The nursing profession is changing rapidly in response to challenges presented during and exacerbated by the pandemic, as well as to advanced technologies that are increasingly integrated into the healthcare system.

The nursing workforce of the future is one in which technology, like artificial intelligence (AI), can work in tandem with nurses and new job functions like virtual nurses can play a critical role in patient care.

“A lot of this technology does provide alternative ways to utilize nursing knowledge […] to help newer nurses and patients in a different way,” Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association, a professional association, told Healthcare Brew.

Keep reading here.—MA

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Maia at [email protected]. For confidential conversations, ask Maia for her number on Signal.

Healthcare is at a promising tipping point. With breakthroughs in medical technology, smart devices, and connected care solutions, clinicians are increasingly able to provide personalized care fast, and without the administrative burden.

That’s right: Healthcare’s latest innovations are brightening its future, helping healthcare systems deliver value-based care.

With the help of AI and connected systems, clinicians can diagnose and treat patients quickly and with more precision than ever. And the progress doesn’t stop there—these breakthroughs can help transform the future of care.

GE HealthCare is motivated by the opportunities these breakthroughs provide—for their ability to not only reshape the future but also improve the patient, clinician, and provider experiences.

These innovations are happening fast, paving the way to relieve clinician burnout, heal fragmented systems, and increase access to care. Best part? This is just the beginning. Learn more.

General Catalyst is set to make history: It’s about to be the first venture capital (VC) firm to purchase a health system.

The VC giant announced this month that it plans to acquire Ohio-based health system Summa Health through its newly formed company, the Health Assurance Transformation Corporation, or HATCo, which aims to use the health system as a testing ground for health tech developed by the VC firm’s portfolio companies.

“This new structure will better serve our communities clinically, economically, and socially. With HATCo, Summa Health will be able to increase local investment and introduce new resources that allow us to expand access to affordable, quality, coordinated care,” Cliff Deveny, president and CEO of Summa Health, said in a statement.

Keep reading here.—MA

Federal policy changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans could disproportionately affect beneficiaries who identify as Black, are lower income, or lack a college degree, according to a new study.

New York University School of Global Public Health researchers, who examined Medicare trends from 2018 to 2020, found that compared to their white and higher-income counterparts, ethnic and racial minorities and patients who reported lower incomes were more likely to enroll in MA plans, which are offered by private insurers that contract with Medicare, for supplementary benefits like dental, vision, and hearing coverage.

Federal officials should therefore take those enrollment differences into consideration as they implement MA policy changes, like plan payment cuts, equity linked payments, and increased benefit flexibility, the researchers contended.

Keep reading here.—SY

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Shannon at [email protected]. For confidential conversations, ask Shannon for her number on Signal.

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Today’s top healthcare reads.

Stat: About 10% of anonymous tips regarding “concerning behavior” in schools included a firearm. (CNN)

Quote: “No matter where you look, there are disparities in care for Black Americans, Hispanic, Latinx, Asian Americans—pretty much every racial and ethnic group that’s not white.”—Nia Heard-Garris, a researcher at Northwestern University and a pediatrician at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, on a new review that found pediatricians provide non-equitable care to non-white children (NPR)

Read: Do you know the difference between a pandemic and an emergency? (KFF Health News)

A new era: With technological innovations and connected solutions, healthcare clinicians can precisely diagnose and treat patients faster than ever. GE HealthCare is motivated by the breakthroughs in healthcare. Learn about healthcare’s bright future.*

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