States Respond as AI Enters Exam Rooms
Four Pennsylvania House Democrats and one House Republican plan to introduce legislation that would require insurers, hospitals, and other providers to follow certain rules when using AI for patient care, billing and coding, claims processing, and other health-related services.
This year alone, more than 12 states have passed laws regulating AI in health care, according to Manatt Health, a national health services firm.
Arizona, Maryland, Nebraska, and Texas now ban insurance companies from using AI as the sole decision-maker in prior authorization or medical necessity denials. Nevada and Oregon prohibit AI from representing itself as a health care provider, while several other states—including Utah and New York—have regulated the use of AI-enabled chat bots in mental health.
National groups including the American Medical Association have also called for more oversight of AI. Last year, physician use of AI more than doubled, according to the latest data from the association.
Source: https://stateline.org/2025/09/17/as-ai-enters-exam-rooms-states-step-up-oversight/
New Medical School Aims to Address Health Care Shortage
A new medical school is coming to San Joaquin County California, marking a first for the area and a significant step toward addressing the region's longstanding shortage of health care professionals
County leaders say the school, which will be operated by Aria University, a private nonprofit, will serve as a training ground for local students and a critical part of the county's strategy to improve healthcare access.
The new campus will be located in French Camp, repurposing an existing county building near San Joaquin General Hospital. The university has signed a 30-year lease with the county for $1 a year, with plans to open within two years following renovations.
NBME Celebrates its 110th Anniversary
This year, NBME celebrates 110 years of creating high-quality assessments for medical learners. As a not-for-profit organization, NBME aims to advance assessment of health care professionals to achieve optimal care for all, supporting development of a highly effective, diverse and compassionate health care workforce.
NBME was founded in 1915 with the primary goals of elevating the standard of qualification for the practice of medicine and surgery, and to provide a means for recognition of qualified persons to practice in any state, territory, or dependency of the United States without further examination by their licensing boards. Today, NBME strives to ensure a higher standard of qualification for medical practice and aims to support the spectrum of health care professionals across the continuum of their education and practice.
Source: https://www.nbme.org/news/nbme-celebrates-110th-anniversary-advancing-assessment-medical-education
Health Care Workers Eyeing New Roles Amid Retention Crisis
Five years after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, America's health care workforce is signaling a breaking point. A new survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Strategic Education finds that 55% of health care employees will look for a new role in the next year—either within their current organization (38%) or outside of it (40%).
The report, based on responses from 1,504 health care employees and 304 health care employers, paints a picture of a system under mounting pressure. Only one in three employees say they feel very valued by their current employer, and just 37% report being very satisfied with their current role.
Top 12 Healthcare Cyberthreats
Nearly three-quarters of healthcare organizations have experienced a moderate to severe financial impact from cyber vulnerabilities in the past two years, Ernst & Young and KLAS Research found.
Here are the top cyberthreats organizations have faced in the last 12 months, according to the accounting firm and health IT researcher's survey of 100 C-suite cybersecurity leaders from provider, payer, pharmaceutical and medical device organizations. Respondents could select all that applied.
Only 3% of those surveyed said they hadn't dealt with a cyberthreat per the report, which was released on November 3, 2025:
Phishing: 77%
Third-party breaches: 74%
Malware: 62%
Data breaches: 47%
Ransomware: 45%
Business e-mail compromised: 43%
IoT-based attack (eg, medical device): 34%
DDoS attack: 33%
Credential stuffing: 29%
Supply chain: 29%
Zero-day exploits: 19%
Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks: 14%
Breaking the Cycle of Blame and Shame
An article published by NPR on October, 28, 2025 explores how shame profoundly affects both physicians and patients, and how a growing movement in medicine aims to confront it.
Family medicine physician Will Bynum first experienced intense shame early in his residency after a delivery complication, a moment that later inspired his work teaching “shame competence”—helping clinicians recognize and respond to shame in healthy ways. He and others argue that the high-pressure, perfectionist culture of medical training amplifies shame, which can lead to depression and impaired patient care.
Experts like Savannah Woodward and Karly Pippitt stress that unacknowledged shame among clinicians can perpetuate a cycle—physicians who feel humiliated or inadequate may, even unintentionally, transmit shame to their patients, worsening outcomes and discouraging care. Studies show many medical trainees experience public humiliation, while some clinicians harbor negative attitudes toward patients with chronic conditions like obesity or diabetes, deepening stigma.
Patients such as Christa Reed, who avoided doctors for years after repeated weight-related criticism, illustrate the real-world harm of shame-based interactions.
In response, programs like The Shame Lab at Duke University, co-founded by Bynum, are teaching physicians to recognize, discuss, and mitigate shame—fostering compassion, emotional resilience, and a more humane medical culture.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/10/28/nx-s1-5589220/shame-competence-medicine-doctors-blame-patients
FSMB 2026 Annual Meeting Registration Underway
Registration is now open for FSMB's 2026 Annual Meeting April 3 -May 2 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.
The event offers a unique opportunity to exchange practical solutions and explore emerging innovations in medical regulation during three days of education, networking, and inspiration.
Source: https://web.cvent.com/event/7ab31fc0-f719-4065-810b-1a391e8914eb/summary
