The American Medical Association (AMA), Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Joint Commission are partnering on a mentorship program to help health systems deliver equitable care, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Florida, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

• Florida: Physicians Regional Healthcare System on May 2 announced that employees were eligible for new benefits to help them pay off existing student debt, obtain additional education, and advance their careers—a move aimed at recruiting and retaining employees. Under the student loan repayment program, employees can consolidate loans, reduce interest rates, and receive employer-sponsored payments. Overall, the program will offset student loan balances up to $20,000 for each employee. In addition, new employees can benefit from a reimbursement program for licensure and certification renewals to help them obtain any license, certification, test, or renewal the hospital does not already provide. The health system has also expanded a tuition reimbursement program that reimburses each employee up to $5,000 tax-free annually. (Plescia, Becker's Hospital Review, 5/19)

• Illinois: AMA, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Joint Commission on Thursday announced a year-long mentorship and networking program aimed at improving health outcomes for marginalized populations and advancing racial justice for health care workers and surrounding communities. The group will work with health systems to break down social and structural barriers to patient-centered care. According to the announcement, Atlantic Medical Group, Ochsner Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics will be included in the first cohort. "For the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed systemic inequities in the quality and safety of the patient care experience—including gaps in interpretation services, telemedicine access, and crisis standards of care," said AMA President Gerald Harmon. (Devereaux, AP/Modern Healthcare, 5/19)

• Massachusetts: Athenahealth appointed John Hofmann as its new CFO, effective May 23. Hoffman, who has served in multiple operational, financial, and corporate strategy positions during his 25-year career, most recently served as CFO of Omnitracs, a fleet management and transportation technology company. He succeeds Luis Borgen, who retired April 29. "I am honored to join the incredible team at Athenahealth," Hofmann said. "I share the company's commitment to innovation and its focus on providing software and technology solutions that enable improved physician productivity, patient engagement and health care outcomes. I look forward to working with the many dedicated and talented people at the organization to further realize the company's mission of transforming healthcare delivery." (Plescia, Becker's Health IT, 5/23)