• Florida: Humana's CenterWell Pharmacy has opened a new $83 million drug distribution center in Florida. "This distribution center gives us expanded capacity to meet increased demand for timely, reliable medication access, closing the distance when delivering to patients here in Florida and throughout the southeast United States," said Guillermo Sollberger, CenterWell's COO. "The facility also gives us access to a talented workforce in greater Orlando, an area known for its specialty pharmacy ecosystem," Sollberger said. The new distribution center will be able to process and dispense up to 64,000 prescriptions daily. This is CenterWell's third U.S. mail-order pharmacy, with the first two being in Arizona and Ohio. Aside from its mail-order pharmacies, CenterWell is also working on direct-to-consumer and direct-to-employer access initiatives. The company also recently confirmed a collaboration with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Co. on an employer-based program. (Casolo, Becker's Hospital Review, 5/27)
• Georgia/Texas: CDC is planning to transfer over 160 macaques to Born Free USA, a nonprofit primate sanctuary in Texas, in an ongoing effort to phase out the use of monkeys in research. "The overall objective is to ensure the seamless and humane transfer of all CDC animals into naturalistic and enriched environments that support their physical and behavioral health, within facilities that are compliant with standards [set by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS)]," the agency posted in a notice about the proposed contract. Although some animal rights activists have praised the decision, other experts say it was made without their consultation, does not specify how the transfer or lifetime care of the animals would be funded, and could endanger the monkeys if they're not integrated carefully. (Silverman, STAT+ [subscription required], 5/14; Grimm, Science, 5/15)
• Illinois: Last month, AMA released a new policy framework aimed at protecting physicians from unauthorized AI-generated deepfakes. The framework, which was created by AMA's Center for Digital Health and AI, aims to modernize identity protections for physicians while also closing legal gaps. The framework includes seven policy principles: Physician identity as a protected right, prohibition on deceptive medical impersonation, informed opt-in and revocable consent, mandatory transparency and labeling, shared responsibility to prevent impersonation, enforcement and practical remedies, and minimizing administrative burden. According to AMA CEO John Whyte, deepfakes impersonating physicians are a "public health and safety crisis," not just scams. "When bad actors exploit a doctor's identity, they undermine patient trust and can steer people toward harmful, unproven care," Whyte said. "We need strong action by federal and state lawmakers to protect physicians' identities, ensure transparency, and stop this fraud. Safeguarding professional integrity is essential to preserving trust and delivering high-quality care in a rapidly evolving digital landscape." (Gleeson, Fierce Healthcare, 5/11)

Risk-free AI doesn't exist — leaders must prioritize safety and effectiveness in joint AI-human systems.