Care Delivery

This channel includes news on cardiovascular care delivery, including how patients are diagnosed and treated, cardiac care guidelines, policies or legislation impacting patient care, device recalls that may impact patient care, and cardiology practice management.

Hospitals serving Medicaid patients prepare to take proposed payment caps on the chin
New federal limits on state-directed payments are set to cut Medicaid funding in most states. Hospitals are expected to bear the brunt since they account for the majority—84%, around $78B a year—of state-directed healthcare spends.
Nationwide nursing-home picture comes into focus with new analysis
Either the stakeholders issuing the warnings overstated the risk of widespread closings—or COVID-era emergency funds succeeded in heading off a calamity of national proportions. Either way, patient access has taken a hit here and there.
Cardiologists and surgeons share early feedback after CMS proposed sweeping TAVR changes
Major TAVR policy changes appear to be on the way—should clinicians be excited or concerned? Leading U.S. medical societies are sharing their early reactions.
Humana exits $900M position in end-of-life provider Gentiva
The Kentucky-based insurance giant had owned a 40% stake in the hospice company, stemming from its 2021 acquisition of Kindred Healthcare. Humana said a “consortium of investors" is making the buy, but few details were revealed.
TAVR concerns: Cardiologists, patient family members question quality of care at rural hospital
A failed TAVR procedure has left one family unsure about where things went wrong.

selfie taking male nurse arrested sentenced

Ghoulish selfie-taking nurse sentenced after victimizing patients, hospital

At a time when patient assaults against nurses are reportedly on the rise, cases that invert the equation only reinforce the public’s perception that hospitals are chaotic places.

deep-penetrating acoustic volumetric printing 3D printing

New 3D-printing technique shows early potential to help heart patients

“We can reach tissues, bones and organs with high spatial precision that haven’t been reachable with light-based printing methods," one researcher explained.

FDA announces recall of Cardiohelp ECMO emergency drives due to serious risks

If the emergency drive is needed during treatment, it could fail to work, putting patients at risk of ischemia, hypoxia, stroke or death.

Dapagliflozin improves symptoms in some, but not all, heart failure patients

The popular SGLT2 inhibitor, sold under the brand name Farxiga, is approved by the FDA to treat heart failure, type 2 diabetes and CKD. Recent data on its ability to affect the symptoms of heart failure patients have been inconsistent.

Credit forecast: Hospitals will recover only slowly from lingering ‘labor-demic’

In its annual outlook report released this week, Fitch Ratings says the coming calendar year will probably strike much of the sector as “another make or break” period.

Industry Watcher’s Digest

Buzzworthy developments of the past few days.

ethical healthcare artificial intelligence

Ethical healthcare AI in 8 mnemonic elements

Artificial intelligence researchers are making a “great plea” to guide the ethical development and use of generative AI in medicine.

SavvyWire OpSens TAVR guidewire owned by Haemonetics

New 3-in-1 TAVR guidewire capable of hemodynamic measurements, LV pacing impresses cardiologists

The company behind the new technology was recently acquired for approximately $253 million.

Care Delivery

Hospitals serving Medicaid patients prepare to take proposed payment caps on the chin

Nationwide nursing-home picture comes into focus with new analysis

Cardiologists and surgeons share early feedback after CMS proposed sweeping TAVR changes

Humana exits $900M position in end-of-life provider Gentiva

TAVR concerns: Cardiologists, patient family members question quality of care at rural hospital