Practice Management
New York health officials have now reported 5 deaths in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Harlem, which has affected at least 92 people since late July, according to a health department press release. More than a dozen people have also been hospitalized as of this week. Leaders confirm that 10 buildings in the area tested positive for live Legionella bacteria, including a city-run hospital and sexual health clinic, which have now completed remediation …
Read More
Adding a new urgent care rooftop represents a significant investment by a health system. At the same time, every new urgent care ideally opens up a reliable referral stream for the institution’s other services to boost patient volume. This has been the prevailing model for health systems, but some markets are now witnessing a shift toward joint ventures and acquisitions rather than new builds, according to a report in Modern Healthcare. Alan Ayers, MBA, MAcc, …
Read More
One year after approval, the nasal formulation of the flu vaccine is now available in 34 states for at-home use for individuals 2 through 49 years of age, according to an announcement. Consumers can order the FluMist nasal spray online directly from manufacturer AstraZeneca after completing a screening and assessment, and if appropriate, receive a prescription for home delivery of the self-administered vaccine. Consumers can also leverage their insurance benefits, according to the announcement. FluMist …
Read More
Recent updates to blood pressure (BP) guidelines published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology have lowered the threshold for initiating hypertension treatment among low-risk patients. According to the 2025 joint guideline from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, adults without clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) and with an estimated 10-year CVD risk below 7.5% should begin antihypertensive therapy if their average systolic BP remains at 130 mm Hg or …
Read More
Under the extreme temperatures in Maricopa County, Arizona, 35 heat-related deaths have been confirmed this year so far by the county medical examiner’s office. However, the real-world total is possibly much higher, according to an analysis by The Guardian. The state is on track to witness its hottest August on record with temperatures hitting at least 110°F nearly every day so far. In Philadelphia, 5 heat-related deaths have been confirmed, and Maryland’s Department of Health …
Read More
Children often experience less severe symptoms from the SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found that kids’ frequent rhinovirus infections may be at least one factor that offers protection from both the risk and severity of SARS-CoV-2. Participants in this 6-month study (May 2020-February 2021) who had rhinovirus in the previous 30 days had a 48% lower risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and, if infected, showed 9.6-fold lower viral loads (p=0.0031). …
Read More
In 2024, a total of 25 U.S. hospitals closed, as reported by Becker’s. Most of them cited changing community needs, rising operational costs, and evolving care models as reasons for ceasing operations. So far for this year, 19 hospitals have already closed, a pace that forecasts more unstable markets and unmet healthcare needs across the United States. Several hospitals included in this ongoing list have shuttered emergency departments, and all have produced job loss among …
Read More
In an analysis of 1 million online Yelp reviews across 138,605 U.S. healthcare providers, researchers identified patterns and words linked to patient satisfaction by leveraging machine learning. More than 46% of the reviews were negative (1-2 stars), and 50.1% were positive (4-5 stars). The mean (SD) rating was 3.1 stars, according to the study published in JAMA Network Open. Negative feedback often cited administrative problems (such as unfair payment and poor phone interactions), and positive …
Read More
GoHealth Urgent Care has announced another health system joint venture, this time with Community Health Network in central Indiana. As part of the deal, 6 existing Community MedCheck urgent care centers will transition later this year to the Community-GoHealth Urgent Care brand, according to a press release. Future growth through new rooftops is also part of the long-term strategy. Earlier this month, GoHealth announced a similar joint venture for 81 UPMC centers in Pennsylvania and …
Read More
It seems that artificial intelligence (AI) models can detect early acute systemic inflammation in response to viral respiratory tract infections (VRTIs) through biometric data collected from wearable devices, according to a small study published in Lancet Digital Health. In the prospective study, 55 healthy adults aged 18–59 years were monitored before and after receiving a live attenuated influenza vaccine, which simulated real-world infection. Participants continuously wore a smart ring, smart watch, and smart shirt, which …
Read More