Healthcare

Austin, Texas – September 20, 2026 -- San Juan Regional Medical Center has cut bed-assignment time by 38.9%, from 54.00 minutes to 33.00 minutes, one month after deploying new Oracle Health operational solutions, according to figures released by Oracle.

Environmental services response time drops 48.5% after go-live

The Farmington, New Mexico-based nonprofit health system, which serves the Four Corners region spanning New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah, reported environmental services response time fell 48.5%, from 49.67 minutes to 25.56 minutes, surpassing its internal target. Clean-completion time for environmental services improved 1.2% and continues trending positively, the organization said.

Norcross, Ga. – September 20, 2026 -- Koning Health's Breast CT System, the CBCT 1000, has been added to the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG No. 531059), clearing the device for commercial supply in Australia.

TGA approves device inclusion on September 8, 2026

The Therapeutic Goods Administration granted the ARTG listing on September 8, 2026, allowing Koning Health to begin commercial supply in Australia subject to regulatory conditions tied to the inclusion.

Brisbane Radiology becomes first Australian buyer of the system

Brisbane Radiology has committed to purchasing the Koning Breast CT System, making it the first provider in the country to adopt the technology. Clinical Director Jacqui Milne said the approval marks a milestone for breast imaging in Australia and expects it to create new opportunities for patients and providers nationwide.

Shanghai – September 19, 2026 -- Carestream Healthcare International has launched the STARVIEW Digital Radiography System, a floor-mounted DR room built for routine radiographic imaging.

STARVIEW targets facilities upgrading from film, CR or aging DR systems

The system is designed to serve healthcare facilities introducing a first DR room, replacing legacy film-based or computed radiography equipment, or expanding routine-imaging capacity. Carestream built the platform around three pillars: fully digital operation, ease of adoption and scalability for future growth.

Burr Ridge, Ill. – September 19, 2026 -- SkinCure Oncology reported that 4.7 million Americans are diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) annually, a figure more than 40 percent higher than the widely cited benchmark of 3.3 million patients that has anchored healthcare policy discussions for over a decade.

Updated analysis replaces a 14-year-old dataset

The long-standing statistic of 3.3 million Americans diagnosed with 5.4 million NMSC lesions annually stems from a 2015 study built on 2012 data. SkinCure Oncology's new benchmark puts annual lesion counts at 6.7 to 7.7 million, reflecting the disease's disproportionate impact on aging populations.

Abbott Park – September 19, 2026 -- Abbott's board of directors declared a quarterly common dividend of 63 cents per share, payable Nov. 16, 2026, to shareholders of record as of Oct. 15, 2026.

Abbott extends its dividend streak to 411 consecutive quarters since 1924

The payout marks the 411th consecutive quarterly dividend issued by the company, an unbroken record dating back more than a century.

Abbott has raised its payout for 54 straight years, retaining Dividend Aristocrat status

The company has increased its dividend annually for 54 consecutive years, qualifying it for continued membership in the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, which requires at least 25 years of consecutive annual increases.

Dallas – September 19, 2026 -- Ikonopedia deployed version 2026.08.0 of its breast imaging reporting platform on the evening of September 15, aligning the software with the American College of Radiology's newly released BI-RADS v2025 (6th Edition) manual.

Terminology overhaul removes ambiguous mammography and MRI terms

The update strips outdated language from structured reporting workflows across mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and pathology. Terms such as "developing asymmetry" in mammography and "focus" in breast MRI have been eliminated to match the revised ACR standard, reducing inconsistency in radiologist reporting.

Miami – – September 19, 2026 -- Armor Health is scaling a structured postpartum depression (PPD) care framework across correctional facilities nationwide, targeting a patient population it identifies as facing heightened mental-health risk during incarceration.

Armor builds a four-pillar clinical pathway for postpartum inmates

The framework rests on early screening, prevention, structured treatment, and evidence-based clinical guidelines, designed to catch PPD early and maintain continuity of care as patients transition from custody back to their communities.

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.

Backpack Distribution Ties School Supplies to Well-Child Visit Access

AZ Blue Health Choice partnered with Equality Health Foundation on the initiative, which supplies notebooks, folders, pencils, crayons, rulers and glue sticks to children and families statewide. The program is structured around partnerships with pediatric and primary care practices to connect families with annual wellness visits, aiming to identify health issues early and reduce financial strain on households ahead of the school year.

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.

Prophecy Surgical Planning has processed more than 100,000 ankle cases over 14 years

Stryker's Prophecy platform, used in patient-specific surgical planning, has supported over 100,000 ankle procedures since its introduction 14 years ago, according to internal company data. The tool is now integrated with the Incompass Total Ankle System, giving surgeons 3D visualization and a choice between resect-through and pin-through fixation within a single connected platform.

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.

Documentary segment examines how data tracking reshapes small-hospital operations

The feature on "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia" documents how the facility analyzes qualitative staff feedback alongside regional clinical outcomes to inform operational restructuring. The hospital tracks frontline workflow metrics to help physicians and nurses streamline patient handoffs and reduce procedural friction, using data gathered across multiple community touchpoints to build adaptable care models.