Hospitals' economic contributions go overlooked; California's Sutter Health to provide its own HMO;

News From Around the Web

> Despite employing 5.6 million people in 2013 and adding $2.6 trillion in economic activity, the economic contributions of hospitals often go overlooked, according to a report from the American Hospital Association. Report

> California state officials will allow healthcare provider Sutter Health to offer its own HMO, Sutter Health Plus, in Sonoma County, allowing Sutter to develop more integrated managed care, the Press Democrat reports. Article

> The American Hospital Association urged the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to reimburse Ebola Treatment Centers and state-designated Ebola hospitals for costs incurred preparing for Ebola patients, as Congress intended, according to a recent letter. Letter

Health Finance News

> A former employee of Hospital Corporation of America, Inc., the large publicly-traded hospital operator, accused the organization of engaging in unnecessary surgeries in a whistleblower lawsuit. Article

> An improving economy is one reason that the finances of safety-net hospitals have fared better than expected over the last year. Article

And Finally… No questions allowed. Article