Thomson Reuters definitively selling healthcare business; AHRQ finds disparities in access to care still exist;

> Arkansas-based Mercy agreed to transfer ownership of St. Joseph's Mercy Health System to Tennessee-based Capella Healthcare, the former announced yesterday. Announcement

> Thomson Reuters definitively is selling its healthcare business, which provides analytics and benchmarking services to providers, to Veritas Capital for $1.25 billion, the company announced yesterday. Announcement

> Sanford Health in Fargo N.D., and Sioux Falls, S.D., has signed a letter of intent to affiliate with Hillsboro (N.D.) Medical Center, the former said in a statement Friday. Sanford (previously MeritCare) has managed Hillsboro since October 2000. Statement

> Parent company Steward Health has named Kimberly Bassett as the new president and CEO of Morton Hospital, reported the Taunton Daily Gazette. Article

> A new report released Friday from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that quality disparities still exist among different races. According to the AHRQ, 50 percent of the measures that tracked disparities in healthcare access showed no improvement, while 40 percent got worse. Report (.pdf)

And Finally... Parents should work 35-hour work weeks. Press release