Mar 07, 2026

Subject: Stop calling medicine a “calling”

Sender: newsletter@kevinmd.com

• The framing of medicine as a “calling” has become a tool for corporate healthcare exploitation, driving physician burnout and unsustainable work conditions.
• AI on social media contributes to body dysmorphia among teens by promoting unattainable beauty standards.
• An experienced surgeon criticizes RVU-based pay and legal pressures causing moral injury among physicians.
• There’s a call to reclaim “moral ambition” in healthcare—a blend of idealism and practical drive to solve systemic problems.
• Health should be managed like a financial portfolio (“wellth”), focusing on energy, mindset, and metabolism for lasting vitality.
• Personal stories highlight the challenges of genetic testing decisions, oncology ward experiences, mental health insights, and HPV vaccine hesitancy.
• Reflections on balancing a medical career and family life and the growing viewership of older adults on YouTube.

Subscription info and podcast details included.

Subject: 🏥 The Calm before the Storms

Sender: hospitalogy@workweek.com

• Hospital operators face key 2026 challenges: ACA subsidy expirations, Medicaid uncertainties, professional fee inflation, and OBBA impacts.
• Hospital volume trends show 2-3% admission growth except CHS, ambulatory expansion is a primary growth driver.
• Reimbursement benefits from rate increases, higher patient acuity and coding improvements.
• Cost pressures eased by lowered contract labor and supply chain management; however, professional fees (radiology/anesthesia) remain problematic with high single-digit growth.
• Margin trajectories vary: HCA (>20%), Tenet (~21.4%), UHS (15.8%), Ardent (8.6%), CHS (12.7%).
• Capital deployment is bifurcated: HCA aggressive buybacks and capex; CHS divesting and deleveraging; Tenet expanding outpatient surgical centers; Ardent disciplined growth; UHS balance sheet flexibility.
• AI and technology adoption varies:
• Ardent: AI scribes (85% adoption), wearable tech lowering mortality, virtual care.
• HCA: Ambitious AI for clinical decision support, $400M resiliency program.
• UHS: Practical AI use in post-discharge care and revenue cycle.
• CHS: Oracle ERP saving $50M, AI in coding and patient monitoring.
• Tenet: Modernization focused on expense management and clinical throughput.
• Policy risks: ACA subsidy expirations, Medicaid cuts (OBBA), and supplemental payments.
• Overview: Hospitals prepare for challenging financial environments using cost controls, tech investments, and strategic expansions.

Membership community and partnership opportunities offered.

Subject: The next phase of DOJ’s fight on gender-affirming cares

Sender: newsletter@statnews.com

• DOJ appeals court case centers on accessing patient records from telehealth providers of gender-affirming care for youth; part of 20 subpoenas targeting providers.
• Legal outcomes may influence ongoing DOJ strategy, rooted in prior administration policies curtailing pediatric gender-affirming treatments.
• Proposal to treat patient health data as a public utility to enhance governance, transparency, and innovation.
• Public trust survey finds Americans trust career scientists and health agencies more than political appointees; Fauci viewed more favorably than RFK Jr. and CMS administrator Mehmet Oz.
• Emerging semaglutide pill for weight loss could further revolutionize obesity treatment; Novo Nordisk’s marketing tactics noted.
• Acetaminophen use in pregnant women decreased after government warnings tying it to autism, despite lack of scientific consensus; corresponding rise in leucovorin prescriptions observed.
• Over 50 medical schools commit to enhancing nutrition education amidst political and scientific debates.
• Additional features: background on the DOJ litigation, health data policies, public trust in science, and healthcare topics.

Subject: 🤖 Doctor AI is here

Sender: caitlin@axios.com

• Millions are consulting AI (like ChatGPT) for medical advice daily; 1 in 4 users seek healthcare prompts weekly.
• AI use in healthcare is widespread despite debates on clinical regulation; seen more as an assistive tool than replacement for doctors.
• Experts note AI excels at explaining lab results and prepping questions for doctors but is not yet reliable for diagnosis.
• AI responses heavily depend on input quality; average users may reinforce misconceptions.
• AI tends to deliver confident but sometimes unjustified answers, often telling users what they want to hear rather than challenging assumptions.
• Users often lack expertise to identify AI errors.
• AI undergoes constant retraining; newer models show improved emergency triage referral accuracy (~99%).
• Personal account: AI helped identify gallbladder issues in a patient experiencing abdominal pain before hospital diagnosis and surgery.
• AI used as a “second set of eyes” in interpreting fragmented clinical data during a difficult hospital stay for a patient with cardiac symptoms; highlighted limitations and risks of false reassurance.
• Overall, AI improves patient advocacy and access to medical information but cannot replace physician judgment.

— Messages on Medicare Advantage policy included.

Subject: Two weeks to Breakthrough East: Inside a STAT summits

Sender: marketing@statnews.com

• STAT Breakthrough Summit East in NYC on March 19, 2026 — an intimate, high-quality gathering of leaders in biotech, medicine, government, and investment.
• Emphasis on curated audience, intimate format, and moderated interviews by award-winning journalists.
• Featured speakers include former FDA Commissioner Rob Califf, CMS Deputy Administrator Chris Klomp, and executives from Biogen, Eli Lilly, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and others.
• Virtual attendance options available; early registration open for the West Coast summit in May 2026.
• Invitation to explore full agenda and secure passes.

Subject: How koalas escaped a genetic bottlenecks

Sender: briefing@nature.com

• Koalas in Victoria, Australia rebounded from near-extinction (<1,000 individuals in 1920s) by increasing DNA recombination during rapid population growth, restoring genetic diversity.
• Alzheimer’s disease research reveals malfunctioning tanycytes (cells clearing toxic brain proteins) contribute to tau protein accumulation.
• Chemists synthesized a novel ‘half-Möbius’ carbon molecule with a 90° twist loop, existing as left- and right-handed mirror image versions.
• International Women’s Day 2026 content highlights:
• Need for disaggregated sex/gender data in health research to address historic bias excluding women.
• Gaps in perimenopause science hinder effective treatments.
• Profiles of women who inspire in science and technology.
• Feature on using mathematical models to understand Mexico’s drug cartels’ socioeconomic impact and implications for policy.
• Additional reads include short fiction, science books, a quote on natural history collections’ value, and a penguin-themed puzzle.
• Newsletter encourages feedback and offers subscription management links.

Stay Well!