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Trans athlete participation measure up for debate
Supporters say the initiated bill seeks to ensure that female high school athletes have a level playing field and private spaces. Opponents say the measure is unnecessary and harmful for transgender students and would burden public schools.
Towards better vision: WHO South-East Asia regional meeting on eye health
The WHO South-East Asia Regional Meeting on Eye Health was convened to address the substantial and persistent burden of avoidable vision impairment in the Region. South-East Asia accountsfor nearly one third of the world’s blind and visually impaired population, with cataract, uncorrected refractive error, and diabetic retinopathy contributing to more than 90 percent of cases. The meeting responded to the need for coordinated action to achieve the 2030 global targets for effective cataract surgical coverage and effective refractive error coverage, and to advance implementation of the Regional Action Plan for Integrated People Centred Eye Care. It provided a platform for reviewing progress, identifying system gaps, and strengthening country pathways to accelerate universal access to quality eye care.
Comptroller Review Finds City's Small Business Forward Program Failed to Cut Red Tape or Limit Fines
New York, NY — A new review conducted by auditors of New York City Comptroller Mark Levine found the Small Business Forward program, aimed at easing regulatory and financial burdens on small businesses across the five boroughs, failed to achieve meaningful change for small businesses in New York City. Vague definitions, a lack...
To Boost Military Budget, Trump Targets Popular Programs at Home
Amid the war with Iran, the president has proposed to scale back some of the very programs meant to ease families’ financial burdens.
Boston man killed by police during mental health crisis ID'd
Experts say the police shooting highlights the risks associated with an underfunded, overburdened mental health treatment system.
WHO calls for science-led action and stronger One Health approach to address evolving health risks
The World Health Organization today called for urgent scale-up of research, innovation, and collaboration to accelerate momentum towards ending tuberculosis in the WHO South-East Asia Region, which continues to bear nearly half of the global TB burden, accounting for the highest share of cases and deaths worldwide. To build momentum, experts, national TB programme managers, researchers, along with partners and members of civil society, began a three-day virtual workshop organized by WHO for ‘Advancing research and Innovation to accelerate momentum towards ending TB in the WHO South-East Asia Region.’
Republicans who want to opt out of Colorado’s primaries get major boost from federal judge’s ruling
The judge ruled the requirement that 75% of the Colorado GOP or the Colorado Democratic Party must support opting out of the primaries before it can happen “constitutes a severe burden on the major parties’ right to association and is therefore unconstitutional."
Mamdani’s bold housing pitch meets the brutal politics of property taxes
Larger rental buildings, including those that would be affected by Mamdani’s proposed rent freeze, face a higher tax burden than other homes.
UCLA's Close asks NCAA to make changes, ease coaching burden
UCLA women's basketball coach Cori Close said Thursday that collegiate sports success comes with an exhausting pace for coaches, and pleaded for the NCAA to make changes.
The global burden of hypertension preventable by urban greenness
Nature Health - A scenario-based health impact framework and meta-analysis of exposure-responses estimates that 11.7% of global hypertension is preventable through increasing urban greenness.
Breathing easy: prioritising respiratory health for older adults in Asia Pacific
Highlights the growing burden of respiratory disease in ageing societies and calls for greater attention, outlining actions for earlier prevention, diagnosis and care in Asia Pacific.
‘Don’t Make Any Deal’: Trump Tells Republicans to Hold Firm on Shutdown Talks
The president is using the standoff over funding the Department of Homeland Security as leverage to pass a strict voter ID bill. Critics say the bill would place an undue burden on eligible voters.
The politics of disability at the Academy Awards
Throughout history, disabled bodies have been portrayed as a burden.
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan
Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.
Downtown Chico business owner voices concerns over street closures for events
A DOWNTOWN CHICO MERCHANT IS EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER THE IMPACT OF STREET CLOSURES FOR EVENTS -- ON THEIR BUSINESS. ACTION NEWS NOW REPORTER BELLA BARBOSA REPORTS FROM DOWNTOWN CHICO { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "VideoObject", "name": "Downtown Road Closure Dilemma", "description": "A DOWNTOWN CHICO MERCHANT IS EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER THE IMPACT OF STREET CLOSURES FOR EVENTS -- ON THEIR BUSINESS. ACTION NEWS NOW REPORTER BELLA BARBOSA REPORTS FROM DOWNTOWN CHICO", "thumbnailUrl": "https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/actionnewsnow.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/47/c47e26d6-03c3-5f35-bf49-37925ab603d7/69bdedc4eb57d.image.jpg", "uploadDate": "2026-03-20T17:45:00-07:00", "contentUrl": "https://cdn.field59.com/KHSL/1774053903-6e1ef36dd09fbebf020833aee86b60da3b3cca3f_fl9-720p.mp4" } CHICO, Calif. - A downtown Chico business owner is voicing concerns about the impact of street closures for events on local shops. Leann Powell, owner of The Peddler’s Closet, expressed concern about events closing down streets downtown and bringing in food trucks and other shops’ products that directly compete with the brick-and-mortar stores in downtown Chico.Powell said an upcoming event held on a Saturday has brought up concerns for her and other business owners downtown, due to it being a busy day for businesses. "We're already struggling, and then to bring in more businesses on top of our businesses and shut our streets down is absolutely devastating," said Powell.Powell noted a decline in business during events like the Thursday Night Market, where street closures allow outside vendors to set up shop. She shared that while organizers for these types of events often offer booths to local businesses, it does not alleviate the burden."I don't really feel like that's a solution because you're bringing in other businesses, you're shutting the streets down. Yes, we can go down and set up a space, but then you've gotta pay somebody to run that space, plus run your own business for the day, and it's really not, it's really not helpful for us," said Powell.Applying for a street closure permit in Chico involves approval from the Public Works Department, the Chief of Police, and the Fire Chief. Permits can be denied only under a handful of circumstances, such as interference with first responders, previously scheduled construction, or existing permits for the same space.Mayor Kasey Reynolds addressed the issue, saying the city council has tasked staff with reviewing the municipal code for street closure permits with the goal of finding ways to minimize negative impacts on local businesses during events.Reynolds mentioned that any recommended changes might require further direction from the city council, depending on the extent of any changes recommended. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1514992'); });
We (Still) Have the Science on Cumulative Impacts
That’s why we need cumulative impacts policies, which require the evaluation of multiple stressors and burdens so the decisions that get made are more comprehensive, effective, and equitable.
EU Seeks to Ease Burden on Business in Investment Push
Europe’s competitiveness issues are returning to the forefront this week as EU leaders meet.
Legislation shifts too big a burden onto family court
By Judi Atwood I know what a family-court snafu looks like because I lived one. In military slang, a snafu is a breakdown so confused and badly managed the people trapped inside it pay the price. In my own case, the court adopted and preserved findings about my conduct even though I was never served, […]
Congress plans new response to health cyberattacks
The plan puts the burden on the government and providers to prevent serious breaches that cut across the industry.
‘Sound Science’ Bills Limiting State Environmental Regulations Set ‘Insurmountable Burden of Proof,’ Scientists Say
Bills in four states require state environmental regulations to show “direct causal link” to “manifest bodily harm,” not just increased risk of disease. Scientists say that’s all but impossible.
Dane County businesses struggle under Trump tariff burden
MIDDLETON, Wis. — Small businesses across Dane County are grappling with mounting financial pressure from federal tariffs, with many saying they lack the resources to challenge the policies in court
AWS launches Amazon Connect Health to reduce administrative burden in health care
Amazon Connect Health automates administrative tasks like scheduling and documentation with AI, freeing health care providers to focus on patient care.
New York Fed's Williams says tariff burden falls 'overwhelmingly' on U.S. businesses and consumers
Williams said that not only were the tariffs being felt at home, but they also were keeping the Fed from reaching its 2% inflation goal.
Hidden taxes: The housing affordability crisis is math, not politics
Revisiting policies that may unintentionally burden working families isn’t surrender; It’s strong leadership.
Uber Health Launches Self-Booking Feature to Empower Riders and Streamline Operations
Industry-first capability reduces administrative burden for providers, health systems, and I/DD organizations while boosting rider independenceSAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uber Health today announced the launch of its rider self-booking feature, a new platform capability that enables healthcare and disability service organizations to offer their riders the ability to book their own organization-funded trips directly in the Uber app. The launch marks the latest milestone in Ub
Prior authorization is a top health care burden, KFF poll finds
About 32% of Americans say prior authorization requirements are a major burden, more than billing confusion or finding appointments, according to the January 2026 survey.
Business license fees increased this year, some by as high as 400%
Some advocates contend higher business license fees are yet another burden for small businesses facing economic headwinds.
From bakeries to beauty shops, Russian businesses are feeling the pain from a new wartime tax policy
Denis Maksimov’s bakery in suburban Moscow became famous overnight after he appeared on President Vladimir Putin’s annual call-in show in December. Standing in front of the bakery — called Mashenka, after his oldest daughter -– he pleaded with Putin via video to look into new tax reforms that are significantly increasing the burden on small businesses like his. As Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine marks four years, the mounting pressure on Russia’s economy is starting to show.
PRET for impact: Advancing pandemic preparedness in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
IN THE SPOTLIGHT PRET for impact: Advancing pandemic preparedness in the Democratic People’s Republic of KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea) is making significant progress in strengthening pandemic preparedness, with dedicated support from the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC).Aligned with the WHO Global Influenza Strategy and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework Partnership Contribution High‑Level Implementation Plan III (2024–2030), the country is strengthening its capacity to prepare for and respond to influenza and other respiratory threats. In early 2025, a core team from the Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) participated in a two‑day virtual workshop, which included a mini‑simulation exercise. The workshop was organized by WHO SEARO in collaboration with the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Secretariat at WHO headquarters and the WHO Country Office for the DPRK. Read more A REGIONAL CONSULTATION GUIDES WHO SEARO IN DEVELOPING A ROADMAP FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PREPPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE FOR EMERGING THREATS (PRET) INITIATIVE BASED RESPIRATORY PATHOGEN PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESSInfluenza and other respiratory pathogens with pandemic potential continue to pose major public health risks globally. To strengthen regional preparedness and response, Member States of the WHO South‑East Asia Region (SEAR) convened in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to review and provide input on the draft Roadmap and Action Framework for Broad Respiratory Pathogen Pandemic Planning (2026–2031). Supported through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC) funds, the proposed roadmap aims to advance robust, integrated preparedness and response capacities for influenza and other respiratory threats across SEAR. This work is aligned with the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) initiative and the SEAR Strategic Roadmap on Health Security and Health System Resilience for Emergencies Read moreSRI LANKA’S USE OF ANTIVIRALS TO REDUCE THE SEASONAL INFLUENZA BURDEN Sri Lanka is strengthening its influenza response by placing greater emphasis on rapid testing, timely treatment, and integration with maternal health services. With support from WHO, the country is building a stronger evidence base on the burden of influenza and the value of vaccination, advancing a holistic approach to protect vulnerable populations and enhance pandemic preparedness. To reduce hospitalizations and deaths from seasonal influenza, Sri Lanka is taking proactive steps to expand access to rapid diagnostic testing and ensure prompt initiation of treatment. National clinical guidelines recommend the use of oseltamivir for individuals at high risk of complications, helping prevent severe illness and shorten the duration of infection. This strategy not only saves lives but also supports local pharmaceutical production, contributing to a reliable supply of antivirals for both seasonal outbreaks and future pandemics.Read moreBHUTAN BOOSTS PANDEMIC INFLUENZA READINESS WITH PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS FRAMEWORK PARTNERSHIP CONTRIBUTION SUPPORTED TRAINING AND SIMULATIONSOriginally developed in 2012, the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NIPPRP) has long served as Bhutan’s central framework for managing influenza threats. In 2024, the plan underwent a comprehensive update to reflect evolving global and regional guidance, lessons learned from the COVID‑19 pandemic, and new capacities developed under the PIP Framework. The revised NIPPRP is now more clearly aligned with Bhutan’s broader emergency and disaster risk management structures, ensuring a coordinated, whole‑of‑government approach to pandemic response. As part of efforts to strengthen national pandemic preparedness, Bhutan conducted three national‑level training sessions followed by simulation exercises on influenza pandemic preparedness and response at five sentinel hospitals between April and May 2025, with support from the PIP Partnership Contribution (PC). These activities brought together more than 140 health professionals and key partners from across the country, with a focus on operationalizing the updated NIPPRP and enhancing readiness at key frontline facilities. Read moreSTRENGTHENING INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE: WHO BRINGS TOGETHER INFLUENZA EXPERTS FROM SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONSThe World Health Organization (WHO) convened the 18th Bi‑regional Meeting of National Influenza Centres (NICs) and Influenza Surveillance for the WHO South‑East Asia and Western Pacific Regions from 9–11 September 2025. Hosted by the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), the meeting brought together representatives from Member States, Territories, and Areas across both regions, alongside experts from the WHO Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Influenza in Australia and Japan, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals in the United States, quadripartite partners (WOAH and FAO), and other technical counterparts. The consultation provided a platform to review progress, share experiences, and outline priorities for strengthening influenza and respiratory pathogen surveillance across the two WHO regions.Read moreNETWORKS AND TECHNICAL PARTNERSHIPSSTRENGTHENING PANDEMIC READINES: SOUTH-EAST ASIA ADVANCES UNITY STUDIES UNDER THE PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVEThe WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) Investigations & Studies initiative, also known as Unity Studies, provides a standardized, globally coordinated framework to support these efforts. Originally developed for influenza and adapted during COVID-19, Unity Studies enable countries to conduct rapid, nationally led investigations and studies to assess transmissibility, severity, susceptibility, and intervention effectiveness. To better prepare for future influenza pandemics, WHO has recently launched a network of sites which will be ready to conduct these investigations and studies rapidly in the event of a pandemic, or epidemic of an emerging or re-emerging respiratory pathogen. The WHO South-East Asia Region now hosts six sites of WHO GISRS Unity Studies across the five countries including Sri Lanka, strengthening regional capacity for early pandemic investigations. From 13–16 July 2025 in Colombo, the Global Public Health Summit offered an opportunity to advance this agenda. Read moreSTRENGTHENING PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS THROUGH UNITY STUDIES: REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS FROM INDIA IN WHO’S SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION As countries continue to strengthen their pandemic preparedness through investments in resilient health systems during the interpandemic period, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) Investigations & Studies Global Initiative, Global Initiative, commonly known as Unity Studies, remains a vital framework for respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness. These standardized epidemiological protocols enable countries to rapidly generate high‑quality data on transmissibility, infection severity, population immunity, and the effectiveness of public health interventions. To highlight how Unity Studies protocols are being adapted and applied in national settings, WHO Headquarters, together with WHO Regional Offices, including the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), hosted a global webinar. The session showcased case studies from India and the United Kingdom (UK), demonstrating innovative approaches to respiratory virus surveillance and pandemic readiness. Read moreSTRENGTHENING REGIONAL INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE AND PREPAREDNESS: WHO SEARO HOSTS HIGH-LEVEL WEBINAR AMID RISING H5 THREATS In response to the increasing detection of avian influenza A(H5) cases in humans globally and within the WHO South‑East Asia Region, the WHO Regional Office for South‑East Asia (SEARO) convened a regional webinar on 25 July 2025 to review preparedness mechanisms, strengthen surveillance pathways, and promote timely reporting of unusual respiratory events. The virtual session brought together more than 50 participants from Ministries of Health, National Influenza Centres (NICs), National IHR Focal Points (NFPs), WHO Headquarters, WHO Country Offices across the Region, and WHO Collaborating Centres (CCs) for influenza. The webinar provided an opportunity to share situational updates, discuss surveillance gaps, and reinforce coordination mechanisms critical for early detection and rapid response to avian influenza threats. Read moreOther Key PIP Updates (July-December 2025)MEMBER STATES:Bangladesh drafted and conducted a series of Core Group Meetings in 2025 to review and update the National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan for Respiratory Pathogens. In addition, the country carried out Rapid Response Team (RRT) trainings on seasonal and avian influenza and other re‑emerging infectious diseases. Bangladesh also updated its epidemiological data‑training programme for physicians at sentinel surveillance sites, using a revised epidemiological data‑collection tool.Bhutan revised and updated its National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NIPPRP) in 2025 and developed a national Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for influenza outbreak management. DPR Korea conducted a nationwide simulation exercise in July 2025 to support the update of its National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan (2019). This followed a PRET‑based virtual orientation and mini‑simulation exercise held in May 2025 by SEARO and the WHO PRET Secretariat. The comprehensive exercise, conducted across central and provincial levels, assessed strengths and gaps in pandemic influenza preparedness and response. The feedback gathered has been incorporated into the revised draft plan to address identified weaknesses and strengthen overall readiness.India conducted a targeted nationwide online re‑orientation training on review and updates to the influenza portal for all State Surveillance Officers (SSOs) and relevant officials using the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). The training emphasized correct marking and reporting of influenza samples as “unsubtypable” or “not subtyped” where applicable, to ensure accurate national surveillance.Maldives conducted simulation exercises in three atolls based on its existing National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NPPRP). The country plans to conduct similar exercises in three additional atolls after updating the NPPRP in 2026. In addition, Maldives conducted training on FluID and FluMart as part of a broader data‑management training package for Ministry of Health and Health Protection Agency officials, aimed at improving routine reporting to WHO platforms and the DHIS2 system.In Myanmar, technical support was provided to the National Influenza Centre (NIC) through dedicated human‑resource support (January–December 2025) to sustain data management and laboratory detection capacity for influenza and other emerging and re‑emerging respiratory viruses. This support also included strengthening genomic sequencing capacity.Nepal conducted a consultative workshop on the National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NPPRP) in July 2025. The workshop engaged key stakeholders from multiple sectors to review lessons from past pandemic responses, assess current mechanisms, and gather critical inputs for strengthening national preparedness. Key recommendations included revising the 2019 NPPRP and developing an updated Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan aligned with emerging risks, national priorities, and relevant international frameworks. Nepal also held a two day workshop dedicated to advancing the National Action Plan for Genomic Surveillance, aimed at reinforcing the country’s capacities for early detection and monitoring of emerging respiratory pathogens.Sri Lanka received the final report from WHO on the feasibility assessment for conducting an Influenza Burden of Disease (BoD) study in the country. The assessment, conducted from 28 April to 9 May 2025, included a desk review of existing data sources, document review, visits to sentinel surveillance sites, and key informant interviews. The study identified critical data sources required for a future BoD assessment, as well as their availability and quality. Officials from the Epidemiology Unit, the National Influenza Centre (NIC), and SARI/ILI sentinel hospitals across the country participated in the assessment.Timor Leste conducted on‑the‑job training and monitoring activities at two sentinel surveillance sites to strengthen surveillance and laboratory capacity for the detection of SARI, ILI, ARI, and other respiratory infections. REGIONAL OFFICE:SEARO conducted a Member States Consultation on the first draft of the Regional Roadmap and Strategic Action Framework for implementing WHO’s PRET‑based broad respiratory pathogen pandemic planning for 2026–2031. The consultation took place on 29–30 October 2025 during the final two days of the Regional PIP PC Annual Review and PRET Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Participants included representatives from Member States, WHO Country Offices, WHO SEARO, WHO Headquarters, partner agencies, and invited multidisciplinary technical experts. They reviewed the draft and provided detailed feedback, which has since been incorporated into a revised version. The consultation helped shape a shared regional vision for robust, PRET‑aligned pandemic preparedness, building on country‑level progress, addressing existing gaps and challenges, and aligning with global and regional health security frameworks. The publication is planned for release during the SEAR regional committee in 2026.SEARO documented the evolution of the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Planning process in the Region, tracing its development from its origins as a planning tool for responding to avian influenza outbreaks in 2006, through the experiences of the 2009 and 2019 pandemics, to the current status. The document outlines the way forward for respiratory pathogen pandemic planning across all 10 SEAR countries, aligning future national plans with WHO’s PRET Framework for broad respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness.The Infectious Hazard Management (IHM) Unit has drafted the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Guidance on Influenza Prevention and Control, aligned with the Global Influenza Strategy and other regional initiatives. The draft is currently under review. Although this technical product was developed in response to a request from the Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (MoPH‑DPRK), SEARO is finalizing it for use not only in DPRK but also across all Member States in the Region.The Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) Unit, in collaboration with WHE/SEARO, completed a regional landscape analysis on key barriers, challenges, and opportunities for the introduction of seasonal influenza vaccination in WHO South‑East Asia Regional (SEAR) countries.Additionally, the Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) Unit has completed a regional landscape analysis of influenza vaccine procurement systems across the WHO South‑East Asia Region (SEAR).KEY MEETINGS AND PUBLICATIONSMEETINGS:Six-month progress review of the implementation of the PIP-PC workplans in SEAR, focusing on Outputs 1 and 2 for the period January to June 2025, and held virtually across three sessions on 4, 8, and 10 July 2025. Read moreAnnual Regional Meeting (Hybrid) on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC) and WHO’s Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Implementation in SEAR in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 27 to 30 October 2025. Read more18th Bi-regional Meeting (Virtual) of National Influenza Centres (NICs) and influenza surveillance in WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions from 9 to 11 September 2025. Read morePUBLICATIONSImplications of influenza A virus surveillance in Southeast Asian Region countries: a scoping review of approaches for the surveillance of swine influenza viruses at human-swine interfaces. Read moreAnnual South-East Asia regional meeting on operational planning for implementation of global influenza strategy and preparedness for respiratory viruses in 2025 Report on annual review meeting of implementation of pandemic influenza preparedness (PIP) partnership Contribution (PC) Fund in South-East Asia Region and the simulation exercise on PRET Status of influenza in who south-East Asia Region
Migrants are not responsible for the UK’s healthcare crisis
They are not a burden on the NHS, but a vital part of how it functions.
DAV announces new partnership with Solace Health supporting veterans’ care
ERLANGER, Ky. – DAV (Disabled American Veterans) is proud to announce a new partnership with Solace Health as its first new partner in 2026. The partnership is supported by a donation from Solace Health to advance DAV’s mission of empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives. The collaboration brings together two organizations focused on helping veterans receive timely, coordinated, high-quality care, regardless of where they receive it. While many veterans receive care through the VA, which offers an integrated and coordinated whole-health model, others receive some or all of their care through private health systems using Medicare or other insurance benefits. These veterans often need help to understand health insurance rules, manage their treatment, and navigate between multiple health care systems. “Disabled veterans often have complex health challenges, and DAV’s advocacy work strives to minimize barriers to timely, high-quality care, primarily within VA., but increasingly between VA and private providers,” said DAV CEO and National Adjutant Barry Jesinoski. “Our partnership with Solace Health can offer support for veterans who are eligible for VA care and Medicare, particularly those who split their care between the VA and private health systems. Veterans who don’t use VA at all can also benefit from the care coordination services that Solace Health provides, usually with little or no out-of-pocket cost to them.” Solace Health provides professional health care advocacy services, connecting patients with experienced advocates who help schedule appointments, explain benefits, coordinate care among providers, and manage administrative burdens with private health care systems, thereby allowing veterans and their families to focus on health and recovery. “For many veterans, the fight doesn’t end when service does,” said Jeremy Gurewitz, CEO and co-founder of Solace Health. “Veterans living with serious medical conditions often encounter a private health care system outside of the VA that is fragmented and difficult to navigate. Through this partnership with DAV, Solace Health advocates can help cut through red tape, improve care coordination, and simplify scheduling of medical appointments. We’re proud to support DAV in helping veterans to successfully navigate health care systems so that veterans, particularly disabled veterans, receive the care they have earned.” DAV provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations, their families, caregivers, and survivors. Each year, DAV’s no-cost programs and services help more than 1 million veterans access the benefits and health care they have earned, connect with meaningful employment, and ensure their voices are heard on Capitol Hill. About DAV DAV is dedicated to ensuring our promise is kept to America’s veterans. DAV does this by helping veterans and their families access the full range of benefits available to them, fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill, providing employment resources to veterans and their families, offering programs and services to empower them, and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. A nonprofit organization with nearly 1 million members, DAV was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932. About Solace Health Veterans face complex health challenges, and the path to care is far harder than it should be. They deal with fragmented services and providers, each with unique requirements and paperwork. Solace Health advocates—healthcare experts with 16 years’ experience on average—help veterans navigate this landscape when they need it most. Advocates schedule appointments, explain benefits and keep doctors aligned. They take the lead on calls and documentation, and their no-homework ethos eases burdens on veterans and their families. Solace Health is covered by Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and most veterans pay little or nothing out of pocket. We’re honored to support DAV members.
Burden of disease modelling should be grounded in local knowledge
Nature Health - Disease modelling for low-income settings often lacks reliable data, which leads to modelled outputs that contrast with empirical data and local knowledge
Adam Silver forced to address competitiveness, Clippers, more crises amid commissioner's most challenging year
Silver addressed the media at NBA All-Star Weekend in L.A., and there was not a shortage of burdensome topics
TEFCA™, America’s National Interoperability Network, Reaches Nearly 500 Million Health Records Exchanged as HHS Leverages Technology and AI to Lower Costs and Reduce Burden
HHS announced progress made in executing on President Trump’s, directive to lower the cost of healthcare for all Americans.
NFIB Leads Coalition Urging Congress to Reduce Regulatory Burdens for Small Business
NFIB advocates for legislation to fulfill the intent of the Regulatory Flexibility Act
Small Business Invoicing Software (2026): QuickBooks Named Leading Online Invoicing Platform for UK SMEs by Better Business Advice
Better Business Advice has named QuickBooks as a leading online invoicing platform for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), recognising its role in helping businesses modernise billing processes, improve visibility over cash flow, and reduce the administrative burden associated with invoicing and payments.
One in five commercial health insurance claims denied in 2024, Mass. report shows
The data highlight an overly complex system that burdens providers, insurers, and patients, Health Policy Commission head says.
How Two Teens in Niagara Falls Are Confronting Pollution and a Mental Health Crisis
Finding hope and resilience in a city burdened with environmental pollution and generational trauma.
Survey finds prior authorization viewed as greatest hurdle in navigating health care
A KFF survey published today found that people view prior authorization as the biggest challenge beyond costs when navigating the health care system. In terms of issues people viewed as a “major burden,” prior authorization was highest at 32%, followed by understanding their bill or what they owe at 23%.
Poll: People View Prior Authorization as Greatest Burden in Navigating the Health System
New KFF polling explores the challenges beyond costs that people with insurance face in navigating the health care system. People cite prior authorization review as their top problem by a wide margin, with a third (32%) saying prior authorization requirements are a “major burden.
KFF Health Tracking Poll: Prior Authorizations Rank as Public’s Biggest Burden When Getting Health Care
KFF's health tracking poll finds that beyond costs, insured adults say prior authorization is their biggest challenges when accessing care. About seven in ten (69%) insured adults say prior authorizations are burdensome, and a third (34%) choose prior authorizations as their single biggest health care burden.
Colorado's mental health care providers face too many administrative burdens
Colorado should address the administrative burdens associated with becoming a credentialed mental health care provider on insurance panels.
Mental Health Distress in Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Largely Driven by Sociodemographic, Comorbid Factors
These findings suggest the mental health burden in nonmelanoma skin cancer reflects broader social and clinical factors rather than disease-specific effects.
Gavin Newsom says he's 'burdened by the facts' as he criticizes California billionaire wealth tax proposal
California Gov. Gavin Newsom doubled down on his criticism of the proposed billionaire wealth tax, warning it could cut school and safety funding rather than solve budget issues.
Parental firearm injury linked to increased mental health burden in children
Each year, 20,000 children and adolescents across the U.S. lose a parent to gun violence, while an estimated two to three times more have a parent who has been injured due to a firearm. To better understand ...
I’m a doctor who knows better — but I switched to an inferior drug to save money
Cost-sharing insurance plans were supposed to decrease overall spending. Instead, patients — not payers — shoulder the burden of their medical costs.
Women's Health Investment Outlook
Despite women and girls making up nearly half the world’s population, women’s health has captured just 6% of private healthcare investment. More than 25 organizations from the investment community, industry, philanthropies and beyond provided insights for this report, which addresses critical gaps in understanding investment flows in women’s health, market opportunity and unmet need. To quantify private investment flows in women’s healthcare over the past five years, the report introduces the Women’s Health Investment Index. Major areas of unmet need and opportunity across high-burden, high-prevalence conditions that affect women uniquely, differently and disproportionately – such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, menopause and Alzheimer’s disease – have been overlooked. A recent analysis by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimates that effectively addressing these four therapeutic areas for women in the US could unlock a $100 billion-plus market opportunity by 2030.
Women's Health Investment Outlook
Despite women and girls making up nearly half the world’s population, women’s health has captured just 6% of private healthcare investment. More than 25 organizations from the investment community, industry, philanthropies and beyond provided insights for this report, which addresses critical gaps in understanding investment flows in women’s health, market opportunity and unmet need. To quantify private investment flows in women’s healthcare over the past five years, the report introduces the Women’s Health Investment Index. Major areas of unmet need and opportunity across high-burden, high-prevalence conditions that affect women uniquely, differently and disproportionately – such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, menopause and Alzheimer’s disease – have been overlooked. A recent analysis by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimates that effectively addressing these four therapeutic areas for women in the US could unlock a $100 billion-plus market opportunity by 2030.
Britain to review historic antitrust remedies to ease business burden
Britain's antitrust regulator said on Monday it would review its historical interventions in markets to check they were still necessary, and if not it would remove them to ease the burden of compliance for businesses.
AMD Expected To Focus More On RX 9070 XT Than Its Non-XT Variant As It Needs Less Price Adjustments
AMD is reportedly going to focus more on the Radeon RX 9070 XT card instead of the RX 9070 amid DRAM shortages as it reduces the burden of price adjustments.
Why Jenrick’s Reform Defection Fractures UK Political Right
The dramatic sacking of a senior Conservative and his defection hours later to Nigel Farage's Reform UK all-but ended the chances of any deal to unite the British right, confirming the next general election as the most widely contested in decades. Some Tories had held out hopes they could forge a pact with the insurgent Reform party that has rapidly eclipsed them in voter affections. The fallout from leader Kemi Badenoch's shock decision to fire her rival Robert Jenrick on Thursday put that further from reach. Our UK Politics Reporter James Woolcock joined Caroline Hepker and Lizzy Burden on Bloomberg Radio to discuss. (Source: Bloomberg)
How Can Teams Reduce Patient Burden Without Weakening Their Science?
WellSpan Health Announces Comprehensive Migration of Technology Portfolio to AWS
Add to FavoritesWellSpan Health, the leading health care system serving Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland, today announced plans for a comprehensive cloud migration of its full technology infrastructure. Together with Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider, WellSpan will transition its applications, data and environments from traditional data centers to AWS. This migration will establish the foundation for delivering next-generation, AI-enabled health care solutions that reduce administrative burden and improve outcomes for patients across the region and beyond. Supercharging Innovation, Efficiency and Patient Outcomes WellSpan's migration of systems and clinical applications, which serve 1.2 million patients across nine hospitals and 250+ facilities, is expected to be complete by April 2026, one of the fastest full-scale migrations in the health care industry. This transformation enables WellSpan to unify disparate data systems for care teams and patients alike, achieving operational efficiencies and care improvements that fragmented systems are unable to deliver. “Our comprehensive migration to the cloud accelerates our ability to deploy new clinical capabilities that transform patient care while advancing our overall innovation strategy,” said Roxanna Gapstur, Ph.D., R.N., president and CEO, WellSpan Health. “When a physician can access complete patient imaging in seconds instead of hours, we're not just modernizing technology—we're improving patient outcomes. Our new cloud infrastructure also enables us to quickly implement solutions that will free our clinicians from thousands of hours of administrative work annually so they can focus on what they do best: caring for our communities.” The transition allows WellSpan to move away from a data center-based model and enables the rapid deployment and scale of AI technology. WellSpan’s strategic partner, General Catalyst’s Health Assurance Transformation Company (HATCo), facilitated the collaboration with AWS to support the migration. WellSpan’s transformation journey benefits from HATCo’s specialized technology solutions, as well as General Catalyst and AWS’s significant partnership to improve patient outcomes, which was announced in January 2025. “Our decision to go all-in on AWS will enable insights and innovations impossible in traditional siloed environments,” said Kasey Paulus, executive vice president and chief operating officer, WellSpan Health. “This is the largest health care technology transformation in our region's history, and it positions WellSpan to be a premier partner for technology leaders across the country.” “WellSpan is building a foundation with AWS that will improve care and outcomes for patients across their health system by bringing data together into standardized formats that are optimized for AI applications,” said Dan Sheeran, vice president and general manager, Healthcare and Life Science, AWS. “To do this, it is essential to have the most secure and compliant cloud when handling patient data, along with AWS’s built-in AI governance and responsible AI frameworks that follow the industry’s highest standards to protect patient information. We look forward to continuing to work alongside WellSpan as they unlock the cloud and AI’s full potential to deliver exceptional care to their patients.” Key Benefits of the AWS Collaboration Full Portfolio Migration: WellSpan will transition its applications and data from on-premises data centers to AWS, including full IT environments and specialized applications for functions such as nursing, cardiology, pharmacy and the company’s supply chain systems. This represents approximately 7.5 petabytes of clinical and non-clinical data and more than 300 applications—the most comprehensive health system cloud migration in the Mid-Atlantic region. Approved Architectures: AWS will deliver secure, WellSpan-specific architectures tailored to each build, ensuring compliance and reliability across the health system. Unified, AI-Ready Data: Migrating to AWS enables WellSpan to harmonize data across separate systems, transforming unstructured clinical notes and multi-modal datasets into standardized, AI-ready formats. Accelerated Results and Improved Outcomes: Automated data normalization and processing will enable the deployment of applications that reduce turnaround times for items such as analyzing medical imaging or patient records from days to minutes, helping clinicians get patient results faster and improving overall health outcomes. Reduced Administrative Burden: The transition to AWS will enable swift deployment of AI-powered solutions that reclaim thousands of hours for WellSpan’s clinical and corporate teams, allowing them to focus on patient care rather than paperwork. Elastic Infrastructure: Cloud architecture will enable WellSpan to scale computing resources dynamically, supporting seasonal demand fluctuations without infrastructure investments, as well as the rapid deployment of new services across multiple locations simultaneously. Most Secure, Compliant Cloud: AWS offers the highest network availability of any cloud provider, with more than 166 HIPAA-eligible services and certifications for global compliance standards, including HITRUST CSF. Built-in AI governance and responsible AI frameworks ensure that WellSpan’s data is protected under the industry’s most rigorous standards. Tags:News releaseInnovation and partnerships
Most Cape Cod renters are 'housing burdened.' It's a problem that needs to be solved.
The Cape Cod Commission Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy report lays out goals to create a vibrant Cape economy. Here's a look.
Who wins when the IRS stops enforcement? Not small business.
Small business owners face a tilted playing field when it comes to taxes, as large corporations are able to utilize sophisticated tax shelters to minimize their tax burden while small businesses ar…
Two Bears make the ESPN All-Rookie Team
Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland are receiving some well-earned praise from the sports outlet.
For Anchorage home baker, city’s loosened cottage food laws ease burden on business
In November, the Anchorage Assembly voted to exempt small businesses that sell some homemade foods from a licensing requirement. Many say it will open up new opportunities.
Rolling back health AI transparency rule will shift the burden of vetting to health systems
A proposal to deregulate AI products used in health care would shift the burden of vetting those tools onto health systems.
ASTP/ONC seeks relaxation of health IT certification criteria with HTI-5
The proposed rule aims to reduce burdens and costs on health IT developers. It also includes measures to promote FHIR-based interoperability, strengthen information blocking rules and simplify certification of AI models.
Strengthening U.S.-Nigerian Health Cooperation under the America First Global Health Strategy - U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria
Strengthening U.S.-Nigerian Health Cooperation under the America First Global Health Strategy The United States signed a five-year, $5.1 billion bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Republic of Nigeria December 19 to advance the America First Global Health Strategy, supporting resilient, self-reliant, and durable health systems while promoting accountability and shared responsibility. Under the five-year MOU, the United States intends to commit nearly $2.1 billion in health assistance, with nearly $3.0 billion in new domestic health expenditures by the Government of Nigeria over the same five-year period. This represents the largest co-investment any country has made to date under the America First Global Health Strategy and underscore Nigeria’s commitment to greater national ownership of its health system. Under the MOU, the United States will continue to support surveillance and outbreak response, laboratory systems, health commodities; frontline healthcare workers, and data systems. Nigeria faces significant health challenges, including one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates globally and approximately30 percent of the global malaria burden. U.S. assistance under the MOU will expand access to affordable, preventive and curative services for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, polio, and maternal and child health, strengthening health outcomes across Nigeria. The MOU places a strong emphasis on Christian faith-based healthcare providers, recognizing their indispensable role in delivering care to communities in need. Nigeria’s more than 900 faith-based clinics and hospitals serve more than 30 percent of the country’s 230 million people, often in areas where healthcare facilities are limited or absent. The MOU provides approximately $200 million in dedicated support to strengthen and support these Christian facilities, enhance workforce capacity, and expand access to integrated HIV, TB, malaria, and maternal child health services. Investments in Christian faith-based health institutions are uniquely positioned to complement public-sector facilities and reinforce Nigeria’s overall health infrastructure. The MOU was negotiated in connection with reforms undertaken by the Government of Nigeria to prioritize the protection of Christian populations from extremist violence. As with all U.S. foreign assistance, the President and Secretary of State retain the right to pause or terminate programs that do not align with U.S. national interests, and the United States expects Nigeria to continue making measurable progress in combating religiously motivated violence against Christian communities. This five-year MOU is the latest of several health cooperation MOUs signed in Africa this month. The United States will continue to sign multi-year Bilateral Agreements on Global Health Cooperation with countries receiving U.S. health assistance to advance the America First Global Health Strategy.
Affordable Health Care in Jeopardy for Millions
Lawmakers are set to leave Washington this week for the holidays, without extending the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax subsidies. With millions of people facing dramatic health care cost spikes if those credits end January 1, a recent KFF polling and data compilation offers context on health care cost burdens, underscoring the importance of […]
House Republicans move to repeal proposed Biden-era heat-safety rule, citing burdens on small businesses
GOP lawmakers and business advocacy groups challenge proposed Biden-era federal heat safety standards, calling the requirements on employers nationwide 'heavy-handed.'
Synthetic chemicals in food system creating health burden of $2.2tn a year, report finds
Scientists issue urgent warning about chemicals, found to cause cancer and infertility as well as harming environment
Fighting forever chemicals from within: How microbiome science is shaping the next frontier against PFAS
Cambiotics is developing microbiome-based solutions to reduce the burden of forever chemicals in firefighting.
Anwar to Cut Small Business Costs After Poor Poll, Bernama Says
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced measures to help reduce cost burdens for small and medium enterprises in the Southeast Asian country, according to a Bernama report, days after his coalition performed poorly in state legislative elections in Sabah.
Trump signs legislation to streamline TSA screenings of breastmilk, formula
As any parent is likely willing to attest, traveling with children, especially infants, can be stressful. A new law aims to relieve some of the burden.
Using technology to elevate patient care and physician well-being
Northwell Health’s Deborah Mensch, MD, shares how health care technologies can transform patient care, ease physician burden and drive innovation.