County Health Rankings Updates Data for 34 Measures, Skips 2026 Annual Release

• The Guttmacher Institute released a report showing U.S. abortion rates have remained largely steady despite strict bans in 13 states. • Travel for abortions has declined as telehealth access increases, with data scientist Isaac Maddow-Zimet noting, 'It makes sense that we'd see a decline in travel for abortion.' • The findings highlight shifts in care delivery amid policy changes, impacting access in states like Illinois, Maryland, and New York.

• Julie B. Samora, MD, PhD, MPH, FAAOS, has become chair of the AAOS Board of Directors. • Announcement coincides with planned site maintenance on AAOS.org on March 31, 2026, from 8:00-9:00 AM CST. • Her leadership focuses on advancing orthopaedic care and policy in the U.S.

• Two House Democrats introduced a bill mandating nursing home staffing levels exceeding even the failed federal regulations. • The legislation responds to ongoing concerns over care quality and resident safety in U.S. facilities. • It aims to enforce higher minimum staff-to-resident ratios nationwide.

• A March 31, 2026, Bioethics Public Policy Report states 14,446 Americans have died by physician-assisted suicide since 1997, with Aging with Dignity estimating the actual number is higher due to underreporting. • The report provides state-by-state analysis of assisted dying trends and policies. • Findings underscore ongoing debates in end-of-life care and public policy.

• Advocate Health will launch the country's largest hospital-based drone delivery network, beginning in Charlotte, NC, using Zipline drones to deliver prescriptions, lab specimens, and medical supplies across three of its markets. • The system is projected to conduct approximately 100,000 deliveries per year, significantly expanding healthcare logistics and supply chain capabilities within hospital systems. • This initiative represents a major technological advancement in hospital operations and marks a shift toward automated delivery infrastructure in American healthcare systems.

• The SPIRIT-HF study, presented at ACC.26 in New Orleans (March 28-30, 2026), found that spironolactone increased hospitalizations and serious adverse events in patients with HFpEF (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction) or HFmrEF (mildly reduced ejection fraction). • Results raise significant safety questions about the drug's efficacy in these patient populations, potentially challenging current treatment protocols. • The findings were presented to cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists at the American College of Cardiology's annual conference, the largest gathering of heart disease specialists.

• Perplexity announced b.well as the infrastructure partner behind its health data integration, enabling citation-backed AI search capabilities for actual patient records and medical information retrieval. • The partnership aligns with broader industry trends toward integrating large language models with electronic health record systems, following OpenAI's ChatGPT Health launch and other healthcare AI initiatives. • b.well has emerged as a significant health AI infrastructure company, having also launched bailey (a white-label health assistant) and expanded partnerships with Samsung to transform Galaxy phones into portable health records with point-of-care data sharing.

• Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act has darkened the outlook for approximately 17,000 federally-funded health clinics across the United States, which collectively stand to lose $32 billion in government support. • The policy represents a significant threat to community health infrastructure that serves vulnerable populations, though specific implementation details and timeline remain under review. • Federal health clinics provide essential services including primary care, preventive services, and treatment for underinsured and uninsured Americans in underserved communities.

• Jerome Adams, former Surgeon General, discussed on CBS's Face the Nation a surge of more than 1,500 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. since January 2026, per CDC data. • A notable spike is occurring in Utah, contributing to the national increase in this highly contagious disease. • The outbreak highlights ongoing vaccination challenges and public health risks in under-immunized communities.

• Tuberculosis cases in the U.S. rose to over 10,600 in 2024, marking the third consecutive annual increase and the highest total since 2013, at about 3 per 100,000 people. • Health experts attribute the rebound to pandemic-related underdiagnosis, untreated latent infections, and increased international travel from high-prevalence areas. • Local public health TB programs remain understaffed, straining response capacity amid the uptick.

• A March 29, 2026 survey reveals 57% of healthcare executives rank AI-based clinical tools as their top technology initiative. • Conversely, 57% of patients believe AI is not yet mature enough for doctors to trust in clinical decisions. • Samsung Medison unifies its U.S. medical imaging businesses under Samsung HME America to streamline operations.