Facing Financial Losses, Dartmouth Withdraws From Health Law’s ACO Program
The accountable care organization model was devised by Dartmouth researchers, and Dartmouth's health system did save money, but not enough to avoid penalties. “We would have loved to stay in the federal program, but it was just not sustainable," said Dr. Robert A. Greene, a vice president with the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health System.
The New York Times:
Dropout By Dartmouth Raises Questions On Health Law Cost-Savings Effort
In its quest to remake the nation’s health care system, the Obama administration has urged doctors and hospitals to band together to improve care and cut costs, using a model devised by researchers at Dartmouth College. But Dartmouth itself, facing mounting financial losses in the federal program, has dropped out, raising questions about the future of the new entities known as accountable care organizations, created under the Affordable Care Act. (Pear, 9/10)
In other national health care news —
The New York Times:
Health Care Providers Scramble To Meet New Disaster Readiness Rule
An estimated 72,315 American health care providers and suppliers — from hospitals and nursing homes to dialysis facilities and care homes for those with intellectual disabilities — will have a little over a year to meet federal disaster preparedness requirements completed this week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The new rule is aimed at preventing the severe breakdown in patient care that followed disasters including Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy, while also strengthening the ability to provide services during other types of emergencies, such as pandemics and terrorist attacks. (Fink, 9/9)
The Washington Post:
Clinton Falls Ill During 9/11 Memorial Service In New York
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton fell ill during a memorial service marking the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, leaving abruptly and inserting new speculation about her health into a presidential campaign in which Republican Donald Trump has called her weak and unfit. Video of Clinton’s hurried departure from the Ground Zero memorial showed her buckling and stumbling as she got into her van. Clinton’s campaign issued a statement from her doctor later Sunday revealing that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia two days earlier. (Phillip and Gearan, 9/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Google Parent And Sanofi Name Diabetes Joint Venture Onduo
French pharmaceutical group Sanofi SA is joining with Verily Life Sciences LLC, a unit of Google parent Alphabet, to create a joint venture called Onduo to research diabetes treatments.“ Onduo’s mission is to help people with diabetes live full, healthy lives by developing comprehensive solutions that combine devices, software, medicine, and professional care to enable simple and intelligent disease management,” Sanofi and Verily, which was previously known as Google Life Science, said. (Landauro, 9/12)
Stat:
The Surprising History Of The War On Superbugs
Bacteria that have evolved to withstand antibiotics kill 700,000 people each year, and ever more powerful strains are spreading around the world. Researchers are worried that we will enter a post-antibiotic age, in which we are infected by bacteria that can defeat every drug medicine has to offer. Next week, the United Nations will convene a high-level meeting to coordinate the global fight against these invisible enemies. (Zimmer, 9/12)