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November 12, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Hospitals

UAMS Health to Lease and Operate 53-Bed Arkansas Hospital

By Healthcare Technology News ·

Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Health is set to operate Encore Medical Center in Bryant, after the University of Arkansas board of trustees approved a plan to lease and run the facility, according to Becker's Hospital Review.

Encore is a 53-licensed-bed, 108,055-square-foot hospital that opened in 2021 with a focus on bariatric weight loss surgery and peripheral procedures. Taking it over lets UAMS expand into a growing community south of Little Rock without the cost and timeline of new construction. Leasing an existing, recently built facility is a faster, lower-risk path to adding inpatient and surgical capacity.

The move fits a broader pattern of academic medical centers extending their reach through leases and partnerships rather than ground-up builds. For UAMS, the state's only academic health system, the arrangement adds capacity, a referral base, and a platform for specialty care closer to where patients live.

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Hospitals

Baltimore ERs See Surge in GLP-1 Side Effects, Doctor Warns

Baltimore emergency physicians report a rise in preventable ER visits tied to GLP-1 drugs used without medical supervision, a MedStar Health doctor told WBAL-TV.

Why it matters: The surge shows how unsupervised online access to GLP-1 drugs is pushing avoidable costs and complications into hospital emergency rooms.

Hospitals

Lehigh Valley Sues Highmark Over Specialty Drug Access

Lehigh Valley Health Network sued Highmark, alleging the insurer is blocking its specialty pharmacy from dispensing high-cost drugs to members.

Why it matters: Specialty drugs are among the most profitable prescriptions, and the suit tests whether payers can steer them away from hospital-owned pharmacies.

Hospitals

Hackers Lurked 17 Days in Georgia Hospital Network

Hackers accessed Bacon County Hospital's network in Georgia for 17 days before detection, copying files in a breach that underscores rural hospital security gaps.

Why it matters: Slow detection lets attackers quietly steal patient data, and small rural hospitals are among the most exposed in healthcare.