Lyme disease diagnoses rose by 357% in rural America between 2007 and 2021, according to a new analysis from FAIR Health, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Illinois, New York, and Virginia.

• Illinois: Allscripts Healthcare Solutions on Thursday reported almost a 7% increase in year-over-year revenue in Q2 revenue amid its shift to focus on Veradigm, its payer and life sciences division. In May, Allscripts sold its hospital and large physician practices segment, which accounted for $927.6 million of the company's $1.5 billion revenue in 2021. Previously, Allscripts announced plans to allocate proceeds from the sale toward share repurchases and acquisitions to support Veradigm. The company is currently evaluating acquisitions that would expand its payer and life sciences work "to balance out what's still a provider-centricity that we have," said Allscripts' CEO Rick Poulton, adding that the approach "would be top of the list strategically for me." (Cohen, Modern Healthcare, 8/4)

• New York: In a recent study from FAIR Health, which analyzed data covering the period from 2007 to 2021, researchers found that diagnoses of Lyme disease have skyrocketed. FAIR Health analyzed a database of more than 36 billion privately billed health care claims. In rural America, diagnoses of Lyme disease increased by 357% during the 15-year study period, including a surge of 60% from 2016 to 2021, with cases peaking in June and July. In urban areas, Lyme disease diagnoses rose by 65% during the study period. While claims were highest in rural areas during peak summer months, they were higher in urban areas between November and April. In 2021, New Jersey, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut reported the highest number of claims. (Barnes, "Changing America," The Hill, 8/2)

• Virginia: UVA Health on Tuesday appointed Karmen Fittes as its first chief of UVA Health Human Resources, effective September 1. Fittes, who has served as executive director of talent and rewards for the University of California Davis since 2016, also previously served as director of organizational effectiveness for Alberta Health Services in Canada. (Gooch, Becker's Hospital Review, 8/4)