ICYMI: The Video Recording of ABL's 26th Innovations in Healthcare Awards Is Now Available on the Password-Protected "MEMBERS ONLY" Section of the ABL Website, Under "Presentations"
-- There you'll find the presentations by ABL's 2023 "Innovator in Healthcare" Awardees: Kendall Lockhart, Founder & CEO of Me+U; Joy Bhosai, MD MPH, Founder & CEO of Pluto Health; Dave Bell, PhD, Founder & CEO of io Health; and Neil Batlivala, Co-Founder & CEO of Pair Team.
-- The Keynote presentation by Robert Ross, MD, President & CEO of The California Endowment, our "Leadership in Innovation" Awardee.
-- And discussion among the event's attendees.

• 1/03 - Orange County ZOOM Table - Discussion Topic: "BIG INITIATIVES for the NEW YEAR" - Featuring Greg Buchert, CEO, Makani Science


• 1/18 - Bay Area ZOOM Table - Discussion Topic: "BIG INITIATIVES for the NEW YEAR" + a Presentation by Wipfli's Tara Cohn, Sydney Diekmann & Robert Zondag on "Strategic planning 2.0 - building an implementation road map for organization success"


• 1/19 - Los Angeles ZOOM Table - Discussion Topic: "BIG INITIATIVES for the NEW YEAR"


• 1/23 - Membership-wide IN-PERSON AI EVENT (in Orange County): Supercharging Your Company's AI Game
  - to Surf Instead of Sink in Today's AI Growth Wave - with AI and other related tools. You can listen, discuss, and meet with a great panel of speakers - and others who'll be with us for this special event; also featuring lunch and a Round Table. 9:30 am to 3 pm. ABL Members will receive an Event Invitation with Event Location and RSVP Link by Separate Email.

PANEL OF SPEAKERS:
ALI PAYANI, founder of Payani Group, on using AI for growth marketing;
GREG LEBSACK, on Using AI for Exponential Business Growth;
THOMAS LEFFLER, President of Project Insight, on sharing his "AI-in-Healthtech" Project Management perspective;
SATNAM GAMBHIR, CEO of Envision Financial Systems, on AI for Initial Issues Management;
MARISA BRUTOCO, Sheppard Mullin Partner (formerly in-house counsel at Google, Amazon and Apple) and Member of SM's Technology Transactions Team, on how AI is transforming Content, Technology, and Related Legal Issues;
and ABL's BOB KELLEY making the Positioning Presentation and Panel Moderator.

• Cigna (Chris DeRosa) Stock Soars 16.6% On Calling Off Humana Acquisition
• Mission Hospice (Dolores Miller) to Merge with By the Bay Health & Hope Hospice to Become Largest NFP Hospice Network in NorCal
• Addiction Research Institute (Gene Barduson) Interviews Patrick J. Kennedy in New Podcast Episode
• Alegre Home Care (Charles Symes) Discusses Care of Those with Contractures, Frontotemporal Dementia & Parkinson's Disease
• AlzWell (Nick Focil) Publishes Video of Its Award-Winning Presentation
• Angle Health (Andy Leeka) Featured in Forbes Article
• Biospectal (Eliott Jones) OptiBP Receives First-Ever CE Mark for a Smartphone Blood Pressure Monitoring App
• Catalight (Susan Armiger) Named a Healthy People 2030 Champion by HHS
• Choice in Aging (Debbie Toth) Presents "Dishing With Debbie" & 49th Annual Crab Feed
• Eitan Medical's (Roger Massengale) Infusion Pump Receives Approval in Israel
• El Camino Health (Cecile Currier) Earns Leapfrog's Top Hospital Award
• Kaiser Permanente (Marcos Vasconcelos) Announces Common Health Coalition: Together for Public Health
• Life Adjustment Team (Cynthia Sampson) Seeks to Celebrate Neurodiversity + Compares PHP vs IOP
• MedWand's (Bob Rose) Partnership with AT&T Detailed in TeckNexus
• Nelson Hardiman (Harry Nelson, JD) Ponders Semaglutide (aka Wegovy) - Fully Understood or Uncharted Waters?
• On Lok (Grace Li) Hosts Senior Health Policy Forum + Wins Marketing Award
• Zymo Research (Yap Chew) Receives FDA Clearance & Gates Foundation Grant + Pangea Lab Paper Published
• PreludeDx (Dan Forche) Named One of the Most Admired Companies of 2023
• Providence Digital Innovation Group (Marcee Chmait) Deemed an "Innovation Program to Know" by Becker's
• Royal Ambulance (Steve Grau) Unveils New Ambulance Design & Discusses the Role of Teachers in Healthcare
• Sheppard Mullin (Linda Igarashi) Named a "Best" Law Firm, Including Healthcare Practice + Provides Healthcare Resources
• Wipfli (Jeff Johnson) Announced its Rural Solutions - 2024 National Healthcare Conference

• Eckert & Ziegler (Frank Yeager) to Supply Ablaze Pharmaceuticals with Lutetium-177
• GIDEON Informatics (Uri Blackman) on: What's CRISPR and Why Is It a Game Changer in Genetics?
• Instil (Adam Miller, JD) on: Prospect Research, Important Metrics & Ethics Regarding Fundraising

Eckert & Ziegler (EZ) and Ablaze Pharmaceuticals signed a comprehensive supply agreement in which EZ will serve as the supplier for Ablaze's clinical trial and research activities utilizing Lutetium-177. Ablaze is currently developing several Lutetium-based drug products for targeted radiotherapy - a radioisotope is combined with tumor-specific drugs, which then deliver the radiating element of the radioisotope into tumor cells to destroy them, while largely sparing surrounding healthy tissue. (LA)

In Gene Editing: How CRISPR Is Transforming the Fight Against Infectious Diseases, GIDEON Informatics discusses what CRISPR is and why it's a game-changer in genetics, plus five groundbreaking ways CRISPR is battling infectious diseases, the potential for a world where "incurable" is a term of history books, and more.
AND, read GIDEON's article, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus): What You Need to Know About This Infection, which details RSV's history and global impact, as well as recognizing symptoms and the best preventive measures. (LA)

In The Role of Prospect Research in Major Gift Fundraising, Instil explains that prospect research involves gathering and analyzing information about potential donors to identify those with the capacity and inclination to make significant contributions, and offers five ways it can help your organization secure major gifts.
AND, in 6 Important Metrics for Tracking Major Donor Relationships, Instil introduces several essential data points to review.
PLUS, read 6 Ethical Fundraising Best Practices for Major Gifts. (LA)

A bipartisan bill aimed at lowering health care costs was passed on Monday night, Dec. 11. The overall goals for the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act are to increase price transparency throughout the health care system, address the cost of prescription drugs and support patients, health care workers, community health centers and hospitals. It could also save patients from paying two to three times more for the same medical services when they are performed at a hospital, rather than in a doctor's office. (https://www.kxly.com/news/house-vote-scheduled-for-monday-night-on-lower-costs-more-transparency-act/article_1bce07f0-985e-11ee-b3f1-73e7ffa13c02.html)

With California facing an expected $68-billion budget deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking "major reforms" to pull funding from a costly plan next year to begin raising the statewide minimum wage for healthcare workers to $25 an hour. Newsom told The Los Angeles Times that his staff has "been working behind the scenes" with Democratic leaders in the Legislature on how to move forward with the minimum wage law in light of state budget concerns. The changes, which would have to be approved by lawmakers next year, were "all part of an understanding" with labor leaders before he signed the bill, Newsom said. Under the law, workers at large healthcare facilities will earn $23 an hour starting in June 2024, $24 an hour in 2025, and $25 in 2026. That applies to all levels of staff, not just care providers, including launderers and hospital gift shop workers. Employees at independent rural hospitals and facilities that serve high rates of Medicare and Medi-Cal patients will see a minimum wage of $18 an hour next year, which will gradually increase to $25 an hour in 2033. (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-07/as-california-deficit-tops-68-billion-newsom-seeks-changes-to-healthcare-wage-law)

The White House and HHS, through CMS, are releasing several resources to help support federal agencies, states, local and tribal governments to better coordinate health care, public health, and social services. Specifically, the White House is releasing the first ever U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health - PDF. To accompany this, HHS is releasing a Call to Action to Address Health Related Social Needs, and a Medicaid and CHIP Health-Related Social Needs Framework - PDF. This builds on the Administration's work to advance health equity by acknowledging that peoples' social and economic conditions play an important role in their health and wellbeing. (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/11/16/biden-harris-administration-takes-action-improve-health-and-wellbeing-addressing-social-determinants-health.html)

HHS has released a concept paper that outlines the Department's cybersecurity strategy for the health care sector. The concept paper builds on the National Cybersecurity Strategy that the President released last year, focusing specifically on strengthening resilience for hospitals, patients, and communities threatened by cyber-attacks. The paper details four pillars for action: 1. Publish voluntary Health care and Public Health sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals to help health care institutions plan and prioritize implementation of high-impact cybersecurity practices. 2. Provide resources to incentivize and implement cybersecurity practices - work with Congress to obtain new authority and funding to administer financial support and incentives for domestic hospitals to implement high-impact cybersecurity practices. 3. Implement an HHS-wide strategy to support greater enforcement and accountability. 4. Expand and mature the one-stop shop within HHS for healthcare sector cybersecurity to improve coordination within HHS and the Federal government, deepen their partnership with industry, improve access and uptake of government support and services, and increase HHS's incident response capabilities. (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/12/06/hhs-announces-next-steps-ongoing-work-enhance-cybersecurity-health-care-public-health-sectors.html)

HHS, through CMS, recently announced Missouri's extension of comprehensive coverage after pregnancy through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program for postpartum individuals for a full 12 months. This announcement marks critical progress in implementing the CMS Maternity Care Action Plan, which supports the Administration's Maternal Health Blueprint, a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving maternal health, particularly in underserved communities. (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/11/14/missouri-approval-40-states-offer-full-year-medicaid-coverage-pregnancy.html)

Nearly 7.3 million people have selected an ACA Health Insurance Marketplace plan since the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period opened on November 1. This represents activity through December 2 (Week 5) for the 32 states using HealthCare.gov and through November 25 (Week 4) for the 18 states and the District of Columbia with State-based Marketplaces. Total plan selections include more than 1.6 million people (23% of total) who are new to the Marketplaces for 2024, and 5.7 million people (77% of total) who have active 2023 coverage and returned to their respective Marketplaces to renew their coverage or select a new plan for 2024. The 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period runs from November 1, 2023, to January 15, 2024, for states using the HealthCare.gov platform. (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/12/06/more-than-7-million-selected-affordable-health-coverage-aca-marketplace-start-open-enrollment-period.html)

HHS, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recently announced notices of funding opportunities for grant programs that address behavioral health challenges in local communities by preventing substance use initiation, reducing the progression of substance use, and addressing other related concerns. The grant opportunities total about $74.4 million. (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/11/16/biden-harris-administration-announces-744-million-funding-opportunities.html)

CVS Health, the nation's largest drugstore chain, will move away from the complex formulas used to set the prices of the prescription drugs it sells, shifting to a simpler model that could upend how American pharmacies are paid. Under the plan, CVS's roughly 9,500 retail pharmacies will get reimbursed by pharmacy-benefit managers and other payers based on the amount that CVS paid for the drugs, in addition to a limited markup and a flat fee to cover the services involved in handling and dispensing the prescriptions. A similar payment model, sometimes known as "cost plus," has been promoted by entrepreneur Mark Cuban's eponymous pharmacy company, among others, which have said it brings greater clarity and accountability to drug pricing. CVS plans to phase in its "cost plus" plan starting in the first half of 2024. (https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/prescription-drug-costs-cvs-pharmacy-56acb623)

A meta-analysis published in Scientific Reports involving 9,059 patients shows a 26% decreased risk of heart attacks in people who received a flu vaccine and a 33% reduction in cardiovascular deaths. The authors of the study said there are several theories as to why vaccination protects heart health, including lowering inflammation caused by influenza, preventing secondary infections, and ensuring the stability of atherosclerotic plaque, which can become destabilized during the flu. (https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-vaccines/study-flu-vaccination-reduces-risk-heart-attack)

Eligible adults can now receive free at-home rapid tests, telehealth sessions and at-home treatments for both COVID and influenza through a newly expanded federal government program. Initially launched as a pilot program in select areas, the Home Test to Treat program from the National Institutes of Health is now available nationwide at test2treat.org. Any adult with a current positive test for COVID or flu can enroll to receive free telehealth care and, if prescribed, medication delivered to their home. Follow-up care is also possible through the treatment process. Medication from the program delivered to the home will be available at no cost regardless of insurance status. If picked up from a pharmacy, patients may be asked to pay out of pocket or provide their insurance, but can ask the pharmacy if they have government procured treatments available at no cost. (https://abcnews.go.com/Health/free-home-testing-treatments-now-covid-flu-federal/story?id=105433059)

Replacing animal-based food such as red and processed meat or eggs with plant-based options such as nuts or legumes may reduce the risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes, a comprehensive review has found. Published November 16 in BMC Medicine, the review analyzed the results from 37 earlier studies. (https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/20/health/plant-based-food-swap-benefits-wellness-intl-scli/index.html)

Hospitals and health systems across the U.S. continue to face exacerbated staffing shortages, forcing them to tap into even more creative and intentional approaches with recruitment and retention. At Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - which expects a 30 percent turnover rate this year, a record high - this includes implementing a "boomerang" strategy. This is "basically working with our leaders and saying, 'Who's left us that we want to try to get back?'" said Danielle Lombard-Sims, PhD, vice chancellor for human resources and chief human resources officer at UAMS, an academic health center with about 11,100 employees. "And we've done outreach where we've called them. We've sent them postcards saying, 'Hey, here's what's going on right now at UAMS. It's an exciting time to be a part of us.'" She said the "boomerang" campaign for nursing has been especially successful. UAMS has hired back 30 nurses who left their jobs during the pandemic. (https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/the-boomerang-strategy-2-health-systems-tap-former-employees-to-fill-empty-roles.html)

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