A Dinner for Two Helps Keep Care Rolling Across the Shenandoah Valley
(Augusta Health – October 28, 2026)

Each month, Augusta Health’s Mobile Medical Unit travels to neighborhoods across the Shenandoah Valley, where getting to a doctor is not always easy. The doors open, a familiar face says hello, and care begins. This fall, Augusta Health Foundation invites the community to help keep care in motion with something simple: dinner. From October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, the Mobile Medical Unit provided care to 375 neighbors in remote and high-need areas, totaling 553 patient visits. “Our Neighborhood Clinics and Mobile Medical Unit exist because care should not depend on how close you live to a hospital,” said Kris Doan, MBA, FACHE, senior vice president of Augusta Health and president of Augusta Medical Group. “When someone supports the Foundation, they are helping us show up for a neighbor who needs us.” Across all locations, the Neighborhood Clinics served 1,217 patients through 2,400 patient visits at 27 locations during the same period.

A success for local health
(Centra Health – October 28, 2026)

For the seventh annual Centra Celebration, our community came together to raise a net of over $600,000 for the Greatest Need Fund. The gala, held August 22 this year, was a huge success.  Unrestricted donations to the Greatest Need Fund help our not-for-profit healthcare system meet challenges, respond quickly, save lives and continue to enhance care for everyone, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. They fuel clinical excellence, education of healthcare workers, healing programs, advanced technology and facilities, and patient support.

At the Heart of Health: NICU nurses’ crafty creativity helps mark meaningful milestones for families
(VCU Health – October 27, 2026)

It started with a tiny blue onesie. Bit by bit, nurses from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU pulled other materials out of their supply bins – purple felt, shiny fabric, glue – to build the cutest Rainbow Fish costume for one of their tiny patients. They hadn’t even turned the calendar page to October yet, and they didn’t know who would be under their care come Halloween, but they were going to great lengths to make sure the holiday would be a special one.

Carilion Clinic to purchase piece of Christiansburg Huckleberry Park for medical facility
(Cardinal News – October 28, 2026)

Carilion Clinic will buy a portion of Christiansburg’s Huckleberry Park to build a medical facility, according to town Mayor Mike Barber. The town council, on a 6-0 vote, approved a $5 million sale to the healthcare company at a Tuesday meeting. Neither town officials nor Carilion released any other details Tuesday or Wednesday about what will be built.

Clinch Valley Health Raises Money for Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation
(Clinch Valley Health – October 28, 2026)

Clinch Valley Health celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Month by bringing employees together to support a cause that impacts individuals and families throughout Southwest Virginia. Through an employee T-shirt fundraiser, the hospital raised $1,450 for the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation, with the funds designated to support individuals and families in the region. The fundraiser encouraged employees to show their support for breast cancer awareness while making a meaningful difference in the communities Clinch Valley Health serves. On Friday, employees proudly wore their breast cancer awareness shirts as a visible reminder of the importance of early detection, education, and community support.

Getting Hearts Back on Track: A Look at Valley Health’s Heart Valve Care
(Valley Health – October 28, 2026)

Michael Robertson was “feeling really terrible” in early 2026. Despite an active life that includes hunting, riding his motorcycle, playing with his three grandchildren and working in maintenance at the 1,400-acre Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Virginia, he says, “I was losing my drive.” His family doctor referred him to Valley Health’s Clyde A. Smith Heart & Vascular Center at Winchester Medical Center. There, cardiothoracic surgeon Lindsey Prescher, DO , discovered that Robertson had mitral valve regurgitation. This important heart valve was leaking, allowing blood to flow backward into his heart and lungs instead of being pumped to his body. “My valve was backwashing,” says Robertson, 53, of Boyce, Virginia.

Parent Advocacy Leads to New Treatment for Child’s Cancer
(UVA Health – October 28, 2026)

Burkitt’s lymphoma is the fastest-growing cancer in humans. In just 24 hours, it can double in size. But despite its speed, children diagnosed with Burkitt’s who receive treatment have a good prognosis. The 5-year survival rate is 90%.When Chelsea and Jason Quintern’s son, Joshua, was diagnosed with primary refractory Burkitt’s, a rare form that is resistant to standard treatments, they watched his chance of 5-year survival drop from 90% to less than 10%. It was a staggering moment for their family. The 4 rounds of chemo Joshua had struggled through hadn’t done what it was meant to, and now their options for treatment were limited.

Idaho to receive $186M for rural healthcare upgrades, Trump administration announces
(KTVB – October 28, 2026)

Idaho will receive nearly $186 million in federal funding to expand healthcare access in rural communities, according to an announcement from the Trump administration. The funding comes through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which federal officials say will help rural providers modernize technology, expand healthcare services, strengthen workforce training and retention efforts, and improve healthcare facilities across Idaho.

Where $205 million in rural health transformation funds is going in Wyoming
(Wyoming Public Media – October 27, 2026)

Your local hospital could get a big influx of cash. Wyoming doled out $205 million federal dollars to improve rural health care in every county. Almost half, 44.8%, of Wyoming’s federal Rural Health Transformation Act money this year could improve access to emergency care. That’ll go toward hospitals and first responders in relatively isolated places. The goal is to shore up the basics, like labor and delivery, and trauma services. Plus, this could make it so hospitals don’t need a huge volume of patients to keep their doors open.

Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About Health Insurance Subsidies
(KFF – October 28, 2026)

Health insurance is expensive and can be difficult to afford for people with lower or moderate incomes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides sliding-scale subsidies that lower premiums and requires that insurers offer plans with reduced out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for eligible individuals purchasing their own health coverage. This brief provides an overview of the financial assistance provided under the ACA for people purchasing coverage on their own through health insurance Marketplaces (also called exchanges).

‘This is not a normal build’: States race to implement H.R. 1 Medicaid changes
(Fierce Healthcare – October 27, 2026)

The impact of H.R. 1 was front and center at the Medicaid directors’ conference, NAMD, last week in Maryland. The conference, hosted by the National Association of Medicaid Directors, gathered approximately 1,800 officials and attendees from both sides of the aisle. The agenda focused largely on policy and technology. At a press briefing during the event, several state Medicaid officials spoke about the upcoming Medicaid work requirement changes going into effect on Jan. 1, 2027. Already starting this month, around 10,000 New Jersey legal immigrants lost coverage in the state. New Jersey is reaching out to 25,000 more members to request additional information on their eligibility status. For those not eligible, said New Jersey Medicaid Director Greg Woods, “Where can we have continuity of care and access to care, and with a particular focus on vulnerable populations?”

Tracking Insurer Participation Changes in the ACA Marketplaces in 2027
(KFF – October 28, 2026)

As of October 28, 2026, 11 carriers have announced that they will exit the ACA Marketplaces in plan year 2027, either in some or all states that they are currently offering plans; seven carriers have announced they will enter new state Marketplaces. These changes in insurer participation follow the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits at the end of 2025, which drove sign-ups to fall by over a million from the 2025 to 2026 Open Enrollment Periods—with further membership declines in the ACA Marketplaces expected as the year progresses. ACA Marketplace enrollment declines affect the size of the potential market for insurers, and, potentially, the risk pool—to the extent that healthier than average enrollees are more likely to drop coverage.

1st person inoculated in trial for Ebola vaccine to protect against strain behind DRC outbreak
(ABC News – October 27, 2026)

The first person has been inoculated in a clinical trial for a vaccine that could help protect against the viral strain behind the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), a rare variant of Ebola, is behind the DRC outbreak that has led to more than 10,000 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa posted Tuesday. There are no currently no vaccines or treatments available to treat Bundibugyo virus.

AI is saving nurses time, but for what?
(HealthLeaders Media – October 28, 2026)

Around the country, CNOs, CNIOs, and digital leaders are working together to implement AI into nursing workflows, with the promise of saving time on documentation and administrative tasks. However, what will happen with all of that saved time? At John Muir Health, leaders are using several tactics to bring AI and digital transformation to nurses at the bedside. According to Trudy Lovell, director of critical care services and nursing informatics at John Muir Health, the organization has been using predictive models since 2017.

Autonomous robotic surgery: The future of standardized procedures
(HealthLeaders Media – October 28, 2026)

Cedars-Sinai leaders believe the time has come to make significant advancements in robotic surgery with the launch of the Cedars-Sinai Center for Autonomous Robotic Surgery. Robots have been used in surgery for more than four decades, with the first robot performing a surgical procedure on a patient in 1985. The co-director of the new center says technological advances have made autonomous robotic surgery feasible. “Now is a great time to try to make advancements in autonomous robotic surgery because the technology of surgical robotics married with advances in artificial intelligence has brought us to a point where the technology is realistic enough that we see the necessary developments happening in the near future,” says Andrew Hung, MD, co-director of the Cedars-Sinai Center for Autonomous Robotic Surgery.

Healthcare Leaders Must Keep Pace With AI
(Healthcare Innovation Group – October 28, 2026)

The pace of artificial intelligence adoption in healthcare is enough to make even experienced technology leaders rethink how they do their jobs. New tools are arriving at a remarkable clip, clinicians are eager to put them to work, and health systems are under pressure to find efficiencies, expand access and improve patient care. At the same time, questions about safety, validation, cybersecurity and accountability remain very real.

Hospital Beds for the Nation’s Sickest Kids Are Disappearing
(KFF Health News – October 28, 2026)

Hospital units dedicated to treating the nation’s sickest kids are disappearing nationwide. In the past year alone, hospitals have closed pediatric intensive care units for critically ill kids in Montana, Oregon, and Missouri. Overnight hospital wings for kids have also shuttered in Illinois and California. Depending on the hospital, pediatric units — which are separate from neonatal intensive care units — can serve patients ranging from a few weeks old to well into their teens or early adulthood. As hospitals look to cut costs, many are converting those beds into more services for newborns or adults. As a result, pediatric intensive care has become centralized in medical hubs, requiring critically ill children to travel farther for lifesaving care.

Hospital margins are cracking – here’s what CFOs can do about it
(HealthLeaders Media – October 28, 2026)

Rising supply and drug costs, mounting uncompensated care, and a worsening payer mix are squeezing hospital margins. The answer goes beyond another round of cost cuts. Nearly 43% of U.S. hospitals were operating at a loss in August, up from approximately 33% before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Kaufman Hall’s August 2026 National Hospital Flash Report. The median hospital operating margin, including allocated costs, fell to 1.8% in August from 3.8% in July and 5.6% in June. The year-to-date median also declined to 2.5%.

Sustainability in Healthcare in the Age of AI
(HealthTech Magazine – October 28, 2026)

When it comes to healthcare’s use of artificial intelligence, with great power comes great responsibility. “AI has an important role to play in care delivery, care management and healthcare operations,” says Seema Wadhwa, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Health in Climate and the former executive director of environmental stewardship at Kaiser Permanente. The World Health Organization has said climate change is the single greatest threat to human health. The computational power and IT infrastructure necessary to run AI comes with a clear energy cost. Any discussion about AI in healthcare, then, must balance its utility and sustainability.

Why AI legal liability should be a red flag for health systems
(Modern Healthcare – October 27, 2026) SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED

Legal liability should be a growing concern for providers as health systems deepen their investments in artificial intelligence, experts say. Legal experts haven’t seen an onslaught of AI-related healthcare cases yet, but potentially costly lawsuits could be coming down the pike. Health systems may need to prepare for patients suing for clinical errors that stem from reliance on an AI tool, like a clinical decision support product.

FDA offers new details on quicker approval pathway for personalized gene therapies
(STAT News – October 27, 2026)

The Food and Drug Administration published draft guidance on Tuesday that would streamline approvals of some individualized gene therapies, a win for rare disease advocates who have criticized the agency’s approach to these treatments. “It’s sort of putting a flag in the ground and saying, ‘This is important,’” Paul Scribner, vice president of community programs and education at the PKD Foundation, said of the draft guidance at a rare disease event on Tuesday.

HHS to allow sale of unapproved peptides under review
(The Hill – October 28, 2026)

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will allow compounding pharmacies to manufacture and sell peptides that have not yet been added to the list of approved substances, advancing access to those championed by the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda. The HHS stated in a notice that it would be practicing enforcement discretion — upholding only certain regulations or disciplinary actions — when it comes to manufacturing and selling of the peptides BPC-157, TB-500, Epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c and Semax.

HHS wants to take a closer look at potential vaccine injuries
(Healthcare Brew – October 27, 2026)

In October, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a broad initiative aimed at identifying, documenting, and investigating potential adverse effects from vaccines. The initiative included opening a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinic to study and care for patients who experience health issues after vaccination; reimbursing doctors for reporting suspected adverse vaccine events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a surveillance program established in 1990 that anyone can submit a report to regarding a potential adverse reaction to a vaccine; and requiring electronic health records (EHRs) to record vaccine-related injuries.

Trump Dangles Rural Health Dollars To Push States To Change Hospital Laws
(KFF Health News – October 22, 2026)

The Trump administration has hinged federal funding for states on whether they end or loosen powerful but controversial laws that regulate the construction of new hospitals — with a handful of states poised to comply. A chunk of the $50 billion available to states through the five-year Rural Health Transformation Program is partly contingent on policy commitments. The administration told states it would score their applications higher if they walked back their certificate of need, or CON, laws, which give a state approval authority over the expansion or construction of any healthcare facility. Six states indicated plans to revisit their laws in their applications.