News from other sources...

Information technology

Will the VA go to the cloud for its VistA health records system | FedTech

The future of the Veterans Affairs Department's electronic health record system is up in the air, and VA Secretary David Shulkin has vowed to decide, by July 1, whether the agency will hold on to the service or replace it with a commercial offering.

Pharmaceuticals

FDA approves Novartis' leukemia treatment | Reuters

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Novartis AG's Rydapt as an initial treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.

Try this at home: Program brings drug addiction treatment to patients | Kaiser Health News

Hannah Berkowitz is 20 years old. When she was a senior in high school, her life flew off the rails. She was abusing drugs. She was suicidal. She moved into a therapeutic boarding school to get sober, but she could stay sober only while she was on campus during the week.

Physicians

To learn to care for elderly, students move into retirement home | STAT

The program, which has been around for more than 30 years, allows select students to live and eat for free in the retirement home. In exchange, they spend time with the residents -- they teach fitness and art classes, swap stories over dinner, and answer a constant flurry of computer-related questions.

Safety, quality and clinical practice

'Center of excellence' designation doesn't rule out complications of bariatric surgery | Kaiser Health News

Getting bariatric surgery at a "center for excellence" doesn't mean that patients can be assured that they will avoid serious complications from the weight-loss procedure at the facility, according to a recent study.

California proposes stringent cap on toxic chemical in drinking water | Kaiser Health News

California regulators are proposing a strict limit on a toxic man-made chemical that has contaminated water supplies throughout the state, particularly in its vast agricultural heartland.