Thunk (left) and Zuko (right) with their best friend Brett Faubion, director of operations and finance at Wise Hospice Options Photo: Brett Faubion As a health IT company, Wise Hospice Options integrates with many different systems, particularly electronic health records. The company has integrated with more than 15 EHRs throughout the 21 years it has operated. The only constant it has found is that each system has its own standard and way of doing things. In hospice care, Health Level 7 and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources specification standards are not tightly followed, and fields may be used in different ways by the different EHRs. When the company started implementing e-prescribing in its system in 2013, these differences became apparent very quickly. Each system sends different levels of detail with identifiers from different drug compendia. The lack of universal standardization left the Wise Hospice system and IT team unable to completely fill the gaps that interoperability promised it would fill. Over the years, Wise staff have tried many different solutions to improve the accuracy and user experience of the integrations. They have worked with various EHRs to improve the data they receive; however, the EHR companies have their own IT priorities and capacities, so Wise staff often were unable to get the full data needed for complete resolution of the data gaps. This led to unrecognized drugs and instructions (sigs) that the e-prescribing system could not parse or handle. Even with NCPDP working toward a Structured and Codified Sig Standard, adoption by EHRs would be difficult as medications are not their sole focus. The NIH has RxNorm APIs available to assist with drug database standardization, but the adoption in the hospice space has been slow and is not regularly used. Out of the 15 EHR systems Wise has integrated with, only one was willing and able to work with the vendor to send the detailed and specific data for a truly functional medication integration that supports near-seamless e-prescribing – unfortunately, this lone system was acquired and is now being sunset, said Brett Faubion, director of operations and finance at Wise Hospice Options. "With the available standards not being adopted and the difficulty in getting a multitude of organizations together to work toward a medication message standard, we had to look at what options were in our control to improve the experience of our users and fulfill the promise of interoperability: reducing duplicate entry and the risks associated," he explained. "One method that other systems have taken is to simply accept and load whatever free-text entries are received from the EHR," he continued. "While doing this streamlines the users' e-prescribing flow, it comes with significant risks and reduced functionality. Free-text sig entries are not able to be checked for dosing in our e-prescribing tool since dosing and frequency are not in their own distinct fields." Allergy checks could also be compromised by abbreviations, misspellings or typos of the allergy (for example, Penicillin is often misspelled) and could directly lead to patient harm. Not every EHR offers these checks on the orders and medications entered into their system, making the e-prescribing system the only place these risks might be mitigated. "We do not believe the simplified e-prescribing workflow justifies the increased risk to our users and the hospice patients and our clients resoundingly agreed," Faubion said. "With reducing functionality not being an option, we needed to look for more innovative solutions. "Our goals coming out of this situational review were to improve the user experience of e-prescribing in our system, improve the effectiveness of medication and allergy interfaces without requiring EHR-side updates, and to streamline the channels and number of contacts involved in the system," he continued. Too much energy was being wasted on 10 different fronts, and Wise staff needed to compile that energy into a single source as a solution, either as internal development or using a single-source external tool, he added. This led staff to look at AI technologies for the various types and structures of data Wise receives for medications, sigs and allergies. The company needed a tool that could codify medications and allergies, and parse free-text sigs into codified fields. Wise Hospice Options decided to work with health IT vendor DrFirst to offer integrated e-prescribing to hospices. Wise has worked together to improve the user experience and data flow, and minimize many issues over the years, but the data is only as good as what it gets from the data source, the EHR. As Wise pivoted from trying to collaborate with more than 10 different organizations to one, it discussed the issue with DrFirst staff. "This is when their clinical-grade AI tool first came up," Faubion noted. "This tool was built to codify medications from medication names, strengths and forms, codify allergies from free-text entries, and parse sigs into individual fields used by the DrFirst e-prescribing system. This seemed like a perfect fit for our needs with a trusted partner that demanded less development time from our IT team. "After seeing a demonstration of the AI and the data backing its results, we discussed prior use cases, reviewed test data and finalized the data flow," he continued. "This would be the first application of the clinical-grade AI tool in a real-time setting, processing the data as we receive from the EHRs. To accommodate the differences in each EHR's data formatting, the AI model would need to be segmented and trained separately for each integration." While the coding infrastructure to be implemented would be standardized and toggled on or off for each account, handling each integration uniquely allowed for greater accuracy and better results. This decision did increase the work for both the Wise and DrFirst teams, but they determined it was worth the improved performance for clients. "The goal of simplifying the collaboration needed for improvement was met, and while an AI tool will not provide 100% conversions, an 80% conversion rate for sigs and even higher for medications and allergies was a major improvement for our users," Faubion reported. "Even if the EHRs enhanced their medication interfaces, there would still be a portion of medications that would be complex and not transfer well, such as compounds or complex sigs with multi-part instructions. "While using an AI tool does not fully eliminate duplicate entry or the risk of mistranslation, it significantly reduced the amount of manual entry or correction needed," he continued. "E-prescriptions would still need to be reviewed for accuracy, but the majority would no longer need to be adjusted or edited. This improvement occurs completely behind the scenes and does not require any manual activation or intervention by a user." Wise Hospice Options worked with the DrFirst team to adapt their AI tool to the majority of EHRs Wise has integrated with and is continuing to expand the supported systems. Expanding service to an integration involves analyzing the data received, processing a significant load of batch data, and reviewing the results for potential pitfalls, improvements and unique patterns for a client. "For example, some EHRs split the strength of a medication from the name while others lump them together," Faubion explained. "Some of the differences occur at the client level, such as one client selecting multiple routes for a medication. Treating each structure differently allows the AI to be even more accurate for each client and system. The downside is that initially, we have had to limit our onboarding of this tool to an EHR basis. "We open the offering to each applicable client as we support a specific EHR with this tool," he continued. "The additional accuracy is absolutely worth the slower rollout time. This also allows us to take a more individualized approach and identify the gaps the AI might have for a client's specific data or ordering practices that may not be currently supported by the AI tool. We can then work directly with the client to find a resolution and ensure all parties are satisfied with the data flow." The way Wise built the process and data flow allows for the AI to be used without any additional user entry or intervention. It is a tool in the background that enhances the data received from the EHR to make it more compatible with the e-prescribing system. "This changes the workflow from a 'fix then prescribe,' with various clicks and potentially multiple screens to manually match a medication, to 'review then prescribe,'" Faubion said. "Users still need to pay attention to what is being prescribed and to what alerts may occur, such as an allergy interaction or overdosing." In Wise Hospice Options' initial pre-live test batches of medication and allergy data, it saw the AI codify 92% of medications, fully parse 80% of sigs and codify 95% of allergies. The company did not expect 100% for any of these categories as there are instances that are complex or custom and need specific attention. For medications, there are compounds that will not easily translate or items that might be entered as a medication that do not have a codified identifier, like oxygen. "Complex sigs exist that the e-prescribing system is not designed to handle by default, such as non-standard frequencies," he explained. "Allergies can't always be codified and may not be relevant to prescribing medications, such as 'dust' or 'seasonal allergies.' Given these nuances, we were excited about the potential performance. "Once we implemented the DrFirst AI with several accounts, we saw even better performance metrics than expected," he continued. "The AI tool has codified 99% of medications, 85% of sigs and 96% of allergies. The almost complete prevention of unmatched or invalid medications has been a great result and major improvement to the user experience." Before, any medication that was received with old or outdated NDCs, drug identifiers from a compendium Wise does not use, or OTC medications that may not be in the drug database yet, would require a user to find and manually select the correct medication in the e-prescribing system to ensure the correct medication was prescribed. This workflow would take roughly 15 seconds for an experienced user and several clicks to work through, which adds up quickly when each patient has an average of seven medications. "Add the time needed to rewrite the sigs for each medication compared to simply reviewing the sig, and we reduced the time to e-prescribe from 20 seconds per e-prescription to two to three seconds," Faubion reported. "We have been very happy with these results and the improvement this AI tool has made to our users' experience, workflow and data accuracy. "While we have seen very positive results, there were still some bumps and improvements that we've worked through since implementation," he added. "Early during implementation, our clients reported a handful of AI errors and we quickly implemented an escalation system with our users and the DrFirst team to ensure these errors were corrected quickly and did not become reoccurring." Wise also has seen data variance at the hospice level as some organizations use manual entry or create their own drug entries compared with others that stick to a prepopulated list. The DrFirst team also has worked on improving the processing of the Reasons section of an e-prescription, as this was a field that was rarely used in prior use cases and its utilization varies significantly even among Wise's client pool. "This has led to many improvements, including handling multiple reasons being listed," Faubion noted. "As we work together to improve data processing, we are excited to see the results continue to improve over time and as more data is fed through the AI." Follow Bill's HIT coverage on LinkedIn: Bill Siwicki Email him: bsiwicki@himss.org Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication. WATCH NOW: A Chief AI Officer must be chiefly accountable More Whitepapers More Webinars © 2025 Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media

Oops, something went wrong We recently published a list of Jim Cramer Recently Put These 10 Stocks Under Spotlight. In this article, we are going to take a look at where HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) stands against other stocks that Jim Cramer discussed recently. On Monday, Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money, shared his thoughts on how the government's approach to tariffs could play a crucial role in sustaining the stock market rally. Cramer expressed satisfaction with the current direction of policy. “There's what happened two weeks ago, two Thursdays ago, more accurately when the stock market official went into correction mode. Until the market broke down like that, I think the president was perfectly willing to hammer anybody just to get his way.” READ ALSO: Jim Cramer Recently Talked About These 5 Subscription Stocks and 8 Stocks on Jim Cramer's Radar “I don't think he (President Donald Trump) wants to punish good American companies that make things here.” Cramer explained that he no longer thinks the president wants to harm American companies that manufacture goods domestically. He suggested that the shift in attitude is a relatively new development, and it may signal a more nuanced approach going forward. He noted that with the market's recovery, it is possible that the conversation around protectionist tariffs will surface once again, but the context might have changed. Cramer speculated that when the market entered correction mode, President Trump may have been influenced by the pleas from various observers about the damaging effects on stocks of good American companies. “Here's the bottom line: At the end of the day, America's the only country on earth that's played fair on trade. Everybody else breaks the rules to protect their domestic businesses. That's hollowed out our industrial heartland. And that dynamic can only change if our government takes a more carrot-and-stick approach. Assuming Trump doesn't go overboard, that might just be what we've got and it means stocks can finally stage a real rally again.” For this article, we compiled a list of 10 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on March 24. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment as of the fourth quarter of 2024, which was taken from Insider Monkey's database of over 1,000 hedge funds. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 81 A caller asked Cramer's thoughts on HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) and he replied: “Okay, HCA I think has been punished enough. It's time to buy and I do think that your, your depiction of what happens every day is absolutely right and I feel it's just, it's not manipulation, but it's a pain in, a pain in the butt.” HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) owns and operates hospitals and healthcare facilities across the United States, offering a wide range of medical, surgical, outpatient, and behavioral health services, including specialized care like cardiac, diagnostic, and rehabilitation treatments, as well as addiction and psychiatric services. Diamond Hill Capital stated the following regarding HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) in its Q4 2024 investor letter: “Among our bottom individual contributors in Q4 were HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) and Freeport-McMoRan. Health care facilities operator HCA Healthcare was negatively impacted in a couple of its markets by recent hurricanes. Further, shares have been pressured since the US election amid growing negative sentiment toward hospitals as investors anticipate potential reductions to safety-net programs such as Medicaid.” Overall, HCA ranks 6th on our list of stocks that Jim Cramer discussed recently. While we acknowledge the potential of HCA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than HCA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

Searching for your content... In-Language News Contact Us 888-776-0942 from 8 AM - 10 PM ET Mar 26, 2025, 13:00 ET Share this article The Nation's Leading Rheumatology Specialty Group Brings Expert Care to East Tennessee CHARLESTON, S.C., March 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Articularis Healthcare Group (AHG), the nation's leading rheumatology management services organization, has expanded into Tennessee with the opening of a new fully managed practice in Knoxville, Tenn. The new location marks AHG's first in the state, extending its reach to improve access to high-quality, community-based rheumatologic care. Founded in 2015, AHG is a physician-led, clinically integrated, and independent healthcare management group. AHG supports private practice rheumatologists with comprehensive operational services – including drug procurement and management, revenue optimization, financial services, marketing and public relations, infusion suite management, and more – so they can focus on delivering exceptional patient care. AHG currently operates 11 fully managed practices and seven affiliate practices across nine states. The new Articularis Rheumatology Specialists (ARS Knoxville) is led by Dr. Kenny Sizemore, a board-certified rheumatologist with over 30 years of experience serving patients in the Knoxville community. "Community care is essential to our healthcare system, and AHG is committed to preserving and strengthening independent practices that put patients first," shared Robert Kirk, Articularis Healthcare Group CEO. "Dr. Sizemore and his team embody AHG's values of exceptional and compassionate care, and we're thrilled to have them on board to expand our mission to East Tennessee." ARS Knoxville provides comprehensive, patient-centered rheumatologic care, offering specialized services to improve mobility, reduce pain, and enhance quality of life for patients managing autoimmune, chronic inflammatory, and musculoskeletal conditions. The practice also offers onsite specialty infusion therapies. Centrally located in Knoxville, ARS Knoxville serves patients across East Tennessee, including Farragut, Maryville and Oak Ridge. "We are proud to serve the Knoxville community with specialized rheumatology care," said Dr. Kenny Sizemore, practice lead at ARS Knoxville. "Our team is committed to providing personalized treatment plans that help our patients live fuller, healthier lives." To learn more about AHG's physician-led approach to independent rheumatology care, visit www.articularishealthcare.com. About Articularis Healthcare GroupArticularis Healthcare Group, Inc. (AHG) is the nation's leading rheumatology management services organization, dedicated to preserving and advancing community-based care. Founded in 2015, AHG provides private practice rheumatologists with administrative expertise, industry relationships, innovative technology, and economies of scale that allow their practices to thrive while ensuring exceptional patient care. AHG's management expertise encompasses all phases of practice operations, including drug procurement and management, revenue optimization, financial services, marketing and public relations, infusion suite management, clinical research, quality improvement and assurance, practice operations, human resources, laboratory services, and information technology. AHG's network includes 18 practices across nine states. Learn more at www.articularishealthcare.com About Articularis Rheumatology Specialists Articularis Rheumatology Specialists (ARS) is a premiere provider of comprehensive rheumatology care for patients living with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. As a practice of Articularis Healthcare Group, the nation's leading independent rheumatology group, ARS and its board-certified medical care teams combine cutting-edge treatments with compassionate care. With locations in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, ARS serves communities with a patient-centered approach to improve health outcomes and quality of life. Learn more at www.arshealthcare.com. SOURCE Articularis Healthcare Group Do not sell or share my personal information:

GE HealthCare and private hospital group Swiss Medical Network have agreed to establish a molecular imaging and theranostics center of excellence at Clinique de Genolier, located 25 km from Geneva and 35 km from Lausanne. The vendor and network have signed an agreement under which GE will provide equipment, access to proprietary tools and technologies, and support for research projects at Clinique de Genolier. The deal follows a strategic cooperation agreement signed in 2022 and will advance precision medicine and theranostics, a cornerstone of precision oncology, the firm said. "The agility of the Swiss Medical Network enables us to rapidly validate and adopt innovative technologies, including AI-driven capabilities, and advance the future of healthcare," stated GE HealthCare President and CEO Peter Arduini in the announcement. Swiss Medical Network has transformed its nuclear medicine platform, relocating to a new facility at Genolier and a new facility in Clinique Générale Beaulieu, Lake Geneva Area, the firm added. This includes the adoption of GE HealthCare's imaging and analysis technologies, including Omni Legend 32 PET/CT system, StarGuide advanced SPECT/CT system, and 870DR general purpose SPECT/CT unit.

Bishop John Sherrington is the Lead Bishop for Life Issues in England and Wales. As the United Kingdom's Parliament fast approaches the final vote on a law for legalizing “assisted dying” – which critics points out is allowing doctors to help patients commit suicide, Sherrington called on the British people to contact their representatives in Parliament to oppose the Bill. When the Bill was first voted on, it included a promise of several supposed “safeguards” – including limiting it for those suffering great pain and requiring a judge to approve it. However, most of these have been removed from the Bill as it reaches its final stage. Sherrington replied to Crux about the Bill, saying there are “too many unanswered questions” about the Bill even for supporters of assisted suicide, and it shouldn't be passed. The bishop also said the Church supports palliative care for those approaching death, and that is where the government should be improving peoples' lives in their final stages. What follows is the full interview with Sherrington. Crux: During the discussions on the proposal for “assisted death” it looks like the ultimate High Court Judge safeguard will be removed. What is your reaction to this? Sherrington: I am interested that you use the term ‘assisted death' which you rightly place in inverted commas. During the present debate, the bishops have used the term ‘assisted suicide' for very good reasons. ‘Assisted death' or ‘assisted dying' are words used by the proponents of this Bill. They are euphemistic and try to obscure the reality of the Bill, which will permit a medic to assist the suicide of a person when they desire it under specific conditions. This is presently prohibited in the law which protects the most vulnerable. There is an amendment before Parliament which removes the role of the High Court Judge. The amendment talks of review by a psychiatrist, a social worker and a lawyer. How adequately can this review be made? The facts that need to be considered are the medical condition, the freedom from coercion, and compliance with the law. I am fearful that the removal of the so-called safeguard of the High Court Judge further erodes the safety of the Bill. How can we be sure that this “panel of experts” has the knowledge particular to each person who is requesting assisted suicide? Will there be an appeal against a view of the panel? What are the costs of such a policy and how will it be funded? I am fearful that this proposal will divert resources from an already stretched NHS [UK's National Health Service] and further limit scarce resources for good palliative care. This panel will not take decisions in the same way as a judge. It is highly likely that the “experts” will favor assisted suicide as a matter of principle so that they can participate. There are too many unanswered questions for a matter as important as this. I therefore stand firm in my belief that the Bill is unsafe and that there is a danger of coercion and control of vulnerable people. The Assisted Suicide Committee voted against pain being added as a qualifying criteria – for many supporters, this was the chief reason to back the Bill. How would this – being assisted in suicide for depression, anxiety, or even for fearing the financial burden it might place on your family – affect things in Britain? Regardless of the initial criteria under which assisted suicide is permissible, evidence from other jurisdictions strongly suggests that they will be rapidly loosened. We can think for example of the widened application in Canada and Belgium. In Canada, one in twenty deaths are from assisted suicide. Your question raises concerns about a number of mental health issues which might lead people to request assisted suicide. The knowledge and treatment of mental health issues has increased rapidly in recent years and we are now more sensitive to the reality of these illnesses. Slowly the stigma associated with them is breaking down. Such challenges call for help in life, treatment and care rather than death. The Bill has promised that freedom will be needed to end one's life. These mental health issues reduce human freedom and make me more fearful about the danger of coercion of highly vulnerable people. We need to help people live with these illnesses in the best possible way. You mention the fear of being a financial burden to the family. There are wider questions of how health and social care is funded at the end of life which go far beyond this present debate. These are questions for further political and social debate which not be short-circuited by this particular Bill. Catholic social teaching can help in this future debate. It is important to distinguish between pain and suffering. Palliative care has led to major advances in the pain control of symptoms. This care needs to be more widely available to people. Experts in palliative care also speak of emotional pain, and spiritual or ‘soul' pain. These can be relieved by holistic professional and spiritual care. Often listening and allowing a person to tell their story leads to healing and reconciliation with the past. People carry within their hearts and bodies the pain of unresolved conflicts, relationship breakdowns and trauma. Good holistic care can assist a person live with and through these challenges. Suffering is a complex theme which is part of the human condition. It is idealistic to think of life without suffering. The question of why the innocent suffer has been at the heart of philosophical and theological debate over the centuries. This becomes even more crucial when we deal with assisted suicide because what is proposed here is the termination of human life. If we do that, we deny ourselves the chance to respond to suffering in a truly humane way, in the fullness of freedom and love. Suffering needs to be addressed compassionately in a safe and loving environment. This is the project Dame Cecily Saunders began with the modern hospice movement, inspired by Christian values. A holistic palliative care approach, which incorporates not only the alleviation of physical pain, but also personal accompaniment, spiritual and physical guidance, friendship and care is the right and humane answer to pain. As a Catholic bishop, I recognize the resources that the Catholic Church brings to sick people; the sacrament of the sick, viaticum, and the importance of prayer for the dying. Catholic chaplains and other chaplains and faith advisors help people in hospitals and hospices and their contribution to the debate cannot be underestimated. How does the Church deal with people suffering, and with painful deaths? Shouldn't people avoid it if they are given the opportunity? The Church continues the mission of Jesus Christ who healed the sick and freed people from the burden of sin. The Lord Jesus healed, performed miracles, and sent His disciples to do the same. This approach to care has been driving the Church's mission since its foundations and has seen the Church striving to found hospitals and clinics, alleviate suffering in the world and to be close to those who are vulnerable, suffering, and sick. Medicine treats illness and alleviates pain. The Church is the largest non-government provider of healthcare worldwide and Christian hospices in Britain are widely admired. In her wisdom, in a tradition forged since medical advances in the sixteenth centuries, the Church recognizes there are “limits to treatment,” which we can accept. We do not suggest that people should be kept alive at all costs by what we describe as “extraordinary means.” There comes a point when a person, because of their underlying condition, may refuse further treatment and accept care which respects the dignity of the human person. This is the alleviation of suffering in its true meaning, not its elimination, which is what assisted suicide seeks to obtain. A person may exercise his or her autonomy about treatment but not intend to end their life prematurely and deliberately. Recently, the press had a lot of news about the use of “buffer zones” around abortion clinics in the UK. Does the move to legalize assisted suicide show a different attitude towards life-and-death in Britain? There is always a danger in conflating issues but what links these two subjects is the high value placed on personal autonomy and the need to protect personal choice. While autonomy is an important value, it is only part of the understanding of the human person who has dignity and is relational. It is impossible to assert personal autonomy without first recognizing the unique value and dignity of human life, which begins at conception and ends with natural death. That is why it is wrong that personal autonomy overrides the life of the child in the womb whose dignity is not respected. This approach also fails to recognize the reality that humans are relational beings who live in the world through their relationships with others, with emotions, affections and love. These bond them to other human beings and the whole of creation. Every action of a person touches and affects others, often in unknown ways. Both these laws overly value personal autonomy and do not consider the wider implications on other human lives. The use of buffer-zones was considered necessary by parliamentarians to protect women who chose to seek an abortion. Women were already protected by laws against harassment and coercion. The presence of others praying or handing out leaflets to offer an alternative was rejected. I fear that the assisted suicide legislation will not adequately protect the right to conscientious objection or freedom from referral to another doctor which further erodes a view which rejects such legislation. While some protection is given for doctors, what about all the other healthcare professionals who work in multidisciplinary teams caring for people at the end of life. They too deserve freedom of conscience. How would assisted suicide affect the relationship between doctors and patients? Doctors commit themselves to healing and saving lives. The Greek foundations of medicine led to the Hippocratic Oath which promised to heal and not do harm to a patient. This principle has governed medical practice until the last sixty years when the focus becomes autonomy and choice, especially about the future of the life of the unborn child. Christian healthcare professionals take inspiration from the life of Jesus Christ who healed the sick. Good communication between the patient and the doctor requires the building of trust. In fact, recent cases of medical mismanagement and doing harm show the vulnerability of the patient who entrusts himself or herself to the professionalism of the physician. Language challenges, and the pressure under which the health service operates, can weaken the relationship which is needed between the doctor and the patient. The danger of this Bill is that people may be anxious about whether the doctor really cares for their healing and whether they can trust the physician. This radical change in law, which crosses a watershed, will fundamentally alter the relationship between doctors and patients which could, in turn, have a detrimental impact on the whole of healthcare provision. This might cause some people to fear using healthcare – especially the elderly and vulnerable. The possibility for doctors to suggest assisted suicide as well as the duty of referral, which infringes the right to conscientiously object, would put a strain even on the relationship between doctors who oppose assisted suicide, and their patients. Instead, patients deserve access to safe healthcare, and doctors who are able to perform their role as caregivers and guardians of human dignity. Thank you for the opportunity to answer these questions, As a final point, it is the duty of every MP to ensure that any proposed change in legislation has sufficient time for debate and full examination of its implications. I do not consider that this Bill has had sufficient time for debate and scrutiny, as it has been a Private Members' Bill, and so I believe it should be rejected outright. Assisted Suicide Charles Collins is an American journalist currently living in the United Kingdom, and is Crux's Managing Editor. He worked at Vatican Radio from 2001 – 2017, both in the features and new division. He has also written for Our Sunday Visitor, The Irish Catholic, and Inside the Vatican. A daily email newsletter to help you better understand the Church and the world.

Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Walgreens has agreed to pay $5 million to settle a lawsuit filed in federal court for the Northern District of Illinois more than 10 years ago. Walgreens was accused of engaging in a "systematic and routine waiver of patient copayments." This was to induce all patients at the Cook County Health and Hospitals System CORE center, an ambulatory healthcare center in Illinois, to fill prescriptions at a specialty pharmacy called Walgreens C&M, according to the lawsuit. This allegedly constituted kickbacks. WHY THIS MATTERS The case began in 2014 when plaintiff whistleblowers Sarah Castillo Baier and Rita Svendsen Baier sued Walgreens and a retail pharmacy branch manager alleging violation of the False Claims Act. The federal government and state of Illinois intervened. The court on Monday dismissed the case after the parties filed for a Joint Stipulation of Dismissal. In the civil action settlement, Walgreens agreed to pay $5,075,000 to be divided among the United States, state of Illinois and the whistleblowers. The whistleblowers get $1.3 million, according to the settlement. THE LARGER TREND Earlier this month, Walgreens Boots Alliance announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an entity affiliated with private equity firm Sycamore Partners in a deal valued at $23.7 billion. Walgreens has suffered losses due in large part to VillageMD. The company said it was evaluating a variety of options with respect to the $3.4 billion debt owed to WBA by VillageMD. Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org HIMSS Media

Let Healthcare Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. A new survey from Athenahealth and the Harris Poll shows physicians are thinking less about quitting their jobs and are more favorable toward AI. Athenahealth, an electronic health record vendor that sells patient engagement tools and healthcare AI products, and the Harris Poll surveyed more than a thousand primary care and specialist physicians nationwide in January to understand physician attitudes about the state of their profession and the adoption of emergent technologies. The team reported a decrease in physician burnout rates and intentions to quit in 2025 relative to 2024 — a welcome finding after multiple years of high physician turnover following the COVID-19 pandemic. In a blog post accompanying the survey, the team said technology improvements, especially the use of AI to address administrative burdens, was a “main driver” of physicians' changing sentiments. “For years EHRs were cited as one of the major contributors to physician burnout, so it stands to reason that as the technology improves, we'll hopefully start to see sentiments improve as well,” the team said in the blog. While previous independent research has linked frustrations with EHRs to turnover, those studies have cautioned against attributing discontent to a single factor. Researchers note burnout is complex and can stem from frustrations with pay, difficult patients, volume and intensity of work, and advancement opportunities. In Athenahealth's survey, 3 in 10 physicians said AI has the potential to reduce burnout. The same number reported they are currently using AI in their practice, while the majority have yet to adopt the technology. This year was the first time researchers queried physicians about their AI use, so a spokesperson couldn't comment on whether AI adoption had ramped up among physicians. The survey did find an increase in “resources and tools” available to physicians in 2025 relative to 2023. Physicians also reported spending more time with patients relative to 2023, which could partially explain the shift in burnout and quit intentions, according to the survey. Fifty-one percent of physicians report having adequate time with patients, up from 43% in 2023. While 35% of respondents said patient volumes and costs negatively impact their ability to provide quality care at least once a week, that's down from the 50% of respondents who said volumes and costs impacted care at least once a week in 2023. Still, physicians report more optimism about potential use cases of AI. They said the greatest possible benefits to using AI in healthcare will be improved clinical documentation and transcription services, identifying patterns in patient data and reduced administrative burdens. However, there is a gender gap forming between male and female physicians in how comfortable they feel using the technology to treat patients. While 66% of male physicians would use AI for diagnosis support and 54% would use the technology for treatment planning, only 46% of female physicians would leverage the technology for diagnostics and just 36% would use it for treatment planning. Across genders, physicians said their top concerns with using AI include the loss of a human touch in healthcare, an overreliance on the tools to diagnose patients and improper diagnoses. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts The Biden administration is attempting to push through a slew of reforms to the controversial MA program in its final months in power, though it will need the Trump administration's buy-in to get them across the finish line. Regulators' assessment of customer support centers has spurred recent lawsuits from insurers. But the metric “is going to have a smaller weighting on star ratings moving forward,” the director of Medicare said. Subscribe to Healthcare Dive for top news, trends & analysis Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts The Biden administration is attempting to push through a slew of reforms to the controversial MA program in its final months in power, though it will need the Trump administration's buy-in to get them across the finish line. Regulators' assessment of customer support centers has spurred recent lawsuits from insurers. But the metric “is going to have a smaller weighting on star ratings moving forward,” the director of Medicare said. The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines

Formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America Donate Menu Close Search Formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America Close Search Press Release March 26, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, March 26, 2025 CONTACT: [email protected] Reproductive Freedom for All Georgia Condemns HB 441 as a Cruel and Dangerous Attack on Reproductive Healthcare Atlanta, GA—Today, Reproductive Freedom for All Georgia strongly condemned House Bill 441, an extreme and politically motivated measure that would criminalize abortion at all stages of pregnancy by establishing legal personhood at fertilization. If passed, HB 441 would make Georgia one of only 13 states with a total abortion ban, imposing severe penalties, including loss of medical licenses, imprisonment, and even capital punishment. Ahead of a hearing today at the state capitol, reproductive advocates will rally and testify against this dangerous legislation in the fight to protect reproductive rights in Georgia. Lawmakers will debate a measure that escalates previous abortion restrictions, putting more lives at risk while ignoring Georgia's ongoing healthcare crisis. HB 441 follows a series of increasingly restrictive abortion measures in Georgia, including the 2019 LIFE Act that banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. That law took effect in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Instead of addressing Georgia's urgent healthcare crisis, including the state's ranking as the worst in the nation for maternal mortality and the highest rate of rural hospital closures, lawmakers are pushing an agenda that makes reproductive healthcare even more dangerous, costly, and inaccessible. Alicia Stallworth, Georgia Campaigns Director for Reproductive Freedom for All, issued the following statement: “This bill isn't about saving lives — it's about control. It would turn pregnancy into a crime scene and force doctors and nurses to choose between risking their livelihoods or providing necessary care. Black and Brown women, low-income families, rural communities, and young people will bear the brunt of this reckless legislation, and Georgia's healthcare crisis will only deepen. We deserve leaders who will address real healthcare needs, not lawmakers who criminalize care and strip away our freedoms.” “We cannot allow Georgia to become a surveillance state where every pregnancy is scrutinized and every healthcare decision is subject to prosecution. Enough is enough. Lawmakers should be focused on expanding access to healthcare and reducing our maternal mortality rate — not criminalizing reproductive healthcare and endangering lives.” ### For over 50 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion. Press Release Mar 25, 2025 © 2025 Reproductive Freedom for All. All Rights ReservedMade with by creatives with a conscience

Equum Medical and NCHN Collaborate to Expand Telehealth Access for Rural Healthcare Providers, Address Workforce Shortages, and Enhance Patient Outcomes NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 26, 2025 / Equum Medical, a leader in telehealth-enabled clinical services, has joined forces with the National Cooperative of Health Networks (NCHN) to provide critical telehealth services to rural healthcare providers. This partnership will help strengthen health networks serving underserved communities by offering access to high-quality, telehealth-enabled physician, nursing, and ancillary services. As an official business partner of NCHN, Equum Medical will offer its innovative telehealth services to help rural hospitals overcome workforce shortages, reduce operational costs, and improve access to specialty care. The collaboration will expand NCHN's reach, allowing member hospitals to leverage Equum Medical's expertise in telehealth to optimize their clinical services and enhance patient outcomes. NCHN is a national association that supports health networks through networking, resource linkage, expertise sharing, education and advocacy for rural healthcare providers. The association's mission is to support and strengthen health networks serving rural and underserved communities. They achieve this mission by providing members with the tools, best practices, and support needed to improve healthcare access and outcomes. NCHN fosters an engaged membership, facilitates communication, and offers dynamic leadership and program opportunities, ensuring its members are equipped to thrive in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape. By joining NCHN and partnering with Equum Medical, member hospitals will gain access to telehealth solutions that help improve patient care while addressing critical workforce challenges. "This partnership with NCHN is a pivotal step in our mission to make high-quality healthcare accessible in rural communities," said Dr. Corey Scurlock, CEO & Founder of Equum Medical. "By providing our telehealth services, we empower rural hospitals to deliver the care patients need without geographic limitations." Equum Medical offers a broad range of services designed to meet the unique needs of rural hospitals. These include high-acuity 24/7 physician teams, covering ICU and critical care, hospitalist, and nocturnist models; multi-specialty coverage including cardiology, pulmonology, infectious disease, and nephrology; virtual nursing support for admission, discharge, and patient flow mentorship; observation and patient safety sitter services; and telemetry services. These services ensure that rural hospitals can provide continuous, high-quality care to their patients, leveraging telehealth to bridge gaps in access and enhance the overall care experience. "Telehealth is key to solving workforce challenges and improving access to care in rural areas," said Linda Weiss, Executive Director of NCHN. "This partnership brings innovative solutions to our members, allowing them to enhance their capabilities and better serve their communities." Equum Medical is proud to sponsor the NCHN Annual Educational Conference, taking place in Indianapolis, IN, from April 15-17. This conference will feature discussions on high-value networks, access, and capacity in care-topics directly aligned with the goals of this new partnership. Equum Medical is excited to contribute to the ongoing conversation on advancing rural healthcare through innovative solutions. Learn more about the conference and agenda here: NCHN Annual Conference. About Equum Medical Equum Medical is a leading provider of telehealth-enabled clinical services, specializing in multi-specialty care for rural and critical access hospitals. Founded by physicians with a commitment to improving rural healthcare, Equum Medical's team of experts delivers high-quality, remote care to underserved communities, ensuring that patients have access to the specialty services they need, regardless of location. For more information, visit www.equummedical.com or contact: Karsten Russell-Wood, MBA, MPHChief Marketing and Experience Officerkarsten.russell-wood@equummedical.comCell: 410-409-7376 SOURCE: Equum Medical Indices Commodities Currencies Stocks

Now 40 Thu 48 Fri 52 by Lara Bryn TOPICS: ALBANY, N.Y. — A new initiative, the Caring Gene program, is offering full coverage of tuition, books, and fees for New York State residents entering certain healthcare fields. This federally funded program, supported by a Medicaid waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, promises $694 million to New York through March 2027. Dr. Wendy Trevor, Vice President of Strategic Innovation and Partnerships at Maria College, emphasized the financial challenges faced by aspiring nurses. "A lot of times nursing students come with family members they've taken care of or family member who's been sick or they're taking care of an elderly relative," she said. "And then they look at tuition and they say, maybe I can't afford that, maybe not now, maybe later." Maria College is among approximately 20 institutions participating in the program, which aims to address workforce shortages in healthcare. Students who benefit from the program commit to working in New York for three years, serving populations at or above the 30-percent Medicaid threshold. Kevin Kerwin, Acting President and CEO of the Iroquois Healthcare Association, noted the program's timely introduction. "And that's where we're bringing people into the pipeline and getting them to stay for a little while and discover kind of their career by doing that," he said. "So this program has come along at exactly the right time." To date, the 'Caring Gene' program has received over 1,800 requests for information, with 713 potential students in the pipeline and 276 students already enrolled. Dr. Trevor highlighted the program's broader impact, stating, "We all will at some time face needing access to healthcare and to have really competent caring individuals and staffing levels that are appropriate. I think it's gonna, everyone's gonna benefit from this." In addition to Maria College, other participating institutions include Russell Sage, Schenectady County Community College, Saint Peter's Hospital School of Nursing, and Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing. Click here for more information on eligibility and enrollment.

Virginia's UVA Health is one of five health systems nationwide selected to join a mobile care collaborative to share lessons learned and discover how to enhance the services provided by its mobile care unit.UVA Health is receiving a $10,000 grant from the Lowenstein Foundation to participate in the collaborative, which runs through October. The selected health systems will work with research and education group Essential Hospitals Institute to cover key topics that include building trust, increasing care capacity, financing and staffing.UVA Health's mobile care unit, which formally launched in January, can provide initial care and then help a patient establish care at a brick-and-mortar outpatient clinic; provide non-emergency care that can't wait for a scheduled visit; or serve as a patient's primary care provider.The mobile care unit's services include:• general health check-ups• chronic disease management• pediatric care• care for minor illnesses and injuries• women's health • lab tests “There are very few of these mobile care units in the United States that provide primary care services,” said Novella W. Thompson, M.B.A., administrator of UVA Health's Population Health Department, in a statement. “Through the collaborative, we hope to share our lessons learned and best practices, as well as see how other health systems are focusing their services and measuring healthy outcomes for all.” Besides UVA Health, the following hospitals are participating in the learning collaborative:• Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, Va.: Primary Care Mobile Health Enhancement Project supports patients with transportation challenges or post-hospital care needs at home via its Family and Community Medicine Mobile Health team.• East Alabama Medical Center, Opelika, Ala.: Opelika Neighborhood Mobile Wellness Clinic provides free screenings and resources to underserved rural areas.• Huntsville Hospital Health System, Huntsville, Ala.: Vámonos: Making Healthcare Accessible to Non-English Speakers in Madison County Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) offers free preventive care in underserved Madison County communities.• WVU Medicine, Morgantown, W.Va.: Mobile Comprehensive Opioid Addiction Treatment (COAT) program ensures access to quality care in the state's rural areas.

VivoPower in Advanced Bilateral Negotiations on All-Cash Takeover... Viking Therapeutics Announces Completion of Enrollment in Phase 2... Vaximm AG, an OSR Company, Announces Results from Phase 2a Trial ... FDA Issues Nyxoah an Approvable Letter for its Genio® System Leap Therapeutics Reports Positive Updated Data from Sirexatamab ... Leap Therapeutics Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Finan... VivoPower in Advanced Bilateral Negotiations on All-Cash Takeover... Viking Therapeutics Announces Completion of Enrollment in Phase 2... Vaximm AG, an OSR Company, Announces Results from Phase 2a Trial ... FDA Issues Nyxoah an Approvable Letter for its Genio® System Leap Therapeutics Reports Positive Updated Data from Sirexatamab ... Leap Therapeutics Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Finan... InspireMD (Nasdaq: NSPR), the developer of CGuard™ Prime carotid stent system for carotid artery disease treatment and stroke prevention, has announced its participation in the upcoming 24th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference. The presentation is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 8:00AM Eastern Time / 5:00AM Pacific Time. Investors and interested parties can access a live audio webcast of the presentation, with a replay available for 90 days through the company's website at inspiremd.com in the News & Events section. InspireMD (Nasdaq: NSPR), sviluppatore del sistema di stent carotideo CGuard™ Prime per il trattamento della malattia dell'arteria carotidea e la prevenzione degli ictus, ha annunciato la sua partecipazione alla prossima 24ª Conferenza Virtuale sulla Salute Annuale di Needham. La presentazione è programmata per mercoledì 9 aprile 2025, alle 8:00 AM ora orientale / 5:00 AM ora pacifica. Gli investitori e le parti interessate possono accedere a una trasmissione audio in diretta della presentazione, con una registrazione disponibile per 90 giorni sul sito web dell'azienda all'indirizzo inspiremd.com nella sezione Notizie ed Eventi. InspireMD (Nasdaq: NSPR), desarrollador del sistema de stent carotídeo CGuard™ Prime para el tratamiento de la enfermedad de la arteria carótida y la prevención de accidentes cerebrovasculares, ha anunciado su participación en la próxima 24ª Conferencia Virtual Anual de Atención Médica de Needham. La presentación está programada para el miércoles 9 de abril de 2025, a las 8:00 AM hora del este / 5:00 AM hora del pacífico. Los inversores y partes interesadas pueden acceder a una transmisión en vivo de audio de la presentación, con una repetición disponible durante 90 días a través del sitio web de la empresa en inspiremd.com en la sección de Noticias y Eventos. InspireMD (Nasdaq: NSPR)는 경동맥 질환 치료 및 뇌졸중 예방을 위한 CGuard™ Prime 경동맥 스텐트 시스템의 개발업체로, 다가오는 제24회 니드햄 가상 의료 회의에 참여한다고 발표했습니다. 발표는 2025년 4월 9일 수요일 오전 8:00 동부 표준시 / 오전 5:00 태평양 표준시에 예정되어 있습니다. 투자자와 관심 있는 당사자는 발표의 실시간 오디오 웹캐스트에 접근할 수 있으며, 회사 웹사이트 inspiremd.com의 뉴스 및 이벤트 섹션을 통해 90일 동안 재생할 수 있습니다. InspireMD (Nasdaq: NSPR), développeur du système de stent carotidien CGuard™ Prime pour le traitement des maladies de l'artère carotide et la prévention des AVC, a annoncé sa participation à la prochaine 24e Conférence Virtuelle Annuelle de Santé de Needham. La présentation est prévue pour le mercredi 9 avril 2025, à 8h00, heure de l'Est / 5h00, heure du Pacifique. Les investisseurs et les parties intéressées peuvent accéder à un webinaire audio en direct de la présentation, avec un replay disponible pendant 90 jours sur le site web de l'entreprise à inspiremd.com dans la section Actualités et Événements. InspireMD (Nasdaq: NSPR), Entwickler des CGuard™ Prime Carotisstent-Systems zur Behandlung von Karotisarterienerkrankungen und zur Schlaganfallprävention, hat seine Teilnahme an der bevorstehenden 24. jährlichen virtuellen Gesundheitskonferenz von Needham angekündigt. Die Präsentation ist für Mittwoch, den 9. April 2025, um 8:00 Uhr Eastern Time / 5:00 Uhr Pacific Time geplant. Investoren und Interessierte können auf einen Live-Audio-Webcast der Präsentation zugreifen, mit einer Wiederholung, die 90 Tage lang über die Unternehmenswebsite inspiremd.com im Bereich Nachrichten und Veranstaltungen verfügbar ist. MIAMI, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InspireMD, Inc. (Nasdaq: NSPR), developer of the CGuard™ Prime carotid stent system for the treatment of carotid artery disease and prevention of stroke, today announced management will present at the 24th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 8:00AM Eastern Time / 5:00AM Pacific Time. A live audio webcast and replay of the presentation may be accessed for 90 days on the “News & Events” section of the company's website at: https://www.inspiremd.com/en/events/ About InspireMD, Inc.InspireMD seeks to utilize its proprietary MicroNet® technology to make its products the industry standard for carotid stenting by providing outstanding acute results and durable, stroke-free long-term outcomes. InspireMD's common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol NSPR. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website. For more information, please visit www.inspiremd.com. Investor Contacts:Craig ShoreChief Financial OfficerInspireMD, Inc.888-776-6804craigs@inspiremd.com Webb CampbellGilmartin Group LLCwebb@gilmartinir.cominvestor-relations@inspiremd.com © 2020-2025 StockTitan.net Please enter your login and password Forgot password? Don't have an account? Sign Up! Please enter your email address To create a free account, please fill out the form below. Already have an account? Login

Radiology Alliance of Maine Selects Healthcare Administrative Partners as Comprehensive Revenue Cycle & Practice Management Services Provider MEDIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Healthcare Administrative Partners (HAP), a leading provider of outsourced billing, coding, and practice management solutions for radiology practices, today announces the addition of Radiology Alliance of Maine (RAM) to its roster of radiology revenue cycle and practice management clients. Radiology Alliance of Maine is a 9-doctor group providing diagnostic and interventional radiology services at the MaineGeneral Health hospitals in Augusta and Waterville, ME. Under the terms of the agreement, HAP will perform all core revenue cycle services on behalf of Radiology Alliance of Maine including billing, coding, carrier credentialing, business intelligence, and MIPS Measure Assurance Services. HAP will also provide the group with comprehensive practice management services. According to Clint Weiss, MD, President of Radiology Alliance of Maine, "We sought a partner who could bring both deep radiology expertise and a strong understanding of the unique dynamics in the New England region. HAP stood out with their unparalleled proficiency in revenue cycle and practice management, coupled with a customer-first mindset. Their flexibility in addressing the evolving needs of our practice has been remarkable, and we're thrilled to embark on this partnership with them." Commenting on the new agreement, HAP's Chief Revenue Officer, Rebecca Farrington, states that, “Healthcare Administrative Partners is dedicated to equipping our clients with the strategies and solutions needed to excel in today's ever-changing healthcare environment. We see ourselves not just as providers but as partners, invested in the success of each practice we serve. Our team is excited by the opportunity to partner with Radiology Alliance of Maine.” HAP also serves the billing needs of the radiology department of York Hospital in York, Maine. About Healthcare Administrative Partners Healthcare Administrative Partners empowers hospital-employed and privately-owned radiology groups to maximize revenue and minimize compliance risks despite the challenges of a complex, changing healthcare economy. We go beyond billing services, delivering the clinical analytics, practice management, and specialized coding expertise needed to fully optimize your revenue cycle. Since 1995, radiologists have turned to us as a trusted educator and true business partner. For more information, visit www.hapusa.com Information Kelly Mea Marketing Director Healthcare Administrative Partners kmea@hapusa.com Telephone: 610-892-8889 Information Kelly Mea Marketing Director Healthcare Administrative Partners kmea@hapusa.com Telephone: 610-892-8889 Information Kelly Mea Marketing Director Healthcare Administrative Partners kmea@hapusa.com Telephone: 610-892-8889 © 2025 Business Wire, Inc.

OAG Rejected Initial $1 Sale Proposal and Negotiated New Terms to Support Healthcare Services in DC, Including Plans for Potential Ward 5 Urgent Care Center & Millions of Dollars in Medical Equipment Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has negotiated and secured a revised proposal to sell the Providence Hospital campus — approximately 22 acres of Ward 5 property with buildings that have been mostly vacant for six years. The purchaser, Vision PH Associates (Vision PH), plans to develop hundreds of new housing units, including affordable units, on the campus which will help address the District's housing shortage. OAG's approval of the sale required the preservation of significant public health resources for the District, including $5 million in health services funding, plans for a new Ward 5 urgent care center on the Providence campus, and renewed use of millions of dollars in medical equipment. The deal will not affect health services currently offered in several campus buildings operated by providers other than Providence. “Ward 5 residents made clear that this deal must balance the need for additional housing and community development with continued access to healthcare services. Today's agreement does exactly that — providing millions of dollars in public health resources and paving the way for significant residential and commercial expansion,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “As the District's independent Attorney General charged with protecting charitable assets, I am proud of the work we do with the business and nonprofit communities to secure the best possible outcomes for all Washingtonians. I want to thank the dozens of community members who came forward to make their voices heard, as well as the teams at Providence and Vision PH, whose cooperation in our review helped achieve a universally beneficial resolution.” “Since taking office, I have focused on moving the Providence Redevelopment forward. I appreciate Attorney General Schwalb's partnership in these efforts by securing a deal that minimizes risks to the immediate Michigan Park community, maximizes benefits to the District, and creates a pathway for an inclusive development at this Ward 5 hub,” said Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker. “I have heard loud and clear from residents that they want access to healthcare as part of the development, and I greatly appreciate that this deal includes plans for a new family urgent care center and maintaining healthcare facilities at the site. I look forward to working with community partners and city leaders to ensure the Providence Redevelopment delivers for Ward 5 neighbors.” In 2023, Providence, a DC nonprofit healthcare entity, agreed to sell the Providence campus to Vision PH for $1 as part of a plan to redevelop the site with townhomes and multifamily apartments. Vision PH is a joint venture of real estate developers formed by EYA, LLC and Aroli Group LLC (known as the Menkiti Group). The District's State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) asked OAG to review the proposed sale under DC's Healthcare Entity Conversion Act (HECA), which requires any conversion of a nonprofit healthcare entity's charitable assets to for-profit purposes to be adequately valued, protected, and preserved consistent with the nonprofit's stated public-interest mission. While HECA does not require that Providence continue to provide healthcare services on the campus, or that the campus be used to provide healthcare, it does require that the assets Providence uses to advance its nonprofit purpose—providing and supporting healthcare services—be protected and preserved for the benefit of the District and its residents. The OAG review process was especially critical for Providence's proposed conversion given that Ward 5 residents have frequently expressed the continuing need for healthcare services in the community. These concerns were reiterated by many residents during a public comment period that was part of the review process. OAG's independent experts determined that the $1 purchase price that Providence initially agreed to sell the campus for did not reflect the true value of the campus — even accounting for the extensive, value-depleting demolition and remediation costs necessary to clear the campus for residential housing development. As a result, OAG concluded that the originally proposed sale would not adequately preserve Providence's charitable assets, which DC taxpayer dollars have supported for decades. Following its evaluation, OAG informed Providence and Vision PH that it would only approve the proposed sale on certain conditions. Under these conditions, Providence and Vision PH have agreed to: During redevelopment, Vision PH will facilitate continued operation of the healthcare services that remain on the campus. These services, which Providence does not provide, include a senior assisted living facility, a first responder clinic, and two medical office buildings offering a wide range of specialty and general practitioner care. Read the revised proposal here. This matter was handled by Estefania Torres Paez, Cara Spencer, and Adam Gitlin, of the Antitrust and Nonprofit Section, and Alexandra Cain and Maximilian Tondro, of the Equitable Land Use Section, with the substantial support of paralegal, Leland Held, multiple legal interns, and other support staff. OAG's Oversight of District Nonprofits OAG is responsible for oversight of charitable organizations and their assets in the District of Columbia, and tasked with protecting residents from fraud by charities and nonprofits. By law, nonprofits and charities are required to keep OAG up to date about plans to end or change their status. Most recently, OAG: oagpress@dc.gov | (202) 442-8919 Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 Phone: (202) 727-3400 Fax: (202) 347-8922 TTY: (202) 727-3400 Email: oag@dc.gov For adult felony and federal cases in the District of Columbia, call the U.S. Attorney's Office at (202) 252-7566. For federal cases generally, call the U.S. Department of Justice at (202) 514-2000. An official website of theDistrict of Columbia government © 2024 OAG DC. All rights reserved. Powered by I.F.

Google Validates CERTIFY Health's Cloud-Optimized Platform to Streamline Practice Operations and Strengthen Healthcare IT on ChromeOS. GAITHERSBURG, MD / ACCESS Newswire / March 26, 2025 / CERTIFY Health, a leading provider of digital healthcare solutions, proudly announces its designation as a Chrome Enterprise Recommended partner, further solidifying its commitment to delivering seamless, secure, and scalable healthcare technology solutions. The Chrome Enterprise Recommended (CER) program, backed by Google's rigorous validation process, ensures that CERTIFY Health's platform meets the highest performance, security, and integration standards for ChromeOS. This collaboration empowers healthcare providers with an optimized, cloud-based solution that enhances practice management, streamlines administrative workflows, and strengthens security measures-all while reducing IT overhead. Transforming Healthcare with CERTIFY Health & ChromeOS CERTIFY Health's Chrome Enterprise Recommended status provides healthcare organizations with a validated, enterprise-grade solution tailored to the evolving needs of modern medical practices. With seamless ChromeOS integration, CERTIFY Health delivers: Efficient Digital Intake & Patient Management - Enabling pre-registration insurance verification, consent form automation, and accessibility-friendly check-ins. Biometric Recognition & Authentication - Offering FaceCheck™ for secure patient verification and seamless check-in processes. Revenue Cycle Management & Payments - Simplifying financial transactions with Text2Pay, Co-Pay solutions, and automated billing. Marketing Automation & Patient Communication - Enabling automated outreach campaigns, online reputation management for healthcare practices, SMS/email appointment reminders, and engagement tools. Cloud-Based Security & Compliance - Meeting the highest regulatory standards, including HIPAA, HITRUST, GDPR, SOC II, and PCI DSS. "Becoming a Chrome Enterprise Recommended partner underscores our commitment to providing healthcare providers with cutting-edge, cloud-first solutions that reduce complexity and improve operational efficiency," said Kevon Kothari, President at CERTIFY Health. "Through our partnership with Google, we are enabling clinics, hospitals, and healthcare networks to operate more efficiently with secure, reliable, and scalable technology" Advancing Healthcare Efficiency with Sustainability Beyond operational benefits, CERTIFY Health and ChromeOS are committed to promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility. ChromeOS devices use 46% less energy than comparable solutions, and cloud-based migrations have been shown to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 84%. Additionally, ChromeOS Flex modernizes existing devices, reducing e-waste and lowering IT costs for healthcare organizations. Join the Future of Healthcare Management CERTIFY Health's inclusion in the Chrome Enterprise Recommended program represents a significant milestone in the digital transformation of healthcare. By leveraging the power of ChromeOS, CERTIFY Health empowers medical practices with trusted, validated, and performance-driven solutions, ensuring better operational efficiency for healthcare practices. For more information or to request a demo, visit CERTIFY HealthChromeOS Partnership or contact Patrick Pennington at patrick@certifyhealth.com or Schedule a Meeting. About CERTIFY Health CERTIFY Health is a premier provider of digital patient engagement, practice revenue cycle management and authentication solutions, serving millions of patients globally. With a focus on security, efficiency, and seamless integration, CERTIFY Health equips healthcare providers with cutting-edge tools for biometric authentication, digital intake, patient payment & revenue cycle management, and automated patient communication. Media Contact:Akhilesh BharadwajCERTIFY Healthakhilesh.bharadwaj@certifyglobal.com SOURCE: CERTIFY Health Transparency is how we protect the integrity of our work and keep empowering investors to achieve their goals and dreams. And we have unwavering standards for how we keep that integrity intact, from our research and data to our policies on content and your personal data. We'd like to share more about how we work and what drives our day-to-day business. We sell different types of products and services to both investment professionals and individual investors. These products and services are usually sold through license agreements or subscriptions. Our investment management business generates asset-based fees, which are calculated as a percentage of assets under management. We also sell both admissions and sponsorship packages for our investment conferences and advertising on our websites and newsletters. How we use your information depends on the product and service that you use and your relationship with us. We may use it to: To learn more about how we handle and protect your data, visit our privacy center. Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investor's point of view. We also respect individual opinions––they represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive. To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research. Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. © Copyright 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Morningstar Index (Market Barometer) quotes are real-time.

Nurses from across North Carolina gathered in downtown Raleigh to push for changes to health care legislation Wednesday.Gov. Josh Stein kicked off the day with a speech to nurses gathered at the Raleigh Convention Center. He said many of the policy changes they're asking legislators to approve — such as better working conditions — are well-deserved, and he noted that his recent budget proposal suggested that lawmakers put more money into efforts to train nurses and create more jobs in health care."You provide critical medical expertise and build meaningful relationships with people who need them," Stein said. "You work day and night to care for North Carolinians who are scared, in pain and at one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. The work that you do is so important. We want you to succeed. We need you to succeed."But not all of the asks nurses are putting to lawmakers enjoy broad political support inside the state legislature. Lobbying groups for nurses, doctors and hospitals are often at odds with one another — since changes that could help one group might come at the expense of the others.Following Stein's remarks, dozens of nurses flooded the state legislature to speak with state lawmakers, with plans to gather at Halifax Mall at 1 p.m. to advocate for legislation that would give advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) more authority to treat patients, a move supporters say would save on health care costs by cutting down on needless red tape.That suggestion has long been a top issue for nursing groups, and one that's deeply opposed by doctors' groups, who have succeeded in shooting it down in recent years.Intense lobbying, broad support, no votes: NC nursing bill in limboCurrently APRNs, who have a master's degree and, in some cases, a doctorate, need a supervising doctor before they can offer patients some services in North Carolina. House Bill 514 would allow APRNs, including certified registered nurse anesthetists, to handle everything they're licensed to do without supervision from doctors that, they say, is often supervision on paper alone.Nurses have to pay doctors for supervision under the current rules, and lobbying groups for doctors have spent years fighting against any proposal to undo those rules. Some doctors make tens of thousands of dollars a year from the fees.The push to undo those rules is backed by the North Carolina Nurses Association and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a nurse. The legislation has been introduced previously under the name the SAVE Act.The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals Gov. Josh Stein kicked off the day with a speech to nurses gathered at the Raleigh Convention Center. He said many of the policy changes they're asking legislators to approve — such as better working conditions — are well-deserved, and he noted that his recent budget proposal suggested that lawmakers put more money into efforts to train nurses and create more jobs in health care."You provide critical medical expertise and build meaningful relationships with people who need them," Stein said. "You work day and night to care for North Carolinians who are scared, in pain and at one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. The work that you do is so important. We want you to succeed. We need you to succeed."But not all of the asks nurses are putting to lawmakers enjoy broad political support inside the state legislature. Lobbying groups for nurses, doctors and hospitals are often at odds with one another — since changes that could help one group might come at the expense of the others.Following Stein's remarks, dozens of nurses flooded the state legislature to speak with state lawmakers, with plans to gather at Halifax Mall at 1 p.m. to advocate for legislation that would give advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) more authority to treat patients, a move supporters say would save on health care costs by cutting down on needless red tape.That suggestion has long been a top issue for nursing groups, and one that's deeply opposed by doctors' groups, who have succeeded in shooting it down in recent years.Intense lobbying, broad support, no votes: NC nursing bill in limboCurrently APRNs, who have a master's degree and, in some cases, a doctorate, need a supervising doctor before they can offer patients some services in North Carolina. House Bill 514 would allow APRNs, including certified registered nurse anesthetists, to handle everything they're licensed to do without supervision from doctors that, they say, is often supervision on paper alone.Nurses have to pay doctors for supervision under the current rules, and lobbying groups for doctors have spent years fighting against any proposal to undo those rules. Some doctors make tens of thousands of dollars a year from the fees.The push to undo those rules is backed by the North Carolina Nurses Association and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a nurse. The legislation has been introduced previously under the name the SAVE Act.The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals "You provide critical medical expertise and build meaningful relationships with people who need them," Stein said. "You work day and night to care for North Carolinians who are scared, in pain and at one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. The work that you do is so important. We want you to succeed. We need you to succeed."But not all of the asks nurses are putting to lawmakers enjoy broad political support inside the state legislature. Lobbying groups for nurses, doctors and hospitals are often at odds with one another — since changes that could help one group might come at the expense of the others.Following Stein's remarks, dozens of nurses flooded the state legislature to speak with state lawmakers, with plans to gather at Halifax Mall at 1 p.m. to advocate for legislation that would give advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) more authority to treat patients, a move supporters say would save on health care costs by cutting down on needless red tape.That suggestion has long been a top issue for nursing groups, and one that's deeply opposed by doctors' groups, who have succeeded in shooting it down in recent years.Intense lobbying, broad support, no votes: NC nursing bill in limboCurrently APRNs, who have a master's degree and, in some cases, a doctorate, need a supervising doctor before they can offer patients some services in North Carolina. House Bill 514 would allow APRNs, including certified registered nurse anesthetists, to handle everything they're licensed to do without supervision from doctors that, they say, is often supervision on paper alone.Nurses have to pay doctors for supervision under the current rules, and lobbying groups for doctors have spent years fighting against any proposal to undo those rules. Some doctors make tens of thousands of dollars a year from the fees.The push to undo those rules is backed by the North Carolina Nurses Association and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a nurse. The legislation has been introduced previously under the name the SAVE Act.The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals But not all of the asks nurses are putting to lawmakers enjoy broad political support inside the state legislature. Lobbying groups for nurses, doctors and hospitals are often at odds with one another — since changes that could help one group might come at the expense of the others.Following Stein's remarks, dozens of nurses flooded the state legislature to speak with state lawmakers, with plans to gather at Halifax Mall at 1 p.m. to advocate for legislation that would give advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) more authority to treat patients, a move supporters say would save on health care costs by cutting down on needless red tape.That suggestion has long been a top issue for nursing groups, and one that's deeply opposed by doctors' groups, who have succeeded in shooting it down in recent years.Intense lobbying, broad support, no votes: NC nursing bill in limboCurrently APRNs, who have a master's degree and, in some cases, a doctorate, need a supervising doctor before they can offer patients some services in North Carolina. House Bill 514 would allow APRNs, including certified registered nurse anesthetists, to handle everything they're licensed to do without supervision from doctors that, they say, is often supervision on paper alone.Nurses have to pay doctors for supervision under the current rules, and lobbying groups for doctors have spent years fighting against any proposal to undo those rules. Some doctors make tens of thousands of dollars a year from the fees.The push to undo those rules is backed by the North Carolina Nurses Association and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a nurse. The legislation has been introduced previously under the name the SAVE Act.The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals Following Stein's remarks, dozens of nurses flooded the state legislature to speak with state lawmakers, with plans to gather at Halifax Mall at 1 p.m. to advocate for legislation that would give advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) more authority to treat patients, a move supporters say would save on health care costs by cutting down on needless red tape.That suggestion has long been a top issue for nursing groups, and one that's deeply opposed by doctors' groups, who have succeeded in shooting it down in recent years.Intense lobbying, broad support, no votes: NC nursing bill in limboCurrently APRNs, who have a master's degree and, in some cases, a doctorate, need a supervising doctor before they can offer patients some services in North Carolina. House Bill 514 would allow APRNs, including certified registered nurse anesthetists, to handle everything they're licensed to do without supervision from doctors that, they say, is often supervision on paper alone.Nurses have to pay doctors for supervision under the current rules, and lobbying groups for doctors have spent years fighting against any proposal to undo those rules. Some doctors make tens of thousands of dollars a year from the fees.The push to undo those rules is backed by the North Carolina Nurses Association and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a nurse. The legislation has been introduced previously under the name the SAVE Act.The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals That suggestion has long been a top issue for nursing groups, and one that's deeply opposed by doctors' groups, who have succeeded in shooting it down in recent years.Intense lobbying, broad support, no votes: NC nursing bill in limboCurrently APRNs, who have a master's degree and, in some cases, a doctorate, need a supervising doctor before they can offer patients some services in North Carolina. House Bill 514 would allow APRNs, including certified registered nurse anesthetists, to handle everything they're licensed to do without supervision from doctors that, they say, is often supervision on paper alone.Nurses have to pay doctors for supervision under the current rules, and lobbying groups for doctors have spent years fighting against any proposal to undo those rules. Some doctors make tens of thousands of dollars a year from the fees.The push to undo those rules is backed by the North Carolina Nurses Association and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a nurse. The legislation has been introduced previously under the name the SAVE Act.The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals Currently APRNs, who have a master's degree and, in some cases, a doctorate, need a supervising doctor before they can offer patients some services in North Carolina. House Bill 514 would allow APRNs, including certified registered nurse anesthetists, to handle everything they're licensed to do without supervision from doctors that, they say, is often supervision on paper alone.Nurses have to pay doctors for supervision under the current rules, and lobbying groups for doctors have spent years fighting against any proposal to undo those rules. Some doctors make tens of thousands of dollars a year from the fees.The push to undo those rules is backed by the North Carolina Nurses Association and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a nurse. The legislation has been introduced previously under the name the SAVE Act.The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals Nurses have to pay doctors for supervision under the current rules, and lobbying groups for doctors have spent years fighting against any proposal to undo those rules. Some doctors make tens of thousands of dollars a year from the fees.The push to undo those rules is backed by the North Carolina Nurses Association and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a nurse. The legislation has been introduced previously under the name the SAVE Act.The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals The push to undo those rules is backed by the North Carolina Nurses Association and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a nurse. The legislation has been introduced previously under the name the SAVE Act.The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals The Nurses Association says undoing the rules could save North Carolinians more than $650 million annually on health care spending, while increasing patient access to high quality care — particularly in rural parts of the state, where there are few to no doctors.“I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals “I cannot think of many other bills that could save North Carolina this kind of money while actually improving the healthcare system," said Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell. "More than 25 other states have already passed APRN full practice authority – and it's been at least 20 years in some of those states – so I'm tired of hearing all these disingenuous arguments suggesting we need to study the issue a little longer."Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals Groups that lobby on behalf of doctors, however, say they're concerned about risks to patient safety by letting people be treated by nurses instead of doctors."This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals "This General Assembly decided to require physician supervision of nurse practitioners so that people who are experiencing illness can be sure they have the best-trained and most-experienced health care team," North Carolina Medical Society CEO Steve Keene said Wednesday. "To dismantle that the way HB 514 does is not a good idea ... we support healthcare teams that include all providers practicing to the full extent of their training and experience, with physician leadership. "Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals Nurses are also expected to meet with state lawmakers and attend committee hearings about several health care bills that passed through various committees Wednesday in the state Senate, including proposed bills on pricing transparency, practicing licenses and more psychiatric beds.Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals Some of the health care policy changes advancing closer to a vote Wednesday included:Senate Bill 177, to add psychiatric hosptials to HASP, a program that gives additional funding to hospitals that are under-billed by Medicaid, if they agree to take efforts to forgive medical debt held by former patients.Senate Bill 316, a wide-ranging bill that would upend many laws governing hospitals and their billing practices to require more transparency, more protections from patients against being put into collections for unpaid medical debt, a repeal of some certificate-of-need laws, and more.Senate Bill 190, which would streamline the state's rules for physician assisstants to get permission to practice in North Carolina, which supporters say will make it easier for PAs in other states to move here for work.NC Senate looks to crack down on AI in health insurance, 'surprise billing' by hospitals Copyright 2025 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Manage your account A special unit that began as a cold case task force recently helped secure a murder indictment against an active-duty airman accused of killing a missing Native American woman. Quinterius Chappelle, 24, an aircraft inspection journeyman stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday for the alleged murder of 21-year-old Sahela "Shy" Toka Win Sangrait, who friends and family told Fox News Digital was his girlfriend of about one year. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU) became involved in the case March 10, when a state lab confirmed a DNA sample from the body matched Sangrait, a registered tribal member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. "At that point in time, our criminal investigators were notified and were brought online with it," MMU Regional Agent In Charge Robert Schoeberl told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday. Active-duty Us Airman Charged In Killing Of Missing Woman On Military Base The unit originated as a cold case task force, part of operation "Lady Justice," a multi-agency initiative established by the Trump administration in 2019 to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system and address the staggering number of missing and murdered Native Americans in tribal communities, according to Schoeberl. Read On The Fox News App In February, the BIA announced the Office of Justice Services launched "Operation Spirit Return" in conjunction with MMU. Homicide was among the top three most frequent causes of death among American Indian and Alaska Native females aged 15 to 24, as of 2019, according to data provided by the National Congress of American Indians. More than four in five indigenous women experience sexual violence in their lifetime. The Not Invisible Act was also passed by Congress during Trump's first term in 2020, aimed at addressing the rampant number of missing persons and murder and trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples. "President Trump is the president of law and order, and he is always working to deliver justice for victims of violent crime," White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. According to a redacted indictment, Chappelle, an airman basic who has been in the service since 2019, allegedly "unlawfully, and with premeditation and with malice aforethought" killed Sangrait at Ellsworth Air Force Base on or about Aug. 11, 2024. The Pennington County Sheriff's Office said Sangrait, of Box Elder, was reported missing Aug. 10, just one day prior to when authorities claim she was killed. Isabela Arroyo, Sangrait's sister, told Fox News Digital Chappelle was verbally abusive toward Sangrait, who had a one-way plane ticket to move in with Arroyo and her husband in Colorado Sept. 6. Sangrait told Chappelle she was going to go to Colorado for the birth of Arroyo's son Sept. 27, her sister said. However, it is unclear if Chappelle found out about her plan to remain in Colorado. "She never got on the plane," Arroyo said. "It was really hard. I had assumed that she had just chosen not to come anymore, and, unfortunately, that wasn't the case." Sangrait's body, discarded in a wooded area near the Pennington and Custer County line, was discovered by a hiker March 4, about seven months after her disappearance. The sheriff's office said the body was "badly decomposed" and there was "no identifying information available." The cause of death has not yet been released. Chilling Google Searches Lead Police To Arrest Active-duty Marine In Alleged Murder Of Escort Tayagonique McGloghlon, who met Sangrait in 2021 while participating in a program for young adults who recently aged out of foster care, told Fox News Digital the prospective nurse would call her every week, but, similar to Arroyo, the last she heard from Sangrait was Aug. 10. "The last message I got from her was on Aug. 10, and she asked me if I was OK," McGloghlon said. "The day before that, I called her about three times. The third time I called, it went straight to voicemail — like her phone had been turned off for me, which I thought was really weird. … It put me off in a weird way." McGloghlon said she tried sending Sangrait messages on social media, thinking maybe she had been blocked. "I was like, 'That's not like her, especially when she always kept in contact with me,'" she said. McGloghlon, who met Chappelle while he was dating one of her friends prior to Sangrait, said she always found him "a little bit weird" and "never liked him," but Sangrait only told her good things. "I was devastated [when her remains were found]," McGloghlon said. "Honestly, I've never been more heartbroken. She's the light in this world. She didn't deserve that. … She was very spirited and such a good friend. She was a kind soul, just beautiful. I miss her so much. She was one of my best friends." Cassidy Wimble, another one of Sangrait's friends, told Fox News Digital she had yet to meet Chappelle in person, but he was one of the first people she reached out to after the disappearance. "He told me, 'I don't know anything. I wish we [could] find her,'" Wimble said. "He said the same thing to a few people." MMU investigators collaborate with the federal National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) database and Othram, a Texas-based company that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy, to identify human remains. "It's more advanced forensic testing, which a lot of the evidence from this case will run through," Schoeberl said."[Othram] tests relatives, basically identifying you through your family members' DNA. It's been very beneficial in solving and helping solve cases recently." Family Of Murdered Fort Hood Soldier Vanessa Guillen Files $35M Lawsuit Against Army As part of the Sangrait investigation, the unit also interviewed witnesses, conducted searches and notified family of the death. The MMU's Victim Services Program continues to provide the family with daily updates as the investigation continues, and the unit remains in close contact with the FBI and other agencies assisting with the case. U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota Alison J. Ramsdell said prosecutors will pursue justice "relentlessly." "The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota will now proceed with the prosecution of this tragic case and relentlessly pursue justice on behalf of the victim," Ramsdell wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. Wife Convicted Of Murdering Army Soldier Husband At Home On Military Base Arroyo said it helps to know her sister will get justice and Chappelle is now in custody, unable to harm anyone else. "It's just how long he was able to walk around like nothing happened," Arroyo said. "He has already denied even knowing my sister. When they initially arrested him, he didn't say a word. He didn't even ask why he was being arrested." Chappelle is being held by the U.S. Marshals Service at the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City, South Dakota. Fox News Digital obtained a scheduling and case management order signed by U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler, noting a jury trial is set for May 27. Attorney Gina Ruggieri, who filed a notice stating she would be representing Chappelle instead of his previously appointed public defender, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Fort Ellsworth said it is working closely with area law enforcement agencies. "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of Sahela," Col. Derek Oakley, 28th Bomb Wing commander, previously told Fox News Digital when Chappelle was initially charged with second-degree murder in a federal criminal complaint. "We hold Airmen accountable for their actions, and if service members are found in violation of military or civilian law, they will be punished." After the indictment, Fort Ellsworth officials, in response to a request for comment, referred Fox News Digital to the U.S. Attorney's Office of South Dakota, citing the jurisdiction change. Wimble, who said she spoke with Sangrait every day, described her as one of the strongest people she knew. "She was one of the most resilient people that I knew," Wimble said. "You could knock her down, and like bowling pins, she'd stand up every single time. … She was very strong, and she knew herself more than anybody. She was the kindest person I knew. Especially with all the things that she's gone through. … She's everything to me. … She really deserved a life." The Air Force and Pennington County Sheriff's Office declined Fox News Digital's requests for comment. The FBI and U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital. Original article source: Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit investigating alleged military base killing

A partnership bringing on-site healthcare services to senior living communities is focused on resident wellness, efficient care practices and less time in the hospital. American House Senior Living Communities is partnering with senior living primary care provider Curana Health to bring on-site healthcare services to residents in 11 of its Tennessee communities. American House has more than 60 senior living communities throughout the Midwest, New England and the Southeast. Through the arrangement, Curana will offer residents a wide range of concierge-style medical services, including routine preventive primary care, appointments for illness, around-the-clock clinical support access, care coordination and special care appointments, ongoing management of chronic conditions, medication management, and coordination of on-site phlebotomy and imaging services. An American House spokesperson said the partnership enhances care collaboration with its team and outside providers, with quality as the main objective. The pivot allows American House caregivers to partner with providers focused on improving resident wellness, promoting efficient care practices, and keeping residents out of the hospital and in their homes. “By partnering with Curana Health, American House is taking a transformative step toward enhancing the quality of care and support we provide to our residents,” Alex Germain-Robin, American House chief operations officer, said in a statement. “Together, we are dedicated to fostering a caring environment that prioritizes the well-being of each individual, ensuring better outcomes, improved health and a more compassionate approach to senior living.” After conducting its own internal due diligence, American House said that Curana was a good match for its mission and culture, according to the American House spokesperson. The program allows residents to use Curana Health's care team for primary or secondary care, allowing residents to continue seeing their established primary care provider for routine healthcare needs. Visits and services are covered by residents' health insurance and billed by Curana. American House also will participate in Curana Health's Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organization. American House said this action reinforces the mutual goal of improving outcomes and helping residents maintain their health and independence. American House said that the ACO enables its care team to partner with providers focused on resident wellness and outcomes. According to Curana, its partners have experienced a 39% reduction in hospital readmissions, a 30% reduction in falls, 39% fewer instances of polypharmacy and 95% resident satisfaction. Although the program rollout is confined to American House's Tennessee communities for now, the operator's spokesperson said that expanding to other markets “is not off the table.” The decision to launch in Tennessee was a strategic one, the spokesperson said, and American House said it is “thrilled” about the value the partnership will bring to residents and families. Copyright © 2025 Haymarket Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorization. Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of Haymarket Media's Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.