A clinical trial supported by NIH found that pomalidomide, a drug previously used for bone marrow cancer and Kaposi sarcoma, is a promising treatment for Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT). Patients taking pomalidomide experienced a significant reduction in nosebleeds, required fewer blood transfusions, and reported improved quality of life. These findings offer hope for people with HHT, a rare genetic disorder that causes excessive bleeding. While more research is needed, pomalidomide has shown promise as a safe and effective treatment option.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released updated guidance for hospitals interested in becoming rural emergency hospitals (REHs). This guidance provides details on the conditions of participation and the conversion process for eligible hospitals.

REHs are a new provider type established to address concerns about rural hospital closures and access to care in rural communities. The REH designation offers benefits such as an additional 5% payment over the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System rate.

To be eligible for the REH designation, hospitals must meet specific requirements, including having a transfer agreement with a trauma center and providing only emergency department services, observation care, and limited outpatient medical services.

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The following is a guest article by Mohammad Waqas, CTO for Healthcare at Armis

When it comes to critical infrastructure protection, there is arguably no sector more vital than healthcare – lives are on the line. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry has been afflicted with a ransomware epidemic that has lasted more than half a decade.

In 2023 alone, healthcare organizations saw a consistent month-over-month increase in attack attempts of 13%. One of the most recent cases was a ransomware attack against national health system Ascension. This interrupted electronic health records (EHR) and other systems so severely that staff had to switch to “manual and paper-based” processes, while emergency room patients had to be sent to other hospitals, and non-emergency appointments were rescheduled.

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