Becker's ASC Review

107 HEALTHCARE NEWS 107 Viewpoint: Why medical students should be next for debt relief By Cailey Gleeson C ongress should focus on enacting permanent solutions to address medical student debt and the "shrinking primary care workforce," Sterling Ransone Jr., MD, wrote for The Hill Aug. 27. Dr. Ransone, who is a family physician and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, wrote that physicians incur the same cost regardless of what subspecialty they enter. Primary care physicians, however, may experience more challenges managing their debt compared to higher-paid physicians. The Biden administration on Aug. 24 released plans to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for individuals earning less than $125,000 a year. Medical students graduated with an average of $203,062 in education debt, data from the Association of American Medical Colleges in 2021 showed. "We need solutions that encourage medical students and early career physicians to follow their hearts and career goals versus only following the money," Dr. Ransone wrote. "We need solutions that promote the health of each of our communities by making it easier for doctors to practice in underserved areas, and solutions that ensure our healthcare system is equitable for all." n 50% of executives plan layoffs as healthcare looks to rehire By Molly Gamble A new survey of U.S. executives across numerous sectors finds contradictory sentiments on talent and labor management, with half of respondents indicating they have plans to reduce headcount as more than one-third see talent acquisition and retention as a serious business risk. For its second Pulse Survey of the year, PwC surveyed 722 executives from public and private companies in six sectors, with health industries representing 7 percent of respondents. e survey was conducted between Aug. 1-5. Layoffs and workforce constrictions Executives indicated they are taking steps to reorganize their workforce and ensure they have the right talent and skills. PwC noted constriction is more prevalent in certain industries, such as technology, media and telecommunications, which are more likely to invest in automation. Healthcare is more focused on rehiring employees who recently le. • 50 percent of respondents are reducing overall headcount • 46 percent are eliminating or reducing signing bonuses • 44 percent are rescinding job offers Hiring and talent acquisition irty-eight percent of respondents cite talent acquisition as a serious business risk. Executives are seeking new ways to attract talent. PwC notes that even as more companies turn toward automation, companies still seek talent with the right mix of deep functional knowledge and technology experience to ensure automation delivers on efficiencies. • 70 percent of respondents have either implemented expansion of remote work options or have a plan to do so in place • 52 percent of executives are considering an acquisition to expand access to talent • 59 percent are customizing their HR strategy by employee type n Amazon's 10 largest M&A deals By Naomi Diaz R etail and tech giant Amazon has been eyeing a bid for digital health company Signify Health; the potential acquisition highlights the shift into the healthcare market Amazon is undergoing. In 2018, the company acquired online pharmacy company PillPack for $1 billion. Since then, the company has broadened its reach into the healthcare market with its massive $3.9 billion agreement to acquire OneMedical in July and news of a potential bid for Signify. The possibility of Amazon acquiring Signify caused Signify stocks to shoot up 32 percent Aug. 22. However, Amazon stock price dropped 3.6 percent the same day. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Signify is valued at $8 billion. An acquisition of this size would place it firmly within Amazon's 10 largest mergers and acquisitions. The full list of Amazon's 10 largest mergers and acquisitions, according to CB Insights: • Whole Foods – $13.7 billion • MGM – $8.5 billion • One Medical – $3.9 billion • iRobot – $1.7 billion • Zoox – $1.3 billion • Zappos – $1.2 billion • PillPack – $1 billion • Ring – $1 billion • Twitch – $970 million • Kiva – $775 million n

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