Volume XV | Issue 12 | December 2023 | |
HCI's Monthly Review of the Healthcare Industry | |
Robert J. Stilley
President, CEO
HeartCare Imaging, Inc.
| |
|
Dear Colleagues –
It seems to me that we are seeing small and medium size companies disappear from the corporate landscape. These companies have been the job creators and technology innovators for decades which makes this a concern. I’ve had the opportunity to work in both small and large organizations during my career. Large companies are beneficial due to their ability to pull from significant resources at any time and provide excellent benefits for their employees while exercising the economies of scale to bring prices down and profits up. Smaller organizations have the ability to be nimble and flexible in meeting their customer and employee needs and can be counted on for developing trusting relationships that happen before and after the signature on a contract. Since our inception in 1998, we’ve always tried to bring the advantages that are seen in large organizations with excellent benefits, management and employee stability, and a professional presence. But, we’ve also made sure to keep what makes smaller organizations so great…flexibility for our employees and customers, creativity, the ability to work on small margins, and most importantly, trust. We think that by combining the attributes of large and small organizations, we have created a unique organization. This, in turn, is part of the reason we’ve been working with the same partner clients for 20 plus years, and continuing to add new partner clients that we will work with for years to come. Let’s continue to strive for excellence in 2024.
Best Regards,
|  | |
Medical radioisotope supply chain faces future crisis, Nuclear Energy Agency warns
The demand for medical isotopes is expected to only increase over the next decade, causing the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) to sound the alarm about “aging nuclear infrastructure” tasked with supplying critical radioisotopes. But, there's one isotope the NEA is especially concerned about.
Read More Here
| |
New PET tracer identifies cancer gene mutation
A new PET imaging tracer, 18F-PFPMD, can detect the KRASG12C gene mutation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer, which could aid treatment decisions, according to a study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Read More Here
| |
Ga-68 FAPI PET Improves Detection and Staging of Pancreatic Cancer
PET imaging with 68Ga-FAPI can more effectively detect and stage pancreatic cancer as compared with 18F-FDG imaging or contrast-enhanced CT, according to new research published in the December issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Read More Here
| |
Pyrophosphate imaging agent shortage reported, could last weeks
The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) is alerting its provider members of a pyrophosphate shortage, which could potentially last for weeks.
Read More Here
| |
Cardiology now has more than 100 FDA cleared AI algorithms; experts say that is just the beginning
Cardiology is ranked second for the most clinical artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on the FDA's latest update on approvals released in November.
Read More Here
| |
New vest developed by cardiologists uses advanced heart imaging to screen for sudden cardiac arrest
Researchers have developed a reusable vest capable of mapping the heart’s electrical activity in just five minutes, sharing their findings in the Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.[1]. The group—made up of cardiologists and engineers from the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain and the United States—thinks this new vest could be a state-of-the-art screening tool for identifying patients at risk of sudden cardiac arrest and other critical heart conditions.
Read More Here
| |
New drugs, updated treatment strategies: 5 important trends in cardiology from an eventful 2023
With the end of the year rapidly approaching, the American Heart Association (AHA) editorial staff has published a list of some of 2023’s biggest breakthroughs in cardiovascular disease (CVD) research.
Read More Here
| |
Smartwatches can pick up abnormal heart rhythms in kids, study finds
Apple watches have some advantages over traditional ways of diagnosing cardiac arrythmias in children but need more validation, finds a new study.
Read More Here
| |
Cost Hurdles Can Keep Patients From Accessing GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
Insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs for GLP-1 receptor agonists pose serious barriers to patients prescribed these drugs for type 2 diabetes and other indications, two single-site studies showed.
Read More Here
| |
Deaths from heart valve infections drop across U.S. overall, but surged among young adults
Death rates related to infective endocarditis declined in most adults across the U.S. within the last two decades, yet accelerated among young adults ages 25 to 44 years old, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.
Read More Here
| |
Physical activity and atrial fibrillation: Where’s the balance?
Some studies have shown a rise in atrial fibrillation among endurance athletes, linking intense physical activity to development of AF.
Read More Here
| |
Noninvasive Ultrasound Benefits Calcified Aortic Valves
French researchers have developed a noninvasive ultrasound therapy to treat certain patients with aortic stenosis. In a small study published in The Lancet, they demonstrated its effectiveness. Emmanuel Messas, MD, PhD, a cardiologist and cofounder of the startup Cardiawave, which developed the device, explained the principle to Medscape Medical News.
Read More Here
| |
Late-Life Increases in Pulmonary Pressure, Hypertension
Pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) increases during late life and predicts the development of dyspnea, highlighting the importance of risk factor assessment and control over the life course, researchers say.
Read More Here
| |
New discovery could aid regenerative heart therapies
Researchers identify RBFox1 as a key intrinsic regulator of heart muscle cell maturation, overcoming a major limitation in cardiac regenerative therapy and disease modelling and demonstrating for the first time that RNA splicing control can significantly impact this process.
Read More Here
| |
A Tale of Two Pharmas: Can Obesity Firms Continue Their Outperformance in 2024?
Obesity and diabetes companies soared this year, while the rest of pharma did poorly.
Read More Here
| |
New Covid Variant JN.1 Is Here. What to Know About Symptoms, Spread
The variant could cause an increase in cases amid a busy season for other infections.
Read More Here
| |
FDA approves first test to help screen for risk of opioid use disorder
The US Food and Drug Administration approved a novel tool Tuesday that uses genetic testing to help assess whether certain people are at risk of developing opioid use disorder.
Read More Here
| |
Flesh-Rotting ‘Tranq’ Undermines Fight Against Fentanyl
Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, is infiltrating the illicit drug supply in North Carolina and other states.
Read More Here
| |
Scientists build tiny biological robots from human cells
Scientists have created tiny moving biological robots from human tracheal cells that can encourage the growth of neurons across artificial 'wounds' in the lab. Using patients' own cells could permit growth of Anthrobots that assist healing and regeneration in the future with no nead for immune suppression.
Read More Here
| |
Pediatric RSV Led to Higher Hospitalization Rates than Omicron or Flu
A retrospective study revealed that hospital admission rates were far higher for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) than for the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 or influenza A/B in children presenting at Swedish emergency departments (EDs) from August 2021 to September 2022.
Read More Here
| |
Long COVID: New Info on Who Is Most Likely to Get It
New research and clinical anecdotes suggest that certain individuals are more likely to be afflicted by the condition, nearly 4 years after the virus emerged.
Read More Here
| |
Children with food allergies may get relief with new treatment
An injectable drug already approved for asthma and chronic hives protects against bad reactions to peanuts, eggs, milk and other foods, early analysis shows.
Read More Here
| |
CDC director says U.S. isn't yet near peak Covid or flu levels for the season
This winter's pattern is different from that of last year, when Covid, flu and RSV all peaked around the same time, Dr. Mandy Cohen told NBC News.
Read More Here
| |
Virtual reality gives a boost to the 'lazy eye'
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is the most common cause of vision loss in children. And the condition, which compromises depth perception, can last into adulthood.
Read More Here
| |
Health Care Industry News | |
Private equity ownership of hospitals made care riskier for patients, a new study finds
Health care became more hazardous for patients at hospitals purchased by private equity firms, a new study shows.
Read More Here
| |
Labor conditions stabilizing at nonprofit hospitals: Fitch
Flattening wage growth, declining quit rates and rising payrolls are signs the red-hot labor market is stabilizing. However, the credit agency said recruitment remains “hyper-competitive.”
Read More Here
| |
Predictions on 2024 healthcare M&A trends: What leaders need to know
A shift in funding sources, new regulatory policies in Medicare and technology may influence M&A in the sector next year, according to Samantha Prokop from law firm Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart.
Read More Here
| |
Will rising nurse pay mean higher healthcare costs?
The year 2023 was full of labor union wins — in healthcare and beyond. Now hospitals nationwide must grapple with higher nurse salaries, teeing up further tensions with insurers, employers and the potential for increased premiums.
Read More Here
| |
13 of 20 most popular drugs are in shortage
More than half, or 65%, of the nation's 20 most commonly prescribed medications are in constrained supply.
Read More Here
| |
Health spending growth normalized in 2022 post-COVID, CMS says
Healthcare spending grew 4.1% in 2022, faster than the 3.2% spending growth in 2021 but notably slower than the rate of 10.6% in 2020.
Read More Here
| |
Uncovering the Hidden Risks of Young-Onset Dementia
A new study reveals 15 risk factors for young-onset dementia, challenging the notion that genetics are the sole cause. These factors, ranging from education and socioeconomic status to lifestyle and health issues, offer hope for prevention.
Read More Here
| |
Active Aging: Exercise and Social Life Shield Brain Health
Researchers uncovered the protective effects of physical and social activities on brain health in older adults.
Read More Here
| |
Scientists unveil complete cell map of a whole mammalian brain
Researchers discovered that the neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease, such as irritability, agitation, and depression, primarily stem from brain inflammation rather than amyloid and tau proteins.
Read More Here
| |
|
Childhood Brain Growth Linked to Gut Microbiome
A new study uncovers the significant influence of the gut microbiome on cognitive function and brain structure in healthy children. Analyzing data from 381 children in The RESONANCE cohort, the research identifies specific microbial species linked to higher cognitive abilities, while others correlate with lower cognitive scores.
Read More Here
| |
AI and EEG Transform Silent Thoughts to Text
Researchers created a revolutionary system that can non-invasively convert silent thoughts into text, offering new communication possibilities for people with speech impairments due to illnesses or injuries.
Read More Here
| |
Advocates criticize unfunded transparency mandate on imaging providers in recently passed legislation
Industry advocates are criticizing one key piece of a recently passed legislation, which would require radiology providers to disclose prices for imaging services.
Read More Here
| |
Antitrust enforcements hit a high in 2022, with health deals impacted
The 2022 report comes after regulators finalized merger guidelines this week that could have a chilling effect on healthcare M&A.
Read More Here
| |
FTC, DOJ finalize merger guidelines that could impede healthcare M&A
The new guidelines should give regulators sharper teeth in going after vertical and cross-market deals that have historically been difficult to challenge.
Read More Here
| |
No Surprises Act dispute portal reopens again amid ‘challenging’ policy rollout
The CMS has repeatedly stopped and restarted arbitration this year as court cases snarl regulatory efforts to resolve surprise billing disputes.
Read More Here
| |
CVS, Geisinger, others sign responsible AI in healthcare pledge
The voluntary commitment from 28 healthcare organizations comes as interest in artificial intelligence continues to grow.
Read More Here
| |
HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com | | | | |
