• Missouri: Centene has named Bradley Bolivar as its new chief information officer (CIO), effective immediately. Bolivar succeeds Brian LeClaire, who will retire at the end of October, as Centene's CIO. Before joining Centene, Bolivar was CIO at Fannie Mae, and before that he was head of enterprise engineering and architecture at Warner Bros. Entertainment. According to Centene, Bolivar's past experience with AI during his time at Fannie Mae will be valuable to the company as it works to integrate AI into its operations. In a statement, Centene CEO Sarah London said Bolivar had a "proven ability to solve complex technology challenges" that would be a benefit for the company. "I am honored to join Centene at such an important moment for the industry," Bolivar said. "Healthcare is undergoing rapid change, creating an opportunity to reimagine how technology, data and innovation can improve experiences and drive better outcomes." (Parduhn, Healthcare Dive, 8/31)
• New Hampshire: A 68-year-old man named Tim Andrews survived a record 271 days with a transplanted pig kidney, which acted as a "bridge" until he could receive a human kidney transplant. In late 2024, Andrews had end-stage kidney disease, with only a 9% chance of receiving a human kidney within five years compared to a more than 40% risk of dying or being removed from the waiting list. After discussing his options with his doctors, Andrews agreed to receive a transplanted pig kidney. On Jan. 25, 2025, surgeons from Mass General Brigham transplanted the pig kidney into Andrews. The transplanted pig kidney allowed Andrews to be free of dialysis for a record 271 days, or nine months, before it began to fail. Andrews soon received a human kidney from a dead donor. "His case represents the longest dialysis-free survival following porcine kidney xenotransplantation in a living human and the first transition to human kidney transplantation," Mass General Brigham wrote. According to Leonardo Riella, from the Center for Transplantation Sciences and the division of nephrology at Mass General Brigham, xenotransplantation could soon become a lifesaving option for people waiting for organ transplant. Currently, over 100,000 people are on the national transplant waiting list, with most waiting for a kidney. "The organ shortage is the greatest crisis we have right now in transplantation," Riella said. "We know that the best treatment option for patients with end-stage kidney disease who have developed renal failure is transplantation, but we simply don't have enough human organs to transplant in a timely manner." (Li, NBC News, 9/4; Gregory, The Guardian, 9/3)
• Texas: Judge Reed O'Connor from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has granted a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to delay a lawsuit that seeks to revoke FDA's approval of the abortion medication mifepristone. Previously, attorneys general from Florida and Texas sued FDA over its approval of mifepristone, arguing that the agency did not properly evaluate its safety and effectiveness. In his opinion, O'Connor granted DOJ's request to delay the lawsuit until either Dec. 1 or when the FDA finishes its ongoing safety review of mifepristone, whichever comes sooner. "We expect the FDA's review of mifepristone to not contradict the decision they made in 2023 that reaffirmed our product is safe and effective," said Evan Masingill, CEO of GenBioPro, which manufactures a generic version of mifepristone. "GenBioPro will continue to use all legal and regulatory tools available to ensure Americans' access to reproductive care." Aside from Florida and Texas' lawsuit, there are two other pending suits against mifepristone in different federal courts, including in Louisiana and Missouri. (Weixel, The Hill, 8/31)

Given the high-profile nature of transplant programs and perceived halo effect on other services, planners tend to regularly evaluate investment in transplant services. But the supply-limited nature of transplants challenges traditional planning efforts because even with high demand there's no volume guarantee. Explore our research briefing to learn how to expand the pipeline of potential transplant patients and engage them across the care pathway.