Practice Management
Prostate cancer rates have increased in recent years, especially in cases with advanced stages, according to the American Cancer Society as published in its CA flagship journal. Incidence grew at 3.0% annually from 2014 through 2021, just after a period of 6.4% annual decreases from 2007 through 2014. Over the past decade, late-stage disease has increased by 2.6% annually in men younger than 55 years, 6.0% annually in men aged 55–69 years, and 6.2% annually …
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved oral remibrutinib, a new drug product, as a second-line treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Remibrutinib has a unique mechanism to block the activity of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), stopping a key pathway of the immune response in CSU, according to a manufacturer press release. The condition is thought to be caused by immune dysregulation, and it is believed that once activated, BTK leads to the release …
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In California, a judge has ruled that nurses, nurse practitioners, and other clinical professionals with doctorate degrees cannot refer to themselves as “doctors.” Only physicians and surgeons can use the word “doctor” or the title “Dr.” before their names. The American Medical Association and other professional organizations have long held that only those with MD or DO credentials should be labeled as “doctors” to avoid confusion or misperception by patients. Who are you? This highly …
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A recent survey by WellNow Urgent Care across 5 states shows 90% of all adults are likely to consider going to an urgent care for minor medical emergencies or illnesses—highlighting urgent care’s convenience, after-hours care, and affordability. The survey also shows nearly two-thirds of mothers say cost is the primary factor influencing whether they seek care. Three-quarters of surveyed moms report using vacation days from work to attend medical appointments, and 57% say they have …
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A large study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that 99% of those who experience heart attacks and strokes have at least 1 of the 4 biggest risk factors. By tracking health records for more than a decade in more than 9.3 million adults in South Korea and nearly 7,000 adults in the United States, researchers found that virtually all subjects had at least 1 major cardiovascular risk factor beforehand, and …
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New provisional data shows 2024 was the third consecutive year of declines in the combined total number of cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The overall trend shows a 9% decline from the previous year’s case numbers. Even with that positive news, there were still more than 2.2 million reported sexually transmitted infections in 2024, and overall cases are 13% higher than a decade ago. Most …
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As of September 30, 2025, there have been a total of 1,324 human cases of West Nile virus reported in 42 states this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This compares with 1,791 cases for all of 2024, but it’s far below the 9,862 cases reported in 2003—the highest incidence across the past 25 years. Colorado has been particularly hard hit with 235 cases and 12 deaths this year, according …
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The last influenza season (2024–2025) was categorized as high-severity with more cases and hospitalizations than the previous 14 years. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also showing 109 rare cases of pediatric influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) occurred last year as well. Overall, 74% of IAE patients were admitted to an intensive care unit, and 19% died. Only 16% of vaccine-eligible IAE patients had received the 2024–2025 flu vaccine. Of the …
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Whether private equity (PE) is friend or foe in the healthcare market is still a subject of intense debate. A new study of emergency department (ED) visits published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine found that patient mortality and outside transfers increased in PE-owned hospitals once the hospital was acquired. These EDs experienced 7 additional deaths per 10,000 visits after acquisition relative to control (13.4% increase from a raw baseline of 52.4 deaths per 10,000; …
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Harbor Health, a startup primary-care and specialty group that also offers individual and employer health plans, announced it is acquiring 32 clinics from VillageMD, which is now in the middle of a breakup as part of the $10 billion acquisition of Walgreens by Sycamore Partners. Some of the acquired VillageMD locations include those within Walgreens stores. Harbor Health grew from 3 clinic locations in 2022 to 11 clinics most recently, including 3 that offer extended …
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