- Minnesota: Fairview Health Services is kicking sugar-sweetened drinks out of its campuses and facilities. Such drinks won't be available for purchase anywhere, including vending machines. Carolyn Jacobson, Fairview's chief human resources officer, said the decision was part of a broader community health strategy to combat obesity. There will be some exceptions to the policy, such as when there is a medical need for sugar-sweetened beverages (Grayson, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, 3/30).
- Utah: Intermountain Healthcare has won the Hearst Health Prize for its Mental Health Integration program, which embeds mental health treatment and screening within primary care and certain specialty practices. The award—which is given by Hearst Health—recognizes Intermountain's existing achievements and also provides $100,000 to support the program (Monegain, Healthcare IT News, 3/29).
- Washington: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his family have gifted $35 million to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the largest gift the institution has ever received. The gift tops the previous $20 million record, which was also set by the Bezos family. According to the Seattle Times, the donation is meant to draw top research talent and accelerate research into new cancer therapies (González, Seattle Times, 3/30).
What you need to know about the post-AHCA health policy outlook
Eric Cragun, Senior Director, Health Policy
Join our panel of experts to hear the latest developments in ACA-related policy, an overview of other policy issues that may arise, and what this all means for provider strategy.