. 1, hundreds of state-licensed residential treatment centers for children and youth up to age 21 operating in California must comply with a new law that brings greater transparency — particularly when they use restraints and seclusion rooms. After restraining a youth, or putting them in a seclusion room, the facility is required to provide a report to both the youth and to their parent or guardian. The report must include a description of the incident; which staff members were involved; the rationale behind their actions; how long the incident lasted; and other details.

Syringe exchange fears hobble fight against West Virginia HIV outbreak
(News From The States – December 18, 2024)

More than three years have passed since federal health officials arrived in central Appalachia to assess an alarming outbreak of HIV spread mostly between people who inject opioids or methamphetamine. Infectious disease experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a list of recommendations following their visit, including one to launch syringe service programs to stop the spread at its source. But those who’ve spent years striving to protect people who use drugs from overdose and illness say the situation likely hasn’t improved, in part because of politicians who contend that such programs encourage illegal drug use.

Educators’ mental health matters: ‘Not all of us are OK’
(News From The States – December 18, 2024)

In May 2024, something went wrong. I had difficulty concentrating and remembering things, and was frustrated and irritable. I felt like I wasn’t good enough. I struggled to plan engaging lessons for my students because I didn’t want to be engaged with anyone. I was also struggling to meet my professional deadlines and failing to get my paperwork turned in on time. I kept pushing through, believing I had to stay strong for my students and my family, until it all became overwhelming, and I attempted to end my own life. I am thankful every waking moment that I was not successful.

Ohio Senate committee approves child welfare bill, leaves out money to fund it
(News From The States – December 18, 2024)

The Ohio Senate Finance Committee approved long-awaited changes to child welfare processes and agencies in the state, but the bill no longer includes appropriations to fund provisions in the measure. Ohio House Bill 7 moved on from the committee on Tuesday, and may see a full Ohio Senate vote on Wednesday. The session on Wednesday could be one of the last of the year, meaning if the bill didn’t see passage, it would need to be reintroduced as new legislation in the new year.

New Colorado Gun Law Aims To Shore Up Victim Services
(KFF Health News – December 18, 2024)

Colorado’s new voter-approved gun initiative has a target unlike those of previous measures meant to reduce gun violence. The tax on guns and ammunition is meant to generate revenue to support cash-strapped victim services, and it’s an open question whether it will affect firearms sales.

Democratic Senators Ask Watchdog Agency To Investigate Georgia’s Medicaid Work Rule
(KFF Health News – December 18, 2024)

Three Democratic senators asked the country’s top nonpartisan government watchdog on Tuesday to investigate the costs of a Georgia program that requires some people to work to receive Medicaid coverage. The program, called “Georgia Pathways to Coverage,” is the nation’s only active Medicaid work requirement.

How a Duty To Spend Wisely on Worker Benefits Could Loosen PBMs’ Grip on Drug Prices
(KFF Health News – December 18, 2024)

Ann Lewandowski knows all about pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, the companies that shape the U.S. drug market. Her job, as a policy advocate at drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, was to tell patient and physician groups about the PBMs’ role in high drug prices. Armed with that knowledge, Lewandowski filed a potentially groundbreaking lawsuit in February. Rather than targeting the PBMs, however, she went after a big company that uses one — her own employer, Johnson & Johnson.

Rage Has Long Shadowed American Health Care. It’s Rarely Produced Big Change.
(KFF Health News – December 18, 2024)

Among the biggest-grossing films in America in February 2002 were a war drama about American troops in Somalia (“Black Hawk Down”), an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie (“Collateral Damage”), and a future Oscar winner about a brilliant mathematician struggling with schizophrenia (“A Beautiful Mind”). But none of these films topped the box office that month. That title went to “John Q.,” a movie about health insurance.

Navina, Agilon Health team up on clinical insights for primary care providers in at-risk contracts
(Fierce Healthcare – December 18, 2024)

Navina, a platform turning patient data into clinical insights, is teaming up with Agilon Health to help deliver additional insights to primary care docs at the point of care. Navina’s AI-driven platform helps providers get a complete picture of their patients’ health by pulling on structured and unstructured patient data from places like the electronic health record, health information exchanges and claims data. From there, it surfaces actionable insights, which the company says make clinical workflows more efficient. Navina’s platform will now support Agilon’s network of physician partners, made up of more than 2,800 PCPs.

AppliedVR’s home-based VR device delivers significant relief for high-impact chronic pain patients: study
(Fierce Healthcare – December 18, 2024)

AppliedVR continues to build out clinical evidence to support the use of immersive therapeutics to address chronic pain. The company’s flagship virtual reality device for chronic lower back pain delivered meaningful reductions in pain intensity for patients, particularly for high-impact chronic pain patients, according to a recent clinical study.

CDC confirms first case of severe bird flu
(The Hill – December 18, 2024)

A hospitalized patient in Louisiana is the first confirmed severe case of bird flu in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday. The case was confirmed Dec. 13. According to agency officials, the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. This is the first case of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. that has been linked to exposure to a backyard flock, the CDC said.

Congress reaches deal to partially blunt Medicare pay cut, ditches prior authorization reform
(Radiology Business – December 18, 2024)

Congress has cut a deal to partially blunt the physician Medicare pay cut set to take effect on Jan. 1. Lawmakers on Thursday revealed the continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown, which includes several provisions related to healthcare. Chief among them is a 2.5% temporary payment increase under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule “to account for exceptional circumstances,” according to the bill text. Without congressional action, radiologists and other physicians are slated to face a 2.8% cut to the conversion factor used to calculate payments. The Medical Group Management Association on Tuesday expressed frustration that lawmakers are not proposing to completely reverse the reduction.

Congress’ healthcare package: Key wins for hospitals, telehealth and physician pay
(Becker’s Healthcare – December 18, 2024)

Lawmakers have unveiled a sweeping government funding deal containing a significant healthcare package that would extend Medicare telehealth flexibilities, increase physician reimbursement rates and implement new regulations targeting pharmacy benefit managers, among other provisions. Congress is working to pass the 1,547-page continuing resolution to prevent the federal government from shutting down after funding runs out Dec. 20. The package includes authorization for the government to keep running through March 14, 2025.

Stopgap funding bill includes sweeping PBM reform, preserves telehealth flexibilities
(Healthcare Dive – December 18, 2024)

Legislators reached a bipartisan agreement to fund the federal government on Tuesday in a sweeping package that includes a number of important provisions for healthcare, including a two-year extension of Medicare’s telehealth flexibilities and payment relief for doctors. Yet, perhaps the most significant healthcare reforms in the stopgap funding bill released late Tuesday are changes to how controversial middlemen in the drug supply chain, called pharmacy benefit managers, do business.

Former HHS Secretary Tom Price’s vision for the second Trump administration
(Healthcare Dive – December 17, 2024)

In the next four years, block grants and work requirements could be back on the table for Medicaid. The Trump administration could revive skinny insurance plans restricted by the Obama and Biden regimes. And the government could crack down on price transparency, while slashing regulations in other areas like staffing mandates for nursing homes. Those are some predictions from former HHS Secretary Tom Price, the first leader of the massive health department during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term.