Author: Healthcare Propulsion Staff

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services want hospitals to take a voluntary step toward serving healthier food to their patients.  The “Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge” unveiled this week is the latest in Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s and other health officials’ emphasis on nutrition as a factor in chronic disease prevention and general long-term wellness.  Though voluntary, it follows concrete commitments the administration has scored from dozens of educational institutions to bring nutrition into the medical curriculum.  “Patients recovering from serious medical conditions deserve better than ultra-processed and deep-fried junk…

Children diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (AD), more commonly known as eczema, could face fewer infections and allergic problems after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, according to new research presented at the 2025 American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando. “Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition driven by the immune system and often precedes the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis,” explained medical student Tristan Nguyen, BS, the lead author of the study. “Children with AD are also at higher risk for infections, including those affecting the skin and respiratory system.” Large Study Examines Vaccinated…

CVS Health and its embattled Omnicare unit have agreed to pay $440 million to the Department of Justice to satisfy a nearly $950 million judgment against the company as part of an ongoing fraud case. In April 2025, a federal jury ruled that Omnicare submitted more than 3.3 million fraudulent prescription claims between 2010 and 2018, earning $135.6 million in overpayments as a result. Then, in July 2025, a judge ordered Omnicare to pay $948.8 million in fees and damages as part of the case. In the new court docs, CVS said that it has agreed to make an initial…

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have uncovered new insights into the emotional lives of dogs, helping explain why some golden retrievers are more anxious, energetic, or aggressive than others. Their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to demonstrate that certain genes connected to dog behavior are also linked to traits in humans such as anxiety, depression, and intelligence. Genetic clues behind golden retriever personality To investigate the biological roots of canine temperament, scientists examined the DNA of 1,300 golden retrievers and compared it with each dog’s behavioral profile. Owners provided detailed…

So, the play is the story of Kalki and the actors on stage, but it is also the story of a majority of Indian women for whom childcare is primarily their responsibility, all the heavy-lifting they are expected to do and how the endless hours they devote to rearing the young is taken for granted.In a scene that a majority of mothers would see their lives reflected in shows a young couple discuss how their day went when the man returns from work. He’s weary, but at least has a story to tell about his day.And then he asks his…

Mayo Clinic is being sued by a former research director over allegations she was retaliated against—and ultimately terminated—for raising concerns over the Rochester, Minn.-based health system’s artificial intelligence practices. The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota by Traci Tamiko Eto, represented by HKM Employment Attorneys Artur Davis and Rebecca Rojas. It alleges Mayo Clinic violated the retaliation provisions of the False Claims Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family and Medical Leave Act. Eto joined Mayo Clinic in December 2023 as director of research operations, according to the complaint. She was…

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created a new technique that uses light instead of toxic chemicals to change complex drug molecules. The discovery could speed up drug development and make the process of designing medicines more efficient. The study, published on March 12 in Nature Synthesis, introduces what the team calls an “anti-Friedel-Crafts” reaction. Traditional Friedel-Crafts chemistry requires powerful chemicals or metal catalysts and harsh laboratory conditions. Because of these requirements, the reaction normally takes place early in drug manufacturing and is followed by many additional chemical steps to produce the final medicine. The new Cambridge method turns…

Add Memorial Hermann to the list of health systems winding down their insurance arms “in light of the sustained headwinds facing the health insurance industry.”  The southeast Texas system’s insurance subsidiary, Memorial Hermann Health Plan, has informed brokers, employers and providers that it plans to wind down and close its employer-focused offerings.  These include Memorial Hermann Commercial Health Plan, a health maintenance organization (HMO); Memorial Hermann Insurance Company, a preferred provider organization (PPO); and Memorial Hermann Health Solutions, which is a third-party administrator for self-funded health plans.  The system, in notices, said it plans to fulfill obligations under those products’…

Bird flu viruses pose a significant danger to humans because they can continue multiplying at temperatures warmer than a normal fever. Fever is one of the body’s main tools for slowing down viral infections, yet new research led by the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow shows that these avian viruses can keep going even under conditions that usually shut other viruses down. A study published on November 28 in Science reports the discovery of a gene that strongly influences how sensitive a virus is to heat. During the major flu pandemics of 1957 and 1968, this gene moved from bird flu…

Ruthia He, the founder and former chief executive officer of telehealth startup Done Global, was sentenced to six years in prison on Tuesday and fined $1 million in connection with an Adderall fraud scheme.  He, along with a former top doctor at the telehealth company, was convicted in November of conspiring to distribute Adderall and other stimulants online. A San Francisco jury found He, and David Brody, the company’s former clinical president, guilty on two conspiracy counts—one count related to healthcare fraud—and four counts of distribution of controlled substances. He was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to obstruct…