Spotify removed Neil Young's music after he demanded it be taken down because of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation circulating on the platform, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

• New York: Spotify on Wednesday announced that it would remove Neil Young's music after he issued an ultimatum over the spread of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, saying: "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both." According to Young, he couldn't support the Spotify's part in spreading "life threatening misinformation to the music loving public." Notably, hundreds of scientists and public health professionals earlier this month, in an open letter to Spotify, asked the company to do more to combat vaccine misinformation, specifically singling out Rogan's show for "promoting baseless conspiracy theories." Last year, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said he does not believe the company has editorial responsibility for the things that are said on its podcasts. However, a Spotify spokesperson said, "We have detailed content policies in place and we've removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic." (Saric/Fischer, Axios, 1/26)

• Tennessee/Texas: HCA Healthcare on Wednesday announced that it was building five full-service hospitals throughout Texas, including hospitals in Dallas Fort-Worth, Houston, and San Antonio, in partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries, as well as two additional hospitals in Austin, in partnership with St. David's Foundation and Georgetown Health Foundation. "Communities across Texas are undergoing a rapid increase in population, and the addition of these new hospitals will help our existing network meet the increasing need for health care services," said HCA CEO Sam Hazen. "We are thrilled to expand our presence in Texas, and we believe it will enhance our care and better serve our patients." (Commins, HealthLeaders Media, 1/26)

• Virginia: The office of Sen. Mark Warner (D) on Tuesday announced that he had tested positive for a breakthrough coronavirus infection. "Senator Warner has tested positive for a breakthrough case of Covid-19. He is glad that he has been vaccinated and boosted, and at this time his symptoms are extremely mild," said Warner's communications director, Rachel Cohen. "Senator Warner will be working from home in accordance with guidelines from the [CDC] and Office of the Attending Physician for the duration of his isolation period," she added. (Carney, The Hill, 1/25)