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. 

Congress has set aside legislation to make telehealth permanent to focus on President Joe Biden's higher priorities, Bloomberg Law reported Oct. 15.

Insurers around the country are pivoting from pandemic-era strategies as they develop virtual-first plans — a strategy that promotes telehealth visits prior to nonemergency care.

Abbott has recalled two of its Alinity COVID-19 test kits after finding they can yield false positive results. 

A former vice president of Janesville, Wis.-based Mercyhealth pleaded guilty Oct. 14 to wire fraud and tax evasion as part of a $3 million kickback scheme, according to The Wisconsin State Journal.

The following health systems have opened hospitals, advanced proposals to build them or announced plans for them in the last three weeks:

While new virus cases, hospitalizations and deaths drop nationally, some areas and states are still facing high volumes of COVID-19 patients.

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics broke ground Oct. 14 on its hospital campus in North Liberty, Iowa, according to The Gazette.

The pandemic has reversed years of global progress in treating and preventing tuberculosis, the World Health Organization said in an Oct. 14 report.

Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas, said it received a flood of threats after a photo of a COVID-19 patient wearing a plastic drape over her head went viral, ABC affiliate KMID reported Oct. 14.

Massachusetts General Hospital received approval Oct. 14 from the Boston Planning and Development Agency board for a 1 million-square-foot, $2 billion expansion, The Boston Globe reported.

President Joe Biden is considering Robert Califf, MD, a former FDA commissioner, to once again lead the agency, according to The Washington Post, which first reported his possible nomination, citing several people familiar with the discussions.

Madeline Bell, BSN, is the CEO of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which recently made Forbes' 2021 list of best employers for women. She spoke with Becker's Oct. 14 about the notable ranking, as well as her recent conversation with President Joe Biden regarding the mental health crisis facing America's children's hospitals.

Two New Jersey hospitals — Edison-based Hackensack Meridian and West Orange-based RWJBarnabas — and two of the state's schools — Princeton University and New Brunswick-based Rutgers University — broke ground Oct. 14 on a hub for research, innovation and medical education.

Nurses at Allina Health's WestHealth campus in Plymouth, Minn., plan to strike in October amid contract negotiations, according to the union that represents them.

Medical device and drug recalls, whether voluntary or mandated by the FDA, ensure patient safety. Here are seven that have been reported to the FDA since Oct. 1:

The biggest healthcare deals in the third quarter of 2021 were for companies focused on mRNA drug discovery, digital care and cybersecurity, according to CB Insights' third-quarter venture capital report.

Recent oncology studies have focused on the proportion of U.S. cancer cases linked to physical inactivity, breast cancer patients' cannabis use, and more. 

Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Charlesbank Capital Partners completed their acquisition of MDVIP, a national network of 1,100 primary care physicians. 

Dozens of Spokane (Wash.) Regional Health District employees have left the health system, citing poor leadership and political pressure as the driving factors, the Inlander reported Oct. 14.