Weight loss surgeries among adolescents jumped 15% between 2021 and 2023, a UT Southwestern Medical Center study found. In 2018, 9.1% of adolescents had Class II or III obesity, which is associated with a range of health issues.  “Severe obesity…

On May 6, CMS suspended eight improvement activities within its 2025 rubric for determining merit pay for Medicare providers, the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, or MIPS.  The agency plans to fully remove these improvement activities in future rulemaking:  Clinicians working…

The Joint Commission recently eliminated 55 administrative positions as it looks to improve operational efficiency, a spokesperson for the accrediting body confirmed May 7.  “As we at The Joint Commission execute against our strategic plan, we have identified the need…

Genolier, Switzerland-based Swiss Medical Network has become the first healthcare provider in Western Europe to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network.  Swiss Medical Network joins more than 45 medical institutions globally that collaborate with Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic to improve…

Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy, which operates more than 50 hospitals, is leveraging its partnerships to create a unified dataset on provider-level data. The system’s collaborations with Axuall, Microsoft and Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic have enhanced this validated dataset, according to Chad…

McKinsey & Co.’s latest nursing survey focuses on the nurse manager role to identify trends in upward mobility, burnout and other areas. The global management consulting firm surveyed 1,301 nurses (533 nurse leaders, including 391 nurse managers, and 768 front-line…

Funding cuts and restructuring at the CDC reportedly have disrupted certain efforts related to infection prevention, control and disease monitoring. One such effort is Together TakeMeHome at Emory University in Atlanta, which is funded by the CDC and mails free…

In a first-of-its-kind procedure, clinicians at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore removed a rare spinal tumor through a patient’s eye socket.  The patient, Karla Flores of Rosedale, Md., had two slow-growing developmental bone tumors in her spine…

A University of Cincinnati researcher launched an app, called High Enroll, to connect patients to clinical trials. The most common barrier to human subject research is a lack of awareness. Many clinicians are often unaware of all of the trials…

The 2024-to-2025 flu season hit a 15-year record of 216 pediatric deaths as of late April, according to CDC data published May 2.  Last season saw 207 pediatric flu deaths, while the most fatal flu season for children in the…