Dec 13, 2025

Email 1 Summary:

– The email provides a key analysis of 2025 hospital operational themes, covering both nonprofit and for-profit health systems.

– Highlights include revenue cycle improvements, supplemental Medicaid benefits boosting finances, labor normalization, and sustained challenges with elective surgeries.

– HCA Healthcare Q3 2025 showed solid growth, driven by acuity and favorable payor mix despite reduced outpatient surgeries.

– Labor cost pressures are shifting from contract labor to rising professional fees.

– Capital expenditures focus on organic growth and shareholder returns, with caution toward 2026 policy uncertainties around Medicaid cuts, exchange subsidy expirations, and potential Medicare reimbursement reductions.

– Sponsored content advises on leveraging AI in healthcare revenue cycle management.

Email 2 Summary:

– Focuses on concerns within FDA staff about Tracy Beth Høeg becoming acting director of the FDA’s drug center.

– Høeg’s approach is viewed by some as biased, pushing radical changes often based on limited evidence.

– She has restricted COVID vaccine access, limited staff involvement in vaccine surveillance, and questioned monoclonal antibody safety.

– Some worry her leadership might destabilize a drug center already facing personnel upheavals.

Email 3 Summary:

– Shares a range of medical personal stories and professional insights published on KevinMD.

– Topics include a physician’s personal experience with incontinence, wrongful medical license suspension challenges, ethical questions about ECMO in end-of-life care, and balancing clinical work with startup building.

– Also covers cultural challenges faced by a South Asian nurse, the importance of digital fluency in medicine, sun exposure facts, and physician leadership development.

– Provides educational content for advanced practice clinicians on liability risks.

Email 4 Summary:

– Detailed report on Tracy Beth Høeg, the new FDA drug regulator, highlighting skepticism about her qualifications and approach.

– Discusses her close relationship with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and their joint skepticism of COVID countermeasures.

– Covers the controversy around the CDC’s decision to change hepatitis B vaccination recommendations for newborns and the potential public health impact.

– Highlights new promising antibiotics for gonorrhea with FDA pending approvals.

– Notes pharmacy staffing crisis impacting patient care quality.

– Summarizes related health news including failed bill causing ACA premium hikes and scientific reaffirmations that vaccines do not cause autism.

Email 5 Summary:

– Examines the possible future changes to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule under Trump’s administration.

– Highlights the complexity of vaccine schedules compared to countries like Denmark and Australia, noting U.S. vaccines cover more diseases but with country-specific differences in timing and health systems.

– Trump has directed review of vaccine schedules with a view to reducing the number of shots, though specific targets are unclear.

– Raises concerns about influence from vaccine injury lawyers and controversial figures criticizing vaccine ingredients like aluminum salts.

– Public health experts warn these disruptions pose risks for increased infectious diseases and emphasize current vaccine safety.

– Includes messaging that Medicare Advantage reduces avoidable hospitalizations and helps access to coordinated care.

Email 6 Summary:

– Announces a virtual event on January 16, 2026, where STAT reporters will provide a comprehensive recap of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

– The event will cover key deals, trends, and conversations shaping healthcare and biotech for the year ahead.

– The event is free and open to all interested attendees with a call to RSVP.

Email 7 Summary:

– Nature briefing covering recent scientific highlights and thought-provoking content.

– Reports on orcas and dolphins cooperating to hunt salmon, an EU climate pledge aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, though with some compromises.

– Profiles notable scientific contributions and people shaping science in 2025.

– Recommends ten inspirational science books selected by researchers.

– Features breakthrough physics discoveries, including research on asteroid Bennu and superfluid molecules.

– Podcast on Neanderthals’ use of fire 400,000 years ago.

– Commentary and personal stories on the influence of early science gifts and reflections on the Paris Agreement’s 10-year anniversary.

– Encourages readers to explore other Nature Briefing newsletters on various scientific topics.

Stay Well!