1. Daily COVID-19 stats, state-by-state: 

• Positivity rates + new cases 
• States where virus is spreading fastest, slowest
• Hospitalizations
• Deaths

2. US cases up 51% in 1 month; surges slow in some Midwest states — 6 COVID-19 updates  Full story

3. Hospital CEOs among first to get COVID-19 vaccine to send public message  Full story

4. Influenza Vaccination Remains a Priority even as we begin rolling out a COVID-19 Vaccination Program. Click here to read more.

5. Medical staff urges California nurses not to strike  Full story

6. Chicago's Mercy Hospital can't close, Illinois regulators say  Full story

7. What are the most important features of a hospital employee health plan? Click here to weigh in.

8. Why pay for public hospital CEOs is kept secret in Indiana  Full story

9. Gatherings — not school — tied to child COVID-19 cases, CDC finds  Full story

10. 27 senators urge inclusion of surprise-billing deal in year-end package  Full story

11. 3 Must Reads:

• Does your organization employ a whole-person approach to providing care for its employees with chronic conditions? Click here to learn how one health system achieved better chronic condition management results.
• What do Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian and Hackensack University Medical Center have in common? A commitment to surgical excellence. Click here to read more. 
• A paper-based informed consent process can put your system at legal and financial risk. Click here to learn how one health system made it mobile.

12. Illinois health system CEO to retire  Full story

13. Dr. Paul Farmer wins $1M Berggruen prize  Full story

14. 70% of digital transformation initiatives do not reach their goals. Click here to learn how to make sure your initiatives are successful.  

15. COVID-19 news cycle lacks strong physician representation, study finds  Full story

16. America's healthiest, unhealthiest states for 2020   Full story