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The owners of two New Jersey nursing homes owe the government $124 million after diverting tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid funding to themselves and their associates while intentionally understaffing the facilities, according to a report that the Office of the State Comptroller released Wednesday. Conditions were grim at the nursing homes owned by Daryl Hagler and Kenneth Rozenberg, friends who have collaborated on business deals for more than two decades, according to the report. (Baker, 12/10)

The Federal Trade Commission sent a letter this fall to some of the largest for-profit health systems and staffing firms, including HCA Healthcare, Tenet Healthcare Corp. and Universal Health Services, warning them to ensure any employment contracts aren’t restricting competition and access to care. (Kacik, 12/10)

For a second straight year, the nation’s largest health insurance companies will not be formally presenting at January’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, the industry’s premier investor event. (Bannow and Herman, 12/10)

Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, plans to retire by the end of 2026. Pollack, who joined the trade group in 1982, spent several years as its executive vice president for advocacy and public policy before becoming president and CEO in 2015. During his tenure, Pollack has vocally opposed Medicaid cuts, most recently with regard to President Donald Trump’s new tax law. (DeSilva, 12/10)

Construction is underway on a 77-bed children’s psychiatric hospital in Webster Groves. Workers finished the skeleton of the new building near Rock Hill Road and Gore Avenue and celebrated with a topping-off ceremony Tuesday. St. Louis Children’s Hospital and KVC Missouri will operate the hospital, which will serve patients ages 6 to 18. (Fentem, 12/10)

Rob Hale, a telecommunications executive and a minority owner of the Boston Celtics professional basketball team, is donating $100 million to Boston Children’s Hospital. It’s the largest-ever donation to Boston Children’s, which is world-renowned for its pediatric care, and comes as hospitals and universities in the region grapple with the impact of cuts to federal research support. The gift, which Hale is making jointly with his wife, Karen, will fund the construction of a new 116-bed building in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood dedicated to mental health services. (Ryan, 12/10)

Aria Moreno was excited when she walked into class on Hofstra University’s campus in Long Island. It was late August, her fourth week of medical school, and Moreno had volunteered to undergo an ultrasound as part of the day’s lesson on the gastrointestinal system. It probably saved her half a kidney. (Brasch, 12/11)

The Food and Drug Administration this week granted approval to a new gene therapy for a rare immune disorder, the maker of which is notably not a drug company, but an Italian charity. (Joseph, 12/10)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday approved a US-manufactured version of the oral antibiotic Augmentin XR (amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium) under a pilot program that aims to fast-track the review process for drugs. The approval is the first under the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) program, which was launched in June. FDA officials said the approval was completed in just two months. FDA review of drug applications typically takes 10 to 12 months. (Dall, 12/10)