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. Patient shot by off-duty officer sues Houston hospital
A patient who was shot last August by an off-duty police officer at St. JosephMedicalCenter in Houston is suing the hospital and its parent company Franklin, Tenn.- based IASIS Healthcare as well as the City of Houston and four of its police officers.
2. Virginia Mason under investigation after accreditation trouble
The Joint Commission's decision to deny Seattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center full accreditation triggered an investigation by state and federal regulators, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.
3. CHI to exit health insurance business
Catholic Health Initiatives will divest its health insurance business, according to recent financial documents from the Englewood, Colo.-based system.
4. Aetna, Humana extend merger deadline
Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna and Louisville, Ky.-based Humana extended the deadline of their $37 billion merger agreement from June 30 to Dec. 31.
5. Update: Hacker now selling 9.3M records on dark web, threatens more data dumps
The hacker that posted 655,000 patient records for sale online has returned with a new sale: A database reportedly hacked from a health insurance company containing 9.3 million patient records.
6. CDC warns US hospitals of emerging, deadly yeast infection: 7 things to know
The CDC has issued a clinical alert to healthcare facilities in the U.S. about an emerging, multidrug-resistant yeast called Candida auris that is causing invasive, highly deadly infections across the world.
7. Second untreatable superbug infection in US identified by researchers
Researchers identified a patient in New York infected with a strain of E. coli containing the mcr-1 gene, which makes the bacteria highly resistant to even last-resort antibiotic treatments, Reuters reports. This is the second U.S. patient with the untreatable superbug infection, following a Pennsylvania patient first made public last month.
8. Hackers breach Mass General vendor, compromise 4,300 records
Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is notifying patients of a privacy incident after learning hackers accessed the electronic files of a third-party vendor.
9. Baptist Health to acquire Floyd Memorial Hospital for $300M
Louisville, Ky.-based Baptist Health will move forward with its purchase of Floyd Memorial Hospital in New Albany, Ind. Baptist offered $150 million to purchase the hospital in March. Following approval Tuesday from Floyd County Commissioners, Floyd County Council and Floyd Memorial board of trustees, the entities signed a binding asset purchase agreement.
10. Ohio hospital files for bankruptcy in anticipation of sale to Prime
Coshocton (Ohio) County Memorial Hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which will enable the hospital to sell its assets and operations free of liens and encumbrances to Prime Healthcare Foundation, the nonprofit affiliate of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare Services.
11. After strike is averted, Brigham and Women's celebrates new contract with nurses
Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital hosted a party Monday to celebrate a tentative agreement with its nurses union, according to a Boston Business Journal report.
12. Allina nurses get new offer following strike
Minneapolis-based Allina Health presented a new offer to its nurses in the wake of a seven-day strike, according to a Star Tribune report.
13. Med school for engineers in the works at Texas A&M
College Station-based Texas A&M University plans to establish an engineering medical school at Houston Methodist Hospital, pending various approvals.