• California: A new bill in California's legislature aims to increase oversight of private equity investments in healthcare. The bill, which is sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta, would require private equity groups and hedge funds to notify the attorney general's office and obtain consent if it plans to purchase various healthcare businesses. Some of the businesses included in the bill are clinics, physician groups, nursing homes, testing labs, and outpatient facilities. The bill also reinforces state laws that prevent nonphysicians from directly employing doctors or directing their actions. The bill is backed by consumer advocates, labor unions, and the California Medical Association, but hospitals have expressed concerns about potentially losing a source of funding from private equity. "Our concern is that it will cut off funding that can improve healthcare," said Ned Wigglesworth, a spokesperson for Californians to Protect Community Health Care. According to Wigglesworth, having to submit healthcare transactions for a lengthy review by the attorney general would create "a chilling effect on private funders." (Wolfson, KFF Health News/MedPage Today, 8/18)
• Massachusetts: Gov. Maura Healey (D) announced that her administration and Steward Health Care have reached deals to keep five of its Massachusetts hospitals open. Under the proposals, Lifespan, Boston Medical Center, and Lawrence General Hospital would acquire and operate some of Steward's remaining hospitals in the state. Lifespan would take over Morton Hospital and St. Anne's Hospital. Lawrence General Hospital would take over Steward's two Holy Family hospitals, and Boston Medical Center would operate Good Samaritan. Boston Medical Center will also operate St. Elizabeth's Medical Center following the state taking control of the facility. "We are grateful for their partnership and their commitment to not only maintaining the quality of care but improving the quality of care in these communities," Healey said. According to Healey, the changes, which are expected to be finalized soon, will effectively end Steward's presence in the state. (Klein, NBC Boston, 8/16; Kacik, Modern Healthcare, 8/16)
• New York: Pfizer and BioNTech announced that its combination COVID-flu vaccination missed one of its goals in a final stage trial. In the trial, the vaccine failed to show that it was at least effective in generating an immune response as a standard flu vaccine against the influenza B strain. However, the combination vaccine was more effective against influenza A and COVID-19. According to Sam Fazeli, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, the setback in Pfizer-BioNTech Phase 3 trial of its combination vaccine may put the companies "at a disadvantage vs. Moderna, which succeeded in Phase 3 in June." Fazeli also noted that "[a] reworked combination may set Pfizer-BioNTech back by at least two years, and would need a new Phase 3 trial." In a statement, Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizer's head of vaccine research and development, said that the companies "remain optimistic about our combination COVID-19 and influenza program, for which we are evaluating the next steps." (Garde, Bloomberg, 8/16; Beasley, Reuters, 8/16)

With the respiratory season looming, health systems will face the triple threat of COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Discover the key challenges of the season and learn how health systems can effectively prepare for its impact and mitigate the strain on healthcare resources.