Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Atrium To Invest $340M In Mental Healthcare With Addition Of Behavioral Health Hospital In Charlotte
It’s one of several recent projects that aims to address the state’s shortage of psychiatric beds. (Crouch, 10/17)
BayCare has opened a $33 million proton therapy center at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, adding another option for cancer patients in the Tampa Bay region who need the radiation treatment. (Mayer, 10/16)
DispatchHealth is scaling back clinical services offered through its emergency department alternative program. The home care company confirmed the change Friday, which affects six health system partners and resulted in job losses for an undisclosed number of DispatchHealth employees. (Eastabrook, 10/16)
As the year comes to a close, the nation's physician associates (PAs) are looking forward to pursuing their state legislative agenda for 2027, including easing scope-of-practice restrictions. "What's interesting about state practice laws and licensure is they're not a partisan issue," said Chantell Taylor, chief of public affairs and advocacy at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), during an online interview at which a press person was present. "Even though the midterms will shape health policy top to bottom, there won't be a ton of shift in our priorities or our coalition partners. Practice modernization and the healthcare workforce don't tend to fall into a partisan camp." (Frieden, 10/16)
Health systems are increasingly selling their real estate to ease financial pressure and fuel expansion, and regulators are pushing back. Health systems are seeking relief from higher costs and lower reimbursement by selling the buildings and land that house their hospital and outpatient facilities. Those deals provide an immediate capital infusion to shore up finances and fund growth, but can expose providers to higher long-term costs as buyers become more selective and state and federal policymakers increase oversight. (Kacik, 10/16)
Before it won a lucrative government contract, iMPROve Health’s very future was in question. The Michigan-based nonprofit lost over $2 million in 2022 alone — over a third of its revenue — on top of losses in previous years. There were budget cuts; it ditched the office, went remote, and even discussed selling the company. (Bannow, 10/19)
