Walk into almost any modern hospital room and first notice what you hear. Alarms. Beeps. Alerts. Devices competing for attention, each announcing its own piece of information, few aware of what the others know. The sounds interrupt sleep, distract clinicians…

So far in 2026, The Joint Commission has announced a CEO transition plan, launched two outcomes-driven certifications and condensed serious safety event lists.  Here are 13 updates the accrediting body has announced since January, starting with the most recent: 1.…

The Legionnaires’ disease rate climbed 19% in 2025 to nearly its 2018 peak, according to provisional CDC data. The CDC monitors legionellosis cases through two surveillance systems — the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the Supplemental Legionnaires’ Disease Surveillance…

A pivotal year for cancer blood tests An FDA advisory panel voted Sept. 23 in favor of approving Grail’s Galleri multi-cancer early detection blood test, marking the first time a blood test of this kind has reached that stage of…

For a century, primary care operated around the idea that the patient comes to the clinic during office hours to see their physician. The physician owns the relationship and develops deep ties to triage the patient wherever else they need…

In 2025, three U.S. residents died from measles. Within the last two months, Pennsylvania officials have reported three measles-associated deaths in the same county, plus two other deaths.  Since Aug. 25, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has reported five measles-associated…

Six physician medical groups are speaking out after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described AI as offering “a second opinion that is much better informed than any doctor in the country,” and has the power to “free us from…

Google AI’s flu forecasting model was the top-performing model among 39 at forecasting flu-related hospital admissions during the 2025-26 season, the CDC found. The CDC’s FluSight program combines weekly submissions from government, industry and academic teams that predict flu hospital…

The Joint Commission launched a new, voluntary program to recognize healthcare organizations’ food and nutrition services Sept. 30. The Commitment to Healthy and Enticing Food, or CHEF, program is open to all Joint Commission-accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, behavioral healthcare…

The number of first-year students at U.S. medical schools that grant MD degrees rose 36.8% from the 2005-06 academic year to 2025-26, but fewer are staying in their home state.  Over the same period, the share of those students who…