California’s decision to restrict the use of the title “doctor” in clinical settings underscores a growing disconnect between healthcare policy and the realities of modern care delivery. In an op-ed, health policy professor and former Virginia legislator, Dawn M. Adams, DNP, and Marissa J. Levine, MD, a public health physician and former Virginia health commissioner, argue that rigid physician-centric hierarchies no longer reflect how patients actually receive care.

Mount Sinai Hospital in New York is now using AI-powered virtual agents to call some patients before cath lab procedures. The move was designed to help nurses focus more on patient care and reduce their risk of burnout.

2026 may be the year that many if not most healthcare leaders arrive at a fork in the road to mature AI implementation. 

The judgment includes $30 million in punitive damages. The lawsuit was brought by Maria Gatchalian, a NICU nurse who said she was fired for reporting patient safety concerns to management. The health system said it intends to appeal the court's decision. 

The health system said it offered a “historic” 21.5% raise as part of a new contract, but it’s been unable to reach an agreement with union officials. Workers are expected to walk off the job starting Jan. 26. 

“Understanding how these national patterns manifest within radiology departments is critical for optimizing staffing, credentialing, and quality improvement initiatives,” authors of a new analysis in Academic Radiology contend.

Sunil Rao, MD, discusses the heart team approach in the context of deciding what is best for the patient between bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention.

The rehired workers were all part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). A union representing federal workers confirmed the reinstatements, and the Department of Health and Human Services has already sent emails to affected staff.