Stay in the know with Becker's Hospital Review's weekly roundup of the nation's biggest healthcare news. Here's what you need to know this week.
1. Allina Health nurses authorize second strike
Nurses at five Allina Health hospitals voted Aug. 18 to call for a new strike in a disagreement with the Minneapolis-based health system over health benefits, staffing and workplace safety, according to a Star Tribune report.
2. Aetna to leave 11 of 15 state ACA exchanges
Hartford, Conn.-based health insurer Aetna will pull out of 11 state Affordable Care Act exchanges next year, citing $430 million in losses on its individual plans since January 2014. Following the insurer's decision, The Wall Street Journal reported Aetna warned the U.S. Department of Justice in July it would take immediate action to limit its presence on Affordable Care Act exchanges if the U.S. Department of Justice sued to block its pending deal with Humana.
3. Oscar loses $52.2M in NY in first half of 2016
New York City-based health insurer startup Oscar Health saw its losses widen in the first six months of 2016, according to Bloomberg.
4. Man charged with murder in fatal double shooting at Fla. hospital
A man accused of fatally shooting a patient and employee at Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, Fla., was formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, according to Florida Today.
5. 26 heroin overdoses in 5 hours extend wait times at local West Virginia hospitals
On Aug. 15, emergency medical services and law enforcement in Cabell County, W.Va., responded to 26 heroin overdoses in the span of five hours. The spike in overdoses taxed EMS resources and extended wait times at local hospitals, according to WSAZ 3.
6. Health First settles antitrust suit on second day of trial
Rockledge, Fla.-based Health First reached a settlement with Melbourne, Fla.-based Omni Healthcare and a group of physicians, resolving a nearly three-year-old antitrust suit accusing Health First of maintaining a monopoly in southern Brevard County through its ownership of hospitals, physician practices and health insurance plans.
7. Bat woes continue at Palos Community Hospital
The obstetrics unit at Palos Heights, Ill.-based Palos Community Hospital was closed this week after a third bat was found, and one of two original bats found in the department tested positive for rabies, according to a pair of reports from the Chicago Tribune.
8. Kennedy Health, Jefferson Health sign definitive agreement to merge
Vorhees, N.J.-based Kennedy Health will merge with Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health pending regulatory approval.
9. Bon Secours vendor breach affects 655k patients
Marriottsville, Md.-based Bon Secours Health System is notifying patients of a potential data breach after a vendor inadvertently left patient information accessible on the internet.
10. CMS accepts Skagit Valley Hospital's plan to correct deficiencies
CMS accepted Skagit Valley Hospital's action plan to correct deficiencies that could cause the Mount Vernon, Wash.-based hospital to lose Medicare funding, according to the Skagit Valley Herald.
11. Banner Health may face 3 new lawsuits after security breach
Three law firms are investigating the possibility of filing a lawsuit against Phoenix-based Banner Health over the data breach that affected 3.7 million individuals earlier this month, according to the Greeley Tribune.
12. Cisco plans to lay off 5,500
In an attempt to trim costs and open opportunities to hire employees with different talents more in line with shifting market demand, Cisco is cutting 5,500 employees, approximately 7 percent of its workforce, reports The Wall Street Journal.