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HEALTHCARE
NEWS
The 5 Healthiest and Unhealthiest States in America
By Ayla Ellison
A
lthough Americans made substantial
improvements on some key health
indicators in the past year, the coun-
try still faces significant health challenges, ac-
cording to United Health Foundation's 27th
annual America's Health Rankings.
"We have made important strides across the
country against public health challenges;
however, we are at a crossroads between a
healthier future as a nation and a future in
which troubling public health measurements
become increasingly common," said Reed
Tuckson, MD, external senior medical adviser
to United Health Foundation.
Dr. Tuckson said the cardiovascular death rate
is of particular concern. For the first time in
the rankings' 27-year history, the cardiovascu-
lar death rate increased in the past year.
Obesity was another major health challenge
highlighted in the report. e prevalence of
obesity among adults has increased 157 per-
cent since 1990.
The report also noted long-term improve-
ments the country has made across key
health indicators. Since 1990, smoking
among adults has fallen by 41 percent. Over
the past 10 years, preventable hospitaliza-
tions have decreased by 35 percent, includ-
ing a 13 percent decline in the past year, ac-
cording to the report.
America's Health Rankings analyzes 34 mea-
sures of behaviors, community and environ-
ment, policies and clinical care data to provide
a holistic view of the nation's health. Based
on those measures, the following are the five
healthiest states in the U.S.
1. Hawaii
2. Massachusetts
3. Connecticut
4. Minnesota
5. Vermont
e following are the five unhealthiest states.
50. Mississippi
49. Louisiana
48. Arkansas
47. Alabama
46. Oklahoma
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UHS Stock Tumbles 12% After
BuzzFeed Investigative Report
By Ayla Ellison
S
hares of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal
Health Services fell 12 percent to $111.30 Dec. 7,
2016, after BuzzFeed published an investigative
story alleging the company's psychiatric hospitals put
profits ahead of patients, according to Barron's.
UHS' stock plunged Dec. 7 while the S&P 500 rose 1.1
percent, hitting a new all-time high of $2,241.35. The
for-profit hospital operator's stock price was up for the
day at 3:10 p.m. on Dec. 7, when the BuzzFeed story
went live. The sell-off began about five minutes later.
BuzzFeed's story, which is based on internal documents
and interviews with 175 current and former UHS staff
and more than 120 patients, government investigators
and other experts, was the result of a yearlong BuzzFeed
News investigation. It alleges UHS psychiatric hospitals
kept patients longer than necessary and against their
will to maximize reimbursement from insurers. The re-
port also raised questions about the quality of care pro-
vided at the psychiatric hospitals.
UHS has denied the allegations in the BuzzFeed story.
UHS' stock went up 1.01 percent during trading on Thurs-
day, with the company's share price hitting $112.48.
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Surgeons Rank as #1
Highest-Paying Job in
These 16 States
By Mary Rechtoris
T
hroughout the nation, anesthesiologists rank as
the highest-paid job with surgeons trailing closely
behind with an average annual salary of $247,520.
Yahoo! News lists the following 16 states where surgeons
rank as the highest-paid occupation, on average:
1. Nevada
2. Arizona
3. Florida
4. Georgia
5. Tennessee
6. South Carolina
7. North Carolina
8. Virginia
9. Kentucky
10. Illinois
11. Wisconsin
12. Michigan
13. New Jersey
14. Vermont
15. Kansas
16. Nebraska
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