Mass General Brigham is partnering with IBM on the project, which feels particularly relevant this week as the Boston area and many other parts of the country swelter in a haze of humidity and high heat. A heat advisory in effect through Wednesday for thousands of New England residents warns it could feel as hot as 95-103 degrees. The basic idea is to intervene before extreme heat takes a severe toll on people's health.
Children may be more likely to survive a rare, potentially fatal influenza complication if they receive rapid treatment for brain swelling and extreme immune responses, a Stanford Medicine-led report found.
The financial cost of care for retirees has gotten higher than ever, with new research from Fidelity Investments indicating Americans are ill-prepared to cope with the financial toll of medication, medical care, and health insurance in retirement. According to Fidelity's 24th annual Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate, a 65-year-old retiring this year will need an average of $172,500 to cover healthcare and medical expenses throughout retirement. The figure marks a more than 4% increase from last year's estimate and continues a steady rise since the company's first projection of $80,000 in 2002.
The FDA's polarizing vaccine chief is leaving the agency after a brief tenure that drew the ire of biotech executives, patient groups and conservative allies of President Donald Trump. Dr. Vinay Prasad 'did not want to be a distraction' and was stepping down from his role as the FDA's top vaccine regulator 'to spend more time with his family,' a spokesperson for HHS said.
Leaders of Mercy Medical Center and Baystate Health are in talks that could result in an acquisition or merger of the two leading Springfield hospitals. Though the institutions declined to comment, two people briefed on the negotiations said this week that discussions are ongoing. One source told The Republican that a deal was still on track as recently as one month ago. The nature of a deal, and its impact on employees and services — or if it will even happen — is yet to be seen. Spokespeople for both Baystate and Trinity Health of New England, which owns Mercy Medical Center, declined to comment on the possibility of a merger or acquisition.
A growing program in Michigan helps pregnant women and new moms by giving them cash over the first year of their children's lives. Launched in 2024, the program comes at a time when many voters worry over high child care costs and President Donald Trump's administration floats policy to reverse the declining birth rate. Backed by a mix of state, local and philanthropic money, Rx Kids gives mothers of newborns up to $7,500, with no income requirements and no rules for how the money is spent. Supporters believe the program could be a model for mitigating the high cost of having children in the U.S. Pregnant women receive $1,500 before delivery and $500 every month for the first six to 12 months of their babies' lives, depending on the program location.