> Although the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last week approved Parkland Memorial Hospital's corrective action plan, the Dallas hospital won't find out the status of its Medicare funding until the end of this month, reports the Associated Press. Article
> Almost a year after initial talks, Vanguard Health Systems has finalized its joint venture with Valley Baptist Health, both companies announced on Sept. 1. Meanwhile, Mercy in Missouri will finalize its acquisition of Logan Medical Center in Oklahoma on Oct. 1, reports News OK, adding to the growing list of healthcare mergers and acquisitions.
> State funding cuts have jeopardized New York hospital report cards, according to The Post-Standard. Without state funding, a nonprofit research company cannot provide healthcare consumers with readmission rates and mortality rates, among other performance metrics. Article
> Patients at the Osceola Regional Medical Center emergency room in Florida were examined by a teenage boy and not an actual physician's assistant (PA) as he claimed, according to TIME. Under his ruse, the 17-year old interviewed patients, examined confidential medical records, performed physical exams on disrobed male patients, cleaned wounds, and performed CPR on a cardiac arrest patient, raising security and safety issues. Article
> The whistleblower case against Guthrie Clinic and its Robert Packer Hospital for massive healthcare fraud has been dismissed, reports the Times-Tribune. According to the judge, the alleged whistleblower claims were not new. Article
And Finally... Man bites python. Article