Be Careful of Summer Carbon Monoxide Sources
(UVA Health – June 24, 2026)

Summertime can mean vacations and fun activities outdoors involving cool gear, like boat trips, camping, cookouts, and weekend projects around the house. When it comes to summer harm prevention, it’s easy to only focus on sunscreen, bug spray, and water safety. But don’t forget about another, less visible danger: carbon monoxide (abbreviated as CO). Carbon monoxide poisoning is more common than many people think. Each year, it sends more than 100,000 Americans to emergency rooms, with 14,000 hospitalizations and more than 400 deaths. And many of those cases happen when the weather is warm.

Bon Secours Opens New Expanded Radiation Oncology Suite at St Marys Hospital
(Bon Secours – June 18, 2026)

Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital has opened a newly expanded radiation oncology suite on its campus that features advanced radiation therapy technology, including a linear accelerator with Varian HyperSight imaging. The opening marks a key step in the hospital’s ongoing $370 million transformation to modernize patient care through a new Critical Care Tower and expand access to advanced cancer services across the Richmond region.

Bringing advanced imaging to patients around the world
(Children’s National Hospital – June 25, 2026)

Children’s National is helping usher in a new MRI revolution ― one with the power to bring life-changing medical imaging to families around the world. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has long let doctors peer deep inside the brain and other delicate organs in breathtaking detail without an incision or dose of radiation. Yet, for decades, MRI has been limited to major medical centers with the space, staff and resources to house machines that can weigh tons and cost millions. That could soon change.

Centra Shares Final Vision for Virginia Baptist Hospital Campus Following Community Input
(Centra Health – June 26, 2026)

Centra has unveiled the recommended redevelopment vision for the Virginia Baptist Hospital (VBH) campus following the completion of its adaptive reuse feasibility study and a final community open house held June 25. The study, conducted over the past six months as part of Centra’s broader Modernization Plan, outlines a path forward for the historic campus after extensive community input, case studies and best practices. The recommended approach centers on a mixed-use redevelopment, creating a connected setting where people can live, work, visit and gather.

Chesapeake Council honors recently fired hospital CEO
(The Virginian-Pilot – June 27, 2026)

City leaders this week honored the recently fired Chesapeake Regional Health CEO Reese Jackson with a proclamation of appreciation. Chesapeake City Council honored Jackson on Tuesday with an “exemplary citizen” certificate, recognizing him for “over a decade of visionary leadership, transformational growth, dedicated service,” Mayor Rick West said. Jackson had been the president and CEO of the hospital since 2016 until he was terminated May 29 without cause following a vote by the 11-member Chesapeake Hospital Authority.

Get your kids cooking this summer with these wholesome recipes from our Healthy Lifestyles Center
(Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU – June 26, 2026)

If summertime has meant slower schedules in your home, you may be looking for fun activities to do with the kids. How about trying some new recipes? From leveled-up lunches to tasty treats, Sonya Islam, registered dietitian at our Healthy Lifestyles Center, has several suggestions. Bonus…they’re easy too!

HOMETOWN HEALTH: “My whole body hurt”: Botetourt man gets unusual tick disease
(WDBJ7 – June 25, 2026)

A Botetourt County man is sharing his experience with Ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne illness he said he had never heard of until a trip to the emergency room led to a diagnosis. Butch Carter said he has already removed several ticks from his body this year and called it “a pretty brutal tick season,” including what he described as lone star ticks and deer ticks. Carter said he is used to pulling ticks off after working outside and then going about his day feeling fine. But he said that changed in September, when he woke up feeling “really lousy,” with a fever and body aches.

Michael Shoykhet, MD, PhD, named the Ruth Pack Wolf and William B. Wolf, Sr. Chair of Neurosciences
(Children’s National Hospital – June 22, 2026)

Children’s National named Michael “Mish” Shoykhet, MD, PhD, as the Ruth Pack Wolf and William B. Wolf, Sr. Chair of Neurosciences. Dr. Shoykhet serves as the director of the Center for Neuroscience Research, a dynamic hub within the Children’s National Research Institute comprised of highly accomplished developmental neuroscientists and clinical investigators.

New Cancer Trials Expand Patient Access to Next Generation Precision Therapies
(Carilion Clinic – June 26, 2026)

Patients with brain and urologic cancers will soon have access to a broader array of the latest treatment options here, thanks to new clinical trials at Carilion Clinic for targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies. Radiopharmaceuticals, also known as “theranostics,” is a form of precision medicine that uses radioactive isotopes for both imaging and therapy, and has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of tumors. In the pipeline are new theranostic treatment trials for cancer pain, renal cell carcinoma and glioblastoma. They build on the health system’s earlier research in partnership with Blue Ridge Cancer Care that has attracted patients from across the country and led to FDA approval of therapies in use today, including Pluvicto (Lu177PSMA) and Lutathera (dotatate).

Sentara Health receives top rank for social responsibility in 2026
(Sentara Health – June 24, 2026)

Sentara Health has been recognized for outstanding social responsibility, receiving an “A” grade on the 2026-27 Lown Institute Hospitals Index. In addition, Sentara ranked in the top 10 in the nation for patient outcomes. Eleven Sentara hospitals received the top grade for social responsibility, up from ten last year. In addition, Sentara RMH Medical Center was ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the nation for social responsibility.

The science of pawsitive connections: 25 years of therapy dog research at VCU
(VCU Health – June 25, 2026)

When Lene Høeg Fuglsang-Damgaard searched for a mentor and a program to pursue her Ph.D. research, one person and one place were on the top of her list: Nancy Gee and the Center for Human-Animal Interaction (CHAI) at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine. Fuglsang-Damgaard was drawn by Gee’s research and wanted to learn how she could bring lessons from the center’s therapy dog program back to her home in Denmark. “I was really interested in how the program had developed from an initial idea into the large, well-organized program it is today, especially because I would like to work towards something similar in Denmark, where dogs are currently not approved to work in hospitals” said Fuglsang-Damgaard, a former Ph.D. fellow at Aarhus University.

UV protection and sunscreen: Investing in lifelong skin health
(Inova – June 26, 2026)

Hannah Rezaian, DO is a primary care physician at Inova 360° Concierge Medicine. As a board-certified internal medicine and geriatrics specialist she focuses on helping patients maximize their health and wellbeing through every stage of life – understanding the whole person and partnering to create plans that align with individual goals. Many of us appreciate the benefits of sunshine. Sunlight helps regulate circadian rhythms, supports vitamin D production and can positively influence mood and overall wellbeing. However, cumulative exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation remains one of the most significant and preventable causes of skin aging and skin cancer.

VHHA Patients Come First Podcast – Mark Nantz
(Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association – June 28, 2026)

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features a conversation with Valley Health President and CEO Mark Nantz that covers how the health system recently won prestigious recognition as one of the top 15 systems in the nation, reflections on his tenure as VHHA Board Chair, how Valley is adapting to coming health policy and funding changes in H.R. 1, 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.

California Hospital Association, labor unions withdraw executive pay, union spending ballot measures
(Becker’s Hospital Review – June 26, 2026)

The California Hospital Association and the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO agreed June 25 to pull two ballot measures from the November election, one targeting hospital executive compensation and one restricting healthcare union political spending, hours before the state qualifying deadline. The withdrawn measures would have, respectively, capped total annual compensation for hospital executives, managers and administrators at $450,000 and restricted certain large healthcare unions from spending on state or local ballot measures without following member consent requirements, including annual notice of prior-year political spending. Both sides had raised tens of millions of dollars to support their proposals, according to CalMatters.

Medicaid costs surged in 2024. It’s still CT’s cheapest insurance
(News from the States – June 26, 2026)

Connecticut’s Medicaid spending per enrollee jumped 14% between 2023 and 2024, nearly doubling the per-person cost growth of health expenses in the state overall, according to an April 2026 report by the state Office of Health Strategy. Despite the increase, Medicaid, known as HUSKY in Connecticut, still managed to maintain the lowest costs per enrollee of any market — even when compared to commercial insurance. “Medicaid is still far and away the cheapest program, and it has way sicker people overall than commercial [insurance],” said Sheldon Toubman, an attorney with Disability Rights Connecticut.

N.J. hospitals could lose an estimated $3.6 billion from Medicaid changes over next eight years
(The Philadelphia Inquirer – June 26, 2026)

New Jersey hospitals could lose an estimated $3.6 billion from Medicaid changes over the next eight years, forcing them to bring their expenses in line, Inspira Health Network CEO Amy Mansue said Friday during a panel discussion in Cherry Hill.

Rural Kansas hospitals face urgent closure threats
(CJ Online – June 26, 2026)

More rural Kansas hospitals are at risk of immediate closure than in any other state. That’s according to a recent report by the nonprofit policy organization Centers for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. It found that out of the about 100 rural Kansas hospitals analyzed, 69 are at risk of closure and 28 are at immediate risk. Texas has 26 rural hospitals at risk of immediate closure. In Missouri, 28 hospitals are at risk of closing and 11 are at immediate risk. Nationwide, the report found 294 rural hospitals are immediately at risk of closing. Cindy Samuelson is senior vice president of the Kansas Hospital Association. She said one big issue rural hospitals in Kansas are facing is an increase in expenses. Inflation has raised costs, including staffing, pharmaceuticals and supplies. Hospitals are feeling the impact.

After her insurer denied coverage of medication, she ended up in the ER
(The Washington Post – June 29, 2026)

Over four consecutive days in January, Margaret Hvatum ran a 5K, a 10K, a half-marathon and a full marathon. The 70-year-old covered a combined distance that’s nearly equivalent to running the length of Manhattan four times. Over four consecutive days in January, Margaret Hvatum ran a 5K, a 10K, a half-marathon and a full marathon. The 70-year-old covered a combined distance that’s nearly equivalent to running the length of Manhattan four times. Hvatum, a part-time computer science professor, has a weakened immune system from a rare condition known as primary immunodeficiency, which makes it difficult for her body to fight infections. Before her 2005 diagnosis, she had four bouts of shingles, a painful rash caused by a virus.

Medicare Advantage Company Pays $342M to Government in Midst of Billing Probe
(KFF Health News – June 26, 2026)

A major Medicare Advantage company has paid the government more than $342 million to help settle allegations that it overcharged the federal healthcare program for years. Elevance Health, which covers about 2 million people on Medicare, sent the money to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services via wire transfer on May 27, court records show. Government lawyers disclosed the payment in a June 22 court filing. In an email to CMS staff, Elevance described the money as a “remittance of the total overpayment amount” estimated by government audits, court records show. Company spokesperson Leslie Porras told KFF Health News in a statement that Elevance Health “continues to engage in constructive dialogue” with CMS. “We remain optimistic that a resolution can be reached and value our longstanding relationship with CMS,” she said.

Study finds cancer patients on Medicare Advantage access fewer providers than Medicare patients
(Healthcare Brew – June 26, 2026)

A new study finds Medicare Advantage plans may limit access to specialized cancer care. The study, published June 15 in JAMA Network Open, found 800,000 MA beneficiaries accessed just 7% of the medical or surgical oncologists traditional Medicare beneficiaries saw from 2016 through 2019 and went to just 12% of oncology organizations. Patients in only one-quarter of plans accessed a comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for clinical and research leadership and resources, the study found.

America’s oldest hospital preserves the nation’s history of medicine and health care
(PBS – June 25, 2026)

There’s a new museum in Philadelphia, but its building and mission date back to before this country was founded. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown went to see how the past and present meet at the Pennsylvania Hospital Museum. It’s part of our ongoing coverage of health and arts for our CANVAS series.

Healthcare transformation starts with ‘where people are’
(Healthcare IT News – June 26, 2026)

U.S. health systems are scaling artificial intelligence by focusing on frictionless, transparent tools that automate administrative burdens and allow clinicians to focus on patient care. Meanwhile, they think about how to use AI to better design care delivery for the patients they serve, according to panelists at the HIMSS AI in Healthcare Forum here. Moderated by Anne Snowdon, HIMSS chief scientific research officer, the Thursday panel, “Enterprise AI – Building a Cohesive Strategy for Healthcare Transformation,” also explored how to reduce AI costs and better align investments with business strategies.

Infographic: 3 ways industry leaders are tackling healthcare affordability
(HealthLeaders Media – June 26, 2026)

Healthcare affordability is reaching a breaking point. According to recent survey data from the HFMA-led Vitalic Health initiative, 94% of industry leaders consider the current healthcare system financially unsustainable, with 77% anticipating an existential tipping point within the next three years. During the recent HFMA Annual Conference, a panel of experts across hospital finance, law, and policymaking dissected the structural drivers of this crisis. To reverse this trend, health systems must confront core cost drivers, including administrative complexity and labor, while navigating the regulatory roadblocks that often stall proactive patient assistance programs.

Patient Experience, AI and Marketing: Meeting Today’s Patients Where They Are
(Healthcare Innovation Group – June 23, 2026)

Rising healthcare costs and friction in the system are creating new challenges for health system leaders, according to a new report from branding, marketing and communications firm BPD Healthcare. But asking the right questions and investing strategically can safeguard patients’ trust, volumes and growth opportunities. In “The Patient Next Door,” the BPD team set out to answer several questions around the evolution of patient behaviors and the idea that health systems still often struggle, despite having more data than ever about consumers, to understand how patients are interacting with and understanding the healthcare system. wrote in the letter.

The 1 metric supply chain leaders want health system CEOs to track
(Becker’s Hospital Review – June 26, 2026)

Hospital CEOs track countless financial and operational metrics, but supply chain leaders say supply cost as a percentage of net patient revenue deserves the most attention. Because supplies are typically the second-largest expense after labor, the metric directly links supply chain performance to financial health — and even small increases can significantly compress operating margins. The appeal is its breadth. Scott Meiser, vice president of supply chain at Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health, said the metric captures not just price management but usage, arguing health systems have a large cost reduction opportunity through demand and total cost of ownership management.

The winning edge for sustainable financial resilience
(HealthLeaders Media – June 26, 2026)

As health systems shift from short-term recovery to long-term durability, two experienced CFOs share what strategy and mindset shifts are the right ingredients for baking in sustainable financial resilience. What does it take for health systems to be financially resilient in today’s market? In the latest episode of HealthLeaders’ The Winning Edge, two CFOs examine what it takes to foster real financial resilience when industry pressures mount.

Two new reports highlight obstacles to containing US measles outbreaks
(CIDRAP – June 25, 2026)

Two new reports examining recent US measles outbreaks highlight the challenges of containing the spread of the disease in certain communities. The first report, published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–led team, examines the 2025 measles outbreak in a close-knit community in West Texas. Published this week in Vaccine, the second report takes a close look at the 2025-26 school-based outbreak in South Carolina.

Where physician assistant shortages may deepen by 2038
(Modern Healthcare – June 25, 2026) SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED

Physician assistants and other advanced practice providers have helped offset the exit of physicians from the workforce, but the additions are unlikely to meet demands for care well into the next decade.

CDC plans to share data without burdening clinicians
(Healthcare Finance News – June 25, 2026)

According to the CDC’s Matthew Ritchey, the agency wants to align with TEFCA and CMS interoperability efforts and tap into providers’ secure data streams to simplify reporting for clinicians.

CMS proposes 1.1% payment increase for renal dialysis services
(Healthcare Finance News – June 26, 2026)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed to update payment for renal dialysis services for Medicare beneficiaries by 1.1% in 2027. This compares to a 2.2% increase for these services that was finalized for 2026. CMS issued the proposal Wednesday in the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for renal dialysis services. If the rule is finalized, the base rate for these services would be $299.55 per treatment, up from a base rate of $281.71 in 2026 and $274.82 in 2025. The amount includes a $15.96 increase to account for the incorporation of phosphate binders. This marks the completion of the incorporation of phosphate binders into bundled payments, which began Jan. 1, 2025. The amount is based on the most recent average sales price data for each of the six types of phosphate binders, utilization and operational costs equal to 6% of the average sales price.

HHS: 1B health records exchanged through federal network
(Becker’s Hospital Review – June 26, 2026)

More than 1 billion health records have been exchanged through the federal government’s national health information network in less than a year. The milestone reflects rapid growth of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, known as TEFCA, a nationwide network designed to help patients and healthcare providers securely share electronic health information. “Americans deserve secure, timely access to their health records,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a June 26 news release from HHS. “Access to your own health records is a fundamental right.”

HHS details takeaways from sweeping AI request for information
(Healthcare Dive – June 26, 2026)

The HHS provided an update Thursday on its plans to help speed the adoption of artificial intelligence in clinical care, part of a bid to improve Americans’ health and bring down healthcare costs. During a webinar, department leaders laid out takeaways from a request for information released late last year asking the sector how the HHS could use its regulatory, research and reimbursement powers to accelerate the use of AI in healthcare. The industry wants coordination across HHS agencies, support in AI implementation and governance, and assistance in determining what makes a good AI tool, Arman Sharma, the HHS’ deputy chief AI officer, said. “We believe that starting with these three things and acting on constant engagement from this community is what’s needed to establish trust,” he said. “And trust in this technology is the only thing that will lead to responsible, but also effective, adoption.”

State Medicaid directors defend program integrity as Dems cry foul in House hearing
(Healthcare Dive – June 26, 2026)

Democrats are losing patience with what they see as Republicans’ hypocritical fixation on combating fraud in Medicaid. A House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee hearing Thursday laid bare the divisions between the two parties over the issue, after the CMS’ controversial decision to halt Medicaid funding to two blue states over allegations of widespread fraud in their Medicaid programs. Republican lawmakers defended the Trump administration’s aggressive focus on fraud as long overdue and necessary to protect taxpayer dollars. However, Democrats slammed the crusade as a smokescreen for President Donald Trump’s war against blue states, and an attempt to divert attention from GOP cuts to healthcare programs.

Three finalists emerge to lead FDA
(Axios – June 26, 2026)

White House aide Heidi Overton, oncologist Jeffrey Vacirca and senior Pentagon health official Stephen Ferrara are all in the running to be the next FDA commissioner, sources tell Axios. Why it matters: The agency is moving to repair its relationship with industry and rehire critical staff since the departure of former commissioner Marty Makary. But a full-time political leader will ultimately decide the agency’s direction. Driving the news: The three finalists are now being vetted. Overton and Vacirca were first reported as possible nominees by Bloomberg. Ferrara, now the Pentagon’s principal deputy assistant secretary for health affairs, has not been previously reported.

Trump Officials Still Delaying Funds
(KFF Health News – June 25, 2026)

For the second year in a row, Trump administration officials are delaying the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars in health-related grant funding as political appointees seek to ensure the funding adheres to the administration’s priorities — despite promises to Congress that the money would be spent as directed.

Trump nominates Chris Klomp for deputy health secretary
(Axios – June 25, 2026)

President Trump nominated Chris Klomp for deputy health secretary on Thursday, cementing the influential aide’s role as a de facto No. 2 to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Why it matters: Klomp has won praise from health industry leaders and other stakeholders since being elevated from Medicare director to chief counselor of the Department of Health and Human Services in February. His nomination adds to the backlog of Trump health appointments awaiting Senate action — including Erica Schwartz for Centers for Disease Control director and Nicole Saphier for surgeon general.