5 ways to expand a hospital vertically without disrupting care
(Building Design + Construction – February 19, 2026)

Urban hospital campuses are running out of space. Many are also running out of patience for expansions that add square footage but fail to improve how care is delivered day to day. When Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital needed to expand emergency and cardiovascular services at its 700-bed flagship facility in Roanoke, Va., the system had one final development option: a steep, two-acre parcel with a 40-foot grade change, limited access points, and an existing emergency department (ED) that could not shut down.

A “GPS” for a Safer, Smarter Way to Repair Your Heart
(UVA Health – February 19, 2026)

When you need a procedure to fix your heart or blood vessels, you want the most advanced tools in the hands of leading experts. Some heart procedures, called endovascular procedures, can diagnose or treat your heart disease from the inside. That means we need special tools that allow us to see into your body in real-time to be successful. Endovascular procedures are often safer than traditional surgery because they only they use small tubes, called catheters, to move around your body and work on targeted areas. The result is less scarring and a quicker recovery.

At the Heart of Health: How a senior executive assistant became a champion for students facing food insecurity
(VCU Health – February 19, 2026)

Janet Wooten was checking on the contents of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Pharmacy pantry on the first floor of the Smith Building around 7:30 a.m. — a ritual she does every day — when a student came up to her, smiling from ear to ear. “I am so grateful for what you are doing for us,” he said, nodding toward the rows of shelf-stable pantry items in the kitchenette. This isn’t a random student or a random compliment. Wooten has students approach her and even offer to help stock the shelves on a consistent basis. Working with the Little Ram Pantry is about far more than food for Wooten. It’s about dignity and belonging – making sure every student feels cared for by their community.

Get On Board Workforce Program
(Valley Health – February 20, 2026)

Horizon Goodwill and Valley Health continue to work together through the Get On Board program to help residents in our region prepare for steady employment. The program is supported in part by a Valley Health Community Partnership Grant. This support reflects our commitment to strengthen the local workforce and promote long‑term economic stability across Virginia and West Virginia. The program recently reached an important milestone with the hiring of its first Valley Health participant. Tyler Pender completed the job‑readiness training offered through Horizon Goodwill and joined the Nutrition Services team after a structured onboarding process that provides guidance throughout his early employment experience.

How Carilion’s transfer center is revolutionizing patient care
(WSLS – February 19, 2026)

10 News community reporter Bella Walser is taking us inside Carilion’s Transfer and Communications Center, where a dedicated team works around the clock to make sure every patient gets the care they need!

NEWS: Mary Washington, Stafford Hospitals Recognized for Outpatient Service
(FXBG Advance – February 19, 2026)

Both Mary Washington and Stafford hospitals were recently recognized as one of “America’s Best Hospitals for Outpatient Experience” by the Women’s Choice Award®. Mary Washington scored 82% for outpatient experience, while Stafford Hospital scored 85%.Those scores place Mary Washington in the top 9% of hospitals nationally for outpatient experience; Stafford Hospital’s score places it in the top 5% nationally.

The King’s Daughters Milk Depot is now open at CHoR, adding another option for those with extra milk to share the health
(Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU – February 20, 2026)

After months of planning, the ribbon was cut on the first milk depot in the state, making it possible for milk donors in the Richmond area to drop off their donations, where our team members will pack and ship the lifesaving liquid to The King’s Daughters Milk Bank at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. While donors are still welcome to ship their own donations directly to CHKD, the establishment of the depot at CHoR offers an alternative to busy parents.

UVA scientific research inspires CHS students’ art at Creator’s Hub
(CBS 19 News – February 20, 2026)

Local students are turning science into art at the Creator’s Hub with support from UVA researchers for the collaborative Magnify Art Show’s opening night Feb. 20th. The project began when researchers shared their scientific work with Charlottesville High School students. The students then transformed the research into visual art. Organizers say many of the pieces are inspired by the brain. “What students really connected with was we have one volunteer scientist who does EEG research — a way to measure brain waves. We actually let them have an EEG on their head and think of things that are stress or fun and you can actually see the brainwaves change in response to what you’re thinking about. So, I think that was one of the inspirations of the art that we have,” said Alyssa Luz-Ricca from the UVA neuroscience graduate program.

VHHA Patients Come First Podcast – Dr. Ara Maranian
(Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association – February 22, 2026)

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Ara Maranian, an interventional cardiologist at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas. He joins us for a conversation about his work, heart health, cardiac catheterization and STEMI, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

Maine hospitals raise alarms about tax changes and funding cuts in Janet Mills’ proposed budget
(The Piscataquis Observer – February 19, 2026)

Representatives from Maine’s two largest hospital systems are warning that tax changes proposed by Gov. Janet Mills could further destabilize an already financially fragile system. The Mills administration has proposed changes as part of the governor’s supplemental budget that would reduce provider payments to hospitals by nearly $11 million during the current fiscal year and by more than $24 million per fiscal year moving forward.

Maryland Mumps Cases Surge In 2026, Nearly Tripling The 2025 Total
(The Baltimore Sun – February 19, 2026)

Maryland has reported six times as many mumps cases in early 2026 as it did all of last year, with most infections concentrated in the Baltimore metropolitan area, state health officials said Thursday.

Mississippi hospital system closes all clinics after ransomware attack
(Yahoo News – February 20, 2026)

A ransomware attack forced the University of Mississippi Medical Center to close all of its roughly three dozen clinics around the state and cancel elective procedures for a second day on Friday, hobbling one of Mississippi’s largest healthcare providers. University officials warned that the shutdown could continue for days as they try to evaluate the extent of the attack and restore network systems they took down as a precaution.

NYC’s largest nurse strike: Tentative agreement in place for NewYork-Presbyterian nurses
(Fierce Healthcare – February 20, 2026)

The 4,200 nurses who still remain on strike announced Feb. 20 a tentative agreement with NewYork-Presbyterian that will go to ratification vote this weekend. The accord comes after six weeks of demonstrations and was characterized as a victory by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). Its topline terms are similar to those secured about two weeks prior by their fellow union members at other New York City hospitals. They include enforceable staffing standards, preserved health benefits and salary increases of more than 12% across the three-year contract, per the union.

Utah’s measles outbreak reaches 300 cases
(CIDRAP – February 19, 2026)

Utah has confirmed 300 measles cases in an ongoing outbreak, with the virus now spreading in Salt Lake County and new exposures at high schools in that county, according to an update yesterday from the Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD). “The first measles symptoms are often cold- or flu-like, with cough, runny nose, red/watery eyes, and fever, so you may think you have a common respiratory illness and can continue engaging in normal activities,” said Dorothy Adams, executive director of SLCoHD. “But please stay home if you have any signs of illness, especially now that we know measles is actively circulating in our community.”

Wisconsin passes expanded Medicaid for moms, would leave Arkansas as only state without it
(Associated Press – February 19, 2026)

Women in Wisconsin will soon be eligible to receive expanded Medicaid coverage for up to a year after giving birth following near-unanimous passage of a measure Thursday by the Wisconsin Assembly that would leave Arkansas as the only state yet to expand such benefits. Wisconsin Democrats, and even most Republicans, have pushed for years to expand Medicaid coverage for new mothers, only to be blocked by powerful Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Vos had argued that he opposed expanding welfare programs, but he relented late Wednesday.

When It Comes to Health Insurance, Federal Dollars Support More Than ACA Plans
(KFF Health News – February 20, 2026)

Subsidies. Love ’em or hate them, they dominated the news during the Affordable Care Act’s sign-up season, and their reduction is now hitting many enrollees in the pocketbook. While lawmakers continue to disagree on a way forward, and the politics of affordability keeps the issue front and center, it would be understandable to think these are the only taxpayer-funded health insurance subsidies in the U.S. system. But that would be wrong.

Change Healthcare breach: The cyberattack’s impact 2 years later
(Modern Healthcare – February 19, 2026) SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED

It’s been two years since a cyberattack against Change Healthcare roiled healthcare, exposing data on 190 million consumers and demonstrating the vulnerabilities of an industry so reliant on one vendor.

Studies suggest COVID vaccination in pregnancy cuts risk of preeclampsia, doesn’t cause miscarriage
(CIDRAP – February 19, 2026)

Two studies examined the effects of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy, with one estimating that full vaccination and a booster dose reduce the risk of preeclampsia (PE) by 15% and 33%, respectively, and the other finding no elevated risk of miscarriage before 20 weeks’ gestation among pregnant or soon-to-be-pregnant recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.

The overdose crisis is shrinking — and mutating
(Axios – February 20, 2026)

Overdose deaths are falling, but America’s illicit drug supply is re-engineering itself into lethal cocktails: fentanyl plus stimulants, sedatives, and novel synthetics that hide in party powders and pressed pills. Why it matters: Those polydrug blends — nicknamed “pink cocaine,” “rhino tranq,” “benzo-dope” and others — are harder to detect, harder to reverse, harder to message against and can even result in the loss of limbs.

To streamline workflows, listen to clinicians
(Healthcare Finance News – February 20, 2026)

Dr. Michael Zappa, chief clinical officer at Cape Fear Valley Health and physician advisor at Juno Health, says leaders should ask clinicians which administrative tasks take time away from patient care and determine how those tasks can be automated.

Using saliva to detect disease holds promise, but it’s not perfected yet
(NPR – February 20, 2026)

The saliva circulating in your mouth contains troves of microbial information about the rest of your body and is easier to collect than blood samples. Today, a few drops of spit can help detect viruses like HIV and the one that causes COVID-19, or assess genetic risks for breast cancer. Within a few years, experts say, similar tests might be available to diagnose other diseases, such as diabetes or prostate cancer. “It would be great to treat on a preventative basis rather than on a reactive basis,” says Wallace Bellamy, a dentist in Sacramento, Calif., and president of the National Dental Association, which promotes health equity.

16 NIH Institutes Have No Permanent Directors
(MedPage Today – February 19, 2026)

During President Donald Trump’s first term, former National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Director Jeremy Berg, PhD, said he and other former NIH officials worried about what he called a “nightmare scenario” — that all institute and center directors could be dismissed at once. That didn’t happen. But a more gradual version of it may now be unfolding.

CMS to launch federal directory of hospitals, physicians
(Becker’s Hospital Review – February 20, 2026)

CMS said in a Feb. 18 document it plans to “beta launch” a national directory of Medicare Advantage providers, including hospitals and physicians. MA organizations are only required to supply current in-network providers and facilities to CMS, according to the agency’s document. For years, healthcare industry stakeholders have called for a centralized, federal directory to combat inaccurate lists from insurers, also known as “ghost” networks and physicians.

FDA taps AI executive to lead digital health center
(STAT News – February 19, 2026)

The Food and Drug Administration has tapped a former executive from a health artificial intelligence company to lead its digital health center. Rick Abramson, formerly a chief medical officer at a subsidiary of Harrison.ai, which develops AI products to interpret radiological images, is the new director of the Digital Health Center of Excellence, according to two people familiar with the appointment. The move comes as the agency wrestles with the future regulation of AI.

Trump administration seeks to build alternative to WHO surveillance
(CIDRAP – February 20, 2026)

The Trump administration is reportedly working on plans to develop an alternative to the disease-surveillance and outbreak-response programs it previously had access to as a member of the World Health Organization (WHO). According to reporting by the Washington Post, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking up to $2 billion a year to build a worldwide disease-monitoring system that would “recreate systems such as laboratories, data-sharing networks, and rapid-response systems” that the United States once helped build for the WHO. The Post notes that the price tag is roughly three times the $680 million the US government contributed annually to the WHO before it left the organization.