• California: The first patient to receive a brain chip implant from Neuralink is now able to control a computer mouse with their thoughts, according to company founder Elon Musk. "Progress is good, and the patient seems to have made a full recovery, with no ill effects that we are aware of," Musk said. "Patient is able to move a mouse around the screen just by thinking." The patient initially received the implant in January, with Musk saying that "[i]nitial results show promising neuron spike detection." According to Musk, Neuralink is currently working to "get as many button presses as possible from thinking" and wants to eventually "have more than just 2 buttons." (Gibson, CBS News, 2/20; Reuters, 2/20; Hart, Forbes, 2/20; DeLetter, USA Today, 2/20)
• Illinois: Walgreens will close all of its remaining VillageMD primary care clinics in Florida as part of a $1 billion cost-cutting plan announced late last year. At the end of last year, VillageMD had roughly 40 locations in Florida. In January, 10 clinics in Jacksonville were closed. Remaining clinics in Tampa and Orlando will close on March 15. In addition to the closures in Florida, Walgreens has also closed all 12 of its VillageMD clinics in Indiana. "We assess and evaluate our progress on an ongoing basis and refine our approach as we grow, similar to most growth-oriented companies," said a company spokesperson. "Strategically, we are focused on geographic density in markets and locations where we can serve patients to our standards of quality care." (Hudson, Modern Healthcare, 2/21)
• Maryland: FDA has issued a warning against smartwatches and rings that claim to measure blood sugar levels without piercing the skin, saying they could be dangerous to consumers. Although several companies are working on devices that can noninvasively measure blood sugar, none have received FDA approval. According to Robert Gabbay from the American Diabetes Association, using unapproved smartwatch or ring products could lead to inaccurate blood sugar measurements, with "potentially devastating" consequences, especially if patients take the wrong doses of medication. "It comes down to risk. If the FDA approves it, the risk is very small," said David Klonoff, a physician at Sutter Health Mills-Peninsula Medical Center who has studied diabetes technology for 25 years. "If you use a product that is not cleared by the FDA, very often the risk is very large." (Aleccia, Associated Press, 2/21; Reuters, 2/22)

Healthcare is entering a new wave of innovation — the era of bespoke patient care. Discover the four challenges leaders must address when integrating innovative products, and learn how organizations are building the necessary infrastructure to succeed clinically and operationally.