HITshow Daily: January 7, 2026 (Wednesday) — EPISODE 100! 🎉
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Today on HITshow:
We’re celebrating our 100th episode! A huge thank you to Executive Producer Dennis Dailey, our incredible team of reporters, and all of you for trusting us with your time every day. Today’s news: HHS withholds more than $10B in child care and family assistance funding from five states, RWJBarnabas Health to acquire Englewood Health, and Covenant Health’s breach impact rises to 478,000 patients. Plus: telehealth prescribing flexibilities extended through 2026, FDA clarifies wellness wearables guidance, and a Bright Spot featuring PharmStars bridging the gap between pharma and digital health startups.
HOST: RHONDA BROOKS
📍 Strategy & Transformation — Teresa Vaughn
The Department of Health and Human Services is withholding more than $10B in child care and family assistance funding from five states, citing fraud and documentation concerns. When families lose reliable support services, health systems often see knock-on effects including missed appointments, delayed care, and added strain on community partners.
📍 Finance & Capital — Logan Stokes
RWJBarnabas Health has signed an agreement to acquire Englewood Health in New Jersey, including its hospital and broad outpatient footprint, pending state and federal approvals. The deal aims to strengthen referral patterns, service lines, and negotiating leverage in the competitive northern New Jersey metro market.
📍 Cybersecurity — Anika Shah
Covenant Health revised its breach notification with the impacted patient count now at roughly 478,000, a dramatic jump from earlier figures. The ransomware incident creates operational drag through patient notifications, call center support, legal workflows, and reputational impact while teams conduct forensic work and tighten controls.
📍 Digital Health — Nate Collier
Federal officials extended certain telehealth prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances through the end of 2026, preventing an abrupt return to pre-pandemic rules. The extension provides continuity for stable patients receiving care via telehealth, especially in behavioral health, while permanent rules are finalized.
📍 Healthcare Policy & Advocacy — Peter Betterworth
The FDA is reinforcing that low-risk wellness tools like fitness tracking and general lifestyle guidance typically won’t be treated like regulated medical devices, as long as they don’t claim to diagnose, treat, or prevent disease. The guidance sharpens the line between “wellness” and “medical decision support.”
📍 Digital Health — Jalen Cross (Bright Spot)
PharmStars, led by Naomi Fried, connects digital health startups with pharma companies to bridge the “pharma startup gap” where fundamentally different operating speeds, cultures, and risk appetites create friction. The accelerator has supported 102 startups that have collectively raised over $1B in funding, and is now building venture funding to support graduates. Current focus includes agentic AI tools for clinical trial modeling, patient identification, and faster trial execution. Applications open through January 25 at pharmstars.com.
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