Fitch upgrades UCHealth’s rating to ‘AA+’
Andrew Cass / beckershospitalreview - Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth’s credit rating was upgraded to “AA+” from “AA” by Fitch. The upgrade reflects the health system’s very strong financial profile, benefiting from its market position in a growing service area and a long track record of robust …
AI Summary: A large NHS evaluation found that an AI system can detect more invasive breast cancers than traditional reading alone, boosting detection by roughly 10%. The technology matched or rivaled radiologists in a major screening dataset, prompting debate about integration, workflow changes, and careful real-world rollout rather than unleashing bots in mammography rooms immediately.
- Mixed trial findings: AI triage not always noninferior. (1)
- NHS trial: AI boosts breast cancer detection by ~10%. (2)
- OTHER: AI in broader cardiac, hematology, imaging, and finance news. (4)
- Researchers and conferences push AI discussion in breast imaging. (2)
- All Other Stories
Mixed trial findings: AI triage not always noninferior.
NHS trial: AI boosts breast cancer detection by ~10%.
OTHER: AI in broader cardiac, hematology, imaging, and finance news.
Researchers and conferences push AI discussion in breast imaging.
All Other Stories
Antonio Calles: RECITE Trial Findings on Romiplostim for Chemotherapy-Induced Thrombocytopenia
oncodaily - Antonio Calles, Medical Oncologist at Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón and faculty member of the Lung and Other Thoracic Tumours faculty group of the ESMO, shared a post by NEJM, […]
AI Summary: A global phase 3 trial shows romiplostim markedly reduces chemotherapy‑induced thrombocytopenia, cutting severe low‑platelet events and helping patients stay on planned treatment schedules. The finding promises to lower bleeding risk and avoid dose delays, a relief for clinicians and patients alike — and for anyone tired of rescheduled infusions.
The appendix evolved at least 32 times across 361 species, so it's 'unlikely to be a useless evolutionary accident,' research finds
livescience - Two researchers explore the evolutionary history of the appendix and its role in human health.
AI Summary: Researchers traced the appendix’s evolutionary history across hundreds of species and found it appeared independently at least 32 times, arguing the organ is unlikely to be a useless leftover. The findings suggest conserved functional roles—likely linked to immune and microbial functions—forcing a rethink of medical attitudes toward a body part too often dismissed and casually removed.
Personalized Support Program Improves Smoking Cessation for Cervical Cancer Survivors – UCLA Health
oncodaily - UCLA study shows program doubles quit rates for women and offers a cost-effective approach A new study led by UCLA researchers suggests that a personalized counseling program can significantly help […]
AI Summary: A UCLA-led trial found that a tailored support program for women treated for cervical precancer significantly doubled smoking-cessation rates versus usual care. The intervention combined individualized counseling, follow-up, and survivor-focused resources, proving both clinically impactful and cost-effective — because apparently telling people to “just quit” still isn’t working.
Grail names new CEO as Bob Ragusa retires
Jared Whitlock / endpoints - Grail on Thursday announced that its CEO, Bob Ragusa, will retire and is handing the reins to its current president Josh Ofman. The cancer screening company said the move was the culmination of long-term succession ...
AI Summary: Grail announced a leadership transition as long‑time chief executive Bob Ragusa retires and hands operational control to current president Josh Ofman. The move marks a new chapter for the cancer‑screening company as stakeholders watch for strategic shifts and commentary about the company’s unusual corporate journey and future direction.
Measles outbreaks could fuel rise in fatal complication, physicians warn
Mackenzie Bean / beckershospitalreview - As measles continues spreading across the U.S. at a pace not seen in decades, physicians are warning about a rare but often fatal neurological complication that can emerge years after initial infection, KFF Health News reported March 13. Subacute sclerosi…
AI Summary: Measles is resurging across the United States at levels not seen in decades, and clinicians warn this spike could drive an increase in a rare but often fatal neurological complication. Public‑health experts point to falling vaccination coverage and gaps in outbreak control as the drivers, urging renewed immunization efforts and vigilance.
Vanderbilt Health president, CEO to retire
Paige Twenter / beckershospitalreview - Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Vanderbilt Health and dean of Vanderbilt University’s school of medicine, plans to retire from both roles Dec. 31, according to a March 12 news release from the Nashville, Tenn.-based organizations. During his 17…
AI Summary: Jeff Balser, president and CEO of Vanderbilt Health (and dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine), will retire at the end of the year, prompting the health system’s board to launch a national search for his successor. Leaders emphasize a careful transition to preserve academic‑clinical stability while navigating complex operational challenges.
AMA: Physicians' use of AI doubled from 2023 to 2026
fiercehealthcare - A survey fielded earlier this year found 81% of doctors use AI in a professional context, with an average of 2.3 use cases per physician. Respondents were largely bullish on the technology's ability to boost clinical care and work efficiency, but still ha…
AI Summary: An AMA survey finds physicians’ professional use of artificial intelligence roughly doubled from 2023 to 2026, with about 81% of doctors now using AI across clinical and administrative tasks. The rapid uptake spotlights workflow integration but raises immediate questions about oversight, training, and legal liability as adoption outpaces policy.
Ipsen pulls cancer drug Tazverik from market over safety risks
Nicole DeFeudis / endpoints - Ipsen is pulling its cancer drug Tazverik from the market after an independent data monitoring committee found safety concerns in a confirmatory trial. The committee reported cases of secondary cancers that begin in blood-forming tissue ...
AI Summary: Ipsen has removed its EZH2 inhibitor Tazverik (tazemetostat) from the U.S. market after safety issues flagged by an independent monitoring review. The withdrawal forces clinicians to pivot to alternative therapies and triggers regulatory and clinical re‑examination of the drug’s benefit‑risk profile for patients previously depending on it.
Eliquis may be safer than Xarelto for patients with deep blood clots: Study
Ella Jeffries / beckershospitalreview - Patients taking blood thinner Eliquis had a lower risk of clinically relevant bleeding than those taking Xarelto, a recent study found. Researchers enrolled 2,760 patients with venous thrombosis — blood clots in the veins of the legs or lungs — and random…
AI Summary: A direct comparison trial found apixaban (Eliquis) produced a lower rate of clinically relevant bleeding than rivaroxaban (Xarelto) in patients treated for venous thromboembolism while preserving efficacy against clots. The results offer prescribers clear comparative safety data that could influence anticoagulant selection and guideline recommendations.
Flu vaccines didn't work that well in the US, officials find
medicalxpress - As the U.S. flu season winds down, health officials say the flu vaccine didn't work very well, with one of its worst effectiveness rates in more than a decade.
AI Summary: Health officials report this season’s influenza vaccine performed poorly, with effectiveness among the lowest in recent years. A mismatch between vaccine strains and circulating viruses reduced protection, prompting calls for strain updates ahead of the fall program. Public health leaders still urge vaccination for partial protection and to blunt severe outcomes.
A smartphone app can help men last longer in bed
newscientist - In a randomised trial, men who experience premature ejaculation benefitted from using an app to learn techniques for extending intercourse
AI Summary: A randomized trial shows a smartphone app teaching behavioral and psychological techniques significantly prolonged intercourse and improved sexual satisfaction for men with premature ejaculation. The digital program provided a non‑pharmacologic, scalable alternative to pills, offering clinicians an accessible adjunct or first‑line option for patients keen to try therapy without a prescription.
Severe COVID or Severe Flu May Raise Risk of Lung Cancer, But Vaccines Helped in Animal Tests
discovermagazine - Learn how severe respiratory illness leaves the lungs vulnerable to cancer, and how vaccines could prevent these vulnerabilities.
AI Summary: New animal and observational evidence suggests severe respiratory infections—including serious COVID‑19 and influenza—can prime lung tissue and accelerate cancer development months to years later. Vaccination appeared to blunt those effects in experimental models, highlighting prevention as a potential cancer‑risk reduction strategy and urging clinicians to watch survivors of severe infections more closely.
6 Things to Know About Stryker’s Cyberattack
Katie Adams / medcitynews - Stryker was hit by a cyberattack this week that knocked out its internal systems worldwide and caused delays to order processing and manufacturing. An Iran-linked group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the full impact remains unclear.The pos…
AI Summary: A worldwide cyberattack knocked out Stryker’s enterprise Microsoft environment, wiping access to key internal systems and forcing hospitals and manufacturers to scramble for workarounds. The company is issuing platform‑specific updates while investigators link the intrusion to a pro‑Iran actor, leaving supply chains and surgical workflows nervously improvising.
FDA Transparency Push Expands to Monitoring Safety of Vaccines and Other Regulated Products
Frank Vinluan / medcitynews - The FDA said consolidating safety reporting into a single platform, the Adverse Event Monitoring System (AEMS), will increase transparency and reduce costs. But like the legacy systems it replaces, AEMS reports are unverified so causation and frequency of…
AI Summary: The FDA is consolidating multiple safety reporting systems into a single public Adverse Event Monitoring System to centralize reports for drugs, biologics, vaccines, cosmetics and animal products. The move aims to improve transparency, reduce fragmented reporting, and streamline monitoring — a tidy solution if it works as promised.
Gallup poll: One in three Americans cutting back on daily expenses to pay for healthcare
fiercehealthcare - Healthcare affordability remains a significant challenge, with a third of respondents to a new Gallup poll saying they had to cut back on daily living expenses to afford care.
AI Summary: A Gallup poll reports one-third of Americans trimmed everyday spending, borrowed money or skipped essentials to pay medical bills. The findings highlight acute affordability pressures that force families to choose between care and basic needs, underscoring systemic gaps in coverage and cost control while policymakers offer the usual sympathetic nod.
Universal Health Services buys Talkspace for $835M
Ngai Yeung / endpoints - Universal Health Services, which operates hospitals and mental healthcare facilities, is acquiring Talkspace for $835 million in an area closely watched for consolidation, as virtual mental health companies grapple with falling valuations despite high dem…
AI Summary: Universal Health Services agreed to acquire Talkspace for roughly $835 million to bulk up virtual behavioral‑health capabilities and outpatient telehealth services. The deal aims to expand UHS’s behavioral care footprint and diversify revenue streams, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory review — because nothing says mental‑health innovation like a corporate merger.
Aetna to pay $117.7M to settle Medicare Advantage upcoding allegations: DOJ
fiercehealthcare - Aetna has agreed to pay $117.7 million to settle allegations that it submitted false or inaccurate diagnoses to juice Medicare Advantage payments.
AI Summary: CVS Health (via its Aetna unit) agreed to a roughly $118 million settlement with the DOJ to resolve False Claims Act allegations that inaccurate diagnosis submissions inflated Medicare Advantage payments. The deal closes a chapter on federal scrutiny of coding practices and aims to avoid years more of litigation and bad headlines.
Leapfrog ordered to remove safety grade for 5 Tenet hospitals
fiercehealthcare - A federal judge said a 2024 methodology update that adjusted the weighting of safety measures inputted for nonparticipating hospitals was "deceptive and unfair" under Florida law. Leapfrog plans to appeal, but said it will be making broader changes in rat…
AI Summary: A federal judge ruled that Leapfrog’s safety grades for five Florida hospitals—primarily Tenet-owned facilities—were based on a methodology the court deemed scientifically unsupported and potentially deceptive. The decision requires Leapfrog to take down those grades, raising fresh questions about the design, transparency and legal defensibility of high-profile hospital safety metrics.
Effects of daily multivitamin–multimineral and cocoa extract supplementation on epigenetic aging clocks in the COSMOS randomized clinical trial
Sidong Li / nature - Nature Medicine, Published online: 09 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04239-3In a prespecified ancillary analysis of the COSMOS randomized trial, supplementation with daily multivitamins, but not with cocoa extract, over the course of 2 years decreased…
AI Summary: A prespecified ancillary analysis of the COSMOS randomized trial found that daily multivitamin–multimineral (with cocoa extract) modestly slowed epigenetic aging clocks over two years. The Nature Medicine report highlights measurable shifts in biomarkers of biological aging, while noting uncertain clinical significance and the need for longer follow-up.