> Ominous signs from Standard & Poors as the rating service hints that it may lower UnitedHealth group's bond rating if the insurer's problems continue. Article
> Medtronic earnings jump, rising to $746.6M in the fourth quarter. Article
> There is anger in Seattle after Regence Blue Shield sent letters to more than 8,000 patients signed up for its Select plan telling them they need to find new doctors because their existing ones aren't up to "standard." Article
> The kissing and hugging is apparently over at Boston's Caritas Health Care System, as CEO Dr. Robert Haddad steps down. Critics are venting their ire at Cardinal O'Malley. Article
> "Policing the CEO" should be the board's first duty, given the available evidence, argue various experts on non-profits interviewed by the Globe. Article
> RTI International has awarded Kansas, home of a little software company we know and love, a grant worth $300,000 to study medical records privacy. Article
> The Air Force has given $750,000 to Vidacare to develop the EZ-IO, an emergency room device that allows drugs and other fluids to be injected directly into a patient's bones in cases where their veins have collapsed. Article
> Researchers have finally traced the HIV virus to its source: a group of chimps living in the African state of Cameroon. Article
And Finally… A bizarre resolution for a bizarre case: A Seattle woman who accused her gynecologist (and his twin brother) of abusing her must pay $2.68 million in restitution. Article