Nebraska will allow various health professionals to practice in their field even if they are not licensed in the state, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from the District of Columbia, Illinois, and Nebraska.
- District of Columbia: The Biden administration announced that travelers fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be permitted to cross United States land borders with Mexico and Canada for non-essential travel starting in November. Unvaccinated individuals will still not be allowed in the United States for non-essential travel—and in early January, all travelers entering the United States for both essential and non-essential reasons, will be required to be fully vaccinated. (Kight, Axios, 10/13)
- Illinois: Walgreens Boots Alliance on Thursday announced plans to invest $5.2 billion into primary-care startup, VillageMD, and $300 million into home health benefit manager, CareCentrix, as part of a plan to diversify its operations and offer care inside stores and in people's homes. According to CEO Roz Brewer, "The best health care is deeply rooted in local communities, and Walgreens is committed to expanding convenient access to high-quality and affordable health care services to our patients and customers in our neighborhood locations." (Terlep, Wall Street Journal, 10/14; Herman, Axios, 10/14; Cohen, Modern Healthcare, 10/14)
- Nebraska: Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) on Wednesday signed an executive order that will allow various health professionals, including drug counselors and physical therapists, to practice in their field even if they are not licensed in the state. According to Ricketts' office, the order is an extension of the decision to declare a "hospital staffing emergency" in August. The order, which will remain in effect through the end of 2021, aims to address staffing shortages by increasing the number of health care professionals. (AP/Modern Healthcare, 10/14)