Indiana ranks 13th in nation for childhood obesity
One in six Hoosier children aged 10 to 17 is obese, making Indiana among the worst states in the nation for childhood obesity, according to a new study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Health Care & Life Sciences
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Lab-testing giant enlists Hc1’s software to smarten test utilization
The Indianapolis-based company’s software employs machine learning to prevent health systems from ordering too many or too few tests, a mistake that can lead to missed diagnoses and costly procedures.
Cook Regentec spins off first biotech from Indy-based incubator
The spinoff, called Sexton Biotechnologies, has raised $5 million in outside investment and will spin off in October. The biotech develops cell and gene therapy tools used to grow cells for medical purposes.
Building blitz continues at Zionsville’s Hoosier Village with $20M expansion
One of Indiana’s oldest and largest senior communities has broken ground on its fifth addition in seven years. Owner BHI Senior Living says it has a “robust waiting list” at Hoosier Village.
North-side nursing home to convert into drug-treatment center
Capitol Village Healthcare, a 52-bed nursing home at 2926 N. Capitol Ave., closed earlier this year, and had received low ratings from U.S. News and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
State health department receiving $21M grant to combat drug overdoses
Money will go toward such uses as collecting more timely data on overdoses treated at emergency rooms and enhancing the state’s prescription-monitoring program.
Family of Carmel teen sues Juul, calling e-cigarettes addictive, dangerous
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, is the first such federal lawsuit in the state against Juul, a company battling numerous complaints over its products.
App’s success leads Don Brown to embrace consumer market
After building and selling three companies and starting a fourth, Dr. Don Brown thought he had seen it all. Even so, he still gets an occasional surprise.
IU Health named best Indiana hospital in U.S. News rankings, but slips in specialties
The annual rankings, now in their 30th year, are designed to assist patients and their doctors in making decisions about where to get care.
Riley Hospital clears out four floors, gets set for $142M maternity expansion project
The move is part of IU Health’s way to address the state’s high infant mortality rate and keep all newborn services under one roof.
Popular Medicare Advantage plans come under fire
Regulators say the insurance industry has been annually overbilling the government by billions of dollars, and now the federal government is stepping up moves to recoup money.
Merger could lift Planned Parenthood
A new alliance with the Seattle-based affiliate chapter might be the key to the turnaround and longevity of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky.
Elanco in advanced talks to buy Bayer animal-health unit, report says
The multibillion-dollar deal would swell the size of Elanco, which already is the fourth-largest global player in animal health.
Community Health Network HQ gets new property owner, plans to expand office space
An Indianapolis-based real estate company that specializes in health care properties has acquired more than 300,000 square feet of commercial office space on the city’s northeast side, including the headquarters of Community Health Network.
Boom in Medicare business fueling eHealth’s growth, expansion into Indianapolis
The company has been bleeding red ink, but its Medicare business is booming and could ring up nearly $100 million in profit this year—if the company can hire enough people to help all the seniors calling in with questions.
Addiction-treatment centers pop up all over
Many of the providers are not traditional health systems, but rather small, for-profit startups attracted by a soaring demand for recovery services.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, others fight for progress on smoking
Young is out front nationally on a key anti-smoking platform: Raising the minimum age for buying tobacco to 21.
Want to buy a tobacco-cessation product in Indiana? No prescription needed anymore
The goal is to make the products more affordable and accessible—and to reduce Indiana’s high smoking rate. More than 1.1 million adult Hoosiers smoke, and Indiana ranks 44th among states in smoking rate.
Lilly losing two senior executives, including Bio-Medicines chief
Lilly shares dropped 4.6 percent in early trading after the company said Christi Shaw was leaving and Mike Harrington planned to retire.
Startup claims breakthrough in gauging pain
MindX founders think they’ve found a scientific way to measure pain and other hard-to-quantify mental health conditions, such as suicide risk, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.