• District of Columbia: The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has launched a $144 million initiative to study the impact of microplastics on human health. The initiative, which is called the Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP), will have two phases. In the first phase, researchers will study how microplastics accumulate in the human body and develop a gold-standard method for measuring their presence in the body. Researchers will also create a clinical test to quantify an individual's microplastic burden, which will help scale and improve monitoring and intervention. In the second phase, researchers will study safe and effective ways to remove microplastics in the body. "Microplastics are in every organ we look at — in ourselves and in our children. But we don't know which ones are harmful or how to remove them," said ARPA-H Director Alicia Jackson. "Nobody wants unknown particles accumulating in their body. The field is working in the dark. STOMP is turning on the lights." (Bean, Becker's Clinical Leadership, 4/2)
• Georgia: According to new CDC data, the U.S. fertility rate in 2025 was 53.1 live births per 1,000 women, a new record low. The total number of births also decreased by 1% between 2024 and 2025 to 3,606,400 births. Since 2007, the U.S. fertility rate has been steadily declining, though the reasons for this continued drop are so far unclear. Notably, the fertility rate for teenagers has dropped significantly over the past few decades. Since 1991, the fertility rate for teenagers has decreased by 81%. The fertility rate for teenagers also dropped by 7% between 2024 and 2025 alone. Currently, some demographers believe that the significant decline in births among teenagers and women in their early 20s show that women now have more control over their fertility. More women are also having children later in life, with CDC data showing that fertility rates increased among women in their 30s and 40s. "What is actually affecting the birth rates are likely lower rates of teen pregnancy overall, which is in the context of higher use of contraception and lower sexual activity for youth, and then also continued access to abortion care," said Bianca Allison, a pediatrician and associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. (Tavernise, New York Times, 4/9; Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 4/9)
• Missouri: Centene has created two new senior executive positions to bolster its management team amid higher costs and new federal health policies. The company hired Daniel Finke as group president, markets and commercial, and Michael Carson as group president, Medicare and specialty. Previously, Finke was CEO of Convey Health Solutions and held a top leadership position at CVS Health's Aetna insurance unit. Carson was previously CEO of Bright Healthcare, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and CareAbout before joining Centene in January 2024. "We are pleased to recognize Michael's continued leadership and excited to leverage Dan's deep industry expertise and track record of strategic execution," said Centene CEO Sarah London. "Their collective experience will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen performance across the portfolio and deliver sustainable, profitable growth." According to Forbes, several health insurers have made changes to the management teams over the last two years. For example, Elevance Health recently made several changes to its health insurance business and Carelon health services unit, including adding new CFOs to each unit. (Japsen, Forbes, 4/6)

Dr. Neel Shah, CMO of Maven Clinic, shares why comprehensive women’s health is a strategic must-have for today's health care purchasers.