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The governor of Connecticut has ordered the state's health department to hold off on approving any major hospital mergers and acquisitions until next year—a move that could delay at least one big deal. Gov. Dannel Malloy issued an executive order Thursday creating a task force to review the state's certificate of need programs and process, by which providers must gain state approval before completing certain transactions. (Schencker, 2/26)

Trustees for Miami-Dade's public hospital network, Jackson Health System, approved nearly $68 million in contracts Friday to start making the safety-net healthcare system more competitive by constructing new buildings, renovating existing facilities and expanding into Doral. The five contracts for architects and engineers represent the next step in Jackson Health’s plans to transform itself from a financially troubled hospital system near the brink of bankruptcy in 2011 into a competitive force in South Florida healthcare by attracting more insured patients and excelling in specialties such as organ transplants, physical rehabilitation and trauma care, said Joe Arriola, chairman of the Public Health Trust that governs the $1.8 billion-a-year taxpayer owned system. (Chang, 2/26)

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is reminding Minnesota hospitals that they are not allowed to bill sexual assault victims for forensic medical exams. (Zdechlik, 2/26)

Days before a deadline for Washington state’s largest psychiatric hospital to fix safety problems, federal regulators issued an “immediate jeopardy” notice saying the facility failed to protect patients from harm. Inspectors with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the notice Thursday after saying a patient at Western State Hospital was given the wrong medication. The notice reflects a crisis situation in which the health and safety of people at the hospital are at risk. Hospital CEO Ron Adler notified staff about the situation in an email acquired by The Associated Press on Friday. (Bellisle, 2/26)