News from NYU Langone Health

Generative AI Costs Adding Up For Providers. (Modern Healthcare)

Paywalled* Modern Healthcare (10/8)* Healthcare systems, including NYU Langone Health, are investing in generative AI and cloud infrastructure despite tight margins, with NYU Langone Health employing a private cloud server to enhance patient data security and leveraging AI for claims denials, patient-doctor messaging, and clinical documentation; Devin Mann, MD, professor, Departments of Population Health, and Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation, stated, “We do everything behind our firewall. That was one of the first steps. We don’t send anything to the public cloud ever.”

Study: E-Bike And Powered Scooter Injuries Soar. (Carrier Management)

Carrier Management (10/8) Electric bike and powered scooter injuries surged between 2019 and 2022 by 293 percent and 88 percent, respectively, according to a study whose co-authors include Charles Di Maggio, PhD, professor, Departments of Surgery and Population Health, published in the American Journal of Public Health, which examined sociodemographic and risk factor variables contributing to micromobility vehicle-related injuries.

Health Systems Lean Into On-Demand Care. (Becker's Hospital Review)

Becker’s Hospital Review (10/8) “Health systems are leaning into on-demand care to counteract long wait times,” including how “NYU Langone Health is offering walk-in primary care services at two new locations in Manhattan.”

Step Therapy Is Not A Cost Solution, Says Ethicist. (Medscape)

Paywalled* Medscape (10/8)* Arthur L. Caplan, PhD, the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor, Department of Population Health, Division of Medical Ethics, criticized step therapy, a practice recently banned in Illinois, arguing it undermines good medical practice by allowing insurance companies, who have not seen the patient, to dictate initial treatment steps, which he describes as a “fail-first policy.”

How To Avoid Feeling So Bloated On A Flight. (Thrillist)

Thrillist (10/8) Lisa Ganjhu, DO, clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, provides insights on managing “airplane belly,” suggesting that bloating during flights is often due to the consumption of alcohol, carbonated beverages, and fatty foods, which slow gastric motility.

New COVID-19 Variant Appears In NYC As Infection Rates Decline. (AM New York)

AM New York (10/8) A new COVID-19 variant, XEC, a subvariant of Omicron, has been detected in at least 25 US states, including New York, while the CDC indicates a current decline in COVID-19 rates nationwide and in New York as of October 1; Isaac P. Dapkins, MD, clinical associate professor, Departments of Population Health and Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, and chief medical officer, Family Health Centers, remarked that rates could rise with colder weather, and emphasized the importance of vaccination.

Easy Two-Minute Test Will Predict How Long You Will Live. (Daily Mirror (UK))

The Daily Mirror (UK) (10/8) Natalie E. Azar, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, demonstrated the “sit to stand test” on the ‘Today’ program, explaining that the test, which requires no special equipment, can predict mortality risk in individuals aged 51 to 80 based on musculoskeletal fitness, with low scores indicating a significantly higher risk of death.

NYU Langone Health Physician Warns Of Blood Pressure Errors, Exercise Pill Risks. (WNYW-TV New York)

WNYW-TV(10/8) Purvi S. Parikh, MD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology, and Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, discussed a study indicating that common arm positions during blood pressure checks can lead to inaccurate results, potentially misdiagnosing hypertension due to improper arm positioning relative to heart level; she also commented on a Danish research development of an exercise-mimicking pill, expressing concerns over its ability to replicate all benefits of physical exercise, including mental health, and the potential for unknown adverse effects.

Hospitals Brace For IV Shortage After Helene Hit Critical Supply Plant. (Fox Business)

Fox Business (10/8) “Fox News senior medical analyst Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, “joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to explain the ‘enormous emergency’ facing the health care industry after Baxter International was closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene.”

In a separate article, Fox News (10/8) Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, explained that while West Nile virus affects the nervous system in only 1% of cases and is rarely fatal, it can cause serious illness, especially in the elderly and those with certain medical conditions.

Inside One Healthcare System’s Quest For More Hispanic, Latino Organ Donors. (Healthcare Brew)

Healthcare Brew (10/8) The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health reported that in 2023, 36% of Hispanic or Latino transplant candidates received a transplant compared to 58% of non-Hispanic white candidates, with Northwestern Memorial Healthcare’s Hispanic Transplant Program, created by transplant surgeon Juan Carlos Caicedo in 2006, addressing this disparity through bilingual, culturally sensitive staff and educational outreach, while NYU Langone Health and Houston Methodist have also developed programs to increase liver transplants for Hispanic and Latino patients.

Cohen Pediatric Hospital In New Hyde Park Named 2nd Best In NY. (Newsday (NY))

Newsday (NY) (10/9) U.S. News & World Report’s annual children’s hospital rankings, compiled with RTI International, recognized NYU Langone Health and Mount Sinai for their Manhattan hospitals, while Northwell’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park ranked second in the state and sixth in the mid-Atlantic region.

News from NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn

Cancer Awareness Event To Be Held At Second Avenue In Sunset Park. (News 12 Brooklyn (USA))

News 12 Brooklyn (USA) (10/9) The Family Health Centers at NYU Langone Health is hosting a cancer awareness event on Oct. 9 at 5610 Second Avenue in Sunset Park, offering free educational resources on supporting healthcare in Brooklyn, along with free giveaways, health screenings, community resources, music, and more, running from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

News from NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island

Long Island’s Top Nurses Recognized For Excellence. (Long Island (NY))

Long Island (NY) (10/9) Vincenza Coughlin, RN, director of nursing professional practice and education at NYU Langone Hospital – Long Island, was honored for clinical nursing excellence at the Nurse of Excellence Award Ceremony hosted by the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, where she was recognized for her contributions to nursing professional development and leadership, including the creation of the Nursing Education Competency Algorithm.