> Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley Health Network has agreed to settle a nurses' lawsuit for $4.5M over claims that hundreds of nurses did not receive overtime pay between January, 2008 and May, 2012, reported Lehigh Valley Live Tuesday. The settlement will provide some compensation to Patient Care Services Department nurses who were not paid for overtime work performed during the four-and-half year period in question. Article
> The Federal Trade Commission has given antitrust clearance to the sale of Auburn (Wash.) Regional Medical Center to MultiCare Health System in Tacoma, Wash. Multicare Health System announced in May its plan to buy Auburn Regional and its associated clinics to strengthen its service to the community, according to The News Tribune. Statement (.pdf)
> The Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research has released its 2011 State Snapshots, which provide an overview of each state's performance on a range of quality metrics. These snapshots reveal strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement at a state level. State officials are able to use the date to recognize healthcare gaps and improve quality of care in their respective states. Summary
> After serving nine years in prison for drug trafficking, a Miami-Dade man was arrested Monday in a $4.1 million Medicare scam, The Miami Herald reported. Following his prison term, Lazaro Delgado posed as a medical entrepreneur and acquired two home healthcare agencies through questionable legal means. He allegedly stole the identification numbers of patients and physicians within the agencies, and used the information to submit fraudulent claims. Article
And Finally… Not all calories are created equal. Article