PHOENIX – September 19, 2026 -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Health Choice (AZ Blue Health Choice) is distributing approximately 3,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to Medicaid families across Arizona this year, tying the giveaway directly to a push for increased preventive pediatric care.

Portage, Mich. – September 18, 2026 -- Stryker will launch Prophecy Surgical Planning for its Incompass Total Ankle System and unveil Hoffmann LRF smartHEX at the 2026 American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Annual Meeting in Seattle, expanding its Foot & Ankle portfolio with two connected technologies.

New Orleans – September 18, 2026 -- West Ascension Parish Hospital Service District, a Critical Access Hospital serving Donaldsonville, Louisiana, has been selected for a national Public Television documentary segment examining rural healthcare delivery models, following on-location filming completed in July 2026.

San Francisco – September 18, 2026 -- San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP) has earned a 4.5-star rating in the 2026 NCQA Health Plan Ratings, the highest score in its history, as the Medi-Cal insurer covers more than 172,000 residents.

Pittsburgh – September 18, 2026 -- An inventor from Brooklyn, N.Y., has developed a device called NURSES WEEKEND designed to reduce injury risk when repositioning patients in hospital and care beds, according to InventHelp, which submitted the design and is now seeking a manufacturing or marketing partner.

Bloomington – September 18, 2026 -- R3 Continuum, a provider of workplace behavioral health and organizational resilience solutions, has appointed Brett Hart, Ph.D., as Chief Clinical Officer, tasking him with leading clinical strategy, innovation and outcomes measurement as the company scales its workforce behavioral health offerings.

Dallas – September 18, 2026 -- A new Healthcare Workforce Outlook Index scored the U.S. healthcare workforce at just 38%, with none of its five underlying dimensions exceeding 50%, according to AMN Healthcare's 2026 Healthcare Workforce Outlook Survey released today.

Pinellas Park, Fla. – September 18, 2026 -- Brundage Group has appointed Des Varady as president, tapping a 30-year health care and technology executive to oversee operations as the clinical compliance and revenue integrity firm scales nationally.

Singapore – September 17, 2026 -- The National University Health System (NUHS) has treated more than 300,000 patients under its value-based care framework over the past decade, cutting hospital bed days by 18,225 and generating over SG$13 million in annual cost avoidance.

Dallas – September 17, 2026 -- Scottish Rite for Children has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for pediatric orthopedic care by U.S. News & World Report's 2026-2027 Best Children's Hospitals rankings, marking the first time the institution has secured the top spot for two consecutive years.