> After ending the last fiscal year with nearly a $10 million loss, Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital is immediately laying off 75 people, that is, 5 percent of its workforce, reported NBC Connecticut. The cost-cutting measure is expected to save the hospital $4.4 million. Article
> Cleveland Clinic and the North Shore-LIJ Health System in New York yesterday announced an "innovation alliance," in which the two institutions will develop and commercialize technologies, aimed at diagnostic and treatment options to improve patient care, according to a press release. North Shore-LIJ is the second institution to join the Cleveland Clinic's Innovation Alliance program, following MedStar Health, based in Baltimore and Washington D.C. Press release
> The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is revamping its requirements for assessing physician competency, according to yesterday's New England Journal of Medicine article. As the existing requirements are too "prescriptive," the Next Accreditation System (NAS) will be implemented in seven of the 26 ACGME-accredited core specialties (emergency medicine, internal medicine, neurologic surgery, orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, diagnostic radiology and urology) in July 2013 and the rest by July 2014. Article
> Highmark rejected UPMC's inquiries about a one-year contract with UPMC East, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The insurer said the one-year contract would be disruptive to subscribers who would have to look at changing hospitals when the current Highmark-UPMC contract expires in July 2013. Article
> California-based Prime Healthcare Services yesterday announced it acquired Philadelphia's Roxborough Memorial Hospital from Solis Healthcare. The 140-bed acute care hospital will continue to provide community-based healthcare, according to Prime Healthcare. Press release
And Finally... Forget drive-throughs: Starbucks launches a ski-through. Article