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. Ultrasound unit thefts breach PHI of 1,100 Kaiser patients
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente is notifying patients of a security incident after two former employees stole "a number" of ultrasound units containing varying amounts of protected health information of approximately 1,100 patients in Northern California.
2. First Zika-related death in US reported in Utah
The first Zika-related death in the continental U.S. has been confirmed by the Salt Lake County Health Department in Utah.
3. Congress fails to pass Zika funds before summer break
Squabbling legislators failed once again to come to a compromise on emergency Zika funds. On Thursday, the Senate voted down the House Zika spending bill, which some Democrats previously described as "designed to fail." Now, America's legislators are leaving for a seven-week recess, meaning Zika funds will have to wait until September, according to STAT.
4. Pokemon Go players crowd hospital campuses, raising safety concerns
As "Pokemon Go" grows in popularity, hospitals across the country are pleading with gamers to not crowd their campuses in the name of hunting fictional characters. Click here to read about how hospitals are responding to "Pokemon Go" players.
5. Philadelphia hospital fires employee over 'white lives matter' social media rant
Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University Hospital fired an employee after a racist social media post from the woman's Facebook account went viral, according to WCAU news reports.
6. CMS: ACA policyholders' out-of-pocket costs declined this year
Many consumers who purchased health plans on the government marketplace this year are facing lower out-of-pocket costs compared to 2015, according to new data from CMS.
7. 20 cancer centers comprise 86% of all advertising dollars
Between 2005 and 2014, U.S. cancer centers' advertising costs more than tripled, with spending highly concentrated among a small number of provider organizations, according to a study conducted by researchers at Indianapolis-based Indiana University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh.
8. June was the worst month so far for hospital data breaches
There were 29 protected health information breaches in June, including a total of more than 11 million patient records, a number significantly higher than any other month this year, according to a report from Protenus and DataBreaches.net.
9. Patient surveys drive new nursing staff dress code at Geisinger
A survey of patients regarding their perception of professionalism conveyed by the appearance of nurses resulted in the creation of a new dress code for nurses at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., according to a study published in The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.
10. Andy Slavitt hints at MACRA delay
CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt indicated at a Senate Finance Committee hearing Wednesday the agency may delay the start date of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, or MACRA.
11. After being fired for accessing NFL player's record, Jackson Health employee sues
A former Jackson Health System secretary who was fired for allegedly accessing the medical record of NFL player Jason Pierre-Paul who received treatment at the hospital has filed a libel and defamation lawsuit against the health system, reports the Miami Herald.
12. Illinois insurance co-op latest to close, leaving 49,000 uninsured
Chicago-based Land of Lincoln Health will be placed under state control and shut down — leaving 49,000 uninsured — in light of the $31.8 million it owes under the Affordable Care Act's Risk Adjustment program, the Chicago Tribune reported.
13. Former Valeant CEO sells $100M in company stock
Former Valeant Pharmaceuticals CEO Michael Pearson sold nearly $100 million of the company's stock in the past two weeks, according to securities filings obtained by Wall Street Journal.