> The new CEO of the Methodist Hospital System still will see patients in addition to running the hospital system, reports the Houston Chronicle. Taking the helm earlier this month, Marc Boom marks the first physician to lead the five-hospital system in roughly 100 years. Article
> The American Hospital Association (AHA) and three other hospital groups reaffirmed their support for health reform's individual mandate in a brief filed last week with the U.S. Supreme Court, reports AHA News Now. If the Supreme Court rules the mandate unconstitutional, three other Medicare- and Medicaid-related provisions would no longer "function in a manner consistent with the intent of Congress," the hospital groups wrote. News brief
> Annually screening men for prostate cancer doesn't reduce mortality rates, according to a study published online Friday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the Chicago Tribune reports. Article
> Connecticut lawmakers and lawyers say a state law designed to prevent frivolous medical malpractice claims unintentionally has kept legitimate lawsuits out of state courts, reports the Associated Press. The law requires plaintiffs to get an opinion letter from a medical expert backing up their malpractice claims before they can sue. However, legal battles over the experts' credentials led to many case dismissals, the AP notes. Article
> Patients on average wait the longest in El Paso, Texas, reports the El Paso Times. For El Paso patients, the average wait time lasted more than 29 minutes, much higher than the national average of 21 minutes. Article
And Finally... Restaurant sets "No Politicians" policy. Article