> The wider economic damage inflected by Katrina looks likely to include the health system. Already bruised Tenet HealthCare appears to be one local player at risk. Tenet has five hospitals in the New Orleans area. Story
> A Kaiser Family Foundation study looks at the high costs of healthcare and its impact on the uninsured and the insured alike. Story
> Is it managed care or "mangled care?" Op-Ed
> A hospital building boom in Denver has seen another 1,400 hospital beds added in recent years. Release
> HIT: The Department of Defense put out a call for vendors for a project which will develop a new database system for the military containing health details for 8.5 million servicemen and women. Story
> The Texas attorney general intervened in a dispute between the Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Medical Center, ordering the two non-profit chains back to the negotiating table. Story
> The Bush administration's continues its efforts to sell the prescription drug benefit to seniors. Story
> HIT: Sun MicroSystems and InstantDX say they are collaborating on a "physician-based" national health record. Yes, of course Java is involved. Release
> HIT: MDdatacor, which converts traditional paper medical records from the physician and turns them into a searchable database, has a new study out. Release
> Are premiums going up less sharply at consumer directed health plans? Early signs may suggest so. Story
> A Houston area orthopedic surgeon with a long record of run-ins with the law was arrested in Aspen, Colorado and charged with practicing without a license. Story
> Trauma centers in metro Atlanta are being swamped on an almost daily basis as the city's rapid growth strains regional capacity. Story
> A doctor in Pierre, South Dakota, is in hot water after allegedly using his cell phone camera to snap photos of a patient in the operating room as part of a joke. Story
And Finally... From the team at FierceMarkets: Our hearts go out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. If you have not done so, please think about donating money and/or time to a charity like the American Red Cross. We offer our best wishes to the individuals and businesses in the Gulf Coast region who will be recovering from this disaster in the months to come.