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As debates surrounding AI continue across industries, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are using the technology to help improve cancer treatment outcomes. According to Cedars-Sinai, investigators at the California-based health system co-developed an AI-powered platform to predict, on an individual basis, which of two chemotherapy options may be more effective for pancreatic cancer patients. Andrew Hendifar, MD, medical director of Pancreatic Cancer at Cedars-Sinai Cancer and first author of the study, noted that a major challenge in treating advanced pancreatic cancer is that there is currently no conclusive data showing which of the two approved chemotherapy regimens works best for each patient. As a result, physicians often begin treatment with one regimen, monitor the patient’s response, and switch therapies if necessary. Hendifar noted that the approach can be harmful because ineffective chemotherapy may further weaken a patient’s health instead of improving it. “If...
Dr. Silvia Bautista Morrobel returned to a dental practice where she once worked, except this time, to become its owner. The first-generation student is a proud graduate of Marquette University School of Dentistry. Before attending the university, she double-majored in biology (pre-dentistry) and Spanish , and minored in chemistry, on a full-ride scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where she received her bachelor’s, according to her LinkedIn profile. Carvd N Stone reports Morrobel graduated with a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2017. This marked a full-circle moment for her as she received orthodontic treatment from the Marquette School of Dentistry when she was 12 years old. “I was inspired by my Orthodontist at the time and told her that when I grew up, I wanted to be just like her. 9 years later, at the age of 21, I received my acceptance letter to that very same school I was treated at,” she wrote on her LinkedIn page. Morrobel is now a Doctor of Dental Surgery...
Akinwole “Aki” Garrett has taken over as CEO of BlackDoctor as of April 1, 2026. In a news release issued Tuesday, April 21, BlackDoctor — a leading loopfocused on improving health and wellness outcomes for millions of Black Americans — said Garrett succeeds founder Reginald Ware, who has transitioned to executive chairman of the board. “Over the last year, Aki has played a transformative role in shaping the future of BlackDoctor,” Ware said. “Through his strong performance, visible leadership, and forward-looking vision, Aki has earned the title of CEO. He knows our mission, our audience, and what it takes to win. This transition positions the company for its next phase of growth and impact.” As executive chairman, Ware will focus on board governance and use his network across the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries to drive strategic growth. “I could not be more excited for Aki to step into the CEO role. In my capacity as Executive Chairman, I look forward to focusing on...
AI-powered fundus cameras have been installed at all Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute locations next to primary care clinics in Ohio, offering a way for patients with diabetes to be screened annually for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and receive results often within 30 seconds. The new technology , which will also be installed in select Cleveland Clinic primary care and endocrinology clinics, can detect the presence or absence of DR without pupil dilation or a specialist needed, according to Cleveland Clinic. “Cleveland Clinic cares for tens of thousands of patients with diabetes, and a large proportion of them do not have dilated eye exams, which are critical to prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy,” Sumit Sharma, MD, a vitreoretinal surgeon at the Cole Eye Institute, said per Cleveland Clinic. “However, each year, many of these patients without retinopathy are referred to ophthalmology for a dilated eye exam for retinopathy screening. Those exams require evaluation by a...
Shay Taylor-Allen’s story is truly a full circle. Born at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT, she returned at 18 for her first job as a janitor, according to PEOPLE. Now, over 10 years later, she’s preparing to begin her anesthesiology residency at the very same hospital. Her Journey Into Medicine Taylor-Allen worked as a janitor for a decade after graduating high school, initially taking the job to pay her bills, she told the outlet. At the time, she wasn’t sure if college was in her future. Even after enrolling, she continued working in maintenance while pursuing her education. “I was working full-time as a janitor because around that time also my mom got sick, and she was in and out of hospital,” Taylor-Allen told PEOPLE. “They couldn’t figure out what was going on with her.” She recalls that doctors repeatedly dismissed her mother’s symptoms and pointed to mental illness , leaving her without needed treatment, according to the outlet. Thinking back to a house fire years...
Sarah London, the youngest woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company, is steering Centene through billions in losses. London, who embarked on her new journey as CEO of Centene on March 3, 2022, according to the company , helped spearhead the offering of government-sponsored healthcare plans to consumers across the U.S. While she began leading the company at only 41 years old, she’s been able to persevere through the challenges of having to sustain affordable healthcare plans as government spending for Medicare has been cut largely due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Though revenue grew almost 20% in 2025, Centene posted a net loss of approximately $6.7 billion, while the company’s share price fell over 30%, according to Yahoo Finance. London remains optimistic that the insurance provider will bounce back from the limited funding. “You could take a step back and come away with the conclusion that these [programs] are under attack,” London said in an interview with Fortune. But...
The NAACP has released findings from a new report examining health equity across the United States. As one of the largest contemporary grassroots assessments of community health resources to date, “ACE Your Health” is backed by rigorous, science-based analysis from global pharmaceutical company Sanofi. According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, the report draws on responses from nearly 23,000 people across 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. It provides insight into the real-world conditions shaping health outcomes in under-resourced neighborhoods and historically underserved communities, offering data to help local leaders, policymakers, advocates, and health systems drive meaningful change. “The voices of nearly 23,000 people are a powerful reminder that health is shaped, or undermined, long before anyone walks into a doctor’s office. Our collaboration with the NAACP on the ACE Your Health report reflects Sanofi’s belief that the most powerful innovations happen...
Two Maryland brothers, Patrick and Charles Boyd, received a combined 38 years in prison for orchestrating a nationwide drug diversion scheme that endangered HIV-positive patients, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Charles, CEO of SafeChain Solutions, and his brother Patrick, managing partner overseeing sales, were sentenced Friday, March 13, 2026, following a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), per an agency press release. Inside The Boyd Brothers’ Nationwide HIV Drug Fraud The brothers, owners of wholesale pharmaceutical distributor SafeChain Solutions, allegedly conspired with black-market suppliers to buy HIV medications at steep discounts from unsuspecting patients and then resold them in unsafe conditions, the Justice Department noted. Evidence presented at trial revealed that the Boyd brothers purchased some of the diverted drugs from patients on the...
Tuskegee University is working to increase access to nursing careers. Nursing Apprenticeship Program Details According to a press release, the Historically Black College and Universit y (HBCU) has approved its nursing apprenticeship program, which was established to strengthen Alabama’s healthcare workforce and expand care access. The program marks a first for a four-year HBCU in the state of Alabama. Registered through the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship within the Alabama Department of Labor, the program includes classroom instruction, paid on-the-job learning, clinical experience, and one-on-one mentorship from experienced nurses. Apprentices Will Be Paid What’s more, participants can earn wages during clinical rotations. “This apprenticeship represents a different way of thinking about how we prepare Alabama’s healthcare workforce,” said Meredith Smith, director of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship, according to the news release. “By blending education with paid and...
HealthStack, a newly launched B2B platform for clinicians and health leaders, officially debuted its Virtual Summit. According to a blog post, HealthStack launched with a mission centered on evidence-based insights, professional development, and community-building through curated content, research, and programming. Furthermore, the platform builds on the legacy of AFROTECH™, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this fall at the AFROTECH™ Conference in Houston. The conference will introduce a “Medical” ticket, granting holders access to the HealthStack Conference while drawing clinicians, healthcare leaders, innovators, and policymakers aligned around advancing equitable healthcare. During HealthStack’s first virtual summit, Blavity Founder and CEO Morgan DeBaun mentioned that, as AFROTECH™ helped reduce information asymmetry in tech, HealthStack is designed to do the same in healthcare. DeBaun also touched on her mission of equity, which was informed by her father who is a...
The Gates Foundation and OpenAI are committing $50 million to African health clinics. Horizon1000 Fortune reports that the companies have launched a collaborative initiative called “ Horizon1000 ,” which aims to leverage AI to improve healthcare across sub-Saharan Africa, beginning in Rwanda. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Gates described the initiative as a “ game-changer for expanding access to quality care,” according to the Financial Times. The $50 million commitment will provide funding and AI tools to improve workflows at 1,000 primary healthcare clinics by 2028, reports the outlet. The effort comes as sub-Saharan Africa faces a shortage of around six million healthcare workers, leaving many patients without adequate administrative support or care. The gap has contributed to increased mortality rates and could undermine 25 years of progress in global health, Fortune reports. In Rwanda, there is one healthcare worker for every 1,000 people, far...
Bristol Myers Squibb and Microsoft will partner for medical advancements in lung cancer. An agreement was signed that will allow biopharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb to benefit from Microsoft’s AI-enabled radiology platform that can detect lung cancer in its early stages, Reuters reports. The drugmaker markets itself as a global leader in addressing complex diseases such as cancer and HIV, per its website . This agreement between the two will open doors for the deployment of radiology AI algorithms via Microsoft’s Precision Imaging Network — tools that have been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , according to a press release. The network can analyze X-ray and CT images, which is helpful in detecting lung nodules sometimes difficult to recognize, the release added. The technology would also contribute to the improvement of radiologists’ workflows and be used by the majority of U.S. hospitals, per the release. “By combining Microsoft’s highly scalable...
The Trump administration has unveiled a new healthcare plan. Great Healthcare Plan Explained According to a press release from the White House, it is introducing the Great Healthcare Plan to reduce insurance premiums, cut prescription drug prices, ensure big insurance companies are held accountable, and increase price transparency for millions of Americans by requiring hospitals or insurers that accept Medicare or Medicaid to post their pricing. The plan will reportedly provide Americans with money directly through their healthcare savings accounts, so that they can purchase their own healthcare plans as opposed to the funds being sent to insurance companies, Big Pharma, and special interest groups, the press release states. President Donald Trump addressed Obamacare as well, claiming it led to people paying more for health care each year and seeing higher premiums. The Great Healthcare Plan will reportedly fund a Cost Sharing Reduction program and slash premiums on several of “the...
HealthStack Virtual Summit, powered by AFROTECH™, will take place on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. The event brings together physicians, nurses , and healthcare leaders for candid conversations about the healthcare industry. What Is HealthStack? HealthStack is a B2B platform for clinicians, health executives, and innovators committed to advancing equitable health care through credible reporting, industry news, and professional development opportunities — all in one centralized hub. What To Expect At HealthStack’s Virtual Summit The summit is designed for early- to mid-career professionals. They’ll be able to learn from industry leaders and gain a clearer sense of the future of health care — and their place within it. The summit will kick off at 10 a.m. PST with a welcome from Blavity Co-founder and CEO Morgan DeBaun , followed by an “AI for Nurses” workshop led by Anika Gardenhire, AdventHealth’s chief digital and transformation officer. Programming will continue with a fireside panel...
D’Angelo’s estate has launched the D’Angelo Pancreatic Cancer Fund, a global philanthropic initiative honoring the late soul musician, who passed away on Oct. 14, 2025, at age 51 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer. According to PEOPLE, the fund was created in partnership with the Black Boy Joy Foundation (BBJF) and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to support research, early detection studies, awareness campaigns, family support programs, and advocacy initiatives, with a particular focus on Black men and boys, addressing a disease with a survival rate of just 13%. In a statement, the estate said, “As a visionary artist, cultural pioneer, and devoted father, D’Angelo’s influence transcended music and defined a generation. Today with the Black Boy Joy Foundation x Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, we formally launched this initiative to honor his life and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.” PEOPLE also reports that the D’Angelo Pancreatic Cancer Fund will be led...