Donna Anthony, MPH, appointed president of Health Services for Children with Special Needs
(Children’s National Hospital – July 16, 2026)

Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN), part of Children’s National, has appointed Donna Anthony, MPH, as president. HSCSN is the contracted health plan for the District of Columbia’s Child and Adolescent Supplemental Security Income Program (CASSIP), providing managed care services to more than 5,000 children and young adults with special healthcare needs in Washington, D.C. Anthony will lead the organization’s strategy, operations and continued work to ensure enrollees receive high-quality, timely care and support services to best meet their needs.

Fauquier Health CEO Receives National Recognition – Again
(Fauquier Health – July 17, 2026)

Fauquier Health Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Segal, FACHE was named to the Becker’s Hospital Review “2026 Women Hospital CEOs to Know” list published this week. Made up of 236 women presidents and CEOs around the country, Becker’s Healthcare stated those listed are recognized for “driving growth, expanding access to care, and cultivating workplace cultures where providers and patients both thrived. Becker’s is proud to celebrate these exceptional women.”

Pandemic Prep: The work being done to stop infectious diseases
(WFXR – July 18, 2026)

To first understand how to stop a pandemic, or at least mitigate it, you first have to understand what an outbreak is. “An outbreak is when you have more than the expected number of cases,” says Dr. Thomas Kerkering, an infectious disease specialist with Carilion. “There’s always a baseline.”

Poor air quality can impact your health, even when you can’t see it
(VCU Health – July 17, 2026)

Wildfire season has returned to North America, sending smoke hundreds of miles across the country. While many people know to avoid wildfire smoke and take precautions on hazy days, there are other forms of air pollution we’re exposed to year-round, often on a daily basis.  ”You can still be exposed to air pollution even if you can’t see it,” said  Stephen Fong, Ph.D., director of the VCU Integrative Life Sciences doctoral program and a professor in the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering at the VCU College of Engineering. “The past few years have been some of the hottest on record, and while people have become more aware of the health impacts of extreme heat, we need to be cognizant that it can also worsen our air quality.”

UVA Health Prince William Medical Center Received Donations from Subaru Loves to Care®
(UVA Health – July 17, 2026)

UVA Health Prince William Medical Center received patient care blankets from Subaru of Sterling as part of the Subaru Loves to Care® initiative, a nationwide partnership with Blood Cancer United® (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) dedicated to providing comfort, encouragement, and support to individuals and families affected by blood cancer.

VHHA Patients Come First Podcast – Melissa Little
(Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association – July 19, 2026)

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features a conversation with Melissa Little, PhD, Director of the Center for Nicotine and Tobacco Research at the UVA School of Medicine. She joins us for a conversation about her work, attitudes towards smoking among Gen Z, how those trends may inform tobacco prevention efforts, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to pcfpodcast@vhha.com or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

Wash your veggies: A parasite causing cramps and diarrhea is on the rise in Virginia
(News from the States – July 17, 2026)

A parasite that causes intestinal trouble like diarrhea, cramps and bloating is spreading nationwide this summer, but Virginia’s Department of Health said this week there is no evidence to suggest an outbreak in the state. There were 37 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis as of July 4, officials said. Cyclospora, the microscopic parasite that causes it, is transferred to humans through contaminated fruits and vegetables. Authorities are still trying to pinpoint the source.  VDH risk communications manager Brookie Crawford said that washing fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking can help prevent the illness. She added that thorough handwashing also helps.

Wildfires, poor air quality concerns for your lungs
(VCU Health – July 17, 2026)

People across North America have witnessed devastation caused by wildfires. These fires not only change the landscape but affect the air quality for millions in those regions and beyond. Breathing in wildfire smoke is more harmful than other types of air pollution, as it can travel hundreds of miles and linger for weeks. Unlike smoke from a bonfire, wildfire smoke may contain chemicals, metals and plastic particles from burned vehicles and buildings. Health experts say residents in areas with decreased air quality from wildfire smoke should limit time outdoors and wear face masks to reduce exposure.

Arkansas Explained: What’s happening to the state’s Medicaid expansion?
(News from the States – July 17, 2026)

In a state led by Republicans who have often portrayed social services as handouts that keep people in poverty, Arkansas’ Medicaid expansion program has faced multiple attempts to kill it or limit who can access it. More than 837,000 Arkansans are on Medicaid, the federally-funded, low-cost insurance program for low-income people and people with disabilities. More than 211,000 Arkansans are enrolled in the expansion known as Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me, or ARHOME. When Medicaid began in 1965, it was exclusively for parents of young children and people with disabilities. The Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as Obamacare, required states to expand Medicaid to cover all adults with low incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. That amounts to about $20,780 for an individual.

Cases of cyclosporiasis in Michigan surpass 5,000, health officials say
(ABC News – July 17, 2026)

Hospitalizations in Michigan linked to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a parasite, have surpassed 100, health officials said Friday. So far, 102 people have been hospitalized, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). There are more than 5,000 cases in the state, an increase of nearly 700 since Thursday, officials said. The CDC and FDA are warning consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce sold at select Taco Bells in five states — Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia — after the ingredient was linked to the outbreak. The CDC said that shredded iceberg lettuce sold in grocery stores or served in other restaurants is not affected.

Indiana expects to receive $1B for rural health. Hospitals say it’s only a ‘Band-Aid’
(Indiana Public Media – July 17, 2026)

Indiana is expected to receive around $1 billion over the next five years earmarked to do one thing: improve health in rural communities. The influx of funding comes from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program that Congress approved last year as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill to help adjust for losses in Medicaid funding. It allocates in total $50 billion to all 50 states. Indiana will receive nearly $207 million this year for its first allocation.

Iowa health insurers propose premium increases for ACA customers
(News from the States – July 17, 2026)

Iowa health insurance companies are proposing premium increases for Affordable Care Act customers in 2027, affecting thousands of Iowans. The proposal comes after insurers increased premiums for ACA-marketplace customers in 2026 by an average of 15.3% in Iowa. The proposed premium increases come as enhanced tax credits, money from the federal government paid directly to insurers to lower health care costs for ACA consumers, are scaled back. Natasha Murphy, director of health policy at the Center for American Progress, said insurance companies statewide that have proposed premium rate increases, some as high as double-digits, cited the expiration of enhanced tax credits and fewer customers as a reason for the price hikes.

Ohio has more than 1,000 reported cyclosporiasis cases, according to the state health department
(News from the States – July 17, 2026)

Ohio has reported 1,316 cyclosporiasis cases as of Thursday, according to the Ohio Department of Health, as the parasite makes headlines around the country for causing gastrointestinal illness described by some as “explosive diarrhea.” There have been 96 hospitalizations and Lucas County in Northwest Ohio has had the most cases with 278 as of Thursday, according to the state health department. “Michigan seems to be leading much of the outbreak that we’re seeing here in the Midwest, and that’s just across the border,” said Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff.

Report: 243,000 Florida Patients Faced Delays Leaving Hospitals
(The Capitolist – July 17, 2026)

The Florida Hospital Association said Wednesday that delays in insurance approvals and limited access to post-hospital care are keeping medically cleared patients in hospitals longer than necessary, slowing recovery and adding billions of dollars in avoidable health care costs. A new association survey found that about 243,000 patients remained hospitalized after they were cleared for discharge between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Those delays resulted in an estimated 781,000 unnecessary hospital days and $2.5 billion in preventable health care spending, according to the association.

ACA and Medicaid changes hang over health earnings
(Axios – July 17, 2026)

Sweeping changes in Affordable Care Act and Medicaid markets are hitting the balance sheets of some of America’s largest health care companies, based on quarterly earnings issued this week. Why it matters: Insurers and health systems already are feeling the effects of significant enrollment drops and changes in who’s paying for care. The full effect of some of the biggest policy shifts won’t be felt until after the midterm elections. Driving the news: UnitedHealth Group on Thursday said it’s contending with declining ACA and Medicaid enrollment and rising health costs, even though it raised its overall earnings guidance for the year.

Affordable Care Act coverage plunges in 2026: Questions and answers
(Chief Healthcare Executive – July 17, 2026)

Congress surprised and disappointed healthcare leaders when they didn’t extend tax credits supporting the Affordable Care Act, and now there is more information about how many people have dropped coverage. Here’s a quick rundown on the drop in Americans getting health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Q: How many people dropped coverage nationally? A: Around 2.6 million fewer Americans had coverage under ACA plans in February 2026 compared with the same time last year, according to an Associated Press analysis. The AP analyzed federal data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Elevance Preparing to Exit Several Medicaid States
(Healthcare Innovation Group – July 17, 2026)

Elevance Health Inc. is pulling out of the Washington, D.C. Medicaid market and plans to exit other states by the end of next year, executives told analysts and investors last week. Speaking after Indianapolis-based Elevance, which runs the Anthem and Wellpoint insurance brands, reported second-quarter net profits of $1.45 billion on nearly $50.5 billion in total revenues, President and CEO Gail Boudreaux said the moves are part of a broader assessment of Elevance’s portfolio that is focusing on “a path to sustainable performance.”

Medicaid Could Save $$ Under ‘Most Favored Nation’ Pricing, Study Finds
(MedPage Today – July 16, 2026)

A new program to base Medicaid drug prices on the lowest drug prices in other countries — known as “most favored nation” (MFN) pricing — could result in substantial savings, researchers found. The payment model, known as Generating Cost Reductions for U.S. Medicaid (GENEROUS), was found to result in estimated savings exceeding total existing supplemental Medicaid rebates for 47 states and Washington, D.C., with savings totaling $8.6 billion (34.7% of net spending), reported Thomas Hwang, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues in a research letter published in JAMA.

Most-favored-nation pricing could save Medicaid $8.6B: Study
(Becker’s Hospital Review – July 17, 2026)

Basing Medicaid drug prices on what other wealthy countries pay could save 47 states and the District of Columbia a combined $8.6 billion — about 35% of net spending on the drugs studied — according to research published July 15 in JAMA. The analysis, led by Thomas Hwang, MD, of Boston-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital, modeled the CMS Generating Cost Reductions for US Medicaid, or GENEROUS, model. Under most-favored-nation pricing, drugmakers give participating state Medicaid programs added rebates whenever Medicaid’s net price surpasses the price paid abroad.

Fact or Fiction: Sifting Through Common Misconceptions About Cyber Resilience
(HealthTech Magazine – July 15, 2026)

At a high level, cyber resilience is the ability to anticipate, withstand, recover from and adapt to adverse conditions, stresses, attacks or compromises affecting systems and processes that rely on digital resources. When resilience is lacking, the consequences of an event can compound. A data breach may lead to legal and financial impacts, while a systems outage in healthcare could jeopardize patient care. Let’s sift through some common misconceptions about cyber resilience and determine what kernels of truth can ground better strategy.

Infographic: 3 takeaways on rev cycle policy readiness
(HealthLeaders Media – July 17, 2026)

Healthcare revenue cycle leaders face an unprecedented wave of federal regulatory shifts, from H.R. 1 Medicaid redeterminations to CMS-0057-F interoperability mandates and updated price transparency rules. In this week’s The Winning Edge on Policy Readiness in the Revenue Cycle, panelists examined how forward-thinking health systems are moving away from reactive firefighting toward structured policy readiness.

New study offers clues about long COVID’s brain symptoms
(CIDRAP – July 17, 2026)

For years, patients with long COVID have described neurologic symptoms like brain fog, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and lack of motivation, but scientists have struggled to identify the biology behind these symptoms. Now, a new study suggests they may be tied to measurable changes in the brain’s dopamine system. For the study, published in eBioMedicine, researchers led by a team from the Brain Health Imaging Centre in Toronto and the University of Toronto used positron emission tomography (PET) brain imaging to measure vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), a marker of dopamine neuron integrity, in 24 adults with long COVID and persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms and in 24 healthy controls.

Studies Document Brain Swelling, Sepsis in U.S. Measles Outbreaks
(MedPage Today – July 16, 2026)

As U.S. measles cases approach last year’s record-breaking total, studies on South Carolina and Utah’s large outbreaks showed cases of encephalitis and sepsis among the hospitalized patients. In both states, hypoxemia and pneumonia were the most common conditions leading to hospitalization for measles, with some admissions driven by electrolyte abnormalities, sepsis, and shock. Two of 13 patients hospitalized in South Carolina developed measles encephalitis, which led to prolonged hospitalization for both and discharge to an inpatient rehabilitation facility for one patient, according to Katherine Richardson, MD, and colleagues from Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital in South Carolina, writing in the New England Journal of Medicine.

What to Know About the Cyclosporiasis Outbreak and How to Stay Safe
(The Wall Street Journal – July 17, 2026)

The parasite behind an unusually large outbreak of gastrointestinal illness is one many people have never heard of. Cyclosporiasis is a food-borne illness characterized by explosive diarrhea that can last weeks. On Thursday, federal authorities linked shredded iceberg lettuce from a Mexican supplier for Taco Bell restaurants in five states to the outbreak infecting thousands of people. . On Friday, Taylor Fresh Foods said it was removing all of its iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.

CMS proposal to block third-party vendors will upend remote monitoring services, health tech leaders say
(Fierce Healthcare – July 16, 2026)

The Trump administration proposed major changes to Medicare payment policies that will block third-party vendors from remote patient monitoring. The changes, health tech leaders say, will significantly disrupt services that help patients manage conditions like diabetes and hypertension. The policy change, tucked inside a hefty Medicare physician pay draft rule released this week, marks a shift with far-reaching implications for RPM companies, primary care physicians, hospitals and health systems by eliminating third-party vendors.

Federal judge blocks key provisions of ACA rule
(Modern Healthcare – July 16, 2026) SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED

A federal judge temporarily blocked several parts of a rule Thursday that would have made major changes to the Affordable Care Act exchanges. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland blocked several provisions of a sweeping Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulation from going into effect July 20.

Federal judge temporarily blocks key provisions of final ACA exchange rule days before set to take effect
(Fierce Healthcare – July 17, 2026)

A federal judge in the U.S. District Court of Maryland temporarily blocked several provisions of a recently finalized rule that would change Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces beginning July 20. The lawsuit was filed in June by a group of municipalities: Columbus, Ohio; Chicago; Baltimore and Pima County, Arizona—as well as Doctors for America and the Main Street Alliance. It challenged a dozen provisions of the rule. In the complaint, the plaintiffs argued that while the rule aims to make care more affordable while managing administrative overhead, “the rule accomplishes the opposite,” creating “numerous” barriers to coverage rather than making it easier to secure a plan. The complaint argued the effects of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule are “directly contrary to the landmark legislation” due to the potential coverage losses.

Insurers Hedge on Trump-Backed Pledge To Improve Denials Process
(KFF Health News – July 17, 2026)

One year after the Trump administration announced that dozens of health insurers had signed a six-part pledge promising to reduce barriers to doctor-recommended care, some insurers now say they won’t implement all the promised initiatives. Meanwhile, patients, their advocates, and clinicians say little has improved. “It has never been this bad for patients,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), a physician who co-chairs the GOP Doctors Caucus. The overarching intent of the June 2025 pledge was to improve a controversial process called prior authorization, which regularly requires patients or someone on their medical team to seek approval from insurers before proceeding with treatment.

TrumpRx at 6 months: Has the drug-pricing experiment delivered?
(Becker’s Hospital Review – July 17, 2026)

TrumpRx, the federal direct-to-consumer drug discount website President Donald Trump launched Feb. 5, reaches its six-month mark Aug. 5. The site has grown from 40 branded drugs at launch to 92 in July, with more than 600 generics added in May. But that catalog still covers fewer than 12% of the more than 800 brand-name drugs made by the 17 manufacturers that signed most-favored-nation pricing deals with the administration, according to an NPR analysis of an FDA drug database published July 16. Measured against its own launch promise of a marketplace for cheaper drugs, TrumpRx’s six-month record is a mixed verdict. Below is what the site has and hasn’t delivered on each of the questions that mattered most at launch.