Here are seven updates:
There are more female physicians, but not at the top levels of healthcare.
Since 1975, the number of female physicians in the United States has grown sixfold with 321,000 physicians by 2012. Despite this growth, the number of female physicians has not had the same presence in leadership positions. Women account for less than 20 percent of division chiefs, medical school deans, department chairs and hospital CEOs.
NIH aims to enroll 1M in precision medicine initiative.
NIH approved a framework for the Precision Medicine Initiative, a $130 million study of 1 million people that works to better understand the genetic factors and environmental exposures that contribute to disease development.
Legislators compromise to privatize N.C.'s $15B Medicaid program.
Legislators from North Carolina agreed to privatize the state's $15 billion Medicaid program under a proposal that took the North Carolina House and Senate more than two years to agree on. Three health insurers will be given contracts under North Carolina House Bill 372 to offer statewide Medicaid managed care plans, and North Carolina will have contracts with up to 10 provider-led entities that will enroll patients in regional managed care networks.
Freeman Health System opens acquired surgery center in Kansas.
Freeman Health System acquired Century Surgical Associates in Pittsburg, Kan. The surgery center is 20,000 square feet and provides sports medicine and general orthopedic surgery services.
Magellan Health honored for online excellence.
Health Information Resource Center's Digital Health Awards recognized Magellan Health, headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., for its superior online resources. Magellan Health provides healthcare organizations analytic and technology solutions to bolster health outcomes and optimize cost.
Kaiser Permanente hires hundreds of mental health professionals.
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente has faced criticism from consumers and regulators for insufficient staffing at its mental health clinics. Kaiser has hired 497 mental health therapists since 2011 and plans to hire an additional 354 by the end of 2015 in response to the backlash.
Feds maintain strict out-of-pocket healthcare spending limits.
Federal regulators are sticking to their strict out-of-pocket healthcare spending limits, and will impose new limits on how much out-of-pocket expenses employers with high-deductible plans can mandate employees to pick up starting next year. The regulatory guidance was jointly issued by the U.S. Departments of Health and Humans Services and Labor and Treasury in May.
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Doctors Hospital at Renaissance opens new surgery center: 4 things to know
More female physicians, but not at the top levels of healthcare: 6 key observations