health care

American doctors are working inside Gaza, providing medical care amid the territory's ongoing humanitarian and health crisis. Reports highlight the role of US medical volunteers treating wounded patients in hospitals that are short on supplies and staff. The presence of American physicians has drawn attention to the scale of medical need in the enclave and the conditions under which local and foreign health workers operate.

Health policy is emerging as a central issue ahead of the US midterm elections, with drug pricing, Medicaid coverage, and federal research funding among the key stakes for voters. Coverage highlights how control of Congress could shape legislation on prescription drug costs, the future of Medicaid expansion, and budgets for agencies like the NIH, making health care a decisive battleground issue.

New executive actions from August 2026 have put birthright citizenship back at the center of US immigration debate. Legal analysis from the firm Duane Morris examines how the measures could affect immigration status determinations alongside health law questions, including access to care for children whose citizenship may now be contested. The intersection of immigration policy and healthcare entitlements is drawing attention from lawyers and policy watchers.

Minnesota-based health systems HealthPartners and Essentia Health have announced a plan to merge, combining two of the region's major nonprofit care providers. The deal would create a larger health network spanning hospitals and clinics across Minnesota and neighbouring states. Details on timing, leadership and regulatory review have not yet been made public, and reactions from patients and officials are still emerging.

Health officials have connected an E. coli illness in a Georgia resident to raw milk cheese produced by a California company. The case is part of an ongoing outbreak investigation, and consumers are being advised to check whether products they bought are affected. Officials continue to trace distribution and urge anyone with symptoms to seek medical care.

University of Chicago Medicine is expanding into Northwest Indiana with plans for a 43,500-square-foot medical care facility in Valparaiso. The announcement signals the health system's effort to reach patients beyond the Chicago area and broaden access to specialist care in the region.

A Washington Monthly piece asks whether neoliberalism—the decades-long embrace of market-driven policy—is responsible for the problems plaguing the American health care system. The debate touches on high costs, gaps in coverage, and the role of private insurers, renewing a familiar argument over whether market-oriented reforms have failed patients and whether government should play a larger role in delivering care.

Doctors, nurses and therapists employed by LifeLong Medical Care walked off the job across the East Bay, disrupting care at the community health network's clinics. The strike affects facilities serving low-income and uninsured patients in Berkeley and neighboring cities. Details on the workers' specific demands and the duration of the walkout were not immediately available.

The health and care working group of Germany's Pirate Party is calling on the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) to revise its recommendation on COVID-19 vaccination. It wants broad vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 reinstated in the catalogue of recommended immunisations, arguing the current guidance no longer reflects the need for wide protection against the virus.

Researchers at the University of Rochester are emphasising that suicide prevention works best long before someone reaches a crisis point. Their message centres on early support, recognising warning signs, and building access to mental health care so intervention can happen in everyday settings. The reminder has struck a chord amid growing public attention to mental health worldwide.

Michigan has been awarded $173 million in federal funding to transform health care in its rural communities. Bridge Michigan reports that questions remain about where exactly the money is going and how it will be spent. The funds are expected to support hospitals, clinics and access to care in underserved rural areas, and residents are watching how the transformation plan unfolds.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized men for taking little care of their health, recalling his mother, Dona Lindu, during a public appearance in Brazil. The remarks have drawn attention on Brazilian search trends, with people reacting to the president's comments about masculinity, self-care and family influence.

Clinicians at LifeLong Medical Care have gone on strike in Richmond, California, amid a stalled contract negotiation between the union and the health care provider. Workers are pressing for a new agreement, and the work stoppage has drawn attention to ongoing labor disputes in the region's health care sector.

HealthPartners is set to acquire Essentia Health, a deal that continues a wave of hospital and health system mergers across Minnesota. The combination would bring together two of the state's larger care providers, and it comes as consolidation accelerates industry-wide, raising questions among patients and policymakers about pricing, access and local control of healthcare services.

A lawsuit has been filed connecting a death on a runway at Denver International Airport to alleged failures in airport security and mental health care. The filing claims the death could have been prevented if proper screening and support had been in place. Coverage by CPR highlights the case, which is likely to renew scrutiny of how airports handle people in mental health crises.

The World Health Organization says early access to medical care and oxygen is decisive for the survival of Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Health authorities are being urged to get suspected cases into treatment centres quickly, as patients who receive supportive care, including oxygen therapy, in the early stages of the illness have far better chances of recovery.

HealthPartners and Essentia Health have announced a combination aimed at improving access, quality and affordability of care. The two nonprofit health organizations said joining forces would strengthen services across the regions they serve, with the announcement issued jointly through Business Wire and the organizations themselves. Further details on structure, timing and financial terms were not included in the initial announcements.

The American Lung Association has published a breakdown explaining how to tell whether shortness of breath stems from anxiety or an underlying lung health issue. The guidance outlines key differences in symptoms and urges people to seek medical evaluation when breathing difficulties persist, worsen, or come with warning signs such as chest pain, helping readers decide when to seek care.