Sanford Health unveils deal to integrate Minnesota-area North Memorial Health, invest $600M

fiercehealthcare - The deal, expected to close later this year, is another attempt from the major rural nonprofit system to enter the Minneapolis market. To do so, it plans a $600 million investment into two-hospital North Memorial Health that will help stabilize one financ…

AI Summary: Sanford Health announced a plan to integrate Minnesota-area North Memorial Health with a $600 million investment, creating a combined system aimed at expanding services, streamlining care and gaining scale. The transaction is part of a broader wave of regional healthcare consolidation as systems chase efficiency and market presence.

Staffing firm Cross Country Healthcare to be acquired by Knox Lane for $437M

fiercehealthcare - The deal would bring the 40-year-old, publicly traded company under a growth-oriented investment firm with a prior background in healthcare staffing.

AI Summary: Staffing firm Cross Country Healthcare agreed to be taken private in a $437 million deal by private equity buyer Knox Lane, ending its public-company chapter. The acquisition positions the firm for strategic repositioning and could reverberate across hospital staffing markets as investors consolidate workforce services.

RFK Jr. launches plan to curb antidepressant 'overprescription'

medicalxpress - A new federal initiative aims to curb "overprescribing" of psychiatric medications while emphasizing holistic care.

AI Summary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launched a campaign aimed at reducing antidepressant prescribing and helping people taper long-term use, combining policy proposals and public outreach. The initiative challenges current prescribing norms and has provoked debate between advocates for reducing medication dependence and clinicians cautious about abrupt shifts in psychiatric care.

Amwell expects smaller losses in 2026 after Q1 performance

Emily Olsen / healthcaredive - The health technology firm’s results give Amwell “increased confidence” it will meet a long-term goal of achieving positive cash flow from operations in the fourth quarter, CFO Mark Hirschhorn said.

AI Summary: Telehealth provider Amwell posted Q1 results showing better-than-expected customer renewals and retention, helping the company forecast smaller losses despite soft revenue. The results suggest operational improvements are stabilizing the business and give investors a slightly less gloomy view of the telehealth market's near-term prospects.

CVS Health beats the Street with $2.9B in Q1 profit

fiercehealthcare - CVS Health beat the Street on both earnings and revenue in Q1, posting $2.9 billion in profit for the quarter.

AI Summary: CVS Health reported a $2.9 billion Q1 profit, driven by improved performance at Aetna and stronger-than-expected renewals, prompting an upward outlook. Executives point to insurance results and retail stability as drivers — insurance math quietly covering for a retail world that still loves convenience.

Delays in visa program threaten doctor placements in underserved areas

medicalxpress - Hundreds of foreign doctors about to complete training in the U.S. will have to leave the country if the federal government doesn't rapidly process their visa waiver applications, which have been languishing since the fall and winter, immigration attorney…

AI Summary: Delays and backlogs in the physician visa program are jeopardizing placement of hundreds of doctors destined for underserved communities, leaving health systems scrambling to fill gaps. Hospitals warn patient access and care continuity could suffer as credentialing and onboarding timelines stretch, forcing local providers to shoulder heavier loads.

WakeMed Health's plans to join Atrium Health face swift pushback from NC officials

fiercehealthcare - A combination unveiled May 1 would bring WakeMed Health $2 billion in promised investment from the major nonprofit system. State officials voiced concerns about the impact of such consolidation and the value of those commitments, delaying a planned go-ahe…

AI Summary: Atrium Health’s plan to fold WakeMed into its system — backed by a roughly $2 billion investment plan — is running into immediate resistance from North Carolina officials. State leaders and local stakeholders have raised concerns about consolidation, competition and community impact, threatening regulatory scrutiny that could delay or reshape the deal. Expect tense negotiations, press statements and a few dramatic headlines.

Amgen files update to Tavneos label as FDA escalates push to withdraw

Nicole DeFeudis / endpoints - Amgen has taken steps to update its Tavneos label amid an ongoing battle with the FDA. The company filed a supplement on Wednesday that would add more information to the warning ...

AI Summary: Regulators have intensified scrutiny of Amgen’s Tavneos, weighing withdrawal amid safety and efficacy concerns. Amgen responded by filing a label update as the agency evaluates next steps, setting up a regulatory standoff that could alter patient access and the drug’s commercial fate while investigators review supporting trial data.

6 Things to Know About Medtronic’s Cyberattack

Katie Adams / medcitynews - Medtronic suffered a cyberattack on its corporate IT systems. The incident highlights growing cybersecurity risks in the medtech sector, with cybergangs increasingly using phishing and other human-engineering tactics to gain access to data.The post 6 Thin…

AI Summary: Medtronic reported an IT systems breach following a cyberattack, prompting an internal probe and operational mitigation efforts. The company is assessing clinical and supply impacts, notifying stakeholders, and coordinating with cybersecurity authorities — a reminder that even medtech giants are not immune to the digital snarls that can ripple through patient care and profits.

Centene raises 2026 guidance with strong Q1 revenue, earnings results

fiercehealthcare - Centene kicked off the first quarter with better-than-expected revenue and adjusted earnings results, signaling a recovery from a rough 2025 as the insurer makes progress in managing medical costs.

AI Summary: Centene lifted its 2026 outlook after reporting robust first-quarter revenue and results, signaling confidence in managed care performance and enrollment trends. The company cited favorable operational metrics and market dynamics that supported the guidance bump, reassuring investors even as broader industry headwinds remain in play.

Chiesi signs $1.9B deal to acquire KalVista and its approved drug

Kyle LaHucik / endpoints - Chiesi is buying commercial biotech KalVista Pharmaceuticals for about $1.9 billion in an extension of the industry's vigorous spring shopping spree. The Italian pharma will pay $27 per share {$KALV} in cash to buy the ...

AI Summary: Chiesi Group agreed to buy KalVista for $1.9 billion to secure an approved therapy and expand its rare-disease footprint. The deal transfers marketed assets and R&D capacity, positioning Chiesi to scale rare-disease revenues and invest in next-wave therapeutics — essentially a big check for a bigger strategic play.

U.S. Government Will Stop Paying for Test Strips to Detect Deadly Drugs

Jan Hoffman / nytimes - In a letter to states and other grant recipients, the Trump administration says the strips encourage drug use.

AI Summary: Public health officials have declared the South Carolina measles outbreak over after nearly 1,000 people fell ill, attributing containment to intensified vaccination campaigns and contact tracing. Authorities warn that immunity gaps still exist and stressed that preventable outbreaks will recur without sustained immunization efforts — a blunt reminder that vaccines remain the easiest way to avoid headline-making contagions.

AI, face photos may predict cancer survival: Mass General Brigham study

Giles Bruce / beckershospitalreview - Using multiple photos from across a patient’s course of treatment in the FaceAge AI tool may be an even better predictor of survival than a single photo alone, a new Mass General Brigham study found. Researchers behind FaceAge, which uses AI to analyze a …

AI Summary: An AI model trained on clinical cohorts at Mass General Brigham can estimate biological aging from simple facial photos and links accelerated facial aging to poorer cancer survival. The research suggests noninvasive image-based signals could complement standard prognostic markers, offering a surprising, low-cost way to flag higher-risk patients earlier.