West Reading, Pa.-based Tower Health plans to remain independent and has signed a letter of intent to develop a strategic alliance with Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, the system announced July 30. 

CMS on July 29 released its annual final payment rules for hospices, inpatient psychiatric facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing facilities.

The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency published new security guidance July 28 urging public and private organizations to secure their IT networks and unveiled the top 12 commonly exploited vulnerabilities hackers target. 

The majority of U.S. counties — 69.3 percent — had a high or substantial level of community COVID-19 transmission as of July 27, according to CDC data. 

Patients who need urgent care that's not an emergency will have a new option through a telehealth program launched by Geisinger.

IU Health in Indianapolis launched an innovation lab to test the security of medical devices the health system uses for patients, Inside Indiana Business reported July 29. 

Tyler Memorial Hospital in Tunkhannock, Pa., is scaling back services in October, resulting in 110 employees losing their jobs.

The delta coronavirus variant, first detected in India, appears to be as contagious as chickenpox and appears to cause more severe illness than earlier strains, according to an internal CDC slide presentation obtained by The Washington Post.

President Joe Biden is asking state and local governments to use funds from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to offer individuals $100 payments if they get vaccinated against COVID-19, The Hill reported.

St. Michael Medical Center's Bremerton, Wash., location, a standalone emergency and trauma center, is temporarily closing July 30 because of staffing shortages and has not provided a reopening date, according to the Kitsap Sun, citing an announcement from Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, which operates the ED. 

Cerner posted $1.457 billion in revenue for the second quarter of 2021 and $32.7 million in net earnings, the Kansas City, Mo.-based EHR vendor reported July 30. 

The chief medical officer role has been a mainstay for hospitals and health systems, but COVID-19 is motivating other corporations like PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines and Tyson Foods to add a CMO to their executive teams, according to Bloomberg. 

People with a mental illness who contract COVID-19 are more likely to require hospitalization for the infection or die, two recent studies published in JAMA Psychiatry suggest. 

In rare instances, fully vaccinated people who experience breakthrough COVID-19 infections may develop prolonged symptoms, according to a small Israel-based study published July 28 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

CMS regulators may fine nursing homes that violate federal safety standards for each day they are out of compliance under a renewed penalty policy, The New York Times reported July 28. 

The MetroHealth System and Case Western Reserve University extended their education and research affiliation for another decade, the Cleveland-based organizations said July 29.

More Florida hospitals are postponing elective surgeries as COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state reach record highs.

Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Google all witnessed soaring profits in the latest quarter as the tech giants find new industries to dominate.

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is launching a three-year project under which other schools can test its antiracism model for medical education, according to a July 29 news release.

Most Americans (80 percent) are concerned that getting a COVID-19 vaccine digital passport would jeopardize the security of their personal health information, Fast Company reported July 29.