• California: Salesforce last week announced plans to add a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help providers with administrative tasks like prior authorization. The set of AI agents, which is called Agentforce For Health, will be used for tasks related to patient access, public health, and clinical research. Salesforce's AI agent can help providers schedule appointments, match patients with preferred clinicians, and verify patients' insurance benefits. According to Amit Khanna, Salesforce's SVP and general manager of health, the AI features are currently being tested by some healthcare organizations and will be available to all customers in June. "A doctor or a cardiologist will always be in the EHR putting prescriptions in," Khanna said. "But if you look at ancillary staff, whether it's a care coordinator, care managers, [administrators], call center agents, all those people who do the follow up care, they’re 100% in the realm of Salesforce." (Turner, Modern Healthcare, 2/28)
• Georgia: According to CDC, a listeria outbreak linked to supplement shakes has led to 38 cases, including at least 37 hospitalizations, and 12 deaths across 21 states. The listeria strain responsible for the outbreak was traced back to Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes manufactured by Prairie Farms Dairy. The shakes, which were distributed to long-term care facilities and not sold to the public, have been recalled. CDC first investigated the listeria outbreak in 2018 before conducting additional investigations in 2021 and 2023. Although the agency was able to identify that people in long-term care facilities and nursing homes were getting sick, they were unable to identify a specific food behind the outbreak until recently. CDC recommends that anyone who has the recalled shakes throw them away or return them. Any surfaces touched by the shakes should also be cleaned since "listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces," the agency said. (Tanner, The Hill, 2/27; Gibson, CBS News, 2/25)
• Maryland: FDA has approved Medtronic's Brainsense Adaptive, a deep brain stimulation device, for use in patients with Parkinson's disease. The device is designed to use patients' brain activity and adjust therapy in real time, which could help with symptom control. FDA also approved Medtronic's BrainSense Electrode Identifier, which was designed to improve the efficiency of the deep brain stimulation program. According to a release, Medtronic plans to introduce the technology at a few healthcare centers over the next few weeks before expanding its availability nationwide in the coming months. (Murphy, Becker's Hospital Review, 2/25)

Recent months have seen increasing reports of food recalls and outbreaks, including listeria linked to deli meat and E. coli in onions sold in fast food restaurants. Writing for the New York Times, Emily Schmall explains why foodborne illnesses seem to be on the rise, as well as growing challenges to food safety.