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According to provisional CDC data, the rate of Legionnaires' disease in the United States increased by 19% in 2025, almost reaching its 2018 peak, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from California, Georgia, and Maryland.
- California: Google recently debuted a new Fitbit tracker called Fitbit Edge, which company leaders say has "the most advanced health and fitness tools in a sleek, ultra-slim design, plus, up to a week of battery life on a single charge." The tracker, which is priced at $180, includes automatic workout detection, an altimeter, and proactive health monitoring to detect changes in blood pressure and insulin resistance. According to Rishi Chandra, general manager of health and home at Google, the company has focused on shifting health technology away from a fragmented, reactive data-tracking ecosystem toward a proactive, personalized companion for people's everyday lives. Some other recent health initiatives from Google include the Google Health app, the Fitbit Air, the AI-powered Health Coach, and a suite of health and safety tools called Health Guardian. Google is also expanding its partnerships with organizations such as Flo and Abbott. (Landi, Fierce Healthcare, 10/12)
- Georgia: According to provisional CDC data, the rate of Legionnaires’ disease in the United States increased by 19% in 2025, almost reaching its 2018 peak. Cases of Legionnaires’ disease have increased steadily since the early 2000s, peaking in 2018. However, the number of reported cases dropped significantly in 2020 before rebounding in 2021. In 2018, there were 3.04 cases of Legionnaires' disease per 100,000 people. Provisional data currently shows that there were 2.9 cases per 100,000 in 2025, up from 2.44 cases in 2024. Cases were highest among Black people, men, and older adults, as well as during the summer and fall months. The areas with the highest rates of Legionnaires' disease were New York City (7.8 cases) and West Virginia (7.18 cases), while the areas with the lowest rates were Alaska (0.41 cases) and Delaware (0.57). In July, New York City reported an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease linked to contaminated cooling towers. Over 80 cases, including eight hospitalizations and five deaths, were reported as part of the outbreak. (Taylor, Becker's Hospital Review, 10/2)
- Maryland: According to new CMS data, around 80% of hospitals will be penalized under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) for having higher-than-average readmissions for conditions like heart attack and pneumonia for the 2027 fiscal year. Overall, 2,334 hospitals will have their Medicare payments reduced in 2027, an increase from 2,304 hospitals in 2026. Most hospitals will see penalties of less than 1%, and only 10 hospitals will see the maximum penalty of 4%. A total of 578 hospitals, or roughly 20%, will receive no penalty, a decrease from 22% of facilities the year before. According to Healthcare Dive, this is the second year hospitals have seen more penalties under the HRRP. Although research suggests that the HRRP has led to a significant reduction in readmissions, some critics say that the decline is due to hospitals changing how they track patients instead of genuine care quality improvements. (Parduhn, Healthcare Dive, 10/8)
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