A vaccination mandate may be the only way to break the cycle of surging COVID-19 infections that are pushing some hospitals to the brink, Rob Davidson, MD, emergency physician in a rural area of West Michigan and executive director of the Committee to Protect Health Care, wrote in an op-ed published Dec. 8 by The New York Times.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Yazoo, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Yazoo City, Miss., has asked that a physician no longer be scheduled after he requested using ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients, the hospital confirmed to Becker's.

When comparing the 2020 and 2021 academic years, U.S. medical schools attracted and enrolled a more diverse class and saw the total number of applicants grow nearly 18 percent, according to data released Dec. 8 by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta is giving each of its 754 students $6,300 to cover various expenses, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

A severely ill COVID-19 patient at UPMC Memorial hospital in Shiloh, Pa., received a dose of ivermectin Nov. 6 after a court order issued Nov. 3, USA Today reports. 

The Iowa Hospital Association will award 60 scholarships of up to $7,000 and $1,000 to students in emergency technology and technician certification educational programs.

Chicago-based CommonSpirit and Morehouse School of Medicine announced Nov. 30 the development of three undergraduate and four graduate medical education sites aiming to diversify the clinician workforce and to improve both access and quality of care.

A Maine regulatory board said it suspended a physician's license to practice after reviewing multiple COVID-19 "exemption letters" signed by Paul Gosselin, DO, as well as provider reports that Dr. Gosselin spread misinformation about the virus.

Plastic surgeons, general surgeons, orthopedists and urologists were the top four physician specialities facing medical malpractice suits in 2021, according to the 2021 Medscape Malpractice Report published Nov. 19. 

In 2008, Cleveland Clinic instituted a peer-based coaching and mentoring program for physicians and scientists to promote a proactive approach to clinician well-being for allcomers, which officials estimate has saved the health system at least $133 million in physician retention alone in 2020. 

The Indiana Department of Health on Nov. 22 announced a partnership with Purdue University on an initiative aiming to increase health equity across the state.

Some healthcare systems have launched new residency programs and partnerships to address workforce shortages persisting around the country.

Caravan Health announced Nov. 17 a partnership with Quint Studer, an entrepreneur and author, to bring critical resources to support and replenish physicians and hospital staff through a series of live and virtual events to be held during the first quarter of 2022.

The COVID-19 Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists competition awarded 22 medical schools across the U.S. $12.1 million in grants to advance the research productivity and retention of early-career faculty, according to a Nov. 17 press release.  

Nearly 100 physicians in Alaska have signed a letter urging the State Medical Board to investigate the conduct of local physicians that have publicly spread misinformation surrounding COVID-19, Anchorage Daily News reported Nov. 14.

Renown Health on Nov. 12 announced a new clinical affiliation with the University of Nevada and the Reno School of Medicine — all based in Reno, Nev. — to address the state's physician shortage.

Stresses to work-life balance and family life exacerbated by COVID-19 have differed among men and women physicians, with female physicians bearing the brunt of family-related burdens, a study published Nov. 12 in JAMA Open Network found.

Rome (New York) Health started construction on a new $11.4 million physician center at its hospital campus Nov. 10, the Observer-Dispatch reports. 

San Francisco, Calif.-based Carbon Health announced Nov. 11 Carbon Health Connect, a new partnership with John Muir Health intended to increase access to critical health services and streamline care coordination. 

The University of Houston School of Medicine's first healthcare clinic opened Nov. 11, which caters to the uninsured by operating on a monthly subscription service for patients, according to KHOU-11.