Patients prescribed opioids for the first time would be limited to a seven-day supply and any individual admitted to the emergency room with an apparent drug overdose would be required to undergo a substance abuse evaluation within 24 hours, under a redrafted House bill.
As opioid addiction and the amount of money spent on health care both climb in Massachusetts, a new program looks to tackle both issues with a focus on pregnant women and their newborns that have been exposed to drugs.
Hallmark Health System, a major health care provider in communities north of Boston, has ended its exclusivity agreement with Partners HealthCare and is broadening its search for a tertiary partner.
Seven initiative petition campaigns, including marijuana legalization, have submitted a sufficient number of signatures for their proposals to be sent to the Legislature for consideration, according to Secretary of State William Galvin.
In the healthcare field, there's never a dull moment. Federal and state healthcare reform and ever-present pushback from union groups on topics like staffing and price transparency are sure to keep administrators and clinicians on their toes for the foreseeable future.
Manufacturing and technology are strongholds in the Central Massachusetts economy, and business leaders continue to underscore the importance of supporting the sectors, which have significant crossover.
UMass Memorial Health Care posted continued revenue growth through fiscal 2015 while reporting more patients served throughout a system that is moving more towards outpatient care.