Health systems can reduce suicides through patient screening, safety planning and mental health counseling, a new study suggests, an important finding as the U.S. confronts it 11th leading cause of death. The 'Zero Suicide Model' was developed in 2001 at Detroit-based Henry Ford Health, where the focus on people considering suicide included collaborating with patients to reduce their access to lethal means such as firearms and then following up with treatment.
A community review board unanimously voted to disapprove the transaction. The board doesn't have decision-making authority, but the vote could be a stumbling block.
A 'first of its kind' surgery developed in Minnesota to provide relief from debilitating back pain is one step closer to FDA approval. WCCO first learned about SynerFuse in 2023 after a patient shared her chronic pain journey and the successful results a year after the surgery. The path ahead looks promising for the innovative technology as researchers learn about more Minnesotans who took part in the initial trial.
CVS Health Corp.'s CFO plans to leave his post as new Chief Executive Officer David Joyner charts a path forward for the healthcare conglomerate. Thomas Cowhey, the current CFO, will leave the position, according to people familiar with the situation. The timing of his departure is unclear. A spokesperson for CVS declined to comment.
HHS announced a 5.06% average increase in the government's final reimbursement rates for 2026 Medicare Advantage health plans run by private insurers, more than double the increase it proposed in January. The rate the U.S. government pays to private health insurers to manage healthcare under Medicare for people aged 65 and older or with disabilities, influences the monthly premiums they charge, plan benefits they offer and, ultimately, their profits.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and DOGE are reshaping the U.S. health care system, starting with deep cuts to the agencies Kennedy now leads. Kennedy and his allies argue such moves are needed to change federal culture and improve efficiency in the name of long-term health improvements. But critics question how Kennedy's 'Make America Healthy Again,' or MAHA, movement can be successful with a weakened federal health department.