Antimicrobial stewardship took a big step backward during the COVID-19 pandemic. Doctor Laurie Hicks, director of the Office of Antibiotic Stewardship at the CDC, talks to Fierce's Frank Diamond about why that happened and how to avoid letting it happen again. Also, kicking off a series on the opioid crisis, we'll hear from Fierce's Fraiser Kansteiner on the recent over-the-counter Narcan FDA approval. Then, we'll look back on an episode where attorney Jayne Conroy and Fierce's Annie Burky discussed what it takes to prosecute those involved in overprescribing opioids. They also discuss the landmark $10 billion agreement to settle opioid cases reached with CVS and Walgreens. To learn more about topics in this episode:  CVS reaches $484M settlement with Florida over opioid case Emergent makes history with first FDA nod for over-the-counter naloxone Bill that puts more antibiotics on market no sure thing HHS commits $300M to global accelerator targeting antibiotic-resistant bacteria Experts weigh in on ways to combat growing antibiotic resistance amid COVID-19 Podnosis is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey. The stories are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on "Podnosis," you'll hear from Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil. He talked with Fierce’s Robert King about the start of Medicaid redeterminations and the long-term outlook for the misunderstood program.   Also under discussion is colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the country. Fierce's Anastassia Gliadkovskaya talks with Anjee Davis, president of the nonprofit Fight Colorectal Cancer, about what stakeholders can do to tackle this disease.   To learn more about topics in this episode:  'It's finally here': States have long sought Medicaid eligibility redetermination deadline Managed care plans, states can now text Medicaid beneficiaries to warn of enrollment changes Urban: 18M could lose Medicaid coverage after COVID-19 emergency expires, likely next year Komodo and cancer charity map out dealing with colorectal cancer Salix works with colorectal cancer charity to catch the 'silent killer' before it can strike Geneoscopy nabs $105M to advance RNA-based gut tests for early colorectal cancer screening Guardant debuts its first cancer screening blood test for catching colorectal tumors #FierceMadness: Champion Farzad Mostashari is aiming to show what's possible in healthcare Podnosis is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey and managing editor Querida Anderson. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The stories are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on "Podnosis," you'll hear from Stuart Lustig, an Evernorth executive and child psychiatrist. Lustig talks with Fierce's Paige Minemyer about the rising tide of mental health concerns among young people, and what the industry can do about it.  Also under discussion is how inflation and labor shortages will impact Medicare Advantage. Paul Ginsburg, the founding president of the Center for Studying Health System Change, talks with Fierce Healthcare’s Frank Diamond about these trends.  To learn more about topics in this episode:  Evernorth study: Risk of suicide on the rise among youth Cigna study: Why employers should take a greater role in addressing teen mental health Employers hope to address parents' concerns about their kids' mental health CMS data: Medicare Advantage enrollment now more than 31M Chartis Group: Medicare Advantage's growth is slowing. But don't panic just yet Medicare Advantage plans brace for final controversial risk adjustment rule by Feb. 1 Humana to shed employer group commercial business Podnosis is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey and managing editor Querida Anderson. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The stories are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on "Podnosis," you'll hear from Jayne Conroy, who is representing Ohio residents against Norfolk Southern Railway. Conroy talks with Fierce's Annie Burky about her ongoing work to assess the public health repercussions of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.  Also under discussion is how to better track social determinants of health. Ashley Perry, chief solutions officer for Socially Determined, talked with Fierce’s Robert King about how data analytics tools can complement screening. To learn more about topics in this episode:  CVS, Walmart and Walgreens ordered to pay $650M in Ohio opioid suit, but some providers worry about aftermath Lead exposure continues to be a 'silent epidemic' for kids. These 3 states have the most affected areas 2023 forecast: Providers embrace start of new requirements on health equity Most doctors have patients affected by social drivers but feel ill-equipped to address them, survey finds Providers seek more incentives in ACO REACH to target highly underserved areas CMS seeks to close gaps in health equity data collection as new measures roll out Podnosis is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey and managing editor Querida Anderson. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The stories are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on "Podnosis," you'll hear from Katya Siddall-Cipolla, who started Hopper Health to offer virtual primary care and related services for neurodivergent adults. She talks with Fierce's Anastassia Gliadkovskaya about why neurodivergent adults need nuanced care and how to provide it.  Also under discussion is the opioid epidemic. Jayne Conroy is a leading plaintiff attorney on the landmark $10 billion agreement to settle with CVS and Walgreens. She talks with Fierce’s Annie Burky about the case as well as how cases like this can force change in the healthcare industry.   To learn more about topics in this episode:  New virtual primary care provider for neurodivergent adults, Hopper Health, launches Marker Learning scores $15M to continue bringing down the cost of learning disability assessments There's a new reimbursement pathway for VR therapy. The health tech company behind it just raised $10M Point32Health teams up with autism care provider Cortica to expand access to neurological therapies Bicycle Health partners with Bureau of Prisons to provide opioid use disorder treatment at reentry centers Confo hands baton to Lilly for non-opioid pain med development in $40M upfront deal Orexo, leveraging drug delivery tech, seeks FDA approval of nasal high-dose opioid rescue medicine #FierceMadness: The competition to determine healthcare's most powerful person is back! Podnosis is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey and managing editor Querida Anderson with editor-in-chief Ayla Ellison and senior editors Heather Landi and Paige Minemyer. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The stories are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2022 went down as one of the most difficult years financially for hospitals and health systems since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In this episode, Erik Wexler, chief operating officer at Providence, talks with Senior Editor Heather Landi about the biggest trends that should be on every health system executive’s radar.  Also under discussion is rural hospitals. Now that COVID funds are dwindling, how will rural hospitals manage the forthcoming financial instability and overcome hurdles unique to them? The National Rural Health Association's Brock Slabach talks with Fierce's Anastassia Gliadkovskaya about rural hospital operations and what their strategy might be in 2023.  To learn more about topics in this episode:  Tallahassee hospital continues to operate offline, working with FBI to address 'IT security event' Providence targets 'leaner' operating structure, leadership layoffs to offset recent losses Citing dire finances, Providence shutters 27 Southern California retail clinics MedPAC calls for slight pay update to 2024 Medicare rates for hospitals, physicians Rural hospital closures have spillover effects for other nearby facilities, researchers warn 2023 forecast: Amid dwindling COVID relief funds, rural hospitals face a 'fiscal cliff' #FierceMadness: Help us select the healthcare leaders for this year's face-off Podnosis is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey with managing editor Querida Anderson and senior editors Heather Landi and Paige Minemyer. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The stories are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

States with abortion restrictions have fewer maternity care providers, more maternity care deserts and higher rates of maternal and infant mortality. Fierce's Heather Landi spoke with Laurie Zephyrin, M.D., an OB-GYN specialist and health equity leader with the Commonwealth Fund, about the ripple effect of abortion bans. Landi also talks to Sonia Millsom, CEO of healthcare executive search firm Oxeon, about how the healthcare industry needs to think creatively about the next generation of leadership, particularly since the sector has a lot of work to do to improve diversity, equity and inclusion. To learn more about topics in this episode: In states with abortion bans, maternal and infant death rates are significantly higher, study finds Post Dobbs fallout tracker—Nationwide legal abortions declined 6% from April to August, report estimates Most physicians unclear on 'life-threatening emergencies' under abortion bans: survey More employers to add travel benefits for abortion in wake of Dobbs decision: survey Fierce Healthcare's 2022 Women of Influence Awards US medical schools grew more diverse in 2022, AAMC data show Fierce Healthcare's most influential minority executives in healthcare for 2022 ViVE 2022: How female founders, executives are driving the future of health tech "Podnosis" is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey and managing editor Querida Anderson with editor-in-chief Ayla Ellison and senior editors Heather Landi and Paige Minemyer. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The interviews are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major national plans are bringing in record profits as they diversify their business lines. Providers, meanwhile, continue to feel the lingering effects of the pandemic on care costs, labor and the supply chain. Fierce's Paige Minemyer and Dave Muoio dive into the financial trends they spotted in covering fourth-quarter earnings.    Also, in this episode, Frank Diamond interviews Michael Millenson, president of Health Quality Advisors, about patient safety in the post-COVID era. The U.S. healthcare system didn’t have a solid enough safety culture or infrastructure before the pandemic. As a result, patient safety has suffered even more. To learn more about topics in this episode: Optum expects to treat 4M in fully accountable, value-based models this year UnitedHealth continues to lead the way on insurer profits in Q3. Here's how its competitors fared Universal Health Services sees dipping profits despite halving contract labor costs from previous quarter Nearly a quarter of inpatient admissions experienced an adverse event in 2018, Massachusetts hospital study finds CMS threatens citations for hospitals without appropriate workplace safety practices Patient safety advocate cheers CMS' reversal on quality reporting, but hospitals say the data are no good "Podnosis" is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey and managing editor Querida Anderson with editor-in-chief Ayla Ellison and senior editors Heather Landi and Paige Minemyer. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The interviews are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rural healthcare is in dire need of investment and resources. Enter private equity. But experts say PE deals need to be scrutinized. Mary Bugbee, a research and campaign coordinator at a nonprofit financial watchdog organization called Private Equity Stakeholder Project, talks with Anastassia Gliadkovskaya about the pros and cons of PE in rural settings.   Also on the podcast, Senior Editor Paige Minemyer caught up with Margaret-Mary Wilson, M.D., to discuss her career journey and how it impacts her perspective on caring for patients. Wilson entered the fold at UnitedHealth Group nearly 15 years ago after becoming a physician in her native Nigeria and treating patients in the U.K. and the U.S.  To learn more about topics in this episode: PitchBook: After a hot 2022, PE healthcare deals expected to decline in coming months. But a rebound is possible Private equity owns at least 130 rural hospitals, and other revelations in a sweeping new report on PE in rural healthcare 2023 forecast: Amid dwindling COVID relief funds, rural hospitals face a 'fiscal cliff' Private equity acquisitions targeted large, high-margin hospitals over 15-year period Amid travel nursing rate spikes, a 'record-breaking' number of PE investments deserves scrutiny: report Fierce Healthcare's 2022 Women of Influence Awards Meet the executive leading UnitedHealthcare's social determinants strategy Industry Voices—Lack of diversity stymies culturally competent care. Let's change it "Podnosis" is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey and managing editor Querida Anderson with editor-in-chief Ayla Ellison and senior editors Heather Landi and Paige Minemyer. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The interviews are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major weak point in healthcare is the patient handoff, where it is key to accurately exchange patient information between caregivers, such as medications the patient is on or symptoms they are experiencing. Fierce Healthcare’s Anastassia Gliadkovskaya talks with Subha Airan-Javia, M.D., a Penn Medicine physician and founder and CEO of CareAlign, about how to address this crisis.  Also, Annie Burky talks with attorney Sunny Levine, who specializes in the law of health tech regulatory compliance, about what telemedicine companies—in particular telepsychiatry firms—will face with the looming end of the public health emergency. Without any regulatory changes, remote care will roll back to prepandemic standards, significantly hurting access to key medications. To learn more about topics in this episode: Here are 6 ways the ONC's new rules for opening health record access will impact the industry Oracle Cerner unveils new tech capabilities: Virtual nursing, tools to streamline charting, billing and data integration Elation Health teams with workflow management startup to automate administrative tasks in medical practices Experts sound alarm on 'preventable public health crisis' as virtual prescribing for opioid use disorder now in limbo JPM23: Teladoc revises its Q4 to sunnier projections while shining a light on BetterHelp and digital 'whole-person approach' CVS Health goes live with virtual care service with a focus on primary care, mental health White House plans to end COVID emergency declarations May 11 "Podnosis" is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey and managing editor Querida Anderson with editor-in-chief Ayla Ellison and senior editors Heather Landi and Paige Minemyer. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The interviews are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.