Eleven transactions involving hospitals and health systems have been announced, finalized or advanced since Oct. 1:

These health IT moves have been reported since Oct. 1:

More than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths occurred in U.S. nursing homes during a four-week period ending Sept. 19, nearly double the number of deaths compared to the four weeks prior, an Oct. 14 analysis of government data from the American Association of Retired Persons found. 

America's Health Insurance Plans submitted comments to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure on Oct. 12 over the organization's Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology and Definition of "Reasonable and Necessary" rule. 

The following executive moves were shared with or reported by Becker's on or after Oct. 8:

In the past four weeks, three centers focused on healthcare innovation have been established and plans to build another three centers have been announced.

Oct. 15 marks the start of the open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries, which spans through Dec. 7.

Walgreens announced Oct. 14 that it made a $330 million investment to acquire a majority stake in home health management company CareCentrix, the third majority investment in a healthcare company Walgreens has made in the past month. 

Fecal samples from three bats in the northern region of Laos, a country in Southeast Asia, contained coronaviruses that were very similar to that of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 infections, according to findings published in the preprint server Research Square. 

As the pandemic continues, there's still a lot unknown about COVID-19, particularly in patients whose symptoms persist, recur or reappear four or more weeks after first being infected.

COVID-19 cases have declined nationwide for the fourth consecutive week, according to the CDC's COVID data tracker weekly review published Oct. 15.

U.S. News & World Report released its annual list of the top Medicare Advantage plans in each state for the 2022 coverage period. 

Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Roz Brewer has shared that the company plans to further expand into healthcare in an effort to turn it into a "new growth engine," CNBC reported Oct. 14.

Healthcare employment is projected to grow 16 percent from 2020 to 2030, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Biden administration plans to move the federal public health data tracking system back to the CDC following the Trump administration's shift in July 2020, Bloomberg reported Oct. 14. 

Cape Cod Hospital received its biggest donation in history of $10 million from the Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust, which will go toward a new four-story tower for cancer and cardiology services, the Cape Cod Times reported Oct. 15.

William Precht, a former administrator at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for faking medical records to embezzle from the hospital, cleveland.com reported Oct. 14.

Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Mass., is implementing what its calling its last, best and final offer in negotiations with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, according to union and hospital statements shared with Becker's.

Six hospital groups, including the American Hospital Association and Federation of American Hospitals, urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review and rectify a Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision they say will increase hospitals' exposure to False Claims Act lawsuits.

From an Illinois system seeking dismissal of an antitrust lawsuit to a Pennsylvania health system defending against false claims allegations, here are the latest hospital lawsuits making headlines.