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In a short time, virtually all abortions will be outlawed in the state of Texas.

Even now, abortion access is very limited. A court ruling last week temporarily restored a state law allowing women to obtain an abortion up until six weeks of pregnancy, a time when some women aren’t aware they’re pregnant.

In about two months at most, a more restrictive law will be in effect, 

 reports. The law will prohibit abortion in virtually all cases, except to save the life of the mother or to prevent a serious health complication.

Healthcare organizations, in Texas and around the country, largely denounced the U.S. Supreme Court ruling

 that found there’s no constitutional right to an abortion.

Hospitals wrestle with Supreme Court ruling on abortion

Gary Floyd, president of the Texas Medical Association, 

 last week, Floyd said, “We don’t need the government or third parties in our exam rooms.”

Floyd said the association is still working to analyze the impact of the law and what physicians can do. “We’re going to help our doctors try to take care of their patients,” he said.

“We’re trying to analyze what laws are going to be on the books,” he said. “We’re going to obey the state law.”

HHS secretary announces steps after abortion ruling, warns providers to protect patient privacy

The Texas state capitol building in Austin.

Under the law as written, patients won’t be prosecuted for obtaining an abortion. However, doctors who perform abortions illegally could face a sentence of life in prison. 

Five Texas district attorneys, representing some of the state’s largest cities, have signed 

 from around the nation saying they won’t pursue criminal charges for those who provide abortion care.

The Texas law allows doctors to perform an abortion to save a patient or if there’s a “substantial impairment of major bodily function.”

When asked for more specifics about what type of health crisis would allow a doctor to perform an abortion without the prospect of facing criminal charges, Floyd said doctors and health systems will have to make that determination.

“I think it’s going to have to be left up to the physicians’ best medical judgment. That is left in discussions in options with the patients,” Floyd said.

“It’s going to require a lot of dialogue between our organization and lawmakers to not delay needed care for patients,” he added. “That’s what you fear in cases like this, that needed care might be delayed, and if delayed could cause more problems.”

As the medical association has a better grasp of the scope of the law, the organization will be working to educate doctors, Floyd said.

“Our physicians are law-abiding citizens,” he said. “They want to stay in practice. They’re going to obey the laws.”

After Supreme Court upends Roe v. Wade, medical schools weigh impact on training doctors

The Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

 issued a statement saying it recognizes that “thoughtful members hold a variety of positions with respect to abortion ethics.” But the group said it “strongly opposes any measures that interfere with the patient-physician relationship, especially under the threat of felony.”

“We are gravely concerned that recent state laws and now the reversal of Roe v. Wade will have unintended consequences that will potentially increase maternal risk and further worsen health disparities among our society,” the ob/gyn group said. “We also believe the best way to decrease unintended pregnancy is through prevention, including improved access to contraception.”

The group said it hopes to work with policymakers to create or revise laws relating to reproductive healthcare.

John Hawkins, president and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association, said in a statement after the Supreme Court ruling that hospitals will “stay abreast of the new laws and work with their patients to promote the healthiest outcomes.”

“As hospitals, we are committed to protecting patient health, first and foremost, as well as the availability of equitable access to safe health care services,” Hawkins said. Most abortions in Texas don’t occur in hospitals.

While the medical association criticized the ruling for interfering with the physician-patient relationship, Floyd said the Supreme Court ruling has elicited a mix of opinions from doctors. 

“We have physicians on both sides,” he said. “Some are elated and some are devastated.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland vows to ensure access to abortion services

When asked about the impact of the ruling possibly deterring some doctors from practicing in Texas or dissuading some students from attending medical schools in Texas, Floyd said that’s difficult to predict.

“I just don’t know,” Floyd said. “Most medical students will go where they get in, knowing the lay of the land.”

“Whether a person would decide to not come here or practice here, based on the restrictions to reproductive healthcare, I don’t know,” Floyd said. “Time will tell. Is that a concern? It could be a concern. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Texas is well-known for being a conservative state, so Floyd said he would hope doctors coming to the state would be aware of that fact.

In light of the Supreme Court ruling, Floyd said he’s concerned that patients won’t go to their doctors.

“Where patients should start if they have concerns or need to be cared for, they need to start with their physician,” Floyd said. “They should not be impeded from consulting a physician.

“Our physicians are there to discuss their needs,” he said. “We support our physicians using their best medical judgment to deliver care in a timely manner.”

Articles

Gary Floyd, the head of the Texas Medical Association, said his group aims to do all it can to support doctors. The organization is still analyzing what doctors can do under the state’s law.

Texas healthcare leaders grapple with end of abortion services

Patients with E-cigarette or vaping associated lung injury (EVALI) commonly have significant long-term respiratory disability, cognitive impairment, symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and persistent vaping, researchers have found.

Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 

The Food and Drug Administration last week 

One-year outcomes of 73 patients with EVALI were assessed to measure cognitive function, depression, anxiety, respiratory disability, COVID-19 infection, pulmonary function, and vaping behaviors.

Smoking rates drop among those with depression, substance use 

The patients studied were treated at the Intermountain Healthcare or University of Utah Health and completed a 12-month follow up between July 20, 2020, and Aug. 15, 2020. The majority of patients were male with a mean age of 31.1.

At the 12-month follow-up, researchers found that 48% of patients had respiratory limitations, 59% of patients had anxiety and/or depression, 62% of patients had post-traumatic stress and 6.4% of patients reported a COVID-19 infection.

Patients also reported personal impacts of vaping injuries via the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey questions.

Survey responses indicated that 13% of patients were unable to work, 54% were still paying off healthcare bills, 24% experienced significant shortness of breath and 44% reported difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions due to a physical, mental or emotional condition.

Denitza Blagev, M.D., the principal investigator of the study, 

 about the long-term residual effects at the American Thoracic Society Meeting in San Francisco in May.

“Considering that most patients enrolled in this trial were young and did not have any significant co-morbidities at the time of their diagnosis, it’s really concerning,” Blagev said.

Despite the continued health impacts, 62% of patients continued to vape or smoke.

However, younger age was associated with reduced vaping behavior post-EVALI. Dr. Blagev suggests that this points to the importance of targeted outreach for young people who continue to vape.

Preliminary data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey released by the U.S. Center for Disease Control shows electronic cigarette use among teens continues to rise. 

Roughly five million teens report vaping within the past month, including 11.3% of high school students and 2.8% of middle school students.

Dr. Blagev encourages intervention by raising awareness and implementing policies to reduce vaping among young people, with a focus on mental health issues.

Campaigns should include education on the dangers of tobacco use, vaping and the continued impact of vaping injuries, despite the removal of vitamin-E acetate, an additive associated with lung injuries, from vaping products.

Patients with E-cigarette or vaping associated lung injury found to have a high risk of developing chronic issues that persist for a year or more.

Vaping injuries raise risk of respiratory problems and other issues, study finds

Life expectancy among Americans increased over a 20-year span, but a new study still shows troubling gaps among members of some racial groups.

Gains in life expectancy slowed more recently, according to the study published June 16 in 

. Researchers at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine worked with researchers from the National Institutes of Health on the study, which examined life expectancy nationally and at the county level.

From 2000-2019, the overall life expectancy of Americans rose by 2.3 years, the study found. Most of the progress came before 2010.

The study focused on the years before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, early studies of 2020, the first year of the pandemic, show drops in lifespan, among many Americans.

U.S. lifespan fell nearly 2 years due to COVID-19 pandemic

While federal officials have focused on reducing healthcare disparities among disadvantaged groups, the study found bigger gains among members of minority groups. Between 2020 and 2019, Black Americans saw the largest increase in life expectancy (3.9 years). Asian-Americans saw an increase of 2.9 years, and the lifespan in the Latino population rose by 2.7 years.

White Americans lagged the other groups, with a gain in life expectancy of 1.7 years. The study found no difference in the lifespan of the American Indian/Alaska Native population.

Still, Black Americans continue to have a shorter lifespan than most other Americans, the study found. In 2019, the life expectancy among Black Americans was 75.3 years. By comparison, white Americans had a typical lifespan of 78.9 years in 2019.

In 2019, the longest lifespan was found in the Asian population (85.7 years), followed by the Latino population (82.2).

The American Indian/Alaska Native population had the shortest lifespan (73.1 years), the study found. In most counties, life expectancy in this group dropped.

Mass General Brigham’s chief medical officer is on a mission to improve health equity

Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, a division of the NIH, was a co-author of the study. He said in a statement that the differences in lifespan raise “significant questions.”

“Why is life expectancy worse for some and better for others? The novel details in this study provide us the opportunity to evaluate the impact of social and structural determinants on health outcomes in unprecedented ways,” Pérez-Stable said. “This in turn allows us to better identify responsive and enduring interventions for local communities.”

In 2019, the estimated life expectancy among all Americans was below 65 years in some counties and over 90 years in others. That year, the gap in the American Indian/Alaska Native population was especially noteworthy, ranging from under 59 to over 93 years.

Between 2010 and 2019, virtually all racial groups nationwide saw only small increases in life expectancy. During that span, however, almost 60% of U.S. counties experienced a dip in lifespans.

From 2000 to 2019, 88% of the nation’s counties saw a rise in life expectancy, but most of the increases came between 2000 to 2010.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have wiped away some or all of the gains in life expectancy, researchers say. Early studies indicate a reduced lifespan among most Americans, with bigger declines seen among Black and Latino Americans.

Laura Dwyer-Lindgren, the study’s lead author and assistant professor of health metrics at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, said the COVID-19 pandemic likely exacerbated disparities in healthcare outcomes.

“The pandemic exposed stressors and weaknesses in local and national systems that continuously put our most vulnerable populations at risk,” Dwyer-Lindgren said in a statement accompanying the study.

Some members of minority groups had increases in life expectancy, but wide differences are seen among Americans. The COVID-19 pandemic may have erased those gains.

Many Americans are living longer, but gaps are seen in some groups

Inga Shugalo is a Healthcare Industry Analyst at Itransition, a custom software development company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. She focuses on Healthcare IT, highlighting the industry challenges and technology solutions that tackle them.

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”

Simple as it may sound, this phrase is the key to efficacy in any business, and healthcare is no different. The continued effort to advance quality and address patient-specific needs stands at the heart of value-based medical services.

Still, achieving the highest standards requires knowledge. While doctors are experts in treatment, it is patients who know best what service they expect from a practice or hospital. And they’re very keen to share their experiences.

Positive word-of-mouth is one of the primary factors influencing patients’ decision about the choice of a physician. Sometimes it appeals to the patient community stronger than previous success in treatment or timely return of lab results. It means that in order to thrive, healthcare providers need to pay attention to patient experience and satisfaction. But how to measure them?

Traditionally, healthcare businesses have measured patient satisfaction using printed surveys and phone interviews. Easy to implement, affordable, and accessible, these methods played an important role in gathering patient feedback. However, the shift towards value-based medicine has exposed their shortcomings.

. Manually typing in the findings of patient calls and surveys adds to the heavy workload of healthcare workers in the already busy medical care setting. Besides, human data entry is extremely error-prone.

. There’s only a limited number of calls and surveys healthcare employees can take to gather feedback. In addition, many patients may find these methods of gauging their experience too personal or intimidating, resulting in their refusal to participate.

. Traditional methods of measuring patient experience may work fine for collecting data for smaller medical facilities that don’t have a large patient base. But interpreting that data is a whole different story. Manual data analysis is an extremely time-consuming task that often requires an expert approach. And without it, the entire process of requesting patient feedback is worthless.

The answer to these limitations lies in technology. Modern automated solutions help measure the patient experience efficiently, gain essential insight into what patients think, and allow providers to act on it, regardless of the volume of patient data collected.

Digital transformation of healthcare must gain speed

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems are used in virtually any modern industry that involves interactions between a business and customers. They rely on data from disparate sources and communication channels to provide detailed information about the client base. By integrating and structuring data, CRM solutions allow businesses to learn more about their customers without added effort.

Medical businesses make use of vast amounts of data spread between various management tools. For them, 

 allows fully leveraging the wealth of patient records from patient portals, hospital information systems, EHRs, scheduling tools, and many other sources. The information is merged in one place, facilitating data access and sharing, all in compliance with HIPAA regulations.

Once CRM has gathered all the records, it creates a unique profile for each patient. The profile stores various parameters, such as patient activity, past and future appointments, demographics, and medical history.

Based on that information, a provider can easily group and categorize patients and adjust their services accordingly. For example, different communication channels can be used for different patient segments — seniors may prefer calls, while the younger client base would rather opt for app notifications.

Healthcare companies do more electronically, but there's room to improve

Data collection is essential for any modern healthcare provider that wants to enhance services based on patients’ input. But data overload often becomes too much to handle for many hospital managers. When there’s too much information to process, valuable input from patients may easily go unnoticed. It’s particularly problematic when patients’ complaints slip through the cracks due to excessive data volumes.

AI and machine learning help providers efficiently deal with large-scale data collection. These technologies provide assistance when medical staff can’t process all the feedback the practice is receiving. They not only deal well with large volumes of data — they thrive on it, getting more knowledgeable and relevant with each byte.

The learning capabilities of AI allow it to act preemptively rather than reactively. For instance, AI software can learn to predict which patients are at an increased risk of developing a chronic disease. The model considers not only the medical records but also the unique socioeconomic background of each patient. 

Such an approach is key in fighting illnesses like diabetes or cancer. Allowing patients and providers to act early translates into time and money savings — and patient delight.

AI finds another use in physician assessment. By factoring in patient outcomes, complaints, and praises, data analytics give hospital managers a clear overview of each professional’s performance. This is done in real-time, enabling day-to-day evaluation and prompt reaction.

A personal connection between patients and providers is undeniably important, and at the same time hard to establish — particularly in times of social distancing and a growing demand for a personalized experience. Even though chatbots still cannot replace human agents, they are getting increasingly better at mimicking human conversations and interactions in some contexts, such as providing quick feedback to patients.

A well-programmed chatbot can contribute to measuring patient experience in different ways. Diagnostic chatbots are tasked with identifying possible illnesses on the go by asking the patient about their symptoms. At the same time, they can upload this information to the patient’s profile to enhance analytics and streamline future processes, such as admission.

Additionally, a chatbot can ask the patient to rate or comment on the service quality in the facility. This feedback is easy to store since it’s digital and automatically saved after the session. Even better, it takes only a couple of seconds to collect, so that clinicians can get more input and, effectively, a more complete image of patient sentiment.

As quality and excellence are becoming the main focus of today’s medicine, providers must know their patients’ worries and expectations in order to succeed. In the future, keeping up with the needs of the modern patient will be possible only with modern technologies.

Inga Shugalo is a healthcare industry analyst at Itransition, a custom software development company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. She focuses on healthcare IT, highlighting the industry challenges and technology solutions that tackle them.

Automated solutions help measure the patient experience efficiently, gain essential insight into what patients think, and allow providers to act on that knowledge.

Measuring patient experience: Evaluating healthcare quality with modern tech | Inga Shugalo

Selwyn M. Vickers has been named the next president and chief executive officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

He will succeed Craig B. Thompson, who said earlier this year that he plans to step down. The transition will occur in September 2022, the organization said.

Vickers, 62, is an academic health system leader and a  well-known pancreatic cancer surgeon and researcher. 

He joins Memorial Sloan Kettering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he serves as senior vice president for medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine. He is also the CEO of both the UAB Health System and the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance.

“Dr. Vickers is an extraordinary surgeon-scientist with a proven track record of success in leading complex academic medical centers, building innovative academic and research programs, and strengthening clinical care. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a passion for unlocking treatments and cures for cancer,” said Scott M. Stuart, Chair of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Boards of Trustees and Governing Trustees. “Dr. Vickers is a charismatic and compassionate leader who is uniquely qualified to shepherd this great organization into the future.”

At UAB, Vickers leads a statewide network of hospitals and a $5.8 billion health system that includes the eighth largest hospital in the nation, and a research enterprise of more than $350 million in federal funding, Memorial Sloan Kettering said.

Vickers said he’s “honored” to have the opportunity to lead Memorial Sloan Kettering.

“For 135 years, MSK has set the standard for excellence in caring for patients and finding new treatments and cures for cancer, and it is arguably the world’s preeminent center for the training of the next generation of scientific and physician leaders,” Vickers said in a statement.

“The basic science programs of the Sloan Kettering Institute have led the world in cancer discovery science and translational research, and I am confident that MSK is on the path to tackle one of the world’s greatest threats to life, cancer.”

Cleveland Clinic chooses new cancer center leader

Alex A. Adjei has been named as the new chair of Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute.

Adjei will take the post in July. He succeeds Jame Abraham, M.D., who has served as interim chair of Taussig Cancer Institute since May 2021.

Previously, Adjei served as a consultant in oncology, professor of oncology and professor of pharmacology at Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minn. He also led oncology drug development and lung cancer research and treatment throughout the Mayo Clinic system.

“Cancer is one of the most distressing diseases afflicting humans,” Adjei said in a statement. “Thankfully, with recent scientific advances, we are making progress toward understanding, preventing and treating all forms of cancers. I’m truly honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with this team of talented professionals and help position Cleveland Clinic at the forefront of cancer care.”

. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles.

A native of Ghana, Adjei previously held key posts at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y. He served as the Katharine Anne Gioia Chair in Cancer Medicine, senior vice president of clinical research, chairman of the Department of Medicine, and professor of oncology.

Dennis Matheis has been named the next president and chief executive officer of Sentara Healthcare.

He will succeed Howard Kern as president and CEO and assume the new role Sept. 1. Kern said earlier this year that he plans to retire following more than 40 years of service to the organization.

The health system operates 12 hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina and the Sentara Health Plans division serves over 900,000 members.

Matheis has served as president of Sentara Health Plans and an executive vice president at Sentara Healthcare since 2018. He has spent the past 30 years in leadership roles within the healthcare industry.

Matheis also serves on the executive committee of the Virginia Association of Health Plans, the board of directors of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the board of America's Health Insurance Plans.

He said he’s “humbled and excited” by the chance to lead Sentara.

“The depth of talent and experience of our leaders and team members throughout Sentara is extraordinary,” Matheis said in a statement.

“Witnessing firsthand the sacrifice and dedication exhibited by physicians, nurses and all team members in our hospitals and clinics throughout the pandemic was truly inspiring and I look forward to working more closely with them,” he said. “We will continue our tradition of delivering industry-leading quality outcomes while positioning Sentara for success in a rapidly evolving health care landscape.”

Denver Health names former lt. governor as CEO

Donna Lynne has been chosen to be the next chief executive officer to manage Denver Health.

She will replace Denver Health’s current CEO Robin Wittenstein, who plans to retire from Denver Health at the end of August. The health system serves about one-third of Denver’s population, treating all patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Lynne possesses decades of experience in healthcare leadership roles. Currently, Lynne serves as senior vice president and chief operating officer at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She also directed the university’s COVID-19 response.

From 2016 through 2019, Lynne served as Colorado’s lieutenant governor and led healthcare policy reform efforts.

She also held executive leadership positions at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, including leading strategy and business plans as president of the Colorado Region from 2005-2016.

“I am honored to have been selected as the next CEO for Denver Health,” Lynne said in a statement. “I look forward to returning to Colorado and continuing to build on Denver Health’s deep legacy and safety-net mission in the community. Access to high-quality, local healthcare has never been more important, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to lead Denver Health forward during a pivotal time in healthcare.”

HCA Healthcare Florida hospital gets new leader

Michael Irvin has been promoted to chief executive officer of HCA Florida Trinity Hospital.

He’ll take the post July 5, 2022. HCA Healthcare West Florida announced the move Monday. The 340-bed hospital also operates five campuses in three counties.

Irvin has served as CEO of Palms of Pasadena Hospital since April 2020. He led the hospital through the pandemic and the HCA Florida Healthcare brand launch earlier this year.

Ravi Chari, CEO and president of HCA Healthcare West Florida Division, hailed Irvin’s leadership.

“Mike is a popular leader whose focus on clinical excellence and the patient experience has allowed HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital to begin a $5.6 million expansion of services to the South Pasadena, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County beach communities,” Chari said in a statement.

Irvin’s experience includes serving as CEO at Bayfront Health Spring Hill. He also held other leadership posts, including chief operating officer at Merit Health Wesley in Mississippi; assistant CEO at Medical Center Enterprise in Alabama; and physician practice administrator at Lake Wales Medical Center in Florida. 

He is active in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Lee Health System names director of obstetrical services

Alexander Gumiroff was recently named Lee Health System’s medical director of obstetrical services.

Gumiroff served as OBHG’s Site Director and OB/GYN department chair at Healthpark Medical Center in Fort Myers, Fla. Lee Health System is one of Florida’s largest non-profit public health systems.

In his new role, Gumiroff will collaborate in partnership with the nursing director of women’s services and the OB/GYN chairpersons to provide the strategic direction for obstetrical services. His responsibilities will include assisting the health system with clinical outcomes, quality management, integration, and financial and administrative issues.

“I am thankful for OBHG’s support and having a flexible schedule that allows me to combine my passion for providing obstetrical clinical care with the ability to have an impact on a larger scale in my role as a medical director,” Gumiroff said in a statement.

In other news, Cleveland Clinic names a new cancer center director, Sentara Healthcare chooses a new president, and other leaders take new roles.

MED MOVES: Memorial Sloan Kettering announces new CEO, and more

In the wake of the closures of rural hospitals, the Biden administration has proposed a new designation for rural providers that’s designed to help them survive.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is planning to create a new provider designation dubbed “Rural Emergency Hospitals.” CMS said it will enable small, rural hospitals to provide access to emergency services, medication and outpatient services. 

Under the designation, rural emergency hospitals would be eligible to receive payments on or after Jan. 1, 2023.

Since 2010, 138 rural hospitals have closed, including what CMS termed a record 19 hospital closures in 2020.

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said the move is a key step in protecting healthcare services in rural communities and reducing disparities in outcomes. The agency said it would ensure access to emergency, outpatient, behavioral health and substance use disorder services.

“The availability of the new Rural Emergency Hospital provider type will maintain access to essential health care services and help to reduce disparities in rural communities,” Brooks-LaSure said in a statement. “CMS is committed to advancing health equity, driving high-quality person-centered care, and promoting the sustainability of our programs.”

Why some doctors would consider moving to rural areas

CMS is also proposing changes for Critical Access Hospitals, which are smaller providers that are a significant distance from other nearby hospitals. Part of the change includes adding the definition of “primary roads” to location and distance requirements of critical access hospitals, CMS says.

The agency also said it plans to add a provision spelling out the privacy rights of patients as a participation requirement in order to be designated as a critical access hospital.

The Biden administration has been focused on improving healthcare in rural areas, where 20% of Americans live. In a news release touting the new designation for rural emergency hospitals, CMS said those in rural areas have fewer healthcare providers and a shorter life expectancy than Americans in other communities.

have been more likely to hurt residents of minority groups

, according to a study by the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program.

Rural hospital closures have been more likely to take place in counties with above-average populations of Black, Hispanic and American Indian residents, compared to typical rural counties, the study found.

Some analysts also project many more rural hospitals could close in the near future.

More than 500 rural hospitals are at an immediate risk of closure due to economic difficulties, according to a report from the 

Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform

. And 300 more rural hospitals are facing a high risk of closure because they have low financial reserves or because they rely heavily on government funding or other sources of revenue beyond patient volume.

Nearly 900 rural hospitals – 40% of America’s rural hospitals – are facing a serious risk of closure, the group estimates.

CMS plans to develop final policies for rural emergency hospitals later this year. The agency is seeking comments from stakeholders. Comments must be submitted by Aug. 29.

 on its proposals for rural hospitals. For more information, visit the 

The Biden administration is touting it as a lifeline to help save smaller providers. More than 130 rural hospitals have shut their doors since 2010. 

CMS plans new designation of ‘Rural Emergency Hospitals’

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that critics say improperly limits the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to fight climate change and could harm public health. 

Some analysts also say the ruling could potentially set a precedent to restrict the authority of the federal government, including healthcare agencies.

 in West Virginia v. EPA, the court said Thursday the agency lacks the authority to utilize the Clean Air Act to enforce limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, a major contributor to climate change.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “​​Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible ‘solution to the crisis of the day.’”

“But it is not plausible that Congress gave EPA the authority to adopt on its own such a regulatory scheme,” he wrote, adding, “A decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body.”

Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissenting opinion that the court incorrectly supplanted the EPA's authority.

“The Court appoints itself—instead of Congress or the expert agency—the decision-maker on climate policy," Kagan wrote. "I cannot think of many things more frightening.”

Jack Resneck, president of the American Medical Association, condemned the court ruling.

“Regulating and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is critical for combating the climate crisis and its major health implications, impacting the respiratory, cardiovascular, and immune systems of the US population, with minoritized populations disproportionately impacted,” Resneck said in a statement. “The AMA has declared climate change a public health crisis that threatens the health and well-being of all people and supports policies that reduce US greenhouse gas emissions aimed at carbon neutrality by 2050."

“As physicians and leaders in medicine, we recognize the urgency of supporting environmental sustainability efforts to help halt global climate change and the devastating health harms that it is sure to bring," he said.

The court’s ruling, significant as it is on climate change, could have wider repercussions throughout the federal government.

In the majority opinion, Roberts calls it a case involving the concept of “major questions,” an idea that Congress must give a federal agency specific authority to make sweeping policy decisions with significant economic consequences.

In an analysis of the ruling, Amy Howe of 

 wrote the case potentially affects all government agencies.

The American Medical Association said the court’s decision improperly curbs efforts to fight climate change and harms the public. More broadly, some suggest it could limit the scope of all federal agencies.