> University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey faces a lawsuit after changing a policy to say nurses must help before and after abortion procedures, reports The Washington Post. An attorney representing the nurses said federal and state law prohibits requiring nurses to participate in abortions if they have moral objections. Article
> In its latest move to build relationships with local community hospitals, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is partnering with Washington (Pa.) Hospital to operate urgent care clinics, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Article
> Hospitals are spending millions of dollars on defibrillators but face mounting criticism, reports the Los Angeles Times. That's because not only have manufacturers recalled tens of thousands of the devices, but research also shows that cardiac arrest patients treated at hospitals with automated defibrillators survived only 16.3 percent of the time, compared to 19.3 percent when hospitals used manual equipment. Article
> Reinforcing its spot at No. 1, a study released Wednesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) found the United States spends more on healthcare than other countries but doesn't necessarily see better outcomes. Although the United States spends more than $7,900 per person for healthcare each year--two and a half times the OECD average--it doesn't do well in preventing costly hospital admissions for chronic conditions, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Report
> Labor tensions mount as Jackson Health System executives continue to demand furloughs and layoffs, reports the Miami Herald. Meanwhile, nurses are petitioning against layoffs at UMass Memorial that will replace registered nurses with outsourced non-nurse lactation consultants in an attempt to save funds, according to the Worcester Telegram.
And Finally... You might not lose the holiday pound. Article