Jeffrey L. Cohen, MD, FACS, FASCRS, CPE, serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Operating Officer for Hartford HealthCare.

Stephen Hahn, MD, advanced by the Senate health committee this week in his bid to become the next FDA commissioner, outlined some of his plans for regulating medical devices, according to MedTech Dive. 

Edwards Lifesciences predicted its global sales will hit $5 billion next year, an increase of 12 percent, during its annual conference Dec. 5 in New York City.

SimplyVital Health announced Dec. 5 the launch of Aletheai, a blockchain-based application programming interface.  

Although total operating revenue climbed a record 12 percent in fiscal year 2019, Chicago-based Anne and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital saw its net income drop year over year, according to recently published financial documents.

Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University has recieved a $70 million gift to support construction of a 12-story biomedical research facility, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. 

Pensacola, Fla.-based Baptist Health Care selected an architect, program manager and general contractor for its $550 million replacement hospital this week, according to The Pensacola News Journal.

Unconventional healthcare players, including Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, have made strides in 2019 to enter the market. 

Becker's Hospital Review reported the following hospital and health system executive moves in the last week:

PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., has named Joe Mark interim chief administrator of Ketchikan (Alaska) Medical Center, according to radio station KRBD.

The medical device excise tax would cost 21,000 full-time jobs and a $1.7 billion reduction in gross domestic product if it returns next year, according to a report released this week by the nonprofit Tax Foundation. 

The House will vote next week on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's drug pricing bill, according to The Hill.

In a lawsuit filed Dec. 5 against UNC Children's Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C., the parents of a 3-year-old patient who died after heart surgery claim the hospital did not disclose internal concerns about its care quality, The New York Times reports.

Digital innovation demands more than funding and a shiny piece of technology. From sparking a new idea, to developing a blueprint, introducing the technology to clinicians and then bringing it to patients, the entire transformation process requires dedication and a passion for healthcare.  

New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals is investigating whether an employee improperly viewed patient records. 

One of the 130,000 patients who may have been affected by a data breach at Kalispell (Mont.) Regional Healthcare filed a lawsuit Nov. 25 against the health system, according to ABC Fox Montana. 

Pittsburgh-based UPMC will close its hospital in Sunbury, Pa., on March 31, 2020, according to The Daily Item.

Forbes magazine recently released its annual series of "30 Under 30" lists honoring young professionals in various industries, including 30 healthcare leaders, many of whom are shaping the industry through digital health or biotech startups.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs last month launched the National Artificial Intelligence Institute, which applies AI research and developments to advance veterans' healthcare, according to a Dec. 5 news release. 

Healthcare added 45,200 jobs to the U.S. economy in November, with hospitals contributing 9,900 positions to that total, according to the latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.