> Thirty-four percent of patients hospitalized for at least one night in the past year said "nurses weren't available when needed or didn't respond quickly to requests for help," according to a poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. Blog post
> Jewish Sinai Health System and Catholic Holy Cross Hospital, both in Chicago, are in talks to affiliate, Crain's Chicago Business reported. Holy Cross has been seeking a partner since June, when Tenn.-based Vanguard Health Systems abandoned a deal. Article
> With continued advances in treatment approaches and risk factor control, heart disease and stroke deaths are falling for diabetics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Study
> Nonprofit hospitals in the greater Washington, D.C., area saw their bottom line grow, the Washington Business Journal reported. Inova Health System in Falls Church, Va., topped the list with a 9 percent margin on $2.39 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2011. Article
And Finally… No laughing matter: clown makes you pregnant. Article