ALSO NOTED: Rowe out at Aetna; Abbott suit granted class action status; and much more...

> Chutes & Ladders: Aetna's Jack Rowe, who led a remarkable turnaround at the company, will step down as CEO later this year. He will be replaced by current president Ronald A. Williams. Article

> Two new studies out this week find no evidence to support a theory that statins offer protection from cancer or heart disease. Article

> A federal judge granted class action status to a suit by a group of former Abbott pharmaceutical employees who allege the company broke the law when it spun off its hospital products division to form Hospira. Article

> A new study finds that eliminating Medicare Advantage could lead to serious problems for low-income "duel eligibles" and might end up costing the government more in the end. Article

> A tough day at Johnson & Johnson as reports emerge that two patient deaths involving its heart drug Natrecor in a Cleveland Clinic trial went unreported. Article

> Chinese health officials tell the Financial Times that the country lacks the resources to cope with its HIV/AIDS problem. Article

> Digitas buys into the healthcare sector with the $30.4 million purchase of Medical Broadcasting. Article

> Following in the steps of crowded restaurants, hospitals are issuing patients and their families with pagers, leaving them free to explore the premises. Article

> Digital Doctor blogs on the trends that will transform medical imaging in the year to come. Blog

> Standard & Poor's Equity Research raised its outlook for Walgreen's, saying the retailer will benefit from a surge in generic sales. Article

> Washington Post investigative reporter Alec Klein talks about his three-part series on the medical device reprocessing industry. Article

> Streamline Health says it has signed a deal with St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, CT, to implement its document management system as part of its upgrade to IDX's Carecast. Release

> Several hospitals in Minnesota are chilling heart attack victims in an effort to boost their long-term odds. The Arctic Sun cooling system costs around $25,000. Article

> Texas RHIO Access Medica says it has signed a deal with AllScripts to implement the Touchworks EHR at its clinics in East Texas in a deal worth about $1.4 million. Release

And Finally... Sutter Health CEO Pat Fry faces several formidable challenges this year. Among them: dealing with angry union members and coping with California's new staffing ratio law. Article

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