Feb 14, 2026

1. Subject: The uncomfortable truth about your annual physicals

   Sender: newsletter@kevinmd.comD

   Summary:

2. Clinical trials show annual physical exams do not reduce mortality.
3. KevinMD Plus highlights multiple articles including: the complex link between PCOS and autism, the emotional experience of parents letting children go, physician strikes as acts of survival, and the generational trauma behind burnout in healthcare.
4. The newsletter emphasizes the need to rethink annual physicals towards targeted and consistent prevention strategies.
5. Additional topics include pharmacist burnout as a patient safety issue, misleading claims associating Tylenol with autism, and critiques of corporate leadership models in medicine.

6. Offers a subscription to The Podcast by KevinMD for daily medical insights.

7. Subject: 🏥 Tenet’s Moat just got Deepers

   Sender: hospitalogy@workweek.comD

   Summary:

8. Tenet Healthcare’s Q4 2025 earnings report shows continued strong growth, particularly in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) through its USPI division.
9. Tenet acquired full strategic control of Conifer for revenue cycle management, unlocking significant value and streamlining AI-driven and offshore operations.
10. Ambulatory care growth driven by expansion in service lines and the phaseout of inpatient-only procedure restrictions starting 2026.
11. Despite $250M EBITDA headwinds from the expiration of ACA premium tax credits, Tenet guides for ~10% core EBITDA growth in 2026.
12. Ongoing investments in technology such as AI-driven denials management, automated coding, and robotic process automation aim to boost operating leverage and margin expansion.
13. Capital deployment prioritized for USPI M&A, hospital tech upgrades, share buybacks, and debt reduction amid a low leverage balance sheet.

14. The letter also highlights structural healthcare industry trends: ACA subsidy cliffs, supplemental Medicaid programs as revenue levers, rise of ambulatory care centers, and intensifying revenue cycle AI competition.

15. Subject: HHS and pediatricians spar over chronic disease in kids

    Sender: newsletter@statnews.comD

    Summary:

16. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are increasingly at odds despite mutual interest in fighting pediatric chronic disease.
17. The AAP challenges HHS vaccine policy changes under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including efforts to roll back established vaccination recommendations.
18. Moderna’s flu vaccine was recently refused FDA review amid regulatory turmoil under Kennedy’s leadership, raising concerns about vaccine development incentives in the U.S.
19. HHS political appointee shake-ups intend to accelerate the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda focusing on drug pricing and public health reforms.
20. The FDA recently approved new menopause hormone therapy labeling changes lifting old black box warnings with mixed expert reactions.
21. The Department of Labor settled for $28 million with Kaiser regarding failure to provide adequate mental health and substance use disorder networks, addressing “ghost networks.”

22. As global health funding declines, new disease surveillance initiatives are emerging to prepare for future pandemics and deficiencies in CDC data systems are highlighted.

23. Subject: 🗳️ MAHA’s election powers

    Sender: caitlin@axios.comD

    Summary:

24. The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement backed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could influence the 2026 midterm elections, potentially boosting Republican chances if they avoid polarizing vaccine rhetoric.
25. Kennedy allies see a “winnable middle” of voters prioritizing health issues such as price transparency and food safety but caution on vaccine discussion.
26. MAHA Action survey suggests vaccine skepticism remains a divisive issue even within the movement; most voters still broadly support vaccines.
27. MAHA urges framing vaccine questions as personal choice and suggests removing vaccine manufacturers’ federal liability shield to promote safety, a move criticized for possibly increasing lawsuits and reducing vaccine availability.
28. Some Republicans view Kennedy’s vaccine rhetoric as not a major risk, with some dismissing it as pseudoscience language that does not sway most voters.
29. Democrats plan to aggressively counter Kennedy’s influence, labeling him a public health threat with conflicts of interest.

30. The Trump administration might prioritize bold health policy moves over midterm election caution, especially around FDA regulation and drug pricing.

31. Subject: Top stories from Breakthrough West 2025 — secure your 2026 pass now

    Sender: marketing@statnews.comD

    Summary:

32. Breakthrough West 2025 highlighted critical conversations with biotech, academic, health tech, venture capital, and government leaders, including patient advocacy, cancer research funding risks, and AI’s promise in patient care.
33. Early registration for Breakthrough West 2026 is open with discounted passes available for in-person attendance in San Francisco or virtual participation on May 19.

34. The event offers a unique live journalism format presenting candid discussions on key industry topics and innovations.

35. Subject: Exercise rewires the brain for endurance, in mice

    Sender: briefing@nature.comD

    Summary:

36. New research shows repeated exercise strengthens brain wiring in mice, activating neurons faster to improve endurance, suggesting brain plasticity plays a central role in physical fitness improvements.
37. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revoked its authority to regulate greenhouse gases, repealing vehicle emissions standards, with expected increases in greenhouse gas emissions and pending legal challenges.
38. A California court case probes whether social media platforms can be addictive to young people, igniting expert debates on neurological effects and mental health impacts.
39. Rare clotting disorder (VITT) linked to certain adenovirus COVID-19 vaccines is caused by a specific gene variant and immune mutations, findings that could improve future adenovirus vaccine safety.
40. Other content includes reflections on sensory deprivation retreats, the relationship between environmental grief and trauma, and a podcast on how sleep supports brain health by clearing lipid wastes.

Stay Well!