• Indiana: Eli Lilly recently announced plans to invest up to $27 billion to build four new manufacturing sites in the United States. According to Lilly, three of the sites will focus on manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients while the fourth will focus on injectable therapies. Although the locations have not yet been chosen, the company said that the sites will create 3,000 high-skilled jobs and employ 10,000 construction workers over the next five years. "Our confidence positions us to help reinvigorate domestic manufacturing, which will benefit hard-working American families and increase exports of medicines made in the U.S.A.," said Lilly chair and CEO David Ricks. "This bold move reflects our commitment to stay ahead of anticipated demand for safe, high-quality, FDA-approved medicines of the future." According to The Hill, Lilly previously invested $23 billion between 2020 and 2024 to build new manufacturing sites in Wisconsin and North Carolina and to expand sites in Indiana. (Weixel, The Hill, 2/26)
• Maryland: FDA has classified its recall of Accolade pacemakers from Boston Scientific as the most serious type of recall. According to Modern Healthcare, the recall impacts around 13% of Accolade devices that were manufactured before September 2018. Due to a manufacturing issue with the battery cathode, the affected devices may enter safety mode in certain situations, making them unable to properly regulate patients' heartrate and rhythm. So far, there have been 832 injuries and two deaths linked to the devices. In December, Boston Scientific notified clinician customers of the issue and recommended replacing the pacemakers immediately if they enter safety mode. FDA has also advised healthcare providers to monitor any patients with Accolade pacemakers to determine if the devices are in safety mode. (Dubinsky, Modern Healthcare, 2/21)
• Maryland: Last week, former NIH Director Francis Collins announced his retirement from the agency. According to the Associated Press/MedPage Today, Collins joined NIH in 1993 to lead the Human Genome Project, which completed mapping the human genome in 2003, two years ahead of schedule and $400 million under budget. He served as NIH's director for 12 years under Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. In 2021, Collins stepped down as the agency's director to return to his research laboratory and oversee researchers studying diabetes and a genetic aging disorder. In a statement about his retirement, Collins defended NIH and its work. NIH employees are "are individuals of extraordinary intellect and integrity, selfless and hard-working, generous and compassionate. They personify excellence in every way and they deserve the utmost respect and support of all Americans," he said. "When you hear about patients surviving stage 4 cancer because of immunotherapy, that was based on NIH research over many decades. When you hear about sickle cell disease being cured because of CRISPR gene editing, that was built on many years of research supported by NIH." (Associated Press/MedPage Today, 3/2)

As executive turnover continues to increase in healthcare organizations, interim leaders become more critical. In this Q&A, Sue Schade, principal at StarBridge Advisors, shares how to effectively utilize interim leaders to navigate transitions and achieve long-term improvements.