Sutter Health Expands Rural Health Care Access through Strategic Community Investments
NORTHERN CALIF. – In a move to expand access and advance care in some of Northern California’s most remote and rural communities, Sutter Health is making two strategic investments to expand primary care and behavioral health services in Del Norte and Lake counties. These enhancements are part of Sutter’s systemwide, not-for-profit commitment to help bridge gaps and deliver high-quality, innovative care closer to where patients live.
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Mobile Meetings: Selling Insurance in a Remote World
By Jói Sigurdsson
Once rooted in handshakes and office visits, the business of selling insurance is now being reshaped by screens, smartphones, and virtual connections. The rapid evolution toward digital-first engagement— accelerated by the global pandemic—has redefined how agents and brokers communicate with prospects and clients alike.
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City of Hope calls for ‘bold’ change as cancer burden shifts to women
Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope has called for “bold” changes to address the rising cancer rates among women younger than 50.
Cancer incidence rates among women younger than 50 is 82% higher than incidence rates among men of the same age, according to a May 20 news release from the cancer center. Younger women have unique concerns that typical cancer care strategies may not address.
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Stanford pilots ChatEHR
California-based Stanford Health Care is piloting an internally developed, AI-backed software designed to revolutionize clinician interaction with the EHR.
Nigam Shah, MD, PhD, chief data science officer at Stanford Health Care, is leading the development team for ChatEHR, which allows clinicians to ask questions, request summaries and pull specific information from a patient’s medical record. ChatEHR is built directly into Stanford’s EHR to maximize clinical workflow.
The pilot is available to a small cohort of 33 physicians, nurses and physician assistants. The technology is secure and designed for information gathering; not medical advice.
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California Senate passes PBM control bill that a big employer group hates
The California Chamber of Commerce says weakening pharmacy networks will drive up employers’ drug benefits costs.
Lawmakers in California have set the stage for a tough fight with the California Chamber of Commerce and some unions.
Members of the state Senate voted 37-0 last week to pass a bill that could overhaul the state’s rules for pharmacy benefit managers.
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Upcoming UCSF facility aims to bridge gap in mental-health care for kids
Construction is underway across the bay on a $1.5 billion UCSF facility, part of which will aim to address a significant regional gap in youth mental-health care.
The hospital building — which the UC Board of Regents approved last year and is set to open in 2030 — at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland will include a 20 inpatient-care beds for children contending with behavioral- and mental-health issues.
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New AI-Powered Supercomputer ‘Doudna’ Coming to Berkeley Lab
A powerful new supercomputer named “Doudna” will soon support cutting-edge artificial intelligence and scientific research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, federal officials announced Thursday according to the Associated Press.
The machine, named in honor of UC Berkeley professor and Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Jennifer Doudna, is scheduled to go online next year. Doudna was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 for co-developing CRISPR, the revolutionary gene-editing technology.
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GLP-1 obesity and diabetes drugs drive 17% of employee pharmacy claims, CBIZ reports
The firm’s benefits clients spent three times more on the drugs last year than in 2022. Wegovy and other GLP-1 obesity and blood sugar control drugs accounted for 17% of pharmacy benefits spending at CBIZ employer clients with self-funded health plans in 2024, up from 13% in 2023, according to a new health care report.
The broker’s clients spent spent $125 million on GLP-1 agonist drugs. That’s up from $81 million in 2023 and $42 million in 2022.
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Independence Day in the United States
The Fourth of July is one of the biggest summertime celebrations in the USA. It’s a day when friends and family gather around to grill, watch fireworks, and enjoy each other’s company out in the fresh air.
Independence Day is nostalgic, patriotic, and a day that many look forward to when it comes to summertime fun. What’s more is that this day is enjoyed just as much by adults as it is by children. However, this holiday weekend is also linked to some safety hazards, such as injuries related to car crashes, mishandling fireworks, and noise-related stress for pets. Knowing about these potential safety issues can ensure that your clients have a fun and safe holiday weekend.
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ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
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