The Gist Healthcare Podcast

In this episode we hear from Elaine Batchlor, MD, CEO of MLK Community Healthcare and the systems flagship hospital MLK Community Hospital in South Los Angeles. She discusses the challenges the safety net hospital is facing as it emerges from the COVID pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Justice Department is investigating mental health startup Cerebral for violations of the controlled substances act. Pandemic delays in cancer screenings are leading to patients with more advanced disease. And drug overdose hit a record high of nearly 108,000 in 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

North Carolina-based Atrium Health announced plans to merge with Midwest behemoth Advocate Aurora Health. There’s a shortage of a key dye used in healthcare imaging, leading some systems to limit scans to emergency patients. And the days of travel nurses making $10,000 a week are dwindling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Healthcare workers strike and join unions across California. Attempts to repeal South Carolina’s certificate of need law stall out. And loss of pandemic aid hurts safety-net hospitals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As labor costs rise, hospitals turn to insurers for rate increases. White House officials are forecasting another large covid surge this winter. And Banner Health doubles down on plans to grow its ambulatory surgery center footprint with an investment in Atlas Healthcare Partners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores the drivers of private equity’s growing interest in cardiology practices in a conversation with consultant Anthony D’Eredita, Founder and CEO of TrustWorks Collective, and Dan Blumenthal, MD, CEO of PE-backed cardiovascular care delivery platform Novocardia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hospitals are taking a bigger financial hit as the number of drugmakers restricting 340b discounts doubles. A record nearly 36 million people have insurance through Affordable Care Act coverage pathways. And more than two years later hospital volumes still haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FDA says there’s "no evidence" that doubling an individual’s dose of Paxlovid will reduce the return of COVID symptoms. Mental health telemedicine company Cerebral stops prescribing Adderall to new patients as the company faces increasing scrutiny for its marketing and prescribing practices. And a Health Affairs study finds several physicians in insurers’ Medicaid networks aren’t seeing patients. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the leaked Supreme Court abortion decision is finalized, medical training for the procedure could become limited for nearly half of obstetrics and gynecology residents. In Illinois, a private equity-backed physician group gets state approval to build a hospital in Quincy. And after Medicare’s decision to restrict coverage of Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, Biogen searches for a new CEO. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Officials are looking into growing reports of the so-called Paxlovid rebound. Medicare Advantage plans are denying care and payment that traditional Medicare covers. And health officials say it’s unlikely COVID or the vaccine is related to the mysterious hepatitis cases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.