CalMatters: ‘Dreamers’ Will Lose Covered California Health Insurance Next Month
Less than a year after “Dreamers” were first allowed to sign up for Covered California health insurance, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children are about to lose their health care coverage. In California, that means about 2,300 Dreamers must find health insurance elsewhere or go without once their coverage is terminated at the end of the month. The decision was made by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that oversees insurance marketplaces. (Ibarra, 8/4)

North Bay Business Journal: Providence Announces $5M Donation Toward New Santa Rosa Cardiology Center
Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Foundation has announced a multimillion-dollar donation to help establish a new cardiac hub within the Hansel Family Care Center, a medical office building across the street from the hospital. (Sarfaty, 8/4)

Becker's Hospital Review: California Union Aims To Cap Healthcare Executive Pay
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West has filed to place a statewide initiative on the November 2026 ballot that would cap hospital executive pay. Under the Aug. 1 filing, total annual compensation for executives, administrators and managers at nonprofit and for-profit hospitals and medical groups would be capped at $450,000 — the same as the U.S. president’s salary. (Gooch, 8/4)

Becker's Hospital Review: Disciplined, Not Dazzled: Health System C-Suites' Clear-Eyed View Of AI
Hospital and health system executives are integrating AI into their workflows to support strategic planning and market analysis, while creating standards and erecting guardrails to ensure that the technology complements — rather than replaces — critical thinking in leadership. ... Four health system executives — ... [including] Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health ... — shared how they are using AI to support strategy and drive efficiency, and discussed the guardrails at their organizations for adoption. (Gooch, 8/4)

Becker's Hospital Review: How 6 Leaders Are Tackling AI Integration Issues
As AI technology continues to advance and once revolutionary digital health tools become the new normal, healthcare leaders are learning more about what works and what does not. From patient privacy and physician education, six industry leaders shared with Becker’s how they overcame the challenges of integrating these technologies into clinical workflows. (Gregerson, 8/4)

Becker's Hospital Review: After A Decade — Or 2 — At The Helm, These CEOs Have Grown With Their Systems
A CEO’s first year often brings unexpected challenges and new priorities. For leaders who have held the role for more than a decade, continued growth means evolving leadership styles and skill sets in response to organizational change and increased complexity. Some CEOs have guided their organizations through major expansions or mergers, requiring an emphasis on collaboration and communication. Others have adapted by delegating more responsibilities across the C-suite or listening more intentionally to front-line staff. (Kuchno, 8/4)

Modern Healthcare: Rural Health Fund Applications Open In September: Oz
States will be able to apply in early September for a portion of a $50 billion fund designed to help rural hospitals weather federal funding cuts, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, said Sunday. The rural health fund was created after concerns were raised about the impact of Medicaid and Medicare cuts in President Trump’s tax law. (DeSilva, 8/4)

Fierce Healthcare: Hundreds Of Urban Hospitals Could Be Double-Dipping Into Rural Medicare Funds, Study Finds
Hundreds of urban hospitals have taken advantage of a 2016 policy change that allows them to be simultaneously classified by Medicare as rural and urban facilities for payment purposes, according to a new study. Compared to three geographically urban hospitals that picked up dual classifications in 2017, 425 existing urban hospitals had obtained both administrative designations in 2023, Johns Hopkins University and Brown University researchers wrote in Health Affairs. About three-quarters of these were nonprofits, and several were large academic medical centers located in metropolitan areas. (Muoio, 8/4)

Becker's Hospital Review: AAMC Backs Bill To Protect 340B Access
The Association of American Medical Colleges endorsed the 340B Pharmaceutical Access to Invest in Essential, Needed Treatments and Support Act, legislation that would amend the 340B statute to confirm that covered entities can use contract pharmacies to dispense outpatient drugs. The AAMC on July 31 sent a letter to Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Doris Matsui supporting the bill, outlining the importance of contract pharmacy arrangements. The legislation also has drawn support from the American Hospital Association and 340B Health, according to an Aug. 1 news release from the AAMC. (Murphy, 8/4)

Times of San Diego: County Mayors, Civic Leaders Unite For Regional Homeless Response
Thirteen mayors and civic leaders from across San Diego County met Monday to coordinate regional responses to homelessness at the San Diego Rescue Mission‘s fourth annual symposium. The closed-door meeting at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach brought together representatives from all 18 cities in the county for the first time, marking what organizers called a historic shift toward regional collaboration. (Ireland, 8/4)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Judge Approves Settlement Requiring Sweeping ADA Reforms In San Diego County Jails
A federal judge has approved a sweeping settlement requiring the San Diego Sheriff’s Office to make major changes to jail conditions for people with disabilities. The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed in 2022 that, among other allegations, accused the sheriff of widespread violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Davis, 8/4)

Times of San Diego: County Public Health Lab Awarded LEED Platinum Certification
San Diego County’s newly opened Public Health Laboratory in Kearny Mesa has earned platinum certification, the highest possible rating, from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. The facility marks the 34th county building to earn LEED certification, joining 70 total county buildings with silver, gold or platinum ratings, officials said. (Ireland, 8/4)

The Washington Post: Trump Moves To Bar Nearly All Abortions At Veterans Affairs Hospitals 
Pregnant veterans would no longer be allowed to receive abortions at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals in cases of rape, incest or when the pregnancy threatens their health under a proposed rule from the Trump administration that would revoke a Biden-era policy expanding abortion access. Months after the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022, the Biden administration implemented a rule change allowing VA for the first time to provide abortion services for veterans and eligible family members in limited circumstances, including in states with abortion bans. (Somasundaram, 8/4)

Military Times: VA To Ease Authorization Rules For Some Outside Care, Raising Concerns
Veterans Affairs officials will extend community care authorizations for up to one year for procedures related to 30 separate medical specialties, a move that critics charge could potentially put taxpayers on the hook for expensive and ineffective medical treatments. Department leaders on Monday said the change is needed to ensure that veterans’ medical care outside the federal health systems is not delayed or disrupted by cumbersome regulation. Currently, patients need to get reauthorizations every three to six months for the community care appointments. (Shane III, 8/5)

MedPage Today: CDC Urged To Preserve Funding For Overdose Prevention
A group of public health leaders called on the CDC and its new director Susan Monarez, PhD, to protect critical overdose prevention programs across the U.S. In a media briefing Monday afternoon, the group, convened by the nonprofit Safe States Alliance, spoke out against a reported proposition to cut or freeze $140 million, about half of the $279 million in grants to states, territories, and localities administered by the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program. (Henderson, 8/4)

The Hill: Kennedy Examines Ousting Of Task Force Members
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday he is “reviewing” whether to remove all members of an influential advisory committee that offers guidance about preventive health services. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is composed of medical experts who serve four-year terms on a volunteer basis. They are appointed by the HHS secretary and are supposed to be shielded from political influence. (Weixel, 8/4)

The New York Times: Bird Flu May Be Airborne On Dairy Farms, Scientists Report
The bird flu virus that has beset dairy farms since early last year may be spreading through the air in so-called milking parlors and through contaminated wastewater, as well as from milking equipment, scientists have found. The Department of Agriculture has said that the virus spreads primarily from milking equipment or is carried by dairy workers and vehicles traveling between farms. But in the new study, scientists found live virus in the air of milking facilities, suggesting that cows and farmworkers might have become infected by inhaling the pathogen. (Mandavilli and Anthes, 8/4)

NBC News: ChatGPT Adds Mental Health Guardrails After Bot 'Fell Short In Recognizing Signs Of Delusion'
OpenAI wants ChatGPT to stop enabling its users’ unhealthy behaviors. Starting Monday, the popular chatbot app will prompt users to take breaks from lengthy conversations. The tool will also soon shy away from giving direct advice about personal challenges, instead aiming to help users decide for themselves by asking questions or weighing pros and cons. (Yang, 8/4)