Hospital medicine ·
SHM and AAFP back family physicians as hospitalists; dexmedetomidine use climbs with medetomidine withdrawal; fiscal 2027 IPPS rule takes effect
THE SHORT READ
The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) said Sept. 30 that family physicians have the training to serve as hospitalists and should get equal hiring consideration. A University of Pennsylvania study in JAMA Internal Medicine tied rising dexmedetomidine use at two Philadelphia hospitals to medetomidine in the fentanyl supply, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) fiscal 2027 inpatient payment rule took effect Oct. 1.
THE DETAILS
- Workforce Sept 30, 2026In an updated joint position statement released Sept. 30, the Society of Hospital Medicine and the American Academy of Family Physicians said family physicians possess the education, training and competence to serve as hospitalists and that hospitalists trained in family medicine achieve patient outcomes comparable to those trained in internal medicine, including similar readmission rates and length of stay. Both groups said they support hiring decisions made without bias toward specialty training. The statement cited a 2024 American Board of Family Medicine report that 10% of early-career and 4.3% of mid- or late-career family physicians were working as hospitalists.
- Research Sept 28, 2026At two Philadelphia hospitals, dexmedetomidine was given to just under 6% of patients with opioid use disorder before medetomidine emerged in the drug supply, to roughly 20% afterward and to about 32% in the last three months studied, according to a study published Sept. 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine and reported by News-Medical. Co-first author Dr. Ashish Thakrar said that in the study's last quarter "a third of patients required intensive care unit management for withdrawal from fentanyl mixed with medetomidine." New ICD-10-CM codes for toxic effects of medetomidine took effect Oct. 1.
- Payment Oct 1, 2026The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) fiscal 2027 inpatient prospective payment system rule took effect Oct. 1, with a 2.3% increase in payment rates for hospitals that successfully report quality data and are meaningful users of electronic health records, according to a CMS fact sheet and a Holland & Knight summary. CMS finalized, with modifications, a 30-day all-cause readmission measure following sepsis hospitalization; hospitals will get two years of confidential reports estimating Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program adjustments with the measure. Three venous thromboembolism and antithrombotic quality measures will be removed beginning with fiscal 2030 payment determinations.Sources: CMS, Holland & Knight
- Business Oct 1, 2026CommonSpirit Trinity Health System completed the transfer of Trinity West and Trinity East in Steubenville, Trinity Twin City Medical Center in Dennison and Trinity St. Clairsville Neighborhood Hospital in St. Clairsville, Ohio, with all associated clinics and care sites, to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) as of Oct. 1, according to a UPMC release. Leslie Davis, UPMC's president and CEO, said the system looks forward to serving communities of the Ohio Valley.Source: UPMC
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