Crain's Detroit Business

Strata Oncology has closed on the largest funding round for a biotech company in the state's history, pushing it closer to a likely initial public offering.

It's unclear if the executives resigned or were terminated. Beaumont declined to clarify their departures, saying they were a personnel matter.

The Southfield, Mich.-based health system has eight hospitals and nearly $3.5 billion in cash reserves and investments. But, clearly, it's not enough. Beaumont plans to merge with the state's rising star of the industry, Grand Rapids' Spectrum Health, by the fall.

Under the law, certified registered nurse anesthetists would be required to work in accordance with national standards and that a CRNA hold a specialty certification for at least three years before practicing without supervision.

Large employers, those with 5,000 or more employees, opening primary-care clinics on site or nearby has expanded in recent years.

The healthcare industry is now in recovery mode but still adjusting to a new way of doing business.

The hospital's registered nurses claim they have had more work pushed on them due to a lack of patient sitters, lab technicians and patient care assistants or medical assistants.

Beaumont Health has more than 2,600 open positions across its eight hospitals and more than 165 outpatient centers. Roughly 20% of those positions fall under one job — medical assistant.

Henry Ford joins at least 18 other health systems across the U.S. that are mandating vaccinations for workers.

As Beaumont and Spectrum explore a merger, executives from both health systems work to stabilize costs, improve care, and attract and retain talent. But payer costs remain a critical concern for employers and private insurers across the state.

The merger would create a $12 billion healthcare company operating 22 hospitals and 305 outpatient locations with more than 64,000 employees and 7,500 independent physicians, the largest healthcare footprint in Michigan.

Michigan's removal of prior authorization last month for Medicaid patients to receive expensive but effective hepatitis C medications could begin to expand access to the cure for up to 200,000 people in the state living with the virus.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the state is moving quickly to get COVID-19 vaccine doses to primary-care doctors to extend vaccinations to young people ages 12-15 and also those adults who haven't yet been vaccinated.

Experts say hospitals are advertising coronavirus vaccinations primarily as public service announcements, since higher vaccination rates will reduce community spread of COVID-19 and save lives. But the secondary message to customers has the potential of burnishing hospitals' brands.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Michigan companies have been facing more severe staffing shortages. They have seen volume decline by as much as 40% as people choose not to call 911 to avoid potential coronavirus exposure at hospitals and inter-facility transfers have slowed.