Geisinger launches routine DNA screening program
Geisinger Health System President and CEO David Feinberg, M.D., will become the first patient in the healthcare system's new routine DNA sequencing program this week.
On Tuesday morning, Feinberg will have his own blood sample drawn in a media event to highlight the system which will include DNA screening as a part of a patient's routine health exam to see if they have any variations of genes linked to certain cancers or cardiovascular disease.
First announced in May, the program will launch with Geisinger employees covered by Geisinger Health Plan as the first 1,000 patients enrolled.
Healthcare jobs up in June
Employment in healthcare across the U.S. rose by 25,000 jobs in June and has increased by 309,000 over the year, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Hospitals added 11,000 jobs over the month, and employment in ambulatory healthcare services continued to trend up, they said. (Release)
Gawande starts new gig
Surgeon and best-selling author Atul Gawande, M.D., started his new role leading the joint healthcare venture between J.P. Morgan, Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway, CNBC reported.
Last month, the group announced Gawande would lead their new nonprofit company aimed at addressing the costs of their combined 1.2 million employees' healthcare coverage. While some have said Gawande, who is best known for his writing on how the healthcare system might work more efficiently is a natural fit, others raised concern that he has little experience actually addressing healthcare costs. (CNBC article)
Firefighter cancer registry signed into law
President Donald Trump signed the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act into law on Monday.
The bill will require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop a national registry to document the incidence of cancer diagnoses among firefighters. The goal is to allow researchers to better understand the impacts that smoke inhalation and other occupational hazards have on a firefighter’s health and lead to better treatment options, officials said.
The bill first passed the House in September 2017. After it was passed again with an amendment in May, the Senate passed the amended bill on June 22. (Release)