1. COVID-19 cases up in 20 states, down in 27, flat in 3 Full story

2. Suicide rates fell in 2020, CDC report finds Full story

3. CDC director signs off on Pfizer shot for kids 5-11 Full story

4. What if you could help standardize care with interactive clinical decision-making? With UpToDate® Advanced, clinicians can use UpToDate Pathways and Lab Interpretation in their workflow to support appropriate screening, diagnostic testing, treatment, and hospitalization. Learn more 

5. West Virginia hospital temporarily postpones some elective surgeries ahead of possible strike Full story

6. Montana offers healthcare workers $12,500 to relocate Full story

7. OR staffing and scheduling is only getting more complicated — see how hospitals are streamlining the process here. 

8. 8 systems hiring chief quality officers Full story

9. FBI investigates Chicago safety-net hospital's vaccine program Full story

10. 14 hospitals that faced COVID-19 outbreaks this year Full story

11. The right technology can solve staffing problems & cut manual tasks — hear experts explain how. 

12. Viewpoint: America needs new goals for COVID-19 Full story

13. US babies born with syphilis quadrupled in 5 years Full story

14. Dr. Aaron T. Beck, creator of cognitive therapy, dies at 100 Full story

15. Daily COVID-19 stats, state-by-state:

• Test positivity rates
• Vaccines administered
• Percentage of population vaccinated
• Hospitalizations
• Death rates

Becker's Learning Opportunities

1. 10 M&A best practices — Insights from Bon Secours Mercy Health and Summit Health. 

2. Telehealth is entering a critical new phase. Learn why top execs are adopting a smart-growth approach to planning.

3. Current capacity management methods no longer cut it. See how hospitals are responding to rising patient volumes more strategically here.