Medical Journal September 2025 Digital Edition
September 25, 20251 min
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Harris Health Moves Forward Proposal to Acquire Park Land for Expansion of Ben Taub Hospital
September 25, 20254 min
The Harris Health Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the acquisition of land to support the critically needed expansion of Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital. Ben Taub Hospital has been consistently operating at and beyond its 402-bed capacity, and the need for its healthcare services is expected to grow at a rapid pace in the coming months. With cuts to federal Medicaid funding and insurance subsidies for lower-income individuals who purchase...
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act: Overview and compliance basics
September 25, 202510 min
BY Kianna L. Sitarski, Esq. and Michael R. Alexander, Esq., Brown & Fortunato, P.C. Many recent additions to the healthcare regulatory framework have largely been aimed at adding much needed transparency for patients. One such addition with this objective is the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, colloquially known as the “Sunshine Act” or “Open Payments Act”, which seeks to require certain industry players to disclose certain financial interactions and relationships with physicians and other Covered...
Proposed 340B rebate model generates an array of concerns among providers
September 25, 202511 min
BY Nick Hut, Senior Reporter, HFMA Hospital advocates are pushing back on a fast-approaching rebate model for the 340B Drug Pricing Program, while a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report illustrates the accelerating spending in the program. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which administers 340B, previously announced that a pilot program to test the application of a rebate model would begin Jan. 1, 2026. Comments on the model, which initially is set to...
The loneliness epidemic
September 25, 20258 min
BY Samuel Mathis MD, MBA Recently, my department hosted a grand rounds lecture that focused on the need for community and the rising loneliness epidemic across America. Research has now shown that loneliness affects health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. In 2020, the health insurer Cigna published a report discussing loneliness and factors that contribute to it. Since then, the epidemic of loneliness and its health effects have only gotten worse....
In this special session, we stressed why hospitals themselves are special
September 25, 20258 min
BY John Hawkins, President and CEO, THA During the special session of the Texas Legislature that just wrapped up, we at the Texas Hospital Association once again had to focus on one of our highest-level – and highest-priority – points that we repeatedly come back to with lawmakers. That perennial message is this: Hospitals are unique, and so are their circumstances. A one-size-fits-all mandate or prohibition in our state – whether driven by...
Novel tool helps identify key targets to strengthen CAR NK cell therapies
September 25, 20255 min
Natural killer (NK) cells became markedly better at killing cancer cells after scientists removed key gene targets identified through a new genome-wide CRISPR screening tool. The study opens new avenues for discovering approaches to enhance the antitumor activity of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell therapies against multiple cancer types via PreCiSE, a comprehensive CRISPR discovery platform optimized for primary human NK cells. “Targeted gene editing is a powerful tool to enhance the...
UTMB announces key leadership appointments in the John Sealy School of Medicine
September 25, 20256 min
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) has announced two significant leadership appointments in the John Sealy School of Medicine (JSSOM), reinforcing the institution’s commitment to clinical excellence, medical education, and research innovation. Dr. Antonio Bianco, MD, PhD, has been named Senior Vice President of Health Affairs and Dean of the John Sealy School of Medicine, while continuing in his role as Chief Research Officer. Bianco, who has served as interim dean since March,...